Our newest novel together is Murder at the Million Dollar Pier.
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| Sarah E. Glenn and Gwen Mayo |
How do two authors write one book? Tell me about your process.
We do have our challenges. Gwen is plot-oriented, while I am a true pantser (I prefer to call it 'organic writing'). We rely on a shared plotline, with the agreement that any deviations from said plotline will be promptly logged. One of us has a talent for shooting plans in the head.
We toss ideas--and the manuscript--back and forth. Gwen writes for a while, and then I do. Each of us goes over the update and adds depth and detail to the new material. It requires a lot of trust and an ability to put ego aside to write together, but we have a great synergy.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
Sarah: The ladies were inspired by my great-great-aunt Dess, who served as a nurse during WWI.
Gwen: I created Professor Pettijohn for her Nessa Donnelly series, and we poached him. The best theft I ever committed: he makes a wonderful counterpoint to the nurses.
We chose to set the stories during the 1920s land boom in Florida because the locations were still largely unspoiled, but greed and skullduggery were at their peak. The state was full of dreamers, opportunists, and gangsters--an endless source of good stories in beautiful locations.
For a review of Murder on the Million Dollar Pier click here.
What books did you read as a child?
Sarah: I grew up surrounded by books; my father sold educational materials. I plowed through his inventory (personal and professional), the entire Black Stallion series, and an inordinate number of comic books. I was voted most likely to be a librarian in school, but I'm closer to owning one.
Gwen: I grew up in a town without a bookstore or library. The local grocery store had a bookshelf, where she spent her lunch money on Little Women, Zane Grey, Huck Finn, and, later, Agatha Christie.
What drew you to writing?
What books did you read as a child?
Sarah: I grew up surrounded by books; my father sold educational materials. I plowed through his inventory (personal and professional), the entire Black Stallion series, and an inordinate number of comic books. I was voted most likely to be a librarian in school, but I'm closer to owning one.
Gwen: I grew up in a town without a bookstore or library. The local grocery store had a bookshelf, where she spent her lunch money on Little Women, Zane Grey, Huck Finn, and, later, Agatha Christie.
What drew you to writing?
Sarah: I began writing as a way to enter the worlds I loved, becoming possibly the only person to write Black Stallion fanfic.
Gwen: I began by making up stories to entertain her little sister, mostly about a tiny boy who lived in a coconut shell on a tropical island. Eventually, I had to write them down because my sister wanted to hear the same ones over and over.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Sarah: Stop trying to write what you think the story is about, and let the characters tell you what they are doing.
Gwen: To keep people from throwing away the stories I wrote when I was a child.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
We visit the locations if they still exist. The current book gave us a great excuse (like we needed one) to visit the Vinoy, the nearby park, and the bar on the site of the original Gangplank, where we sampled drinks. When we wrote our first Snowbirds novel, we drove to Citrus County to do a trial run of the car chase on the Homosassa roads, seeing where each turn took us. The view at one of the spots sparked the idea for a crucial moment in the plot.
Other avenues of research: I enjoy finding "current events" on Newspapers.com, and Gwen relies on texts like Cigar City Mafia and photographs from historical archives.
Who is your favorite author?
Sarah: I have many favorites, depending on genre, but I lean towards Stephen King at the moment.
Gwen: I began by making up stories to entertain her little sister, mostly about a tiny boy who lived in a coconut shell on a tropical island. Eventually, I had to write them down because my sister wanted to hear the same ones over and over.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Sarah: Stop trying to write what you think the story is about, and let the characters tell you what they are doing.
Gwen: To keep people from throwing away the stories I wrote when I was a child.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
We visit the locations if they still exist. The current book gave us a great excuse (like we needed one) to visit the Vinoy, the nearby park, and the bar on the site of the original Gangplank, where we sampled drinks. When we wrote our first Snowbirds novel, we drove to Citrus County to do a trial run of the car chase on the Homosassa roads, seeing where each turn took us. The view at one of the spots sparked the idea for a crucial moment in the plot.
Other avenues of research: I enjoy finding "current events" on Newspapers.com, and Gwen relies on texts like Cigar City Mafia and photographs from historical archives.
Who is your favorite author?
Sarah: I have many favorites, depending on genre, but I lean towards Stephen King at the moment.
Gwen: My favorite is Agatha Christie. We both enjoy Anne Perry and Louise Penny.
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
I'd really love to see my father and his parents again. If I need to add a couple of famous people, I'll add Benjamin Franklin, Hypatia of Alexandria, and a translator for Hypatia (it's been a long time since I took ancient Greek).
If you could not be an author, what would you like to do as a career?
I'd love to be a comic book artist. I could identify most of Marvel's artists on sight during my teens, and I used to draw my own X-Men stories. Ka-blam!
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
I'd really love to see my father and his parents again. If I need to add a couple of famous people, I'll add Benjamin Franklin, Hypatia of Alexandria, and a translator for Hypatia (it's been a long time since I took ancient Greek).
If you could not be an author, what would you like to do as a career?
I'd love to be a comic book artist. I could identify most of Marvel's artists on sight during my teens, and I used to draw my own X-Men stories. Ka-blam!
