HOOK, LINE, AND MURDER by GG Calpo with Guest Post

Topic: Did you have a minor character who insisted on playing a larger role in the story. If so, please tell us about it. And if not, please tell me how you get the characters in your head to behave.

 

When Your Cozy Mystery Character Grabs the Pen From Your Hand (Or Whispers In Your Ear):

If you’re lucky, you’ll experience that magical moment when your character comes alive and demands that you go off-plot. The words come faster than you can type, scenes fly by, dialogues write themselves, while your word count for the day piles up.

Unfortunately, by the time you’ve laid out the scenes prompted by the whisperings in your ear and you’re sitting back in that swivel chair, you’ll get that sinking feeling that you’re so far from your plot outline, you might as well write a different book.

But don’t despair, not all is lost.

Often, it’s not the character who’s wrong. Cozy mysteries sink and swim with gossip, rumors, and innuendos, leading to misunderstandings, red herrings, and well-meaning disastrous decisions. A character who goes off-plot has given you, the author, a gift. Your character is stirring the pot, flipping the signposts and leading your readers on a merry chase. They’re creating confusion and conflict while upping the stakes.

When your character grabs the pen from your hand, I say follow where they lead. When they’re done and the words are down on the pages, ask yourself the following questions. Why did your character go rogue? Who are they protecting? What secret are they hiding? Characters who follow their heart instead of the clues are telling you something. Find out what it is. And when you find out, go back to your book and revise. Look at where your plot needs to bend and twist.

Sometimes letting your characters wander as they want is exactly how you create a cozier, more surprising whodunit.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. GG Calpo will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What does Meg, a retired kindergarten teacher, do when the killer of her husband and only child still walks free a year after dirt had covered their graves? Go rogue, of course!

When the detective responsible for Meg’s nightmares takes over the murder investigation of her former student, Meg hunts the killer down with help from her friends. Their cozy lunches at Sweet Buns Café turn into tactical meetings while these retired grade school teachers get themselves in trouble better suited to those in their twenties. And to put the icing on their cream scones, someone is after Meg. Is it the killer? Or has Meg uncovered secrets better left buried with her loved ones?

Read an Excerpt:

The day was beautiful, with clear skies and a mild snap in the air. It was cold yet warm with the right amount of heat from the sun, making it the perfect spring day. Motorboats and sailboats dipped in and out of the water, out by Poet’s Bay. And at the edge of the harbor were the fishermen, alone or in groups of two or three, a rod in their hands and their tackle boxes opened beside them. We rounded the corner, almost done with our walk, when we saw mothers dragging their children away and fathers covering the eyes of the children in their arms. Pushing against the stream of parents scrambling away were others whose eyes were fixed on the man by the harbor’s edge. A man on whose fishing line dangled a catch with, what I thought were, red fins and a red tail swaying lazily around the hook.

Red? In the salt waters of Poet’s Bay? As I stood there trying to figure out what I was seeing, Barbara shoved her way into the crowd. I followed, my curiosity getting the better of me. Murmurs of “Good morning” and “Good to see you, Mrs. B” trailed behind me, changing to “You sure you want to see this, Mrs. B?” and “I wouldn’t go any further if I were you, Mrs. B.” We fetched up to the front and looked down on the ground before us while the fisherman beside us puked his guts out.

It wasn’t a fish he had caught

Instead, on the ground was a hand. Just a hand. Nothing else.

About the Author:

A retired CPA and lawyer, GG Calpo now writes cozy mysteries and urban fantasies. She blends her experiences as a Filipino American immigrant with the everyday stories of life around her. She spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She resides in Central New Jersey, with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget.

Website: http://www.ggcalpo.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/gg.calpo
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gg.calpo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/194657776-gisella

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2YT1P7B
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hook-line-and-murder-gg-calpo/1148773282
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hook-line-and-murder/id6755481320