When speaking with people who like to read books, I’ve talked to a lot of readers who have no idea how long writing a book actually takes, or what the process is to getting it all down.

That’s an easy answer. Take a book, add up how long it took to read, and multiply that by about 500.

That might sound extreme, and it probably is. But when a writer sits down at the computer to write, a lot of the time, what we’re doing isn’t writing. There’s also research, editing, critiquing and receiving critiques. There’s also a lot of time spent staring at that blank screen that isn’t being magically filled with a thrilling plot and witty dialogue. Sometimes, we just sit there, stumped, on how to get the right words down.

That means there’s a lot of time spent walking to the kitchen to the coffee maker. And watching the coffee pour into the cup. And watching those last drops. Slowly. Then the walk back to the computer, where, hopefully, genius has now taken hold with the help of a cup of fresh-ground Starbucks French Roast (which I have been told is being discontinued!!!)

Sometimes that works. But if it doesn’t what usually does is knowing it’s bed time, and I have to get up early. Just as my finger is aimed at the button to shut off the computer for the night, that’s when the best ideas tend to hit.

Who needs sleep, really? That’s another thing coffee is good for.

Today my guest is Amy Anguish.

Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University.

Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor

Here’s what Amy has to say about what goes on in the head of an author.

When Gail first mentioned the topic to me, I thought about writing it like a conversation between myself and my brain. Then, I decided that might scare off any potential readers, so we’re going to go a different direction today. Through the years, I have had quite a few jobs, from taking in sewing to teaching preschool to being a legal assistant. Unfortunately, after a while, an author runs out of jobs to give her characters that she actually has experience with unless she makes them all basically the same. I suppose I could do that, but wouldn’t it get boring to always read about teachers or authors or legal assistants? So, what’s a girl to do?

Google is a huge help. But so are friends. I love sending emails to friends or family members who actually work in the jobs I have my characters working so I can pick their brain. It also keeps me from wasting too much time online. I find that if I get online to do a “quick search” for something, say the technical term for that tool a doctor uses to look in people’s ears (it’s an otoscope, by the way), that leads me to remembering that I was going to do [insert mundane thing here] or trolling Facebook or letting myself be lost in the abyss that is called Pinterest. It’s much easier to stay offline as much as possible when I’m supposed to be actually putting words to paper.

Now, if you’ve followed the whole train of this post, you can see a little into the way my brain works. Ha! I started out with my original idea, went from there to how I have to do research every now and then since I can’t make my characters all have the same job, and from there to the random train of thought of how easily distracted I get if I let myself. My brain really is like that meme that says a woman’s brain is like a browser with 2,857 tabs open all the time. And to think, I really meant to write about how I’m a “plantser”—a combination of a planner and pantser when I write. Maybe next time?

Have you ever wondered how writers come up with their characters? I’ve written over forty books, and I like to think that every person I put into a story is unique. There are bound to be some similarities, after all, in all the people we know, there are people with similar traits. That’s what usually makes people friends.

But how does a writer get ideas for people who wouldn’t be their friends?

Often it comes from strangers. An interesting place to watch strangers and see what they do and how they act is at the mall. Malls are an interesting place, where people can interact with each other, or walk around with an invisible shield around them, or a combination of both.  Many times you can look at someone going down the aisle and figure out a little about them by the way they’re acting. Are they having a good time, or irritated and obviously want to be out of there as soon as possible? Are they chatting with friends around them, or have they come alone? How is a mother dealing with misbehaving children, or are the children happy to be out of the house and mixing with a crowd?

In all those things, we writers often wonder, what is their backstory? Why are they acting that way? Since we don’t know, we get to make it up.

And that’s where the fun begins.

Welcome to my guest – Shaen Layle! (that’s pronounced Shay-in)(in case you’re wondering)

Shaen Layle is a former librarian who writes inspirational cozy mysteries and contemporary romance. She runs the Inspy Fiction Reading Challenge Group on Facebook, and you can also find her online at www.shaenlayle.com.

Here is what Shaen has to say about her thoughts when she’s writing.

I’ve recently started writing cozy mysteries, and do you know what I love about them? Is it the quirky characters? The charming settings? The intriguing puzzle to be solved by book’s end?

A resounding yes to all of those, but I have to admit, the thing I love most about cozies is… wait for it… the food! Yep, you heard me right. Whether it’s because us writers take out our nervous creative energy in snacking while working or because food is the great equalizer, I’m not sure. I just know that after I’ve read a cozy, I feel like I’ve had a culinary feast for the senses.

A sample of the deliciousness in my upcoming Guideposts mystery (cowritten with suspense author, Nancy Mehl)…

• Tart lemonade
• Rosewater petits fours
• Cinnamon rolls and coffee
• Crème horns
• Sweet tea
• Boston salad with chopped almonds and lemon vinaigrette
• Bibb lettuce salad with tomatoes and bacon
• Blackened salmon
• Steak
• Cheeseburgers and fries
• Omelets, fruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Blueberry muffins and orange scones
• Garlic bread
• Crab Rangoon
• Sesame shrimp
• Moo Goo Gai Pan
• Teriyaki chicken
• Cinnamon sugar doughnut oozing red jelly
• Crab cakes with Remoulade sauce
• Plain scones with clotted cream and lemon curd

Are you hungry yet?

It’s been a busy week! Work, housekeeping, shopping, cooking, writing, taking care of kids, or just general madness when there aren’t enough hours in a day. It’s finally the weekend and we get a chance to relax.

But do we really? Today my husband and I went to Merrit, BC to visit one of our kids for his birthday. It was a long drive, and a long drive home, which I wouldn’t call relaxing, even though i didn’t do anything. We had a nice visit, though, which made the drive worth it.

Here’s a question for you. When you have a long period of forced inactivity, like a long car ride, what do you do, and what do you think about, to help you wind down?  (sleeping doesn’t count)

For me, today, it was nice not to have to think about anything, and now I feel refreshed and ready to take on the weekend.

Tomorrow.

Welcome! I’ve chosen the topic of life as a busy woman as the theme of my blog.

This is a busy world we live in. How do we manage our time? I can say that I manage some days better than others. And then, with so much to do and so much on my plate, I end up playing Solitaire on the computer, and life goes on.

I’m in 3 bands, and over the last week, the Elton John tribute band I’m in had 3 performances, one at the Bandstand in Maple Ridge, and two at the Langley RibFest. All were fun, despite a few technical difficulties. I like to think I use music to relax me, but sometimes it’s one more thing in the list of stuff I have to do. But at least it’s fun. I have some photos of us on stage on Facebook. This is the first time I’ve performed where there was a video monitor beside the stage, I found that both exciting and un-nerving to have my photo there, larger than life. But it was still fun, and we all enjoyed ourselves. Most of all, it was a great break from daily life.

Now, on we go.

Hi all

It’s time for me to restart my blog. I’ll be posting Wednesdays and Saturdays starting August 1st, more to follow!

Even though today is officially Halloween, at work a number of people dressed up in costumes, and I was one of them. I dressed up as a Gail/Gale force wind – I made a cloud with rain and glued it to a hat, and I wore a yellow raincoat. I didn’t wear it all day, but I did put it on every time I had to walk through the office. The sales manager wrote on the office whiteboard – Gail warning in effect. Gotta love it.

Be safe tonight everyone, and have fun!

I’ve been asked to do a guest post on a gardening blog, which is kind of funny because I’m  not a very good gardener. But the point is that I try, and I am really growing things, so that is postworthy.

You’re invited to check out my garden so far in the initial stages.

Admittedly, so far all my plants are still in my kitchen window.

Check it out at:

http://wp.me/p2dBDK-Pn