Thursday, February 16, 2023

One Writer's Secret: Thank Goodness For Twizzlers



Hank Phillippi Ryan: Hear that sound? It’s the wail of the poor pantser, who, even after several books, has forgotten–maybe like childbirth–the utter pain of having to think of a new character/theme/setting/plot/everything. And write 95,000 or so as-yet imaginary words.


Now, you know Tracy Clark. And you know she always manages to make it fabulous. (and her newest book HIDE was a massive bestseller--more about that below!) But she does have…throes of uncertainty. Thing is, she also has a secret!

Thank goodness for Twizzlers!
By Tracy Clark

Prepping for a new book series is a little like getting ready for the first day at a new school. You’re excited that you’re starting something new, of course, but also a little nervous. You don’t know these new people. Your friends, the ones you’ve known since first grade, are back at the old place. What if you can’t find your way to the cafeteria? What if no one talks to you? What if your locker door won’t open?


Out with the old, in with the new is all well and good, but what if you liked the old? What if the old was working for you? Tough nuts. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly. Keep it moving.

So, with a little excitement and a little nervousness, I quieted the old characters in my head (even though some of them didn’t want to be quieted) and searched around for new voices. I needed new book people, a new world, a new vibe, a new everything. Do you know how daunting it is to know you need a new everything?

The new series couldn’t be a carbon copy of the old series. I would have to move from my sweet spot of PI fiction and my snarky PI, Cass Raines, to something different, someone different. That someone different couldn’t be all the things Cass was, so, how different could I make my new main bestie? 


I got out my Twizzlers. They always help me think my way out of tough writing spots. I think it's the chewing action. It takes time to polish off a Twizzler. Thinking time. M&M’s go down too quickly. But I digress.

Well, first off, I needed a name. I already knew my protagonist would be female. I knew she would be strong, independent, flawed, smart. I knew she would be African American. But who was she? Who was she?

It took forever to settle on the name Harriet Foster. Det. Harriet Foster. Homicide cop. Chicago Police Department. Sounded good, but before I decided on it, I had tried so many name combinations. Nothing felt right, until Harriet, for Tubman, who followed the North Star to freedom, and Foster because it was succinct and strong, fit her. Say it aloud. Foster. Foster. The nickname Harri came quicker. Harri, not Hari. Something about the double R’s appealed to me.

OK. Now I had a framework, a main character, a name, a subgenre—police procedural. Cops. (I decided to walk on the wild side and see how the other half lived.) I swapped my much-loved (by me) independent operative with a penchant for picking locks, climbing into other peoples’ places, snooping into bad guy’s files, basically, Nancy Drew if Nancy Drew were a 36-year-old African American female ex-cop turned PI infamous for a biting retort and a dogged determination to pursue justice, for a 43-year-old African-American female homicide detective, who couldn’t pick anything, climb through anything, or snoop at anything, or else she’d lose her good city job and pension. Oh, the constraints. Oh, the writing hours wasted wrestling with those constraints. Warrants? Cass didn’t need no stinkin’ warrants! But Harriet did. Harriet had to follow the law. Heck, Harriet was the law. Back to the Twizzlers.

Now I needed a plot, a case that Harriet could sink her teeth into. You know that antsy feeling you get when a train is late, and you stare down the tracks checking for lights and the sound of whistles as the minutes tick by? You need that train. You’re going to be late for the opening curtain of Hadestown, or whatever. But the train ain’t coming; the tracks are silent. You paid $200 for that Hadestown ticket. You begin to pace on the platform. You’re gonna miss that curtain. Magnify that by ten.

But funny thing about writers, it doesn’t take much to spark the imagination. Characters and stories, like trains, eventually come, as it did for me and Harriet. This story, Harriet’s debut, even came with a title HIDE. The title carries a double meaning, which is also kind of neat. I like to keep things witchy.

So, I was off to the races.

But the writing was slow-going and tough. Harriet wasn’t Cass. Her vibe was different. Her backstory wasn’t easy to craft. Harriet was older, more flawed, solemn, wounded, brilliant on the job, a mess off duty, and I had to dig for her like a miner 49er had to dig for gold dust. Still do.

But that’s really my process for every writing project. I’m a pantser, which means I approach a new book without a firmly developed plan. I have ideas. I have thoughts. I just don’t have a roadmap written down. I craft that as I go, line by line, page by page.

I’m firmly in the new series now. I think I’ve finally got a good handle on Harriet. She’s aloof, methodical, intuitive. She thinks more than she speaks. Cass is still there waiting for her next turn up at bat, but, meanwhile, I’m finding Harriet an interesting nut to crack. I’ve even given her an eclectic investigative team with stories of their own to tell.

 I’ve found the new voices and have built a new world with a great vibe. I kind of knew I would, but writers always worry. Right now, the new school is working out. I’ve found the cafeteria and my locker works just fine.

I keep the Twizzlers close, though. Pantsers never have an easy time of it.

HANK: SO true! But I have to agree, Twizzlers are the BEST. (And I love the name Harriet, too…. :-) And congratulations, Tracy, on your wild success!

What about you, reds and readers? Twizzlers fan? How about the not-red ones? The fake ones? The little ones? Let’s twist again! And do you have a go-to snack when you’re reading or writing?




Tracy Clark, a native Chicagoan, is the author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series, featuring ex-cop turned PI Cassandra Raines. A multi-nominated Anthony, Lefty, Edgar and Shamus Award finalist, Tracy is also the 2020 and 2022 winner of the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award. She was also nominated for the 2022 Edgar for Best Short Story for “Lucky Thirteen,” which was included in the crime fiction anthology “Midnight Hour.” She is a proud member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and serves on the boards of Bouchercon National and the Midwest Mystery Conference. Her latest book, RUNNER, was released in June 2021. Her debut novel, BROKEN PLACES, has been optioned by Sony Pictures Television. Her next book, HIDE, featuring Det. Harriet Foster, releases in January 2023.


HIDE by Tracy Clark

When a young red-haired woman is found brutally murdered in downtown Chicago, one detail stands out: the red lipstick encircling her wrists and ankles.

Detective Harriet Foster is on the case, even though she’s still grieving the sudden death of her partner. As a Black woman in a male-dominated department, Foster anticipates a rocky road ahead acclimating to a new team―and building trust with her new partner isn’t coming easily.

After another victim turns up with the same lipstick markings, Foster suspects she’s looking for a serial killer. Through a tip from a psychiatrist, Foster learns about Bodie Morgan: a troubled man with a twisted past and a penchant for pretty young redheads with the bluest eyes. As Foster wades into Morgan’s sinister history, the killer continues their gruesome assault on Chicago’s streets.

In her desperate race to catch the murderer before they strike again, Foster will have to confront the darkest of secrets―including her own.



51 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Tracy, on your new series [and your new book] . . . I’m looking forward to meeting Harri . . . .

    As for the Twizzlers . . . yum [but only the red ones], but I really need a cup of coffee and a bit of chocolate when I’m settling in to read . . . .

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  2. Congrats on the new book!

    I'm not a Twizzzlers fan, sorry. But I'm glad they are brain fuel for you.

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  3. I'm not a Twizzlers fan either. I'm with Joan on chocolate and coffee when I read. Now, I am a fan of Tracy Clark and her writing. I was fortunate to be in a small group chat with Tracy, and she is so interesting and lovely and smart. Hide is absolutely a favorite read of mine this year or any year. I loved it. And, here comes my confession, Tracy. I forgot to post my review of Hide on my blog. I think I must really be losing it. When I went to read it before I typed my comments here, it wasn't on my blog. I checked my Word documents, and there it was. I'll rectify this situation later today.

    I think Harriet Foster is a brilliant character. She's had a lot to deal with and is still standing. And her team is interesting, too. I'm looking forward to finding out more about all of them. I remember you saying in the chat that Harriet wasn't talking to you like Cass had, and so her story was revealing itself more slowly to you and as a result, to readers. I love how you didn't let that freak you out. It shows such strength as a writer that you trust your creations and your process. Oh, did I mention the great plot in this book? Well, be prepared, readers, to be surprised. I am excited about reading the next Harriet Foster book.

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  4. Welcome and congratulations Tracy! I love "HIDE" and I'm looking for the next book in the series. So is it possible for Cass to run into Harriet? Twizzlers are my go-to-candy when flying in an airplane. And there is only one Twizzlers, not that red vine stuff. Tracy and I have bonded over our Twizzlers.

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    1. Totally agree, red only. And whoa, great question about Cass and Harriet!

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    2. I can just see Cass and Harriet, eyes narrowed, facing off across a table in the police station, Cass wearing a pair of Harriet's handcuffs. That scene practically writes itself! 🤣

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  5. Tracy, how cool is it that I just read WHAT YOU DON'T SEE, book #3 in the Chicago Mysteries and posted about it on First Chapter Fun last week? HIDE is already in my Kindle and I have BROKEN PLACES waiting for me, too!

    Cass Raines is indeed a snarky character! I am eager to meet Harriet. Each of them experienced the good old boys club of the Chicago Police Department. Cass left. Harriet is still there and she's a homicide detective. That book just moved up the TBR pile;-)

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    1. Love that the book has moved up on the pile!

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    2. I'm beginning to wonder now what it might be like to put Cass and Harriet in a room together? The mind reels. LOL

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  6. Congrats and welcome Tracy! Harriet sounds like a wonderful character. Were your publishing people enthused about her age? (I'm in for Twizzlers...)

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    1. Lucy, her age didn't raise an eyebrow, and I'm glad it didn't. I wanted some years on Harriet. I wanted a character who'd lived a life and had crawled through the trenches.

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  7. TRACY!! You know how much I LOVED reading HIDE! Cass is also much beloved and I am glad to hear she is waiting her turn.

    As for Twizzlers, can I admit that I have never eaten one? Really, I never saw them growing up in Toronto. And I don't eat any snacks when I am reading.

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    1. WHAT? We should all send you Twizzlers... Or--are you coming to Bouchercon? :-)

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    2. Grace? What? What?! LOL. Next time I see you the Twizzlers are on me.

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  8. Thank you so very much for detailing your creative process, Tracy. I am fascinated to learn about how it works for each person. The growth here fueled by Twizzlers. I just reserved Hide btw. As far as reading snack. Oh my. Wish I could say something exotic like, ohh, yak butter. Actually only water or coffee. I usually have a cat next to me while I read, and they would be sneak eating any edible. Welcome back, and best of luck with the new series. Excited for you.

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  9. Congratulations, Tracy, on the new series and the new book! I love how you let the characters come as they would--not trying to force old ways of thinking onto them. And yes, twizzlers definitely help. My go-to is bridge mix--little bites, always something different with each bite.

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    1. Great idea! I love bridge mix--except, does it have Brazil nuts?

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  10. No to Twizzlers, thanks. But a big YES to your creative process, Tracy. Fascinating to read about the world building of a new series. I'm off to find both Cass and Harriet.

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  11. My son is the Twizzlers fan in the family. I prefer something salty and crunchy. Congratulations on your new series!

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    1. That's a great blog, too..salty vs. sweet!

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    2. Can't go wrong with a good Twizzler, but salty and crunchy are nice too.

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  12. Tracy, Congratulations on your new book and new series! The name Harriet made me think of Harriet Tubman and Harriet the Spy. Would the nickname Harri make people think this person was a Southeast Asian (as in being from India)?

    May I ask if your Harriet is African American as in Michelle Obama or Eartha Kitt or Traci Ross Ellis or Viola Davis?

    Loved the RED twizzlers when I was a young child. I think it is also called red licorice ?

    Diana

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    1. Great question..I THINK twizzlers are different than red licorice. Anyone, anyone?

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    2. Hi, Diana. Yes, Harriet is African American. She is 43, divorced. She's smart, methodical, flawed, a brilliant homicide detective ... and she always gets her killer. :-)

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  13. Love the backstory, it will make the read sweet! I'm curious - do you prefer writing the free-wheeling world of a PI or are you more comfortable setting into the more structured world of law enforcement?

    Congratulations on the debut of a new series. And Twizzlers make everything better. Now I'm off to look for that five pound box!

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    1. I kinda like the loosey goosey world of the PI just because you can almost go anywhere with it. Writing police procedurals you have to, well, follow procedure, which is kinda limiting. LOL

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  14. Hi Tracy,
    Your Cass books have been on my radar for a long time. Now I’m adding the new series to my TBR list as well. So many good books to choose from! I’ll never get bored!

    DebRo

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  15. And I love Twizzlers!
    Although I love coffee and can’t start the day without it, when I’m reading I prefer tea!!

    DebRo

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    1. It's very critical to get the right drink at the right time!

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  16. Tracy, I've heard so much buzz about this book and I can't wait to read it! Diving into a completely new series or a standalone without the backbone of familiar characters must be really scary, and I loved your description of the process.
    No twizzlers here, just coffee and tea when I'm writing.

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    1. Yes, whoa, it is definitely jumping off into the deep end!

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  17. Congrats on your new book. I love the spelling for Harriet's nickname. Harri with two R's. Will the fact that she is Black American introduce present problems for her associated with being Black and female in a predominantly white male world. I look forward to knowing more about her.
    Love red Twizzlers but prefer a Cafe Latte.

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  18. Twizzlers were my go-to movie snack for years, Tracy. Haven't been to the movies in a long time, but after your post, I'm thinking I need those red rubbery treats back in my life. Funny about your locked locker nightmare. I had the same one when I was in school. Best of luck on your new series. Sounds like another winner!

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  19. What a crazy book tour day! I have been totally off-line the entire day… More to come!

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  20. Love your books, Tracy! I like red twizzlers. I don’t remember the last time that I had them though!

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  21. Those good old combination locks. LOL.

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