Denise Dietz

Bestselling author DENISE DIETZ met her husband, novelist Gordon Aalborg, on the internet. They wed at a writers conference. The author of 14 novels, Deni's latest mysteries are Eye of Newt , starring reluctant witch Sydney St. Charles, and Chain a Lamb Chop to the Bed , third in the Ellie Bernstein/ Lt. Peter Miller "diet club" series. The first in the series, Throw Darts at a Cheesecake ,  is now available in large print. Deni's alter-ego, Mary Ellen Dennis, is the author of The Landlord's Black-Eyed Daughter , an historical romantic suspense. Booklist's starred review said: "Dennis' wonderful retelling of Alfred Noyes' The Highwayman is, quite simply, remarkable." 

What is your approach to writing a novel: that is, do you outline or not? Do you keep files and piles of notes?

I don't outline. I begin with a premise and a cast of characters. As the book progresses, I scribble what I call “indecipherable notes,” mostly on paper towels and bank-statement envelopes. I also write scenes in my head and click a mental mouse to “save” them.

What are some of the tricks, pitfalls, etc. that you need to keep in mind when writing a mystery novel/story?

I love to paint myself into a corner then figure a way out. That can be tricky but it's part of the fun. Writing should be fun. I love words so I tend to overwrite. Knowing this, I “weed words” during my second draft. I've heard people say they don't mind reading a mystery novel with slow pacing, but there's a big difference between slow pacing and what I call “narrative imagery.” I like to read a fast-paced book with vivid images, just enough narrative to put me in the scene, and lots of (snappy) dialogue, so that's what I write.

What is it that kick starts a project for you: a character, a situation, or…?

Both a character and a situation (plot concept), and a TITLE. I can't write without a title, even though I—or most likely my publisher—might change it later.

What started you in writing? (Was it always a dream of yours?)

I have always written. When I was in the third grade, the class assignment was to write a one-page story with an ink pen. I wrote a 3-page story, first-person, called THE PENCIL WHO GREW UP TO BE A STUB. Since the pencil was my narrator, I used a pencil rather than a pen, and my teacher gave me a failing grade. In high school I wrote and illustrated a children's book about a giant who lived in a town of nearsighted people—who didn't know he was a giant. One day a peddler came to town, selling glasses…

What keeps you writing? What inspires you?

I can't NOT write, and my own writing inspires me because I always want to make the next book better. Writing is the quintessential high, better than drugs or alcohol or…I was going to say chocolate, except I think writing and chocolate are synonymous.

Can you tell us a bit about the first story you had published -- how did that come about?

Actually, my first published story was a poem I submitted to the Village Voice when I was 12-years-old. It was called GRASS:

Grass stinks,
It makes me sneeze,
I'd rather skin my knees,
On pavement.
But it tastes good.
At 12, I meant a blade of grass.

How have you grown as a writer?

Yes, I've grown as a writer. It's not anything specific, just a better understanding of what my readers want/expect. I've dropped almost every tag line except “said.” I've dropped excess adjectives and adverbs. I've dropped passivity and think twice before using the word “was.” Two things helped me acquire more clarity (as a writer). One, working as a fiction editor. Two, using a free-lance editor on my fiction before submission.

What are the three most important pieces of advice you'd give to writers?

Write every day, read many, many books, don't give up. My motto is and always has been: “If you drop a dream, it breaks.”

How long does it generally take you to complete a novel – from conception to completion?

Once conception is thrown into the mix, I can't answer this question. Sometimes conception hangs around for months, gaining weight and losing weight, just like the members of my fictitious diet club, Weight Winners.

How many revisions do you normally go through when writing a novel?

That depends on the novel. My first published novel went through 12 revisions (I called it “the dirty dozen”). I shelved one of my novels for 9 months, then deleted the first 200 pages because I discovered that the book started on page 201. My latest book, just turned in to my publisher, felt right after a second draft. I'm still revising one of my historical romances after god-knows-how-many drafts, but I'm determined to get it into shape.

What's the most difficult stage in the writing for you?

Sleep deprivation as my deadlines loom.

Who are the authors who you admire most, who inspire you, whose writing you think is most beautiful, moving, exciting?

There are way too many to mention, but if I had to pick a few: Dean Koontz, Susan Isaacs, Daphne DuMaurier, Anya Seton, Ira Levin, Leon Uris, and William Goldman. It was Goldman's Boys and Girls Together that made me exclaim: “I want to be a writer!”

Are there authors who you think are much better at spinning a plot as opposed to writing beautiful prose? How about the reverse of that?

Prose without a plot always doesn't work for me, but if I had to pick one, I'd say John Steinbeck.

What do you find most satisfying in a book: a great plot, beautiful writing, fully realized characters?

Fully realized characters.

In your own work, what do you think you are strongest at: plot, beautiful prose, character? Or something else?

Character and “something else”: Humor.

How do you plot a mystery or a thriller – what stymies you most, what do you find easiest?

I don't actually plot my mysteries. I start with a premise and let my imagination take over. As I write, I rarely go with my first impulse/idea. Instead, I try and find a less clichéd motivation…and conclusion. As an editor, if the perp in your submission says something like, “I'm going to kill you anyway, so let me explain how I murdered all those people,” you're done like a dinner!

What advice can you give on plotting a mystery?

THINK THINGS THROUGH! I've had too many free-lance submissions where the writer uses wonky or illogical motivations in order to fit the scene into his or her plotline. Sometimes the author's prose practically screams: “I'm not certain this works but maybe the editor won't notice.”

Does the world you create in your non-series novels continue to live in your mind long after you've completed the novel?

No. Because I usually work on more than one book at a time. And when one novel is completed, I go full-throttle into another.

What scares you about doing a series?

I have three books in my Ellie Bernstein/Lt. Peter Miller “diet club” series—and the first books for two other series (Ingrid Beaumont/ Hitchcock the Dog, and Sydney St. Charles, reluctant witch). My fourth Ellie/Peter mystery will be out in 2009. I could never write 26 books [in a series]. THAT would scare me. It would be like letting my children live with me for 26 years. Even 18 years is pushing it!

What other kinds of writing do you do?

Song lyrics. Book reviews. Short fiction.

What tips do you have for beginning writers?

Write every day. There are always reasons why you can't sit down and write. I call it “Walking the Dog.” I've told this story before but it's worth repeating: My sister Marianne has always wanted to be a writer. One day she phoned and asked how I found the time to write my books, especially since I worked days at a video store, nights waiting tables, and had 3 young kids (like she did). I said, "Here's what you do, Marianne. Every day you get up an hour before Eddie and the kids. Sit at your computer and write for that hour. Even if you write one page, by the end of the year you'll have a book."

"But," she said, "I already get up an hour earlier than Eddie and the kids. I have to make breakfast and fix the kids' school lunches."

"Okay, Marianne," I said. "When Eddie takes off for work and the kids leave for school, sit at your computer - every day at the same time - and work for an hour. Even if you only write one page, by the end of the year you'll have a book."

"After Eddie and the kids leave for work and school," she said, "I have to clean the house."

"Okay," I said, "after you clean the house, sit down at the computer and work for an—"

"After I clean the house, I have to change the sheets and do the laundry, and then I eat lunch."

"Okay, Marianne," I said, glancing at my clock. "After you do the laundry and eat lunch, sit down at your computer and work for an hour. If you produce only one page a day, by the end of the year you'll have a book."

"After I do the laundry and eat lunch," she said, "I have to walk the dog."

Walking the dog has become a catch-phrase in my family. If my daughter says she wants to audition for a role in a community theatre production of My Fair Lady but she can't seem to find the time, I say, "Sweetie, you're walking the dog."

There's a PS to my tale. I told my "walking the dog" story at a Denver writers conference. The following year a woman came running up to me. I didn't recognize her. I hate it when that happens. As I searched for a name, a reference, anything, she said, "You don't know me." I swallowed a sigh of relief. "I was here at this conference last September," she continued. "I don't remember what I ate or what I wore or what Famous Bestselling Author said on his panel, but I remembered your walking the dog story." She paused. "And last year," she said, "I wrote a book."

What about readers – how have they received your books – do you hear from them?

I have dedicated readers/fans, thank goodness, but here's a funny story: In FIFTY CENTS FOR YOUR SOUL I wrote what was basically a throwaway line. Since my horror film director lived in Brooklyn, I described him as looking like “ Brooklyn 's own Tony Curtis.” Except—and I knew this as well as I know my own name—Tony Curtis was born in the Bronx . The book hadn't been out five minutes when I received an email informing me that Tony Curtis had been born in the Bronx . Fortunately, I get very few complaint emails.” The few I do get complain about the sex in my books...then ask when the next one is due out!

Is the publication of each book as thrilling as that first one?

No. It's more thrilling. When somebody says “I liked your book, Deni,” I still get a lump in my throat and whisper, “You read my book? You liked my book? Oh, thank you.”

What are your goals as a writer?

To entertain. To touch emotions; make my readers laugh, cry, savor a phrase, think: wish I'd written that . But mostly to entertain.

Why do you think mystery is so popular?

I believe it's because most crime fiction novels allow readers to become involved . It's the difference between laughing at someone and laughing with someone. While most genres—including mysteries—put you in the scene and/or minds of the characters, crime fiction puts you smack-dab in the plot , as well. You cannot sit back and read a well-written mystery without having your mind churn out some sort of solution. It would be like sitting in the corner and trying not to think of a white bear.

Why has mystery spawned so many sub-genres?

My guess is the internet. When readers' loops, like 4MysteryAddicts and DorothyL and dozens of others, first developed then expanded, the members of those groups began designating sub-genres: “I like cozies?” or “I prefer hard-boiled.” or “I just read a terrific suspense/ thriller” or “While I usually don't like paranormal mysteries, I did like Denise Dietz's EYE OF NEWT.”

Talk about your most recent book and what it means to you.

My romantic suspense, THE LANDLORD'S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER, written under the pen name Mary Ellen Dennis, came out last August and has gone into a third printing. I didn't expect that. I knew it was a cross-over book, but I never guessed it would get starred reviews or that it would be selected (by Booklist) as one of the year's 10 best. All I knew was that I loved writing it and wanted to see it in print.

What sparked the idea? How long had you had this idea before starting to write?

As a kid I developed a love for Alfred Noyes' poem, The Highwayman . I memorized all the verses, but changed the ending to a happy one. During a high school speech class, I recited my adaptation. Before I could finish, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, but none of the students moved a muscle. At that moment in time, I decided two things: I'd be an actress and I'd write a novel inspired by my favorite poem. Acting was easy. I have a good (loud) voice and appeared in many musicals. Writing “Landlord” took a lot longer, especially since I had contractual obligations for other books.

Did you feel compelled to write this book?

Absolutely. That's why I never gave up on the idea, even when ten or so years ago, NY editors were “uncomfortable” with the paranormal elements (two 13 th -Century ghosts). Now, paranormal is “in” and not one reviewer or reader has cited a problem.

How did you approach the planning and writing? Did you prepare an outline? Would you share your outlining and preparation processes?

I did not prepare an outline but I did do tons of research. I even wrote a chapter where Bess, a Gothic romance author, and Rand, her highwayman lover, are jailed in Newgate Prison. They attempt an escape, and…I lucked out; found blueprints of the prison in the late 1790s. How cool is that?

How long did it take to complete it? What was your least favorite part in the writing of the book?

All of my books take between 6 and 9 months to write, then another 3 to 6 months to rewrite. My least favorite part was changing Landlord's ending so that I could remain faithful to the Noyes poem. But that quickly became my favorite part when my ending worked!

What do you like best about writing? Who are your favorite characters and why? What are your favorite moments in the story?

The best part of writing, for me, is surprising myself. By that, I mean writing something in Chapter 2, but not knowing why until it comes together in Chapter 6 or 7. Example: I named a character Trenton ( Trent ). Just a name, right? Later, I built a family around him: Los Angeles (Angel) and twin sisters, Kenner and Metairie, and his baby sister, Boca Raton —all named for the cities in which they were born. While talking to Angel, my sleuth says, “I bet Boca Raton will change her name when she's older.” And Angel replies, “No, she likes it.” My favorite characters are my quirky supporting players, but I have to be very careful they don't take over the book. I also like my pets: Sydney 's parrot, Mercy, and Ellie's cat, Jackie Robinson, and Ingrid's dog, Hitchcock. In my next Ellie/Peter diet club mystery—STRANGLE A LOAF OF ITALIAN BREAD—I introduce Scout, a Border Collie named for the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird . My favorite moments in my stories are the twist ending I add, after writing the twist ending that solves the crime. And having a reader say: “She played fair with her clues and I should have guessed whodunit, but I didn't. Now I'll have to read it all over again!”