A BIT OF FREE ADVICE

Andrew McAleer is such a name dropper. Who have you been chatting with recently, I asked? So he says, oh, Mary Higgins Clark. Elmore Leonard. Bill Tapply.

I say, come on, buster. NO way.

Way, he says.

And turns out, it’s true. He’s put together a truly charming and inspirational book called The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists. It’s fun to read, full of honest and helpful stuff, and I must admit, I now keep it right by my computer in case I need a wake-up call or a jolt of compassion or a hit of writerly community.

HANK: How did you get all these wonderful authors to provide advice?

ANDREW: I've always enjoyed corresponding with authors and have made some great friends as a result. Authors like Elmore Leonard, Mary Higgins Clark, William Tapply, Kris Neri, and Robin Moore are just a handful of the authors I've corresponded with. They were some of the first authors I presented the idea to and they very generously agreed to contribute. I think once other authors saw contributions from such respected authors they knew it was a worthwhile project and also agreed to help. At the time I was writing the book most of my contacts were in the crime fiction field and I was a bit intimidated to ask established authors from the romance, western, and fantasy genres for contributions.

**SUZANNE BROCKMANN: “I never said…”

**MARY HIGGINS CLARK: “Where to get the idea? Easy. Just…”

**VICKI STEIFEL: "When I sit down to write, I have no..."

HANK: How did your take on that change, as the project progressed?

ANDY: I was a bit surprised by how generous everyone was with their time and willingness to share their secrets. Looking back, however, I shouldn't have been because I have found over the years that most established authors are delighted to help new authors of merit.

**JULIA LONDON: “If you were born to write, ideas will come to you. You will get them from…”

**SJ ROZAN: “Read read read read read. If it means less TV…..”

**RHYS BOWEN: “If you get writers block, it could be because you…”

HANK: Were there any surprises along the way?

ANDREW: I think the person most surprised was my editor because I submitted the manuscript right on deadline!

**KRIS NERI: “When I first started writing, I offered to…”

**JOAN JOHNSTON: “No one likes a….”

**ED GAFFNEY: “I believe that my subconscious mind…”

HANK: One of the lovely things about the book--writing is such a solitary endeavor. And sometimes you feel as if no one else has ever hit the wall. Or had a dry streak. Or wondered if they could do it again. When you saw the book as a whole for the first time--not just snippets of advice--did it become more than the sum of its parts?

ANDREW: It did. But not because of what I had done. I think the real credit goes to the people behind the scenes at the publishing house (Adams Media) like my editor Richard Wallace, the line editors, and the artists. They are the professionals who do the real mule work and often don't get the credit they deserve. My goal was to make the book as readable and straightforward as possible. If someone's going to shell out his or her hard earned pay for my book I demanded of myself substance over package. Fortunately, I was able to team up with a publisher that agreed with me.

HANK: Okay, here’s what some of them said, at least…the rest, well, you can (you know what’s coming) take a look at Andy’s book.

**SJ ROZAN: Read read read read read. If it means less TV, less family time fewer movies, whatever it means….

**RHYS BOWEN: “If you get writers block, it could be because you are trying to force your character to do something he would not do…

**SUZANNE BROCKMANN: “I never said if I get published. For me it was always when...…

So Jungle Reds, what advice and info about your own 101 habits do you have for your fellow readers and writers? And hey, it doesn’t have to be about books. For instance: I say steam the milk for your coffee in the microwave. Delicious! And I learned it from Hallie.



Andrew McAleer is the author of The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists and the co-author of the number 1 best-selling, Mystery Writing in a Nutshell. Mr. McAleer is also the author of three novels including the critically-acclaimed, Double Endorsement and Bait and Switch. A prosecutor with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Mr. McAleer is also an adjunct professor at Boston College and a recipient of the Sherlock Holmes Revere Bowl Award. He serves as a specialist in the Army National Guard. Visit Mr. McAleer at http://www.crimestalkers.com/

His photo courtesy Stephen D. Rogers.