Laurie L. Dove, author of 'Mask of the Deer Woman' - Mystery Thriller writer discusses keeping busy, magical realism, and sneaking up on the story.
Feb 7, 2025
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Laurie L. Dove, an accomplished author and a former mayor, dives into her latest mystery thriller, 'Mask of the Deer Woman'. She shares her energetic approach to juggling journalism and fiction writing. The discussion explores the challenges of magical realism, character development through grief, and the process of ‘sneaking up on the story’. Laurie reveals her structured yet improvisational writing routine, showcasing her creative spaces and the importance of an emotional connection in storytelling. Her insights on balancing freelance work with personal passion are both inspiring and relatable.
Laurie Dove highlights the necessity of writing daily in bulk to enhance creativity and transform chaotic thoughts into cohesive storytelling.
The development of her protagonist, Carrie Starr, illustrates Dove's commitment to creating multi-dimensional characters that resonate with readers' emotional struggles.
Deep dives
The Power of Prolific Writing
Laurie Dove emphasizes the significance of writing a high volume of words daily to fuel her creativity and storytelling abilities. By allowing herself to write freely, she cultivates an environment where she can explore her thoughts and ideas without the pressure of perfection. Dove often reassures herself during these writing sessions, transforming initial chaotic thoughts into substantial content that belongs to her narrative. This prolific approach not only helps in overcoming writer's block but also fosters a greater connection to her story as it develops.
Creating Complex Characters
The creation of her protagonist, Carrie Starr, showcases Dove's commitment to developing multi-dimensional characters. Carrie emerges from a backdrop of grief and complexity, reflecting real emotional struggles faced by many individuals. This depth is essential to the character's journey, allowing readers to connect and empathize with her experiences. Dove's approach to character development stems from her belief that every character's journey is valuable and represents broader human experiences.
The Role of Environment in Writing
Dove discusses the importance of her physical surroundings in cultivating her creativity and productivity as a writer. Her dedicated office space, filled with books and personal mementos, serves as an inspiration, fostering a sense of comfort and focus. The choice of an overstuffed chair for fiction writing allows her to adopt a relaxed yet creative mindset, enabling her to 'sneak up on the story.' This careful curation of her workspace underscores the idea that environment profoundly influences the writing process.
Navigating Genre and Structure
Dove's work intersects various genres, particularly crime thrillers infused with elements of magical realism. Her approach to blending genres allows her to explore themes of ambiguity and complexity, capturing the intricacies of real life. While crafting her narratives, she emphasizes the importance of solid plot structure, a skill honed through her journalism background. This informed approach to writing enables her to maintain a balance between storytelling and meaningful exploration of character arcs, ultimately creating a compelling and immersive reading experience.
Laurie Dove is a do-er. She likes to keep busy. Alongside writing for numerous places like CNN, Animal Planet, the LA Business Journal, and many more, Laurie was elected local Mayor back in 2015, has a Masters Degree from Harvard, and has just published 'Mask of the Deer Woman'.
It tells the story of Carrie Starr. Once a detective in Chicago, Carrie has hit rock-bottom after a personal tragedy and returned to the reservation in which she grew up to be their local Marshal. When a college student goes missing, Carrie must wrestle with the reasons why her own daughter disappeared.
We discuss why Laurie has found time to write for pleasure when she makes money writing for other people, also how she dealt with the ambiguity of magical realism, and why she likes to sneak up on the story. You can hear how fiction comes from character, how hard it is to find an organic ending to the first novel in a series, and why the only way to find out how to write novels... is to write novels.
This week's episode is sponsored by the 'Charley Scott Mysteries', by Vanessa Westermann. To find out more about these feel-good thrillers set in the stunning Canadian countryside, head here - www.vanessa-westermann.info/
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