May Update: Spring into Action

Hey everyone!

May has arrived, bringing green shoots, chirping birds, and a renewed sense of possibility! As nature transitions from dormancy to activity, we reflect on the ebb and flow of our creative process.

Market Season Begins

Late April brought our first market of the season at the North Argyle Community Association. These events are fantastic opportunities to connect with loyal readers and introduce our characters to new audiences. There's something special about discussing Charlie and Tony's adventures face-to-face with people who are just discovering them!

We'll be at the Cathedral Village Arts Festival later this month if you want to see us in person. Markets are always more enjoyable with friendly faces stopping by, so we'd love to see you there—even just to say hello and help make the day fly by faster!

Writing Rhythms and Revelations

April brought some interesting revelations about our writing partnership. After ten years of collaboration, David started to recognize patterns in how we approach our work together.

From the beginning, Angie typically starts our books, with David following behind with notes and adjustments. Then, around the halfway point, David takes over the writing while Angie followed with feedback. It's a dance we've perfected without analyzing why it works for us.

Looking deeper, we’ve realized our complementary strengths make this arrangement natural. Angie excels at establishing characters in their everyday lives—showing how they navigate their world, find balance, and develop routines. She creates rich, lived-in worlds where people feel authentically themselves.

David's talent lies in examining these carefully crafted lives and then figuring out how to disrupt them—introducing complications that force characters to change and grow. He says, "My skill is looking at it, tightening it up, and then figuring how we can knock it all over and ruin their lives." (Don't worry, Angie enjoys this part too!)

This dynamic played out recently with a character in Wolfe's Blood. Angie created a character she put considerable time and love into developing. Then, true to form, David suggested, "What if he's a bad guy? Or what if we kill him?" After some discussion, the character remains safe and alive—much to Angie’s relief!

Progress and Pauses

After a productive March, April brought some challenges. David found himself missing writing targets as he navigated both storyline complexities and some personal life demands that affected his focus. It's a reminder that writing doesn't always follow a steady, predictable path.

Meanwhile, Angie has been reviewing the chapters already written, finding satisfaction in how Tony and Charlie's story is developing. "I read a few chapters at a time. It's as much about savouring the words as it is critically considering aspects of characters, plot, and flow," she explains.

One of the most gratifying aspects of this process is how seamlessly our work has blended over the years. Angie notes, "There's a part of reading the story at this stage where I enjoy the smooth collage of story parts that flow from David to me and then back again. It's become so integrated that I often don't know who wrote what. You'd think after four (and a half) books, I could tell. But I can't. And that's awesome!"

Looking Ahead

We continue working steadily on Wolfe's Blood, balancing the satisfaction of approaching the conclusion with the bittersweet knowledge that we're saying goodbye to characters we've lived with for years. But that's also exciting—finishing this series means the start of our next writing adventure, whatever that might be!

Until next time, happy reading!

Angie & David

P.S. Like spring gardens, good stories require sunshine and rain—we're cultivating this final Shepherd and Wolfe mystery with both!