Author Archives: joesouza

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Today we celebrate workers and honor the sweat, sacrifice, and energy it takes to make this country great. As writers, I think we deserve to pat ourselves on the back, too, for all the countless hours … Continue reading →

Hope everyone had a great 4th. Happy 250th birthday America! I want to talk about forgiveness. To be exact, forgiving yourself for producing a bad first draft of a novel. Or better stated: Embracing the suck. After many years of … Continue reading →

What is it about yard work that instills both dread and contentment? As a writer, I never look forward to mowing the lawn. And yet when it’s a beautiful day, it pains me to sit inside and write. For this … Continue reading →

Where do you find story ideas? Sometimes I see them develop between the drops during a big rainstorm. I see a couple walking along the boulevard holding an umbrella and laughing, soaked to the bone and eager to get home … Continue reading →

There are some novels that have crimes in them that are not crime novels. Then there are some novels that have crimes in them that are crime novels. So what’s the difference? Maybe this isn’t the right blog to do … Continue reading →

RANDOM THOUGHTS Like everyone else, I’m keen to find out what happened to Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie’s mother. She was last seen on January 31st, and was reported missing the next day when she didn’t show up for church. It … Continue reading →

The Christmas season is a reminder that hope and joy can triumph over the evils going on in the world, and in our own hearts. I say this as someone who writes books about mystery and murder, and who often … Continue reading →

I just finished a grueling ninety minutes of hot yoga. After a relaxing shower, I feel much better about writing this blog post. My mind and body is relaxed and calm, and I feel like I did something good for … Continue reading →

I am a prolific word counter. Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with how many words I’m writing at any given point during my novel-writing process. How did this weird compulsion to be? Writing a novel is akin to running a … Continue reading →

I know it’s not autumn yet but it feels that way. The temperatures here in Maine are quickly dropping, especially at night. It’s noticeable because this past summer has been one of the hottest on record. So this Sunday after … Continue reading →