The difficult but rewarding work of finishing another's novel

Cozy mystery author Eileen Curley Hammond talks about losing a friend, completing his book and what it taught her about authorial estates

Eileen Curley Hammond

Eileen Curley Hammond is the author of the Merry March cozy mystery series as well as several short stories. Her books will make you very hungry.

She recently completed a novel for a good friend who passed away before being able to finish it. This experience raised interesting questions for Eileen, which perhaps should interest every author. See below!

She is also a member of Sisters in Crime and a board member of the local Buckeye Crime Writers chapter.

Eileen lives in Ohio with her husband and two adorable cats. She also has a pond with assorted koi, shubunkins, and minnows that are heavily protected from predatory herons in the area.

Eileen and her husband love to travel and spend time with family and friends.

Thank you for joining me, Eileen. Let’s start with a fascinating project you have recently taken on. You completed a book, entitled The Missing, begun by a good friend who has died, and I am so sorry. What was that like for you?

It was a way for me to revisit him — hear his words and listen to his story, so in that, it was good. On the other hand, it was a bizarre process. For all of us who beta read, you identify any issues or items that may need a bit of clarification, and then it’s up to the author to decide what to do. In this case, I had to make the decisions without knowing what Jim (Sabin) intended. It’s a good read, so I think I honored him.

Jim left his book in a great place and was very organized — he had spreadsheets detailing some of his thoughts on previous beta reader suggestions. However, he hadn’t told anyone if he wanted the book completed after he was gone. It was up to his widow to decide, and she wanted her son and his from a previous marriage to be able to hold a copy of their father’s work in their hands.

What did you learn about authorial estates?

Everyone should think about what will happen when they leave this mortal plane. Who do you want to receive your royalties, and who should make decisions about your work and your works in progress? That should be spelled out in your will if it’s important to you; or if it’s important to those you leave behind.

My husband and I redid our wills in 2020, at a time when many of us were concerned about mortality. (Fun fact, we signed them and had them witnessed in an open-air parking lot.) I made sure that my attorney covered who would be making book decisions on my behalf. If you are married and your spouse is not in this business, it may not be fair or best to have that person be your default.

You are an avid writer of Very Short Stories or #vss. Why do you do this? Do you feel it hones writing skills?

Absolutely. I do a number of things to warm my brain in the morning. My usual (when I have time) is: Wordle, Waffle, Connections, New York Times Mini, and Strands. Then I move to #vss365. It makes me tell a story in a quick 280-character way. If you have a problem with overwriting, it’s a great tool to teach you to pare to just the essentials of the story. Every word must have a purpose. The danger, of course, is that you remove all the descriptive words, which are important to setting. Balance is key. And difficult. Some days I succeed better than others.

Has time changed the way you write, or what you want to write? Or do you feel you’re still largely interested in the same genre(s)?

My writing has changed dramatically. It’s far more crisp and yet more descriptive at the same time. I needed to work more on my scene setting, which I have done and am still focusing on. I’m interested in the same genre (cozy mysteries) but have found that I like to branch out. My friend’s book is in the horror genre, which was a refreshing break. People swear, and his protagonist “relieves himself,” which I wouldn’t get to include — it’s the little things. I also get to try on different genres by my #vss365s. Right now, I’m writing a continuing story that will end soon about a serial killer. If I were to venture into a different genre, it would likely still be a mystery, but maybe move towards thriller.

Three of Eileen Curley Hammond’s seven Merry March Mysteries

Other authors may read this. Do you have any words of wisdom for them? A bit of writing advice or perhaps marketing knowledge?

No matter what age you are, think about what would happen to your words if you die. Do you want them adopted or will they be abandoned? As to writing advice—challenge yourself and try #vss365. Especially if you are in an unmotivated slump. It’s a quick way to get you back in the game.

I’m so impressed with people like Kate Machon, who writes the Pix and Gabe adventures, and Maria Perez, who writes the space opera Curse of Sotkari Ta—they stay in character for the #vss365s that they write, which means it does double duty—a writing challenge and a way to market their books.

Readers may also read this. What is a fascinating or perhaps outrageous fact about you?

I retired early, and after I announced that I was retiring, I told all my co-workers I was going to write a book. When the time came, I panicked. I didn’t know anything about writing a book. So, like anything else in my life, I researched, made new friends, and tapped their brains. That would fall under hubris and your outrageous category.

Tell us something about writing or about your books that you really want people to know.

I find I cry a lot when I’m writing. I cry when I kill characters off, I cry when I realize who the killer is and why they did it, and I cry when I write happy or sad occasions. Basically, I’m a mess most of the time.

My main character, Merry March, is the one people call when they need a friend. She’s also the one who shows up with a casserole, muffins, or other types of comfort foods. One of my sister’s friends read the books and loved them, but said nobody has all that food in their freezers. Her reply was that I did. And it’s true. I am a binge cook/baker with a full-size garage freezer. That means that if your flight with friends to Utah is cancelled because of a blizzard in your hometown, everyone picks your house to overnight in because there will be plenty of food and a microwave to defrost it.

Thank you so much, Eileen, for all of this, and especially your helpful advice.

Find Eileen here:

Links: https://www.eileencurleyhammond.com/newsletter-sign-up-and-contact.html

https://mybook.to/MerryMarchSeries

The Missing by Jim Sabin