As a screenwriter/novelist, I often stumble upon some very talented writers whose work I admire. One such author is Christy Barritt, known for faith-based cozy mysteries. If you’ve heard of actress Joey Darling, Gabby the Crime Scene Cleaner, or Lantern Beach’s Police Chief, Cassidy, you know how engrossing her characters are. (And I can’t forget Holly Anna Paladin. Or the True Crime Junkies, or the crazy things that happen in Fog Lake.) I’ve read more of Christy’s books than any other author.
One favorite of mine is Home to Chestnut Grove, a book I’d love to one day adapt into a cozy Hallmark, UP-TV, or Great American Family style Christmas movie.
I have my sister, Heather, to thank for introducing me to Christy when she thought I’d enjoy her Holly Anna Paladin series. I read all seven during one summer. And I’ve been hooked since.
I got the chance to ask Christy for a peek behind the curtain of how she manages to write so many new books every year. I hope you enjoy our conversation:
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what drew you to “cozy mysteries”?
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I actually wrote several books while I was in high school. I’ve always loved reading and stories. The fact that I can create them now and make a living at it is a dream come true. I was drawn to writing mysteries because I wanted to write what I liked to read—and those books always contained a dash of history, suspense, and romance.
How many books have you published up until this point of your career?
Just this year I hit 200 books written and published. I have sold over 5 million copies of my books, which is unbelievable to me!
I love how often, when I think you’re done with a series, you announce in your newsletter you missed those characters and wrote another installment. Usually, I’ve missed them too! Out of all of them, what is your favorite series so far and who is your favorite character you created? And why?
That’s hard for me to say—kind of like choosing a favorite child. But if I had to pick I would say Gabby St. Claire from the Squeaky Clean Mystery Series. She and I have been hanging out for many, many years. In fact, the first book in that series came out nineteen years ago—which I find hard to believe. Gabby is the one who got me started with my writing career, and I suppose in some ways I can see part of myself in her. We have different backgrounds and lives, but I still feel in some ways like she’s my alter ego. I so enjoyed writing the Squeaky Clean series and diving into Gabby’s adventures. I hope to one day do another series featuring Gabby and Riley together. But I’m not quite ready for that yet.
The amount of books you write and publish a year really impresses me. You are so prolific while never compromising quality. Talk about your writing process from idea to publication:
Since I write so many books a year, I’ve really honed the process of how I write in my books. I can in general write, edit, and publish a book within four to six weeks. One of the things that allows me to write so fast is that I dictate my first draft fairly quickly. When I’m dictating, I can write anywhere between 6000 and 12,000 words per day. That means I can finish my first draft within a week or two. I plot out each section of the book as I go. Once I finish that first draft, I go through and revise it two or three times. Once I’m happy with it, I send it to my assistants and get their feedback. Then it goes to beta readers and edits and finally, proofing.
Cheryl Here–Wow. That’s amazing. Speaking is a totally different brain than writing by hand or typing. So I’m in awe your mind lets you be creative in the form of book prose on the spot like that. I can brainstorm out loud. And I do so in my car into a recorder. But I could never write a book or screenplay that way with prose, POV, interior monologue or dialogue formed into coherent conversations. I’m also a plotter the max. But you’ve inspired me to want to figure out how to train my brain to do that.
Given that you plot as you go, does that mean you do not know who the villain will turn out to be when you start a book?
I usually have a few ideas in my mind, but I’m not sure which direction I’ll go. Sometimes all of that changes and the villain is a surprise, even to me!
What advice would you offer to writers who struggle with writer’s block or procrastination?
Writer’s block and procrastination can both be difficult for sure. But the best way to get through these are by simply writing. I know that sounds probably a little too basic. But sometimes people can sit on their ideas for too long or examine them over and over. And sometimes it’s just a matter of jumping in and starting. Even if you end up writing something that may seem terrible and no good at the time, once you have the words down, you can always change them and make them better.
Sometimes, in the past, when I’ve struggled with writing my next chapter, I’ve realized that it’s because there’s a problem with the core of the story. Maybe there’s not enough tension or conflict to sustain the plot. That means I need to go back and rework my basic story premise so that it’s strong enough to carry the entire book. Once you have the premise down and all the proper elements in place, the story usually flows pretty easily.
You’ll never write a book if you only think about writing the book. And the more you write, the better you will become at it. So keep pushing forward because even if your early books aren’t wonderful, you can consider them your practice books. I probably have 12-15 books that I wrote at the beginning of my writing journey that I consider practice books. They will never see the light of day—not unless I decide to rewrite them, at least.
You had a movie made from one of your books. Tell us about that and are there more of those coming for you in the future?
Yes, I did! Hazardous Duty, the first book in the Squeaky Clean mystery series and one of the first books I ever had published was made into a movie. It released in 2022 on select cable stations. It’s now available to watch through Amazon Prime as well as a few other places. (As of this blog posting, it’s currently free for Prime Members to watch the movie.)
Most people think the movie happened overnight, but in truth it was about eight years in the making. That means between the initial interest and optioning of the book and the time it was released, there were a lot of ups and downs. There were a lot of moments where it seemed like it would happen and then it didn’t happen. There were lots of periods of time when I heard absolutely nothing at all and wondered if the project had been forgotten.
Then, just when I tried to put it out of my mind, I got an e-mail one day from the producer and she informed me that they were starting to film in two weeks. I was actually able to go out for a couple of days to watch them film and that was a super special moment for me.
The movie didn’t exactly follow the book, which made some of my hard-core readers unhappy. But overall it was a really fun experience. I have other books that are optioned, and originally there were going to be more Squeaky Clean movies. However, it has been a while since I’ve heard anything (which seems to be what happens in the movie business!) So now I’m just waiting to see if I hear anything. I would love to see more of my books as films.
Please include links to your website and social media sites:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristyBarritt
https://www.instagram.com/cebarritt/
Christy’s Amazon Author Central Page
Thanks for joining us today, Christy, and sharing your creative process. And please write more of Joey, Gabby, and Cassidy, even together like you did in your recent book, The Crime of Our Lives.
Cheryl McKay (Screenwriter/Book Author) 