A Day in the Life of Dr. Richard Mabry

For some reason, people seem interested in the life of a published writer. Before I joined that group, I had visions of a writer repairing to a quiet den where he or she could write in solitude, turning out words that were pure gold and never needed editing. When the author went out, people would point and whisper, “There goes…” And every few weeks, the postman would deliver a hefty royalty check, which the writer would put into an already fat mutual fund account. But now, as the late Paul Harvey would put it, I know the rest of the story.

My office is far from the spacious, well-furnished room I envisioned. I often joke that it’s so small I have to step outside to change my mind. My time there is never uninterrupted, but I don’t mind. That’s one of the advantages of working at home.

The author's swanky office

Although I try to get in some actual writing most days, my time in the office  is also taken with email, blog posts (mine and those of others), marketing, and the hundred-and-one things that I’ve found demand a writer’s attention.

By the way, although I always warn writers to avoid this activity, when I have a new release, such as Critical Condition, I read the reviews. Although I generally enjoy them, there are always one or two that keep me humble.

When I do get around to writing, I open my latest work-in-progress, read through the last couple of scenes (editing as I go), and write additional material. That not only gets me back into the flow of the novel, but makes my subsequent editing and revision work easier.

During all this, I look around for adoring crowds but see none. I listen for brass bands but all I hear are children playing in the yard next door. And when the postman comes, he generally brings bills and circulars, not fat checks. No, this isn’t the writer’s life I imagined.

There you have it, a typical writing day. It’s humdrum, totally devoid of drama, without the trappings of fame and fortune I once imagined. But would I change it? Not on your life. I’m a writer, and happy to be one.

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Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and author of “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have been a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel, finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award, and winner of the Selah Award.  His most recent novel, just released, is Critical Condition. You can follow Richard on his blog, on Twitter, and his Facebook fan page.

Make sure to stop by The Borrowed Book tomorrow for a chance to win a free copy of Critical Condition!

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If At First. . .by Author Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

Outside, strobes atop the police cars spilled red and blue over the figures huddled on the lawn. 

From the front window, the lights of the Christmas tree cast multicolored reflections on the snow. 

Inside the house, red bows and green garlands adorned the mantel of the living room. That color scheme continued in the tattered green coat the man on the floor wore and the darkening red stain that spread from the knife handle protruding from his back.

Dr. Shannon Frasier stood transfixed in one corner, unable to tear her eyes away from the corpse. Her “almost-fiancé,” Dr. Mark Gilbert, was beside her, his arm resting lightly on her shoulder. 

This was no way to start the holiday season.

In case you’re wondering where you can find those lines, you can’t, unless you scan the hard drive of my computer. When I started writing my most recent novel of medical suspense, Critical Condition, I planned to set it during the Christmas season. But after writing the first chapter, I decided that wasn’t going to work. So I started over.

When I was writing another novel, Heart Failure, I scrapped 20,000 words after I saw I was headed in the wrong direction. That one was tough to write, but I kept at it and after a number of false starts, several new beginnings, and multiple revisions, I produced a novel I thought was good.

In the past I never gave any thought to how many times an author may have started over, how many drafts and revisions were involved, until the book in my hand was born. But that was before I started writing. Now I am acutely aware of all that. As author Alton Gansky told my group of neophyte writers: “Once you begin writing, you’ll never read a book the same way again.” And I’ve found that to be true.

To the writers reading this, I would remind you that there may come a time when, despite all the work you’ve put in on it, it’s necessary to scrap what you’ve written and start over. If that happens to you, don’t worry about it. After all, the finished product is what counts. 

In writing, as in so many other things in life, the old adage is true: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice President of the

American Christian Fiction Writers, and author of “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have been a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel, finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award, and winner of the Selah Award.  His most recent novel, just released, is Critical Condition. You can follow Richard on his blog, on Twitter, and his Facebook fan page.

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The Glamorous Writing Life of Richard Mabry

One of my favorite movies is The Muppet Movie. The reason is probably the scene in which the Muppets meet the famous producer (played by Orson Wells). After a bit of interchange, he tells his secretary to “sign them to a standard rich and famous contract.” In a movie, that’s funny. In real life, if a writer expects their first contract to bring fame and fortune, it’s sad.

After I signed the contract for the publication of my first novel, I’m not sure what I expected. I enjoyed the congratulations from my fellow writers, as well as the praise from my family. But beyond that, not much had changed. No one stopped me on the street to ask for my autograph. There was no announcement from the pulpit to bring the congregation to its feet, cheering and whistling. And the local media didn’t flock to my doorstep for interviews. In other words, it was business as usual.

So much for the “famous” part. What about “rich?” Although information about advances and royalties is hard to come by, most authors realize that they’re never going to get rich from that money. To begin with, “advance” is just what the name implies—an advance against royalties. That means that sales of the book must reach a level where royalties exceed the amount of the previously paid advance before the author makes another penny.

Stress Test will be my fifth published novel of medical suspense, and I’m proud of it. But the book that a reader will finish in anywhere from a few hours to a few days took me well over six months to write.

And I won’t become either rich or famous for the effort.

Still interested in writing? Good. If you’re interested in writing for publication because you have a message you want to get out, if you write because the words are burning inside you and you have to share them, if you write because—as I’ve heard my fellow authors say—you can’t not write, then welcome aboard. The life isn’t glamorous. Matter of fact, as deadlines approach, edits have to be done, the demands of keeping a presence on social media suck away your time, the writing life is downright tough. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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            Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of four published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His last novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference.

            Richard’s website is http://rmabry.com, and he posts regularly on his blog, http://rmabry.blogspot.com. He is also active on Twitter (RichardMabry), Facebook (rmabrybooks), and GoodReads.

Come back tomorrow and enter to win a free copy of Stress Test!

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"Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" by Author Richard Mabry, M.D.

Every author has been asked that question at one time or another, and most of us have to pause and scratch our head before we answer. One of the first things I was told when I was learning the craft was to constantly observe the world around me, because “story ideas are everywhere.” Some authors keep a notebook, others use three by five cards, and many—myself included—simply store these ideas in their brain. From these ideas, a writer develops the plot, populates the novel with characters, and gets to work.

Where do I get my ideas? I get them from everyday life. Both Kay and I are incurable people watchers. Whether it’s in a restaurant, sitting at the airport, shopping, or even at church, we have our eyes on those around us. And it’s a simple jump from there to construct a scenario. See that couple at the next table, each engrossed in their iPhone, not saying a word to each other? Maybe they’ve just had a terrible fight. Maybe he’s reached the tipping point where he’s imagining how he can get rid of her permanently. Perhaps he decides to act on his thoughts. There’s a plot.

My novels thus far have sprung from such varied situations as a relative’s near-paranoia about identity theft, the accusations of mercy-killing against a colleague, and a retraction in a

 professional journal about falsified research data. My latest novel of medical suspense began when I was leaving the medical center parking garage late at night. I looked around and imagined how deserted it must be at two AM. What if a doctor were to be kidnapped from such a location? And what if he had no idea why the men doing it were under orders to kill him? That was the nidus from which Stress Test sprang.

One of my favorite sweatshirts bears the inscription, “Careful Or You’ll End Up In My Novel.” I’d suggest that there’s a lot of truth in that phrase. So the next time you’re out in public, think about how your actions might be the beginning of an idea for a novel. You never know. A writer could be right behind you.

Return Friday for a chance to win a copy of Richard's book, StressTest.

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of four published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His last novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. 

Richard’s website is http://rmabry.com, and he posts regularly on his blog, http://rmabry.blogspot.com. He is also active on Twitter (RichardMabry), Facebook (rmabrybooks), and GoodReads. 

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