Guest Post, Mysteries

Guest Chick + Giveaway: Sybil Johnson

Kathy here, and thrilled to welcome guest Sybil Johnson to the coop! Sybil and I were previously chicks of another flock, and she was one of the first authors to welcome me to the warm, wonderful world of this writing/reading community. Today this talented writer and artist worries over worrying. She’s also giving away a book to five lucky readers! Just chime in to enter.

Take it away, Sybil!

When Worrying Pays Off

I am a worrywart. I worry about pretty much everything.

Am I going to be late for an appointment or meeting? Did I forget an appointment or meeting? If I’m driving someplace I’ve never been before, will I get lost? Will I make a writing deadline? Did I forget to turn off the stove, iron, etc.? When I blow out the candles on my birthday cake, am I going to set my hair on fire…again? (Go ahead, laugh. I’ve done this twice. My hair was longer then.)

The list goes on.

Being such a worrier, my mind often goes to worst-case scenarios. When I was managing software projects, I wondered what I’d do if someone in my team quit, got really sick or even died. The software still had to be written, the project completed. We did a lot of cross-training so there’d be someone to pick up the slack if the worst happened. That allayed my fears enough I could push them to the back of my mind and get on with my work. Thankfully, none of these things happened to anyone on my team, but I was prepared if it did.

Construction projects on the block are a particular source of worry. There have been a lot of them over the years. We’re talking nine and a half years of continuous construction. I kid you not. One project would end and another immediately begin.

It’s been quiet for a few years now but, with a new project starting soon, I’m remembering all those concerns that filled my mind. All those what ifs. What if…something crashed down on our house, our car tires were stabbed with stray nails, something fell on a car that’s parked on the street and the person in it. You get the drift.

Worrying so much is not a good thing. Or so I thought. Turns out, when you’re a writer, being a worrywart comes in handy. It’s my super power. I can take all of those worst-case scenarios that flit through my mind and create stories around them.

This applies to any story I’m working on. When I’m stuck and can’t figure out where to take the story next, I think about what’s the worst that can happen at that point. If it’s plausible enough and I can figure out a way to make it work in the story, I’ve got my next step.

With all that construction going on, my mind is full of ideas for stories. Besides the scenarios I mentioned earlier, here are a few more. What if a body is found in the Porta-potty on a construction site? What if, when they’re removing an old house, a skeleton is found? (I actually used this one as the basis for my book, Ghosts of Painting Past.) Or maybe the body is found inside a wall? What if tools and equipment are stolen from the site? What if two neighbors fight over a construction project? (I’ve got this one partially worked out as a short story. I just need to write it.)

I have a lot of fun coming up with these scenarios. Plus it makes me feel better.

That’s how I use my worrying ways in a productive manner.

Are you a worrywart like me? Has it come in handy in your everyday life? If you’re a writer, has it helped you in your writing?

About Sybil Johnson and the Aurora Anderson Mystery Series

Sybil Johnson writes the Aurora Anderson mystery series, craft-based cozies set in the world of decorative painting. The sixth book in the series, Brush Up On Murder, will be out in October. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E, Spinetingler Magazine and King’s River Life among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Sybil now wields pen and paint brush from her home in Southern California.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sybiljohnsonauthor
Twitter: @sybiljohnson19
Website: www.authorsybiljohnson.com

34 thoughts on “Guest Chick + Giveaway: Sybil Johnson”

  1. I love how you put worry to work in your stories, Sybil.

    Your post reminded me of my secret weapon in the corporate world. Most worry about work. An informal survey suggested workers waste about 15 minutes out of every work hour worrying about things that never come to pass. At the end of a day, that’s about 2 hours, and for the week, 10 hours wasted.

    Since most worrying proves unproductive, I reclaimed that time and had an extra day to do special projects. Those efforts came to the attention of management. The rewards followed, and as they say, the rest is history.

    A two-sentence story served as my catalyst. “Worry knocked on my door. I sent Faith to answer, and no one was there.”

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  2. Oh I hear you!!! My husband and I are getting ready to sell our house after 35 years and move into a retirement community. What if we don’t get accepted, what if we can’t get enough for our house, I see everything that I think is wrong with it. If I don’t stop this I’ll make myself sick with worry. But I can see how this type of thinking can work in a writing life. I’m looking forward to reading your books!
    Carol

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    1. I look at a room in our house and see all the things that need to be repaired or cleaned. My husband looks at the same room and sees…a room.

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  3. Definitely a worrywart, here! What if I oversleep? (Even though I turned on two separate alarms.) Did I turn off the coffee pot? (Thank goodness for the new ones which turn themselves off after a few hours.)

    But I agree that it’s a good trait for a mystery author, where questions such as “Did I put in enough clues, red herrings, suspects, etc.?” all come in quite handy when crafting a story.

    Thanks so for visiting the Chicks today, and yippee for the sixth book coming out this fall!

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    2. I had two separate alarms when I went to CCWC since I had to be out of the house about the time I usually get up. And I still worried I wasn’t going to get up!

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  4. Thanks for being here, Sybil, and congrats on your upcoming book! I tend to worry, but more about others (e.g. Will they be okay on their plane ride?). I do also get anxious about publishing deadlines, which has helped me meet due dates in the past!

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  6. So happy you’re hanging out with us, Sybil–and oh my, can I relate! I’m worry about being a worry wort, which I find especially worrisome. My trick for keeping my anxiety at bay (ish): I imagine the worst case scenario. I figure if I can handle that, I’ll be okay! This worst case scenario thinking also comes in handy for putting characters through their paces!

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  7. Sybil, great post! And wonderful ideas for future books.

    As to being a worrywart, I’m a little different. I go to what my old therapist used to call “catastrophic thinking.” I do it less now but honestly, fearing the worst always led me to prepare for it. And if it didn’t happen, well, hallelujah! Like the saying goes, prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Or another version: expect the worst and you’ll never be disappointed!

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  8. Thanks for hanging out with us today, Sybil! I, too, am a worrier–always have been. My mom used to scold me for “borrowing trouble.” (And yup, I used that in my latest ms.) But I hadn’t considered how helpful this trait is as a crime writer. Thank you for pointing that out, because now I won’t worry about being a worrier (see Kathy, above). You’ve made my day! And huge congrats on the upcoming book. (By the way, murder in a port-a-potty? I’m worrying again, lol.)

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    1. My mom always told me to not “borrow trouble” as well. I’m still thinking about how to write a port-a-potty murder. Perhaps I’ll murder off someone I find particularly annoying!

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  9. I ALWAYS worry about being late for a book deadline not because I miss deadlines, but because I keep working, editing, fussing up to the last minute. Only once I asked for an extension— and then didn’t need it. The publisher (one we are both very familiar with) didn’t hold up their part of the deal!

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  10. I totally get you, Sybil. I work in healthcare compliance for my day job and spend a lot of time thinking about “what if” scenarios. That are always bad, of course.
    I tell everyone at work that, because of the nature of my job, my first thought is “The world’s going to end and we’re all going to die.” I the assure my coworkers that I’m joking. Mostly! 😉

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  11. I can relate since I am also a worrywart. I am not a writer but I do try to channel my tendency to worry in managing things so that the worse scenarios do not occur.

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    1. Once you’re a worrywart, it’s super hard to change. I’ve often wondered why some people are and others aren’t.

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