S.M. Freedman: The Detective

Hey everybody! Holy guacamole, Batman, I’m having so much fun writing these! I hope you’re enjoying them as much as I am! So for today’s WWW introduction, I present the incredible, awesomesaucetastical S.M. FREEDMAN! I like to call her… The Detective :cue dramatic music:

Okay, so that’s not actually her, but her brain works just as amazingly!

Beautiful, oui? She’s pretty much a genius, like no joke. I bet she already knows what I’m going to write, before I’ve even written it. Sho’s one of those ladies that has a backstory that makes me want to lie about my own… or at least pad it with a few more interesting tidbits. Now she’s a brilliant writer, wife and mother to two gorgeous little kiddies. She also studied acting in NEW YORK. And was a flipping private investigator. A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, guys! That means she can act her pants off (is this a phrase, am I making things up?), AND be sneaky. I bet the bad guys didn’t even know what hit them!

I don't know about you, but no one has ever made a cartoon of me!

Her book, The Faithful, definitely lives up to her P.I. days. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that is so beautifully researched and yet not lecture-y. The topics she had to study for her story are truly mind blowing. Psychics, FBI agents, NASA sciency stuff- heck, if you needed to find a Subway near the ocean in Oregon, Sho’s book is for you! But not only is it well researched, it’s one of my favorite books, ever. Her characters are so superbly developed, the plot is so unique, the writing is so stunning- I’m seriously surprised you haven’t gone out and bought a book already. You know you want to. Look at this brill cover!

So give her website a look. And if you want to make friends, it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring some cookies. Because cookies just might be her secret weakness. (Oops... It's not so secret now is it? Um ... I just didn't tell you ... Cookies aren't her kryptonite at all. I just make things up ... :nervous laughter: Who listens to me anyway??)

What else can I say about such a wonderful lady? Words really do pale when it comes to describing any of my fellow WWW writers, but still I try. Sho’s humor, caring and protectiveness are integral parts of the group and we wouldn’t know what to do without her. I’m happy to know that she always has my back, with her trusty baseball bat in hand. I really hope you give her book a chance, I promise you won’t be disappointed (you can find it here).

Now it’s her turn to speak for herself. I’m off to go practice my disguises, in the hopes she will teach me all her secret PI ways.

I may need some more practice ...

 The Questions: 

1) Why write? What’s your inspiration? And when did you realize your ideas had merit?

If we could borrow a time machine and visit me at thirteen, I guarantee we would find a pimpled version of myself writing really bad, lovesick, embarrassingly melancholy poetry and dreaming about being a writer. I left that dream behind for a long time. I studied acting at a theater school in New York, spent a number of years as a Private Investigator, and owned a business too. But that first dream was always there, and in my most private fantasies I dreamed of making art with my words. A few years back, I started writing again. My first attempt was a Young Adult Fantasy that I wrote for and about my son. I left it behind eventually (though I might revisit it some day), but the dream had grabbed me again. Then Ryanne started talking to me, bless her. And Sumner, and my darling Josh. I had no choice but to tell their story. 

A little context: Where the Faithful ends

2) Who is your favorite author/ what is your favorite book? (If you could live in a book, which would it be?)

I’m a bit schizo when it comes to genres I enjoy reading, which is probably why I ended up writing that way. I’ll read Jodi Picoult (she has great character development although I generally guess the “surprise” ending way too early), Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Lawrence Hill (his Book of Negroes is epic). I love Diana Gabaldon’s Highlander series, and Sue Grafton’s Alphabet Series. I would love to spend a day hanging out with her awesome main character, PI Kinsey Millhone. Well, if I could pick a day when she wasn’t dodging bullets. I’m too old for those kind of hijinks. 

3) Are you an outliner, or a write-it-as-it-comes-er?

I’m a bit of both. With The Faithful I had a very basic outline, so I knew where my end point was. The route to get there was full of surprises, though. There’s probably great comfort in having an outline to follow, a guide through the story. But part of the fun of storytelling, at least for me, is the sense of discovery. Having a detailed outline might limit the free-flow of creativity, even if it helped ease the horrid fear I experience at the end of almost every chapter. I’m starting to have more faith that my light bulb moments will keep coming, though. They haven’t failed me yet.

4) Which of your characters is the most like you?

They’re all me, at least a little. Ryanne is the part of me that is snappy, junk-food loving, and missing a mouth filter. Josh is the part of me that’s steadfast, investigative, rule-following and protective. I also relate to his poetic heart. Sumner is my sense of humor unleashed. In other words, generally inappropriate, cheeky and poorly timed.

5) Where do you write? Name three objects in the space and explain why they are significant (do you hold it when writing? Fiddle with it? Look at it?)

I write wherever I can. I love my little MacBook Air, which goes with me just about everywhere. One day I’d love to have a study or something, but for now I’m relegated to a chair in the living room, or a table at Starbucks, or the front seat of my car while I’m waiting for my son to finish school. I’ve kind of trained myself to tune out my surroundings, but I sometimes wonder how I look to the public passing me by. I’m guessing I look just a wee bit the mad woman. One of my latest favorite places is the library and coffee shop at our local Community Center. My daughter goes to childcare for a couple of hours while I write, then we go to her gymnastics or swimming or whatever. 


Another truly amazing lady! Okay, this is it for today. But tune in next time for :gulp: the intro to ME!

Oh boy ...