Writing Under The Gun by Cindy Goyette

When I wrote my first book, I did so with a gun on my hip. I worked at the New York/Quebec border for ICE (although it wasn’t called that then). I routinely volunteered to work the least favorite shift: midnight to 8 a.m. because I could squeeze in some writing. We had what we called “out ports,” which were small crossings only manned by one person during the night. Traffic slowed after midnight, and once I completed paperwork, I had nothing else to do. This was the late eighties, and I brought my word processor (yes, I’m old) with me and a small black-and-white TV. The TV played Perry Mason reruns. I didn’t watch them, but the noise helped distract me from the unexplained noises coming from the creepy basement. 

That first book is in the closet where it belongs, but I’ve been writing ever since. Not always. I left that job in 1990, and work and family obligations often had to come first, leaving me little writing time. But I wrote when I could. After producing two more closet books, I started a series about my job as a probation officer. After about twenty years of fits and starts, I had something that resembled my 2024 release, OBEY ALL LAWS, A Probation Case Files Mystery. I signed with an agent who ultimately could not find a publisher. Once we parted ways, and in one last ditch effort, I submitted the manuscript to Level Best Books. And, to my surprise, they offered a 3-book contract for the series. Then, they offered me a 3-book contract for my cozy mystery series as well. Book 1: DIAMOND IN THE RUFF, A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery released in May 2025.

So, after taking my sweet time, even twenty years on one book, to produce a manuscript worthy of publication, I now have…. DEADLINES! What a scary word for something so big, so complex, as a book. And having two series running at the same time means I now have to produce two books a year. I had to change my procrastinating ways.

It helped that I recently retired from my day job. I quickly learned that I needed a schedule. That means butt in chair by a reasonable hour. How long I spend there depends on if I’m writing a first draft or editing. I can edit all day, but creating new content usually drains my brain after a few hours. Bottom line, I need to be disciplined. I’m most successful when I stick to a schedule. My latest effort to be productive looks like this. Day starts at 7 a.m. Coffee and social media—I know, but it's a hard habit to break. 8ish I head to the gym 5 days a week. When I get home, it’s writing time for most of the rest of the day. If I’m not creating new content, I’m editing, reading stuff for my critique partners or the thing I hate most, marketing. I’ve stopped saying I’m retired because I’m working harder than ever. And, if I’m lucky, I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life. If it ever feels to be too much, I look at my reviews. Knowing readers are connecting with my stories makes it all worthwhile.

Former law enforcement officer Cindy Goyette loves dogs and the Pacific Northwest. She combines these things in her first cozy mystery, DIAMOND IN THE RUFF, A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery. She’s also published The Probation Case Files Mystery series, OBEY ALL LAWS and EARLY TERMINATION and has a short story in the anthology LOST & LOADED, A Gun’s Tale. OBEY ALL LAWS won an award from PSWA for the best suspense and was a Lefty finalist for the best debut mystery. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two Cocker Spaniels.