Work in Progress (May 2026)
A Monthly Newsletter from Mystery and Thriller Writer Jenna Kinghorn
May 2026
Work in Progress
I've made pretty detailed notes on the first third of the new outline, and have finished revision of the first five scenes, which all feels like progress.
Unfortunately, watching a webinar on the state of the publishing industry was extremely discouraging. The agent's presentation basically said that big publishing houses are not looking for new traditional mysteries or cozies. He suggested new authors writing such old-fashioned series would be best off finding a home with a small publisher, or investing in self-publishing (which is now usually called "indie" publishing).
So I will have some extra-hard thinking to do when I finish this revision of Next of Kin...which I have long hoped would be the first book in a conventionally published traditional mystery series.
What I'm Consuming
A lot of my reading and viewing the past month has been focused on books, articles, blog posts, and podcasts about the craft of writing, including:
- GMC-Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon
- How to Write Short Stories by James Scott Bell
- Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
- Careerauthors.com
- JaneCleland.com
- KMWeiland.com
- TheCreativePenn.com podcast
Mysteries I recently enjoyed reading included:
- Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita
- The Cash Blackbear Mysteries by Marcie R. Rendon
- A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander
- In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Bunce
- The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer
On TV I'm still watching:
- ReGenesis
- Will Trent
- New Tricks
Have You Read Anything By Elizabeth C. Bunce or Nancy Springer?
With summer just around the corner, memories of school summer vacations have begun drifting through my mind. Although it’s been more than forty years since my life was ruled by a school calendar, I remember one of the highlights of those long weeks off was choosing to read anything I wanted—as opposed to whatever was assigned. Not only that, I could read at any time of the day, and longer into the night at bedtime.
I still read middle-grade books, and in recent years I’ve dipped in and out of a couple of middle grade mystery series that make for great summer reading.
The Myrtle Hardcastle mysteries, by Elizabeth C. Bunce, features 12-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle, who solves mysteries in a small town in Victorian England. She lives with her widowed father, a busy lawyer whose cases she sometimes gets involved in—often without his approval (or knowledge).
Myrtle longs to know more about her mother, who was a medical student, and in whose footsteps Myrtle hopes to follow. Myrtle’s governess is an extremely forward-thinking and well-educated woman who aids and abets Myrtle, in between lessons in history, science, and French.
Over the course of several books, Myrtle solves murders and disappearances, prevents various disasters, makes new friends, and learns a great deal about her family, human nature, and herself—all with a nice dollop of humor and action.
Nancy Springer is the author of the Enola Holmes series. Enola, the 14-year-old sister of the much older famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, is determined to find their missing mother.
Sherlock and their even older and more staid brother Mycroft subscribe to the Victorian idea that young ladies need to live sheltered lives, with their only possible destiny being marriage and motherhood. Since Mycroft is her legal guardian, Enola is forced to run away and elude capture to escape the tortures of Victorian girls boarding school.
Enola reinvents herself as the secretary of a fictitious male investigator, and begins taking on cases to locate lost objects and missing persons. Over the course of several books, Enola moves (often in disguise) through every strata of society from the upper echelon of the nobility to the lowliest guttersnipes, making enemies and allies.
During several investigations she crosses paths with Sherlock, frequently besting her older brother. Thus far the books have been adapted into two movies, both of which are fun to watch.
If recreational reading is one of the summer vacation activities that you (and any kids in your life) look forward to, check out the adventures of Myrtle or Enola. You won’t be disappointed.
Where I've Been
I’ve been staying close to home lately. It feels a little odd, since I usually travel every few months. But I’m enjoying the companionship of Morgan and our furry family members, and the comforts of home.
It helps that I live in a place where I am surrounded by natural beauty. A walk through my neighborhood usually involves encounters with deer, at least one flyover by a bald eagle, and frequent glimpses of belted kingfishers and northern flickers. I also tread the trails of three Washington State Parks within an easy drive.
And so every day, rain or shine, with or without Mia (who sometimes goes to Doggie Day Care), I go for a walk.
I always have to warn people walking with me for the first time that I am an EXTREMELY slow walker, because I have to stop and look.
And listen. And notice. And wonder. And take pictures.
Pretty much the same things I do when I travel, now that I think about it.
My Furry Muses
Sunny and Butch are littermates, but not identical twins. Instead, they make me think of bookends: reflecting each other in the way they look, the way they move, and the way they behave.
One thing they have in common is a burning curiosity about whatever is on the other side of any closed door. And the one door that has stayed closed since they joined our small family over a year ago is my office.
After months of quietly accepting their exile from the room where I sometimes spend eight or more hours a day, Sunny dodged past me and slipped into the Room of Forbidden Delights one recent afternoon.
I’ve been reading and learning about meeting cats (and other animals) on their level instead of unthinkingly imposing my will on them. So instead of chasing and trying to evict him, I decided to let Sunny have a closely supervised tour.
The embodiment of pure curiosity, he moved around very carefully, sniffing scattered papers and pinned up cards and photos. He minutely examined small objects like pens and feathers and shells and travel souvenirs. He stepped carefully around piles of books, jumped from spot to spot without knocking knickknacks off shelves, and observed everything.
After about fifteen minutes he finished his inspection and walked peacefully to the door to be let out. He was SO HAPPY and so well-behaved that I’ve started regularly letting him in for closely supervised tours.
I’ve allowed Butch into my office, as well, but he moves so quickly I don’t have photos of his inspections! Butch is a little less careful than his brother, and a little more sassy, so more pens and papers end up on the floor after one of his visits.
Butch and Sunny have the run of the rest of the house. Just this morning I witnessed less-careful Butch jump onto and walk across the ledge that runs across the headboard of our bed. Morgan said he’d seen Butch up there multiple times—apparently it’s a good place to look up at the ceiling to scout for spiders and bugs to hunt.
I took a photo of Butch inspecting for insects…and then walking backwards along the ledge, and bumping into the poster that hangs above the bed—solving the mystery of why I’ve had to straighten that poster out multiple times in the past month.
A few minutes later I found Butch back up on the ledge, eyeing the artwork on another wall…no doubt plotting how to knock it askew!
That's it until the middle of next month. Thanks for being a reader! – Jenna