Welcome to Help From My Friends Friday. Millicent Eidson’s fourth novel, Dengue: A Microbial Mystery, was recently released. What’s a microbial mystery, and why is Millicent so passionate about it? Let’s welcome Millicent Eidson and find out! ~ Donnell
Write to the Market, or Follow Your Passion?
By: Millicent Eidson
Author Millicent Eidson
An author who wants to maximize income is advised to write to the market. If you’re skilled and target your novels to meet reader needs, why not go in that direction?
Some of us became mystery authors because of a keen interest in particular stories, themes, and characters. If we don’t need to earn a living from our writing, why not follow our passion? We still want a connection with readers, and yearn for positive feedback through our sales.
Being an avid reader stoked my overwhelming curiosity about life. A winning high school science fair project about the brain set the stage for college degrees in psychology. But the complex world of One Health, the interaction of humans, animals, and the environment, tugged me into veterinary medicine, then public health.
Who knew statistics could be so much fun? They’re a tool to uncover the hidden secrets of disease cause and effect. And field work! Dropping raccoon rabies vaccine baits from helicopters over the Adirondacks—what a thrill. We think of medical detectives as working in a hospital or pathology lab. Few are aware of the exciting outdoor work investigating the ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes that spread dangerous microbes.
Sharing my discoveries through scientific writing and teaching was a huge part of my 34 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and two state health departments (New Mexico and New York). New risks demanded attention, with no time to scratch an itch for anything else.
Upon retirement from full time public service in 2017, I connected up with the Burlington Writers Workshop (Vermont) and university creative writing classes. They lit a fire under a desire to communicate with non-scientists about zoonotic diseases, those in common between animals and people, sometimes transmitted by insect vectors. Sue Grafton inspired the creation of an alphabetical series.
The first draft of “Anthracis: A Microbial Mystery” was completed in just a month, then took two years to edit and publish. During the
pandemic, agents advised that no one was interested in reading about epidemics while living through one. But I believed some readers would be intrigued by a novel that lifts the veil on the private lives of epidemiologists and the details of their medical detective work.
Like the TV series “The West Wing” did for government servants, “Anthracis” showcases a colorful cast of characters dedicating their lives to public health. Maya Maguire, my young protagonist, is modeled after my daughter who was adopted from China and needed to navigate a world very different from her origin.
Several publishers recommended “Anthracis” modifications to make it more marketable, including a change to my protagonist. When I decided that my passion was more important, I immersed myself in independent publishing. Book formatting and cover design also fed my creative impulses.
I’ve benefited tremendously from two Sisters in Crime critique groups. The latest one includes three other mystery novelists with a shared devotion to indie publishing of our mystery series and a dogged determination to improve our skills. We all have a strong appetite for writing in the most compelling way to reach readers while maintaining our core visions.
Mystery readers like to be scared where it’s safe within the confines of a novel. Engaging with dramatic characters while they follow confusing clues is rewarding for many of us. I enjoy writing mystery/suspense/thriller novels with a twist—the criminals are the microbes. I like interweaving complex characters and themes, including flavors of women’s fiction and romantic suspense. All these factors make it harder to characterize my novels, but I hope enriches the reading experience.
One final argument for passion—it’s both an internal motivation and a process factor. When you have writer’s block or aren’t selling enough, passion can keep you going. Writing to market is aiming for a specific result, which is less under your control, plus you’re handing your reward over to someone else.
Although I follow my muse, I appreciate the benefits of pleasing readers. What do you all think? Share your ideas with me at drmayamaguire@gmail.com or connect through social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram.
About the Book: Is dengue the next pandemic? Two veterinary medical detectives, decades apart in age and experience, battle the tropical disease on the mainland, then in Hawai‘i. Even in paradise, people can’t escape blood-thirsty mosquitoes spurred on by a warming climate. Join these resilient women as they push through personal challenges to discover the scientific truth and stop the relentless death toll.
About the Author: Dr. Millicent Eidson, a master of intrigue and suspense, weaves her literary magic through the pages of the Maya Maguire microbial mystery series. With a keen eye for detail and a fixation on scientific puzzles, she invites readers into a world where microbes hold secrets more treacherous than any criminal. Millicent’s career as a public health veterinarian and epidemiologist began at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After days filled with pathogens and outbreaks, the nights belonged to whispered tales of microbes dancing in her imagination.
Millicent, thank you for being my guest today and allowing us to read about an antagonist we rarely see in mysteries! With your background, I can’t wait to dig into your books. Do you feel they are standalones, or will we be lost if we don’t start with book one? BTW, I am the consummate information digger. When I first moved to Las Cruces, I was intrigued by the different infections mosquitos carried so I toured the NMSU Mosquito lab. Fascinating to see the ongoing research, including birth control for these biting pests. Again, welcome.
Donnell, I appreciate your support for this blog, and it was fun to write! Each MayaVerse novel is slightly different in emphasis and style, so can work as a standalone. The only downside of reading them out of order is that some cliffhanger plot points from the ones set earlier in time will be spoiled. But it’s about the journey, not the end, as I argue in the blog. So even knowing the result of some twisty plot events won’t impact the book’s value. Yes, the insect vectors are fascinating! The complexities of mosquito control were a challenge and joy in writing “Dengue.”
Millicent – you are an inspiration to follow your passion when writing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your background and information about your stories. I like the personal inclusion regarding your protagonist and believe writing for readers outweighs writing for the market. Best of luck.
What an amazing career, and a great case for passion!
My goodness, Millicent. You just grew and grew and grew! Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished, and thanks for helping in so many different ways to make the world a safer and better place.
Millicent, what an interesting life you’ve led and now continue to lead through your fiction.
I do feel the need to offer a caveat to those who attempt to write to market, though. If you’re doing so because you think you’ll score a James Patterson type deal, think again. That’s a unicorn that rarely happens, and by the time an unpublished writer finishes a book and sends it out, there’s usually a glut of similar books in the market, and editors are only buying additional ones from their top-selling authors.
It’s always best to write to your passion because readers (and editors) will see the passion coming through in your story.