Meet Christine DeSmet

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine DeSmet a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I’m a farm girl, raised on a farm in southwest Wisconsin where I had chores helping with cows, calves, chickens, hogs, ponies, and cats and dogs, a huge garden my mom planted every year, and more. Chores are never-ending on a farm, but they are also delightful and fulfilling in many ways because you get a great sense of helping the animals and the family. You learn to love responsibility and solving problems on your own, and you learn how to ask for help, too. I worked hard as a kid, but I loved the work and the animals who always seemed grateful for that extra pat or brushing. I also learned that after the hard work, it’s time for rewards. On the farm, that might have meant we went fishing beside a local trout and bass stream as a family, or maybe it was just time in the evening to sit on the porch overlooking the valley with a piece of Mom’s cake in front of me. Work always had rewards for me and still makes me smile.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’ve been helping writers for about 25 years now as a writing instructor and coach, as well as writing my own novels, novellas, and screenplays. My latest novella in the Mischief-in-Moonstone Series set in northern Wisconsin is a holiday one just out this November 2025 called ALL SHE WORE WAS A BOW, which is a sweet romantic story with a touch of mystery. My latest mystery novel is a holiday one, too, the sixth in the Fudge Shop Mystery Series called HOLLY JOLLY FUDGE FOLLY, set in Door County, Wisconsin.

I love interacting on Facebook, especially with the Cozy Mystery Party group and others that support mystery authors such as the Blackbird Writers (I’m a member), and I share on Substack as well.

I am always excited about sharing the work of other authors, and I’m quite active doing that in person and online. I love hosting and helping other writers launch their new work. For example, I’ll be the host January 28, 2026 at the Mystery to Me bookstore in Madison, Wis., when Peggy Joque Williams introduces a new historical novel.

I review several books in each of my monthly emailed newsletters, always supporting other authors that way.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Certainly a work ethic is important to have because writing is hard overall and can take many months or even years to write a book, for example.

The other thing that has made my success and that of other authors I’ve worked with or adult writing students is the “stick-to-it-ivity.” What do I mean? This is different than just a work ethic. Some writers and artists thrive by trying many things, either all at once or over time, while others have one thing they love and stick to it over time. Either system works as long as you pay attention to yourself and ask: Am I learning anything new? Am I progressing in my skills? Or, am I dawdling, afraid to dig in and go deeper? To write or paint (I loved oil painting in my youth), it’s important to actually finish the project. Starting several things and never experiencing “finishing” usually creates frustration and doesn’t usually advance skills. Stick to it to the end so you get that feeling of “completion” and PRIDE.

If early in the journey, have fun. In every endeavor I tried–and there have been several types of writing projects in my past and present–I have fun. You have to be able to laugh, and to do that it’s important to join a good, effective, professional writers’ group. Get that support and find friends who know how to laugh.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

I’m currently diving into a new endeavor in writing–children’s picture books. And they are hard! I’ve written four manuscripts thus far and plan to keep writing and editing. I’m reading as many as I can to learn my craft. I’m attending workshops on writing pictures books. I’m reading how-to books on the topic. In other words, I’m steeping myself in that craft. I’m also daring to have others read and comment on my manuscripts and I’ve sent a couple to my agent to begin marketing. My expectation is that I’ll be doing even more revising.

I’m also helping my agent by doing my own research to find what publishers might be a good match for my manuscripts and I’ve engaged an illustrator to be in the “wings” if a publisher asks for suggestions. (Many publishers of course don’t want an author’s suggestion on that, but some do.) An agent cannot do everything alone; they are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to publication.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ChristineDeSmet.com
• Facebook: Christine DeSmet
• Other: On Substack as Christine DeSmet, and a member of Blackbird Writers on Facebook and Substack.