Sue Grafton Is Up To 'O'

Author Sue Grafton has mastered the ABCs of mystery writing. She has made it through more than half of the alphabet in her popular Kinsey Millhone series.

Her latest book is "O" Is for Outlaw. It's her 15th book in the series; there's only 11 to go before she finishes the alphabet. She shared her insights about writing with CBS News This Morning.

"It's a very 'California' thing to say, but I do believe that doing what you love is most important," she says.

She feels that people are rooting for her as she continues on the second half of the alphabet, she says. "My job is to stay healthy so I can finish," she adds.

Grafton is up for the challenge. "I think it will be fun to tackle the last half, but it occurred to me that I better slow down. I don't want to lose ground by writing too fast," she says.

"The whole notion of doing a book a year is absurd," she adds. Her writing pace allows her to complete a book every 15 to 18 months. And that suits her just fine.

Even with her self-imposed schedule, it has to be tough to turn out a new Kinsey Millhone tale every 15 months, and Grafton feels very responsible to her readers.

"I like for them to be aware that I'm still working hard for them," she says. "I haven't fallen into the trap of being slick or trying to hit certain marks. I'm still following my instincts about what makes a good book."

"O" Is for Outlaw is a departure from the other Millhone books in that it delves more deeply into Kinsey's past, specifically with her ex-husband, and the reasons for their split-up. Grafton usually keeps to the mystery at hand and does not spend much ink on Kinsey's past.

"Maybe I'm making a mistake," Grafton muses. "Maybe readers are more interested in 'who done it' rather than her past."

"But heck, it's my book, and I have to write it the way I want," she says. "I can't predict what the reading public will be interested in, so I just please myself."

There is a new feature in "O" Is for Outlaw: a preface that explains the time line of the Kinsey Millhone books. Grafton felt that was necessary for readers who haven't read the books sequentially.

With 11 more books to go, might Grafton bring Kinsey into the '90s? "I want to keep her in her prime, as physical and dangerous as possible," says the author

"So maybe I'll leave it as it is," she adds. Kinsey was born in 1950, and Grafton sets the novels in the '80s.

For those aspiring novelists who want some advice from a master, Grafton has the following words of experience: "I don't think anyone should imitate me. I think you need to listen to your own voice and write what is dear to your heart."

"Kinsey Milhone is dear to me. Don't worry about figuring out what's going to sell. Figure out what you have to say," she adds.