What Do We Do About The Dead?

We mystery writers deal a lot with dead people. In fact, the name of this blog uses the word "Murder." Even the coziest of who-dun-its manages to drop a corpse among the tea and scones. But what have we done in real life when we chance upon the deceased?

We know enough from crime drama that if we find someone who's obviously expired, to leave the body be and let the authorities handle it. After all, we don't want to disturb a crime scene and compromise evidence. Which made me ponder about the times growing up when I first encountered a dead person.

For most of us, that probably happened at an open-casket memorial service, usually that of an elderly relative. Even with good makeup, the departed didn't look asleep but, well, dead. To the touch, the skin felt cold and waxy. Growing up, I never had the chance to attend a funeral as those we knew had been interred far away.

The first dead person I saw occurred when I was about 10. My nextdoor neighbor Gary and I were walking down Main Street in the middle of the day. As we passed a tire shop, we noticed that the office door was open and a man lay on the floor in a pool of blood. We stared, not sure what to make of the scene. We discussed calling someone. Who? The police? The operator? This was before 9-1-1. We opted not to call anyone since a phone call cost a dime and we had better things to do with our money. Just then police cars, sirens blaring, arrived at the scene. Turns out the man had been murdered by a business partner.

A couple of years later, during a family trip into Mexico, I saw an old woman get hit by a car as she tried to run across a rural highway. She was struck with a loud Wham! and her body went rag-dolling down the pavement. My dad turned our car around and drove to a gas station where he called the police. On the way back along the highway, we passed police cars and an ambulance. The woman's body remained where she had come to rest, at the end of a long smear of blood. We commiserated about her death but at the same time thought about our good fortune in that had the other car not smacked into her, we would've.

 

Image by ChatGPT 

 

Like all of us, I've had my share of tragedy and the heartbreaking loss of loved ones and friends. However, aside from the body I saw in the tire shop years back, I never again dealt with what the police call a DRT--Dead Right There. That was until my stint in the Army Reserves during Operation Desert Storm. I was with an armor unit, just outside an area where a big tank battle had been recently fought.  I volunteered to help with a burial detail, and as we proceeded toward the battle area, the twisted remnants of wrecked tanks loomed from the haze like the bones of metallic dinosaurs. The retreating Iraqis had blown up the oil fields and dense gray smoke obscured the air. The gloomy scene was decidedly spooky, made even creepier by the sight of dead Iraqi soldiers, some in pieces, laying about. Tank-on-tank combat is incredibly violent. Fortunately, the American KIA had already been recovered. Strangely, we saw black and white sheepdogs wandering the area, even though the closest Arab herders were miles away. Drawing close, we realized the dogs were feasting on the corpses. Someone in our party thought that would make for an interesting though macabre photo. But was we approached, the dogs shied away and kept their distance.

Before visiting the battle area I wondered what would be my reaction to the results of such wholesale death? Then when there, aside from the bizarre and ghoulish sight of dogs eating the dead, my reaction was much like that to the expired guy in the tire shop. What had happened had happened, and since I had no idea who the fallen were, all I felt was a muted philosophical remorse about such loss of life. I was just glad to be on the opposite end of the shovel.

Agatha Christie and BBC Maestro

 by Sybil Johnson

I’ve been a big Agatha Christie fan ever since I discovered her books in junior high. So when I saw that BBC Maestro had a course featuring Christie “talking” about writing, I decided I would buy it as a Christmas present to myself. That was a year ago. Since then I’ve gone through the course and read through the notes and the workbook.

I felt a little uneasy about buying it. After all, she died in the 1970s so I knew the figure talking to me wasn’t really her and that AI had been used to simulate the appearance of Christie talking about her books and writing process.

I felt better when I read that all of the advice was her own words, taken from interviews, articles and books where she talked about her writing process. Plus the Agatha Christie estate had given their blessing to the project. 

The AI part wasn’t as I expected either. It wasn’t a complete AI simulation, but an actress, Vivien Keene, who sat at a desk and spoke the words. AI was then used to put Christie’s face over hers. The effect was believable and not at all disconcerting

I found the course, consisting of 10 lessons on plot, characters, process etc., very interesting and useful. In some ways I think we are kindred spirits and that our attitudes toward writing are similar. Although, she was much more prolific than I am. Her thoughts on endings helped me finish the short story I was working on. 

I also had the opportunity to sample some of the other BBC Maestro courses including a few lessons from Lee Child and Harlan Coben. BBC Maestro isn’t all writing courses. There are also ones on Art & Design, Food & Drink, Wellness and Lifestyle and more. Overall, the experience was fun and worth my time. 

Have any of you watched any of the BBC Maestro courses? What did you think?

Forbidden Words

By Catherine Dilts

When are restrictions on word choice censorship? When are they appropriate?

Editor-in-chief hard at work

The comedian famous for his satirical wit, George Carlin, had a stand-up routine declaring the seven words you can’t say on television.

That was 1972. Television is no longer controlled by a few networks. It’s kind of the Wild West, receiving entertainment in your home via the internet. I’ve heard all of Carlin’s words, and then some. And that was just while watching The Landman.

Profanity is not what I mean by “forbidden words.”  I’m talking about editorial preferences and stylistic choices in fiction writing.

I write cozy mysteries, short stories, humor, and occasionally write-for-hire novels. The reader expectation is for low to no profanity. The write-for-hire language restrictions are explicit: no drugs, alcohol, or bad language.

This is not censorship. I may write all the naughty words I want to, in the roughest language I deem fit. But not if I want to appeal to my chosen audience. And especially not if I want to work for a particular publisher.

With that restriction firmly in place, what other forbidden words can there possibly be?

The publisher for my write-for-hire project included a list of fifteen overused or often closely repeated words in their author guide. I was certain I couldn’t be guilty of any offenses, until I did a painstaking search of my manuscript for each of them.

“Just” appeared a shocking number of times. On one page, I had used it four times. (Notice how I didn’t write “on just one page” – I learned my lesson!) Although painful, searching for the listed words revealed an embarrassing quantity of other overused words, or words repeated in close proximity.

Enter the thesaurus!

While trying not to be too creative or cutesy, I replaced repeated words where appropriate. Sometimes, “just” is the best word for the sentence! I’m guessing we all catch really, very, and just. What about up and down? Do you need to say a character stood up?

Dialogue is a different matter. Characters should speak like real people. I’m more forgiving of redundancies and sloppy word choices, depending on the type of character. Because of the fiction sub-genre I write, even a bad guy or girl won’t let loose with a string of profanity on the page. I handle that by letting the protagonist react to the language without listing the specific words.

The restrictions I choose to enforce on my own writing are motivated by stylistic choices and reader expectations, not censorship. There are plenty of options for readers who like their fiction spicy.

Was the search for forbidden words in my manuscript worth the effort?

Yes. Selecting alternate words led to rewriting entire sentences. The language became more active and descriptive. I began to recognize my own lazy writing.

Are you curious about how to apply this to your work? Do an internet search for “overused words in fiction” to find lists of words.

Fall colors in Colorado 

How to Work A Room

 I had the extreme pleasure of meeting the Louise  Penny and her husband Michael at my local public library several years ago. I sat next to Michael and we had a lovely and funny conversation about what it's like to be a writer’s spouse. He had on his usual bow tie and treated me as though he'd known me for ages.

If you don’t know Louise’s work (and if you are a regular mystery reader, I can’t imagine that you don’t), please go forth and familiarize yourself tout suite. I had read them all, and loved them all, so I went to see her, just as I’ve gone to see many many authors.

Now, I’ve been very impressed by how a number of authors handle themselves at events, but I must say that Louise blew me away. She is a true human being in the best sense. Even if I had never read one of her books, after listening to her, I would have given myself whiplash in my rush to buy them all. I’ve done many events myself, and do not consider myself an amateur at the game. However, I learned quite a bit from Ms. Penny on how to make a crowd love you.

Allow me to share :The moment she walked in the door, she went around the room, big smile on her face, shaking hands with and speaking to every attendee.

When she shook my hand, I said, “I’m Donis Casey…” intending to introduce myself since we have mutual acquaintances, but lo and behold, she knew my name! “Oh!” she exclaimed, “Let me give you a hug” Her pleasure appeared so genuine that I would now take a bullet for her.

When she spoke, her joy in her craft and love of her characters and setting washed over the audience. To tell the truth, when she was finished, I felt a desperate desire to regain that feeling, which is easy to lose in the everyday struggle of life. I vowed to rediscover the pleasure of storytelling, and to remember why I chose to become a writer in the first place.

However appealing and lovable a person Louise is, the bottom line is that she writes great books, full of heart and warmth, and true human frailty as well as strength, ugliness as well as beauty.

If you want to be a successful author, you have to write wonderful books. Its quite a bonus to be a wonderful person as well.

Good-bye Black Cat Weekly, Hello Black Cat Mysteries

 by Sybil Johnson

About a year ago my short story, Mini-Mart Sleuth, appeared in Black Cat Weekly, a digital magazine that features stories of mystery, suspense, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. I was so pleased I did a little Snoopy happy dance in my head. Since then, they announced that Black Cat Weekly would be closing at the end of October 2026.

Luckily, Level Best Books stepped up and acquired Black Cat Weekly. They will be publishing it as Black Cat Mysteries. From what I can tell, it will only publish mystery, suspense and crime fiction. No science fiction, fantasy or adventure. While I’m sad to see BCW go, it’s nice to know some of it will live on in BCM.

Black Cat Mysteries will be a monthly publication. A new issue will come out on the 13th of the month starting with Nov 13th. Stupid me, it wasn’t until I was typing this that I got the significance of the 13th. Black cats, 13, bad luck...

The info on how to submit and subscribe ($60 per year, $5.99 per issue) is on substack at https://blackcatmysteries.substack.com/ Yes, substack.

When I saw the information was on substack, my immediate thought was noooo. I know nothing about the platform. I don’t really want to know anything. Okay, this might be colored by the continuing heat wave we are experiencing here in Southern California. It’s been 90 degrees inside the house the last few days. Add to that the construction that’s been going on next to us for a little over 3 years. So, yeah, I’m a bit cranky. And, no, we don’t have air conditioning because we live near the ocean and usually don’t need it.

I got over the crankiness long enough to get the information about what they’re interested in. So, yeah, not hard.

What they’re looking for:

• Stories up to 8,000 words
• Mystery, suspense and crime fiction in all subgenres. Stories should emphasize mystery over graphic content.
• They do not accept horror or erotica.

So, basically, the kind of stories I like to write. 

Pay is $25 per story.

I do have a story that I just finished that fits their requirements. Once I look it over a little more, I shall submit it. 

They are taking submissions right now. So, go ahead, submit!

Beta Readers=Test Audience

 The deadline for sending my newest manuscript, Exit Signs, was quickly approaching.  I needed a test audience to tell me if this story was any good. I needed beta readers.

What is a beta reader?

A beta reader is a volunteer who reads over a rough manuscript and offers feedback on what’s working and what’s not. This feedback can range from a general reaction to a full-on critique.

Why is a beta reader important? I can give you an example of how beta readers helped me with my latest manuscript.  

I’m extremely lucky that I mentor a group of writers in a critique group that meets nearly every week. Over a glass of wine, we read excerpts from our WIPs (works in progress) to each other and talk out what we like and what we don’t like. 

When I finished Exit Signs and readied it to go to the publisher for editing, I asked our group to read the manuscript and give me their feedback.  They caught a lot of things I hadn’t seen when I edited the manuscript myself. Some of what they pointed out were typos, of course, but they also flagged questionable dialogue and action. They pointed out where I’d used the same word or phrase way too many times.

All of it was easily fixed.  But what became increasingly evident was the troubling ending.  

I’d kept waffling when I wrote the ending; I’d changed it multiple times.  The group's take was mixed.  Some liked it, and some didn’t. My agent disliked the ending, but a professional editor who had looked at the book liked it. 

Hell, I was uneasy about how the book ended, but wasn’t sure why.

I had one more beta reader that I hadn’t heard from, so I cornered her before a meeting we were both attending and asked her what she thought.  I had asked her to read my work because she’s a fan of my past books and she reads constantly.  She was brutally honest.  She hated the ending.  

In one simple sentence, she asked a question that showed me the problem. “Where is the character arc?”

It was like a flash of light.  The protagonist had gone through hell but essentially ended up in exactly the same place he started.  He hadn’t grown.  He hadn’t learned anything.  

I added a few pages to the ending, changing it completely, and it was infinitely more satisfying. 

I asked that beta reader why she’d waited so long to talk to me.  She said, “I was afraid to criticize your work.”

That’s the whole idea of a beta reader.  Tell me what you think.

Why have beta readers?  When a company rolls out a new product or advertisement, they’ll test it with people they hope represent their customer base. For a writer, beta readers are your test audience.  

If you can, find someone who enjoys the same genre that you’re working on.  I had a mix of writers and readers look at Exit Signs, but they all enjoy mysteries. 

My advice is to find readers who don’t mind criticizing your work.  Writers should have a thick skin.  If you want to be a writer, you’d better be able to hear someone say that they didn’t like what you wrote and why.  

It’s the why that’s most important. You can’t fix a problem unless you know what the problem is. 

Look for the release of Exit Signs, due for publication in May 2027.