Of Tropical Storms and Earthquakes

 

I live in Southern California where we recently had a tropical storm warning, the first one in almost 90 years. The last one was in 1939, called the Long Beach Tropical Storm, and 100 people died. Lots of hype about how bad this one was going to be, although when I looked at the forecast for my area, the rain wasn’t going to be horrible and the winds were supposed to be less than tropical storm strength. Still, with hurricanes and tropical storms, you never know. I gather that we don’t get these kinds of storms here very often because the Pacific is too cold for a hurricane to sustain its strength.

As it turned out, near the ocean where I live, it wasn’t any worse than other storms we’ve had over the years. Yes, steady rain over many hours, but no real wind to speak of. We had power issues for a few hours around 2 a.m., but they were quickly resolved.

One odd thing was the earthquake we experienced Sunday afternoon. The husband and I looked at each other. Here’s roughly how the dialog went: 

(me) Earthquake? 

(husband) Wind maybe. Doesn’t seem like an earthquake. 

(me, more decisively) I think it’s an earthquake 

(husband, still not buying it) We’ll check in half an hour and see what the internet says.

We went back to watching TV, then checked and, sure enough, it was a 5.1 quake centered near Ojai, which is fairly far from us. Still, it was very odd to experience one during a rainstorm. I don’t remember that ever happening before.

Anyway, we’re all doing fine. There are areas of LA County that got hit pretty hard, but not as hard as expected. I haven’t heard of any deaths. Lots of traffic accidents in some areas and the swift water rescue team was busy. But, all in all, we did okay. Other parts of Southern California experienced issues, but I haven't heard of anything horrible. Catalina Island was evacuated as a precaution.

 This got me thinking about stories that are set during major events like storms, earthquakes, train derailments, bombings due to war, etc. It seems like the perfect place to hide murder or to have someone be unaccounted for so they’re presumed dead. Instead, they start a new life somewhere else under another name.

I know I’ve read stories like these. At least one of the Miss Silver books by Patricia Wentworth takes place during such an event. There are 32 books written between 1928 to 1961. She’s been compared to Miss Marple, but she’s a little different since she's less of a busybody and more of a professional. She's a retired governess turned private detective. They really are great books that are still available. Check them out.

Seems like it would be fun to write one of these stories. Someone could have been presumed dead, then someone who used to know them encounters them alive. Murder ensues. Or a death could be presumed to be because of the event but, upon further inspection, turns out to be murder. My mind is whirling with possibilities.

Writers Are Readers, Right?

 by Thomas Kies

I got a phone call from a man who was referred to me by a friend.  Apparently, they were talking about life insurance.  I know, I know, not the most exciting subject in the world.  But it was during their conversation that the man confessed to my friend that he was interested in writing a book.  Being as I’m the only published novelist my friend knows personally, he naturally gave him my phone number. 

To my friend’s credit, he gave him my OFFICE number and not my personal cellphone.  So good on him.  

To keep anyone from being embarrassed, let’s call the man Charlie.  Charlie called me and politely told me what he would like to talk to me about.  Now, I love to talk about books, writing, and publishing. So, we scheduled a meeting the very next day.

I was happy to spend time with Charlie.  He asked good questions and took copious notes.  We discussed the positives and negatives of traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing. I told him how valuable it is to join a writers’ group and get a beta reader…no, not his wife or any of his children. We talked about how you need a good editor and how you need to sit down and write something every single day.  That’s what writers do. 

I asked him what genre he was interested in.  Charlie told me he wanted to write a thriller. Then I asked him who is your favorite author and what do you like to read?

His answer was, “Well, I’m not much of a reader.”

WHAT?

My question for the audience is, can you be a writer without being a reader?  In my opinion, NO!

Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all else: read a lot and write a lot.”

If Charlie wants to be a writer of thrillers, he’d be best served by reading thriller novels.  He’d be studying the writers who have made it happen. They’ve not only gotten published, but they managed to get onto best seller lists.  Writers like Lee Child, Brad Thor, Gillian Flynn, Don Winslow, David Baldacci, S.A. Cosby, Stephen Mack Jones, Stieg Larsson, Karin Slaughter, and Thomas Harris, just to name a few. 

It's how you can study plot structure, pacing, grammar, character development as well as a hundred other writing items you should know about if you’re going to try to write a book that someone will want to read. 

To Charlie’s credit, he’s not alone.  I’ve lost count of the people who have taken one of my Creative Writing classes at our local college that have answered that same question, “What do you read and who is your favorite author?”  And their answer has been, “I’m not much of a reader.”

But, on the flip side of that equation, I’ve found that the best writers who have taken my class are indeed dedicated readers.  They not only study the craft and work at it but enjoy reading.  

How can you not?    www.thomaskiesauthor.com

Someone to Root For

 As I often do, I am reading books about writing as I work on my next book. Since I have multiple points of view and several primary characters, I've been giving more thought than usual to who these characters are. Their voices need to be distinctive. But I'm also thinking about what the fiction authors discussing characters have to say about how "likeable" a character needs to be for readers to care about that character and have "someone to root for". 

Personally, I have read books when I found there was no one I cared about or liked. And, then, there is a book like Gone With the Wind. I mention this book because -- as I have mentioned -- it is crucial to my 1939 novel because in my historical thriller, all roads lead to the Atlanta premier of the movie based on the book. I have been watching the movie in bits and pieces. I remember the movie well. But the book is still setting on my desk, waiting to be read again. Why?  Because even though I raced through the novel when I read it as a teenager, I found Scarlett a difficult character to root for. She is beautiful and brave, but I thought Rhett might have done better. Send Scarlett and Ashley off into the sunset and have Rhett find comfort with Melanie.  

I have given this some thought because I can understand why Mitchell created Scarlett (of course, I am analyzing the novel as it would have been read by her core audience in 1939. The racial politics is another matter entirely).  Scarlett is a dynamic character. She makes things happen. Even disliking her, one wants to know what happens to her. Even when she is being audacious, she is engaging. Melanie, on the other hand, is kind and unselfish, but she would have had to undergo the kind of transformation that Bette Davis does in Now, Voyager (1942) to hold the attention of many readers and movie goers. 

In the fourth novel in my Lizzie Stuart series, I have a character who does her best to take over the book. From the moment, she walks in -- even before that when she is being discussed by the other characters -- she is intriguing. I was as anxious as anyone who read the book to have her appear. I can't wait to have her turn up again in Book 7. But I share Lizzie's concern that compared to this woman -- her lost long mother -- she, herself, is rather dull. She has the feeling that even to John Quinn, the man who loves her and who she is about to marry, she must be less interesting than her mother. Not that she is jealous. She knows Quinn too well for that. But she recognizes that Becca is a woman who is neither good nor kind but renders other women invisible. 

I like kind characters just as I like real people who are kind. I am always in awe of people who seem to automatically do things to make other people's lives easier. That is not something that I do without thought because I am often in my own head and not paying attention to what is going on around me. To be kind, I have to make the deliberate decision to pay attention and look for the opportunity to do something nice. I would like to be a Melanie. My protagonist, Lizzie Stuart, is a Melanie. So I have to be careful that readers know her well enough so that even when Becca is in the  book, they still root for Lizzie. 

Well, and good in my series. But in my 1939 novel, one of my female character is channeling Scarlett. I have been trying to keep her in line. I am dismayed because I want to avoid creating a female character that might be perceived as a stereotype. But she is having her way. 

The thing is she is a lot more fun to write when she's bad than when she is good. But I want readers to like her and care about her. The end of the book as I have imagined it, depends for its impact on caring about this character. 

I have a feeling it isn't going to end quite the way I expected.

Gloucester

 by Charlotte Hinger

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. Psalm 107, 23-24

The wedding of my grandson, John Crockett and Lucy Hadley took place in Gloucester, MA August 6, in an exquisite Episcopal Church. More about the wedding when the pictures arrive. For this post, I want to write about the town of Gloucester and the impact of setting upon writing. 

What an amazing place! I loved this memorial area dedicated to "They that go down to the sea in ships." I was especially touched by a large plaque that contained all the names of those who had perished at sea. The records went back to the 1600s. Occupations are concentrated around the sea and the historical records are carefully preserved.

I wonder how living in this town would affect a writer's psyche. I've always lived in Kansas, both Eastern and Western, and I find that the state is a character in my books. I'm deeply affected by frontier attitudes, both contemporary and historical. Our state motto is To the Stars Through Difficulties. If you can't or won't do things the hard way, you aren't really a Kansan. 

It was touching to me to see the plaque honoring men who had been destroyed by the forces of nature. Mourning for those who had been lost. I loved the massive houses topped by Widow's Walks and could easily imagine the lonely women looking out to the sea. Wanting for their husband to return. 

It breaks my heart that today's society has become so judgmental. When any tragedy occurs, we immediately look for someone to blame. Who started this fire? Whose fault is it? 

We spend precious little time consoling the bereaved. 

Guest Blogger : Margaret Morse

Type M is thrilled to welcome our guest blogger, the delightful Margaret C. Morse, author of mystery, suspense and urban fantasy novels and stories, animal lover, and retired attorney. Before she quit to become a full-time writer, Margaret worked as an attorney for the Maricopa County (Arizona) Public Defender’s Office, handling cases in adult and juvenile court. Margaret used her experience as a criminal defense attorney to create her protagonist, lawyer Petra Rakowitz, who turns into a witch during her first murder case. When not fashioning a magic world, Margaret enjoys cooking, gardening, and bird watching. What a wonderful tale, to go from the world of criminal law to magical realism! Take it away, Margaret.

 Write That Ghost Story

Are you ever temped to include a ghost or haunted house in your stories?

If yes, you’re in good company with these tales of the paranormal: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Christmas Carol, Dracula, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

Writing about the paranormal is demanding and fun, but can have its hazards beyond being haunted by a ghost.

Here’s the fun part. You’ll write about more than the physical world, wonderful as it is. Your stories will bring to life witches, wizards, elves, dwarfs, vampires, ghosts, and demons. In paranormal stories, supernatural powers challenge characters and add zest to the plot. Readers have expectations about the traits of paranormals, but writers add their spin to stereotypes. In stories about vampires, the setting possibilities expand if the undead can walk in the sun rather than just skulk in the dark.

 

Paranormal stories often use the “coming of age” pattern: the protagonist suddenly develops magic powers. The story arc follows the new wizard’s  struggles to learn magic. A well-known example is Harry Potter, who faces adolescence trials while learning to do magic accurately. His spell casting gives him the edge to defeat that ultimate bad guy, Voldemort.

 

Bringing ghosts and demons into a story shakes things up because characters rethink their beliefs. In Juliet Blackwell’s Haunted Home Renovation Series, home remodeler Mel Turner finds ghosts in each of her projects. When the ghosts disclose their stories, Mel works with them to solve a crime.

To understand the ghosts, Mel relies on a subculture of paranormal believers in San Francisco. Some writers prefer to separate their paranormals from the everyday world. Traditionally, one enters a portal into fairy land. In Anabel Chase’s Spellbound series, lawyer Emma Hart stumbles into a town populated by magicals. The catch is that no one leaves the town of Spellbound. Having the paranormal as an isolated community makes it easier for the author— no need to hide strange creatures like the vampire next door. I’ve experienced the problem of paranormals in the everyday world. In my Petra Rakowitz series, magicals live alongside non-magicals. The conflict that results adds tension to the story, but explaining it gets complicated. 

Enough of the fun part. Let’s see what can go wrong when you write about the paranormal. One obstacle is that some people do not want to read about anything magical. They shun “woo-woo” stories. What to do about grumps? Good writing can make the magical element believable. Auhor Charlaine Harris drew in tons of fans to her successful book and TV series about Sooky Stackhouse. 

Creating witches, fairies, and vampires lets your imagination run wild, sometimes too wild. Paranormal characters need their own kind of consistency. If the ghost on page ten is totally insubstantial, don’t have her throwing a book on page forty, unless you explain how she develops physical powers. Authors have techniques to keep their imagination from being too untamed and popping the reader out of the story. One way is to show that paranormals can fail at their magic. Harry Potter and his friends mess up spells, adding humor and tension to a scene, but also showing that paranormals are fallible like us. Another method is to dramatize that magic has its cost. When witches wear themselves out doing super spells, readers can relate to the way great exertion takes a toll. 

Writers of the paranormal have to watch out that they don’t let magic resolve plot problems too easily. In crime fiction, this could happen if the author lets the paranormal solve the murder solely  using supernatural powers. This approach robs main characters of agency, preventing a full story arc for them. I’m not naming names here, but I recently judged a short story contest and found too many times when the paranormal was a deus ex machina tacked on to the plot.  Of course, if all the characters in a story are paranormals, the trick is show that ingenuity and grit, along with magic, enable a protagonist to take down the villain.

 

Go ahead and write that ghost story. You might surprise yourself.

_____________

Check out Margaret’s website at http://margaretcmorse.com

The Spooky Art

While trying to make headway on a new book, I’ve been reading Norman Mailer’s book on writing, The Spooky Art. If there is anything that can help an author realize that s/he’s not totally neurotic or bordering on the insane, it’s reading something by a writer as famous, acclaimed, and well-established as Norman Mailer and discovering that he suffers the same pains with the process that the rest of us do.

I’m in a Dostoyevskian mood, all dark and Russian. Sometimes it almost takes more sheer will to sit down and write than I can muster. Almost. I do it anyway. I write in a void. Is what I’m doing any good? Mailer says that in his case, "there is always fear in trying to write a good book ... I’m always a little uneasy when my work comes to me without much effort. It seems better to have to forge the will to write on a given day. I find that on such occasions, if I do succeed in making progress against resistance in myself, the result is often good. As I only discover days or weeks later."

Whew!

I observe that sometimes too much thinking gets in the way. If I try too hard to figure it out, I become paralyzed. Is this better than that? Perhaps I should do this instead. I become Hamlet in drag, unable to take action. When I do enjoy myself, when I read what I’ve written and find it good, I have a strange feeling of dislocation, as though the words came from someone else. Mailer experiences the same phenomenon. "On happy days," he writes, "one is writing as if it’s all there, a gift. You don’t even seem to have much to do with it."

How does it come to other authors, I wonder? Is it such a spooky art for everyone? Mailer again : "The act of writing is a mystery, and the more you labor at it, the more you become aware after a lifetime of such activity that it is not anwers which are being offered so much as a greater appreciation of the literary mysteries."

From My Nonfiction Reading Pile

 

by Sybil Johnson

Lately I’ve been rereading my book that’s coming out in October, making sure I haven’t missed anything and looking at the formatted version to make sure everything looks okay. When I’m in this mode, I don’t have the mental energy to read fiction so I’ve been catching up on my nonfiction reading.

Here are some of the books I’ve read recently and enjoyed:

 

I’ll start with my most recent read, The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. Grann has written a couple other books I’ve enjoyed: Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z. The former educated me about a horrible crime that I’d never heard of, the latter convinced me I never ever want to go into the Amazon jungle.

Like all of his other books, The Wager is interesting and easy to read. I felt like I was shipwrecked along with the sailors. I highly recommend it.

The next book is The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives. I’ve read tons of books on Tudor history, Henry VIII and all of his wives and children. I always felt that Anne Boleyn was the victim of Tudor propaganda, that our view of her comes from what the Tudors wanted us to believe about her. This book delves into whether or not the things we believe we know about her are backed up by historical documents. Of course, we can never really be sure about someone from that era, but I think it is a less biased approach than a lot of other books about her.

And, finally, there’s The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself by Philip L. Fradkin. I thought I knew something about the 1906 quake, but after reading this I realized how little I knew. Highly interesting and sad in a lot of ways.

I have a couple books I’ve got on my stack to read soon. I have no idea if these are any good, but they sound interesting.

First is Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt by Kenneth McKenzie and Todd Harra. This next one I heard about when listening to an episode of the History This Week podcast. Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History by Jeff Nussbaum. The podcast talked about 3 of them: Hilary Clinton’s victory speech, a D-day didn’t work speech by Eisenhower and Nixon’s I’m going to continue being president speech. None of them were ever used, of course, but the book sounds interesting.

What nonfiction books have you all been reading lately? Any recommendations?

Welcome Change of Pace

 by Thomas Kies

I apologize for missing my blog deadline two weeks ago.  I was putting the finishing touches on my latest manuscript and lost track of time.  I’ve sent it to my agent and my editor and I’m waiting.

That’s the hardest part. Waiting to hear what they think.

In the meantime, I’m catching up on some reading.  

My neighbor loaned me The Searcher by the popular Irish mystery writer Tana French.  It’s about four hundred and fifty pages long and I’m two hundred and fifty pages into it.  It’s beautifully written.  

An American cop has retired to a small village in Ireland and is recruited by a young lad to help find his missing brother.  It took over a hundred pages just to find that out. It’s a little slow.

Now I’m about halfway through the novel and frankly, nothing has happened.  The prose is delicious, the dialogue realistic, but the action is…well…slow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really enjoying it.  It’s just different from what I’m used to 

I don’t like to be overly broad, but I find a lot of mystery writers from the UK to be that way. 

American writers, on other hand, cater to a different type of audience.  If you don’t grab the reader by the throat by the first paragraph, they’ll move on to the next novel on the shelf in your neighborhood bookstore. 

Margaret Atwood had this to say about the difference: 

“Their [American] world was fast-paced, sharp-edged, and filled with zippy dialogue and words I'd never heard pronounced—slang words like "gunsel", fancy words like "punctilious." This was not the Agatha Christie sort of story—there were fewer clues, and these were more likely to be lies people told rather than cuff buttons they'd left strewn around. There were more corpses, with less importance bestowed on each: a new character would appear, only to be gunned down by a fire-spitting revolver.”

Now, Scandinavian mystery writers are a breed all to themselves.  Dark, brooding, sometimes shockingly violent, they’ve found a wide audience.  I know I’m a fan.  Stieg Larssson got me hooked with his Lisbeth Salander series starting with Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 

Kerstin Bergman, a researcher in comparative literature at Lund University in Sweden recently talked about three reasons for the genre’s popularity: 1: “One is the very strong focus on social and political criticism. International people are often very curious about the Scandinavian welfare states and that is something that they can learn a lot about from reading these novels.” 2: “We have a very strong focus on setting. To a lot of people in the world, the Nordic landscape and nature is very exotic, with the cold dark winters and the summers with the midnight sun and things like that.” 3: “We have so many strong women characters in them and that is something that makes them unique.” 

To close, if you’re looking for a good mystery, I recommend The Searcher. It’s a welcome change of pace to slow down and enjoy the scenery, the nights at the pub, and learning about the rich tapestry of characters.

And right now, while I’m waiting to hear back on my manuscript, it’s nice to just relax with a good book. 

It Bloomed!

 by Charlotte Hinger

Since forever, I've tried to find a perennial flowering plant for this oversized terra cotta planter that would bloom every year. Hollyhocks look perfect, but none of them have survived for another year until this one. 

I suspect the gentle frequent rains did the trick. Perhaps I didn't water the plants enough in the past. I'm very grateful for this unexpected blooming. 

And speaking of blooming! This unanticipated flowering has so many parallels with my writing process.

One of the most difficult questions I have to address from readers is "how long does it take you to write a book?" The truth is--I don't know. When I'm working on one book, in the background of what passes for my mind, bits and pieces of other works are taking root.

Best of all, little tendrils of plots mesh. Buds of possibilities peep through. Problems are solved that have nothing to do with the work in progress. A new book is taking form. 

I have to know what a book is about before I begin. A novel is concocted around a central problem or idea that's of interest to me. For instance, the focus of Come Spring, my first historical novel, was that settling Kansas was really hard. Can you make someone into a Kansan? 

My first mystery novel, Deadly Descent, was inspired by a character in my favorite books of poetry, The Spoon River Anthology. This very handsome, very successful man attributes his achievements to his superior genetic heritage when, in fact, he was adopted. Who knew? 

All of my novels, whether historical or part of the Lottie Albright series, involve a lot of research. As a historian, I care a lot about accuracy. Then through research, other ideas for development pop up. 

When I wrote Lethal Lineage, my foray into material about the frontier Catholic Church was one of my favorite research journeys. In fact, that book was one of my favorites to write because it was my one and only "locked room" mysteries. Why do I say "one and only?" Because I will never have an idea that's that good again. 

Unless, of course, I'm blessed with some random blooming. 

Writing Scenes

Like most writers I am always interested in the processes used by other writers. Since I started working on my 1939 historical thriller I've been reading blogs and books and watching podcasts about historical novel writing.

I know how to do historical research. One of my areas of academic research is crime history. I even teach a research course for grad students  But writing a novel set in a historical era is more complex. A series set in the recent past that I lived through (2000-2004 in the Lizzie Stuart mysteries)  or a recent "near future/now alternate history" (in the Hannah McCabe police procedurals) hasn't been difficult. Even the short stories set in the late 1940s (with Jo Radcliffe, my former Army nurse) has gotten easier now that my fictional setting feels familiar. 

But in the 1939 book -- with multiple characters and a year to cover -- I've still trying to decide what to include. I've finally decided to stop struggling to decide what to include. Although I'm a plotter, I'm going to write the scenes that come to mind from the POV of any of the characters. I read that one famous -- unnamed -- author of romantic suspense does this. Then she goes back in the second draft and sorts through the scenes and uses the ones that work together to form a cohesive whole.

This makes sense as I try to deal with the fact that my villain keeps insisting on narrating certain scenes from his point of view. I'm been writing the scenes even though I plan to delete them. But I realized yesterday that one of my other POV characters is up to something I hadn't anticipated. So, instead of the maximum of four POVs that I have been striving for will be five or six, and then I will decide when the first draft is done who has a perspective that provides information or serves some other purpose.

Of course, the other issue is whether I will give into temptation and include cameo appearances by real-life people. I have a scene when my FBI agent is called down to D.C. for a meeting with J. Edgar Hoover. I could have Billie Holiday interact with one of my primary characters, who has a job at Cafe Society. Or, wouldn't it be fun to include Eleanor Roosevelt during one of her visits to the World's Fair. Or, one of my characters who is in Atlanta for the premier of Gone With the Wind could cross paths with Clark Gable while a crucial incident is happening in the background.

I've already tried this in the scene that introduces Jacob Baldwin, my sleeping car porter. He is in the crowd attending Marian Anderson's performance on Easter Sunday. There are students there from Howard University. He hears one of the  young women call one of the men "Ossie."  This works if you think of "Ossie Davis" (actor, civil rights activist, and husband of Ruby Dee). He attended Howard. But do I need to explain this? If Hoover appears, do I need to discuss this in the "Author's Note" that I always include?

I'm tempted to do footnotes. Yes, footnotes -- or end notes (putting all of the additional information at the end of the text). I know this sounds odd when I'm writing a novel. In fact, the only time I can recall reading a book in which this had been done was a novel by African American writer Ishmael Reed. Mumbo Jumbo (1972), his detective novel featuring hoodoo investigator Papa LaBas, includes citations.

I'm thinking of including footnotes because if I were reading my novel, I would be stopping to look for more information about the time period. If, for example, readers could glance at the footnote at the bottom of a page and have the most obvious question that comes to mind answered, this would keep them from leaving the book and maybe not coming back. But, on the other hand, if they are immersed in the world of my book, my intrusion with this information might have the opposite effect and be an annoyance. They might not care what is true or false. Or, if they are interested in that, might prefer to wait until they are done and read the author's note.

But this is fiction even thought I am rooting my story in truth. Maybe I'm overthinking. At any rate, I need to finally get the first draft done. I'd like to be finished by December 31. That would be a great way to begin a new year.

 

Progress

When last we met, Dear Reader, I was in quite a funk. My nephew was in the hospital on life support and here in the Phoenix area we had suffered through several weeks of temperatures above 110ºF. As of today, my nephew has made it through, is off the many machines that kept him alive, and as of last report, may be able to go home to recuperate as early as today or tomorrow. 

As for the weather... No good news there. We've added two more weeks of over 110º. The forecast for Phoenix today (Wed.) is 118º ( I live in Tempe, on the outskirts of the Phoenix metro area, where it's only supposed to get to 116º) However, we've been given some hope that by this weekend we'll drop below 110 for the first time in almost a month! I'll rejoice when that day comes

In the meantime, I'm still working on my latest MS, and have nearly reached the middle. My critique group has been discussing the value of creating a detailed outline before even beginning to write. It's the old plotter vs. pantser debate. I have done both. Each book seems to be a whole new order of creation for me, and demands its own unique method of coming into being. I’ve been known to outline before I begin when I think that would help me clarify the direction of the plot in my own mind. I have also simply started writing, usually at the beginning, but I’ve started in the middle and the end, as well.  

More than once I’ve begun a novel on the fly, and then gone back and created an outline because I’ve gotten myself into a muddle and can’t quite figure the way out. It’s not like this has never happened to me before, and I must remember that miraculously it always works out. As I write the first draft, my beginnings never do match the end, for somewhere in the middle of the story, I changed my mind about this character, or this action, or this story line. I try not to waste time by going back to the beginning and fixing it to fit my new vision. No, no, that way lies madness. I can get (and have gotten) caught up in an endless merry-go-round of fixes and never reach the end. I just have to keep going until the book is done. 

I have never yet faithfully followed an outline, but I can see that disciplined outliners often are able to write much faster and tighter than we wanderers.

 I was told once by a mystery author (who also happens to be a lawyer - a significant detail, I think), that before she begins writing, she outlines each and every one of her novels to the tune of at least one hundred pages, and never deviates therefrom. One Very Big Name of my acquaintance never outlines at all, or even has much in mind when she begins her mammoth novels. She writes dozens of seemingly unrelated episodes, then arranges them in some sort of order and cobbles them together with new scenes and segues. This technique may sound pretty slapdash, but it seems to work for this woman, since she could buy and sell us all.

When I was a pre-teen, I spent several summers at Girl Scout Camp*, way out in the woods outside of Locust Grove, OK. One of our activities was something called a Penny Walk. We would hike down a long, maze-like path through the woods, and every time we came to a fork in the trail, the point-girl would toss a penny to decide which way to go. Every walk was different from the one before, yet we always found our way back.

So I hope to construct this new novel like a penny walk, and every time I come to a fork in the road, I’ll make a decision which way to go, and trust that it will lead me home.

_____________

*Camp Scott, now closed. For those of you old enough to remember, this is where the young campers were murdered in their tent, years after I was there.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

 

by Sybil Johnson 

Before the pandemic I don't think I'd ever heard of Zoom. Or Crowdcast. Skype, sure, I'd heard of that, even used it on occasion. Then, suddenly, everything was Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

Like so many others during our period of isolation, I attended meetings via Zoom and conferences via Crowdcast. While I'd rather have seen people in person, it was nice to be able to connect with others and not feel so alone.

One nice thing that came out of the pandemic is that Zoom events still happen. I can now attend talks from places around the country and see authors I wouldn't have been able to see before.

Until I became the webmaven of the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles site, I didn't realize just how many of these free talks are available. We get info from other Sisters in Crime chapters and I put them up in our Affiliates section. (www.sistersincrimela.com/events/affiliate_events) Unless otherwise noted, these events are free and available to everyone, not only Sisters in Crime members. That is the portion of the site I update the most.

I have attended a number of these events which range from interviews with authors to the history of forensics to panels with authors to how to deal with social media... You get the idea.

Last weekend, I could have attended a talk sponsored by the Buckeye Crime Writers, a Sisters in Crime chapter in Ohio, with Jessika Hazelton titled “Self-publishing Soup to Nuts.” I almost did, but 8:00 a.m. is a tad early for me. This Thursday, the Grand Canyon Writers chapter has a Zoom event with a panel of authors titled “Independence Day For Authors: What I Wish I Had Known From the Start!”

Some of the chapters archive these events on YouTube channels. For others, the archive is only available to those who register in advance.

While I only see SinC chapter events in my role as webmaven, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there are free events available from other places like bookstores and Mystery Writers of America chapters. I noticed that the mystery bookstore in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has its own YouTube channel where you can see various interviews and discussions with mystery authors. https://www.youtube.com/@mechmysterybooks2711/videos I’m betting there are other bookstores that have regular online events as well. 

An upcoming event from the Sisters in Crime LA chapter, part of the Sizzling Summer Series, a collaboration with other California SinC chapters, will feature a conversation with Sara Paretsky. It’s Sunday, August 6th, 2pm Pacific. Should be interesting. This is a chapter meeting so it's not in the Affiliates section if you're keeping track. Here’s the link of you’re interested in attending. It includes the link to register in advance. https://www.sistersincrimela.com/sizzling-summer-series-august-2023/

While I’d rather not have experienced the pandemic, the availability of events that I wouldn’t have been able to attend before is one of the few positives that came out of that experience.

What about you? Do you know of any free Zoom events open to everyone that would be of interest to others?

Competing Narratives

 I'm starting a new novel. With as much experience that I have as a published author and as a creative writing instructor, it would seem that the words would flow like honey from my fingertips and onto the digital page. But no.

I realize that the first draft is exactly that, the first draft, a place to start from. And that the second draft of the manuscript is where the story is close to what you're trying to tell. And that you won't really know what to say in the first chapter until you've written the last.

Still, when I started this manuscript I was frustrated in that the narrative didn't congeal. The story ideas swirled about like puffs of smoke, defying my attempts to create solid components of prose. Part of the problem was that I didn't understand the main characters. They had names and descriptions but they all seemed like plot devices meant to advance the story, rather than the projections of actual people. Another obstacle was that of world building, even though the setting is Denver, Colorado, a place I've lived in for over twenty years. Again, it seemed like a fog enveloped everything. 

Another concern that mired my efforts at word count was that of style as I was intimidated by what I've recently read. Pretty much every book I've finished lately are superb examples of writing craft. Two in particular ring in my head: Wonder Valley by Ivy Pochoda and The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Though both books focus on very damaged and dangerous people, they are quite different in writing style and story structure. Pochoda's book is a layered narrative that ricochets from character to character and from scene to scene. Thompson's style is pulp, in the same first person throughout, brisk and matter-of-fact, sometimes lapsing into cliché. Even so, his characters pop off the page as vividly and with as much personality as those depicted by Pochoda. Another contrast is how Pochoda illustrates her social environment in long, eloquent sweeps while Thompson presents his world in quick, visceral jabs. Yes, I know that my style will show itself and I hope my story will be as compelling as either from these two masters.

Short Stories to Novels

This is my first full summer as a Michigan resident. The weather, excluding some air-quality concerns, has been excellent –– unlike everywhere else, it seems. The sun doesn’t set until 9:30 each day, at the tail end of the Eastern Time Zone. We are having a great time exploring downtown Detroit and all that the region has to offer. And work is slower without students in the building, so I've been bringing the dog to work. 

On the writing front, I finished a novel that I hope kicks off a new series. My agent is currently shopping it. While I wait to hear, like Sybil, I’ve been working on short stories. One is under review, the other is based on my outline and notes for what would be the second novel in the new series (yes, I’m a serial optimist). 

I like writing short stories based (pretty loosely) on an idea I have for a novel. It’s a nice way to try out the plot, work with the characters, and see what sidelines I want to expand in the book version. I got the idea when I read “Sadie When She Died,” by Ed McBain, (a short story I love) and found that McBain must have loved it, too, because he later turned it into a novel. I did this first with “Autumn’s Crossing,” which appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and later led to Bitter Crossing. The endings aren’t the same –– something I find that happens often; short stories can be open-ended, even in our genre, and I’m a sucker for a good open-ended finish. But the characters are the same, and I learn a lot about them as I work with them, which saves me (some) revision later when I write the book version.

It’s all about process, and in this fickle business, you need to enjoy the process, as Tom wrote about recently. 

I’d love to hear from our readers who likewise bridge short fiction with novels.

Cowboy Mike

 by Charlotte Hinger

A beloved member of Western Writers of America, Michael Searles, died the day before our annual convention in Rapid City. I was devastated. He was always at this event. 

In this era of bitter culture wars he was a diplomatic ambassador and deeply loved. He joyfully shared his heritage and had the most infectious laugh I've ever heard.

This year, he received the prestigious Homestead Award and it was to be presented at the awards ceremony. He received it early and made a video thanking the organization. Below is a paragraph written in History Net that describes his abilities far better than any of my attempts to capsulize his vibrant well lived life in mere words. For those of you who have a Facebook account, look up his video. 

From History Net:

Beneath his black hat and behind his boisterous laugh beats the heart of a diligent historian. Michael N. “Cowboy Mike” Searles spent a career as a teacher, engaging students from elementary school through college age before retiring as a professor emeritus from Augusta State University in Georgia. The focus of his classes was the American West, specifically the experience of black cowboys and buffalo soldiers. As a writer and editor Cowboy Mike continues to tackle both subjects. He wrote a chapter of Black Cowboys of Texas (2000) and with Bruce A. Glasrud edited Buffalo Soldiers in the West: A Black Soldiers Anthology (2007). The two also collaborated on Black Cowboys in the American West: On the Range, on the Stage, Behind the Badge (2016).

When asked when 19 century black men came to be cowboys, Mike told the interviewer:

Black men ventured west as trappers and mountain men before the era of the cowboy. Some even migrated with the Spanish from Mexico. The largest influx of blacks into cow country came as slaves and mastered the craft of cowboying, which they continued when slavery ended. Being a cowboy lacked the romance found in Western films. Not everyone was suited to the cowboy life, so once a man seemed to adapt to the lifestyle, he often found continuous work on ranches. The largest influx of blacks into cow country came as slaves and mastered the craft of cowboying, which they continued when slavery ended.

Mike was such a gentle and effective educator. I wish teachers everywhere had his magical touch. I wish those who are intent on turning education into a battleground would magically acquire the ability to listen.

The Summer of My Discontent

 Like Tom wrote a couple of days ago, I've begun writing a totally new series, though I'm enjoying it very much, it's so different from anything I've ever done that I'm feeling quite insecure about it. However, writing it has been a lifesaver for me, since this has been a horrible summer, and I'm not seeing any immediate relief on any front.

Joe

First of all, the extended Casey clan is undergoing a crisis. My youngest sister's son Joe Potter suffered multiple organ failure (due to his heart) over the Independence Day holiday and had to be transferred from a hospital in Tulsa to Oklahoma City where a team of specialists have inserted a pump into his heart (an impella), and put him on a machine to oxygenate his blood (an ECMO). He has been on life support and in an induced coma since the 6th. As of yesterday, my sister informed us he is doing better and they are going to try to wean him off the machines. Needless to say the whole family is in shock. Joe is 46 years old, married with three children, the youngest of whom is eight. He's big, energetic guy, and nobody was expecting such a thing. Which goes to show you, things happen fast in this life, and you cannot take a minute for granted. Joe was a smart, funny little kid, who loved to eat 'maters' off the vine, and I can't help but still think of him that way. If you have good thoughts and prayers to spare, Dear Reader, please send them his way.

Less important but certainly not helping my mood is the fact that it is hot as hell here in Phoenix. I mean, this is no surprise for southern Arizonans, but this is particularly hard to bear right now. We have not had a day below 110ºF since July 1, and it's just supposed to get hotter over the next week In fact the forecast high for this coming Saturday, Sunday, and Monday is 117º. Actual degrees, not heat index.

So all in all, I hunker down, wait for news, try to stay cool, and write. 

Insecure Me

 

by Sybil Johnson

I found Monday’s post by Thomas on Writing and Insecurity very interesting. It’s nice to know other writers are as insecure as I am at times. It was also fun to see the quotes from famous writers. Perhaps insecurity is a trait needed to write. Maybe it makes us work harder or something. Courage is certainly needed. I wrote a post on Courage for Femmes Fatales a few years ago and reposted it on Type M. You can find that here: https://typem4murder.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-courage-of-writer.html

The problem with insecurity is that it can be paralyzing and prevent you from putting anything down on paper. This is when I say to myself, “This isn’t rocket science. No one’s life is at stake. It’s just fiction.” That little pep talk usually helps me get going.

I find that once I start writing something, anything, those insecurities start to fall away. I also find it soothing to read my own writing out loud to myself, at least the writing that I’ve worked on a bit. I don’t what why that is. Maybe it’s the rhythm.

I also tend to be the most insecure when my writing has been rejected. I’ve had a couple of short stories making the rounds for a while, both of them rejected multiple times. I have to keep telling myself that they’ll eventually find homes.

Right now, besides the short stories, I’m also looking over the final formatted pages for my next book, Brush Up On Murder, the 6th book in my Aurora Anderson series. The book isn’t ready for pre-order yet. That will come soon. Right now, though, I can share the cover of the book. So here it is: 

 

And here’s a bit about it.

Love is in the air in the quiet Los Angeles County city of Vista Beach, home of computer programmer and decorative-painting enthusiast, Aurora (Rory) Anderson. 

As Valentine’s Day approaches, residents are training for the annual Love Run and expressing their undying affection for each other by attaching love locks to the pier railings. But a string of bank robberies is ruining the romantic vibe.

While Rory helps friends prepare for a Valentine’s Day wedding, a body is found and the groom is implicated in the murder. Convinced of his innocence, Rory puts her heart into the investigation. Can she identify the killer before someone else encounters their own brush with death? 

It’ll be out October 10th.

What Do You Mean By That?

 by Charlotte Hinger

When our daughter, Michele, was a little girl she brought home a sheet of paper from school with her name written in perfect mirror image. She had beautiful handwriting.

I freaked. I immediately suspected all kinds of complicated learning problems. However, with this child I had already learned to ask for explanations. The world--from her point of view--was delightfully unpredictable. 

Her explanation was that when the teacher handed out notepaper for them to practice cursive writing they were to begin at the red line and write to the edge. Sometimes the red line was on the right and sometimes it was on the left. It didn't matter to her. She wrote equally well in either direction.

Understanding point of view is an essential part of the craft of fiction writing. Originally I began the last sentence with "mastering point of view" but I don't think any writer ever does. Although there doesn't seem to be any connection between viewpoint in fiction and a school girl's acceptance of a teacher's whimsies, in a way there is.

In addition to the complexity of understanding first person, second person, third person, etc. when writing in third person or an omniscient viewpoint the story is greatly enriched by reaching into the soul of the character and using words and descriptions that reflect his or her view of the world.

The world outside can be "promising Spring. The tips of crocus bulbs are trying to break through the soil. A robin is spotted on a bare branch. And yes, there are geese overhead returning North. Splotches of color are everywhere." Right away you know, this character has a happy view of the world.

Or a sour person might view the same scene as "winter still dragging down the streets like that homeless person shoving his foul-smelling carts through the crowded sidewalks. Old geezers hawking phlegm like they were competing with the honks of the hapless flight of geese flapping sluggishly through the grey sky."

Every word paints a picture of how one's characters sees the world.

I love to read books narrated in unreliable first person. Done well, they are immediately arresting. I think one of the greatest first lines ever is "Call me Ishmael." It's terrific! We are put on guard from the get go. Why would he want us to "call" him something instead of stating his name. Clearly, he's not to be trusted.

In other posts I'll discuss what is usually meant by viewpoint in writing. But for now, give some thought to how other people view the world. It's fun to write a paragraph or two from the viewpoint of a friend or family member who sees the world entirely differently than you do.

Writing and Insecurity

By Thomas Kies

I’m nearly finished writing the first draft of a new book.  It’s not part of the Geneva Chase series which I’ve loved doing.  This has a male protagonist (kind of nice not writing as a woman for a change), different location (I love Connecticut, but the cost of living is wicked high and it’s time to write a mystery using new scenery), and a different vibe.

My publisher hasn’t committed to the book, and I don’t know if they will. I hope they do.

As a matter of fact, there’s no guarantee that it will ever see the light of day.  It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve written a novel that was never published.  As a matter of fact, before I found an agent (she’s the best) for Random Road, I had written four other books.

Before Random Road, was I feeling insecure?  Hell yes.

I still am. 

As I continue to steam ahead on the new book, there are some days where I think this is the best piece of fiction I’ve ever written.  And then, later that same day, I wonder if it’s the worst piece of crap ever knocked out on a laptop.

Yeah, insecurity.  

I asked my browser if any other writers have suffered from insecurity.  This is what it said:

Yes, many famous writers have suffered from insecurity. For example, Ernest Hemingway was known for his insecurities and his tendency to compare himself to other writers. F. Scott Fitzgerald also struggled with insecurity throughout his life. Virginia Woolf was known to have suffered from depression and anxiety, which often made her feel insecure about her writing.

● "I have written a great many stories and I still don't know how to go about it except to write it and take my chances." - John Steinbeck

● "I have spent a good many years since―too many, I think―being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent." - Stephen King

● "I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within." - Gustave Flaubert

● "I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering." - Robert Frost

I’m going to get back to writing.  Luckily, at this point, unlike Frost, I know what the end looks like.  When I started, the characters were foreign to me.  The villain or villains unknown.  The story yet to unfold. 

Now the characters are like old friends.  I hope you get to spend time with them as well.

www.thomaskiesauthor.com

Summertime trials

 Happy Canada Day (July 1st), Happy Fourth of July! It's been a weekend of contradictions - Wild storms and sweltering heat, smoke, fire bans, and fireworks. As I write this (July 4 in the evening) I can hear the crashes and bangs echoing around the lake from our American contingent. Much of Eastern Canada's cottage country is a mixture of of local Canadians from nearby cities, like Ottawa and Toronto, and Americans who travel up to enjoy our beautiful lakes from New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other states in the northeast. Many of them have been coming for generations. So in early July, the lake reverberates with fireworks. I enjoy the spectacle but it freaks out my dog (and most pets) and it also very stressful for wildlife, so I have concluded we need the "noiseless" variety. 

I have taken a few days at the lake by myself to work on the first draft of my latest book. It has been extremely hot, so I have spent much of my day in my bathing suit, sitting in the shade on my chaise longue or rolling in and out of the water. I have just emerged from my final sunset swim of the day and I have the fan aimed directly at me. I can't imagine how unbearable it must be for people in small, airless apartments in the city.

The lake is my inspiration. The peace and quiet (well, except for fireworks and tubers and jet skis), the solitude, the lack of distractions, and the slower pace help me focus and imagine. The heat, not so much. Tomorrow I head back into the city because I have a presentation to do to the Lac Bernard Cottage Association about my research for my Amanda Doucette books. My talks to book clubs and groups have normally been informal and low-tech, just me sitting on a chair and yakking for an hour or so. When the pandemic disrupted all that, the talks went virtual. Zoom was a wonderful way to stay connected, and it also allowed listeners to tune in from anywhere. But it's not very dynamic. You are  staring at a screen of thirty tiny photos or just staring at your own face. 

To liven things up, I started experimenting with sharing photos on the screen, and I prepared a number of talks with Powerpoint slides peppered through them. At first, many things would go wrong. I couldn't share or coordinate with the person running the event, but we all became ore adept with Zoom, I found it a lively way to add variety to the talk (and keep people awake). Tomorrow's presentation is in-person, but I decided I wanted to transfer some of the benefits of screen sharing to the in-person stage. 

In the course of researching each of my Amanda Doucette books, I spent weeks on location and took hundreds of photos. So I have prepared a slide show of some of the iconic photos of each trip and I will use them to illustrate my talk. What could go wrong? Lots. First, we needed a projector and screen, and that projector had to be compatible with my MacBook Air (which has almost no ports. No USB, no HDMI, just the miniUSB). The projector uses an HDMI cable. One of the event organizers tested his own computer with the projector, and it works, so the plan was for me to email him my PPT slides and then run the slide show from his computer. But the PPT file was too large for email. He suggested linking via the cloud. I use iCloud and Dropbox, he has Google and Microsfot's OneDrive. I was able to find a long dormant Microsoft account from my Skype Days, but I spent several frustrating hours trying to get my email and password to let me in. But it is done. Tomorrow is the test! All fingers crossed that it works. If not, it will be just me on a chair at the front, yakking away for an hour or so.

Ain't technology grand?

Blurbs and Front Material

 

By Charlotte Hinger

The publisher of my historical novel, Mary's Place, University of Nebraska Press, needs one of my blurbs by the end of this month. Luckily, one of the persons I've asked for comments had one ready to go right away. 

I don't mind being asked to write a blurb, but I hate to ask for them. It used to be my least favorite kind of writing was nudging an editor to respond to a submission. Now, I just cringe when I ask people for comments. But it's all part of the business. 

The business side of writing is minimized by writers. In fact, it's a critical part of building a relationship with one's publisher. I wish I knew at the beginning of my career what I know now.

Prepublication material is very important. It seems to me that the pages grow larger every year. It takes all my wits to write descriptions of the book and catchy phrases that will help the publisher's pre-marketing efforts. Nevertheless, it's an opportunity to help the sales and marketing people get it right. I do my very best to help them understand the thrust of my book.

Fortunately, I've had some great covers. I've never had one I dislike, but I drew a blank this time when I was asked to come up with images. There are two story lines: an old banker who is trying to save his 100-year-old bank and his conflict with his best friend, who wants to save his farm that has been in family since Homestead times.

The most obvious images are fields of wheat, a large house, the prairie, barns, silos, plus banks, coins, storms. Yet, farmyard settings have been used for everything from the Wizard of Oz to The Shack. Plus, practically every calendar with photos of country living.

None of these images have appealed to me. A sweet farmyard setting doesn't have the right tone for a book about the tragedy of the 1980s bank failures that devasted whole communities. I drew a blank. 

Then I found my cover. Right there on my dining room wall. A friend who had read my book mentioned golden fields of wheat, and I had talked about the importance of the color green. I associated wheat with green. We plant winter wheat in Kansas, and the bright emerald shoots announcing the arrival of spring has never failed to thrill me. 

My late aunt, Helen Terrill, was an artist. She painted a farm scene with the foreground dominated by a rather unsettling sinister field of wheat. It shows wheat in all its stages. It's strange! 

In her picture, there's a farmstead in the background, that may or may not be peaceful. That's just the suspenseful tone I aimed for in my book. 

A Cautionary Tale

 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . ."

You probably remember this opening line from A Tale of Two Cities. That was the novel that Charles Dickens published in 1859. But the description of that era might  apply as well to our own era. There is no denying that we are having another bad year. Right out of the pandemic and ready to enjoy summer , , ,but now we have climate change occurring even faster than predicted. Droughts, tornadoes,  forest fires, floods, mudslides. . .hoping no bridges will fall or buildings crumble. Watching for one of the trees towering around my house to land on top of my roof in the next high wind.

Here in upstate New York, between New York City and the Canadian border, we have alerts posted on the Northway suggesting we put on our masks. The same masks we were using during the pandemic.

When I dropped my dog, Fergus, off at daycare yesterday, I asked if they could keep him inside if the smoke got worse. He has allergies and he has been panting. I realized last night that I should turn off the air conditioner and turn on the humidifier. We were all -- including Maine Coon, Penelope, and I --breathing better after that. And this morning the sun was out. But on my way to drop him off, I could see the haze up ahead and I reached for my mask.

I was reminded this morning of something I have been  pondering. That brings me to the title of my post. I've been thinking about how this era is a lot like the years between World War I and World War II. My historical thriller in progress is set in 1939. That year, in February, the Nazi rally in NYC precedes the Easter Sunday concert by Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial. The opening of the New York World's Fair with the focus on"The World of Tomorrow" precedes that movie blockbuster about the Civil War and its aftermath, Gone With the Wind.

As I was reminded, it is sometimes a bad idea to use a real place as the setting of a book. For my Lizzie Stuart series, I have a fictionalized version of the history and geography of my home town, Danville, Virginia, and of Blacksburg, Virginia, home of Virginia Tech. I'm an alum of Tech (undergrad) and of UAlbany (grad school and faculty). I used buildings from both when I created my fictional university and located it on the campus in my mysteries. My fictional Southern city -- Gallagher -- has a history inspired by Danville.

I draw on Albany's real life history, but also have elements of an alternate universe in my Hannah McCabe police procedural novels set in my fictional Albany. I wanted to use real Albany history but have deniability about whether I was writing about real people and situations. And I haven't been. My two books have a twist with the UFO that had appeared in the skies in Nevada and disappeared after a NORAD scramble. I wrote about that UFO in 2012 in The Red Queen Dies. Now the government is admitting that UFOs are real and puzzling. 

I  wrote about a far-right candidate named Howard Miller, who was running for president in 2024 in both that first book and the second. What the Fly Saw. He was having an impact here in Albany. So was the female mayor. At the time when I wrote those two books, no real- life Howard Miller existed. At the time, Albany had never had a female mayor, not in all of the city's long history. But the mayor was elected while I was doing my revisions.

Now, I have a 2024 frame story about a murder related to the discovery of a time capsule in my historical thriller.. In my work in progress, the time capsule is discovered by some children who are playing. When it is taken to the museum to examine, a guard is killed and the time capsule is stolen. McCabe and her partner are trying to solve those crimes parallel to what is occurring back in 1939. 

I thought that was really a great way to keep the story moving and introduce another layer of tension. In my 2024 story, the candidates for president are coming to Albany for a debate, Is one of them going to be a target? Ticking clock as they try to make the connection.

In real life, in1939, as the World's Fair in NYC opened, a time capsule was buried. Burying time capsules was a fad. Some of my characters were here in my fictional Albany when a time capsule was being buried and put something inside.

Imagine my delight -- and dread -- when I heard the roundtable panel on the WAMC (public radio) morning show discussing the time capsule that workmen had discovered when they were taking down the statue that had stood in front of City Hall. The statue was of Phillip Schuyler, New York's first senator. Schuyler was Alexander Hamilton's father-in-law. He was also a slaveowner. And -- just as I finally figured out how to solve the problem I was having with the pace and structure of my novel -- there is a time capsule in his statute.

Don't know whether to laugh or cry, This makes for a good story to tell doing a panel. But I'm beginning to feel as if anything I write might come true. Just kidding -- the truth is I do my research and look for what might have happened or could happen if. . .but still it is occasionally disconcerting. 

Anyone else have examples of writing fiction that is a little too close to what happens next in real life?

The Weather Report

Watermelon pie

 Donis here. I live in southern Arizona, so the weather report for the end of June is always the same. It's hot. The forecast for today is 105º F (40.56º C). They say it'll be 114ºF (45.55ºC) by Sunday and drop to a more manageable 110-ish after that. The average daily temp for the end of June in Phoenix is 106º. I understand it’s supposed to cool down to 102º by early next week. We’re all looking forward to that.

Why, you may wonder, would anybody live in such heat? I wonder that myself, every year about this time. By August, ill will have made a solemn vow not to live here one more year. Then October will come, and the winter, and rather like childbirth, I’ll be so pleased with what I’ve got I will have forgotten what I had to go through to get there.

There are Arizonans who brag about surviving or even loving the heat, just as native North Dakotans brag about the cold. But I'm not one of them. Three months of super heat is exhausting. I get cabin fever. I try to get any errands done in the morning, but banks and stores often don't open before nine or ten a.m., and it's already hot enough for sunstroke by then.

My writing life is not helped by my heat-induced ennui. I have to gear myself up for the task of writing. But then again, I suppose, and shouldn’t complain. We’ll be laughing up our other sleeves come January.

We expect this every year and more or less know how to live with it. But I've been getting weather reports from my siblings and friends in Oklahoma and it is really not pretty. My brother and sister-in-law in Tulsa lost all their mature trees and part of their roof in a storm a couple of weeks ago and then to add insult to injury, they lost their electricity (along with much of east and south Tulsa) for six days in the midst of a killer heat wave. They're smart and own a generator, so at least they had lights, computers, and didn't lose everything in their refrigerator. But no a/c. If you haven't tried sleeping in 96ºF heat and 70% humidity, allow me to inform you it is almost impossible. After a couple of miserable nights they bought a single-room a/c small enough to work with their generator and were at least able to sleep. The forecast for Tulsa (45%humidity) today and tomorrow is about the same temperature as here (10% humidity) in Phoenix. Everyone in Texas, Oklahoma, and environs is praying to the electricity gods NOT TO ABANDON THEM.

How did people live in the south before air conditioning? I'm old enough to remember, so I'll tell you someday when we're relating how we had to walk 12 miles to school uphill both ways. 

For those of you who still have the blessings of electricity, I'll share with you one secret to surviving in a southern summer: watermelon. A few years ago, I saw a recipe in my local newspaper for a watermelon pie, and I just had to try it. The newspaper recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, which would be delicious, I think. But my husband can’t eat graham flour, so I just made the filling–basically a watermelon pudding. It was amazingly easy. The hardest parts were cutting and chunking the watermelon and cleaning up the mess. Otherwise, it took about twenty minutes to make. Here is the recipe as I did it:

2 1/2 cups watermelon flesh


2 tablespoons lemon juice


2 eggs


1/4 cup cornstarch


1/4 cup sugar


whipped cream

Puree the watermelon in a blender until completely smooth. (about 2 cups of juice) Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan and add the lemon juice. Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-high heat.

In a heat-safe bowl, whisk together eggs, cornstarch, and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour the hot juice into the egg mixture, whisking all the while. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and continue to cook, whisking until thickened. Pour the watermelon pudding into a pie pan (or even better, graham cracker pie crust), press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until cold. Serve with whipped cream.

I don’t care how odd it looks, it’s delicious!

Bye Bye Safety Deposit Boxes?

 by Sybil Johnson

I read a newspaper article not long ago about how Chase bank is phasing out safety deposit boxes (or safe deposit boxes, if you prefer. We’ll get to that bit in a minute.) Customers who have them can keep them as long as their branch remains open, but no new ones can be rented. If a branch closes, you won’t be able to rent a box at a different branch.

That got me thinking about the history of such boxes and how many movies and TV shows involve them. But first, let’s talk about the “safe” vs. “safety” thing.

I pretty much use the terms interchangeably, sometimes saying “safety deposit boxes”, sometimes saying “safe deposit boxes.” Just like I sometimes pronounce coupon as “koo-pon” and sometimes “cue-pon”. That seems to depend on what part of the U.S. you live in. According to a poll, 72% of the states in the U.S. lean toward “cue-pon”. Washington state, where I grew up, favors this pronunciation. California, where I live now, is a “coo” state. Hence my alternating pronunciations. Here’s an article on that: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111103005635/en/Coupons.com-Releases-Surprising-Results-of-a-Nationwide-Poll-57-Percent-of-Americans-Say-CUE-Pon-Not-COO-Pon 

Let’s get back to the safe vs. safety thing. Apparently, “safety deposit boxes” is the term most often used in the U.S. “Safe deposit boxes” is used in the UK. I don’t have an explanation about why I go back and forth. Perhaps it’s all those British TV shows I watch.

Getting back to the history of them, I found an interesting article online from 2016 that goes through the history from the origins of safekeeping in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through the birth of the modern safe deposit box in the 1800s. In the U.S., independent companies provided the service and, eventually, banks got into the act and got the majority of the business. That seems to be reversing now with banks building smaller branches with no room for boxes and new private companies coming into being. Some of them I googled provide 24-hour access and use iris scans with a pin code for security. For the article on the history, go here: https://www.metrosafe.co.uk/editorials/news-releases/date/2016/03/01/the-history-of-the-safe-deposit-box/ 

Why do we as crime writers care about their apparent demise? Think about how many movies, books and TV shows involve breaking into vaults and robbing boxes or getting access to a box that holds a secret/info a character needs. So many that there are lists of them online. See https://blog.safedepositcenterwa.com/21-hit-movies-that-revolve-around-safety-deposit-boxes/ and https://www.imdb.com/search/keyword/?keywords=safe-deposit

I don’t think these boxes will completely go away. Private companies will continue to take up the slack. Who knows, maybe banks will get back in the business. In any case, I think writers can still create stories that involve the boxes. If they do go away, we can always set a story in a time when they were common.

Love a Good MacGuffin!!!

by Thomas Kies

  

In his last blog, Mario Acevedo mentioned a story device called a MacGuffin.

What exactly is a MacGuffin? The term originated with Alfred Hitchcock who said, "In crook stories it is almost always the necklace and in spy stories it is most always the papers".

If you read books, watch movies, or play video games, you most certainly have encountered a MacGuffin. It’s a plot device that motivates the characters and is the engine that drives the story forward.  But in reality, the MacGuffin has little or no real value or meaning.

Some famous examples of MacGuffins are:

● The briefcase in Pulp Fiction (what WAS in there, anyway?)

● The letters of transit in Casablanca

● The Death Star plans in Star Wars

● The Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—or the Ark of the Covenant, or the stones in the Temple of Doom, or the Crystal Skull (awful movie).  Or…whatever else is in the new flick. 

● The Maltese Falcon in The Maltese Falcon (Loved the book, loved the movie!!)

MacGuffins can be objects, people, places, or concepts. They can be tangible or intangible, concrete or abstract, realistic or something from a fever-dream. They can be sought after by the good guys, the bad guys, or, even better, both. They can be revealed, hidden, lost, found, stolen, destroyed, or forgotten.

MacGuffins are great story props and often where the real tale begins.

The MacGuffin is there to create conflict and tension.  And all stories are moved by conflict and tension.

It helps drive the story forward. It gives the characters a reason to pursue their goals, face obstacles, and overcome challenges. It also provides a source of mystery and intrigue for the audience, who may wonder what the MacGuffin is, why it is important, and what will happen to it.

However, a MacGuffin is not the same as a theme or a message. A MacGuffin does not have to be symbolic or meaningful in itself. It does not have to reflect the deeper issues or values of the story.  As a matter of fact, maybe it shouldn’t. 

 It does not have to be explained or resolved by the end of the story. In fact, sometimes the best MacGuffins are the ones that remain ambiguous or irrelevant. Once again, think of Pulp Fiction and whatever was in that briefcase.  Everyone wanted it, but we never find out what it was.

A good MacGuffin is one that enhances the story without dominating it. It is one that sparks curiosity without demanding attention. It is one that drives action without dictating outcome. It is one that matters to the characters but not to the audience.

Humphrey Bogart, playing Sam Spade, describes the Maltese Falcon as the “thing that dreams are made of.”  The Maltese Falcon, of course, turns out to be a fake.  The ultimate MacGuffin. 

My Crystal Ball Needs Adjustment

 I have good news to share as Denver Noir won a Colorado Book Award. The anthology had a great roster of writers who each contributed an amazing story. Our editor Cynthia Swanson deserves shiny accolades for doing the heavy lifting in putting this collection together.

As the title Denver Noir implies, the stories were set in the Denver area. Most were contemporary and a few had a historical backdrop. While I wrote mine to occur in the near future, in looking at the story now, I am surprised how even in the short interval from first draft to publication, that my crystal ball didn't get it quite right. I was certain that we'd have a woman mayor by now. Got that wrong. Also, technology has leapt ahead of where I predicted. When I began writing my story, I'd heard about AI but didn't recognize its impact on society. Here we are, wringing our hands, wondering to what extent AI will take our jobs. Without rewriting the story, I'm not sure how addressing AI would've changed the plot, but it might've. 

Another futuristic detail that would've rated a mention was the newest development of smart gun technology, which was part of the story's MacGuffin. The latest such type of gun is quite sophisticated as it relies on a fingerprint reader plus an IR camera that uses facial recognition to verify the identity of the owner. Again, I'm not sure how this would've altered my story but it goes to show that no matter how hard I stared into my crystal ball, the future remained a little too blurry.