While we writers like to portray ourselves as servants to the Muse,
as mortal scribes channeling Inspiration, we gotta pay the rent and that
means selling books. That and riding herd on the day job. Every
established writer gets hit with the question: How do I market my book? Which is another way of asking, How do I make money in this writing gig?
The easy answer, Sell lots of books. Be on notice that if
I had my hand on the magic-selling-books-lever, you can be sure that I
wouldn't let you put your toner-stained mitts on it. So how to sell
books? What helps is getting your name out in public. Let me share my
experience of what happens when you don't. Last year I cut back on my
touring schedule, appearing only around the Denver area. However, I did
keep tabs with my fellow writers working the Bard's Tower booth,
formerly the WordFire booth, as they dragged the setup from comic con to
comic con and greeted metric tons of people. Make no mistake, working
the booth is an effort. Set up and tear down is a real pain, and holding
court on the exhibition floor keeps you on your feet for a solid twelve
hours. The upside is that you're meeting new readers and occasionally,
even fans. Paying for travel and meals takes a bite out of your wallet
and even if you sell out stock, which I've done, you won't come close to
covering your costs. Even so, I missed the excitement of the shows, the
comradery of hanging out with this gang of misfits, and the chance to
see a new city. But more importantly, a consequence of not touring was a
downturn in my royalties. Not good.
This year I
signed up for as many gigs with the Bard's Tower as I could fit into my
schedule. Though I haven't appeared in many shows, what I've seen is a
lot more traffic to my Facebook book pages and more engagement in
Twitter. We'll see if that translates into an uptick in royalties. Stay
tuned.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
My Canned Personal News
Instead of a trained journalist with a broad knowledge of the affairs of the world meeting with a seasoned editorial staff to select the most important items to publish for the good of the commonwealth, I'm offered mostly drivel based on my viewing habits. To my great shame, I realize that I have brought this on myself.
Viewing photos of the royal babies is a lot more fun than coping with my dismay over pictures featuring refuges or the latest war torn area. As to ads, it didn't take much for merchants to figure out that I'm a sucker for any site featuring yarn or sewing techniques. I freely admit to being a yarnaholic. Knitting helps me keep my sanity.
Formerly, I kept abreast of the news through print editions of newspapers. The columns and the headlines were not tailored for me. Opinion sections were persuasive and well-reasoned. My overly liberial orientation was kept in check by brilliant conservative columnists such as David Brooks whose arguments added a different dimension to my thinking.
Print is expensive. On-line is not. That's why I started gathering news on-line. I'm thinking of biting the bullet and subscribing to my favorite newspaper. It's a patriotic decision. Yes, honestly!
I think we owe it to these United States to maintain a free press and we cannot if we Americans insist on "news we can use." Give me news I cannot use. Even news I don't like. How about a dose of opinions I don't agree with?
Where are the fashions I cannot wear? I would like to know about them anyway. Why is my news now only about Americans? That was not always the case.
We are living in perilous times. Staying secluded can't be a good idea.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Natural Organic Reduction AKA Human Composting
I grew up in Washington state. Even though I haven’t lived there in a long time, my ears perk up anytime there’s a story in the news about doings in the area. A recent one in the Los Angeles Times talked about a bill that recently passed the Washington state legislature giving residents the option of natural organic reduction aka human composting. Yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee signed it into law. You can read the Seattle Times article here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/washington-becomes-first-state-to-legalize-human-composting/
I also found this interesting article on the process: https://psmag.com/environment/is-human-composting-the-green-future-of-burials
I’d never heard of natural organic reduction. It’s supposed to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation. It reduces the carbon emissions emitted by cremation and takes up less space than a burial. I honestly have never thought about whether or not burial and cremation are green processes or not.
The process works like this: a body is placed with wood chips, alfalfa and straw in a steel vessel where it’s decomposed by microbes. The end product is soil, similar to topsoil you can buy at a local nursery. Customers can take the soil and spread it in their garden or donate it to conservation groups for tree planting. The process takes 30 days. One body produces on average one cubic yard of soil, about two wheelbarrows worth.
Apparently, a similar process is used to dispose of bodies of animals such as cattle in some areas.
I expected the issue to be more controversial than it appears to be. I scoured the internet, but couldn’t find many people expressing negative comments about it. There were some concerns about spreading disease and some people doubted if the process would actually work. But, other than that, not much.
As a mystery writer, I can imagine a number of interesting scenarios. I can also see family members not being particularly enamored with a loved one’s wish to use this process.
What do you all think?
I also found this interesting article on the process: https://psmag.com/environment/is-human-composting-the-green-future-of-burials
I’d never heard of natural organic reduction. It’s supposed to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation. It reduces the carbon emissions emitted by cremation and takes up less space than a burial. I honestly have never thought about whether or not burial and cremation are green processes or not.
The process works like this: a body is placed with wood chips, alfalfa and straw in a steel vessel where it’s decomposed by microbes. The end product is soil, similar to topsoil you can buy at a local nursery. Customers can take the soil and spread it in their garden or donate it to conservation groups for tree planting. The process takes 30 days. One body produces on average one cubic yard of soil, about two wheelbarrows worth.
Apparently, a similar process is used to dispose of bodies of animals such as cattle in some areas.
I expected the issue to be more controversial than it appears to be. I scoured the internet, but couldn’t find many people expressing negative comments about it. There were some concerns about spreading disease and some people doubted if the process would actually work. But, other than that, not much.
As a mystery writer, I can imagine a number of interesting scenarios. I can also see family members not being particularly enamored with a loved one’s wish to use this process.
What do you all think?
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
More on character development exercises -or- how I learned to actually enjoy waiting for my flight to depart
by Rick Blechta
Something in Thomas’s post yesterday caught my eye: “…while waiting for your flight, describe the people you see and create an interesting back story for them. What is their profession? What is their romantic status? Where are they flying to and why?”
First of all, this is a really fabulous idea. Waiting around an airport for a flight has to be one of the most boring exercises ever invented by humans. I usually wait it out by reading a book, but the lure of being able to pass the time constructively is an attractive one. I’d like to add a couple of additional ideas: describe the person as if they’re a minor character just passing through the story, then describe them as if they will have something more important to do in your plot.
A lot of us struggle with character description. I nearly always over-describe them, something that’s easily rectified in one of my rewriting stages: while I’m still working on the novel, or when I’m editing after it’s completed. However, I don’t fret over this anymore because when I do overwrite those descriptions it brings the characters into sharper focus for me — even if it winds up on the cutting room floor. One trick I’ve learned over time is to not throw out that stuff. I now stick it into my “dump file” and have a fuller picture to draw on if the character becomes more important later on.
So either way — speaking of a character’s importance in my plot — I’m ready to go with information about that character.
The other thing I might do is to practice writing those descriptions with a few deft strokes, rather than writing a treatise on my subject. I’m always in awe of a writer who can do this — and not many can. It’s an art as much as dialogue or general description. But it is something that can be practised and improved.
And waiting interminably in some airport is the perfect place to practice! “My flight is delayed for a second time? No problem!”
Something in Thomas’s post yesterday caught my eye: “…while waiting for your flight, describe the people you see and create an interesting back story for them. What is their profession? What is their romantic status? Where are they flying to and why?”
First of all, this is a really fabulous idea. Waiting around an airport for a flight has to be one of the most boring exercises ever invented by humans. I usually wait it out by reading a book, but the lure of being able to pass the time constructively is an attractive one. I’d like to add a couple of additional ideas: describe the person as if they’re a minor character just passing through the story, then describe them as if they will have something more important to do in your plot.
A lot of us struggle with character description. I nearly always over-describe them, something that’s easily rectified in one of my rewriting stages: while I’m still working on the novel, or when I’m editing after it’s completed. However, I don’t fret over this anymore because when I do overwrite those descriptions it brings the characters into sharper focus for me — even if it winds up on the cutting room floor. One trick I’ve learned over time is to not throw out that stuff. I now stick it into my “dump file” and have a fuller picture to draw on if the character becomes more important later on.
So either way — speaking of a character’s importance in my plot — I’m ready to go with information about that character.
The other thing I might do is to practice writing those descriptions with a few deft strokes, rather than writing a treatise on my subject. I’m always in awe of a writer who can do this — and not many can. It’s an art as much as dialogue or general description. But it is something that can be practised and improved.
And waiting interminably in some airport is the perfect place to practice! “My flight is delayed for a second time? No problem!”
Monday, May 20, 2019
Babies and developing characters
This past weekend, my wife and I flew to Kentucky, to visit my family and my new grandchildren, twins Thomas and Caroline. We were both over the moon to be able to hold the little ones and watch their little personalities start to shine through.
On our last day in Kentucky, I was driving to a local Outlet Shopping Mall (it’s not all playing with the kiddos), I mentioned to Cindy that I needed to do a blog for Type M for Murder for Monday and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to write about. She suggested that I talk a little bit about character development.
She suggested that creating characters is a little like babies growing up. They start out as tiny blank slates, but instead of looking vaguely like a tiny Winston Churchill, our developing characters often start as people we know.
Babies, as they grow, take on their own personality, adopting traits of their parents, traits of their extended families, their friends, their teachers, and others that they emulate, knowingly or not. Our characters grow out of the back stories we give them.
Thomas and Caroline, fraternal twins, already seem to have two distinct personalities, even at five months. Thomas is quiet, observant, physical, sometimes wriggling out a short, loud temper tantrum. But he’s also curious, loves to interact with his toys, and loves to snuggle. So far, he’s the introvert.
Caroline is a verbal chatterbox (as much as a five month old can be), loves to smile, loves to be held and also loves to snuggle. She’s the obvious extrovert.
What amazed me was the way they reached for each other as they lay on their backs on a blanket on the floor. Did they already have a telepathic connection?
As I create my characters, they don’t emerge from my imagination as fully formed individuals. They are often based on people that I know or have met but with a Thomas Kies slant. I’ll give an example. One of my favorite recurring characters in the Geneva Chase series is Frank Mancini. Frank is a successful estate attorney, very attractive, bright, funny, athletic, and, according Geneva Chase, dynamite in the sack.
Frank’s flaws? He’s egocentric, a cad, and a serial adulterer. He’s married but that doesn’t get in his way.
The actual person I based Frank on is physically very similar. He’s also intelligent and funny. But my friend is fiercely devoted to his wife and a really nice guy. I’ll never tell him that Frank Mancini is his evil doppelganger.
I’ve found that character development, much like in real life, comes over time. People develop and change within the arc of the story. Sometimes they change in good ways, sometimes in bad. But change is a constant, nothing stays the same.
Because I’m writing this from a hotel room while my wife is out shopping, this blog is purposely short. I’d better put my computer away, drive out to the Outlet Shops, and pick up Cindy before her charge card goes up in flames.
Post script…when I picked Cindy up at the Outlet Mall, she hadn’t purchased a thing. That’s not how I would have written that at all.
Post post script... a good suggested writing exercise—while waiting for your flight, describe the people you see and create an interesting back story for them. What is their profession? What is their romantic status? Where are they flying to and why?
Exercise advice, don’t stare too long. You could find out more about their personality than you really want to.
On our last day in Kentucky, I was driving to a local Outlet Shopping Mall (it’s not all playing with the kiddos), I mentioned to Cindy that I needed to do a blog for Type M for Murder for Monday and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to write about. She suggested that I talk a little bit about character development.
She suggested that creating characters is a little like babies growing up. They start out as tiny blank slates, but instead of looking vaguely like a tiny Winston Churchill, our developing characters often start as people we know.
Babies, as they grow, take on their own personality, adopting traits of their parents, traits of their extended families, their friends, their teachers, and others that they emulate, knowingly or not. Our characters grow out of the back stories we give them.Thomas and Caroline, fraternal twins, already seem to have two distinct personalities, even at five months. Thomas is quiet, observant, physical, sometimes wriggling out a short, loud temper tantrum. But he’s also curious, loves to interact with his toys, and loves to snuggle. So far, he’s the introvert.
Caroline is a verbal chatterbox (as much as a five month old can be), loves to smile, loves to be held and also loves to snuggle. She’s the obvious extrovert.
What amazed me was the way they reached for each other as they lay on their backs on a blanket on the floor. Did they already have a telepathic connection?
As I create my characters, they don’t emerge from my imagination as fully formed individuals. They are often based on people that I know or have met but with a Thomas Kies slant. I’ll give an example. One of my favorite recurring characters in the Geneva Chase series is Frank Mancini. Frank is a successful estate attorney, very attractive, bright, funny, athletic, and, according Geneva Chase, dynamite in the sack.
Frank’s flaws? He’s egocentric, a cad, and a serial adulterer. He’s married but that doesn’t get in his way.
The actual person I based Frank on is physically very similar. He’s also intelligent and funny. But my friend is fiercely devoted to his wife and a really nice guy. I’ll never tell him that Frank Mancini is his evil doppelganger.
I’ve found that character development, much like in real life, comes over time. People develop and change within the arc of the story. Sometimes they change in good ways, sometimes in bad. But change is a constant, nothing stays the same.
Because I’m writing this from a hotel room while my wife is out shopping, this blog is purposely short. I’d better put my computer away, drive out to the Outlet Shops, and pick up Cindy before her charge card goes up in flames.
Post script…when I picked Cindy up at the Outlet Mall, she hadn’t purchased a thing. That’s not how I would have written that at all.
Post post script... a good suggested writing exercise—while waiting for your flight, describe the people you see and create an interesting back story for them. What is their profession? What is their romantic status? Where are they flying to and why?
Exercise advice, don’t stare too long. You could find out more about their personality than you really want to.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Guest Post: Marni Graff
Aline here. I'm delighted to be able to introduce you today to Marni Graff. She's the award-winning author of two series - The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries - as well as being the managing editor of Bridle Path Press. She also writes the popular crime review blog, www.auntiemwrites.com. And we had a much-loved mutual friend, though she knew her better than I did and and I'm very jealous of the coffee and biscuits!
Manhattan‘s iconic Victorian apartment building. Home to millionaires
and celebrities through the decades, famous tenants have included Lauren
Bacall, Judy Garland, Boris Karloff, Carly Simon, and Rudolf Nureyev. In modern
times its most famous resident, John Lennon, was murdered in its elaborate entryway
in 1980. The Dakota’s board is notorious for those applicants it’s denied, too,
who include Billy Joel, Cher, and Madonna. Yoko Ono still lives there, as does
film critic Rex Reed.
The Genesis of a New Series
When your mentor and eventual friend is the celebrated Queen of Crime, P.D. James, her suggestion that your write a second series is one you don't ignore.
Studying Gothic Literature one summer at Oxford University, I
took the train to interview the Baroness for Mystery Review magazine. I was researching Oxford as the
setting for the first Nora Tierney English Mystery, The Blue Virgin, mostly written, when the octogenarian opened the
door to her Holland Square townhouse. Warm and funny, I was thrilled to even be
in the same room with my idol, much less in her home conducting an interview
and snapping photos of her signing my copy of her autobiography to accompany
the piece.
After an hour of answering my questions, James invited me to
have coffee in her downstairs kitchen (Nescafe’ instant accompanied by Walker’s
shortbread biscuits). That more casual conversation cemented what would be a
fifteen-year friendship until her death in 2014, with letters, emails, cards,
and tea time whenever I visited the UK for more setting research after that.
That day, James had me describe my plans for the English mystery
series, featuring an American writer who lives in England, while we sat at the
scrubbed pine table where I knew she often wrote her outlines and first drafts
in longhand. Then she asked about the various nursing positions I’d held before
turning to full-time writing. When I mentioned my years working as a medical
consultant for a New York television and movie studio, her face lit up and her
eyes glowed.
“Promise me one day you’ll write another series, one featuring a
nurse who has that job.” James insisted readers would enjoy a behind-the-scenes
look at a different world. I made that promise, and once I had The Green Remains and The Scarlet Wench in print in the Noras,
turned my hand to fulfilling it. The first Trudy Genova Manhattan
Mystery, Death Unscripted, is
dedicated to James, the woman who’d been instrumental in suggesting the series.
Alternating the two now, I’ve just brought out the second
Trudy. Death at the Dakota is
set in
When I was given the floor plan of the apartment that had once
been home to Leonard Bernstein and his family, I knew Trudy would work on a TV
movie filming at the storied building. In reality, the building only allows
filming of its exterior —the supposed interiors used in films like Rosemary’s Baby were all soundstage
replicas—but in Trudy’s world anything is possible.
Trudy’s assignment is to protect the film’s star, Monica Kiley,
in the early stages of a dicey pregnancy. When Monica goes missing and another
cast member dies, Trudy’s nose for murder finds her in the thick of things. At
the same time, her NYPD detective boyfriend, Ned O’Malley, is involved in a
murder investigation where the victim has been burned beyond recognition. Two
victims and two killers challenge Trudy and Ned, when their cases cross paths in
this mix of amateur sleuth and police procedural one reviewer has called “the
new Nick and Nora.”
Friday, May 17, 2019
Books to Movies
This is the season when academic types are neck-deep in papers to be read and exams to be graded. I just took part in the commencement ceremony for our wonderful undergrads in the UAlbany School of Criminal Justice. Now I need to get my grades in before deadline. So today I am pointing you to a quiz -- an article in USA Today about the best movies you've probably never seen.
Since I have been thinking about how film techniques can and are used by writers, and some of these movies are based on novels, I scored myself to see how many I had seen. I got 25/50. Not as good as it should be, but I have seen 15 of the top 25.
See if you can beat my score. If you're like me you'll find some films you've heard of but never sit down to watch.
Have fun. I'm going back to work.
https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/2019/05/15/50-best-movies-youve-never-seen/39465985/
Since I have been thinking about how film techniques can and are used by writers, and some of these movies are based on novels, I scored myself to see how many I had seen. I got 25/50. Not as good as it should be, but I have seen 15 of the top 25.
See if you can beat my score. If you're like me you'll find some films you've heard of but never sit down to watch.
Have fun. I'm going back to work.
https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/2019/05/15/50-best-movies-youve-never-seen/39465985/
Thursday, May 16, 2019
The Wrong Girl, The Right Title
I (Donis) have been enjoying our recent posts about elegant variations, but today I want to throw back to last Thursday's entry concerning titles, by John. And the main reason I want to do that is because my publisher recently informed me that they have changed the title of my upcoming novel. They ran the new title by me, of course, and asked if I had objections. I didn't, even thought this is the first time in eleven books that I've had a publisher change the title I put on the manuscript. The upcoming book, which will be out in November, is the first of a new series for me, and I had a lot of trouble coming up with a title in the first place. I love the series title, The Adventures of Bianca Dangereuse, and fortunately that is not changing. The new series is structured like the episodes in an old silent movie serial, and like those movies, I had chosen a book title that was overblown and overdramatic. That's what the publisher thought, too. Overblown and overdramatic.* So they suggested that the book be called The Wrong Girl, because this is what one of the characters says to a man who seduces and kidnaps young women.
"One of these days, you're going to choose the wrong girl."
And does he ever.
I like their thinking, too. Whenever I write an Alafair Tucker mystery, I spend many weeks trying out prospective titles on friends and relatives, judging titleworthiness by the look in their eyes. For most of my past endeavors, I have chosen a title early on in the writing process, and then changed it when the book was finished. For the Alafair series, all the titles are taken from something that one of the book's characters says in the course of the story:
"I think The Old Buzzard Had It Coming"
"He was standing on The Drop Edge of Yonder"
"It looked like Hell With the Lid Blown Off"
"Here's your Forty Dead Men, McBride. Don't waste them, 'cause the man you miss may be the one who kills you."
And so on... While I'm writing, I'm always waiting for someone in the novel to tell me what to call it.
I love reading about how the titles for my favorite books come about. Titles are important. You want to convey something of the spirit of the story, catch the reader’s eye, intrigue her enough that she wants to read that book. When friends and family hear that a new book is underway, one of the first questions I get is, "What's the title?"
How about you, dear reader? Does a fabulous title make you want to buy a book? I’m trying to think of books that I actually wanted to read because of the title. The only one that comes immediately to mind was Bad Luck and Trouble, by Lee Child. Tom Wolfe titles catch my eye, but which of his books have I actually read? Did I read Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers? No, I did not. I read The Right Stuff, Hooking Up, and I Am Charlotte Simmons. (Okay, I also read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, but I was young and it was the ‘60s.)
Commonly authors don't get the final say on what the title of their novel will be. Publishers have the idea that they know what will sell a lot better than some introverted, socially inept author does. Maybe they do. Being introverted and socially inept, I wouldn't know. This time, I think they made a good business decision.
________
*The old title: Lust for Vengeance. What do you think?
"One of these days, you're going to choose the wrong girl."
And does he ever.
I like their thinking, too. Whenever I write an Alafair Tucker mystery, I spend many weeks trying out prospective titles on friends and relatives, judging titleworthiness by the look in their eyes. For most of my past endeavors, I have chosen a title early on in the writing process, and then changed it when the book was finished. For the Alafair series, all the titles are taken from something that one of the book's characters says in the course of the story:
"I think The Old Buzzard Had It Coming"
"He was standing on The Drop Edge of Yonder"
"It looked like Hell With the Lid Blown Off"
"Here's your Forty Dead Men, McBride. Don't waste them, 'cause the man you miss may be the one who kills you."
And so on... While I'm writing, I'm always waiting for someone in the novel to tell me what to call it.
I love reading about how the titles for my favorite books come about. Titles are important. You want to convey something of the spirit of the story, catch the reader’s eye, intrigue her enough that she wants to read that book. When friends and family hear that a new book is underway, one of the first questions I get is, "What's the title?"
How about you, dear reader? Does a fabulous title make you want to buy a book? I’m trying to think of books that I actually wanted to read because of the title. The only one that comes immediately to mind was Bad Luck and Trouble, by Lee Child. Tom Wolfe titles catch my eye, but which of his books have I actually read? Did I read Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers? No, I did not. I read The Right Stuff, Hooking Up, and I Am Charlotte Simmons. (Okay, I also read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, but I was young and it was the ‘60s.)
Commonly authors don't get the final say on what the title of their novel will be. Publishers have the idea that they know what will sell a lot better than some introverted, socially inept author does. Maybe they do. Being introverted and socially inept, I wouldn't know. This time, I think they made a good business decision.
________
*The old title: Lust for Vengeance. What do you think?
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
More elegant variations
Aline's post this week touched close to home, because I am in the midst of rewrites on my latest Amana Doucette novel, and am very attuned to the style, quality of language, and word use in the text (along with fixing all the plot holes, gaping inconsistencies, and other large failings). It takes many eyes to catch all the word repetitions and find good quality alternatives. First I try to catch as many as I can, and then I pray the copyeditor and proofreader catches even more. But sometimes they sneak through even the most thorough editing, and I only spot them while doing a public reading after the book is out, and the horse has truly left the barn. I've been known to change the offensive word on the fly in these cases.
Reading aloud is very useful not only for catching those pesky repetitions, but for listening to the overall flow of the sentence and the rhythm of the words. Rhythm affects readability and pleasure. Elegant variation can refer to much more than single words. It can refer to sentence structure, sentence length, syllables and accents. Too many long sentences draw out and slow down a story. Too many short sentences make for a jerky ride. Although short vs. long sentences can be effective to vary tension and pacing, in general a paragraph works best with varied sentence length.
Starting three sentences in a row with the same word or structure sounds clumsy. eg. He picked up the book and began to read. He wasn't sure he liked it. He would have preferred a more exciting tale. (Forgive the clunky prose, it's late and my imagination is fried). An elegant variation would be: He picked up the book and began to read. Would he like it? A more exciting tale might be better. Mix up the syntax, create subordinate clauses, invert sentences, etc.
In another elegant variation, I try to mix up long and short words. Some combinations create pleasing rhythms and others land like a thud. I have often resorted to the thesaurus in search of a one-syllable word to replace the existing two-syllable one, because there were already a couple of two or three-syllable words.
There are times, however, when repetition can pack a powerful punch. It makes the message stand out. Alliteration is one example. So is parallel construction – using the same word, phrase, or sentence structure in a series of sentences. Dickens' famous "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", etc. is a memorable example of this technique. Once again, reading the section aloud is useful in determining whether the effect is powerful, clunky, or just plain silly. Here as always, a little repetition goes a long way.
So I return to my rewrites, trying to keep all these ideas in my mind at once, and sure that I will miss some clunker.s When that happens, I can only hope the copyeditor is there to make the catch.
Reading aloud is very useful not only for catching those pesky repetitions, but for listening to the overall flow of the sentence and the rhythm of the words. Rhythm affects readability and pleasure. Elegant variation can refer to much more than single words. It can refer to sentence structure, sentence length, syllables and accents. Too many long sentences draw out and slow down a story. Too many short sentences make for a jerky ride. Although short vs. long sentences can be effective to vary tension and pacing, in general a paragraph works best with varied sentence length.
Starting three sentences in a row with the same word or structure sounds clumsy. eg. He picked up the book and began to read. He wasn't sure he liked it. He would have preferred a more exciting tale. (Forgive the clunky prose, it's late and my imagination is fried). An elegant variation would be: He picked up the book and began to read. Would he like it? A more exciting tale might be better. Mix up the syntax, create subordinate clauses, invert sentences, etc.
In another elegant variation, I try to mix up long and short words. Some combinations create pleasing rhythms and others land like a thud. I have often resorted to the thesaurus in search of a one-syllable word to replace the existing two-syllable one, because there were already a couple of two or three-syllable words.
There are times, however, when repetition can pack a powerful punch. It makes the message stand out. Alliteration is one example. So is parallel construction – using the same word, phrase, or sentence structure in a series of sentences. Dickens' famous "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", etc. is a memorable example of this technique. Once again, reading the section aloud is useful in determining whether the effect is powerful, clunky, or just plain silly. Here as always, a little repetition goes a long way.
So I return to my rewrites, trying to keep all these ideas in my mind at once, and sure that I will miss some clunker.s When that happens, I can only hope the copyeditor is there to make the catch.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
One of those weeks
by Rick Blechta
Here we are, all good intentions swept away by the four winds, and I’m left with nothing to write this week and no time to write it anyway.
See you all next week. And I’ll have something good…promise!
Here we are, all good intentions swept away by the four winds, and I’m left with nothing to write this week and no time to write it anyway.
See you all next week. And I’ll have something good…promise!
Monday, May 13, 2019
Elegant Variation
Do you employ elegant variation? Do you even know what it is? You're a cultured lot – probably you do, but I have to confess that I didn't, until comparatively recently.
The phrase was coined in 1826 by HW Fowler, whose Dictionary of Modern English is still the bible for style in the English language. He was in general against it. RW Burchfield, who revised it more recently, is cautiously in favour.
And what is it? It's the consequence of the instinctive prickling of discomfort at the back of your neck that alerts you to having repeated the same word too often in the same passage. If your copy editor is anything like mine, she will frequently draw your attention to any of these you have missed. You then have to come up with another word that means the same. When you change it, you have performed an 'elegant variation'.
Don't reach for the Thesaurus, though – a primrose path that leads easily on to destruction. The term only came to my attention because there was correspondence about it in the Times.
Journalists clearly have a profound aversion to repetition. The one that irritates me most is when they do the, '55% of people believe that...' then 'more than one in six disagree' thing. I didn't like having to do proportion sums when I was at school and still less do I like having to do them over a breakfast read of the papers.
The article that was under discussion was the story about the rat trapped in a manhole cover that needed nine firefighters had to rescue it. The victim (see how I did that!) was described variously as 'the portly rat', 'the rotund rodent' and 'the unfortunate flabby animal.' This was definitely felt to be OTT.
Of course, it's just as my granny always said, moderation in everything (and eat your greens.). I guess we all do it to some extent and I am just delighted to discover that there's a name for it. One of my favourite characters in literature is Moliere's Bourgeois Gentilhomme who was of uncultured stock but was determined to improve himself with tutors and was enchanted to discover that all his life he has been speaking prose.
The phrase was coined in 1826 by HW Fowler, whose Dictionary of Modern English is still the bible for style in the English language. He was in general against it. RW Burchfield, who revised it more recently, is cautiously in favour.
And what is it? It's the consequence of the instinctive prickling of discomfort at the back of your neck that alerts you to having repeated the same word too often in the same passage. If your copy editor is anything like mine, she will frequently draw your attention to any of these you have missed. You then have to come up with another word that means the same. When you change it, you have performed an 'elegant variation'.
Don't reach for the Thesaurus, though – a primrose path that leads easily on to destruction. The term only came to my attention because there was correspondence about it in the Times.
Journalists clearly have a profound aversion to repetition. The one that irritates me most is when they do the, '55% of people believe that...' then 'more than one in six disagree' thing. I didn't like having to do proportion sums when I was at school and still less do I like having to do them over a breakfast read of the papers.
The article that was under discussion was the story about the rat trapped in a manhole cover that needed nine firefighters had to rescue it. The victim (see how I did that!) was described variously as 'the portly rat', 'the rotund rodent' and 'the unfortunate flabby animal.' This was definitely felt to be OTT.
Of course, it's just as my granny always said, moderation in everything (and eat your greens.). I guess we all do it to some extent and I am just delighted to discover that there's a name for it. One of my favourite characters in literature is Moliere's Bourgeois Gentilhomme who was of uncultured stock but was determined to improve himself with tutors and was enchanted to discover that all his life he has been speaking prose.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
WHOSE STORY IS THIS ANYWAY?
By Vicki Delany
I'm delighted to invite my good friend, fellow festival organizer, and excellent writer Janet Kellough back to Type M. I'm certainly keen to find out what Thaddeus Lewis is getting up to now.
One of the things
that is lovely about writing a series is the way the characters evolve as time
goes on. In the first book in my Thaddeus
Lewis mystery series, On the Head of
a Pin, the hero/detective Lewis is a
man in his prime struggling with the unexpected death of his daughter, a loss
that propels him headlong into a murder investigation. He is decisive and
forthright and resolute, certain in his calling as a saddlebag preacher. But in
his pursuit of the killer, he comes to understand that the world is perhaps not
quite as black and white as he’d always believed.
As his story
progressed through the subsequent books, he loosened up even more. He softened.
He began to doubt himself. And the meaner I was to him, the more relatable he became.
And I’ve been pretty nasty - I’ve bashed him over the head and broken his arm.
I gave him a gimpy knee. I pointed a gun at him a few times. I killed his wife.
I humiliated him. I seduced him. (Big existential crisis for a 19th
century minister.)
But with each challenge,
his character deepened and I liked him more.
His family grew up
around him as the story went on. Relationships subtly shifted. And then friend
and foe alike began to wander through the narrative, popping up here and there
just when the plot needed them most.
Now, in the
seventh book The Untoward Assassin Thaddeus’s
granddaughter Martha, who was a toddler in the first book, is nearly an adult
and about to embark on a career as a teacher, thanks to the fact that the
Provincial Normal School, the teachers’ college of the day, actually accepted
female students – a provision virtually unheard of at institutions of higher
learning in 1855.
Thaddeus
accompanies her to Toronto, and lo and behold, there’s his youngest son Luke,
sitting there ready to be called back into the story. But the dynamic between Luke
and his father has changed from the earlier books. Luke has gone from being an
insecure student with a big secret to a successful physician (he still has a
big secret, but he’s not as bothered by it.) He is very worried about his
father’s health. Both he and his brothers are worried about what Thaddeus is
going to do with himself now that he’s given up preaching. The question “What
are we going to do about Thaddeus?” becomes a recurrent refrain as the plot
unfolds. Each of the Lewis sons is willing to look after their father if
necessary, but each of them will be relieved if one of the others offers first.
Thaddeus is no longer the patriarch to whom everyone turns. The old man has become
a problem.
But in the way of
many children, they’ve underestimated him. He’s still a magnet for trouble and
he’s still quite capable of meeting it head on.
When he becomes
convinced that someone is trying to kill him. Luke dismisses the notion at
first. (Oh no! Is Thaddeus becoming senile?) Martha believes him – but where
once she would have believed simply because he’s Thaddeus and for most of her
childhood she was a little confused about whether or not he and God were
actually the same person - she now weighs the evidence and comes to her own
conclusion. Eventually everyone agrees that something is going on and that the
would-be assassin must be connected somehow to one of the crimes that Thaddeus
previously investigated.
And guess what?
There were any number of ready-made suspects lurking in the background just
waiting for a reprise. I had my choice of instant villains, already conveniently
supplied with motive, their characters established and ready to go.
Any writer of
fiction creates a setting through which the characters move, but a series
allows the context to shift and grow in surprising ways. Past events impact the
storyline in odd ways. Characters can make an appearance in one book and
suddenly pop up again several books later. Sometimes they grumble until you let
them out. Sometimes they show up and run away with the plot. And sometimes both
the setting and the characters change and grow in directions that you couldn’t
have conceived of in the beginning.
“But what happens
next?” Thaddeus Lewis fans ask. The answer is, “I don’t know. I’m waiting or
the characters to tell me.”
Sometimes I’m not
sure it’s even me writing this stuff anymore.
Janet Kellough is the author of The
Thaddeus Lewis mysteries, the adventures of a 19th century saddlebag
preacher. She has also written two contemporary novels The Palace of the Moon and The
Pear Shaped Woman, the speculative fiction work The Bathwater Conspiracy, and the semi-non-fictional Legendary Guide to Prince Edward County.
She is also a co-founder of Women Killing
It Crime Writers’ Festival, which
showcases crime fiction by female authors.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Sick Society
There comes a time when one becomes saturated with tragedy. I have no idea how we got to this point. Schools are no longer a safe haven. Neither are churches. Is there no place on God's green earth where people can peaceably assemble as a group?
Ironically many of the guns used in school and church shootings were obtained legally. I believe in sensible gun control legislation. I believe registration is a good idea. So is banning assault rifles. I'm not sure any of this will have a marked effect on the violence, but it's a start. The problem goes deeper. However I'm not sure what the problem is.
I'm absolutely fed up with politicians who are sure they have the answers but do not risk their careers to evoke change. Frankly, I admire the stance of the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who responded to a shooting there by immediately implementing a ban on assault rifles and forbidding the press to print the shooter's name. We have different rules here in America. No one has the authority to do that. But denying the instigator publicity certainly would thwart episodes here driven by a perverse desire for lasting notoriety.
On my refrigeration is a photo of the sweetest little terrorist. He's a bewildered little four-year-old boy hugging a Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy for dear life. He appears to be escorted somewhere in a barred van. Minus his parents, I suspect.
I'm with the kid. How in the world did it come to this?
Thursday, May 09, 2019
Titles (I write) & Titles (I read)
Coming up with a title has never been easy for me. In fact, it might be the only time I get “writer’s block” in the course of writing a book. If one doesn’t readily appear, I look for patterns in the book, lines that speak to the work as a whole. I’ve even read poems and Bible passages looking for a word or phrase that triggers a response.
Right now, I’m in the awkward position of having spent several months outlining a novel –– that I’m now writing –– with no clue whatsoever as to what I’ll call it. Usually, by now, I have some concept, however abstract, as to what the book might be called. I’m not sure if I should be concerned.
Billy Collins’s great line about the importance of the title of a poem –– stepping from the title to the poem’s first line is as important (and tricky) as stepping from the dock into the canoe –– speaks volumes.
Does the title of a novel impact the reader’s experience the same way the title of a poem does?
I don't know.
Do I buy or read books based on titles alone? Never. Am I person who can’t remember the title of a book but can usually tell you the protagonist’s name? Yes, I’m that guy.
Titles are important. I know that. How important? That, I do not know and would love to hear from readers on this topic.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
How To Read A Book is fascinating and worth a post in and of itself. It talks about the art and honor of struggling with a text. If you don’t own it, you ought to.
Right now, I’m in the awkward position of having spent several months outlining a novel –– that I’m now writing –– with no clue whatsoever as to what I’ll call it. Usually, by now, I have some concept, however abstract, as to what the book might be called. I’m not sure if I should be concerned.
Billy Collins’s great line about the importance of the title of a poem –– stepping from the title to the poem’s first line is as important (and tricky) as stepping from the dock into the canoe –– speaks volumes.
Does the title of a novel impact the reader’s experience the same way the title of a poem does?
I don't know.
Do I buy or read books based on titles alone? Never. Am I person who can’t remember the title of a book but can usually tell you the protagonist’s name? Yes, I’m that guy.
Titles are important. I know that. How important? That, I do not know and would love to hear from readers on this topic.
*
Some titles I’m reading right now:What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
How To Read A Book is fascinating and worth a post in and of itself. It talks about the art and honor of struggling with a text. If you don’t own it, you ought to.
Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Malice Domestic 2019 Recap
I recently attended Malice Domestic in Bethesda, MD. I came home with lots and lots of books and some wonderful memories.
Our usual routine (the hubby comes with) is to fly into D.C. Wednesday evening, getting to the hotel about 10 p.m. That way we have a day to sleep in a bit and do a little sightseeing before the conference begins. I’m not great with 3 hour time changes so it gives me a little adjustment period.
This year we went to Ford’s Theater, which was very interesting. Learned lots about the U.S. Civil War as well as Lincoln himself. Part of the tour was a short play about the assassination. Then we went across the street to the house where Lincoln was taken and where he died.
That evening, the Malice festivities began with showings of Murdoch Mysteries and Queens of Mystery. I attended the Murdoch event where we viewed an episode of the series (which I love) and got a chance to ask questions of Maureen Jennings who writes the books the series is based on. Then it was off to do a little catching up with my fellow Henery Press authors.
The highlight of Friday for me was the Malice Go Round aka Speed Dating with Authors. Picture 20 tables in a large room. Authors go from table to table in pairs and have 2 minutes each to talk about their books. This was the first year in a long time where I got the chance to listen to people’s pitches instead of giving one. Found a lot of new books and authors to try.
The rest of the weekend was a flurry of panels, catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while and, of course, the Agatha Award banquet. I was on a panel called “Murder Most Crafty” Saturday morning with other authors who write traditional mysteries featuring crafts. We had a good time with lots of interesting questions to answer.
The Agatha Award banquet has become my favorite part of Malice. I always meet interesting people and have a great time. This year I was at the table hosted by Nance Cole Silverman and Margaret Dumas, both fellow Henery Press authors. Had a really nice time. One of the other people at the table was someone who has been to every single Malice! This was the 31st. That’s a lot of years to come. It turns out we were at the same table at the first Malice I attended and, purely by coincidence, at the second one I attended as well. So this is the third time around for us! Maybe we’ll end up at the same table next year. Who knows. That’s my quick summary. I’m sure there’s more I could say but, well, I’m tired. If you’re going to the Pasadena LitFest in Pasadena, CA, I’ll be on a panel called “Three Shades of Mystery: From Cozy to Dark Mysteries” with other Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles members. Saturday, May 18, 3-4pm. For more info on LitFest go to www.litfestpasadena.org
Our usual routine (the hubby comes with) is to fly into D.C. Wednesday evening, getting to the hotel about 10 p.m. That way we have a day to sleep in a bit and do a little sightseeing before the conference begins. I’m not great with 3 hour time changes so it gives me a little adjustment period.
This year we went to Ford’s Theater, which was very interesting. Learned lots about the U.S. Civil War as well as Lincoln himself. Part of the tour was a short play about the assassination. Then we went across the street to the house where Lincoln was taken and where he died.
 |
| Inside of Ford's Theater |
That evening, the Malice festivities began with showings of Murdoch Mysteries and Queens of Mystery. I attended the Murdoch event where we viewed an episode of the series (which I love) and got a chance to ask questions of Maureen Jennings who writes the books the series is based on. Then it was off to do a little catching up with my fellow Henery Press authors.
The highlight of Friday for me was the Malice Go Round aka Speed Dating with Authors. Picture 20 tables in a large room. Authors go from table to table in pairs and have 2 minutes each to talk about their books. This was the first year in a long time where I got the chance to listen to people’s pitches instead of giving one. Found a lot of new books and authors to try.
The rest of the weekend was a flurry of panels, catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while and, of course, the Agatha Award banquet. I was on a panel called “Murder Most Crafty” Saturday morning with other authors who write traditional mysteries featuring crafts. We had a good time with lots of interesting questions to answer.
 |
 |
| Murder Most Crafty Panel |
The Agatha Award banquet has become my favorite part of Malice. I always meet interesting people and have a great time. This year I was at the table hosted by Nance Cole Silverman and Margaret Dumas, both fellow Henery Press authors. Had a really nice time. One of the other people at the table was someone who has been to every single Malice! This was the 31st. That’s a lot of years to come. It turns out we were at the same table at the first Malice I attended and, purely by coincidence, at the second one I attended as well. So this is the third time around for us! Maybe we’ll end up at the same table next year. Who knows. That’s my quick summary. I’m sure there’s more I could say but, well, I’m tired. If you’re going to the Pasadena LitFest in Pasadena, CA, I’ll be on a panel called “Three Shades of Mystery: From Cozy to Dark Mysteries” with other Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles members. Saturday, May 18, 3-4pm. For more info on LitFest go to www.litfestpasadena.org
Tuesday, May 07, 2019
Now here’s a truly chilling story…
…and a grand plot idea for a novel.
by Rick Blechta
Many of us are using AI devices in our homes. “Oh,” you say, “I don’t have any of that stuff!”
If you own an Amazon Alexa or have an Apple product and use Siri, not to mention Google Assistant, you’ve got AI in your house. Have a smart thermostat, smart anything for that matter and you’ve got AI. Bet some of you didn’t know that.
Now here’s where it gets truly frightening. All of those devices are transmitting the data they collect to the corporations that produce them.
Don’t believe me? Read this: “Alexa has been eavesdropping on you this whole time”
Pretty frightening, isn’t it? The really scary thing to me is you can’t turn off the data collection if you want to keep using these products. Convenient how they built in that functionality, isn’t it? And we’re supposed to blindly trust these corporations. “We only use the data to improve our products, to help them learn!” Yeah, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might like to purchase. What’s to stop individual employees to overhear something valuable and then use if for nefarious purposes? This could well be the basis of “the perfect crime”. If that’s the case, it may well have taken place.
So it doesn’t take much imagination to see how all this collection of data could form the basis of a strong plot for a thriller, cozy, police procedural, whatever. This stuff is just made for crime fiction.
Okay, everyone! Scenario time. Work up an “elevator pitch” for your proposed novel and share it with us.
As for me, they can keep their smart houses. I’m perfectly happy living in a stupid one.
by Rick Blechta
Many of us are using AI devices in our homes. “Oh,” you say, “I don’t have any of that stuff!”
If you own an Amazon Alexa or have an Apple product and use Siri, not to mention Google Assistant, you’ve got AI in your house. Have a smart thermostat, smart anything for that matter and you’ve got AI. Bet some of you didn’t know that.
Now here’s where it gets truly frightening. All of those devices are transmitting the data they collect to the corporations that produce them.
Don’t believe me? Read this: “Alexa has been eavesdropping on you this whole time”
Pretty frightening, isn’t it? The really scary thing to me is you can’t turn off the data collection if you want to keep using these products. Convenient how they built in that functionality, isn’t it? And we’re supposed to blindly trust these corporations. “We only use the data to improve our products, to help them learn!” Yeah, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might like to purchase. What’s to stop individual employees to overhear something valuable and then use if for nefarious purposes? This could well be the basis of “the perfect crime”. If that’s the case, it may well have taken place.
So it doesn’t take much imagination to see how all this collection of data could form the basis of a strong plot for a thriller, cozy, police procedural, whatever. This stuff is just made for crime fiction.
Okay, everyone! Scenario time. Work up an “elevator pitch” for your proposed novel and share it with us.
As for me, they can keep their smart houses. I’m perfectly happy living in a stupid one.
Monday, May 06, 2019
How Much Violence?
We live in a violent world. In books, movies, television shows, video games…the news.
Recently, there was a mass shooting at UNC Chapel Hill. Two people were killed.
The mass shootings over the last few years have been horrific. 58 killed in Las Vegas in 2017. 49 killed in the Pulse nightclub in Florida. 32 killed at Virginia Tech in 2007. That doesn't even count the terrible shootings in our high schools and and elementary schools. I was ashamed that when I heard the body count at Chapel Hill, I almost felt a sense of relief that it wasn't higher. That's just wrong.
The world is awash in violence, either man-made or from natural causes. Wars, fires, famine, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.
So, why do we enjoy reading mysteries? They're inherently violent. In almost all mysteries, someone dies. But the beautiful thing about a novel, generally speaking, justice is exacted by the conclusion. The bad guys (or ladies) are uncovered and arrested or otherwise dispatched.
How much violence is too much? It depends on the writer and it depends on the audience.
Late last year, I read Hank Phillippi Ryan’s mystery, Trust Me. Death definitely has a seat on this bus, but her book is far from being violent. It’s a excellent psychological thriller. It quietly pulls you along with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The gore level is very low and the storytelling is topnotch.
At about the same time, I read Stephen Mack Jones’ first book, August Snow. Full disclosure, I liked it so much, I’m currently reading his second novel, Lives Laid Away. The violence level is stepped up, but you’d expect as much when your protagonist is a retired Marine and an ex-cop. There are going to be fist fights and gun play and Jones makes it work without making it cringe-worthy. You genuinely like the characters and hope they live through their violent travails.
On the other end of the spectrum is Don Winslow’s new book, The Border. At slightly more than 700 pages, it’s on a scale with Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. This book is raw, gritty, and very, very violent. But it’s about drug cartels, addicts, DEA agents, Mexican Federales, and dirty politicians. Is it for everyone? Of course not. Personally, I loved it. Couldn't put it down.
My own Geneva Chase series has been described as dark and sinister. But most of the violence in my novels takes place off the set. You don’t actually see the violence, but you witness the aftermath and the ramifications. And make no mistake, there will be at least one life or death struggle.
These are my personal rules on violence:
It can’t be gratuitous. There must be a point to it. That act of violence has to move the narrative forward or bring the story to its conclusion.
Limited gore. There should be enough to make it real, but don’t make it gore porn.
Don’t glorify violence. Show it for what it is—ugly and scary.
Show the ramifications. In Darkness Lane, Geneva Chase has discovered the body of a murdered man. He’d been tortured and beaten to death. The scene so rattled her that it keeps popping up in her head. She keeps thinking, "His head was bashed in." Over and over. Something akin to PTSD.
I’m fussy about the body count. If I want to see a massive loss of life, I’ll watch Game of Thrones.
Speaking about violence, I’m glued to the television as the last episodes of Game of Thrones play out. I love the series because of the character development and byzantine plot lines and no one is safe.
But it’s not for everyone, Cindy, my wife, won’t watch it because, in the very first episode, someone kills a dire wolf. Cindy saw that and she was out of the room.
Oh yes, one last Thomas Kies rule on violence. It was the subject of an earlier blog. Never hurt a dog.
Recently, there was a mass shooting at UNC Chapel Hill. Two people were killed.
The mass shootings over the last few years have been horrific. 58 killed in Las Vegas in 2017. 49 killed in the Pulse nightclub in Florida. 32 killed at Virginia Tech in 2007. That doesn't even count the terrible shootings in our high schools and and elementary schools. I was ashamed that when I heard the body count at Chapel Hill, I almost felt a sense of relief that it wasn't higher. That's just wrong.
The world is awash in violence, either man-made or from natural causes. Wars, fires, famine, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.
So, why do we enjoy reading mysteries? They're inherently violent. In almost all mysteries, someone dies. But the beautiful thing about a novel, generally speaking, justice is exacted by the conclusion. The bad guys (or ladies) are uncovered and arrested or otherwise dispatched.
How much violence is too much? It depends on the writer and it depends on the audience.
Late last year, I read Hank Phillippi Ryan’s mystery, Trust Me. Death definitely has a seat on this bus, but her book is far from being violent. It’s a excellent psychological thriller. It quietly pulls you along with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The gore level is very low and the storytelling is topnotch.
At about the same time, I read Stephen Mack Jones’ first book, August Snow. Full disclosure, I liked it so much, I’m currently reading his second novel, Lives Laid Away. The violence level is stepped up, but you’d expect as much when your protagonist is a retired Marine and an ex-cop. There are going to be fist fights and gun play and Jones makes it work without making it cringe-worthy. You genuinely like the characters and hope they live through their violent travails.
On the other end of the spectrum is Don Winslow’s new book, The Border. At slightly more than 700 pages, it’s on a scale with Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. This book is raw, gritty, and very, very violent. But it’s about drug cartels, addicts, DEA agents, Mexican Federales, and dirty politicians. Is it for everyone? Of course not. Personally, I loved it. Couldn't put it down.
My own Geneva Chase series has been described as dark and sinister. But most of the violence in my novels takes place off the set. You don’t actually see the violence, but you witness the aftermath and the ramifications. And make no mistake, there will be at least one life or death struggle.
These are my personal rules on violence:
It can’t be gratuitous. There must be a point to it. That act of violence has to move the narrative forward or bring the story to its conclusion.Limited gore. There should be enough to make it real, but don’t make it gore porn.
Don’t glorify violence. Show it for what it is—ugly and scary.
Show the ramifications. In Darkness Lane, Geneva Chase has discovered the body of a murdered man. He’d been tortured and beaten to death. The scene so rattled her that it keeps popping up in her head. She keeps thinking, "His head was bashed in." Over and over. Something akin to PTSD.
I’m fussy about the body count. If I want to see a massive loss of life, I’ll watch Game of Thrones.
Speaking about violence, I’m glued to the television as the last episodes of Game of Thrones play out. I love the series because of the character development and byzantine plot lines and no one is safe.
But it’s not for everyone, Cindy, my wife, won’t watch it because, in the very first episode, someone kills a dire wolf. Cindy saw that and she was out of the room.
Oh yes, one last Thomas Kies rule on violence. It was the subject of an earlier blog. Never hurt a dog.
Saturday, May 04, 2019
Guest Post - Laura Brennan
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to put together a writer’s conference? I can tell you from experience that it’s a lot of work. Please welcome this weekend’s guest poster, Laura Brennan, who gives us a behind the scenes look at the upcoming California Crime Writers Conference.
Intrigue! Murder! Carrot Cake!
When I took on the position of co-chair of the 2019 California Crime Writers Conference (along with the fabulous Jennifer Younger of SoCal MWA), I knew there would be a lot of details to take care of. Plenty of e-mails. A fair amount of scrambling when the best-laid plans went awry.
And yet I was still caught by surprise.
First, the good news: we were incredibly lucky to nab Tess Gerritsen and Catriona McPherson as our Guests of Honor -- and we didn’t have to resort to kidnapping either of them! Both are prolific, writing both series and stand-alones, and between them covering much of the crime novel spectrum, from hilarious cozy to gritty dramas, and all the layers of conflict, character and emotion in between. Whew! That was the first hurdle and we sailed over it.
We are also lucky to have so many talented writers attending the conference and participating on panels. The putting together of those panels based on their talent and experience -- now that was a minor miracle. You can’t create great panels without knowing who has what to offer, and of course with authors, the best way to do that is to read their books.
This was the beginning of the crazy.
I had not budgeted gobs of time to read the new-to-me authors attending CCWC. And I am not someone who can skim -- I get too emotionally involved. Happily, I run my own business and found myself between clients at the critical moment. Not that my bank account was happy, mind you, but my TBR pile got tackled with vigor. I discovered new laugh-out-loud cozies, some marvelous amateur sleuths, and a few gut-punching, edge-of-my-seat thrillers. Want to know who these authors are? Check out our Unusual Suspects (the list of those attending the conference) and definitely check out their books.
Then there was the week when I sent out over 300 individual e-mails. Thank goodness for cut and paste; I only had to individualize a line or two. But still, I can now tell you from experience that 300 e-mails will eat your life. Speaking of eating, my family had pizza and sandwiches for the week. On the plus side, it encouraged my son to crack open a cookbook. Win-win.
Continuing on the food front, an unexpected bonus was the tasting menu at the venue. Jennifer and I went in with a firm idea of what we were ordering for the conference lunches, and it all flew out the window when the chef presented us with his suggestions. The mushroom ravioli is killer, and I mean that in the best possible way. And death by chocolate cake? We have you covered.
But the best part has been coming up with new ideas for extra fun this year. We are running a Best First Sentence Competition, and all attendees are invited to submit. The winner will be announced on Saturday, and we’ll have a second off-the-cuff competition based on the winning entry. I am also writing an escape room for some Saturday evening entertainment, for those who want to play. Someone has left clues to solving their own murder, but the police are baffled. Can you ferret out the killer? If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s always the hotel bar. Some time-honored traditions can’t be improved upon.
Am I crazy to have volunteered to co-chair the conference? Absolutely. But it’s already been worth every moment. When it’s all over, I will have learned how to spot a suicide bomber, how to have a long career, and what happens when my novel is (fingers crossed!) optioned for the screen. Best of all, I know I will have made new friends -- and I’ve already found new authors to love.
For more information on the 2019 California Crime Writers Conference, taking place June 8-9 in Culver City, CA, go to https://ccwconference.org/
Laura’s eclectic career includes a picture book to help parents explain a loved one’s dementia (Nana Speaks Nanese), numerous short stories (“A Slice of Heaven” appears in the 2019 Malice Domestic Anthology, Mystery Most Edible), and Destination Mystery, a podcast featuring interviews with crime writers. Find out more at LauraBrennanWrites.com.
Intrigue! Murder! Carrot Cake!
Behind the Scenes at the California Crime Writers Conference
By Laura Brennan
When I took on the position of co-chair of the 2019 California Crime Writers Conference (along with the fabulous Jennifer Younger of SoCal MWA), I knew there would be a lot of details to take care of. Plenty of e-mails. A fair amount of scrambling when the best-laid plans went awry.
And yet I was still caught by surprise.
First, the good news: we were incredibly lucky to nab Tess Gerritsen and Catriona McPherson as our Guests of Honor -- and we didn’t have to resort to kidnapping either of them! Both are prolific, writing both series and stand-alones, and between them covering much of the crime novel spectrum, from hilarious cozy to gritty dramas, and all the layers of conflict, character and emotion in between. Whew! That was the first hurdle and we sailed over it.
We are also lucky to have so many talented writers attending the conference and participating on panels. The putting together of those panels based on their talent and experience -- now that was a minor miracle. You can’t create great panels without knowing who has what to offer, and of course with authors, the best way to do that is to read their books.
This was the beginning of the crazy.
I had not budgeted gobs of time to read the new-to-me authors attending CCWC. And I am not someone who can skim -- I get too emotionally involved. Happily, I run my own business and found myself between clients at the critical moment. Not that my bank account was happy, mind you, but my TBR pile got tackled with vigor. I discovered new laugh-out-loud cozies, some marvelous amateur sleuths, and a few gut-punching, edge-of-my-seat thrillers. Want to know who these authors are? Check out our Unusual Suspects (the list of those attending the conference) and definitely check out their books.
Then there was the week when I sent out over 300 individual e-mails. Thank goodness for cut and paste; I only had to individualize a line or two. But still, I can now tell you from experience that 300 e-mails will eat your life. Speaking of eating, my family had pizza and sandwiches for the week. On the plus side, it encouraged my son to crack open a cookbook. Win-win.
Continuing on the food front, an unexpected bonus was the tasting menu at the venue. Jennifer and I went in with a firm idea of what we were ordering for the conference lunches, and it all flew out the window when the chef presented us with his suggestions. The mushroom ravioli is killer, and I mean that in the best possible way. And death by chocolate cake? We have you covered.
But the best part has been coming up with new ideas for extra fun this year. We are running a Best First Sentence Competition, and all attendees are invited to submit. The winner will be announced on Saturday, and we’ll have a second off-the-cuff competition based on the winning entry. I am also writing an escape room for some Saturday evening entertainment, for those who want to play. Someone has left clues to solving their own murder, but the police are baffled. Can you ferret out the killer? If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s always the hotel bar. Some time-honored traditions can’t be improved upon.
Am I crazy to have volunteered to co-chair the conference? Absolutely. But it’s already been worth every moment. When it’s all over, I will have learned how to spot a suicide bomber, how to have a long career, and what happens when my novel is (fingers crossed!) optioned for the screen. Best of all, I know I will have made new friends -- and I’ve already found new authors to love.
For more information on the 2019 California Crime Writers Conference, taking place June 8-9 in Culver City, CA, go to https://ccwconference.org/
Laura’s eclectic career includes a picture book to help parents explain a loved one’s dementia (Nana Speaks Nanese), numerous short stories (“A Slice of Heaven” appears in the 2019 Malice Domestic Anthology, Mystery Most Edible), and Destination Mystery, a podcast featuring interviews with crime writers. Find out more at LauraBrennanWrites.com.
Friday, May 03, 2019
Off to Malice
Frankie here. Sorry I don't have time to write a post today. I'm rushing to get myself together before heading off to Malice Domestic, the annual mystery conference in the D.C. area. I've had a cold all week, so playing catch-up.
I went down to the City (NYC) for the Edgars banquet last week. Sitting there about to take a bite of my salad, I had a lovely surprise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8WE_dbijQ
I went down to the City (NYC) for the Edgars banquet last week. Sitting there about to take a bite of my salad, I had a lovely surprise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8WE_dbijQ
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Speaking of Words...
I, Donis, have found it very interesting to read my blogmates recent thoughts on inspiration, the reality of murder and crime solving, outlining (or not), technique, and conveying sense of place.
All of these deep thoughts have made me consider the psychology of my own writing. So much of my technique is unconscious. How do I convey a sense of place, the personalities and motivations of my characters? How does one describe a smell, a color, an emotion? It helps to have a spectacular vocabulary, I’m sure, but it doesn’t seem to be the number of words a writer uses, but which words. Genius is the ability to choose the right words and arrange them in just the right order to convey the perfect nuance of feeling and senses.
What, you may ask, is she babbling about now? I’m actually talking about Ernest Hemingway.I was never a big fan of Hemingway’s manly themes, but I have a great appreciation for the genius of his style. He is terse in the extreme, but somehow he is able to create real honest-to-God people coping with situations that most of us will never face.His characters are so human that in the end, the reader feels she might really know what it’s like to be an anti-Fascist freedom fighter or an elderly Cuban fisherman.How does he do it when he is so sparing with words?
Whether or not we authors convey crime-solving techniques with absolute accuracy or not, mystery is a fabulous form for exploring character. In fact, mystery is all about motivation. Why do people do what they do? What is going on in a character’s head when he is driven to kill someone? Why is the sleuth trying to figure out who did the deed? What is driving him? Do I think about these things when I write a mystery? Yes, I do, especially when I’m creating the character of the murderer. But then after I have written about her for a while, she separates from me, in a way, and begins to react unconsciously to the situations I put her in, like a real person would do.
I know this phenomenon occurs with all authors, but it does make you feel a bit like you’re possessed. I wonder what Dr. Freud would have to say about it?
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