By Sandra Parshall
Do writers use their own darkest fears to lend reality to scary scenes in their novels? Do they sweat along with their characters while they’re sitting at the keyboard? Last time we asked this question, we got a peek into the writing lives of Tess Gerritsen, Hallie Ephron, Simon Wood, and Deborah Crombie. This time around, we’ve asked Tim Hallinan, Kate Flora, and Libby Fischer Hellman to tell us what goes into writing their characters’ most terrifying experiences.
Timothy Hallinan is best known as the author of the Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers. The next in the series, The Fear Artist, will be published in August.
In The Queen of Patpong, which is the fourth and most recent of my Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers, I back up in time to tell the story of Poke's wife. When Rafferty met her, she was working in a bar on the notorious Patpong Road, and Queen traces her transformation from a shy, unworldly village teenager into the “Queen” of Patpong. As Rose says in the book, “queen of a kingdom of whores and viruses.”
Toward the end of her story, a handsome customer named Howard Horner woos her, proposes marriage to her, and then takes her down to Phuket for a holiday. Once their little boat is out on the water, it becomes obvious that Howard is not only not in love with her, but that this has all been a sick game that's supposed to end with him killing her on a cluster of barren rocks in the middle of the Andaman Sea. When the rocks come into sight of the boat's lights, it's nighttime, and Rose waits until Howard is busy avoiding the rocks and rolls backward into the water.
What follows is the longest action scene I've ever written – 25 typeset pages in the book – with Rose in the dark water, water that's swarming with the lethal jellyfish called sea-wasps, as Howard hunts her in the boat. I am personally terrified of dark water. I am personally terrified of sea-wasps, having been stung very lightly by one and having suffered for days as a result. I wrote much of the scene in a single, goose-bumped seven-hour session.
By the time it's over, and she's free of Howard, who's standing on the rocks as the tide comes in, I was a mess. I dreamed the scene all night long. (And made some improvements the next day, suggested by the dreams.)
Kate Flora, a former SinC president, writes the Thea Kozak series and the Joe Burgess series. Her latest book is Redemption.
The scariest situation I've ever put a character in? Well, you know I've been criticized over the years for putting my Thea Kozak character into dangerous situations, and exposing her to physical harm. But I'm a feminist (and PROUD of it) and an equal opportunity writer. Thea is tough and she gets into tough situations, so I have a lot to choose from.
That being said, I think the scene in Liberty or Death, the sixth Thea Kozak mystery, where she is facing a group of religious, conservative militiamen, who try her and convict her of spying on their organization, and decide to execute her, is absolutely terrifying. They lack compassion. They can't be reasoned with. They are utterly convinced that they are right, and since God is on their side, whatever they chose to do is okay. She's lost hope that the cavalry is going to ride in and rescue her. They aim a gun at her. She truly believes she's going to die, and they shoot.
There have been a number of times, in this series, when I've watched my character get herself into situations that have me wringing my mental hands over how headstrong she is, and how foolishly brave she can get when she's angry. But that's her character.
I worry, though, about what will happen should she and Andre ever be lucky enough to become parents.
Libby Fischer Hellman is a former SinC president and author of the Ellie Foreman series and several stand-alone novels. Her latest is A Bitter Veil.
That's a tough question, because, as writers, we always know what the outcome will be, no matter how frightening the scenario. I'd like to rephrase the question this way: What situation did you have the most qualms about writing? That I can answer easily.
There were two, coincidentally in my first and then my most recent thrillers. The first was in An Eye for Murder when Ellie Foreman was tied up and one of her assailants knifed her across her breast. I really had to ask myself whether that was necessary. I decided it was, both for the story and for the symbol of attacking one's "womanliness." Got some emails about that one. The second was in my new literary thriller, A Bitter Veil, which is set in Revolutionary Iran. In one scene, Anna is in prison and is tortured. I really had to examine my motives for that one, too. Was it necessary? Would it have happened in reality? I decided it was. I expect I'll get emails about that as well.
Sandra Parshall writes the Rachel Goddard mysteries. Her next book, Bleeding Through, will be published in September.
Showing posts with label About Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Writing. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Touring: Worth the Price?
By Jeri Westerson
[Originally published at Poe's Deadly Daughters, http://poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com]
My husband actually looks forward to the early part of the tour that I do in Arizona, because this becomes a long weekend for us both, driving from our home in southern California to cross the deserts and slip over the Colorado River into Arizona. A weekend of sitting around pools with the occasional stint at a bookstore or library doesn't sound too bad.
This year, I asked my publicist at St. Martin’s to set me up on a multi-state tour. The company is happy to do that for me. Of course, they don’t actually pay for any of it, they just make the phone calls and set it up. It’s up to me to get there.
Is it worth the time and expense for an author? In this age of social media, can one get away with simply tapping away on the computer to get attention? To sell books, authors have to get their name out there. And even with all the Facebooking and Twittering one can do, I believe there comes a time when you still have to step out of your front door and go out into the world, meeting people personally and connecting with librarians and booksellers.
I do events all year. I’m lucky to live in southern California where there seems to be lots of avenues for me to get myself out into the public eye, from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to the smaller but no less high profile literary gatherings like Literary Orange and luncheons sponsored by various women’s professional organizations, as well as library appearances. And once the word gets out that you’re halfway entertaining, you get recommended all over the place. That’s how I roll these days, through recommendations, through the speaker’s bureau at my Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime, and through my publicist with my publisher.
But that only gets me connected in California. I wanted far more coverage than that and this year, I pulled out the stops—and my credit card—to hit the road. (You can see pictures of my adventures at www.Getting-Medieval.com)
Before any official book tour, I began the year in January with a couple of panels at the ALA Midwinter Conference in San Diego. And then I got invited to Murder on the Menu, a grand panel of authors sponsored by the Cerritos Library in southern California. So far so good. I could drive to these and they required no overnight stay.
In February, I was invited to Birmingham, Alabama, for the weekend of author panels and events in Murder in the Magic City. Now I needed to shell out airfare and hotel. They managed the ferrying around and the meals, so that helped. Also in February, I flew up to San Francisco for a day to the Oakland Library to participate on a panel with other mystery authors. Airfare only, as one of my critique partners, Ana Brazil, who lives in the area, offered to drive me around (when I came off the plane she was holding up one of those signs with my name on it, as if she were a limo driver. Funny!)
In April, I hit Literary Orange on a panel with fellow author (and personal idol) Barbara Hambly, and made all sorts of connections with librarians, scoring more gigs for later in the year. There were no fees accrued there and I got a free lunch, to boot. Also in April, San Antonio College invited me to speak as part of its writer’s week (they heard about me through acquaintance with another mystery author). They paid me to be there. (That's what I'm talkin' about!)
At the end of April, I skipped the free LA Times Festival of Books to attend the mystery fan convention, Malice Domestic, in Bethesda, Maryland, where I hosted a banquet table with fans and fans-to-be and also sat on a panel. I paid a conference fee, airfare, hotel and meals, as well as dosh for giveaways to my tablemates.
I taught a workshop on researching the historical novel at the California Crime Writer’s Conference in Pasadena, for which I only shelled out for the hotel room (which I really got free with my points from Best Western).
In June, I attended and was empaneled at the Historical Novel Society Conference in San Diego 
(I paid a conference fee, which they cut in half since I was a speaker, hotel expenses, and gas to get there. Meals were included.)
In September, I went to Bouchercon in St. Louis, moderated one panel, sat on another, was snuck into the Library Breakfast by my publisher, and attended an outside event under my pen name at a local bookstore. In October I was on a panel at the West Hollywood Book Fair as my alter ego, and then began my medieval mystery book tour with my book launch in Pasadena (hotel, meals and party expenses for the launch, including sword-fighting knights, who don't come cheap!)
The following weekend, my husband and I headed out for the Arizona leg of the tour, which was driv
eable (gas, food, lodging). But the weekend after that, I was flying out to Texas to hit a bookstore each in Houston and Austin. The next weekend, I was in North Carolina, hitting two libraries and two bookstores, and this last weekend wrapped things up in Wisconsin having been invited to Murder and Mayhem in Muskego, another weekend full of panels with 14 other mystery authors.
This last stop in Wisconsin was the only event I attended all year where all expenses were paid by the sponsors (except that my flight out of Milwaukee was delayed and I missed my connecting flight to California which ended up in an overnight stay in Chicago, which I paid for). Otherwise, I was all in for conference registration fees, hotels, car rentals, gas, airfare and meals. And let me tell you, all told for the year, that is a very, VERY BIG bill for a mid-list author with only four books released (six if you count the others under my pen name). If you think it's glamorous being an author, let me show you my credit card bills.
So, am I just going to complain about it or has it been worthwhile? On a human level, it was very worthwhile. Going to meet the readers personally, giving readers face time--and connecting in person to all those Facebook friends--leads to even more loyalty and to talking me up to other readers. Same thing at the bookstores. Sure, I sell a few right then and there, but now you’ve got the bookstore owner on your side, hand-selling when a curious and eager reader shows up and just has no idea what to read next.
But how does one quantify it? Do I have to sell X number of books on my tour to pay for it? Does it even work that way? Can it?
The answer, I believe, is not really. It’s truly impossible to quantify how many books I will eventually sell by these out-of-pocket efforts.
Touring is not for everyone. And because of the expense involved, I doubt I will be doing much traveling at all next year (see me and Crispin on Facebook!). But I’m glad I gave it a push this time around. And, as many of the librarians and new fans told me, “You weren’t on my radar before, but you are now!” Maybe that says it all.
(Pictures, from top: Jeri and the Giant Peach outside of Birmingham, AL; the costume parade at the Historical Novel Society Conference; the town called Hope in Arizona I passed through.)
Jeri Westerson, the president of the Orange County chapter of Sisters in Crime, is the author of the Crispin Guest medieval mysteries. The newest title in the series is Troubled Bones. The previous title, The Demon's Parchment, was nominated for the Reviewer's Choice Award for Historical Mystery from Romantic Times magazine and the Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery. For more information, see www.JeriWesterson.com.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Considering the MacGuffin
[Originally published in a longer version at http://www.cozychicksblog.com]
By J. J. Murphy
Have you ever heard of a MacGuffin? And, no, it’s not a new breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s.
If you’re a movie buff, you probably know this term. It was used by film director Alfred Hitchcock to explain a certain kind of plot device. Specifically, a MacGuffin is a valuable item that both the heroes and the villains are desperately trying to obtain. It’s often used in thrillers or mysteries, but it can appear in other types of films or books as well.
One classic example of a MacGuffin is the black bird statuette in the film, “The Maltese Falcon.” Another is the Ark of Covenant in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Yet another is the sled, Rosebud, in “Citizen Kane.” A MacGuffin is a kind of holy grail, sometimes literally, as in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” or “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
The MacGuffin is often an object that has no meaning other than simply being valuable. It’s sometimes just a thing that the story revolves around, something that moves the plot forward. For example, we never find out what’s actually on the secret microfilm in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.”
But this object, because it’s pursued by many people, becomes the repository of their hopes and desires.
“The stuff that dreams are made of,” said Humphrey Bogart (as Sam Spade) in “The Maltese Falcon.”
Tell us, what’s your favorite MacGuffin – and where can it be found?
Photo: J. J. Murphy and spouse.
J.J. Murphy writes the Algonquin Round Table mysteries, a humorous historical series that features Dorothy Parker as a witty sleuth in 1920s New York. The most recent title in the series, You Might As Well Die, focuses on the tale of Ernie MacGuffin, a second-rate artist and a first-rate nuisance who jumps to his certain death off the Brooklyn Bridge. It takes Parker, the other members of the famed Algonquin round table and master magician Harry Houdini to determine what really happened to him.
By J. J. Murphy
Have you ever heard of a MacGuffin? And, no, it’s not a new breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s.If you’re a movie buff, you probably know this term. It was used by film director Alfred Hitchcock to explain a certain kind of plot device. Specifically, a MacGuffin is a valuable item that both the heroes and the villains are desperately trying to obtain. It’s often used in thrillers or mysteries, but it can appear in other types of films or books as well.
One classic example of a MacGuffin is the black bird statuette in the film, “The Maltese Falcon.” Another is the Ark of Covenant in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Yet another is the sled, Rosebud, in “Citizen Kane.” A MacGuffin is a kind of holy grail, sometimes literally, as in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” or “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
The MacGuffin is often an object that has no meaning other than simply being valuable. It’s sometimes just a thing that the story revolves around, something that moves the plot forward. For example, we never find out what’s actually on the secret microfilm in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.”
But this object, because it’s pursued by many people, becomes the repository of their hopes and desires.
“The stuff that dreams are made of,” said Humphrey Bogart (as Sam Spade) in “The Maltese Falcon.”
Tell us, what’s your favorite MacGuffin – and where can it be found?
Photo: J. J. Murphy and spouse.
J.J. Murphy writes the Algonquin Round Table mysteries, a humorous historical series that features Dorothy Parker as a witty sleuth in 1920s New York. The most recent title in the series, You Might As Well Die, focuses on the tale of Ernie MacGuffin, a second-rate artist and a first-rate nuisance who jumps to his certain death off the Brooklyn Bridge. It takes Parker, the other members of the famed Algonquin round table and master magician Harry Houdini to determine what really happened to him.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Letting Go In Order to Write
By Ellen Byerrum
[Originally published online at http://ellenbyerrum.livejournal.com/]
Every book gets written in spite of fear, anxiety, and the world at large - or maybe they are written in spite of ourselves, when we manage to get out of our own way. And so there comes a point in every mystery novel where I have to let go of my fears and preconceptions about what it should be and who it has to please, and simply write the story. I have to let go in order to reach a new and different level in my writing.
That seems self-evident, and yet it's easy to allow little things to stump me and stop me. I have to remember what I enjoy about writing. That often seems impossible. And it means kicking all the invisible critics off my shoulders and ignoring the visible ones. It means I have to remember why I like my characters and their stories in the first place. Why I started writing in the first place.
After writing the Crime of Fashion mystery series for eight books, it becomes way too easy to get wrapped up in conflicting expectations. The geometry of the plot, for example. How many suspects should there be? Where and who are the red herrings? What is the story arc? Where do I introduce a new character? How do the mechanics work? Am I ignoring regulars in the series that people love, but who just don’t have a big role in this book? How do I make room for new characters I'm excited about bringing to life?
And then there are the ... Fashion Bites! Believe me, including "Fashion Bites" in the books was never my idea in the first place. In my first novel (Killer Hair), I included a few tiny snippets of the reporting and fashion columns written by my heroine, fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian, just enough to give a flavor of her writing and her job at her newspaper. But my editor at the time (a terrific editor I'm still friends with, by the way) eagerly suggested how much fun it would be to turn these snippets into full columns in the books.
Fun?! The last thing I think about when I write them is fun. I worry if I have enough of them (four or five per book). I worry if they're smart and funny. Are they useful as actual fashion advice? Do they reflect the plot and move it forward? Are they in the right places, right order, right mood? Do they carry Lacey's unique voice and viewpoint? Do they work? Do they bite? (Yes, they often do.)
All those things can get in the way of the story. They can drain the energy, the spontaneity and the zest of the book. The story needs to spring to life as if it can't wait to be told. When the dialog is just okay and the opening is top-loaded with exposition, it reflects too much attention to the geometry and the plot set-up to make it enjoyable.
Overall, I have to remember that a mystery, though plotted carefully, is not an algorithm. In my experience, writing the required outline can strip away the moment-to-moment surprises like nothing else. Can you really write well if you’re burdened by some formula? If a = suspects, b = complications, c = corpse and d = detective, do you add blind alleys and red herrings, and divide by y (means, motive and opportunity) in order to find x (the culprit). Or does that just make it stale?
You may solve the mystery that way, but it does not necessarily add up to a good mystery. Formulas and algorithms for writing do not account for the effervescence, the will o' the wisp, the life and soul of a book. If you write it to a formula, it will read like a formula.
So why is that so hard to remember?
Ellen Byerrum is the author of the Crime of Fashion mysteries. Two of her books -- Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover -- were adapted for film by the Lifetime Movie Network. The seventh and latest installment in the series is Shot Through Velvet.
[Originally published online at http://ellenbyerrum.livejournal.com/]
Every book gets written in spite of fear, anxiety, and the world at large - or maybe they are written in spite of ourselves, when we manage to get out of our own way. And so there comes a point in every mystery novel where I have to let go of my fears and preconceptions about what it should be and who it has to please, and simply write the story. I have to let go in order to reach a new and different level in my writing.That seems self-evident, and yet it's easy to allow little things to stump me and stop me. I have to remember what I enjoy about writing. That often seems impossible. And it means kicking all the invisible critics off my shoulders and ignoring the visible ones. It means I have to remember why I like my characters and their stories in the first place. Why I started writing in the first place.
After writing the Crime of Fashion mystery series for eight books, it becomes way too easy to get wrapped up in conflicting expectations. The geometry of the plot, for example. How many suspects should there be? Where and who are the red herrings? What is the story arc? Where do I introduce a new character? How do the mechanics work? Am I ignoring regulars in the series that people love, but who just don’t have a big role in this book? How do I make room for new characters I'm excited about bringing to life?
And then there are the ... Fashion Bites! Believe me, including "Fashion Bites" in the books was never my idea in the first place. In my first novel (Killer Hair), I included a few tiny snippets of the reporting and fashion columns written by my heroine, fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian, just enough to give a flavor of her writing and her job at her newspaper. But my editor at the time (a terrific editor I'm still friends with, by the way) eagerly suggested how much fun it would be to turn these snippets into full columns in the books.
Fun?! The last thing I think about when I write them is fun. I worry if I have enough of them (four or five per book). I worry if they're smart and funny. Are they useful as actual fashion advice? Do they reflect the plot and move it forward? Are they in the right places, right order, right mood? Do they carry Lacey's unique voice and viewpoint? Do they work? Do they bite? (Yes, they often do.)
All those things can get in the way of the story. They can drain the energy, the spontaneity and the zest of the book. The story needs to spring to life as if it can't wait to be told. When the dialog is just okay and the opening is top-loaded with exposition, it reflects too much attention to the geometry and the plot set-up to make it enjoyable.
Overall, I have to remember that a mystery, though plotted carefully, is not an algorithm. In my experience, writing the required outline can strip away the moment-to-moment surprises like nothing else. Can you really write well if you’re burdened by some formula? If a = suspects, b = complications, c = corpse and d = detective, do you add blind alleys and red herrings, and divide by y (means, motive and opportunity) in order to find x (the culprit). Or does that just make it stale?
You may solve the mystery that way, but it does not necessarily add up to a good mystery. Formulas and algorithms for writing do not account for the effervescence, the will o' the wisp, the life and soul of a book. If you write it to a formula, it will read like a formula.
- “Couldn’t you add a cat? Mystery readers love cats!” Don’t think so. I’m allergic to them in Real Life, so I can’t conduct the proper research.
- “Have you considered a crime-fighting parrot?” Please, I’m trying to write. Although, in comic terms, the parrot is intriguing. Polly, want a clue? Wait, don’t distract me!
- “This is too gritty/dark/light/comic for your readers.” Really? How do you know? Are my readers so delicate, so Victorian, they can’t take a touch of gritty realism? Will they faint if Lacey Smithsonian finds herself between a murderer and a hard place or investigates a skin-crawling, heartbreaking crime? Do they never laugh through the tears in Real Life? I suspect my readers are made of sterner (and deeper) stuff than formulaic mysteries. And I hope I am, too. And even though my books are comic, they are not fluffy. They have subtext. They have life.
So why is that so hard to remember?
Ellen Byerrum is the author of the Crime of Fashion mysteries. Two of her books -- Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover -- were adapted for film by the Lifetime Movie Network. The seventh and latest installment in the series is Shot Through Velvet.
Friday, December 9, 2011
SinC Offers Two Hours of Video on the Latest Publishing Trends
For the first time ever, Sisters in Crime (SinC) is offering a series of video presentations of a SinC-sponsored writers’ workshop.
The video content, available online at no charge to members and non-members, includes more than two hours of information on the latest trends in publishing presented by crime fiction industry leaders specifically for crime fiction authors. The sessions were taped during Sisters in Crime’s annual “SinC Into Great Writing” workshop in September 2011.
The free video content includes:
Meg Gardiner: Lying for a Living
Award-winning thriller author Meg Gardiner speaks about the craft of writing and the key elements of a good read. (21 minutes)
Ellen Hart: E-publishing 101
Award-winning mystery author Ellen Hart provides an introduction to the first steps in e-publishing your novel. (9 minutes)
Libby Fischer Hellmann: To E or not to E
Award-winning crime fiction author Libby Fischer Hellmann presents the pros and cons of traditional publishing and e-publishing options. (20 minutes)
David Wilk: Trends in Publishing
Booktrix CEO David Wilk offers a look at a variety of issues facing authors today, from social media to the best materials to e-publish. (22 minutes)
Marcia Talley: Look Ma! I've Been Kindled!
Award-winning mystery author Marcia Talley provides a tutorial on publishing a manuscript for the Kindle and Nook platforms. The PowerPoint slides for her presentation are posted online with the video file. (15 minutes)
The Business of Print Publishing
Award-winning authors Cathy Pickens and Jim Huang present an overview of the business side of print publishing. (12 minutes)
Brazen Hussies Present: A Colloquium on Marketing
Marcia Talley leads a discussion of marketing possibilities. The panelists include Libby Jordan, marketing consultant for Open Road Media; Gina Panettieri, President and Executive Editor of Talcott Notch Literary Services and Debbi Mack, independently-published author. (19 minutes)
The seven-video series is available to Sisters in Crime members online at http://www.sistersincrime.org in the Members Only section at the Promoting Yourself area. Members will need a username and password to access the videos here. In addition, the video files are available to non-members online at http://www.sistersincrime.org in the Recent News section linked here.
Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to support the professional development and advancement of women crime fiction authors.
The video content, available online at no charge to members and non-members, includes more than two hours of information on the latest trends in publishing presented by crime fiction industry leaders specifically for crime fiction authors. The sessions were taped during Sisters in Crime’s annual “SinC Into Great Writing” workshop in September 2011.
The free video content includes:
Meg Gardiner: Lying for a Living
Award-winning thriller author Meg Gardiner speaks about the craft of writing and the key elements of a good read. (21 minutes)
Ellen Hart: E-publishing 101
Award-winning mystery author Ellen Hart provides an introduction to the first steps in e-publishing your novel. (9 minutes)
Libby Fischer Hellmann: To E or not to E
Award-winning crime fiction author Libby Fischer Hellmann presents the pros and cons of traditional publishing and e-publishing options. (20 minutes)
David Wilk: Trends in Publishing
Booktrix CEO David Wilk offers a look at a variety of issues facing authors today, from social media to the best materials to e-publish. (22 minutes)
Marcia Talley: Look Ma! I've Been Kindled!
Award-winning mystery author Marcia Talley provides a tutorial on publishing a manuscript for the Kindle and Nook platforms. The PowerPoint slides for her presentation are posted online with the video file. (15 minutes)
The Business of Print Publishing
Award-winning authors Cathy Pickens and Jim Huang present an overview of the business side of print publishing. (12 minutes)
Brazen Hussies Present: A Colloquium on Marketing
Marcia Talley leads a discussion of marketing possibilities. The panelists include Libby Jordan, marketing consultant for Open Road Media; Gina Panettieri, President and Executive Editor of Talcott Notch Literary Services and Debbi Mack, independently-published author. (19 minutes)
The seven-video series is available to Sisters in Crime members online at http://www.sistersincrime.org in the Members Only section at the Promoting Yourself area. Members will need a username and password to access the videos here. In addition, the video files are available to non-members online at http://www.sistersincrime.org in the Recent News section linked here.
Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to support the professional development and advancement of women crime fiction authors.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Finding Their Place in History
by Sandra Parshall
Authors of historical novels have all of human history, and a world of settings, to choose from. Have you ever wondered why a mystery writer decides to place a series in an earlier era – and what draws him or her to a particular time and place? We asked four authors of historical crime series what led to their choices.
Stefanie Pintoff, author of Secret of the White Rose, latest in the Simon Ziele mysteries:
“I was drawn to setting my historical series in early 1900s New York City for two primary reasons.
“First, there was never a question but that New York City would be a central setting in my books. I’m one of those people who became a New Yorker the moment I set foot here – and I find the city and its history to be endlessly fascinating.
“And second, I was drawn to the forensic innovation so prevalent during the time period. By 1905, more forward-thinking criminal scientists were beginning to challenge the prevailing opinion that criminal behavior resulted from a flaw of nature – a view popularized by Lombroso’s theory of the ‘born criminal.’ Scientists like my Alistair Sinclair sought to disprove these notions by interviewing and learning from a variety of violent offenders. This practice was not uncommon, but it was highly controversial: people worried that if we came to understand the criminal too well, then we might excuse (and not punish) his or her behavior.
“This led me to the challenge of creating an imperfect profiler. Someone who had many of the same questions we do today – but access to less sophisticated answers. Someone who would be brilliant and passionately devoted to his subject – but egocentric to the point of folly. Someone who would be just as enamored of New York City's high society as he was his academic passions. Through this scientist and my lead detective, Simon Ziele, I have introduced elements of ‘new’ science in each book – fingerprinting in the first, graphology in the second, and ballistics testing in the third (experts had just discovered that it was possible to match a particular gun to the bullet it had fired). I love the zeitgeist of this era, characterized by a tremendous faith in possibility – and the sense that the next big discovery was just around the corner, certain to change everything for the better.”
Kelli Stanley, author of City of Secrets, latest in the Miranda Corbie mysteries, and the Arcturus Roman noir mysteries:
“I grew up feeling like I secretly belonged in another era: the 1930s and 40s. I watched classic films, listened to radio shows (it helped that I was a kid in the nostalgia-crazed 70s) and devoured issues of a well-loved magazine called Nostalgia Illustrated, which covered popular culture of the 20s through the 50s.
“Call it Kismet, call it fate, but my fascination with the 30s and 40s – the period before my parent's actual memories, as they were both born in '39 – was always there, from the earliest age I can remember and, once I decided to become a writer, setting a series in the period between the wars seemed inevitable.
“As for San Francisco, though I didn't grow up here – and therefore don't share personal memories of Playland-at-the-Beach and other fondly-remembered landmarks – I did visit SF fairly regularly from the age of 10. I fell in love with it. I always sensed an electricity, a crispness, a clarity that other places and other cities lacked, a kind of devil-may-care danger and a celebratory sort of mad but innocent hedonism.
“Once I became an adult, it also seemed inevitable for me to live here (I have since 1985) and write about the City by the Bay... I may not be a native – indeed, I'm not a California native – but my heart is certainly in San Francisco, particularly in the rollicking, wide-open, cosmopolitan but small-town-generous city that she was in the 30s, 40s and 50s.”
Jeri Westerson, author of Troubled Bones, latest in the Crispin Guest medieval noir mysteries:
“The ‘Middle Ages’ spans some 1500 years, so I had to narrow it down from that. I picked that particular time in the 14th century to write about because it came some 40 years after the Plague that took out a third of the population of Europe: a third of the merchants, farmers, nobility—no one was spared.
It is also the age when the 10-year-old Richard II took the throne and began his intrigue-embattled reign that concluded at the end of the century with his being deposed and murdered. It is the time of the Hundred Years War and chivalry in its prime, with jousts and armor-plated battles. And it is the era of Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote the first important literary works in English (and who also appears as a character in my latest book, Troubled Bones).
When William the Conqueror came to England three centuries before, he kicked out all the Saxon (English-speaking) nobles and placed his own in their place and, for centuries after, the nobility of England only spoke French. But, in the late 1300’s, even the king is speaking (Middle) English and this is the beginning formation of the sense of Englishness that culminates with Henry VIII two centuries later. It’s a fascinating time to write about.”
Carola Dunn, author of Anthem for Doomed Youth, latest in the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, and the Cornish mysteries:
“I chose the 1920s for the Daisy Dalrymple series because it was a time of change, when women were taking advantage of opportunities opened by the huge loss of men in WWI. I didn't want to deal with the horrors of the war directly, though the lingering shadows play a part in most of the books.
“My Cornish series is set about 1970. I didn't actually choose the date – after 30 years of writing historical fiction I thought I'd give myself a break and be vague. I said in a foreword to the first one that it's set "somewhere between my childhood memories of Cornwall and the present reality." But somehow it's got pinned down to the late '60s, early '70s.
“Almost all my books are set in England (Daisy does venture to America in one, and several of my Regencies are set elsewhere) because I'm a Brit in exile. After over four decades in the U.S., I still sound just about as English as when I landed on
these shores.”
Sandra Parshall is the award-winning author of the Rachel Goddard mystery series. Her latest book is Under the Dog Star, published this month by Poisoned Pen Press.
Authors of historical novels have all of human history, and a world of settings, to choose from. Have you ever wondered why a mystery writer decides to place a series in an earlier era – and what draws him or her to a particular time and place? We asked four authors of historical crime series what led to their choices.
Stefanie Pintoff, author of Secret of the White Rose, latest in the Simon Ziele mysteries:“I was drawn to setting my historical series in early 1900s New York City for two primary reasons.
“First, there was never a question but that New York City would be a central setting in my books. I’m one of those people who became a New Yorker the moment I set foot here – and I find the city and its history to be endlessly fascinating.
“And second, I was drawn to the forensic innovation so prevalent during the time period. By 1905, more forward-thinking criminal scientists were beginning to challenge the prevailing opinion that criminal behavior resulted from a flaw of nature – a view popularized by Lombroso’s theory of the ‘born criminal.’ Scientists like my Alistair Sinclair sought to disprove these notions by interviewing and learning from a variety of violent offenders. This practice was not uncommon, but it was highly controversial: people worried that if we came to understand the criminal too well, then we might excuse (and not punish) his or her behavior.
“This led me to the challenge of creating an imperfect profiler. Someone who had many of the same questions we do today – but access to less sophisticated answers. Someone who would be brilliant and passionately devoted to his subject – but egocentric to the point of folly. Someone who would be just as enamored of New York City's high society as he was his academic passions. Through this scientist and my lead detective, Simon Ziele, I have introduced elements of ‘new’ science in each book – fingerprinting in the first, graphology in the second, and ballistics testing in the third (experts had just discovered that it was possible to match a particular gun to the bullet it had fired). I love the zeitgeist of this era, characterized by a tremendous faith in possibility – and the sense that the next big discovery was just around the corner, certain to change everything for the better.”
Kelli Stanley, author of City of Secrets, latest in the Miranda Corbie mysteries, and the Arcturus Roman noir mysteries:“I grew up feeling like I secretly belonged in another era: the 1930s and 40s. I watched classic films, listened to radio shows (it helped that I was a kid in the nostalgia-crazed 70s) and devoured issues of a well-loved magazine called Nostalgia Illustrated, which covered popular culture of the 20s through the 50s.
“Call it Kismet, call it fate, but my fascination with the 30s and 40s – the period before my parent's actual memories, as they were both born in '39 – was always there, from the earliest age I can remember and, once I decided to become a writer, setting a series in the period between the wars seemed inevitable.
“As for San Francisco, though I didn't grow up here – and therefore don't share personal memories of Playland-at-the-Beach and other fondly-remembered landmarks – I did visit SF fairly regularly from the age of 10. I fell in love with it. I always sensed an electricity, a crispness, a clarity that other places and other cities lacked, a kind of devil-may-care danger and a celebratory sort of mad but innocent hedonism.
“Once I became an adult, it also seemed inevitable for me to live here (I have since 1985) and write about the City by the Bay... I may not be a native – indeed, I'm not a California native – but my heart is certainly in San Francisco, particularly in the rollicking, wide-open, cosmopolitan but small-town-generous city that she was in the 30s, 40s and 50s.”
Jeri Westerson, author of Troubled Bones, latest in the Crispin Guest medieval noir mysteries:“The ‘Middle Ages’ spans some 1500 years, so I had to narrow it down from that. I picked that particular time in the 14th century to write about because it came some 40 years after the Plague that took out a third of the population of Europe: a third of the merchants, farmers, nobility—no one was spared.
It is also the age when the 10-year-old Richard II took the throne and began his intrigue-embattled reign that concluded at the end of the century with his being deposed and murdered. It is the time of the Hundred Years War and chivalry in its prime, with jousts and armor-plated battles. And it is the era of Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote the first important literary works in English (and who also appears as a character in my latest book, Troubled Bones).
When William the Conqueror came to England three centuries before, he kicked out all the Saxon (English-speaking) nobles and placed his own in their place and, for centuries after, the nobility of England only spoke French. But, in the late 1300’s, even the king is speaking (Middle) English and this is the beginning formation of the sense of Englishness that culminates with Henry VIII two centuries later. It’s a fascinating time to write about.”
Carola Dunn, author of Anthem for Doomed Youth, latest in the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, and the Cornish mysteries:“I chose the 1920s for the Daisy Dalrymple series because it was a time of change, when women were taking advantage of opportunities opened by the huge loss of men in WWI. I didn't want to deal with the horrors of the war directly, though the lingering shadows play a part in most of the books.
“My Cornish series is set about 1970. I didn't actually choose the date – after 30 years of writing historical fiction I thought I'd give myself a break and be vague. I said in a foreword to the first one that it's set "somewhere between my childhood memories of Cornwall and the present reality." But somehow it's got pinned down to the late '60s, early '70s.
“Almost all my books are set in England (Daisy does venture to America in one, and several of my Regencies are set elsewhere) because I'm a Brit in exile. After over four decades in the U.S., I still sound just about as English as when I landed on
these shores.”
Sandra Parshall is the award-winning author of the Rachel Goddard mystery series. Her latest book is Under the Dog Star, published this month by Poisoned Pen Press.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Aiding and Abetting
By Julie Tollefson
One of the things I value about members of Sisters in Crime is their willingness to aid and abet -- not in a criminal way, but in many generous and unselfish ways that help others build careers.
As a beginning fiction writer, the best career decision I’ve made was to join Sisters in Crime and its Border Crimes and Guppies chapters. The opportunities to grow as a writer and the camaraderie of the members are outstanding.
The monthly meetings of the Border Crimes chapter, which draws members from both the Kansas and Missouri sides of the Kansas City area, feature a programming mix that serves the interests of both writers and readers. In the past year, we’ve had visiting authors and book signings, as well as discussions with a homicide detective, a financial crimes investigator and experts in the psychology of anger. If that’s not enough, the chapter offers something special the second Saturday of every month, when the fabulous Nancy Pickard leads a book dissection workshop for writers to explore the techniques and skills of mystery writing. So many benefits for the low, low price of SinC membership!
Not long ago, I read a post on the Escaping Mediocrity blog describing crabs trapped in a bucket dragging each other down every time one tried to climb out. The author of the piece, Sarah Robinson, imagined a different scenario in which helpful crabs came to the rescue of their trapped brethren, aiding their escape from captivity. She suggested that in our lives and careers, we should look for the helpful crabs, the individuals who have successfully traveled a path similar to the one we are on and who are willing to lend us a hand on our journey.
“Because they’ve tasted freedom and they know your struggle, they are putting energy into aiding and abetting your escape. I believe that for those of us determined to get out of the bucket, such a group exists,” she wrote. (Read the entire post here).
Without a doubt, Sisters in Crime is such a group.
William W. Warner borrowed the name of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Beautiful Swimmers, from the translation of the Atlantic blue crab’s scientific name, Callinectes sapidus. (Callinectes = beautiful swimmer, sapidus = tasty.) The name also aptly describes the helpful members of Sisters in Crime. The established writers who willingly mentor others. The Sisters who commiserate and offer advice when the business of publishing seems overwhelming. The authors who volunteer information and guidance, swimming alongside colleagues through the challenges and joys of bringing a book to market. The result is a strong community that aids and abets all members in pursuit of their goals.
Sisters in Crime is a special group, and I feel unbelievably fortunate to be a member. I’ll wager every member has at least one story of a Sister (or Mister) who has gone above and beyond to lend a helping hand. Let’s show what great people belong to this organization. Give a shout out in the comments section to the good crabs, the beautiful swimmers, you’ve met through Sisters in Crime.
Julie Tollefson spends her days overseeing communications for an academic research center and her nights writing fiction. She can be found online at http://julietollefson.com.
Photo by David Gnojek.
One of the things I value about members of Sisters in Crime is their willingness to aid and abet -- not in a criminal way, but in many generous and unselfish ways that help others build careers.As a beginning fiction writer, the best career decision I’ve made was to join Sisters in Crime and its Border Crimes and Guppies chapters. The opportunities to grow as a writer and the camaraderie of the members are outstanding.
The monthly meetings of the Border Crimes chapter, which draws members from both the Kansas and Missouri sides of the Kansas City area, feature a programming mix that serves the interests of both writers and readers. In the past year, we’ve had visiting authors and book signings, as well as discussions with a homicide detective, a financial crimes investigator and experts in the psychology of anger. If that’s not enough, the chapter offers something special the second Saturday of every month, when the fabulous Nancy Pickard leads a book dissection workshop for writers to explore the techniques and skills of mystery writing. So many benefits for the low, low price of SinC membership!
Not long ago, I read a post on the Escaping Mediocrity blog describing crabs trapped in a bucket dragging each other down every time one tried to climb out. The author of the piece, Sarah Robinson, imagined a different scenario in which helpful crabs came to the rescue of their trapped brethren, aiding their escape from captivity. She suggested that in our lives and careers, we should look for the helpful crabs, the individuals who have successfully traveled a path similar to the one we are on and who are willing to lend us a hand on our journey.
“Because they’ve tasted freedom and they know your struggle, they are putting energy into aiding and abetting your escape. I believe that for those of us determined to get out of the bucket, such a group exists,” she wrote. (Read the entire post here).
Without a doubt, Sisters in Crime is such a group.
William W. Warner borrowed the name of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Beautiful Swimmers, from the translation of the Atlantic blue crab’s scientific name, Callinectes sapidus. (Callinectes = beautiful swimmer, sapidus = tasty.) The name also aptly describes the helpful members of Sisters in Crime. The established writers who willingly mentor others. The Sisters who commiserate and offer advice when the business of publishing seems overwhelming. The authors who volunteer information and guidance, swimming alongside colleagues through the challenges and joys of bringing a book to market. The result is a strong community that aids and abets all members in pursuit of their goals.
Sisters in Crime is a special group, and I feel unbelievably fortunate to be a member. I’ll wager every member has at least one story of a Sister (or Mister) who has gone above and beyond to lend a helping hand. Let’s show what great people belong to this organization. Give a shout out in the comments section to the good crabs, the beautiful swimmers, you’ve met through Sisters in Crime.
Julie Tollefson spends her days overseeing communications for an academic research center and her nights writing fiction. She can be found online at http://julietollefson.com.
Photo by David Gnojek.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Scared to Death: The Authors' Viewpoint
by Sandra Parshall
Crime fiction authors put their characters through some horrifying ordeals for the reading pleasure of their fans. Have you ever wondered what scares the writers themselves – and whether they call on their own fears to ratchet up the tension in their stories?
We asked five outstanding writers which of their fictional scenarios sends shivers down their spines.
Tess Gerritsen, author of The Silent Girl, latest in the Rizzoli & Isles series:
“I tend to put my poor heroines through exactly the things that terrify me, whether it's being buried alive, or trapped in space or chased by serial killers. I would have to say that being buried alive is probably the worst of them, something that happened to one of my characters in Body Double. The pregnant woman in that book, Mattie Purvis, is kidnapped and held in a box underground until she goes into labor. She doesn’t know when -- or if -- the kidnapper will come back to get her. She doesn’t know if he's planning to kill her. All she knows is that she’s alone, in the dark, in a place where no one will ever find her. Eeek.”
Meg Gardiner, author of The Nightmare Thief, latest in the Jo Beckett series:
"The fictional scenario that most terrifies me takes place in my novel, China Lake. Heroine Evan Delaney is driving her six-year-old nephew to her brother's house when the cops stop her. Though she's the little boy's guardian, they arrest her for child abduction. They not only take him from her, but prepare to hand him over to his mother -- who has joined an apocalyptic religious sect. Desperate to get the boy back, she has lied and set Evan up for arrest. Handcuffed and locked in the back of a patrol car, Evan watches as the cops pass little Luke into the hands of violent lunatics. She has to find some way to stop it before her nephew is taken away forever.
"There's no secret why this idea terrifies me: I'm a mom. And if anybody tried to take one of my kids away, I hope I'd react with the do-or-die tenacity that Evan does."
Hallie Ephron, author of the new suspense novel, Come and Find Me:
“In Never Tell a Lie, I wrote about a woman, nine-months pregnant with her first child, and who has had multiple miscarriages. She's in danger of losing her unborn child. As I was writing, I followed advice I’d gotten: when you are writing extreme emotion, find a situation in your past that elicited that emotion and channel it into the writing. I revisited a truly terrifying moment (we were swimming) when I came this close to losing my baby girl. The detail of the situation wasn't the same at all, of course, but the emotion was.”
Simon Wood, author of Did Not Finish, first in the new Aidy Westlake series:
“Crash landing an aircraft that occurs in Accidents Waiting to Happen. It was based on something I had to do as a student pilot. I was involved in a near-miss in bad weather, and I had to set the plane down in a field, but I had time on my side to get my plane down. In the book, the plane is falling out of the sky and the pilot has to crash land. He has five minutes at best to find a safe spot to land and set the plane down before he runs out of elevation. The worst part of a scenario like this is that no one can help you and you can't pull over. You can only do your best. That's scary.”
Deborah Crombie, author of No Mark Upon Her, latest in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series
“I have a fairly long line of dire deeds to pick from. Thinking about it, I seem to have been quite fond of the good old blunt instrument. But I have also drowned quite a few characters, and I think that terrifies me more than anything. Remember the scene in "The Abyss" where Ed Harris has to watch Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio let herself drown? Gave me nightmares for years. And Charlie in "Lost?"
“Maybe I should stay out of the water . . .”
Sandra Parshall is the award-winning author of the Rachel Goddard mystery series. Her latest book is Under the Dog Star, published this month by Poisoned Pen Press.
Crime fiction authors put their characters through some horrifying ordeals for the reading pleasure of their fans. Have you ever wondered what scares the writers themselves – and whether they call on their own fears to ratchet up the tension in their stories?
We asked five outstanding writers which of their fictional scenarios sends shivers down their spines.
Tess Gerritsen, author of The Silent Girl, latest in the Rizzoli & Isles series:
“I tend to put my poor heroines through exactly the things that terrify me, whether it's being buried alive, or trapped in space or chased by serial killers. I would have to say that being buried alive is probably the worst of them, something that happened to one of my characters in Body Double. The pregnant woman in that book, Mattie Purvis, is kidnapped and held in a box underground until she goes into labor. She doesn’t know when -- or if -- the kidnapper will come back to get her. She doesn’t know if he's planning to kill her. All she knows is that she’s alone, in the dark, in a place where no one will ever find her. Eeek.”
Meg Gardiner, author of The Nightmare Thief, latest in the Jo Beckett series:
"The fictional scenario that most terrifies me takes place in my novel, China Lake. Heroine Evan Delaney is driving her six-year-old nephew to her brother's house when the cops stop her. Though she's the little boy's guardian, they arrest her for child abduction. They not only take him from her, but prepare to hand him over to his mother -- who has joined an apocalyptic religious sect. Desperate to get the boy back, she has lied and set Evan up for arrest. Handcuffed and locked in the back of a patrol car, Evan watches as the cops pass little Luke into the hands of violent lunatics. She has to find some way to stop it before her nephew is taken away forever.
"There's no secret why this idea terrifies me: I'm a mom. And if anybody tried to take one of my kids away, I hope I'd react with the do-or-die tenacity that Evan does."
Hallie Ephron, author of the new suspense novel, Come and Find Me:
“In Never Tell a Lie, I wrote about a woman, nine-months pregnant with her first child, and who has had multiple miscarriages. She's in danger of losing her unborn child. As I was writing, I followed advice I’d gotten: when you are writing extreme emotion, find a situation in your past that elicited that emotion and channel it into the writing. I revisited a truly terrifying moment (we were swimming) when I came this close to losing my baby girl. The detail of the situation wasn't the same at all, of course, but the emotion was.”
Simon Wood, author of Did Not Finish, first in the new Aidy Westlake series:
“Crash landing an aircraft that occurs in Accidents Waiting to Happen. It was based on something I had to do as a student pilot. I was involved in a near-miss in bad weather, and I had to set the plane down in a field, but I had time on my side to get my plane down. In the book, the plane is falling out of the sky and the pilot has to crash land. He has five minutes at best to find a safe spot to land and set the plane down before he runs out of elevation. The worst part of a scenario like this is that no one can help you and you can't pull over. You can only do your best. That's scary.”
Deborah Crombie, author of No Mark Upon Her, latest in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series
“I have a fairly long line of dire deeds to pick from. Thinking about it, I seem to have been quite fond of the good old blunt instrument. But I have also drowned quite a few characters, and I think that terrifies me more than anything. Remember the scene in "The Abyss" where Ed Harris has to watch Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio let herself drown? Gave me nightmares for years. And Charlie in "Lost?"
“Maybe I should stay out of the water . . .”
Sandra Parshall is the award-winning author of the Rachel Goddard mystery series. Her latest book is Under the Dog Star, published this month by Poisoned Pen Press.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Secondary Characters: In First Place
By Sandra Parshall
The protagonist occupies center stage in a mystery novel, but a book also needs a cast of vivid supporting players. Whether secondary characters are funny or sad, irritating or lovable (or both at the same time), they claim their own special place in the writer’s heart.
Recently I asked several authors – who all happen to be Goddesses, former Sisters in Crime presidents – the question:
Of the many secondary characters you’ve created, which have you most enjoyed writing about?
Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski series:
“My regular secondary characters are all interesting and important to me. Lotty Herschel, the doctor who is V.I.’s important friend, critic and mentor, is the one whose life I’ve thought about most; she has her own story told in flashback chapters in my novel Total Recall, and those six chapters are among the writing of my own in which I’ve invested the most work and emotion. They detail Lotty’s history as a refugee in London during WW II, and her training as a young doctor in the bitter winter right after the war. Mr. Contreras, V.I.'s downstairs neighbor, is both annoying and lovable. He got on my nerves so much that at one point I was going to kill him off, but my husband protested mightily, and jumped in front of the gun, deflecting the bullet into Mr. Contreras’s shoulder.”
Nancy Pickard, author of the Jenny Cain series, the Marie Lightfoot series and several stand-alone novels:
“In my Jenny Cain series, it’s Jenny’s old teacher, Lucille Grant, whom I brought back because readers asked for her. In the Marie Lightfoot series, it's Marie's assistant, Deb Dancer. In The Scent of Rain and Lightning, it’s Red Bosch, a plain, good man. What those three have in common is that they love their protagonist, but that doesn’t stop them from telling her the truths she needs to hear. Each is a very genuine person. Because these nice people love their ‘star,’ they make her look better simply by virtue of their relationship with her.”
Judy Clemens, author of the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper series:
“In Embrace the Grim Reaper, the first of the Grim Reaper books, there is a character named Loretta. She is a middle-aged African American woman with deep religious ties who works at the soup kitchen where Casey and Death spend some time. She punctuates her language with exclamations (“Thank you, Jesus! Hallelujah!”), sometimes shocking or startling the people around her. She was really fun to write because she is pretty much based on a woman I know who answers her phone by saying, “Praise the Lord!” even if you wake her up from a deep sleep and her voice isn't quite working yet. I've never known anyone else like her, and it was fun to put her into print -- even if she doesn't know I did.”
Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand series:
“Emma Clyde, the very rich mystery author on my island in the Death on Demand series. She's rich because I'm not, but who knows? Someday a miracle may occur and my books, like Emma's, may sell faster than ice melts in the Sahara. And I have great fun skewering us - writers - because Emma is totally self-centered and self-absorbed. Her main focus is always The Book. Sound familiar? I am very fond of Emma.”
Margaret Maron, author of the Deborah Knott series and the Sigrid Harald series:
“I adore Judge Deborah Knott's old reprobate of a father. Kezzie Knott is one of the fast-disappearing backcountry types that I grew up loving. Yes he was a bootlegger; yes, he may have killed someone; yes, he only has a 4th-grade education, but he's loving and loyal and wily as a fox.
“From the Lt. Sigrid Harald series, I love her housemate Roman Tramegra, who keeps trying to pick Sigrid's brain for murder mystery plots and who complains because most of her cases are too dull to make interesting reading.”
What question would you love to ask your favorite writers? Send it to me at sandraparshall@yahoo.com along with a list of authors. If we use your question on the blog, we’ll give you credit.
Sandra Parshall is the author of the award-winning Rachel Goddard mysteries. The fourth book in the series, Under the Dog Star, has just been published.
The protagonist occupies center stage in a mystery novel, but a book also needs a cast of vivid supporting players. Whether secondary characters are funny or sad, irritating or lovable (or both at the same time), they claim their own special place in the writer’s heart.
Recently I asked several authors – who all happen to be Goddesses, former Sisters in Crime presidents – the question:
Of the many secondary characters you’ve created, which have you most enjoyed writing about?
Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski series:
“My regular secondary characters are all interesting and important to me. Lotty Herschel, the doctor who is V.I.’s important friend, critic and mentor, is the one whose life I’ve thought about most; she has her own story told in flashback chapters in my novel Total Recall, and those six chapters are among the writing of my own in which I’ve invested the most work and emotion. They detail Lotty’s history as a refugee in London during WW II, and her training as a young doctor in the bitter winter right after the war. Mr. Contreras, V.I.'s downstairs neighbor, is both annoying and lovable. He got on my nerves so much that at one point I was going to kill him off, but my husband protested mightily, and jumped in front of the gun, deflecting the bullet into Mr. Contreras’s shoulder.”
Nancy Pickard, author of the Jenny Cain series, the Marie Lightfoot series and several stand-alone novels:
“In my Jenny Cain series, it’s Jenny’s old teacher, Lucille Grant, whom I brought back because readers asked for her. In the Marie Lightfoot series, it's Marie's assistant, Deb Dancer. In The Scent of Rain and Lightning, it’s Red Bosch, a plain, good man. What those three have in common is that they love their protagonist, but that doesn’t stop them from telling her the truths she needs to hear. Each is a very genuine person. Because these nice people love their ‘star,’ they make her look better simply by virtue of their relationship with her.”
Judy Clemens, author of the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper series:
“In Embrace the Grim Reaper, the first of the Grim Reaper books, there is a character named Loretta. She is a middle-aged African American woman with deep religious ties who works at the soup kitchen where Casey and Death spend some time. She punctuates her language with exclamations (“Thank you, Jesus! Hallelujah!”), sometimes shocking or startling the people around her. She was really fun to write because she is pretty much based on a woman I know who answers her phone by saying, “Praise the Lord!” even if you wake her up from a deep sleep and her voice isn't quite working yet. I've never known anyone else like her, and it was fun to put her into print -- even if she doesn't know I did.”
Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand series:
“Emma Clyde, the very rich mystery author on my island in the Death on Demand series. She's rich because I'm not, but who knows? Someday a miracle may occur and my books, like Emma's, may sell faster than ice melts in the Sahara. And I have great fun skewering us - writers - because Emma is totally self-centered and self-absorbed. Her main focus is always The Book. Sound familiar? I am very fond of Emma.”
Margaret Maron, author of the Deborah Knott series and the Sigrid Harald series:
“I adore Judge Deborah Knott's old reprobate of a father. Kezzie Knott is one of the fast-disappearing backcountry types that I grew up loving. Yes he was a bootlegger; yes, he may have killed someone; yes, he only has a 4th-grade education, but he's loving and loyal and wily as a fox.
“From the Lt. Sigrid Harald series, I love her housemate Roman Tramegra, who keeps trying to pick Sigrid's brain for murder mystery plots and who complains because most of her cases are too dull to make interesting reading.”
What question would you love to ask your favorite writers? Send it to me at sandraparshall@yahoo.com along with a list of authors. If we use your question on the blog, we’ll give you credit.
Sandra Parshall is the author of the award-winning Rachel Goddard mysteries. The fourth book in the series, Under the Dog Star, has just been published.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Four Tips for the Performance Author
Part Two of Two Parts
By Ramona DeFelice Long
Reading to an audience is an art—a performance art. It's also a skill that can be developed. Today's blog entry focuses on the final two Ps to help shy authors overcome their trepidation—Practice and Psyche Yourself.
Practice – Practice has two meanings here. You’ll become more comfortable with performing if you do it often, and if you watch others. So, attend public readings. If an open mic is offered, participate. Sit in on poetry slams. Offer to introduce fellow authors at events. Volunteer, and get up to say a few words of thanks. Every time you stand up and speak, you build confidence. It’s the immunity effect. The more you perform a feared act, the more you immunize yourself against being afraid of it.
Once you have a reading lined up, how do you practice? First, decide what you will read. Make sure it fits the time frame. Read your selection, aloud, over and over. Some people practice in front of a mirror. Some record themselves. Others read to family or friends. All good ideas. The important thing is to read the piece through, beginning to end, as many times as needed to become wholly comfortable with it.
As you practice, listen to the rhythm of the words. Note when you need to take breaths. Think about the mood and tone. Think about the narrative point of view, or POV. If the narrator is a child, you don’t have to speak like a child, but you don’t want a blasé, world-weary tone.
If it’s an action piece, read a little quickly, with a vibrant voice. If it’s quiet or moody, try a steady, thoughtful tone. If you have characters with accents, consider speaking in their unique voices. If the voice is snarky or sarcastic, adopt that into your reading voice. Get comfortable raising your voice when a character yells, or lowering it for dramatic effect.
If a part trips you up, say it over and over. If you still stumble, reword or cut it out.
I print a copy in very large type. I add emphasis and pause marks to remind myself when I want to be extra-dramatic. And I practice until I’m sick to death of it. When you’re so tired of the sound of your voice reading this thing, you’re probably ready to perform it.
Psyche Yourself – Fear is both physical and psychological, so there are both physical and psychological ways to overcome fear.
First, understand that everyone in the room is on your side. This isn’t a contest or election with winners or losers. You’ve already won. You are in this spot because you did something well. Second, phone in to your inner grown-up. Being a good reader adds to your skill set. Even if you hate it, mastering public performances is a savvy move.
Now it’s time to perform. Assure yourself that you are prepared. Bring a marked-up copy of your reading selection. Bring your lucky rabbit’s foot if you think that will help. Some writers like to hold a pencil or wave it around. Some clutch a water bottle. If the set-up is not to your liking, ask to make a change. I don’t like a free-standing mic, so I often pull up a chair. I keep one hand on the chair. It grounds me.
Before you begin, take deep breaths. If someone is introducing you, the first words out of your mouth are, “Thank you for that nice introduction, Tom.” Next words, “I also want to thank My Town Library for hosting me today, and all of you nice people for showing up.” Followed by, “This was inspired by….”
Then you’re on. “This is from my new novel, The Performance Author.”
Even if you are shy, you want people to read your stories. Readers love to meet authors. They’re your people. Read to them.
Ramona DeFelice Long works as an author, independent editor and writing instructor. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in regional, literary and online publications, and she was honored by the Delaware Division of the Arts as an Established Artist in Fiction in 2009. As an editor, she works with mystery/thriller authors and collaborated with SinC’s Guppy chapter as editor of Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. She is active in the Delaware literary scene and maintains a literary blog at http://ramonadef.wordpress.com.
By Ramona DeFelice Long
Reading to an audience is an art—a performance art. It's also a skill that can be developed. Today's blog entry focuses on the final two Ps to help shy authors overcome their trepidation—Practice and Psyche Yourself.Practice – Practice has two meanings here. You’ll become more comfortable with performing if you do it often, and if you watch others. So, attend public readings. If an open mic is offered, participate. Sit in on poetry slams. Offer to introduce fellow authors at events. Volunteer, and get up to say a few words of thanks. Every time you stand up and speak, you build confidence. It’s the immunity effect. The more you perform a feared act, the more you immunize yourself against being afraid of it.
Once you have a reading lined up, how do you practice? First, decide what you will read. Make sure it fits the time frame. Read your selection, aloud, over and over. Some people practice in front of a mirror. Some record themselves. Others read to family or friends. All good ideas. The important thing is to read the piece through, beginning to end, as many times as needed to become wholly comfortable with it.
As you practice, listen to the rhythm of the words. Note when you need to take breaths. Think about the mood and tone. Think about the narrative point of view, or POV. If the narrator is a child, you don’t have to speak like a child, but you don’t want a blasé, world-weary tone.
If it’s an action piece, read a little quickly, with a vibrant voice. If it’s quiet or moody, try a steady, thoughtful tone. If you have characters with accents, consider speaking in their unique voices. If the voice is snarky or sarcastic, adopt that into your reading voice. Get comfortable raising your voice when a character yells, or lowering it for dramatic effect.
If a part trips you up, say it over and over. If you still stumble, reword or cut it out.
I print a copy in very large type. I add emphasis and pause marks to remind myself when I want to be extra-dramatic. And I practice until I’m sick to death of it. When you’re so tired of the sound of your voice reading this thing, you’re probably ready to perform it.
Psyche Yourself – Fear is both physical and psychological, so there are both physical and psychological ways to overcome fear.
First, understand that everyone in the room is on your side. This isn’t a contest or election with winners or losers. You’ve already won. You are in this spot because you did something well. Second, phone in to your inner grown-up. Being a good reader adds to your skill set. Even if you hate it, mastering public performances is a savvy move.
Now it’s time to perform. Assure yourself that you are prepared. Bring a marked-up copy of your reading selection. Bring your lucky rabbit’s foot if you think that will help. Some writers like to hold a pencil or wave it around. Some clutch a water bottle. If the set-up is not to your liking, ask to make a change. I don’t like a free-standing mic, so I often pull up a chair. I keep one hand on the chair. It grounds me.
Before you begin, take deep breaths. If someone is introducing you, the first words out of your mouth are, “Thank you for that nice introduction, Tom.” Next words, “I also want to thank My Town Library for hosting me today, and all of you nice people for showing up.” Followed by, “This was inspired by….”
Then you’re on. “This is from my new novel, The Performance Author.”
Even if you are shy, you want people to read your stories. Readers love to meet authors. They’re your people. Read to them.
Ramona DeFelice Long works as an author, independent editor and writing instructor. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in regional, literary and online publications, and she was honored by the Delaware Division of the Arts as an Established Artist in Fiction in 2009. As an editor, she works with mystery/thriller authors and collaborated with SinC’s Guppy chapter as editor of Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. She is active in the Delaware literary scene and maintains a literary blog at http://ramonadef.wordpress.com.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Four Tips for the Performance Author
Part One of Two Parts
By Ramona DeFelice Long
A first novel. A writing fellowship. A conference panel. A contest win. Author day at a school. A book festival. These are events a writer daydreams about—unless public speaking is involved. Then, for some authors, the daydream becomes a nightmare.
Not long ago, I followed a conversation on the Sisters in Crime members-only listserv about shy authors. Writing is a solitary occupation, someone wrote, and being a good writer does not automatically make you a good public speaker. Someone else pointed out that reading work aloud in front of a group, or discussing work in a panel, is awkward, unnatural and terrifying.
If you feel this way, you are not alone. Many people fear giving a speech more than flying, heights, terminal illness, old age or being mauled by a bear.
Public speaking is a regular gig for me. In 2011, I’ve been on stage, so to speak, as a writing teacher, a workshop leader, a featured reader, an emcee, a free write facilitator and a guest author. I am not shy, and I am (mostly) comfortable in front of a crowd because I do it often.
But what if you don’t? What if the prospect of reading in public fills you with dread?
Reading to an audience is an art—a performance art. It’s also a skill that can be developed. I’d like to offer four Ps—Purpose, Plan, Practice and Psyche Yourself—to help shy authors overcome their trepidation.
Purpose – Think of a public reading as an opportunity, both for you and the audience. You have the chance to present your written work verbally or to talk about your creative process. The audience gets to experience that, live.
To make the most of this opportunity, answer the following:
What is your goal? To promote your work—that’s a given. More specifically, is your appearance to promote a particular work? Or is it to promote yourself as an author? If your purpose is to promote a specific or newly-published work, read from it. If your purpose is to promote yourself as an author, share a piece that best represents your body of work.
Plan – First, consider time. Most people read at a rate of one minute per page. 15 minutes = 15 pages. Take into account time for someone to introduce you and for questions at the end. If you’re doing a book talk as opposed to a straight reading, include time for story background.
If you are slated with other authors, be considerate. Don’t eat into someone else’s performance minutes. When you are solo, fill up the time allotted. If you are scheduled for 30 minutes and your reading peters out after 15, this is not good. Always give the impression that there’s never enough time to share your writing with the wonderful people who’ve come to hear you.
Next, the audience. Who will be there? What’s appropriate to read to them? At a senior citizen facility, for instance, avoid racy sex scenes and don’t drop any f-bombs. Likewise, a quiet mother-baby scene might not fly at a middle school.
And now, what to read? From a novel or short story, choose a beginning or full scene that is active. It doesn’t have to be high action, but choose a scene with a clear event or important exchange at its center. Your selection should stand alone without a lot of explanation. If you are given five minutes to read, and you need two of those minutes to set up the scene, identify characters or share back-story, you’ve made a poor choice. If you must set it up, keep it short: “Jane is the main character. John is her husband. Their son Tommy has gone missing while biking with friends in Spain.”
How the story came to you is always interesting—but keep that brief as well. “I got this idea after visiting a B&B in Massachusetts. The hill behind the garden was the sight of a massacre during King Philip’s War and is supposedly haunted. This story grew out of that.”
Finally, if possible, inquire about the venue and set. Will you be behind a podium? Standing before a free-standing microphone? Sitting at a table? A reading is a physical performance, and you want to be physically comfortable. If you need to sit, or a podium makes you nervous, relay that to the coordinator.
To be continued tomorrow...
Ramona DeFelice Long writes fiction and non-fiction for children and adults and everyone in between. She works as an independent editor, specializing in mystery novels and short stories, and teaches workshops on all aspects of writing. Ramona is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Delaware Literary Connection, the Hillendale Farm Critique Group and is an honorary member of The Written Remains writing group.
By Ramona DeFelice Long
A first novel. A writing fellowship. A conference panel. A contest win. Author day at a school. A book festival. These are events a writer daydreams about—unless public speaking is involved. Then, for some authors, the daydream becomes a nightmare.Not long ago, I followed a conversation on the Sisters in Crime members-only listserv about shy authors. Writing is a solitary occupation, someone wrote, and being a good writer does not automatically make you a good public speaker. Someone else pointed out that reading work aloud in front of a group, or discussing work in a panel, is awkward, unnatural and terrifying.
If you feel this way, you are not alone. Many people fear giving a speech more than flying, heights, terminal illness, old age or being mauled by a bear.
Public speaking is a regular gig for me. In 2011, I’ve been on stage, so to speak, as a writing teacher, a workshop leader, a featured reader, an emcee, a free write facilitator and a guest author. I am not shy, and I am (mostly) comfortable in front of a crowd because I do it often.
But what if you don’t? What if the prospect of reading in public fills you with dread?
Reading to an audience is an art—a performance art. It’s also a skill that can be developed. I’d like to offer four Ps—Purpose, Plan, Practice and Psyche Yourself—to help shy authors overcome their trepidation.
Purpose – Think of a public reading as an opportunity, both for you and the audience. You have the chance to present your written work verbally or to talk about your creative process. The audience gets to experience that, live.
To make the most of this opportunity, answer the following:
What is your goal? To promote your work—that’s a given. More specifically, is your appearance to promote a particular work? Or is it to promote yourself as an author? If your purpose is to promote a specific or newly-published work, read from it. If your purpose is to promote yourself as an author, share a piece that best represents your body of work.
Plan – First, consider time. Most people read at a rate of one minute per page. 15 minutes = 15 pages. Take into account time for someone to introduce you and for questions at the end. If you’re doing a book talk as opposed to a straight reading, include time for story background.
If you are slated with other authors, be considerate. Don’t eat into someone else’s performance minutes. When you are solo, fill up the time allotted. If you are scheduled for 30 minutes and your reading peters out after 15, this is not good. Always give the impression that there’s never enough time to share your writing with the wonderful people who’ve come to hear you.
Next, the audience. Who will be there? What’s appropriate to read to them? At a senior citizen facility, for instance, avoid racy sex scenes and don’t drop any f-bombs. Likewise, a quiet mother-baby scene might not fly at a middle school.
And now, what to read? From a novel or short story, choose a beginning or full scene that is active. It doesn’t have to be high action, but choose a scene with a clear event or important exchange at its center. Your selection should stand alone without a lot of explanation. If you are given five minutes to read, and you need two of those minutes to set up the scene, identify characters or share back-story, you’ve made a poor choice. If you must set it up, keep it short: “Jane is the main character. John is her husband. Their son Tommy has gone missing while biking with friends in Spain.”
How the story came to you is always interesting—but keep that brief as well. “I got this idea after visiting a B&B in Massachusetts. The hill behind the garden was the sight of a massacre during King Philip’s War and is supposedly haunted. This story grew out of that.”
Finally, if possible, inquire about the venue and set. Will you be behind a podium? Standing before a free-standing microphone? Sitting at a table? A reading is a physical performance, and you want to be physically comfortable. If you need to sit, or a podium makes you nervous, relay that to the coordinator.
To be continued tomorrow...
Ramona DeFelice Long writes fiction and non-fiction for children and adults and everyone in between. She works as an independent editor, specializing in mystery novels and short stories, and teaches workshops on all aspects of writing. Ramona is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Delaware Literary Connection, the Hillendale Farm Critique Group and is an honorary member of The Written Remains writing group.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Greetings from Bouchercon!
[Originally published at Literary Lunchbox, http://literarylunchbox.wordpress.com]
By Karen Burgess
I’m on a four-day literary extravaganza! Bouchercon is the annual fest for fans and writers of mystery, crime, thriller, suspense and related subgenres (graphic novels, anyone?). This is mostly a fan event. The numbers are not yet in for this year, but attendance in 2010 topped 1,600.
Although I know more writers than I did in the past, I’m still bowled over to be in the room with luminaries such as Val McDermid, Jan Burke, Parnell Hall, Jeremiah Healy, Charlaine Harris… the list goes on. And on.
Yesterday began with a 6 a.m. pickup from my friend Addy, chauffeur and roommate extraordinaire. (For which I am eternally grateful – she had to get up at 4:30 to make this happen!) We drove to St. Louis, checked in to the super-lovely Renaissance Grand Hotel, and then walked over to the ever-so-opposite Holiday Inn Select, where Sisters in Crime was holding its pre-conference workshop for writers. It was the only event specifically for writers, so I was pumped to go.
The event was an incredible value for the $50 registration fee. The speakers included:
Personally, I have a super-fun book that I have given up on pitching – it’s not a mystery. I came away convinced that I can freshen this up (wrote it so many years ago that my popular references are sure to be dated), format it myself, get an ISBN number, get my ever-so-talented graphic designer husband to do me a cover, price it at $2.99 or $3.99, upload it to Amazon and let my employer know I’m about to retire. (Just kidding on that last one.)
The Sisters in Crime event included a banquet with a very amusing after-dinner speech by author Meg Gardiner. Meg writes the Evan Delaney series about a Santa Barbara attorney and the Jo Beckett series about a forensic psychiatrist. Her books were published worldwide, but not in the U.S., until Stephen King wrote an article about them in Entertainment Weekly. Fourteen publishers called the next day. I was drinking coffee and paper-and-penless during her speech, but I sent myself a series of emails so I could remember some key points.
Email #1: Meg’s blog is called Lying for a Living. She’s also on WordPress. Sister!
Email #2: Meg's first published book was China Lake. I bought it – and several others she authored – today in the Bouchercon book room because when she talked about China Lake, she commented that “a big, big story will expand your readership.” Now I want to see a big, big story. I fear mine are tiny, itsy-bitsy stories.
Email #3: ”Left Behind in the E-book Rapture.” Or at least that’s what my email was supposed to say. iPhone corrected it to “Left Behind in the Snook Rapture.” I love the phrase and the point she’s making – e-books are not going away. Not there? It’s not too late. And if you can focus on a big career, this is going to all come naturally.
So that’s it. I have a giant list of cool blogs, web sites, resources, and more – a bulging book bag full of new purchases and a Bouchercon tote bag full of books that I got FOR FREE repeat FOR FREE, several new friends and a few days to go. More later.
Karen Burgess writes fiction (novels and short stories), is a published author and is searching for an agent. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. You can keep up with her online at her blog, Literary Lunchbox.
Photos courtesy of Karen Burgess.
By Karen Burgess
I’m on a four-day literary extravaganza! Bouchercon is the annual fest for fans and writers of mystery, crime, thriller, suspense and related subgenres (graphic novels, anyone?). This is mostly a fan event. The numbers are not yet in for this year, but attendance in 2010 topped 1,600.Although I know more writers than I did in the past, I’m still bowled over to be in the room with luminaries such as Val McDermid, Jan Burke, Parnell Hall, Jeremiah Healy, Charlaine Harris… the list goes on. And on.
Yesterday began with a 6 a.m. pickup from my friend Addy, chauffeur and roommate extraordinaire. (For which I am eternally grateful – she had to get up at 4:30 to make this happen!) We drove to St. Louis, checked in to the super-lovely Renaissance Grand Hotel, and then walked over to the ever-so-opposite Holiday Inn Select, where Sisters in Crime was holding its pre-conference workshop for writers. It was the only event specifically for writers, so I was pumped to go.
The event was an incredible value for the $50 registration fee. The speakers included:
- David Wilk, CEO, Booktrix, on the state of publishing
- Libby Fischer Hellmann, author (most recent book, Set the Night on Fire, a standalone thriller), on comparing traditional and e-publishing
- Cathy Pickens and Jim Huang (author and bookseller, respectively) on getting your book into print
- Marcia Talley and Ellen Hart, popular mystery authors with long backlists, on do-it-yourself publishing on Kindle
Personally, I have a super-fun book that I have given up on pitching – it’s not a mystery. I came away convinced that I can freshen this up (wrote it so many years ago that my popular references are sure to be dated), format it myself, get an ISBN number, get my ever-so-talented graphic designer husband to do me a cover, price it at $2.99 or $3.99, upload it to Amazon and let my employer know I’m about to retire. (Just kidding on that last one.)
The Sisters in Crime event included a banquet with a very amusing after-dinner speech by author Meg Gardiner. Meg writes the Evan Delaney series about a Santa Barbara attorney and the Jo Beckett series about a forensic psychiatrist. Her books were published worldwide, but not in the U.S., until Stephen King wrote an article about them in Entertainment Weekly. Fourteen publishers called the next day. I was drinking coffee and paper-and-penless during her speech, but I sent myself a series of emails so I could remember some key points.
Email #1: Meg’s blog is called Lying for a Living. She’s also on WordPress. Sister!
Email #2: Meg's first published book was China Lake. I bought it – and several others she authored – today in the Bouchercon book room because when she talked about China Lake, she commented that “a big, big story will expand your readership.” Now I want to see a big, big story. I fear mine are tiny, itsy-bitsy stories.
Email #3: ”Left Behind in the E-book Rapture.” Or at least that’s what my email was supposed to say. iPhone corrected it to “Left Behind in the Snook Rapture.” I love the phrase and the point she’s making – e-books are not going away. Not there? It’s not too late. And if you can focus on a big career, this is going to all come naturally.
So that’s it. I have a giant list of cool blogs, web sites, resources, and more – a bulging book bag full of new purchases and a Bouchercon tote bag full of books that I got FOR FREE repeat FOR FREE, several new friends and a few days to go. More later.
Karen Burgess writes fiction (novels and short stories), is a published author and is searching for an agent. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. You can keep up with her online at her blog, Literary Lunchbox.
Photos courtesy of Karen Burgess.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Ready for the Big Screen?
Screenwriter Wayne Beach, now in his 20th year as a working screenwriter, will lead two workshops in October from his home base in Phippsburg, Maine.
Screenwriting: The Foundation is a five-day workshop for beginners that provides an intensive introduction to concept, story, structure, building characters, visual storytelling and the way the screenwriting business works. The workshop, limited to six participants, takes place Oct. 25 -29. The registration fee is $850.
Building the Script is a five-day workshop for intermediate and advanced writers. The session is designed for writers who have a story and are trying to build the structure into an effective outline or for those who have a finished draft screenplay and are about to work on a revision. The sessions will help writers shape and sharpen their work. The workshop, open to six participants, takes place Oct. 11 – 15. The cost is $950.
Beach has written screenplays for Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, TNT, Fox 2000 Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. He has developed projects for the makers of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Law & Order,” “The Fugitive,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Platoon” and “The Perfect Storm.” His filmed writing credits include “Murder at 1600,” “The Art of War” and “Slow Burn.”
In addition to having completed writing “Ten Good Men,” a feature film in development by Wolfgang Petersen’s Radiant Films, Beach is currently on assignment adapting “The Garden of Betrayal,” a new novel by Lee Vance published by Knopf.
Beach is a respected teacher of the screenwriting craft. He is on the faculty of Maine Media College and is teaching screenwriting at Bates College this fall. Previously, he taught screenwriting at Northwestern University for several years. Many of his former students have become successful writers, directors and producers in film and television.
Additional information on the upcoming workshops is available by calling (207) 389-1770 or emailing 44enigmas@gmail.com .
Screenwriting: The Foundation is a five-day workshop for beginners that provides an intensive introduction to concept, story, structure, building characters, visual storytelling and the way the screenwriting business works. The workshop, limited to six participants, takes place Oct. 25 -29. The registration fee is $850.
Building the Script is a five-day workshop for intermediate and advanced writers. The session is designed for writers who have a story and are trying to build the structure into an effective outline or for those who have a finished draft screenplay and are about to work on a revision. The sessions will help writers shape and sharpen their work. The workshop, open to six participants, takes place Oct. 11 – 15. The cost is $950.
Beach has written screenplays for Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, TNT, Fox 2000 Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. He has developed projects for the makers of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Law & Order,” “The Fugitive,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Platoon” and “The Perfect Storm.” His filmed writing credits include “Murder at 1600,” “The Art of War” and “Slow Burn.”
In addition to having completed writing “Ten Good Men,” a feature film in development by Wolfgang Petersen’s Radiant Films, Beach is currently on assignment adapting “The Garden of Betrayal,” a new novel by Lee Vance published by Knopf.
Beach is a respected teacher of the screenwriting craft. He is on the faculty of Maine Media College and is teaching screenwriting at Bates College this fall. Previously, he taught screenwriting at Northwestern University for several years. Many of his former students have become successful writers, directors and producers in film and television.
Additional information on the upcoming workshops is available by calling (207) 389-1770 or emailing 44enigmas@gmail.com .
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tax Tips for Writers, Part 2 of 2 Parts
By J. J. Murphy
The conversation with certified public accountant Carol Topp continues:
Q. Is it true that a writer (or anyone) who experiences a substantial increase in income in a single tax year can refile past taxes (up to five years back) to flatten the tax liability in the high-income year? Is that a worthwhile project?
A. Sorry, but income averaging has not been allowed since 1987, except for farmers and fishermen. Now, taxes are due on income the year in which the income was received.
On the other hand, if a business suffers a loss, the owner may choose to carry back the loss. The loss can usually be carried back two years. Recently, Congress has allowed a carry-back of a loss up to five years (it’s called an NOL, or Net Operating Loss).
Q. When should a writer hire a CPA?
A. Good question! Here are times when a CPA can really help a writer:
Carol Topp’s Tips to Find a CPA
Seek out an accountant who has the ability teach you the financial side of your business. You should feel comfortable with him or her and feel free to ask questions. If you leave a meeting with an accountant feeling confused, you need to find another accountant. To find a helpful professional, ask other small business owners in your area for their accountant’s contact information or call your state CPA society. Find a listing at www.taxsites.com/cpa-societies.html.
Topp's Tips on Business and Taxes
Carol's book, Business Tips and Taxes for Writers, will be available through her website (where she offers sample chapters and also lots of other free information) at: http://taxesforwriters.com.
J.J. Murphy is the author of the Algonquin round table mysteries (Obsidian), featuring Dorothy Parker as the wisecracking sleuth. The second book in the series, You Might as Well Die, comes out in December, 2011. For more information, see www.roundtablemysteries.com.
The conversation with certified public accountant Carol Topp continues:
Q. Is it true that a writer (or anyone) who experiences a substantial increase in income in a single tax year can refile past taxes (up to five years back) to flatten the tax liability in the high-income year? Is that a worthwhile project?
A. Sorry, but income averaging has not been allowed since 1987, except for farmers and fishermen. Now, taxes are due on income the year in which the income was received.
On the other hand, if a business suffers a loss, the owner may choose to carry back the loss. The loss can usually be carried back two years. Recently, Congress has allowed a carry-back of a loss up to five years (it’s called an NOL, or Net Operating Loss).
Q. When should a writer hire a CPA?
A. Good question! Here are times when a CPA can really help a writer:
- When you receive a letter from IRS, especially if it involves an audit or something you do not understand.
- When you need help with record keeping.
- When you start to make self-employment income of more than $400 a year.
- When you make good money and fear you’ll owe taxes at the end of the year. Ask your CPA about “estimated payments” to the IRS and your state.
- When you sell books or e-books and have to collect and pay sales tax.
- To assist you in preparing payroll taxes and filing payroll reports.
- At least every three years to review a tax return you prepare. The IRS can audit back three years, so I recommend getting a CPA to review your self-prepared return at least that frequently.
- When you purchase equipment for your business and want to take a depreciation expense.
- To understand the pros and cons of forming a partnership or becoming a corporation.
- When you are not sure if you need to pay self employment tax or sales tax.
Carol Topp’s Tips to Find a CPA
Seek out an accountant who has the ability teach you the financial side of your business. You should feel comfortable with him or her and feel free to ask questions. If you leave a meeting with an accountant feeling confused, you need to find another accountant. To find a helpful professional, ask other small business owners in your area for their accountant’s contact information or call your state CPA society. Find a listing at www.taxsites.com/cpa-societies.html.
Topp's Tips on Business and Taxes
Carol's book, Business Tips and Taxes for Writers, will be available through her website (where she offers sample chapters and also lots of other free information) at: http://taxesforwriters.com.
J.J. Murphy is the author of the Algonquin round table mysteries (Obsidian), featuring Dorothy Parker as the wisecracking sleuth. The second book in the series, You Might as Well Die, comes out in December, 2011. For more information, see www.roundtablemysteries.com.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Tax Tips for Writers, Part 1 of 2 Parts
By J.J. Murphy
Dorothy Parker once said, “The two most beautiful words in the English language are ‘check enclosed.’” The witty Mrs. Parker also published a book called Death and Taxes. I’ll let you connect the dots.
Then again, you may find that connecting those dots isn’t so easy. Let’s face it—we’re writers, not accountants. To that end, I took the opportunity to ask for a few tax tips from Carol Topp, a certified public accountant and a writer. Carol is the author of an upcoming book, Business Tips and Taxes for Writers (Media Angels), which will provide nuts-and-bolts advice on topics such as income tax, sales tax, self-employment tax, tax deductions, financial planning, bookkeeping and — last but not least — mistakes that authors and publishers make. Here’s the Q&A with the C.P.A.
Q: What’s the best business (or tax) tip that, in your experience, most writers don’t seem to know?
A: Only one? Here’s one tip: Calling your writing a hobby — when you have been paid — can be detrimental to your pocketbook. In other words, you may be paying too much in income tax because, unlike a business, many expenses for hobbyists are not tax-deductible.
It's fairly easy to convert a hobby into a business. You simply have a profit motive and conduct your writing as a business — meaning you keep records, consult a professional when needed, and improve your knowledge in the area of writing, as a business owner would do.
Q: What’s the bottom line on the home office deduction? Is it an automatic red flag, or is there something in a tax filing that makes it become a red flag?
A: The I.R.S. does not reveal its algorithm for choosing tax returns to audit, but C.P.A.s know from experience that the home office deduction is frequently audited. So here’s a warning: excessive home office expenses without corresponding income can look very suspicious.
Q: You make a distinction between a writer who’s a “hobbyist” and one who’s a “professional” (in a business sense). Let’s say the self-publishing hobbyist makes a nice $500 in one year and the professional makes a very nice $50,000 in a year from writing. Are these amounts fundamentally taxed differently, or is each writer taxed comparably for their income?
A: The income is not taxed differently, but the expenses are treated differently for a hobby than for a business.
A business can deduct necessary and ordinary expenses and reduce taxable income. A hobby must report all its income, but may be unable to deduct the related expenses due to limitations in the tax code. Hobby expenses are deducted on Schedule A itemized deductions under miscellaneous deductions, subject to a 2% of adjusted gross income threshold. This threshold means that a taxpayer can deduct miscellaneous deductions that are greater than 2% of their adjusted gross income.
For example, Mary has income of writing of $250. Mary’s only expenses related to this income are paper, ink, and postage of $50. Mary’s expenses can be deducted on her itemized deductions under miscellaneous deductions, subject to 2% of her adjusted gross income. As is common with many taxpayers, Mary’s expenses of $50 were too small to overcome the 2% threshold to be deductible. She received no tax deduction for her writing expenses, yet pays tax on all the income.
Additionally, the I.R.S. does not allow hobby expenses to exceed hobby income. In other words, losses from a hobby are not permitted on a tax return. A business can have a loss and it can be deducted on a tax return, but not a hobby loss. If John, a hobby writer, had income from writing of $400 and attends a writers' conference that costs $900, he could deduct his expenses (as miscellaneous deductions) up to $400 (his hobby income), but no more. The extra expenses of $500 are considered personal expenses that John incurred for the love of writing.
To be continued...
J.J. Murphy is the author of the Algonquin Round Table Mysteries (Obsidian), featuring Dorothy Parker as the wisecracking sleuth. The second book in the series, You Might as Well Die, comes out in December, 2011. For more information, visit www.roundtablemysteries.com.
Dorothy Parker once said, “The two most beautiful words in the English language are ‘check enclosed.’” The witty Mrs. Parker also published a book called Death and Taxes. I’ll let you connect the dots.
Then again, you may find that connecting those dots isn’t so easy. Let’s face it—we’re writers, not accountants. To that end, I took the opportunity to ask for a few tax tips from Carol Topp, a certified public accountant and a writer. Carol is the author of an upcoming book, Business Tips and Taxes for Writers (Media Angels), which will provide nuts-and-bolts advice on topics such as income tax, sales tax, self-employment tax, tax deductions, financial planning, bookkeeping and — last but not least — mistakes that authors and publishers make. Here’s the Q&A with the C.P.A.Q: What’s the best business (or tax) tip that, in your experience, most writers don’t seem to know?
A: Only one? Here’s one tip: Calling your writing a hobby — when you have been paid — can be detrimental to your pocketbook. In other words, you may be paying too much in income tax because, unlike a business, many expenses for hobbyists are not tax-deductible.
It's fairly easy to convert a hobby into a business. You simply have a profit motive and conduct your writing as a business — meaning you keep records, consult a professional when needed, and improve your knowledge in the area of writing, as a business owner would do.
Q: What’s the bottom line on the home office deduction? Is it an automatic red flag, or is there something in a tax filing that makes it become a red flag?
A: The I.R.S. does not reveal its algorithm for choosing tax returns to audit, but C.P.A.s know from experience that the home office deduction is frequently audited. So here’s a warning: excessive home office expenses without corresponding income can look very suspicious.
Q: You make a distinction between a writer who’s a “hobbyist” and one who’s a “professional” (in a business sense). Let’s say the self-publishing hobbyist makes a nice $500 in one year and the professional makes a very nice $50,000 in a year from writing. Are these amounts fundamentally taxed differently, or is each writer taxed comparably for their income?
A: The income is not taxed differently, but the expenses are treated differently for a hobby than for a business.
A business can deduct necessary and ordinary expenses and reduce taxable income. A hobby must report all its income, but may be unable to deduct the related expenses due to limitations in the tax code. Hobby expenses are deducted on Schedule A itemized deductions under miscellaneous deductions, subject to a 2% of adjusted gross income threshold. This threshold means that a taxpayer can deduct miscellaneous deductions that are greater than 2% of their adjusted gross income.
For example, Mary has income of writing of $250. Mary’s only expenses related to this income are paper, ink, and postage of $50. Mary’s expenses can be deducted on her itemized deductions under miscellaneous deductions, subject to 2% of her adjusted gross income. As is common with many taxpayers, Mary’s expenses of $50 were too small to overcome the 2% threshold to be deductible. She received no tax deduction for her writing expenses, yet pays tax on all the income.
Additionally, the I.R.S. does not allow hobby expenses to exceed hobby income. In other words, losses from a hobby are not permitted on a tax return. A business can have a loss and it can be deducted on a tax return, but not a hobby loss. If John, a hobby writer, had income from writing of $400 and attends a writers' conference that costs $900, he could deduct his expenses (as miscellaneous deductions) up to $400 (his hobby income), but no more. The extra expenses of $500 are considered personal expenses that John incurred for the love of writing.
To be continued...
J.J. Murphy is the author of the Algonquin Round Table Mysteries (Obsidian), featuring Dorothy Parker as the wisecracking sleuth. The second book in the series, You Might as Well Die, comes out in December, 2011. For more information, visit www.roundtablemysteries.com.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Have You Given Up on New York?
by Nancy Martin
Getting published the old-fashioned way is hard. (A writing friend of mine used to counsel new writers by asking, "If you know it's going to take five or ten years to get published, would you keep trying?" She was right. It does take most writers between five and ten very difficult years to succeed.) Nowadays, many frustrated writers have given up pursuing the traditional route to publication and are turning to small presses.
Not all small presses are created equal, however. When making your choice, here are some questions to consider:
1. The money. Does the press pay an advance? Usually, an advance is the publisher's vote of confidence in a writer's ability to sell books. Does the press pay a royalty rate about the same as other publishers? If not, the press is passing along its risk to the writers. Ask yourself why.
2. Money that flows the wrong way. Does the press ask for money from the author? This is a sure sign the company isn't on firm legs yet. If you're asked to contribute a "marketing fee" or a "buy-in" or to pay "editing costs," think twice. Asking the author to buy a substantial number of her own books is another way of disguising the same issue. Do you want to spend your time selling books out of the trunk of your car?
3. Not all marketing is worthwhile. Most presses crow about doing plenty of "marketing." But what does that mean, exactly? Do they have a good website, prepare catalogs, and send emails to a mailing list of a few hundred industry people? That's nice, but it's the kind of effort that doesn't cost a lot of time or money . . . and doesn't result in significant sales. Do they send ARCs to all the important review outlets? (The SinC Summit team heard over and over that librarians and bookstores are flooded with promotional materials, so when ordering stock they tend to pay close attention to a few trusted publications: PW, Booklist, Library Journal and Kirkus.) If the press doesn't print ARCs, do they participate in NetGalley? Do they pay personal calls on distributors and bookstores to create relationships? If it's an e-book company, do they perform more marketing tasks besides posting on Facebook? Do they participate in online forums? Make your books available in formats that work for all devices? Do they do more than simply put your books up for sale and stand back to wait for the money to roll in?
4. Distribution requires trucks. If the books are printed on paper, does the press regularly place stock in distributor warehouses like those of Ingram and Baker & Taylor? Just making books available to distributors via a catalog isn't the same as actually stocking.
5. The details of distribution: Does the press offer books to distributors and booksellers at the standard industry discounts? Are the books returnable? Are the books priced about the same as other books of their type? If not, the press may be passing along its cash flow problems to booksellers.
6. Everybody needs an editor. Yes, even you. Does the press employ editors who edit your book for content as well as copy editing? Or must you hire a freelancer?
7. Contingency plans. If the company is owned and operated by one or two people, what is the secession plan? (In other words, what happens if the owner becomes incapacitated?)
Maybe you just want to see your words in print and none of these issues matter to you. But if you hope to make your living at writing some day, these are some things to consider. Can you think of more red flags? What other information might help a Sister in Crime make a wise choice?
Nancy Martin has been writing and publishing books since 1982. She has written nearly 50 pop fiction novels, including the Blackbird Sisters mystery series and the Roxy Abruzzo series. Her most recently released title is Sticky Fingers. Nancy serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and edits SinC Links.
Getting published the old-fashioned way is hard. (A writing friend of mine used to counsel new writers by asking, "If you know it's going to take five or ten years to get published, would you keep trying?" She was right. It does take most writers between five and ten very difficult years to succeed.) Nowadays, many frustrated writers have given up pursuing the traditional route to publication and are turning to small presses.Not all small presses are created equal, however. When making your choice, here are some questions to consider:
1. The money. Does the press pay an advance? Usually, an advance is the publisher's vote of confidence in a writer's ability to sell books. Does the press pay a royalty rate about the same as other publishers? If not, the press is passing along its risk to the writers. Ask yourself why.
2. Money that flows the wrong way. Does the press ask for money from the author? This is a sure sign the company isn't on firm legs yet. If you're asked to contribute a "marketing fee" or a "buy-in" or to pay "editing costs," think twice. Asking the author to buy a substantial number of her own books is another way of disguising the same issue. Do you want to spend your time selling books out of the trunk of your car?
3. Not all marketing is worthwhile. Most presses crow about doing plenty of "marketing." But what does that mean, exactly? Do they have a good website, prepare catalogs, and send emails to a mailing list of a few hundred industry people? That's nice, but it's the kind of effort that doesn't cost a lot of time or money . . . and doesn't result in significant sales. Do they send ARCs to all the important review outlets? (The SinC Summit team heard over and over that librarians and bookstores are flooded with promotional materials, so when ordering stock they tend to pay close attention to a few trusted publications: PW, Booklist, Library Journal and Kirkus.) If the press doesn't print ARCs, do they participate in NetGalley? Do they pay personal calls on distributors and bookstores to create relationships? If it's an e-book company, do they perform more marketing tasks besides posting on Facebook? Do they participate in online forums? Make your books available in formats that work for all devices? Do they do more than simply put your books up for sale and stand back to wait for the money to roll in?
4. Distribution requires trucks. If the books are printed on paper, does the press regularly place stock in distributor warehouses like those of Ingram and Baker & Taylor? Just making books available to distributors via a catalog isn't the same as actually stocking.
5. The details of distribution: Does the press offer books to distributors and booksellers at the standard industry discounts? Are the books returnable? Are the books priced about the same as other books of their type? If not, the press may be passing along its cash flow problems to booksellers.
6. Everybody needs an editor. Yes, even you. Does the press employ editors who edit your book for content as well as copy editing? Or must you hire a freelancer?
7. Contingency plans. If the company is owned and operated by one or two people, what is the secession plan? (In other words, what happens if the owner becomes incapacitated?)
Maybe you just want to see your words in print and none of these issues matter to you. But if you hope to make your living at writing some day, these are some things to consider. Can you think of more red flags? What other information might help a Sister in Crime make a wise choice?
Nancy Martin has been writing and publishing books since 1982. She has written nearly 50 pop fiction novels, including the Blackbird Sisters mystery series and the Roxy Abruzzo series. Her most recently released title is Sticky Fingers. Nancy serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and edits SinC Links.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Launching our Internet Chapter!
By Nan Harrington
I’m so pleased to announce that, at long last, the Internet chapter of Sisters in Crime is back!
We’ve “hung out our banner and opened our doors,” so to speak. Now we’re hoping that you’ll come in for a visit - and join us! The chapter can be found online at www.sinc-ic.org.
And, in case you’re wondering just what an Internet chapter is - and why you’d want to join, here are a few answers:
An Internet chapter is much like your local chapter, except that it exists in cyberspace and provides a common meeting place for those who live where there are no local chapters, for those who are unable to attend local chapter meetings for any reason - or simply for those who want or need a “SinC supplement” in between their monthly chapter get-togethers.
The great thing about the Internet chapter is that it is accessible at any time and from any location - from your home late at night, from your office during a break or from anywhere you travel. We’re here for you 24/7.
We provide information, links to resources, blogs, monthly writing tips and prompts, support and cyber-camaraderie.
Our “members only” site will be launched next week and will include a critique group opportunity and interviews. (We’d love to find new interviewees, by the way! Don’t hesitate to sign up!)
Any questions? Contact Nan Harrington at nan.harrington[at]gmail.com.
Come on in! We’re open for business!
Nan Harrington, President of the Internet Chapter of Sisters in Crime, is a 5th generation Texan, a retired university professor, a wanna-be crime writer (her new passion!), and an inveterate traveler. She lives in Dallas and Cuernavaca, Mexico.
I’m so pleased to announce that, at long last, the Internet chapter of Sisters in Crime is back!
We’ve “hung out our banner and opened our doors,” so to speak. Now we’re hoping that you’ll come in for a visit - and join us! The chapter can be found online at www.sinc-ic.org.
And, in case you’re wondering just what an Internet chapter is - and why you’d want to join, here are a few answers:
An Internet chapter is much like your local chapter, except that it exists in cyberspace and provides a common meeting place for those who live where there are no local chapters, for those who are unable to attend local chapter meetings for any reason - or simply for those who want or need a “SinC supplement” in between their monthly chapter get-togethers.
The great thing about the Internet chapter is that it is accessible at any time and from any location - from your home late at night, from your office during a break or from anywhere you travel. We’re here for you 24/7.
We provide information, links to resources, blogs, monthly writing tips and prompts, support and cyber-camaraderie.
Our “members only” site will be launched next week and will include a critique group opportunity and interviews. (We’d love to find new interviewees, by the way! Don’t hesitate to sign up!)
Any questions? Contact Nan Harrington at nan.harrington[at]gmail.com.
Come on in! We’re open for business!
Nan Harrington, President of the Internet Chapter of Sisters in Crime, is a 5th generation Texan, a retired university professor, a wanna-be crime writer (her new passion!), and an inveterate traveler. She lives in Dallas and Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Friday, July 1, 2011
California Crime Writers: A Writing Craft Report
By Jackie Houchin
[Originally published at jackiehouchin.com]
Although I don't actually write crime fiction (I read and review it), I took the Writing Craft workshops at the California Crime Writers Conference, all taught by an impressive lineup of top-notch writers.
"Grammar for Dummies, Part I," presented by author/copy editor June Casagrande, was a fact-filled session that tested our knowledge (in a 66-example quiz), surprised us by revealing many common errors and challenged us to use the best reference manuals (Chicago Manual of Style, Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and Garner's Modern American Usage).
In "Part II," June explained basic sentence structures (simple, compound, complex), showed many examples of each and powered through 16 specific tips for improving our sentences.
"Cut back on commas!" she said. "I'd rather be in a room with a roaring drunk than see too many commas and semicolons."
Oh, that our elementary school teachers were so informative and fun!
"Crime writers are not expected to be perfect in grammar," she said, "but they do need to come off as professionals." Her workshops and "keeper" handouts will help both newbie and seasoned writers to do just that.
"What's the purpose of dialogue?" asked author Gary Phillips in his "How to Talk" workshop. He picked up a marker, held it poised over a pad clipped to a tripod and looked at his audience.
"To create characters," said one attendee, breaking the ice for further suggestions.
"To move the story along."
"To convey information."
As others spoke, Phillips distributed a handout with snippets of dialogue by several well-known authors.
"Who will volunteer to read the first page?" he asked.
Attendees read aloud paragraphs by Robert B. Parker, Laura Lippman and SJ Rozan, then discussed style, technique and ratio of dialogue to narration.
"There are two purposes for dialogue," Phillips stated,"... to service the plot (summing up information to speed the plot forward) and to reveal characters (the emotional stuff)."
He challenged us to write a scene "about two characters who were high school friends, an ex-prisoner and a college grad, meeting up again for some reason."
Some really good results were then read aloud and critiqued.
In a bit of humorous advice, SJ Rozan told attendees of her "How to Avoid the Sagging Middle" workshop to: "Write 40,000 words of beginning, then start writing the ending."
After the laughter subsided, she taught specifics on how to deal with that most important part of a story.
"What you do depends on the type of problem you have. Are you completely lost? Or have you 'hit a wall' with no place for your characters to go?
"If you are completely lost, you can ... kill someone or discuss your problem with your editor. Write a 'reverse outline' from where you are stuck back to the beginning to see what's missing. Or remember why you wanted to write this book (the theme).
"If you are up against a wall with your characters, you can - on Raymond Chandler's advice - 'Have a guy come in with a gun.' In other words, think outside the box, conjure up five of the most bizarre things that could happen that are not part of the plot (a UFO lands ... a dog runs through with something weird in its mouth ...).
"Trust your subconscious. Offer it some ideas to work out. Remember what your character knows (not you as writer) and think what she would logically do next."
And finally, "If you give up in the middle, you'll never get another one done."
Juliet Blackwell had us take a cold hard look at our commitment to writing in her "Get Over It" motivation workshop by asking, "How badly do you want to write? What is your true writing goal? To be published... make money... get famous? How important is that goal to you - and what are you willing to give up to get there?"
She showed us practical ways to stop sabotaging ourselves and encouraged us by saying, "Young adults are reading a lot right now. They'll be adults soon and they'll want to read your books."
Jan Burke's "Bad Guys and Side Kicks" was another session packed with helpful advice.
"Start with the villain," was her opening comment.
"Why? Well, consider what a mystery is – a whodunnit – a who done it?"
He's the source of tension and conflict. Figure out what he wants and why, and get him into the story quickly.
"Readers learn a lot about the protagonist from the villain."
The victim is also important - and not just a "dead body." Make sure you show the reason why the villain chose this victim. Consider the seven deadly sins. The kind of villain - and his means of killing - depends on the genre. Is it a cozy, a thriller, a classic detective? What drives the villain (revenge, notoriety, fear of discovery, unusual appetite)?
Run out of ways the killer can threaten? Ask what scares you. Brainstorm 50 scary things that don't necessarily cause death (a flushing toilet in the middle of the night).
Other characters need to be tied to the victim, too. Sidekicks can't solve the crime, but they can inform the sleuth, inform the reader, accidentally mislead, have a sense of humor and provide a person the sleuth can discuss the case with.
Burke's best writing advice was to "find three books you love and three books you hate. Study them to see how/why the bad ones failed and the subtle ways the good ones succeeded."
In a "Keynote Dialogue" with Denise Hamilton (Okay, I deviated from the craft tract one time because I was a little afraid of Dorothy Howell's "Love and Sex" workshop), SJ Rozan talked about writing rituals (she needs her mug of Queen Anne tea first), word count (she likes 750-1,000 words per day), brainstorming and spare writing.
"Words are powerful. You don't need that many of them," she said.
Rozan also candidly confessed, "Someday I want to write a James Michener epic with multiple POVs, maybe not even a crime novel."
The wildly entertaining Kerry Madden, in "Understanding the Story Arc," advised us to "get the memories down" and "write through the fear."
She also said, "Don't worry about plot, just write the story and the plot will take care of itself."
This made sense when I remembered SJ Rosen's description of plot. It's the "car" that takes your story to the end - how it all happens. Story is the "journey" of your characters - what the book is about. If the plot isn't working, get a new "car."
Too soon, the conference and the weekend were over. Other writers took the Business, Matters of Crime, and Nuts & Bolts tracks and went home just as determined to put what they'd learned into their writing. Many also left with promises from agents to read their work. All were encouraged by the talented authors who freely shared their knowledge.
"Writing should be a pleasure," said T. Jefferson Parker. "Read something wonderful, something that makes you happy and edifies you. Then go write."
Jackie Houchin is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and theatre critic. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and California Writers Club.
[Originally published at jackiehouchin.com]
Although I don't actually write crime fiction (I read and review it), I took the Writing Craft workshops at the California Crime Writers Conference, all taught by an impressive lineup of top-notch writers.
"Grammar for Dummies, Part I," presented by author/copy editor June Casagrande, was a fact-filled session that tested our knowledge (in a 66-example quiz), surprised us by revealing many common errors and challenged us to use the best reference manuals (Chicago Manual of Style, Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and Garner's Modern American Usage).In "Part II," June explained basic sentence structures (simple, compound, complex), showed many examples of each and powered through 16 specific tips for improving our sentences.
"Cut back on commas!" she said. "I'd rather be in a room with a roaring drunk than see too many commas and semicolons."
Oh, that our elementary school teachers were so informative and fun!
"Crime writers are not expected to be perfect in grammar," she said, "but they do need to come off as professionals." Her workshops and "keeper" handouts will help both newbie and seasoned writers to do just that.
"What's the purpose of dialogue?" asked author Gary Phillips in his "How to Talk" workshop. He picked up a marker, held it poised over a pad clipped to a tripod and looked at his audience."To create characters," said one attendee, breaking the ice for further suggestions.
"To move the story along."
"To convey information."
As others spoke, Phillips distributed a handout with snippets of dialogue by several well-known authors.
"Who will volunteer to read the first page?" he asked.
Attendees read aloud paragraphs by Robert B. Parker, Laura Lippman and SJ Rozan, then discussed style, technique and ratio of dialogue to narration.
"There are two purposes for dialogue," Phillips stated,"... to service the plot (summing up information to speed the plot forward) and to reveal characters (the emotional stuff)."
He challenged us to write a scene "about two characters who were high school friends, an ex-prisoner and a college grad, meeting up again for some reason."
Some really good results were then read aloud and critiqued.
In a bit of humorous advice, SJ Rozan told attendees of her "How to Avoid the Sagging Middle" workshop to: "Write 40,000 words of beginning, then start writing the ending."After the laughter subsided, she taught specifics on how to deal with that most important part of a story.
"What you do depends on the type of problem you have. Are you completely lost? Or have you 'hit a wall' with no place for your characters to go?
"If you are completely lost, you can ... kill someone or discuss your problem with your editor. Write a 'reverse outline' from where you are stuck back to the beginning to see what's missing. Or remember why you wanted to write this book (the theme).
"If you are up against a wall with your characters, you can - on Raymond Chandler's advice - 'Have a guy come in with a gun.' In other words, think outside the box, conjure up five of the most bizarre things that could happen that are not part of the plot (a UFO lands ... a dog runs through with something weird in its mouth ...).
"Trust your subconscious. Offer it some ideas to work out. Remember what your character knows (not you as writer) and think what she would logically do next."
And finally, "If you give up in the middle, you'll never get another one done."
Juliet Blackwell had us take a cold hard look at our commitment to writing in her "Get Over It" motivation workshop by asking, "How badly do you want to write? What is your true writing goal? To be published... make money... get famous? How important is that goal to you - and what are you willing to give up to get there?"She showed us practical ways to stop sabotaging ourselves and encouraged us by saying, "Young adults are reading a lot right now. They'll be adults soon and they'll want to read your books."
Jan Burke's "Bad Guys and Side Kicks" was another session packed with helpful advice."Start with the villain," was her opening comment.
"Why? Well, consider what a mystery is – a whodunnit – a who done it?"
He's the source of tension and conflict. Figure out what he wants and why, and get him into the story quickly.
"Readers learn a lot about the protagonist from the villain."
The victim is also important - and not just a "dead body." Make sure you show the reason why the villain chose this victim. Consider the seven deadly sins. The kind of villain - and his means of killing - depends on the genre. Is it a cozy, a thriller, a classic detective? What drives the villain (revenge, notoriety, fear of discovery, unusual appetite)?
Run out of ways the killer can threaten? Ask what scares you. Brainstorm 50 scary things that don't necessarily cause death (a flushing toilet in the middle of the night).
Other characters need to be tied to the victim, too. Sidekicks can't solve the crime, but they can inform the sleuth, inform the reader, accidentally mislead, have a sense of humor and provide a person the sleuth can discuss the case with.
Burke's best writing advice was to "find three books you love and three books you hate. Study them to see how/why the bad ones failed and the subtle ways the good ones succeeded."
In a "Keynote Dialogue" with Denise Hamilton (Okay, I deviated from the craft tract one time because I was a little afraid of Dorothy Howell's "Love and Sex" workshop), SJ Rozan talked about writing rituals (she needs her mug of Queen Anne tea first), word count (she likes 750-1,000 words per day), brainstorming and spare writing."Words are powerful. You don't need that many of them," she said.
Rozan also candidly confessed, "Someday I want to write a James Michener epic with multiple POVs, maybe not even a crime novel."
The wildly entertaining Kerry Madden, in "Understanding the Story Arc," advised us to "get the memories down" and "write through the fear."She also said, "Don't worry about plot, just write the story and the plot will take care of itself."
This made sense when I remembered SJ Rosen's description of plot. It's the "car" that takes your story to the end - how it all happens. Story is the "journey" of your characters - what the book is about. If the plot isn't working, get a new "car."
Too soon, the conference and the weekend were over. Other writers took the Business, Matters of Crime, and Nuts & Bolts tracks and went home just as determined to put what they'd learned into their writing. Many also left with promises from agents to read their work. All were encouraged by the talented authors who freely shared their knowledge.
"Writing should be a pleasure," said T. Jefferson Parker. "Read something wonderful, something that makes you happy and edifies you. Then go write."Jackie Houchin is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and theatre critic. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and California Writers Club.
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