tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51652686395991501152024-03-13T15:07:17.127-07:00Terry ShamesTerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-13764994501631811932017-07-17T07:52:00.001-07:002017-07-17T08:59:25.558-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Terry Shames here: This week’s question is whether we read
sub-genres other than our favorite crime novels. The question would be easier for
me to answer if it was, “What don’t you read?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s what I don’t read a lot of: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amateur detective stories—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless</i>, and that’s a big unless, the author makes a really good
case for the amateur to step in. I just don’t enjoy the “Oooo, the local baker
got killed. Please tell me you aren’t going to investigate.” (Words spoken by a
friend, a boyfriend, or a stern cop). I know some people LOVE these. Read them
like candy, enjoy suspending their disbelief and spending a couple of hours
with a ditzy amateur. And here’s the thing: I’ve read a couple of these that I
thought were terrific. So I can’t really even say I don’t read them. I just don’t
gravitate toward them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What it boils down to is that I’ll try pretty much anything
(where reading is concerned anyway. I don’t do high places, but I digress).
Looking at my TBR pile, I have everything from the most hard-boiled (Don
Winslow or Jo Nesbo anyone?) to humorous (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dying
for a Dude</i>, Cindy Sample). I have police procedurals (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gods of Gui</i>lt, Michael Connelly), a lovely light mystery (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love & Death in Burgundy</i>, Susan
Shea), a historical mystery that I haven’t gotten around to (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mercury’s Rising</i>, Ann Parker), foreign
affairs (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Carrion Death</i>, Michael
Stanley), ancient times (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hand of Fire</i>,
Judith Starkston), zany works of mayhem (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skink:
No Surrender</i>, Carl Hiaasen), private eye, stories of intrigue,
psychological suspense novels….And so much more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You get the picture. I am an eclectic reader. That’s true
not only in mystery, but in pretty much everything. On my TBR pile I also have
a book about the history of Wonder Woman (bought long before the movie came
out), books about medical matters, poetry, maps, history, science, biography,
mainstream fiction, memoir, travel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That doesn’t mean that when I start reading a book I’ll
finish it. I give a book a few typos, a little formatting glitch, or a little
bad editing before I put it down, but with so many books out there, it better
be a damn good story for me to keep reading if it has those technical problems.
I recently starting reading a book that was pretty good. But the third time the
author wrote (and the editor allowed it) “there was an xxxx <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laying</i> by the side of the road (or
wherever),” I couldn’t stand it anymore. The story wasn’t good enough for me
not to be thrown out of it by bad grammar. The other things that stop me
reading are a suddenly ridiculous plot twist (when I say, “Aww, come on…” you’re
toast), unintentionally bad dialogue, unbelievable characters, and careless
prose. Oddly, descriptions don’t have to be great for me to keep going if the
plot, character, and dialogue are working. Get all of it right, and you have a
reader for life! I’m talking about Timothy Hallinan, Lisa Brackmann, Robert
Crais, Deborah Crombie, Charles Todd, Catriona McPherson, James Ziskin, for a
few examples. These are writers that I know I can trust to tell me a good story
and to write it well. Genre-hopping? You bet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-74112540358528143732017-07-17T07:51:00.000-07:002017-07-17T07:51:04.151-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Terry Shames here: This week’s question is whether we read
sub-genres other than our favorite crime novels. The question would be easier for
me to answer if it was, “What don’t you read?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s what I don’t read a lot of: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amateur detective stories—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless</i>, and that’s a big unless, the author makes a really good
case for the amateur to step in. I just don’t enjoy the “Oooo, the local baker
got killed. Please tell me you aren’t going to investigate.” (Words spoken by a
friend, a boyfriend, or a stern cop). I know some people LOVE these. Read them
like candy, enjoy suspending their disbelief and spending a couple of hours
with a ditzy amateur. And here’s the thing: I’ve read a couple of these that I
thought were terrific. So I can’t really even say I don’t read them. I just don’t
gravitate toward them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What it boils down to is that I’ll try pretty much anything
(where reading is concerned anyway. I don’t do high places, but I digress).
Looking at my TBR pile, I have everything from the most hard-boiled (Don
Winslow or Jo Nesbo anyone?) to humorous (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dying
for a Dude</i>, Cindy Sample). I have police procedurals (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gods of Gui</i>lt, Michael Connelly), a lovely light mystery (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love & Death in Burgundy</i>, Susan
Shea), a historical mystery that I haven’t gotten around to (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mercury’s Rising</i>, Ann Parker), foreign
affairs (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Carrion Death</i>, Michael
Stanley), ancient times (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hand of Fire</i>,
Judith Starkston), zany works of mayhem (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skink:
No Surrender</i>, Carl Hiaasen), private eye, stories of intrigue,
psychological suspense novels….And so much more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4F6wW2n1t-Q/WWzOvQFVM8I/AAAAAAAABFM/mQErRNyqUxYAGPeYi7k6P7K0Wo61Pm__QCLcBGAs/s1600/Depositphotos_58868031_s-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4F6wW2n1t-Q/WWzOvQFVM8I/AAAAAAAABFM/mQErRNyqUxYAGPeYi7k6P7K0Wo61Pm__QCLcBGAs/s320/Depositphotos_58868031_s-2015.jpg" width="320" /></a>You get the picture. I am an eclectic reader. That’s true
not only in mystery, but in pretty much everything. On my TBR pile I also have
a book about the history of Wonder Woman (bought long before the movie came
out), books about medical matters, poetry, maps, history, science, biography,
mainstream fiction, memoir, travel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That doesn’t mean that when I start reading a book I’ll
finish it. I give a book a few typos, a little formatting glitch, or a little
bad editing before I put it down, but with so many books out there, it better
be a damn good story for me to keep reading if it has those technical problems.
I recently starting reading a book that was pretty good. But the third time the
author wrote (and the editor allowed it) “there was an xxxx <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laying</i> by the side of the road (or
wherever),” I couldn’t stand it anymore. The story wasn’t good enough for me
not to be thrown out of it by bad grammar. The other things that stop me
reading are a suddenly ridiculous plot twist (when I say, “Aww, come on…” you’re
toast), unintentionally bad dialogue, unbelievable characters, and careless
prose. Oddly, descriptions don’t have to be great for me to keep going if the
plot, character, and dialogue are working. Get all of it right, and you have a
reader for life! I’m talking about Timothy Hallinan, Lisa Brackmann, Robert
Crais, Deborah Crombie, Charles Todd, Catriona McPherson, James Ziskin, for a
few examples. These are writers that I know I can trust to tell me a good story
and to write it well. Genre-hopping? You bet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-16248391258043295722017-07-17T01:00:00.000-07:002017-07-17T07:46:51.108-07:00Genre Hopping? Absolutely<div class="MsoNormal">
This week’s question is whether we read sub-genres other
than our favorite crime novels. The question would be easier for me to answer
if it was, “What don’t you read?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s what I don’t read a lot of: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amateur detective stories—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless</i>, and that’s a big unless, the author makes a really good
case for the amateur to step in. I just don’t enjoy the “Oooo, the local baker
got killed. Please tell me you aren’t going to investigate.” (Words spoken by a
friend, a boyfriend, or a stern cop). I know some people LOVE these. Read them
like candy, enjoy suspending their disbelief and spending a couple of hours
with a ditzy amateur. And here’s the thing: I’ve read a couple of these that I
thought were terrific. So I can’t really even say I don’t read them. I just don’t
gravitate toward them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What it boils down to is that I’ll try pretty much anything
(where reading is concerned anyway. I don’t do high places, but I digress).
Looking at my TBR pile, I have everything from the most hard-boiled (Don
Winslow or Jo Nesbo anyone?) to humorous (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dying
for a Dude</i>, Cindy Sample). I have police procedurals (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gods of Gui</i>lt, Michael Connelly), a lovely light mystery (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love & Death in Burgundy</i>, Susan
Shea), a historical mystery that I haven’t gotten around to (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mercury’s Rising</i>, Ann Parker), foreign
affairs (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Carrion Death</i>, Michael
Stanley), ancient times (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hand of Fire</i>,
Judith Starkston), zany works of mayhem (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skink:
No Surrender</i>, Carl Hiaasen), private eye, stories of intrigue,
psychological suspense novels….And so much more.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VyQXaNw7OL8/WWu9fJd7OqI/AAAAAAAABEw/yeoSZj-5W98Av-9M0seov1Lbq_j3reibACLcBGAs/s1600/Depositphotos_58868031_s-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VyQXaNw7OL8/WWu9fJd7OqI/AAAAAAAABEw/yeoSZj-5W98Av-9M0seov1Lbq_j3reibACLcBGAs/s320/Depositphotos_58868031_s-2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You get the picture. I am an eclectic reader. That’s true
not only in mystery, but in pretty much everything. On my TBR pile I also have
a book about the history of Wonder Woman (bought long before the movie came
out), books about medical matters, poetry, maps, history, science, biography,
mainstream fiction, memoir, travel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That doesn’t mean that when I start reading a book I’ll finish
it. I give a book a few typos, a little formatting glitch, or a little bad
editing before I put it down, but with so many books out there, it better be a
damn good story for me to keep reading if it has those technical problems. I
recently starting reading a book that was pretty good. But the third time the
author wrote (and the editor allowed it) “there was an xxxx <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laying</i> by the side of the road (or
wherever),” I couldn’t stand it anymore. The story wasn’t good enough for me
not to be thrown out of it by bad grammar. The other things that stop me
reading are a suddenly ridiculous plot twist (when I say, “Aww, come on…” you’re
toast), unintentionally bad dialogue, unbelievable characters, and careless
prose. Oddly, descriptions don’t have to be great for me to keep going if the
plot, character, and dialogue are working. Get all of it right, and you have a
reader for life! I’m talking about Timothy Hallinan, Lisa Brackmann, Robert
Crais, Deborah Crombie, Charles Todd, Catriona McPherson, James Ziskin, for a
few examples. These are writers that I know I can trust to tell me a good story
and to write it well. Genre-hopping? You bet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-63339990624487487632016-08-24T12:04:00.001-07:002016-08-24T12:04:56.011-07:00Reminder to Self<div class="MsoNormal">
Reminder to self: Your writing life is supposed to be
enjoyable, and sometimes even fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few recent things brought on this reminder. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1) Last week I went on what was supposed to be a
mini-vacation, and ended up being more work than play. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2) I’ve noticed a decided lag in upkeep in my house. I used
to move things around and enjoy reorganizing. It’s starting to look like a
museum around here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3) I haven’t entertained in ages. I used to entertain a lot,
and I find myself neglecting to invite people over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4) Last night I had a critique from my writer’s group and
all night tossed and turned, worried that I’ll never be able to really the
manuscript right. Although this morning I felt more sanguine, I didn’t like
that feeling that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must </i>get it right
immediately.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5) I have intended for weeks to go see the new Museum of
Modern Art in San Francisco and the Berkeley Art Museum. I realized that somehow
I never find the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6) I find myself feeling beleaguered, thinking of all the
things I have to do to write and promote books as some kind of treadmill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is that enough? What it points to is that I am burying
myself in my study every day, working. I have always preached the virtue of
spending some time away from writing each week to refresh myself. And I’m not
practicing what I preach. When I’m away from my desk, I constantly worry that I
should be doing something: working on the new book, editing the old book,
arranging a book tour, figuring out a promotion schedule, updating my website,
sending out a newsletter, reading a book I’ve neglected to read, taking care of
Sisters in Crime business, taking care of MWA business, writing a short story
or article, and on an on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What this calls for is new resolve. I’m determined to look
at the world with fresh eyes—not the sunken eyes I see in the morning with dark
rings surrounding them. And to do that I have to go to the museum, entertain
friends, get new curtains in my kitchen, move paintings around, listen to some
music, try a new recipe, call a friend I haven’t talked to in a while, read a
book that has nothing to do with writing mysteries, take a day off. In short,
smell the flowers!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some flowers for you, too:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--D95ND8PtwI/V73vvBKCiiI/AAAAAAAAAx8/ZJqGK91zycgFXRXdENP9lNxRDEh5L-oFQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--D95ND8PtwI/V73vvBKCiiI/AAAAAAAAAx8/ZJqGK91zycgFXRXdENP9lNxRDEh5L-oFQCLcB/s320/IMG_4292.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>Enjoy your day! And take some time off to smell the roses.</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-5566421140357747642016-08-17T07:24:00.002-07:002016-08-17T07:24:37.183-07:00What's in a Name<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the dumbest things I ever did was name my first book
in the Samuel Craddock series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Killing
at Cotton Hill</i>. Not that it isn’t a perfectly good name—but that it’s long.
After that, my publisher wanted me to name every book with the same cadence and
the same “intent.” That is article-noun or gerund-preposition-proper name. That
actually makes the naming a little easier, but what I never figured was how
tricky it would be when I write short biographies. Usually when a writer
attends a conference or has a reading event, she is asked to provide a short
biography of 50 words. By the time I list a few of my books in my bio, half the
50 words is used up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FP-Ciwl-fI/V7RziCa0tlI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/hD1wlL1QS5QbsgBJBnjnlmxUlB_LtTGQQCLcB/s1600/Necessary%2BMurder_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FP-Ciwl-fI/V7RziCa0tlI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/hD1wlL1QS5QbsgBJBnjnlmxUlB_LtTGQQCLcB/s320/Necessary%2BMurder_cover.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when I sat down to write the psychological suspense novel
I have in mind, I thought for once I would make the title short. Then I
realized how easy the “formula” makes it for the Craddock novels. For a
stand-alone, I had no such guidelines, and it’s hard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What an author wants to convey in a title is a sense of the
type of book it is, and a sense of the “intent” of the book. First, people
approaching the book should know it’s in the broad “mystery” genre. A reader
who picks up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ulysses</i> knows what they
are in for. But so is the reader who picks up “The Ulysses Solution.” Someone
who picks up a book entitled, “The Brokered Tangent” would be disappointed to
find it’s about a muffin lady who solves crimes in her spare time. Likewise, “Miss
Lisa’s Moment of Mystery” will baffle readers expecting a cozy mystery and
finding instead that’s it’s a thriller about an international conspiracy in
which there is a lot of kick-boxing. Although it might actually be fun to
confound expectation, it won’t win the author loyal readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The issue of intent means giving the prospective reader a
sense of what the book might be addressing without giving away too much. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Girl on a Train</i> is a brilliant name for
the book because it isn’t just about what she saw from the train, but that she
inserts herself into the story. One good trick is to use the name of the
protagonist in series titles, with a clever turn of phrase that gives a hint of
the story. James Ziskin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heart of Stone</i>
comes to mind, a sly play on the name of Ellie Stone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there is the issue of adding a touch of ambiguity. That’s
the hardest trick of all. Would Thomas Harris’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silence of the Lambs</i> have been as intriguing if it had been
entitled, “FBI Agent Saves Brave Girl From Monster?” Would Laurie King’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Beekeeper’s Apprentice</i> have been as
enticing if it had been, “Aging Sherlock Holmes Takes on an Assistant?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been playing with the title for the book I’m beginning,
trying to come up with something intriguing, but not too revealing. I’m
thinking of calling it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just Like You</i>.
I’m hoping “You” will become the new “Girl.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-72941884393275724102016-08-09T23:06:00.002-07:002016-08-09T23:06:33.793-07:00Jump, Turtle, Jump<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The deck is cleared: my “finished for now” manuscript is off
to my writer’s group, emails are caught up, and my husband is out of the house
for a few days. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ideas for a fresh, exciting new book are written up and
ready to go. Not exactly an outline, but a few pages of synopsis. Looks like it
could be a winner. Really a great idea with good characters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let’s go! What? “Let’s Go!” What do you mean? Start
writing! Just jump right in there. Doesn’t have to be brilliant, remember?
You’ve got a scene in your mind. You know where it is, who the scene will focus
on, and what happens. So….GO!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Folks, it’s like getting a turtle to jump. Ready, get set,
jump. Yeah, I didn’t see it either. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pQHNEpkAPGo/V6rEW8wZXTI/AAAAAAAAAwo/2P2aJDVm1yYe2-8gsNbvmAJ3atKEU8usgCLcB/s1600/Depositphotos_10488465_s-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pQHNEpkAPGo/V6rEW8wZXTI/AAAAAAAAAwo/2P2aJDVm1yYe2-8gsNbvmAJ3atKEU8usgCLcB/s320/Depositphotos_10488465_s-2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I danced around the page all day long. Played some word
games, remembered some things I urgently needed to buy on-line, made a phone call.
Found a few pieces of paper on my desk that needed to be moved from one spot to
another. Made a list. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually, at about 4:00 I made myself put some words down.
Not many. Couple of hundred. Immediately I ran into a problem with the
relationships between characters. Made a chart of who is who, which was very
satisfying. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This morning more of the same: Jump, you sucker, jump!
Turtle sat there. I did some reading. More phone calls. More games. More
sighing. Ate some blueberries. The crazy thing is that Facebook is the perfect
way to waste time, and although I did do a little social media, I found it
super boring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which tells me that I needed to do all that weird dancing
around the computer to start the book. For whatever reason, I had to look at
that blank page: I had to peek under the shell of the turtle, let him wander
around a bit, and eat some lettuce. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few more lines went down and then I thought, “Wait! I have
to have a working title.” Talk about an opportunity to procrastinate! I looked
through Bartlett’s Quotations, stared at the books on my shelves, wrote down
random words, wrote some phrases, tried some possible titles, and rejected them
all. Finally put one word at the top: Reunion. And then I started expanding on
the few paragraphs I had written yesterday. I changed some names to better
reflect the characters. I moved them a little farther along, thought some more
about what the relationships were among the characters in the scene. Got a
couple of the characters to joke with each other. Discovered that one was
anti-social, one was resentful, one calculating. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I stopped tonight, I had over 2,000 words. Some
relationships got set up, a few haracters talked to each other. A couple of
characters startled me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, the turtle didn’t exactly jump, but at least it ambled
off the finish line. Maybe tomorrow that sucker will leap for the stars. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-26366700932313529512016-08-03T07:14:00.000-07:002016-08-03T07:14:02.985-07:00Plotting While You Play<div class="MsoNormal">
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I killed a lot of people last week. Here’s how it happened:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent five days on our sailboat in Long Beach. I am not
particularly fond of being on a boat. Five hours is fine. Five days? Not so
much. Especially when the day after I arrived we took the 5-hour trip to
Catalina and I got soundly seasick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But boating is my husband’s passion, so every now and then I
give in. Those reading this who love to sail will say, “Oh, boo hoo, poor you.”
Yeah, I get that all the time. Still. Seasick? Bored out of my mind? Yep. And
don’t even mention those old salts who smugly say to my husband, “Put her
behind the wheel! She just gets seasick because she doesn’t like not being in
control (or because she’s afraid or whatever).” No, sweetie, that isn’t it. I
just get seasick.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L8Hv_Kdp8Lc/V6H7yUmxdqI/AAAAAAAAAv4/SARwa1bPS6gPMuEkIObRz8tjCNiN2cwLgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L8Hv_Kdp8Lc/V6H7yUmxdqI/AAAAAAAAAv4/SARwa1bPS6gPMuEkIObRz8tjCNiN2cwLgCLcB/s320/IMG_4272.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not saying it’s all bad. Mooring off the town of Avalon
was delightful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is in a
holiday mood and the town models a Mediterranean seaside village, a jewel off
the California coast. So we had a great time while we were there. And the sail
back was fabulous, with the wind in the perfect direction. Which is great for a
while. But five hours of looking at the water and chatting? If I could read, I
wouldn’t be so annoyed. But I get seasick if I even think about reading. One of
our friends who came with us said, “I didn’t realize we couldn’t read while we
were sailing.” Some people might be able to, but we were among those who can’t.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have yet to figure out why sailors love to be on the boat
for hours at a time staring at the water. In my experience sailing is hours and
hours of boredom punctuated with the occasional moment of delight—and the rare
moment of terror. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what’s a writer to do? Plot. Plot. Plot. And for as
mystery writer that means Kill. Kill. Kill. As it happened, my agent wrote me a
few days before I left for the trip to say we needed to give my publisher a
couple of synopses for new books. One of the plots I already had laid out, but
I had to think about the other one. And I also have been laying out a psychological
thriller, so I got a chance to roll that around in my mind. So, it isn’t all
bad, as you can see from the photos!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GN-DBH-X3Wk/V6H8AlnJRkI/AAAAAAAAAv8/yDhiETYXqXwep_dW5V101y6ax0e7U4tAwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GN-DBH-X3Wk/V6H8AlnJRkI/AAAAAAAAAv8/yDhiETYXqXwep_dW5V101y6ax0e7U4tAwCLcB/s320/IMG_4275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-68986837451578063552016-07-27T06:24:00.000-07:002016-07-27T06:24:58.666-07:00Take Yourself Seriously<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
A few days ago someone on Facebook asked writers to please
give one line of advice to beginning writers. “Take yourself seriously,” is
mine. It’s my mantra to myself because I wasted so many years not doing it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first started writing, I treated it like a lark. Like
so many beginners, I thought writing must be easy—unless you were writing Moby
Dick, in which case it was probably hard. But since Moby Dick had already been
written, I didn’t have to go there. But look at how easy Jane Austen made it
look. And Eudora Welty with those nuggets of short stories. Look how you could
breeze through Elmore Leonard and Dame Agatha and Elizabeth George. Right?
Right? Must have been easy to write because they tripped so easily through the
eye and into the brain. I’d take nwriting classes in which my prose was almost
always praised. Piece of cake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I started writing a novel. And at some point I reached a
hard spot in my novel. What to do? What to do? Abandon it in favor of another
book that was going to be fabulous, that’s what. So I started another book. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally I finished a novel and it seemed good enough. That’s
all I was asking for—good enough. But publishers sent rejections. Not good
enough. Okay, now I knew more. I’d write another one. Good enough! No. And then
another. And another. And all this time I was not taking myself and my writing
seriously. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here was my magical thinking:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If I just knew the right person, I could get a
foot in the door.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If I could just write something “good enough” an
editor could fix whatever wasn’t working</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If I could just write a book that happened to
catch a wave of a popular theme, the book would be snatched up.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->My writing is good, the details should take care
of themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, I gave careless consideration to all the real
things that needed to be addressed: voice, character, plot, structure, setting.
I was pretty good at each of those things—hadn’t everyone in workshops said so?
But I had someone gotten the impression that these elements were the by-product
of writing, not the heart and soul of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I mean by not taking myself seriously is that I was not
requiring a serious attitude about the one thing I wanted to accomplish—to
become a published writer. In the parlance of education, I was an
under-achiever. The thing is, I put in a lot of hours—and I thought that’s what
was meant by “taking myself seriously.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually I got to the right workshop, in which the words “take
yourself seriously” was described in a way that hit home and I understood that
I had to write from my brain, not just my instincts. Maybe I needed all those
years of failure, all those “almost” books, before I was ready to hear it. But
boy, did I waste a lot of time and energy before that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’m saying to anyone sitting down to write a story,
whether it be your first or your twentieth, whether you’ve published or not:
take yourself seriously. That’s the way it works.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book Recommendation: Attica Locke's <i>Pleasantville</i> just won the Harper Lee prize for legal fiction. It's a phenomenal book. I highly recommend it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-79304010122885763602016-07-20T06:47:00.003-07:002020-07-27T11:04:58.616-07:00New Horizons<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next January my sixth Samuel Craddock book comes out, a
prequel called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Unsettling Crime for
Samuel Craddock</i>. I love Samuel and the citizens of Jarrett Creek, and I
hope to continue to write about them for years. When the first one came out
three years ago, it was a dream come true. The first book got a lot of
attention and was nominated for some awards. The books continue to be popular,
get terrific reviews and attract happy readers. I’m pleased with my publisher
and with the whole experience I’ve had.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That said, I want to expand my horizons. I am working on a
thriller, and it is finally beginning to look like a viable book. Writing it has
been a steep learning curve. Even though both small-town chief of police novels
and thrillers come under a general heading of “crime fiction,” they are very
different types of books. The thriller demands more action and a wider venue.
I’ve had to learn a lot about another country, about the subject of the book
and about a different set of protagonists. Who knows whether it will have the
same success as my series, but I’m moving forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But there’s more. I am intrigued by the psychological
thrillers I’ve read and would like to try my hand at one. I have an idea for
another thriller. And I would even think of starting another series. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At Thrillerfest with award-winning thriller writer Taylor Stevens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I look at Catriona MacPherson, who writes her delightful Dandy
Gilver historical series, but has put written amazing psychological book after
another. Or Rhys Bowen, who has two strong historical series going with
completely different protagonists. John Sanford. Steve Hamilton. Tim Hallinan!
What they all have done is branch out at some point to new territory. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem I have is not where can I get ideas, but which
one to tackle first. I still have two half-finished books that were started
around the time the first Craddock book came out. I still like the idea of both
of them. The fact is that it takes time not just to write a book, but to
promote it. I am lucky to write fast and to be able to write full-time, but the
idea of writing two or even three books a year, plus articles and short
stories, is daunting. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I would love to know how other writers decide which project
to tackle first. Does the publisher demand it? Their agent? Do they follow
their own instincts and write what excites them? If I did that, I’d be writing
three books at the same time. They say that Isaac Asimov wrote four books at a
time. He had four desks, each facing a different direction. He would work at
one desk for a while, then move on to the next desk and a different novel.
Apparently he could keep them all straight. </div>
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I think I could keep them straight—different voices,
different plots, different intentions—but would I have time for a real life?
Stay tuned.</div>
Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-76629109210191011732016-07-13T06:41:00.001-07:002020-07-27T11:05:17.309-07:00Conference rules<div class="MsoNormal">
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Two years ago I attended my first Thrillerfest as a debut
author. International Thriller Writers celebrates new authors as if they have
just discovered a cure for cancer. So although I felt a little intimidated by
all the honchos at the conference, I was in a haze of delight. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Bay Area Thriller Author Alan Jacobsen and me </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year that changed. I thought the big time authors held
themselves aloof from the peons and were inaccessible, and there was a certain
cliquishness to the conference. It was clear who was in the inner circle. The
rest of us were wannabes—even those of us who have well-established crime
fiction books. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the problems is that at other conferences the big
name authors are sprinkled through the panels, so that they hobnob with
everyone. For some reason at this conference the big names tend to be packed
into panels together, which gives them an air of invincibility and leaves
panels held in parallel to theirs sadly lacking in audience. And it makes the
name authors seem unapproachable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It looked like this year was going to be the same. Even
though I am self-confident and feel like I can talk to just about anybody, I
felt intimidated and unable to approach authors I admired. And then I
remembered the first rule of conferences: wade in and talk to everyone. Find
people to converse with that you have something in common with. Are you both writing
about small towns? Is the author writing something you are intrigued by and
know nothing about? Are you curious about their background? Find something to
talk about. Introduce yourself to people, even if it’s just to say hey, I enjoy
your books. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second rule: Don’t wait to be invited to a meal—invite
someone you want to get to know better. For some reason, I always assume
everyone already has plans. I was happily surprised to find that people were
thrilled to be asked. Suddenly the conference became intimate and more
interesting. Here’s the strange part: when I was talking to people I found
common ground with, suddenly I became more interesting. Writers I had felt
intimidated by stopped to chat. A few even shared some of their current
challenges. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last rule was for me alone. Last year, I drank too much.
I took the “see you in the bar,” too literally and ended up feeling fuzzed
headed and grumpy a couple of days. This year, I decided that water was my
friend. Sure, I had a glass of wine or a drink, but that was it. And I discovered
that the next day I remembered what was said the previous evening. It also
meant I slept better and I felt more energetic and upbeat. And one unintended consequence
is I came away with a heavier wallet—those NY drinks can be expensive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a cautionary tale for everyone attending conferences
of any kind. Did you notice the questions I gave as examples? They were all “you-oriented,”
not “me-oriented.” You’re going to have more fun if you see it as a voyage of
discovery. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-83193101898179667432016-06-29T08:02:00.000-07:002016-06-29T08:02:04.535-07:00Using all the Senses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S3pG061rERQ/V3Pi1hUXqxI/AAAAAAAAAs4/7MxFsxh5zVwOuadji9BfXDIoY5zPzWKwACLcB/s1600/Tahoe%2Bclouds%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S3pG061rERQ/V3Pi1hUXqxI/AAAAAAAAAs4/7MxFsxh5zVwOuadji9BfXDIoY5zPzWKwACLcB/s320/Tahoe%2Bclouds%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was a new writer, I wrote a short story that I was
proud of. I gave it to a friend who wrote short stories to critique. He said he
liked it, but that I needed to learn to use all my senses in writing. It was a
story set in the 30s, and in it a young boy ran after his father’s horse and
buggy at night to find out where he was going. My reader said he wanted to
smell the dust as the boy ran after the buggy, he wanted to feel the grit of
the dust in his nose and eyes, feel his heart beat speeding up as he ran, hear
the squeak of the buggy wheels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I write now, I go back to that advice. My first draft
is bare bones, letting the characters and the plot lead me to tell the story.
When I go back to edit, I pause at each scene and ask myself how I can bring
the scene alive with my senses. Is there something I can see, hear, smell,
taste, or feel that will help the reader get closer to the characters? Is there
something specific to that time or place? Is there smoke in the air? A storm
brewing? Has someone been drinking, so another character smells the alcohol on
his breath or clothing? Is someone dressed differently from the way he usually
does—or from the way everyone else is dressed? Is there a sound present that
warns that everything isn’t right? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A conversation or a narrative passage can only take the
reader so far. Readers need something specific to ground them. Someone lies
down on a bed and the springs squeak, or he groans after a long day, or the
covers are too hot. Someone is driving and sees a car stopped by the side of
the road, or a dilapidated house, or dead grass in a yard, or a car up on
blocks. Every single thing you describe tells the reader where she is, how the
place feels, how the characters fit into the scene. Or if a character doesn’t
fit in, and why. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In everyday life, our senses work constantly to tell us
details about what’s going on around us. If the reader doesn’t have these clues
in a story, he doesn’t get the sense clues he needs, what dangers or joys might
be in store. As a writer, it’s up to me to provide the clues readers use in
their lives to help them understand the fullness of the story. </div>
Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-40623407634550430972016-06-22T06:44:00.002-07:002016-06-22T06:44:38.515-07:00Acknowledgements<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dorothy Sayers didn’t; nor did Dashiell Hammett, James
McClure, Rex Stout or Agatha Christie. These days P.D. James, Alan Furst and
Marcia Clark don’t either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Laura Lippman, Louise Penny, Cara Black, Mark Pryor, and
Craig Johnson do. And so do the great majority of current crime writers. They
write long acknowledgements. They acknowledge those who helped them get
background for their book, supported them during the writing process, edited
the work, and helped get the book published. They name family, friends, people
they’ve paid, and people who helped them gratis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the subject of writing acknowledgements came up for my
next novel, I wondered if everyone wrote them. I couldn’t remember reading them
when I read classic crime novels: They seemed like a relatively new phenomenon.
But I had heard for a long time that if someone was looking for an agent, they
should look in the acknowledgements in books they thought were like theirs or
the name of the author’s agent. I plucked many classic mystery novels from my
shelves to check my theory. I was right. Very few past writers acknowledged in
any way the help they got from others for their work, much less wrote the long,
heartfelt paeans we see in books these days. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQtiJti7h0A/V2qWK_kk6NI/AAAAAAAAAsU/Xvzqug_BiqMHSvHHBHqUQHZLKcTfCF5igCLcB/s1600/Lucy%2BQueen%2BLucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQtiJti7h0A/V2qWK_kk6NI/AAAAAAAAAsU/Xvzqug_BiqMHSvHHBHqUQHZLKcTfCF5igCLcB/s320/Lucy%2BQueen%2BLucy.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lucy helping me write</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d love to know why and when this changed. I don’t think
it’s because people have become more generous, or more mannerly. Nor do I think
it’s because finding a way to get published is any harder than it ever was. It
may be easier than ever. Traditional publishers may be harder to find, but
getting your book out in front of the public is easier than it has ever been. One
reason may be is that the world has gotten more complicated, and writers need
help from a variety of people when they research their subjects. In other
words, it takes a village</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to read brisk acknowledgements of the professional
support a writer received. But I also like reading the more intimate
acknowledgements. I like knowing that Aunt Sally gave an author her first Nancy
Drew book. I like knowing the names of the animals who snooze patiently while
an author muddles on—and who remind the author when dinnertime rolls around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t think any less of authors who don’t write them. I
doubt that they believe they didn’t get help along the way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When asked to write an acknowledgement page for my first
book, I didn’t hesitate. My biggest problem was paring the list to a
manageable, dignified page. To be honest, I would have had to write a second
book to fully acknowledge all those who helped me along the way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d love to hear if anyone has any idea about why this trend
has become so popular. And why is it mostly mystery writers who tend to do
this? Literary writers who write acknowledgements seem to be in a distinct
minority, even these days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-44600753539044707752016-06-09T07:29:00.000-07:002016-06-09T07:29:11.154-07:00The Real World<div class="MsoNormal">
Is there life after book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend as president of Sisters in Crime Northern
California, I was responsible for coordinating our booth at the Bay Area Book
festival. Thank goodness I turned in my latest book on Tuesday, giving me three
days to see to little details like picking up a new banner, having flyers
copied, arranging for posters to hang in the booth, learning how sales would be
handled, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjAsjikY49M/V1l9Cf4N46I/AAAAAAAAArU/gTXHU-0v5ekkzHgr6ZLAdSRtmESlRm8YwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjAsjikY49M/V1l9Cf4N46I/AAAAAAAAArU/gTXHU-0v5ekkzHgr6ZLAdSRtmESlRm8YwCLcB/s320/IMG_4182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Photo: Writers participating in the Bay Area Book Festival</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a big effort, but participating fully in the festival
reminded me that there is life outside of writing. I loved hanging out with my
fellow writers who came to sell and sign books and to help with running the
show. I loved talking to the people who stopped by the booth to ask questions.
I had plenty of questions of my own: Do you like mysteries? If so, what kind?
Often that sent us off on a great discussion of subgenres, writers we used to
like to read and ones we liked to read now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people said they didn’t like mysteries and I
immediately asked what they did like to read. That’s because I read all kinds
of books, and like to hear about them. I talked to a man who likes alternate
history sci-fi, another who likes to read math books! Sometimes I saw my fellow
writers looking askance at me for having in-depth discussions of other types of
books. Weren’t we there to promote and sell mysteries?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, but there is a method to my madness over and above the
fact that I like to talk about books in general. There is still a stigma among
some readers of “literary” fiction that mystery novels are somehow lesser—that
they are not worth the time it takes to read them. I think that by engaging
readers in conversations about books in general I promote the idea that mystery
writers are well-read, intelligent people—which is true! And when I can, I
gently slip in a suggestion that someone who likes a particular type of book
may enjoy reading a mystery novel that is every bit as well written and
compelling as “literary” fiction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Although the weekend was exhausting, I also feel strangely
exhilarated. I think it’s because I participated for several hours in the “real
world.” People want to know where writers get their ideas, and it is from the
real world. Even as I talked to people this weekend, there was a constant hum
in the back of my head: Ooo, wouldn’t that be an interesting idea? Or, hmmm,
that is a very unusual looking man. Maybe someone who looks like him will be on
the pages of my next book. </div>
Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-21296546802393728692016-06-01T06:54:00.001-07:002016-06-01T06:54:38.514-07:00The End for Real<div class="MsoNormal">
When is The End actually The End?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kp3XGtDn43A/V07oZ2NeaGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/N3qsJ1t7Gd85QXXmVdJSdMGm6clt_5FfACKgB/s1600/IMG_2644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kp3XGtDn43A/V07oZ2NeaGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/N3qsJ1t7Gd85QXXmVdJSdMGm6clt_5FfACKgB/s320/IMG_2644.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week I wrote “The End” to my sixth Samuel Craddock
novel, but in my heart I knew it wasn’t actually the end. No, I’m not talking
about the need to revise, edit, revise again, edit again. I’m talking about
knowing I galloped to the finish line leaving little threads of story line
unresolved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tell myself I’m done. Clues have come together to the
protagonist’s satisfaction, the bad guys are dead, or have been marched off to
jail, or otherwise punished. The victim has received justice. The police or the
detective or the lone avenger has proven his mettle once again. So I’ve done my
job. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But wait. What about the subplot that limped to a
conclusion? What about the character who was promised something and never got
it? What happened to the character who wandered into a scene, got readers’
attention, and never showed up again? How about that titillating scene between
the cop and the showgirl? How was their relationship resolved? Has order been
restored in the community? That’s what the final chapter is for. After the
investigation, the chase, the climax, the arrest, comes the wrap-up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The resolution chapter has always been the hardest for me to
write, not because I can’t figure out what to write. No, the problem is making
myself sit down to write it. I’ve already written “The End,” okay? What more do
you want from me? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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That’s where my writer’s group and my agent come in.
“Wonderful book. Love it. You’re not done yet.” I shut my ears and shout
“lalalala.” I’m done. I am done. Readers can use their imagination, okay?
They’re not stupid. They can figure it out. Their voices continue to nudge me,
and grudgingly my voice joins them, “You’re not done.”</div>
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Yes, but…I prowl around my desk, play a game on my phone,
read a chapter of a book. Then I force myself to open the file and write
“Chapter xx.” I type a couple of paragraphs. Oops, better see what’s happening
on Facebook. And I really do need to pep up my Twitter use—no time like the
present. I descend into gloom, and wander around the house. Finally I remember
that I’m almost done. Rejoice. I sit down and write a few more paragraphs. Then
I repeat the above about ten times. Write, mess around, pout, perk up, etc.</div>
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What is that all about? I suspect it’s that I’m not ready to
leave the world I’ve inhabited for the last few months. I love some of my new
pals and I don’t want to stop playing with them. I don’t want them to continue
their lives without me. It’s like being dead. Or like sending your child off to
college, knowing that she’ll come home, but she’ll never really be yours in the
same way again.</div>
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But the deadline looms, and other stories are nagging to be
written, so finally I finish the chapter, rejoice because it really, really is
finished, go through the manuscript one more time looking for overused words…..The
End.</div>
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Last night I sent Samuel #6, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Unsettling Crime for Samuel Craddock</i>, off to my editor.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-40578545720796391402016-05-25T07:53:00.000-07:002016-05-25T07:53:10.787-07:00Final Edits<div class="MsoNormal">
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My sister is writing a novel, a debut effort. She hopes to
be done with the first draft sometime this summer. She told me she loves
watching her story unfold on the page and loves having the characters do
surprising things. She belongs to a writer’s group that sounds like a perfect
blend of writers who are serious and who take each other’s work seriously. I
have fantasies of the two of us being published authors. But she and I both
know she’s got a long haul before her book is ready to send out.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoWqFoZ4w6Y/V0W8A70IhqI/AAAAAAAAAqE/4eNytEYMt_8RzYO22H44a4h_kFfKjxKcQCLcB/s1600/Texas%2Brd%2Bto%2BSville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoWqFoZ4w6Y/V0W8A70IhqI/AAAAAAAAAqE/4eNytEYMt_8RzYO22H44a4h_kFfKjxKcQCLcB/s320/Texas%2Brd%2Bto%2BSville.JPG" width="255" /></a></div>
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<o:p> (My multi-talented sister is an artist--this is one of her paintings, set in the area I used as a model for Jarrett Creek)</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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In anticipation of being done with her first draft, she
asked me if during the editing process I find that I have to take out and add
whole chapters. I told her that although I may not have to take out whole
chapters, I often have to take out or rearrange big chunks. In fact, I’ve never
known an author who didn’t. By the time you finish a first draft, you have
redundancies, story lines that petered out, loose ends, characters who need to
be reined in or pumped up, and a whole lot of terrible grammar.</div>
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I often have problems with the end, having to add scenes or
even chapters. I think, like a horse going home to the barn, I start galloping
toward the end and begin to summarize. Later, when I read what I’ve written, I
realize that what was in my head hasn’t necessarily made it onto the page. </div>
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I’m now almost done with the third edit, and I think I’m
coming down to the wire. The major glitches have been addressed, the arc of the
story and the chapters completed, the loose ends tidied, the character arcs
resolved, the story lines finalized. Or have they? I always find that when I go
back over a manuscript “one more time”, I still have tidying to do. There will be
a character I left hanging, or a story line that didn’t quite resolve. One more
pass turns into two, three, five more passes. And then I’m done.</div>
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But wait! There’s one more pass. I call it the “golden
words” pass. I have to find out many times I have used the golden words that I
love: “About, just, almost, somehow, seems….” That one last pass is vital. Golden
words are often placeholders for the thing you are really trying to say, or are
used as lazy adjectives. “She was just fine” not only reads as well if you say,
“She was fine,” but is actually stronger. Placeholder words slow down the
action and make prose sound hesitant.</div>
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I promised my agent I’d have the manuscript to her this week
so I can get it to my editor by June 1. So now…one more edit.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-12229068473408209752016-05-18T06:03:00.000-07:002016-05-18T06:03:35.512-07:00Writer's group critiques<div class="MsoNormal">
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I was thrilled to hear that my writer’s group loved Samuel
#6. But of course what that means is that they loved it in general. In specific
they had many comments and suggestions. The good part was that the comments and
suggestions were along the line that I had already figured needed to be done.</div>
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When you get critiques you have a few possibilities:</div>
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1) Everyone will love it and have nothing but glowing
comments. Dream on! Has this ever happened in the history of writer’s groups? I
can just hear Laura Lippman’s critique:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jeez, Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore. Can’t<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you ever write about anything else? Or how about Michael
Connelly: Bosch is such a downer. I mean couldn’t the guy ever have a cheerful
moment? How about Rhys Bowen: Georgie, get a job, for heaven’s sake! Always
with the impoverished royalty bit. </div>
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I don’t care how brilliant a writer is, there are always
going to be people who want their writing to be different. You have to be on
the lookout for people who don’t like your voice, your topic, your setting, and
so on and not be swayed from your intentions.. A really good member of a
critique group will read a piece at face value, trying to put aside personal
prejudices and to help the writer improve based on what she is trying to
achieve.</div>
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2) Everyone will hate it and send you out the door and tell
you never to return. Admit it: that’s what most writers are afraid of. But just
like #1, that’s very unlikely. No one in the group may wholeheartedly like
everything about what you’ve written, but most people will find something that
appeals. One person may love the setting, another loves the plot, another the
voice. And sometimes you will get a reader who truly loves what you’ve done.
Yes, treasure that person, but remember, he isn’t the reader you will learn
from. You learn from the reader who gets what you are trying to achieve and who
gives you advice that will both support you and help you move toward your goal.</div>
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3) People will be divided down the middle. It used to drive
me crazy when half my writer’s group would love what I had written and half
would tear it to pieces. I didn’t want to ignore the critics, but I also didn’t
want to throw out what I had written. I knew deep down that there was some good
and some bad in my work, but how was I to know the difference?</div>
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The answer lies in listening carefully. Don’t just hear what
you are afraid a critic is saying. And don’t just hear what you hoped a reader
would appreciate. Listen to the actual words. Write down what people say. If
necessary, ask them to clarify. And then let the work sit for a day or two.</div>
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And then trust your instinct. You may not want to admit that
you knew all along that something needed another look, but you know deep down.
You have that, “darn it, I thought that would slip by” moment. If you let it
slip, you are doing yourself and the person who worked hard to help you a
disservice. That’s why you are in a writer’s group, after all.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-5097692597947040892016-05-11T06:43:00.003-07:002016-05-11T06:43:23.907-07:00To Group or Not?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-god2WwOeeyM/VzM2o46iNHI/AAAAAAAAApA/zCPOkb47ULU2eBvthDFzWKTdtRlwlKtfwCLcB/s1600/Lucy%2Bshould%2BI%2Bgo%2Bin%253F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-god2WwOeeyM/VzM2o46iNHI/AAAAAAAAApA/zCPOkb47ULU2eBvthDFzWKTdtRlwlKtfwCLcB/s320/Lucy%2Bshould%2BI%2Bgo%2Bin%253F.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Should I jump in?</div>
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Not everyone wants to get advice from a writer’s group, and
not every writer’s group works well for every writer. But if you do decide to
pass your work by some other writers, there are things you need to consider.</div>
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Writer’s groups come in all shapes and sizes. They have
various numbers of members, meet at different intervals, and critique any
number of pages. In some groups everyone submits a certain number of pages for
each meeting. In others one person submits a substantial chunk. I personally prefer
to submit a whole novel, or at least a big chunk because I want to know how a
novel is working overall for readers. But I know others who prefer to work in
20-page increments, revising one scene or chapter until they feel good about it
before they move on. It’s important when you decide you want to join a writer’s
group that you choose one that has a structure that supports the way you work. </div>
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It’s especially critical that you join a group whose members
respect each other. I’ve heard horror stories about group members who try to
rewrite people’s books, who give nasty critiques, who argue when people try to
provide honest critiques, and who don’t manage to read others’ work while
expecting other members to spend time on theirs. You have to be able to trust
that the members of the group have your interest in mind as well as their own, and
that they can give and take honest criticism. It’s just as crucial to get real,
honest feedback as it is not to get overly critical feedback. A reader should
give both positive and constructive comments. It does the writer no good to
only hear only bad news—it crushes the spirit and makes it hard to approach the
manuscript editing with enthusiasm. But it also does no good to only hear how
wonderful a piece of writing is. You don’t join a group just to get strokes.</div>
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I happen to belong to a group of four writers, and I’m the
only crime writer in the group. The reason it works for me is that the others
have respect for the kind of work I do, and even if they aren’t mystery
readers, they understand the genre and critique my work according to my
intention, not just for their reading preferences. I learn a lot not only from
their critiques, but also from what they write and from the critiques they get.
</div>
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At one time I belonged to a group of all crime writers and I
really enjoyed reading their work and getting their feedback. Unfortunately the
group stopped being the best fit for me. When we formed the group, the process
was that we each submit an entire manuscript, which meant with six writers, one
writer’s turn only came around every six months. It worked fine when we were
all unpublished and did have not have deadlines, but once people started
writing under contract, it was impossible to wait several months for feedback.
That group still gets together on occasion to catch up with each other. It
didn’t disband because of bad feelings, but because it stopped meeting
everyone’s needs.</div>
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Because I have a June 1 deadline, I had my critique last
week. It was very satisfying because what I heard was that the book works well
overall and that it needed some editing. There were no surprises in terms of
what needed to be done, and I’m already ripping through it beefing up the parts
that weren’t up to par.</div>
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Next week I’ll talk about that “beefing up” process.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-84109279343132945732016-04-27T09:54:00.001-07:002016-04-27T09:54:18.751-07:00"Real" Editing<div class="MsoNormal">
Now for the Real Editing</div>
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The first read-through of a first draft can be a jolt. I
don’t know about other writers, but I sometimes come across intriguing threads
that I never developed. I may have a vague recollection of what triggered the
idea, but just as often my reaction is, “What was I thinking?” It’s fine if I
realize the thread doesn’t fit what the book became. I simply extract the
thread with great care (think of the game of Pick-up Sticks), and make sure I
haven’t left loose ends.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But sometimes I think the idea should have been developed.
In that case, I stop and think about the ramifications on the
completed book:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1) Will incorporating the thread resonate throughout the
book? Does it require a complete rewrite? If so, do I have time to make it
work? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2) Does it change the intention? Is that a change that I’m
happy with? Will I be disappointed with the book if I don’t do it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3) Will the new thread strengthen the book? If I can’t
answer that question, is it something that might be more suited to another book
in the series? Is there a less disruptive change I can make that will get the
same point across?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the answer is that I think the book will be better for
incorporating the stray idea, I make notes on how to weave it in, and continue
reading. I’ve had the spooky experience of thinking I didn’t work a thread into
the story, only to find that I did, and that all it requires is some judicious
adding or subtracting of sentences to make it stronger.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this edit, unless I think the book is a complete failure,
I don’t make more than cosmetic changes. For example, if I find a paragraph
that is weakly developed, I might rewrite it. But mostly I make notes to remind
myself where I need to take a hard look at some section I’ve written. The notes
can be anything:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11) </span></span>Miss X doesn’t pop off the page. Why?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> 2) </span><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Do I really need the scene with the pig?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33) <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Have I sufficiently researched how this kind of
autopsy would proceed?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
4) Does this character come across the same way she
did in Previous books?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
I 5) Is the action in this section realistic? Is the
language going to offend anyone unnecessarily?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also take note of scenes that I got caught up in.
Sometimes that means the scene really works. But sometimes it means that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think </i>I’ve made the scene work, but
actually my vision of it is what drives my reading of it. I note that I need to go back and
read those scenes dispassionately, making sure my words match what is in my
head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And after this read, I hope I have a few more days to let the
manuscript rest, to give my subconscious time to tell me what I still need to
do. Next week: the writer’s group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book recommendation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Steel Kiss</i>, Jeffrey
Deaver. I like Deaver’s writing. He writes a good, solid thriller, without
reverting to the kind of outrageous, over-the-top action that puts me off in
some thrillers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-56035773322174147242016-04-20T10:24:00.002-07:002016-04-20T10:24:26.889-07:00Editing Interrupted by Life<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First draft written, I know that the next draft needs work and
am ready to look at it critically. I've taken time off to let the manuscript settle
in, and now it’s time to start editing. Uh, oh. Not so fast. Clouds on the horizon in the form of jury duty--a case that will last three of the precious six weeks I have set
aside for editing. Three weeks of 9-5. Three weeks of unexpected duty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It doesn’t have to be jury duty; it could be anything that
suddenly makes your editing life a lot harder. A parent gets sick and you have
to fly across country to take care of him. Your house floods. You get a
horrible cold. It can be anything. Bottom line: Life intervenes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8LvXW8jBF34/Vxe6yjAtSrI/AAAAAAAAAno/i7E-SfN_cDEfzKuTWcdKoOc0YM5_208dQCLcB/s1600/Tahoe%2Bclouds%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8LvXW8jBF34/Vxe6yjAtSrI/AAAAAAAAAno/i7E-SfN_cDEfzKuTWcdKoOc0YM5_208dQCLcB/s320/Tahoe%2Bclouds%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I set out to edit a first draft, I like to read the manuscript
all the way through to get the overall picture of what needs to be done. I jot
down ideas as I read, but basically I want to experience the story the same way
a reader would. But reading beginning to end means I need a big chunk of time
to get the continuity (or lack of).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being on a jury, there’s no way I can get a chunk of time to
do that read unless I’m willing to get up at 3AM and read until 9AM or start
reading at 5PM and stay up until I’m done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or I could wait until the weekend, which means giving up
days I had counted on for editing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So it looks like I’ll have to approach it differently, or
tell my editor that I need extra time. I’ve never failed to meet a deadline,
and I don’t like the idea of doing so now. I suspect what I’ll do is forego the
full-time read through and instead read in chunks. Not my ideal, but then
nobody gets their way all the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The important thing in this post is to realize that not
everything goes according to plan when you are writing. On the writing side, you
can get bogged down in research, or your editor has concerns about some part of
the book, or you aren’t satisfied with it and can’t figure out why. And then
there is the “life” part. Lots of things can go wrong and throw you off, but
the professional writer has to figure out a way to muddle through. Of course
I’m not talking about a major setback—death, health issues, or disaster. I’m
talking about those little bits of life that make you veer off your perfect
plan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m writing this in the jury room. Those of us on the jury have
been here all afternoon waiting to be called to the courtroom. It’s interesting
to see how many people don’t do much of anything when the time stretches out.
I’ve been reading Jeffrey Deaver’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Steel Kiss</i>, and finally decided that at least I could write a quick blog. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now for the good news. At 4:20 we were called in and
told our services were no longer needed. Oddly, several of us expressed some
disappointment. We had already bonded. I liked the people chosen for the jury!
But now the little glitch in my editing has been cleared and tomorrow morning
I’ll begin reading the whole shebang!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-23923084348884622652016-04-13T07:04:00.004-07:002016-04-13T07:04:49.975-07:00Pre-editing<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week I talked about recognizing the need to edit your
work. This week I will talk about how to begin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’ve finished your first draft (at least you typed “The
End”). Now comes the important second step:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>letting the work sit for a while. I call this percolating,
or maybe stewing, or maybe even agonizing. But it’s an important step, even if
you only have a day or two to step away. There are a couple of reasons to let
the manuscript sit. First, you are too close to the work. You have lived with
the characters and the story for so long that it’s hard to separate what you
know internally from what you’ve actually gotten onto the page. Sure, you’ve
thought of several things you forgot to include, or you’ve thought of a nice
little twist you can add. Take notes about these. But give yourself a chance to
forget what you think you know, so you can go back to the work with a fresh
eye. You need to be able to approximate the experience a reader will have when
she reads the book for the first time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second, you need to give yourself a chance to celebrate and
rejuvenate. Celebrate the fact that you have managed what millions or people
dream of doing and never get around to—you’ve finished a book. I remember a
bookseller once giving a talk in which he said, “It’s hard to write a book—even
a bad book.” His point was that people should be kind to writers. My point is
to be kind to yourself. You know there are some awful lines in your first
draft. You know there are characters that haven’t come alive, there are scenes
that don’t quite work, research you need to do to make sure you’ve got
something right, and descriptions you have to include. But you have written a
whole lot of words, and some of them are good ones. Celebrate!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the rejuvenation part, studies have shown that taking
time off is good for people’s work. Their products get better, they come back
with renewed vigor, and the end result is better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During this time you don’t have to forget about the book.
Things will pop into your head that you know you meant to include, new ideas
will pop up, and you will question whether you actually wrote something that
you thought you wrote. Take notes. Do a little research if you must. But don’t
obsess about it. Let yourself have time to take a deep breath. Start notes for
a new project. Take a real day off—go to a museum, or go shopping or to the
beach, or to lunch with a friend. This will prepare you to soar when you jump
off the cliff into the editing process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book Recommendation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the advice of fellow author Tim Hallinan, I read Dead is Better, by
Jo Perry. What a wonderful book! It’s witty and wise, and sometimes poignant.
It’s one of those rare books that made me think, “How in the world did she
think up something like that!” As one of her quotes in the books says, “Even in
the grave, all is not lost.”—Edgar Allan Poe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-79910838092761600712016-04-06T07:10:00.000-07:002016-04-06T07:10:12.366-07:00Editing 101<div class="MsoNormal">
Optimism vs. Pessimism</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This post is a lead-in to the subject of editing. I finished
my first draft this week and will soon begin the task of getting my golden
words whipped into shape. It’s a process that has taken me a long time to work
out—maybe longer than it should have. Part of it has to do with my attitude.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Someone recently complained to me that she had gotten a bad
review. She quoted a negative line from a review by a well-known reviewer. I
told her I didn’t remember that. So I went to the review site and looked it up.
Sure enough, at the end of a long review full of praise, there was one line of
criticism. In the next line the reviewer said that didn’t take away from her
overall enjoyment of the book. And she recommended it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was surprised that she had memorized almost word-for-word
the one negative line in that review. I’m not delving into the psychological
reason for this. What I am interested in is the difference in outlook. I took
the review to be positive, while she focused on the negative. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a lot of writer friends. It strikes me that there is
a certain percentage of them who by nature look for the negative. And some who
refuse to see anything negative at all. I fear that I am in that latter
Pollyanna group, and I don’t think it’s any more useful than being in the Poor
Pitiful Pearl group. In between are people who look reality in the face and benefit
from it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm embarrassed to say that when I first started writing, I always thought everything I
wrote was terrific. I know others who have that attitude, too. Like many of
them, I was puzzled why agents and publishers didn’t see the value in my work. Gradually
I came to understand that I couldn’t simply pretend that there were no problems
in my writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I keep a list of things to look for that I know are my
weaknesses and that I tend to overlook in my excitement about having written
something I like. I have a list of words I know are “place keepers,” words that
I use to avoid digging deeper into the scene. When I go back through and find
phrases like “this thing,” or the words “about,” or “just,” I am alert to what
I’m skirting. I’m amazed at how often a scene suddenly becomes much longer
because located the stock phrases I used to describe things that need much more
attention. In my early writing, I ignored those warning words. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been in writer’s groups with people with the opposite
problem. They can’t see any value in what they’ve written. When they revise,
they often throw out the good with the bad. Although I have never had that
problem, I suspect that they could find ways of alerting themselves so they
will avoid throwing out the good with the bad. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m curious to know your thoughts on this subject. Do you
consider yourself an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-7003933452754869362016-03-30T07:41:00.000-07:002016-03-30T07:41:01.097-07:00Careening Toward The End<div class="MsoNormal">
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Within a day or two, I’ll be writing The End. Of course as
any writer knows, that really means The Beginning. Yes, I’ve got 75,000 plus or
minus words on paper, but do I have a book? I know I have a book-like product,
but it’s a long way from finished. </div>
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I’m actually surprised to be this far along. I had only a
few pages written when I started working in earnest in February. My goal was to
pound out 60,00 words before a two-week vacation mid-to-late March. Happily, I
met the goal, but to my surprise I kept finding ways to sneak more words onto
the page while I was gone. I know there are people for whom a vacation is a
glorious opportunity not to think about “work” at all. And that’s where the
difference lies. Writing is work, but it’s also a passion. </div>
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Here’s what passion means:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on a tour of Baja (see above photo of the strange boojum tree), that included two
up-close-and-personal whale-watching events. Gray whales in the bay where we
were located eagerly approach boats to be touched. The first day we went out,
the waves were rough and although the whales tried to get close, they hung back
because the boats were bashing around so much. Two days later we had another
opportunity to go out. I decided to stay behind and work. Yep, forgoing a
chance to touch a whale so that I could satisfy my yearning to go forward on my
book. Partly, I needed some alone time because as much as I enjoyed the company
of the small tour group, I’m used to time alone.</div>
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The result of the day was that most everyone got to “pat”
the whales. I missed it. But in fact, I was deeply satisfied in my own way. I
wrote and wrote, and felt really good about it. If I had it to do over, I would
make the same choice. I understand that for some on the trip, they were
passionate about a special encounter with another species. I had my own passion
to satisfy. </div>
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I didn’t have to make so stark a choice on other days, but I
slipped off to write 500 words here, 1,000 words there, and came home with a
71,000-word manuscript. So now I’m almost done, and the real work
begins—shaping that big stew of words into the book I envision. More next week
on the editing process. But as soon as I write The End, I’ll let it steep for a
few days.</div>
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Book Recommendation: Yes, I know I’ve raved about Adrian
McKinty before, but here I go again. He writes about Belfast during “the
troubles” in the early 1980s. His protagonist, Sean Duffy, is a Catholic cop in
a Protestant world. He’s as real a protagonist as I’ve ever read. The series
was to be a trilogy, but he extended it, so I’m reading that strange duck, the
fourth in a trilogy. This one is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gun
Street Girl</i>. I don’t just recommend it; I insist you read the whole series.</div>
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Sunset on our last day sailing: </div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-77670665906975290032016-03-09T07:10:00.001-08:002016-03-09T07:10:39.161-08:00My Odd Relationship with Vacations<div class="MsoNormal">
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Friday I’m leaving for Baja California for two weeks. The first
week is an educational trip along the west coast; the second will be on our
boat along the tip of Baja near La Paz. I love the desert and I’m sure it will
be a wonderful trip.</div>
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I always say I’m excited about traveling, but part of me usually
dreads it. It isn’t the packing and the wearisome job of making all the
connections, or the fear that I’ll find I’ve forgotten something essential—passport?
toothbrush? medicines? No, it’s the actual going away from home that I mind. Partly
I mind the guilt I feel about leaving my two terriers, who seem traumatized if
I go the grocery store. But that’s only a small part of the dread. What I
really dread is missing the everyday wonders of my surroundings. I’ll miss the
height of the wisteria bloom season or the short burst of tulips. I won’t be
there for a particular weekend festival I like, or for someone’s wedding. I’ll
miss my daily routines. Especially writing. Yes, I know I should be glad for a
break. But…</div>
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In the first couple of days of a vacation I think to myself,
“Okay, you only have twelve days to go. Only eleven more days. Only ten days.” But
then at some point I begin to feel enchanted with my new “home.” I settle in to
hearing a language that I don’t understand, start to feel an affinity with the
landscape, start to adopt new rhythms. And by the time I have to leave, I get
dread again—this time gathering myself to go home. </div>
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Some people would say I have trouble with transitions. But
that isn’t really the case. I’m adaptable. Actually the problem is that I fall
in love with wherever I am. Some people say they could never live in a big
city, or a small town, or the country, or the mountains, or the seaside. I know
that I could live almost anywhere. Once we lived in Italy for 1 ½ years, and by
the time we left it was like I was leaving a place I had lived all my life.
Another time we stayed for a month on a particular island in the Bahamas. I
still mourn losing my stroll to the local coffee shop where there was always a
jigsaw puzzle being worked on and where I easily fell into the enjoyment of
listening to the daily gossip. </div>
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I sometimes get interview questions that say, “If you could
live anywhere, where would it be?” The answer is, “anywhere.” Give me a couple
of days and I start putting down roots. So as much as I dread leaving Friday, I
know that I’ll put down some fresh roots—even if it’s only for a week. And I
won’t want to leave.</div>
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In the end, what vacation does is feed my imagination so
that I go home to my writing refreshed. I have to remember that.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-25290336879298605712016-03-02T08:10:00.002-08:002016-03-02T08:10:44.173-08:00Left Coast Crime<div class="MsoNormal">
Left Coast Crime</div>
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As I wrote last week, Left Coast Crime is my favorite
conference. I always love seeing writing buddies and having a chance to talk
shop. Some people say they sneak off to their room to write during the
conference, but I’m usually too keyed up to do that. It actually feels like a
mini-vacation—at high speed.</div>
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This year some of the memorable moments were a bit of a
surprise. I attended a panel of people who write ancient mysteries. The panelists
were Priscilla Royal, Sharon Newman, Judith Starkson, and John Maddox Roberts,
moderated by Susan McDuffie. It was so stimulating that at one point I got
excited about writing something like that myself, until I thought, “What are
you, nuts?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has obvious that
each of those writers had tken years to learn all they needed to write about
these periods. What I took away is that no matter what you write, you have to
ground your work in a strong sense of time and place and the characters that
inhabit that time and place.</div>
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Another panel I liked was Writing Other Cultures, with Tim
Hallinan, Jeffrey Stiger, Shannon Baker, and William Kent Krueger, moderated
beautifully by Paty Jager. One of the most interesting moments was when Shannon
admitted that she was sorry she had chosen to write about the Hopi, because
they are such a closed tribe. Which illuminated what the others had to say
about being steeped in cultures that were foreign to them but which they
managed to immerse themselves in. In the end the takeaway was the same as the
panel I mentioned earlier. It isn’t exactly “Write what you know,” It was more
like “Know what you write.”</div>
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It isn’t just panels where you learn things, though. I had a
wonderful conversation with Matt Coyle about writing. His work is very
different from mine, but we both take our work seriously and found out we had
something to offer each other. I also had a chance to talk with Barry Lancet
and Tim Hallinan, learning about their processes and the things that stimulated
their writing. Each of them has spent many years living in other countries and
were still learning about their adopted cultures. </div>
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Another thing that you get at conferences is a chance to
interact with fans. I never much thought about having “fans,” and still get a
tremendous thrill when someone approaches me to tell me how much they enjoy my
books. And I get to be a fan as well, mingling with writers I admire.</div>
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One last crazy moment occurred when I finally met Lou Berney.
I took one look at him and realized that I had met him years ago—when he was my
seminar leader at the Squaw Valley Writers Conference. I admired him then and
had even more to admire now that I have read his wonderful book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long and Faraway Gone</i>. If you haven’t
read it, do yourself a favor. It’s my book recommendation for the week.</div>
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Now I have to hunker down and start reading the books I
brought home. After promising myself to resist, I felt like a thief sneaking in
to buy “just one more book.”</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-15617944747103734232016-02-23T22:26:00.002-08:002020-07-27T11:16:12.387-07:00Left Coast Crime<div class="MsoNormal">
Off to LCC</div>
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Left Coast Crime is my favorite conference. Sure I like
Bouchercon. It’s the biggest and most exciting. Malice is elegant and friendly.
Thrillerfest is …well, it’s New York. I hope to get to Killer Nashville one
day. I hear that I will love it. And there are plenty of other small
conferences that appeal in various ways. </div>
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So why is LCC my fave? First, it’s in my backyard. So to
speak. That means it’s west of the Rockies—including Hawaii. The second is
related to the first. Because it’s on the west coast, it includes a lot of
people I know—not just Facebook friends, but face to face friends. </div>
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So tomorrow I’ll be on the plane to Phoenix and looking
forward to seeing writing friends who are something like family—friends I may
only see once a year, but who know what my daily world is like.</div>
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I also have a personal warm feeling about LCC because it
sponsored the first award I was ever nominated for. The fact that my
co-nominees were Sue Grafton, Tim Hallinan, Darryl James, and William Kent
Krueger made it ultra-special. I’ll always have that memory. And it will always
be associated with LCC.</div>
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Here are a few photos:</div>
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Tomorrow morning! I can hardly wait.</div>
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Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.com0