by Paula Gail Benson
I’ve heard about plotters and pantsers. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott commends E.L. Doctorow’s advice that writing is like driving a car and only being able to see as far as your headlights, yet having the ability to complete the trip with that view.
Plotters create a road map. Pantsers have an idea of where they are going and find the path as they take it.
I’m trying to figure out what to call my writing style.
For my latest short story, I started with an idea: what if (I’m a big advocate of “what if” questions—I heard Mary Higgins Clark liked to start that way)—so, what if a former step-father gets a visit from his adult former step-daughter on Father’s Day? She’s terrified because she thinks she might have killed her husband. She goes to her former step-father because he’s the only man she truly trusts.
To help her, the former step-father goes to see if the husband needs medical help. He finds the husband bruised, but alert and with the step-daughter’s biological father. The husband and biological father are concerned the step-daughter has resumed company with those who supported her addiction. Previously, while the step-daughter received treatment for addiction, her mother served as conservator for the step-daughter’s funds. The biological father suggests he’s ready to establish a new conservatorship, with him in charge of the money.
Who should the step-father believe—his step-daughter or her husband and biological father? What should he do?
At this point, I’m not sure where the story is going, only that the step-daughter has confessed to hitting her husband with a candlestick her mother gave her as a wedding gift and that the husband and biological father are determined to control the step-daughter.
The step-father takes a long route home, figuring the biological father might have him tailed. He sees evidence of someone following him. The step-daughter doesn’t answer the phone and when he gets home, he finds she’s gone. With reluctance, he calls his ex-wife and learns she did not support her daughter’s marriage. He goes to visit the ex-wife, who gives him some potential leads for locating the daughter. Notice, the ex-wife is depending upon him to do the legwork, just as she did during the marriage.
As I’ve followed this meandering trail, I’ve figured out more about the characters I’ve met and made myself hone-in on why the husband and biological father are intent on finding the step-daughter. I’ve made myself focus on the premise of the story and the theme it will convey.
Each day, I’ve written my way forward in a notebook, setting out the steps and leaving room to fill in the details as I type up my notes. I see places to make connections and endeavor to add seamlessly to the story.
When I started, I wasn’t sure about the end. Now I have an inkling of what that might be, but it’s still subject to change.
Am I a combination, plotter and pantser—plantser? The hand-written notes seem like a form of plotting, but in fact, I’m just following where the characters lead me. What happens next? Set up the scene and I’ll sketch it out as you (the characters) live it.
Recently, listening to a talk by best-selling romantic comedy author Katherine Center (her latest novel is The Rom-Commers), a member of the audience asked if the characters spoke to her. Center replied no, but the characters let her watch as they took their journey.
I think I may resemble that remark. What do you think? Am I depending upon the headlights in a vehicle driven by my characters?
Pens
/in How to Write/by DebraThere was a time that I wrote everything in longhand. Being left-handed, I had to be careful not to use a pen that allowed me to smear the ink with my pinky. In addition, because I have small hands (I can still wear a child’s sized glove or mitten), the pen couldn’t be too thick or too fat. Consequently, many of the popular thin Bic pens or other retractable ones didn’t feel right when I held them.
After many years of trial and error, I discovered Uniball Vision Elite pens. Like Goldilocks felt after trying Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear’s chair, food, and beds, this pen for me is “just right.” It fits my hand, glides across the page, and usually doesn’t smear. What more could I ask?
The irony is that now that I’ve found the perfect pen, I rarely use it. Although I write thank you notes in ink, I compose my books and stories on the computer, make most of my payments electronically, and have traded letters for emails.
What about you? Do you still use a pen (and which one is perfect for you)?
Clicking Our Heels – If We Could Be Any of Our Characters
/in Author Life, characters, Clicking Our Heels/by DebraWhen you read a book, do you ever imagine what it would be like if you could be one of the characters, even for a day? We thought it would be interesting to see, if given the opportunity, which of our characters we would each switch with.
Bethany Maines – Uh… eeek. My heroines have a lot of adventures. I’m not sure I’m cut out for some of that. This is a bit of a deep cut, but I’ll go with Ariana Grace from my short story anthology “Tales from the City of Destiny.” Ariana is a half-fae antique dealer who lives in Tacoma who also solves a few problems and mysteries. That way I would still be a small business owner and still live in Tacoma, but I would have a bit of magic and mystery.
Barbara J. Eikmeier – Julia. She’s so confident and fun.
Saralyn Richard – Nana, the sheepdog pup, who just wants to have fun!
Dru Ann Love – Lizzie.
T.K. Thorne – That’s a difficult question because they have all had really tough times that I would not want to go through! Perhaps Adira from my second historical novel, Angels at the Gate, the story of Lot’s wife. I love the romance between her and one of the “angels” and her bond with her desert dog, Nami.
Debra H. Goldstein – Mama Maybelle so I could say “Bless Your Heart” to people with a straight face and get away with it.
Lois Winston – This is a loaded question. My characters all deal with problems I’d never want—like constant dead bodies. However, if I could switch places without the dead bodies and other baggage I’ve dumped on her, I’d opt for Anastasia Pollack, my reluctant amateur sleuth, because of her strength, courage, and resilience.
Gay Yellen – It wouldn’t be Samantha, because she finds herself in trouble much too often. I’d choose her friend, Gertie, who has waited a long time for happiness and has finally found it.
Donnell Ann Bell – I’d switch places with any of my female protagonists AFTER the case was solved. 😊
Debra Sennefelder – Kelly Quinn from my Resale Boutique Mystery series. I’m so jealous she’s surrounded by clothes all day.
Anita Carter – Honestly, probably not a single one. They’re all very flawed, find too many dead bodies, and have more issues than I do. Ha!
Mary Lee Ashford – Oh, it would definitely be Caro Lamont from the Pampered Pets series. Who wouldn’t want to live in Laguna Beach and spend their days with cute cats and dogs?
Donalee Moulton – Riel Brava, the main character in my book Hung Out to Die, is a psychopath. Not the Hannibal Lecter kind of psychopath, the other kind — those who live and work among us without violence or animus. I’d like to step into Riel’s world for a few days.
Nancy J. Parra and the Dog Days of Summer
/in Cozy Mysteries, Give Away, Guest, Mystery, Summer Reads/by Mary Lee Ashfordwith Sparkle Abbey
Today we’re thrilled to welcome longtime friend and fellow author Nancy J. Parra aka Nancy Coco aka Nell Hampton to the blog. She’s a USA Today Bestselling Author and has over thrity-five published novels including five mystery series. And she’s also party to many of our conference adventures. Nancy take it away…
I’ve been wondering for a long time why we call the hottest days the dog days. I mean, doggies are cute and sweet and silly. Then why name the hottest days after them? So, I looked it up.
It’s a very old idea whose history tells the tale of cultural minds. The whole thing began when we looked up in the sky and observed the dog star rising. People associated it with drought, storms, heat, human ailments, and mood changes. One culture said the dog days “made women wanton and the men feeble.”
But for us, it’s simply the hottest time of our year.
Still, it would make for an interesting twist in a mystery, wouldn’t it?
Allie McMurphy from Three Fudges and a Baby doesn’t think so. She has enough twists on her hands. Especially with handling her best friend, Jenn Christensen’s erratic moods. In her last few weeks of pregnancy where all she wants to do is get the baby out, Jenn’s doula is arrested for the murder of her fiancé. Jenn has a meltdown. She’s tired of waddling, being unable to see her own feet and struggling to get up out of chairs. But she won’t have the baby without her doula and demands Allie as her best friend and the baby’s godmother to find the real killer. Perhaps the “dog days” could explain Jenn’s moods but nobody would dare tell her that. Besides it’s early May.
It’s a good thing Allie has her own cute pup who helps sniff out a killer before they all end up in the doghouse.
Tell me, how do you feel about the hottest days of the year? Are you someone who lives for them? Or are you ready to collect Halloween décor or start Christmas shopping?
Let me know your thoughts below and one lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Three Fudges and a Baby!
USA Today Bestselling Author, Nancy Coco AKA Nell Hampton AKA Nancy Parra is the author of over 35 published novels which include five mystery series: The Oregon Honey-comb Mystery Series (Kensington), The Candy-Coated Mysteries (Kensington), The Kensington Palace Mystery Series (Crooked Lane), The Wine Country Tours Mystery Series (Crooked Lane) The Gluten-free Baker’s Treat Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), and The Perfect Proposal Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime). Her writing has been called witty and her protagonists plucky by reviewers around the world. Nancy is a member of Sisters in Crime and loves to hear from readers.
You can find her at:
Website
Facebook
Bookbub
Thanks for hanging out with The Stiletto Gang today, Nancy! We’ll be interested in everyone’s thoughts on the hottest days of the year. We’d have to say that we’ve had some challenging weather here lately and we’re definitely ready for some cooler days.
Wishing you and the rest of the gang a great rest of the summer!
Sparkle Abbey
A Master Class in Comedy
/in amateur sleuth mysteries, Author Life, Cozy Mysteries, crafting cozies, humor, indie publishing, Lois Winston, Mystery Series, women sleuths/by Lois WinstonArtwork from Pixabay with LOL! added.
By Lois Winston
Someone recently asked me which author would I most want to take a master class from? Hmm…here’s the thing: I don’t get much out of long workshops. I find that an hour is my limit. Maybe I have too short an attention span, but I find that after an hour, my mind begins to wander, and my eyelids grow heavy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that most of the time, these workshops are held in exceedingly warm conference rooms. If there’s a PowerPoint presentation, it’s worse because the lights are dimmed to perfect nodding-off conditions. And if the presenter isn’t all that great a public speaker, no matter how fabulous a writer, that’s the Trifecta of Snooze.
So chances of me ever taking a master class from someone are slim to never-gonna-happen. I’d learn more by reading their books and any books and articles they may have written on the craft of writing.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t authors I’d love to hear speak. Just not for more than an hour at a time.
I write the humorous Anastasia Pollack Mysteries. Writing any humorous genre is hard, but adding humor to something as serious as murder is a real challenge. I’ve sat through talks by various humorous mystery authors, many of whom I greatly admire, but their talks are generally more about their journey to publication and less about the art of writing the humorous mystery.
I think I’d gain more knowledge from attending a workshop given by someone who makes a living writing humor as opposed to humorous mysteries. Years ago I watched Mo Rocca interview Kathy Griffin on CBS Sunday Morning. I learned more about humor from that interview than I’d ever learned listening to my favorite humorous mystery authors.
I’d love to have the chance to sit down with Tina Fey for an hour. Just me and Tina. No cameras. No audience. What I wouldn’t give to pick her brain about writing humor. Not to mention, I’d also like to convince her to option my series. Wouldn’t Tina be the perfect actress to play Anastasia? Still…if anyone reading this happens to know Tina…Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?
But the person I’d most like to spend time with is Alan Alda. Disclaimer: I think M*A*S*H is the best sitcom ever shown on TV. I own the complete eleven season DVD set. Every few months I’ll watch a season. I’ve watched each episode so many times, that I have all the dialogue memorized.
The episodes that Alan Alda wrote are my favorites. The man had an incredible knack for taking something as serious as war and adding humor while still maintaining the seriousness of the subject. He showed how humor can help get people through difficult situations. And he did it brilliantly. That’s what I try to do in writing my humorous mysteries.
If Alan Alda were to give a master class on writing humor, there’s no way I’d start nodding off, no matter how hot the room.
Who are your favorite comedy writers/actors? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook of any one of the first ten Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery.
~*~
And the Short Story Award Goes To . . .
/in Anthologies, Mystery, Paula Gail Benson, Short Stories/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
It’s awards season again. Here are short story and anthology categories for Macavity, Anthony, and Silver Falchion awards. I’ll also note that the Short Mystery Fiction Society is currently polling its membership concerning a new anthology category to be added to the Derringers.
Many events on the horizon!
Mystery Readers Internation Macavity Awards Finalists
Best Mystery Short Story:
Anthony Award Finalists (to be given at Bouchercon)
BEST ANTHOLOGY/COLLECTION
BEST SHORT STORY
Silver Falchion Award Finalists (to be given at Killer Nashville)
BEST ANTHOLOGY (AWARDED TO INDIVIDUAL AUTHOR OR COLLECTION EDITOR)
Entitled 2: Giving your book a title to remember
/in Writing and the Arts/by donalee MoultonUnlike article titles, book titles are usually the domain of the writer. This may be because the writer has a closer connection to the topic, the editor wants the writer to do the work, the writer and editor see it as the author’s prerogative. But just because the book writer usually develops the title doesn’t mean the editor will accept it. They will tell you if they don’t like it – and why. They will tell you if it won’t work – and why.
Let’s look at what constitutes – usually – a good book title, and then I will use my recent BWL book as an example.
Because book titles are one of the first things a potential reader sees, they need to hook that reader. It’s recommended the title give away a little something about the plot and the nature of your book. It is going to be action-packed, romantic, whimsical.
INGREDIENT #1
Length. Shorter is better. Shorter needs to be more memorable, more powerful. Some experts advocate for the one-word title, but one-word titles are more limiting for search engines. Fewer examples are found. The recommendation: three or four words.
INGREDIENT #2
Impact. The title should draw the reader in because it is evocative, it speaks to what lies within the pages of the book. It sets the stage for what they can expect.
INGREDIENT #3
Uniqueness. Titles that we can remember, titles that stand out from the crowd are winners. This may be a play on words, a pun, a jab, a literary reference, a phrase that speaks to mind, heart and spirit.
And they are not easy. Let’s look at one title I’m very familiar with.
My first mystery novel is Hung Out to Die. The main character is CEO of a cannabis-production company in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. As I was writing this book, a funny aside started to take place involving a word the main character had never heard before: Chunderfuck. In my mind, that became the title of the book with asterisks replacing two of the letters in the last syllable. I then built on this concept. Future books would have similar fun but profane titles: Numb Nuts, Dick Wad…. You get the idea.
It was not meant to be. As I was starting to shop around my book, I realized the title might lead agents and publishers to conclude the book would be darker, edgier, grittier than it is. Indeed, it’s actually funny. I also didn’t want to turn off publishers before they even read the book. I went with a working title instead: So, A psychopath walked into a bar. In my mind, the book would still be called Chunderf**k, an issue I would raise with my publisher as soon as I had one. Which I did. My publisher – BWL – was more than open to changing the title. But not Chunder, and not for the reason you might think. Search engines don’t pick up asterisks.
Dammit.
So the book is called Hung Out to Die. It’s a play on words, drying plants is linked to cannabis, and the victim dies by hanging. It’s short, it’s got some oomph, but let’s face it. It’s no Chunderf**k.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on titles. And asterisks.
What Kind of Writer Am I?
/in Paula Gail Benson, Writing and the Arts/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
I’ve heard about plotters and pantsers. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott commends E.L. Doctorow’s advice that writing is like driving a car and only being able to see as far as your headlights, yet having the ability to complete the trip with that view.
Plotters create a road map. Pantsers have an idea of where they are going and find the path as they take it.
I’m trying to figure out what to call my writing style.
For my latest short story, I started with an idea: what if (I’m a big advocate of “what if” questions—I heard Mary Higgins Clark liked to start that way)—so, what if a former step-father gets a visit from his adult former step-daughter on Father’s Day? She’s terrified because she thinks she might have killed her husband. She goes to her former step-father because he’s the only man she truly trusts.
To help her, the former step-father goes to see if the husband needs medical help. He finds the husband bruised, but alert and with the step-daughter’s biological father. The husband and biological father are concerned the step-daughter has resumed company with those who supported her addiction. Previously, while the step-daughter received treatment for addiction, her mother served as conservator for the step-daughter’s funds. The biological father suggests he’s ready to establish a new conservatorship, with him in charge of the money.
Who should the step-father believe—his step-daughter or her husband and biological father? What should he do?
At this point, I’m not sure where the story is going, only that the step-daughter has confessed to hitting her husband with a candlestick her mother gave her as a wedding gift and that the husband and biological father are determined to control the step-daughter.
The step-father takes a long route home, figuring the biological father might have him tailed. He sees evidence of someone following him. The step-daughter doesn’t answer the phone and when he gets home, he finds she’s gone. With reluctance, he calls his ex-wife and learns she did not support her daughter’s marriage. He goes to visit the ex-wife, who gives him some potential leads for locating the daughter. Notice, the ex-wife is depending upon him to do the legwork, just as she did during the marriage.
As I’ve followed this meandering trail, I’ve figured out more about the characters I’ve met and made myself hone-in on why the husband and biological father are intent on finding the step-daughter. I’ve made myself focus on the premise of the story and the theme it will convey.
Each day, I’ve written my way forward in a notebook, setting out the steps and leaving room to fill in the details as I type up my notes. I see places to make connections and endeavor to add seamlessly to the story.
When I started, I wasn’t sure about the end. Now I have an inkling of what that might be, but it’s still subject to change.
Am I a combination, plotter and pantser—plantser? The hand-written notes seem like a form of plotting, but in fact, I’m just following where the characters lead me. What happens next? Set up the scene and I’ll sketch it out as you (the characters) live it.
Recently, listening to a talk by best-selling romantic comedy author Katherine Center (her latest novel is The Rom-Commers), a member of the audience asked if the characters spoke to her. Center replied no, but the characters let her watch as they took their journey.
I think I may resemble that remark. What do you think? Am I depending upon the headlights in a vehicle driven by my characters?
Differences in People and Writing Styles
/in Debra H. Goldstein, Writing and the Arts/by DebraDifferences in People and Writing Styles by Debra H. Goldstein
Recently, I flew to Denver for a very special reason: to meet my newest grandson. Because of my March back surgeries, I couldn’t be there within twenty-four hours of his birth. Instead, I had to settle for a few days shy of him being two months old. It was a treat for several reasons. He’s a very easy and seemingly happy child. He eats, sleeps, cuddles, smiles, and loves bathtime. What more could his parents ask?
Well, they wouldn’t mind getting a little more sleep themselves – not because of him but because of his twenty-month-old sister who has decided that rather than sleeping to seven or seven-thirty, wake up time is somewhere between four-thirty and five. She also isn’t too thrilled with naptime which makes for a grumpy over-tired child by dinner time. Did I mention that she is, and has always been, a finicky eater? Or, that she has always had a mind of her own. For example, she refused to roll over well beyond when she should have been doing that; however, she proved at the same time she could sit up perfectly (which proved she had core control and was simply refusing to roll). If she wasn’t so cute, she’d be a frustrating child.
What’s my point? These two are siblings. They were born from the same parents into an identical environment and yet, they are so different. Writers are much the same. They all start out wanting to write, but their works are like night and day. Even if they write in the same genre, whether mystery or literary, their books and stories are unique. Some writers may try to copy the style of other authors they admire, but the reality is that the end product always differs.
Aren’t you glad? What would it be like if people and authors were all cut from the same cookie-cutter?
Rejection
/in Author Life, author promotion, humor, Marketing/by Bethany MainesRejection is Knocking
Part of any creative endeavor that gets shared with the public is rejection. I understand that not every person will love my creative projects. And I even get that somewhere out there is someone who hates my books and art. In fact, I kind of hope there is. I would like to have a nemesis who howls with rage every time I put out another book. After all, if I’m not sparking unnatural fury in the heart of someone, what am I even doing with my life? However, hatred would be welcome compared to the banal everyday “meh” of rejection.
Thanks, but no thanks…
I would not care to count up the number of rejection letters and emails I have received over my career, but I would guess that it’s in the hundreds. And by and large, most of them are a polite form of “it’s not for me.” There have been many that have been intentionally or unintentionally condescending. “You’re doing so well” is not the compliment some people think it is. Many people (particularly those under 30) seem compelled to offer tips and suggestions rather than stating why they personally did not accept something. There’s a big difference between “you should work on your hook” and “I couldn’t see how I would sell this in the current marketplace. I needed a something to more strongly differentiate it.” One tells me why you rejected it, the other sounds like I suck as a writer. (You may say that is a slight misinterpretation, but my brain does not believe you.)
So why sign up for rejection?
Because the risk is worth the reward. And, of course, there are the corgi memes. And after the first fifty, the polite “no thank you” rejections don’t sting quite so much and you can move on to ice cream, alcohol, and burning the really crappy rejections. And as much as I hate to admit, the rejections have helped me become a better writer. Admittedly, they’re a bit like following street signs in a foreign language as I try to decipher what exactly they mean, but they still give some clues. Right now, I have two projects out to various entities and I’m crossing my fingers that they don’t try to send me searching down the back alleyways to self-improvement. I’d much rather they went with a large flashing sign that says “I love it!” But just in case, I’ll keep the desserts, memes and cocktails at the ready.
***
Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She participates in many activities including swearing, karate, art, and yelling at the news. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.
Do You Suffer from Food on the Brain?
/in Author Life, Cozy Mysteries, Desserts, Gluttony, humor, Mystery, Mystery Series, Secret Passions, women sleuths/by Gay YellenConfession time here. It has taken me years to admit this, but here goes: I am a foodaholic.
I love food, and I think about it almost every hour of the day.
My addiction began in the early days of writing the Samantha Newman Mystery Series. I didn’t recognize the issue until several readers complained that the food scenes in the stories made them hungry.
I was forced to look inward.
Truth is, I never intended to put so much food in my books, but as it turns out, I’ve unintentionally given my personal cravings to Samantha Newman, who loves food as much as I do. And apparently, readers may suffer from the same affliction.
Food on the brain
That’s what I suffer from when I write. I’m thinking about what to snack on right now, just like I did a few minutes ago, and an hour earlier, too. Like an alcoholic trying to fend off the urge, I’m always jonesing for something in the pantry.
Carter Chapman’s a man who knows his way around the kitchen, too. He can turn out a perfectly juicy Texas T-bone, or a from-scratch pasta sauce that makes Samatha swoon. And for breakfast, he serves up an awesome batch of pancakes. OMG, the pancakes!
There I go again… where was I?
Can’t help myself, I suppose. The good news is, as long as my food fantasies remain in my books, my readers and I can enjoy them calorie-free. Just don’t open that pantry.
Does reading about food make you hungry?
Gay Yellen is the author of the multi-award-winning Samantha Newman Mysteries include The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News!
Contact her at GayYellen.com