Tag Archive for: Paula Gail Benson

Writing Rehearsal

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by Paula Gail Benson

How
do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

How
do you get happily published? Submit carefully crafted writing.
And,
how do you ensure that your submissions are carefully crafted? Write
extensively.
Do
you have to write every day? Some authors manage without, but I remember what
happened when I tried to improve my piano playing and left off practicing until
the day before the lesson. The result was passable, but not as polished as it
could have been if I had built on a daily habit.
While
music and writing may be inspiring to their listeners, they don’t emerge from
the muse by someone simply placing their fingers on a keyboard. Music and
writing have to be worked out in advance before you can sell tickets to the
audience.
Acting
is another creative activity that requires prep time. The first reading of a
line may “feel” perfect, but once you’ve rehearsed it, you realize more subtle
nuances, ways to play off fellow actors, or timed reactions that are funnier or
more poignant than the original interpretation.
Pianists
and writers are solo performers. Only by repeated practice do they learn the
methods that will best charm and involve an audience. One of the greatest joys
of a performer can be the private discovery of how a musical or written piece
should be presented.
That
joy is compounded when they hear the audience’s reaction. The true moment when
the muse touches you is when you realize the perfect order and symmetry for
your work. An actor or pianist may receive a more instant gratification in
hearing applause, but what writer doesn’t relish listening to a reader tell him how his words and
stories have changed a life?
Practice
is necessary for performances because to act or play piano is an extension of
self. The way we turn writing into that extension is to: (1) sit down to write
with purpose, and (2) embrace the discoveries made.
By
developing a writing habit, you can let the daily discoveries soak in until
they become a part of your writer self. You learn to recognize those “tricks”
that attract your audience’s attention. Then, you refine them in order to make
them appear natural, so they become craft and your audience doesn’t perceive them
at all, but is completely involved in the story and hates to see it end. This is
the objective of every artist: to tell the story well and leave the listeners
satisfied.

Walter
Moseley said that when writing becomes a daily practice, the writer completes
projects and his subconscious begins to assist him even when he’s not writing
because the constancy of the task has become so strong. (Why does his concept
make me think I hear, “May the force be with you,” echoing in my head?)

Linda
Rodriguez has written some inspiring recent messages about becoming motivated to write
and making the decision to be a writer. Both feature excerpts from her recent
book, Plotting the Character Driven Novel,
which is terrific.

If you’re still contemplating New Year’s resolutions, here are a few books
that have recommendations to help you develop a daily writing schedule: 

The
Divine Guide to Creating a Daily Writing Practice by Pernille
Norregaard. This inspirational text includes many quotations from established
authors (like Walter Moseley’s theory above) and emphasizes how to effectively build a habit.

Lifelong Writing Habit: The Secret to
Writing Every Day
by Chris Fox. By illustrating how he changed his entire life through developing
consistent practices, Fox shows the path to more effective writing and offers
exercises to achieve that goal.

The Eight-Minute Writing Habit: Create a
Consistent Writing Habit That Works With Your Busy Lifestyle by Monica Leonelle.
This guide offers a modified Pomodoro Method of timed writing. By limiting the
writing period to eight minutes, Leonelle contends it creates a habit that is
easy to incorporate into any lifestyle and capable of ensuring at least 250 per
day, which could lead to 90,000 words in a year.

Writers’ Lessons from Paranormal or Supernatural Holiday Stories

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Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life

by Paula Gail Benson
I
watched It’s a Wonderful Life when
NBC broadcast it earlier this year. Letting myself get caught up in George
Bailey’s story and Clarence Oddbody’s struggle to get his wings, I began to
think about how some of our most memorable holiday stories involve a
supernatural or paranormal element. Consider Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Where would Scrooge
have been without those ghosts? Even Miracle
on 34th Street showcases Santa’s, or Kris Kringle’s, magical
capabilities.
What
is it about Christmas that brings makes us ponder the world beyond that we do
not know and only through religious texts, unique circumstances, and fiction catch
a glimpse? Does this preoccupation stem from the fact that during this cold time of
year, memories of the past draw close? Or, does the nativity story give us the
courage to ponder how humans may connect with God, angels, and dearly departed
who may be looking out for us?
A Christmas Carol (1938 film)
In
all three of the Christmas stories I mentioned, the supernatural or paranormal
creatures have the power to show humans what they may have been unable to see.
For George, how the world might have been if he weren’t born. For Scrooge, how
his actions had and could influence others. And, for Susie and her mother, how
believing, even if you’re not certain, can help you lead a happier, more
fulfilled life.
Often,
when writers think about creating paranormal creatures, we consider allowing
them to swoop in and rescue humans, like super heroes. But, in these Christmas
stories, that doesn’t occur. A reader might wonder why Clarence doesn’t ask
Gabriel if he can tell George that Mr. Potter has the missing money. In 1986, Saturday Night Live featured a sketch
introduced by William Shatner, who said the lost ending for It’s a Wonderful Life had been
discovered. Phil Hartman, playing Uncle Billy, remembers where he left the
$8,000 and learns from Clarence at the bank that Potter made a deposit in that
amount. George (Dana Carvey) and the crowd gathered at his house become an
angry mob, hunting down Potter (Jon Lovitz) and beating him to a pulp. It’s
just wasn’t the same as Clarence taking his lead from George’s suggestion and
by example showing him no man who has friends can be a failure.
I
decided to do some background research on the story, “The Greatest Gift” by
Phillip Van Doren Stern, that became the basis for It’s a Wonderful Life. According to Wikipedia, Stern was an editor and
author of books about the Civil War that have been described as authoritative
and respected by scholars. In 1938, he woke from a dream that inspired his
4,000 word short story, which he completed in 1943. When he could not find a
publisher, he sent it around in 200 Christmas cards. Eventually, it was
published and came to the attention of RKO Pictures, which optioned it due to
Cary Grant’s interest in playing George Bailey. Later, Frank Capra acquired
the rights and the role went to James Stewart. I found a copy of “The Greatest
Gift” available through Amazon. One of the reviewers pointed out that the names
of the characters in that story weren’t the same as those “in the original”
movie. I guess writers whose work has been adapted for the screen have been
facing that criticism a long time.
Speaking
of Cary Grant, he later played, not the struggling human, but the divine
intervenor in The Bishop’s Wife (a
role reprised by Denzel Washington in The
Preacher’s Wife). In that story, Grant’s angel, named Dudley, created more
havoc for the humans, but in the end, found he had to allow them to make their
own decisions, even though he had fallen in love with Julia (Loretta Young),
the Bishop’s (David Niven) wife.
So,
in remembering these holiday stories with paranormal elements and considering how
they were constructed and created, what have I learned as a writer? Here are my
thoughts:
Miracle on 34th Street

(1) Successful movie adaptations often receive more credit than the original source.
(2)
A ghost, an angel, or even Santa can never “fix’ a human’s problem, only help
the human find his or her way.

(3)
Even if a lesson is hard learned, humans are invariably better off by allowing
some of the mystical qualities of the season to transform them.

Here’s wishing each
of you a wonderful holiday and a new year of happy writing!

Thank Heavens for Booksellers!

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Fran and Don Bush
by Paula Gail Benson

An
author can have no greater friend than a supportive bookseller. I am fortunate
to have several in my life. I especially appreciate Fran and Don Bush, who
have just retired from running their brick-and-mortar Booklover’s Bookstore in
Aiken, South Carolina, but are still very active in their community and in promoting writers
they love.

We
first met through the South Carolina Book Festival, when I brought one of the
featured authors to the Aiken library for a special program Fran had arranged.
Since that time, we have become fast friends, closer than family. Fran and Don
have have been Aiken tour guides, helping me and another author gather
information for our work; and they have introduced me to their close friends, best-selling
mother-and-son writing team Caroline and Charles Todd. Take a look in the
acknowledgements in the Bess Crawford mystery, A Duty to the Dead, and you’ll see Fran Bush mentioned as “bookseller
extraordinaire.”
Recently,
Fran worked with the Aiken Chapter of the American Association of University
Women to organize a Mystery Madness Luncheon event, the proceeds from which benefited
AAUW’s scholarship fund. I’m proud to say that over $900 was collected.
Richard Laudenslager, Fran Rizer, Sasscer Hill, me, and Fran Bush
Because
Fran and Don are honorary members of the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Fran
urged AAUW to showcase local authors she admired. She planned a terrific
panel including Sasscer Hill (formerly of Maryland and now an Aiken resident
whose multiple award nominated Nikki Latrelle series has been compared to the
work of Dick Francis, and whose new series will feature Fia McKee, an agent for
the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau); Richard Laudenslager (a project engineer
and paranormal investigator currently writing a thriller, Wounded, and
collaborator, with Fran Rizer, on an anthology); Fran Rizer (who in addition to
her cozyesque Callie Parrish mysteries, about a funeral home cosmetologist, has
written Kudzu River, a serial killer thriller, Southern Swamps and
Ruins, an anthology of haunting tales written in collaboration with Richard
D. Laudenslager, and a tenth novel, The Horror of Julie Bates), and
myself (writer of mystery and other short stories).

AAUW Lunch

We
had a wonderful lunch, with each author sitting at a different table and
getting to know the members and guests of the AAUW chapter. The chicken salad
was divine and the desserts delectable. Then, the authors gathered at a table before
the audience to field questions from our moderator, Fran. While we had notice
of most that she intended to ask, she threw us a few curves–a particularly
good one that was suggested by her friend Caroline Todd and still has me
thinking: “Tell the audience in 90 seconds why they should read your work.”

Every
avid reader loves having a librarian or bookseller to consult with about the
most recent releases, but to have true advocates like Fran and Don Bush in your
corner is an incredible gift for an author. Thank you, Fran and Don. As our
friendship grows, I discover more qualities for which I admire you. I will
never forget your warm embraces, overflowing kindness, and complete confidence
in me and my writing. I am forever grateful.
Audience at AAUW Mystery Madness Luncheon

A Weekend in Atlanta Talking Short Stories

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by Paula Gail Benson

Robert Mangeot, Fran Stewart, and PGB (Photo by Charlie Burton)


My
membership in Sisters in Crime has afforded me many benefits, including
information, encouragement, and camaraderie. I’m particularly grateful to have had
the opportunity to participate in a recent short story workshop sponsored by
the Atlanta Chapter and organized by its President Lisa Malice and Debra
Goldstein. The event took place at the Decatur Public Library, a marvelous
facility with well-equipped auditorium and a patio where those attending could
have lunch and talk with the presenters. It was a true privilege for me to be
on the program with three short story writers I greatly admire, Debra, Kaye
George, and Robert Mangeot.

We
set an ambitious goal to provide a comprehensive overview of the short story craft
and submission process. While we concentrated on mysteries, we were delighted
to have writers of literary fiction and other genres participating.

Debra Goldstein (Photo by Robert Mangeot)

Debra
got us started with a description of the short story and an extremely effective
analysis of how to develop conflict through phrasing and action. Robert brilliantly
covered setting, character, and dialogue in a single segment that incorporated the
use of Gone with the Wind to
illustrate his points. Kaye and I took on the challenge of jointly teaching plotting
strategies and discovered that our approaches and preferred structural models offered
some interesting alternatives for putting together a story.

After
lunch, Kaye explained how revision and editing were essential in developing a
marketable manuscript. I followed up with some exercises to get the creative
juices flowing. I’m pleased to report that the group left with almost everyone
having written a six-word story a la
Ernest Hemingway’s “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” Robert finished up the
day with a wonderful method for pursuing publication and left us all with the
inspirational question: “What is your dream?” By telling us about his own
writing journey and encouraging us to consider what we truly wished to achieve,
he sent us forth excited about the possibilities.
PGB and Kaye George (Photo by Robert Mangeot)

Our
participants were so enthusiastic, it became infectious. We exchanged a lot of very
helpful information.

I am
particularly grateful to Lisa Malice and her husband Lou for their generous
hospitality. Kaye and I were fortunate enough to stay with them for the
weekend. Not only did we get to enjoy Lisa and Lou’s lovely home, fabulous
food, and great conversations, but also we had a terrific time practicing our
presentation and catching up.

Thank you to the
Atlanta Chapter for taking the time to focus on the short story. I appreciate
my fellow presenters so very much. I always learn from each of you and I value
our friendships. Finally, many thanks to all those who attended. May you find
the success in writing that you are seeking!

The Celebrations Linger On

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SinC Workshop

Rather
than transition (our monthly theme) to a new subject matter, I’m going to
continue with the topic Linda Rodriguez so ably introduced on Friday:
Bouchercon 2016, which took place over the last five days in New Orleans. Linda
was very much a part of this special event with her participation in the
Sisters on Crime SinC into Great Writing workshop, Doing Diversity Right. She
and other experts analyzed how writers can make their work more accessible and
meaningful to readers by respecting cultures and disabilities through choice of
words, plots, and character depictions and reactions.

Edith Maxwell, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Ramona DeFlice Long at Sinc Breakfast

Celebrations
and champagne (served at the Sisters in Crime breakfast, with founder Sara
Paretsky in attendance, and during at least two panels) were in evidence during
the conference. The following anniversaries were recognized: the 75th
year of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine,
the 30th year of Sisters in Crime, and the 6th year of a
writing critique group including Donna Andrews, Ellen Crosby, John Gilstrap,
Allan Orloff, and Art Taylor.

The audience very much enjoyed sampling a liquid recipe
featured in Ellen’s upcoming novel, The
Champagne Conspiracy.

Eleanor Cawood Jones, Alan Orloff, Donna Andrews, Art Taylor, John Gilstrap, and Ellen Crosby

Ace Atkins interviewing Julie Smith

A
major topic of discussion, in both formal and informal settings, was
transitions in the publishing industry. Ace Atkins conducted an inspiring
interview with Julie Smith, whose Skip Langdon novels were my introduction to
New Orleans. Julie mentioned that she has found a new passion working in
publishing. When asked how that work could be a passion, she explained that she
had helped writers whose series had not been published in a number of years
come out with new work for readers to enjoy.

Edith Maxwell, Debra Goldstein, Terrie Farley Moran, PGB, and Lori Rader-Day

Having the
opportunity to revel in the company of authors and reconnect with dear friends
in a city that truly knows how to party was a fabulously memorable experience.
If you ask me what kind of shoes I’ve been wearing, I’ll have to answer
truthfully, comfortable ones. It takes a lot of walking to navigate Bouchercon
and New Orleans. Many thanks to all the organizers and participants. Now that I’ve
returned home, I can’t help but feel a bit of a glass slipper complex. Midnight
approaches and it’s time to return to normal life. Yet, in my heart, the party
lingers on. Let the good times roll!

My friend, Libby Adams

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Libby Adams assembling programs for the St. Paul’s Players
Libby and her favorite fellow, Clay Aiken
Theater
is a collaborative art form. The diligent efforts of those seen and unseen
onstage are needed to create a production.

No
one exemplified this universal truth more simply and beautifully than my dear
friend Elizabeth Ann Step Adams, known to all as “Libby,” who left this world a
few weeks ago. If she could have lived until December 3, she would have been
89.

Libby’s
name appeared on theater programs for behind the scenes and supportive “roles.”
She was a “life member” at Workshop Theater, where she often ran the box office
and distributed tickets to patrons as they arrived for a performance. She
presided in the lobby with a happy smile, greeting people as they entered,
always remembering their names and families.

She volunteered
in Columbia and Sumter, South Carolina, theaters. She knew the names of all the
participants in the productions and had definite opinions about the plays being
presented. She was a keen observer and never hesitated to share her thoughts.

I
met Libby through John Henry, who worked side-by-side with her at Workshop’s
box office and who became the producer of the church productions I direct for
the St. Paul’s Players. John recruited Libby to help us out and she did so
happily, coming to fold programs and staying to be part of our audience.

Libby
always candidly told me what she thought about our shows, especially the ones I
wrote. I suspect her good friend John may have briefed her about some aspects
of the plays others had criticized. She always staunchly supported any disputed
choices I had made. I treasure a note she wrote to me one Christmas,
encouraging and supporting our drama ministry, which she considered unique in
the community.

During
the last few years, Libby, John, and I shared a group of seats for the “Broadway
at the Koger” series that brought traveling companies to Columbia. We watched
such diverse productions as Legally
Blonde, Flash Dance, Once, and The Illusionists. When each performance was over, we’d head to the
nearby IHOP and evaluate it. Libby would comment specifically on the sets,
performers, sound quality, and directorial choices. We didn’t always agree on
our perceptions, but I had to admire the reasons she expressed for her
opinions. She thought it all out carefully and based her opinions on an
extensive background of watching theater.

Libby
survived her husband Grey and her son Steven, who she called Shay. She lived
alone with her cat. She remained independent until the end, calling a cab or
relying on friends if she needed a ride to an appointment or performance, but
managing her own life. She kept well informed about current events and
television. After watching him on American
Idol, she became a devoted fan of Clay Aiken, traveling by train to see him
in performance in New York City.

When
John and I hadn’t been able to reach her by phone one day, John asked his
brother to stop by Libby’s apartment. He got no response and called the police
to investigate. They found her on her couch. We believe she just fell asleep.

On
the night I learned of her death, I had stopped for supper in a restaurant
before going home. I had just talked with John on the phone when a young man
came up to speak with me. He asked me if I remembered him. He had been in one
of my plays when he was a child. Now, he was ready for college and going to
Yale.

I
took the time to talk with him and his family. I remembered that Libby had seen
him in a Workshop Theater production and was so happy when he came to work with
us at the St. Paul’s Players. She always went out of her way to encourage young
people to be involved in the theater. She appreciated that the next generation
would continue the traditions.

Perhaps,
at least I like to think, that Libby facilitated my meeting that night with the
young man so I could continue her practice of encouraging the next generation
to support and advocate for the arts. I think she would consider that a fitting
tribute.

I
hope I can follow in her footsteps. She has big shoes to fill.

Rest
well, Libby.  

It Tolls for Thee

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by Paula Gail Benson
Calhoun Residence Hall

John
Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” As writers, we often labor in isolation, occasionally
taking our notebooks to coffee shops or book stores to be close to activity. There
may be a gentle musical selection playing in the background or perhaps we’ve
arrived with our own headphones, so we can “control” and “enhance” that aspect
of concentration for the task. Keeping our distance, yet staying close to
humanity.

If
we have the opportunity to study writing among our peers, fellow scriveners
seeking to combine words in the most effective ways, we embrace the joy of being
with those who understand what it is like to labor alone. We spend time with
colleagues who face the same lonely struggles, then return to our work with new
resolve and inspiration.

This
summer, I had the remarkable experience of attending Yale University’s Summer
Writing Program, where small classes of students were paired with incredibly
talented authors for twelve hours of instruction, additional special lectures,
and a private analysis of each student’s submission. I was thrilled to
find myself in a class with six others learning about writing mysteries from the
fabulous Lori Rader-Day. It was truly life-changing.

Walking
down the streets to our Yale class room, I could hear the chiming of bells
from the carillon in Harkness tower. What an wonderfully appropriate musical accompaniment
for my ivy league adventure!

Passing
Calhoun Residence Hall, where we roomed, I noticed a carved relief of a scholar
in his robes, sitting at his desk, smoking his pipe, apparently concentrating on
his studies while surrounded by stacks of books. With the carillon bells chiming
in the background, I could almost imagine striding across campus in my own cap
and gown, heading to confer with my fellow scholars.

Like
at Oxford. Or maybe Hogwarts.



And
those bells followed my every footfall.


Carillons
can be traced back to medieval times when they were used as a means of
notification or alarm system for a town. The instrument, with a keyboard like
an organ, is connected to at least twenty-three bells that are housed in a
belfry. The one at Yale has fifty-four bells, each emblazoned with the words “FOR
GOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR YALE.” Generally, they sound twice a day at Yale, but
we had arrived during the week of the Yale Carillon Guild convention.  

Those
bells became a constant companion. In fact, for two days straight, during our
ENTIRE three-hour class period, the carillon played without ceasing.

At
times, music can progress from mere accompaniment to severe distraction. That
is exactly what those marvelous bells did. While we sought to discuss the fine
points of characterization, plotting, and revision, the bells pealed forth,
sometimes merrily and other times solemnly, until their sound became
predominant in our heads.

Yet,
from the incessant ringing, another literary lesson emerged.

As mystery
writers, we couldn’t help but consider how constant noise could manipulate a
mind and drive an intellect to dire circumstances—like murder. I remembered how
Edgar Allan Poe’s guilt-ridden protagonist in “The Tell-Tale Heart” insists
what he hears is not madness: “The disease had sharpened my senses – not destroyed
– not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things
in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.”

Taking
another look at the scholar on the Calhoun Residence Hall relief, I began to
wonder if he was consumed with his work or with the effort of attempting to
block out the bells. There was something in his expression that I thought might
resemble Poe’s protagonist’s anguish.

So, I
decided that it was good that writers can channel any murderous urges into
prose rather than action. As John Donne says: “Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind, Therefore, send not to know, For whom the bell
tolls, It tolls for thee.
Not
a bad lesson to have learned from a carillon at Yale!

Summertime and the reading is . . . WONDERFUL!

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by Paula Gail Benson

A significant part
of my vacations as I grew up was participating in the library summer reading
program. Now, that I work for a state legislature with a session ending in
early June, the summer months still mean a time of less activity so I can catch
up on all those lovely books on my TBR pile. If you’re looking for some
terrific summer reads, here are my recommendations, in two categories. First,
short story collections, which are great travel companions, and, second, academic
mysteries, in case you crave a vicarious trip back to school.
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS:
K.
B. Inglee’s The Case Book of Emily
Lawrence (Wildside Books 2016)
K.B.
writes historical mysteries and learns about the time periods in her stories by being a
reenactor and living interpreter. Her Case
Book features intrepid Emily Lothrop Lawrence, whose professor father
characterized as “intelligent” while calling her older sisters “beautiful” and “talented.”
Emily, with her husband Charles, operate a Pinkerton style detective agency in
post-Civil War Washington, DC. Reading about their investigations and
techniques is both a journey back in time and an appreciation for how
technology has influenced detection.
B.K.
Stevens’ Her Infinite Variety (Wildside
Books 2016).
 
B.K.’s
(or Bonnie’s) stories have frequently found a home in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. In this fascinating volume,
they’ve been collected, so you can enjoy four that feature her series
detectives, Iphigenia Wodehouse and Leah Abrams, and seven of her “stand-alones,”
including one of my favorites “Thea’s First Husband.” For excellent writing, intriguing
situations, and clever deductions, this collection is a true reader’s delight.
Art
Taylor’s On the Road with Del and Louise:
a Novel in Stories (Henery Press 2015).
Winner
of two Agatha Awards, the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, and three
consecutive Derringer Awards for his short fiction, Art uses a series of
stories to tell the adventures of two intricate and compelling characters.
Louise, a Southern girl working in a New Mexico 7-Eleven, is held up by the
ski-masked Del, a frugal man seeking enough to meet his “academic” expenses,
and gives him her telephone number because she thinks he has nice eyes. She
finds it exciting when he calls, then sets out with him on what becomes a cross
country journey with stops at such diverse locations as Southern California,
Napa Valley, Las Vegas, North Dakota, and Louise’s North Carolina hometown. At
first, I wasn’t sure I could like either of these complex characters, but after
following them through traditional crime stories and hilarious capers, I had to
wait as long as I could to finish the last installment so I didn’t have to say
goodbye. Winner of the Agatha Award for
Best First Novel and finalist for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, this
novel in stories is an engaging read.
ACADEMIC MYSTERIES:
Cynthia
Kuhn’s The Semester of Our Discontent
(Henery Press 2016).

The first book in a new series,
Cynthia’s novel features English professor Lila Maclean, who in her first year
at a prestigious university finds herself as involved in solving murders as
she is in steering clear of academic intrigue. Unfortunately, she keeps turning up on the
scene where her colleagues are being murdered. When her cousin becomes the
chief suspect, Lila has to find a way to clear her name. A fast-paced whodunit
with lots of quirky, yet familiar characters from higher education, which
received the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant.

Lori
Rader-Day’s The Black Hour (Seventh
Street Books 2014).
Lori’s
suspenseful novel alternates between two narrators: (1) sociology professor
Amelia Emmet, who is returning to the campus where a student with whom she had
no apparent connection shot her, then killed himself, and (2) Amelia’s new
graduate assistant, Nathaniel Barber, who came to the college not just to earn
a degree, but to study her attack. As they each investigate separately, then in
tandem, the reader is plunged through every emotion watching the fascinating plot
unfold. Winner of the Anthony Award, Lovey
Award, and Silver Falchion for Best First Novel, this is truly superb reading!
I
want to assure you that you can’t go wrong with any of these books. So stay out
of the pool, pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade, and settle down for some
fabulous summer reading!

A Literary Exercise–Stiletto Style

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by Paula Gail Benson

Each
year in May, Charleston, South Carolina holds its Spoleto Festival–two weeks
of music, theater, dance, and arts, taking place in venues throughout the city.
This year would be special. The Festival planned to present a production of Porgy and Bess, the quintessential
Charleston opera. As part of the celebration for the new production of Porgy, a two-hour walking tour of
Charleston would feature locations that had influenced DuBose Heyward as he
wrote the novel that he and George and Ira Gershwin turned into musical theater.

Walking.
In muggy, humid, 90 plus degree May in Charleston. Hummmm. Sounds like an
intense literary exercise to me.

I
knew this would require training.

My
office was having a fitness program that allowed us to buy Fitbits at reduced
rates. I got one and started counting my steps. That recommended 10,000 a day
was a difficult number to achieve. I was proud on the days I neared 5,000.

It
helped me to stay motivated with a walking program if I had some diversity in
my strolls. I began pondering what might give me some added incentives.

Around
March, I was admiring the Stiletto Gang’s new graphics when it occurred to me
that I had never owned a pair of stilettos. Oh, I’d watched many women perched
on pencil thin stilts. They reminded me of that song from the musical Wicked, “Defying Gravity.”

The
idea of wearing stilettos in public was completely out of the question for me. I
have sufficient embarrassment in life without having the appearance of an inept
circus performer. Besides, I’ve usually got my head involved with so many other
things that having to maintain my balance in anything other than flats would be
multi-task overload. But, it occurred to me that, in the privacy of my own
home, where no one could witness my wobbling, stilettos might be a good form of
exercise.

Exercise?
Stilettos?

Think
about it. To wear stilettos requires poise, confidence, controlling equilibrium,
and focusing upon a change in body centering. Aren’t those the kinds of things
that Yoga and Pilates masters are always emphasizing?

Okay,
so, what does a pair of exercise stilettos look like?

I
suppose some would let that selection speak to their inner wild child and go
with a model they might never in fact wear in public. From careful study of
this matter, let me assure you there are plenty of options for that kind of
expression. Animal skin prints. Psychedelic colors. Lots of possibilities.

But,
I didn’t need to add craziness to my life. I have that in ample degrees. I
needed to add calm stability. At least as steady as one can be teetering on
five inch heels.

Then,
the answer came to me. I’d channel the serenity of the Duchess of Cambridge.

After
she first appeared in her impossibly elegant, goes with everything, nude heels,
they became a fashion sensation. So that is what I acquired. A pair of five-inch
(okay, there is a one-inch platform at the ball of my foot so I’m only really
balancing on four inches) glamorously beige stilettos. They arrived in a
hideously large box. Flats wearers never see shoe boxes of that size. And, when
I opened it to look upon them, well, I thought I understood how climbers must feel
when they stand at the base of Everest—it’s a long way up.

Then,
in my head, I heard Idina Menzel singing from Wicked, “Unlimited. . . . [and nothing’s gonna] bring me down!”
Although, I must admit, it might have been more appropriate for the theme from Frozen (“Let It Go”) to be playing.

With
a great deal less assurance than I felt, I released those monster slippers from
their tissue wrappings and placed them on the floor. Gracefully, I pointed my
toes and eased them into the confines of each pump. Then, taking a deep breath,
I rose to a height I had never experienced before.



At
least, not from the ground.

Now,
the challenge was to take that first step. This was one small step for a woman,
one giant leap for empowerment, and one mind-blowing moment in understanding. Suddenly, I
knew why women put themselves through this torture. To prove they can. To
do all that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.

So I
began my routine of walking, in my stilettos, down the hall of my home. Not
that I’m ready for a public debut, but I am building my skills.

And,
when I arrived for the Spoleto walking tour. I was ready and finished the
two-hour vigorous course, making it a banner day in my Fitbit history with a
total of 11,412 steps!

The next day, when I
entered Charleston’s magnificent Gaillard Center where Porgy and Bess was presented, I followed a young woman wearing stilettos
up the grand stairway. Smiling, I thought, “Sure, you wear them for dress up,
but do you exercise in them?”

[For more information about my Spoleto experiences, please check out tomorrow’s blog on Writers Who Kill!]

The Year of the Short Story

/in /by

by Paula Gail Benson

From right, Art Taylor, Debra Goldstein, Cathy Pickens and husband Bob, and me.

Like
Debra Goldstein, I’m a writing conference junkie. I completely understand the
attraction that compels so many sci fi and graphic novel enthusiasts to flock
to cons. First, you’re surrounded by people who have as great a love of the
subject as you do, and second, you draw inspiration from proximity to the
practitioners.

I’ll
never forget my first visit to Malice Domestic about fifteen years ago. Everything about it seemed to
spell impossible expectation. The time of year. The distance to travel. Getting
leave from work. Arranging for my mother to travel with me. Yet, Mary Higgins
Clark would be there, and I was obsessed with her books. When I imagined my
future, it was writing novels like Mary Higgins Clark’s.

Somehow,
all the pieces came together. Impossibility became reality. I went. Standing in
line to get my picture with Mary Higgins Clark, I met Dana Cameron, who has
become a wonderful, supportive friend. The photo with Mary Higgins Clark and
her daughter Carol Higgins Clark has become a talisman for me, a symbol of what
I can achieve. When one of my relatives asked who those people were (not
recognizing me), I convinced myself I looked enough like an author to be
mistaken for one. I’ve continued that happy delusion ever since.

I
dub this year’s Malice “a celebration of the short story.” Malice revived its
tradition of publishing anthologies with Malice Domestic’s Murder Most
Conventional, with twenty two original stories and one reprint all set at
conventions. (Another anthology is planned for next year featuring historicals.)
While I missed lunch with the Guppies, I had a wonderful time with Debra Goldstein, Barb
Goffman, and others. Barb won her first Agatha this year for “A Year Without
Santa Claus,” her first publication in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.
At
the SinC Breakfast, the announcement of a new initiative, “We Love Short
Stories,” organized by Debra Goldstein, was met with applause and great expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed being on a short story panel with James Lincoln Warren (a first class moderator who brought his panelists California wine), Teresa Inge, K.B. Inglee, and Jayne Ormerod. We missed being with Eleanor Cawood Jones, a contributor to the new Malice anthology, who had became ill. During our discussion time, we explored the diverse themes, characters, and settings for mystery short stories. Jim kindly read selections from each panelist’s stories to the audience.  
At the banquet, so many attending had backgrounds as both short story writers and novelists. Terrie Farley Moran, who won an Agatha for best first novel last year, was nominated in the short story category this year. B.K. Stevens, who broke her arm and sadly could not be there, had a table full of supporters, cheering her nominations for short story and young adult novel. (Notice in the photo below that B.K.’s daughter Rachel and publisher Carla Coupe are holding up Her Infinite Variety, a new collection of B.K.’s short stories.) I had the pleasure of celebrating with Art Taylor when his novel in short stories, On the Road with Del and Louise, received the teapot as best first novel.
Hurray for another wonderful Malice and double hurray for the recognition of the importance of the mystery short story. It’s going to be a wonderful year for reading!