Tag Archive for: writing

Due Dates

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by Bethany Maines

It’s the new year! And you know what that
means? That’s right, we’re drawing ever closer to my due date. Not my actual
due date. I’m alternatively pretending a baby not going to imminently be
spawned from my body and wishing the date would hurry up so I could stop
feeling like a ship under full sail. 
(She’s coming about – tack starboard, avoid, avoid!!)  No, I’m referring to my next book –
Tales From the City of Destiny. My ARC is due tomorrow and I’m starting to
watch for the mailman with the same intensity as my dog (see picture – we call
him the dogoyle.) Every new ARC is like a present. Will it be perfect? Will I
wish to re-gift it? What’s it going to be??? Ahhhhhh!!



Meanwhile, the crib isn’t put together, we
haven’t picked a name, and my baby shower turns out to be at the same time as
the Seahawk’s first playoff game. A fact that practically all of my friends
have complained about. (Seriously, friends, seriously? It’s not like we knew
that ahead of time.  And honestly,
I like football better than baby showers too, but I swear it’s going to be fun
– there’s going to be booze, and we’re not playing any of the stupid
games.  Suck it up people!) But do
I care about these things? Well, yeah, a little bit. But right this minute,
what I really care about is seeing the fruition of all my hard work in
print. 
Tales From the City of Destiny is a collection
of short stories that track a character over the course of a decade. It’s
something that has been years in the making and I have to say that I’m very
proud of it. I feel that I have both challenged my writing skills and honed in
on how I really wanted to write. I can’t wait to share it with my fans, friends
and family! 

So as the date gets closer, I’ll keep my
fingers crossed that all goes well, that typos vanish and the cover
shines.  And as for the other due
date… well, if worse comes to worse the baby can sleep on the dog bed – I’m
sure he’d rather be on the couch anyway.  (I’m kidding – I swear!!)

    

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.


Writing – Bah Humbug and Future Promises

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Writing – Bah Humbug and Future Promises by Debra H. Goldstein

The holidays are over.  The Christmas music that began playing on my favorite radio station in November has changed back to easy listening.  Although the station will probably have a Christmas in July weekend, it is pretty safe to say the songs, tinsel, advertising, and holiday spirit are gone.  Bah humbug has returned.  It feels pretty good.

No, I’m not Scrooge.  I actually like the kindness and gentle spirit that is attached to the holiday season.  I love to see the lit candles of Chanukah twinkle.  I enjoy watching shelter children picking out presents for their parents while their parents choose toys for them at the Birmingham YWCA’s Santa’s Workshop or volunteering to help meet a family’s wishes through the Angel Tree or Temple’s Adopt A Family Program.  My issue is that I don’t like to be banged over the head with this “spirit” only in November and December.  I prefer the year ‘round approach.

I often wish I could apply my all year charitable approach to my writing.  I envy the person who sits down and writes a set number of words a day.  For me, trying to write is very similar to enjoying the holidays.  I write in sprints – easily distracted by the music and lights of everyday living.  When the writing is going well, I celebrate joyously and concentrate on the work.  When my ideas aren’t fresh or exciting or I’ve received a rejection letter, I find it far easier to lounge in front of the television than my computer or to pick up pen and paper.  

In the past, I’ve been a master of excuses as to why I’m not writing.  Excuses like I need to be in the mood (compare this to the holiday spirit), my office is upstairs and I don’t feel like going up the steps, or I would write in a notebook but then I would have to transcribe my thoughts to a computer.  Other excuses for the notebook could be a) if I leave it lying around the neighbor’s dog might eat my work, b) if I put the notebook down, I may forget where I put it, or c) if I close the notebook I may not find the page I wrote on again.  

I really wonder what excuses others use and what is the motivation that helps one write consistently?  My next blog will not appear until 2014. In anticipation of it and the New Year, I want to resolve to apply the year ‘round approach to my writing.  It isn’t going to be easy.  How do you do it?  Will you help me or join me in this New Year’s resolution?

Whether we succeed or not, may 2014 be a happy, healthy and prosperous year for you and yours.
                                                                       ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Maze in Blue, a murder mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970’s.  Her short story, “A Political Cornucopia” was the November Bethlehem Writers Roundtable featured story.    

Books That Stick

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by Bethany Maines

A friend recently posted a list of books that have “stuck with him.”  It was an interesting list featuring, among other things, Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers. (For those who never read Encyclopedia Brown as a kid – you missed out.  Half Choose Your Own Adventure, half Sherlock Holmes each Encyclopedia Brown book required attentive reading so that the reader could solve the mystery along with the heroes.) But the list got me to thinking about books that have stayed with me. What makes a book stick? Maybe the right book has to arrive at the right time, or maybe a book has to articulate something that I was unable to express until the moment I saw the words on the page. Or in the case of some books… they just seem realer than real life.  So for what it’s worth, here’s my list of the top 5 books/book series that have stuck with me.

  • Trixie Belden – This teenage sleuth was a tomboy with annoying siblings, and that sounded a lot more like pre-teen me than perfect Nancy Drew with her fancy car and friends.
  • The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings – My mother read us these books out loud (reading, it’s what people do when they don’t have a TV) when we were young.  I blame Eowyn for my life long desire to kick ass, take name, and defeat an Orc horde.
  • The Ordinary Princess – A  little tale about a Princess who is blessed with the gift of being ordinary by her fairy godmother, what could be better than that?  Oh, how about the most adorable illustrations penciled by the author herself?  From the day I discovered this book, the author, M.M. Kaye, became my inspiration. I don’t know if art and novel writing are a rare combination or if author’s just aren’t allowed to be something else, but what I know is that I want to do both and M.M. Kaye inspired me to reach for that dream.
  • Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson – Foisted on me as a birthday present, I didn’t read it for years, mostly because the book jacket let me know that the hero’s name was Hiro Protagonist.  I was put off.  I shouldn’t have been.  Bouncing between religion, language, consumerism, cybernetics, and computer programming, the book honestly made me rethink some of my positions on those topics.
  • Pyramids by Terry Pratchett – This was the first book I read in the Discworld series and it was the first “quirky” British style novel I’d ever read.  It was also the first time that I’d ever read something that sounded like the inside of my head, with parentheticals, footnotes, strange topic switches, and a loopy plot.  I didn’t even know you could write like the inside of my head and get away with it.  I became a devoted follower of the Discworld and when I learned that Sir Pratchett had been stricken with an early onset Alzheimer’s that was robbing of his ability to write, I was absolutely devastated.  The fact that he has carried on writing novels with the help of a tape recorder, a stenographer and some new drug treatment inspires me to get off my ass and write more as well.

That’s my list.  What’s on yours?

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Sore Muscles

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By Bethany Maines

Writing is hard. 
I started out this blog with an eloquent soliloquy on the
nature of writing and deleted it in favor of the truth.
Now, you might be thinking, “One word in front of another –
how hard is that, really?” 
It’s not.  The
question is, are those the right words, in the right order, at the right
time?  Perhaps my statement ought
to be, “Writing well is hard.”
But, no, I stand by original statement.  I sat down last night to write
something fresh.  I’ve mainly been
doing revisions for last few months and as I attempted to write something new I
thought, “Dear God, this is like pulling teeth.  Didn’t I used to be able to do this?  In fact, didn’t I used to do this
daily?” 
Apparently, I’m out of shape.  I feel like a fat ex-marathoner on a treadmill, all wobbly
and confused about why things aren’t working the way they should.  It made me long for the good ol’ days
when I could write a blistering pace and could sometimes finish whole chapters
in day.  Of course, this isn’t the
first time I’ve been in this spot. 
I’m the yo-yo dieter of writing. 
I admire people who never seem to get out of writing shape.  But I find it very hard to do revisions
and write at the same time. They exercise such different mental muscles that
doing both is… well, it’s probably an excellent form of cross-training, but
mostly it’s just hard.   So
today, to avoid pulling a hamstring, I will be doing some warm up exercises of
six-word short stories.  Feel free
to post your own in the comments. 
3 Extra-Short Mysteries:
  1. He died; she went to Cabo.
  2. Postman rang once, but fired twice.
  3. Insurance paid out – like she’d planned.

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.

Confessing Passions – Offering Fun

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Debra H. Goldstein
Confessing Passions –
Offering Fun 
by Debra H. Goldstein
I confess to two sinful passions:  shoes and books.  I’m a sucker for any pair of shoes that fit
me.  Luckily, size six AAA flat feet that are only comfortable in low heels limit the number of shoes with my name on them.  This allows me use
my money to indulge my second obsession – buying books, especially
mysteries.  Consequently, how could I say
no to marrying heels and murder every second and fourth Friday through The
Stiletto Gang’s blog?  It is a perfect
match for me J.
But then I started to worry about you.  What engages you?  Obviously, prattling about my love of shoes
and books will quickly bore you. So, what to write about?
Describing me can pretty much be summed up in a few words:  judge, litigator, author, wife, mother of
twins, step-mom, civic volunteer, transplanted Yankee and a woman who hates to
be pigeon-holed.  My writings are equally
diverse.  That’s why my personal blog is
called “It’s Not Always a Mystery.” (http://DebraHGoldstein.wordpress.com) 
Spending a lot of words telling you about how Harlequin Worldwide Mysteries
will be issuing my 2012 IPPY Award winning debut novel, Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus
in the 1970’s, as its May 2014 selection seems a waste of time because you can
read about that on my website, www.DebraHGoldstein.com.  The same holds true for introducing you to my non-fiction pieces including “More Hugs Less Fear” that was published by More Magazine online, my short
stories like “Legal Magic,” “Malicious Mischief,” “Grandma’s Garden” or this
month’s Bethlehem Writers Roundtable featured
story “A Political Cornucopia” (www.bwgwritersroundtable.com
).

I could share funny anecdotes about having four children, a
husband whose blood runs Crimson, how I reacted when my book publisher ceased
operations the week I was on my first Malice Domestic panel and had speaking
engagements lined up for the next six months or balancing my legal career with
writing, but I’d prefer to know what interests you.  Whether something personal from my website,
my Tom Sawyer philosophy, or why I think networking is almost as important as
getting words on paper are all possible topics. 

Let’s make this fun – I’ll spend the next few
days thinking about shoes and books while you take a look at my website and stories and leave me comments on The Stiletto Gang Blog about your preferred topics. As an incentive, I will randomly pick a name
and theme from your comments and send that person a free copy of Maze in Blue.  Check back on November 22 to see who won and what the blog topic turns out to be.

Contact: 
DHG@DebraHGoldstein.com
Personal Blog:  http://DebraHGoldstein.wordpress.com
or through website-DHG’s Blog
Twitter: @DebraHGoldstein    
Facebook: Debra Goldstein LinkedIn:  DebraHGoldstein

Narwahl!!

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by Bethany Maines

It seems like I’ve been thinking more about structure and
organization lately.  From trying
to tame my husbands hoarder tendencies, to how to enhance the drama in a novel,
everywhere I look it feels like everything needs more structure. 
To solve my husband’s “issue” I’ve decided that some of his
things need to go live out in the carport.  Which is a bit like telling a writer that some of their
favorite parts need to get axed from a manuscript.  First, you lead them along the path of logic and hope that they
decide for themselves that something has to go, and then eventually you just
blurt it out – “That doesn’t fit.” 
In my husband’s case, I mean, quite literally, we cannot fit anymore in
the spare bedroom.  In the case of
a manuscript it’s more like, “This doesn’t sound anything like the rest of your
book and it’s a bit of a tangent from the plot.  Do you really need it?” 
But some things do belong in the house.  It’s just that being buried in the
closet doesn’t exactly display them to their best advantage.  I’ve got this pretty well figured out
in my house.  I know what I like
and I have a pretty good idea of what would be useful to us.  (Hint: it’s bookcases, MORE bookcases.)
But in a book, it’s a little more difficult. Do I need this part about the narwhal?  (Hint: Yes, when it comes to narwahl’s
the answer is always yes.)  Ok, so
I need the narwhal, but would it look better over here?  Or maybe it would look better if I
removed this part about the teakettle that’s sitting next to it?  What makes for the biggest dramatic
reveal of a narwhal?  This is where
editors, beta readers, and interior decorators come in extremely handy.  With an educated eye they can tell you
what will create a focal point and what you should blur over.
But I suppose an “educated eye” is the key phrase
there.  Five years ago, I couldn’t
tell you with any certainty, what belonged in a book and what was something I
just happened to like.  The more I
read, the more clarity I get on what creates dramatic continuity and what
pieces, while possibly beautiful, funny, or perfect in their own right, don’t
belong in the manuscript.  Each
book is it’s own learning process, but each book does teach me something.  Hopefully, by the time I’m oh… say 95,
I’ll have this whole writing thing figured out.
Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.

How to Cut?

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by Bethany Maines

On my first novel, Bulletproof Mascara, my agent strongly recommended removing a
few chunks of the manuscript that she considered extraneous to just about
everything. This was a complete misperception. Those chunks of writing were
vitally, vitally important to the entire fabric of book. Although, to be
honest, I now don’t remember what those vital chunks were, and the book is
undoubtedly better off without them. At the time, however, the advice was very
difficult to hear and I resisted it mightily. I also remember that as she
recommended painfully amputating these important bits she would say,
soothingly, sadly, sympathetically, “I know, but maybe you can use them in
something else.”
I puzzled over that phrase after I hung up the phone.
Something else? What could she have possibly meant? Maybe she meant that I
could use that scene in a sequel? But the situations were kind of specific –
they couldn’t just be transplanted. And having snipped them out and written
over them, they couldn’t be flashbacks. Maybe she meant that they could be used
in another story – transplant different characters into those scenes. Now, that
was a completely ridiculous suggestion. Those events happened to those people.
You can’t just go plopping whole new people into those events. Which, frankly,
is just proof that writer’s are one step away from having diagnosable mental
health disorders featuring false realities and voices of people who aren’t
really there.
Eventually, I decided that what she really meant was,
“However, you have to wrap your mind around this to make it ok – do it, because
it’s for the greater good of the book.” Of course, the idea that someone else
might have a better grasp on what my story and book should be is also a hard
thing for a writer to wrap their mind around. Eventually, I did come to peace
with both concepts, but I find that as I help other writers through the editing
process, that I still don’t know what to tell them when I advise cutting out
favorite scenes. Should I suggest that they can “use them in something else” or
do I just give it to them straight – your book is better off without this scene
(even though you love it and sweated over it)? For all of you writers out
there, what has helped you come to terms with cutting out beloved moments?

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter.

Book Covers & Boots

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by Bethany Maines

Author’s Note: I will not be writing about 9/11.  I think we’ll probably see enough of that elsewhere today, so I will be writing about something much more fun – book covers.

Just as it is a truth universally acknowledged that a rich
bachelor must need a wife, it also known that a book cover can make or break a book.
But what makes a good book cover?cThe easy answer is that a book cover should clearly state
the title, author, and give a visual impression of the contents in the simplest
possible manner. Easily said, but not so easily done. Capturing the tone of a
book, much less a central theme, and an idea of characters or plot, in one
single graphic image is incredibly difficult.

As the release date for my new collection of short stories,
Tales from the City of Destiny, approaches I find myself once again fascinated
by book covers. From Romance novels with their assortment of bare-chested
heroes, to the illustration covered sci-fi/fantasy novels (see examples below), to Contemporary
Fiction with their photo based covers of women with no heads (yes, headless
woman books are a thing – check out this slideshow) each genre appears to have
their own language for how to speak to their audience. And that’s what I find
interesting! All of these books have targeted a specific audience.

Ask an author who their audience is and nine times out of
ten we’ll fumble around and say “lots of people.” If we’re really on the ball
we can probably narrow it down to half the population – ie men or women. But in
all honesty, authors write for an audience of one, themselves. Perhaps,
afterwards, they’ll be able to narrow it down to a more specific genre, but thinking
about our work like that forces us to turn our precious creative effort into a
commodity, not just in the real world, but also in our own heads. Believing in
the reality of our characters is part of what makes writing fun, and without
that, what’s the point? 

And there’s the dirty little secret of writing: sometimes
marketing kills the fun.  Which is
why it’s nice to have someone else do it for you, or at least to have a team
supporting you. So to all of those authors who grit their teeth, put on their
big girl boots, and go out and market their books, I salute you!  And as I reach for my own boots, here
is a sneak peak at the new book cover for Tales from the City of Destiny.


Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter.

Sponge Bob Writer Pants

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by Bethany Maines

I recently read an article that suggested writers try to
visualize their stories through sculpture working with cardboard, string, glue
and party hats. I’m sure the point of the advice was to visualize your story in
a new way. Whether it was through bubble charts or sculpture, the idea was to
shake up how writers were thinking about their work.  A worthy goal and sound advice. And on one hand, I think
that anything that gets a writer to more fully visualize their story is great.
On the other hand, it seemed like the kind of advice that would only be given
by someone who knows nothing about sculpture. I’m sure there are artists that
can create striking sculptures from a toilet paper roll, a sponge, and a party
hat, but I can practically guarantee that your average mystery writer is not
that artist.
Which, I suppose, is the best part about advice: we’re not
obligated to take any of it. And sometimes ignoring advice is fine.  My mother advised me not to paint my bedroom wall red.  I advised her not to put that weird
wallpaper in the bathroom. Neither us took the advice and we’re all happy with
the way things turned out. The bathroom still looks good and she painted over
the red wall the second I moved out. Sometimes ignoring advice is not fine. Oil
and waterbased paints do not mix. Putting an entire vacation on my credit card
and quitting my job was not a sound financial decision. 
But in fiction advice is placed on a higher plain. I don’t
know how many times I’ve read a book or seen a movie where the hero is offered
a sage bit of advice and then promptly ignores it. “The old peddler
specifically said not to do that! 
Are you an idiot? Take the advice!” I want to yell at the pages. In
fiction, not taking advice is like a giant billboard reading: Bad Things Are
About to Happen. In real life, the advice comes from friends, relatives,
“experts,” and articles, and, sadly, there aren’t as many giant sign-posts
about which advice is the best. Figuring out which advice is portentous and
which advice you can freely ignore is part of growing up.
What’s the best piece of advice
you’ve ever ignored?
Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter.