KN Magazine: Articles
Motivation, Hitchcock, and Why Cheaters Never Win by Maegan Beaumont
Yesterday afternoon, as I was passing through the living room on my way to the kitchen, I caught a flash of a beautiful blonde woman herding a room full of school children away from a bank of windows and the mass of birds camped outside of them, on the entirely too large TV screen.
Tippi Hedren.
Hitchcock.
The Birds.
Catching that flash reminded me of another movie—The Girl. The bio-pic about the dynamic between Hitchcock and Hedren while filming that movie and with that reminder came another about something that Hitchcock said to Hedren, particularly during the filming of The Birds. Something that’s stuck with me. Something that plays into the vanity of Hitchcock (specifically) and writers (in general).
In the scene where Hedren (played by Sienna Miller) and Hitchcock (played by Toby Jones) discuss her character’s motivation for going into the attic alone, knowing there would be birds there, Hedren asked, “Why would Melanie go into that attic all alone?”
Hitchcock replied, “Because I want her to.”
Because I want her to.
While a cinematic genius like Hitchcock might be able to get away with that, for a lowly novelist like me, writing takes a bit more work. Just because I want my characters to do something, doesn’t mean that I should just make them do it. There has to be a reason my characters do and say the things they do and it’s my job to give it to them.
It’s called motivation.
Motivation is what a writer weaves throughout a plot to bind it tight. Motivation is what makes even the implausible seem possible. Even the most unlikely seem inevitable. But what is it?
A traumatic past? Money? Love? Revenge?
I can’t simply decide that I want my protagonist to rob a bank or rescue a bunch of kids from a burning orphanage. There has to be a trigger that sets them on their course. Are they days away from losing their home to foreclosure? Are they drowning in gambling debts and on the run from a loan shark? Did they lose their child in a fire? Did they grow up in an orphanage themselves?
These are the seeds from which future action grows and if you want your novel to feel real, they must be planted. From these seeds should sprout a chain of events, fed on emotion, and tended by circumstance, that will eventually lead your protagonist to a place where the life-altering decisions they make are the only ones that make sense.
Look at it this way…
If a novel is a vehicle, then motivation is the fuel in its tank. It makes us move and takes us places—maybe to places we never intended to go. Places we don’t want to be… places we have a hard time visiting. If there’s no gas in the tank, that vehicle isn’t moving. But if we put the wrong kind of fuel in the tank then your vehicle breaks down completely. It becomes an undrivable hunk of junk that nobody wants to drive.
Or read.
When Hitchcock sent his character into that attic full of live, pissed off birds, he wasn’t sending Melanie—he was sending Hedren. He allowed his personal motivations to color the actions of his character… and in doing so, changed the movie completely.
It was no longer about the story or his character’s motivations at all. It was about Hitchcock’s and desire to punish Hedren for finding him repulsive. In punishing Hedren, Hitchcock gave us a peek behind the curtain. Even though we may not have known it at the time, we saw a writer at work and that is something your reader should never see.
The stories we write should be seamless. Our characters should be fully formed, with their own set of experiences that give their choices weight and purpose and the conclusion of those choices lead them to, should seem inevitable.
Anything less would be cheating.
Maegan Beaumont is the author of the award-winning Sabrina Vaughn thriller series. Her debut novel, Carved in Darkness was awarded the 2014 gold medal by Independent Publishers for outstanding thriller as well as being named a Forward, book of the year finalist and a debut novel of the year by Suspense Magazine. She also writes hot, contemporary romance as USA Today bestselling author and evil twin, Megyn Ward. When she isn’t locked in her office, torturing her protagonists, she’s busy chasing chickens (and kids), hanging laundry, and burning dinner. Either way, she is almost always in the company of her eleven dogs, her truest and most faithful companions and her almost as faithful husband, Joe. Look for her latest, The Darkwater Girls, to be released in the fall of 2021 through Bookouture.
Fourteen Ways to Dispose of a Body by Nate Hoffelder
I don’t know about you, but in my line of work we sometimes have to get rid of a body or two. And given the rising cost of paying off the cops, I have found that being creative when disposing of a witness or former colleague can save me a tidy sum.
That’s what one of your characters might say when narrating his adventures. You, on the other hand, are a crime writer, and it is your job to come up with a plausible way for your character to dispose of the body. It doesn’t have to be a practical or even smart way to get rid of the evidence; in fact, it might actually be better for the bad guy to mess up in some way (this makes catching perp more believable).
While there are a number of effective ways to dispose of a corpse, most require a lot of supplies or equipment. Other options include hiding the body rather than getting rid of it, or dumping it in a place where no one would look for it.
Here are a few possibilities to spur your imagination.
1. Freezer
If your villain is in no hurry and doesn't fear getting caught, they could just stick the body in a freezer for a bit. While this doesn’t count as getting rid of the body, it does have the benefit of minimizing the stink and mess; a frozen corpse isn’t going to rot or drip, after all.
2. Pigs
It is said that pigs can eat anything. And since they are omnivores, they are supposedly the perfect way to get rid of a body. I don’t know if that is actually true, but this is certainly one of the more colorful ways to do the deed.
It is also one of the least practical; it’s not like most people have access to a herd of pigs, and breaking into a pig farm has its problems.
3. Abandoned Building
This might seem sloppy, but if the perp is short on time and happens to be familiar with the decayed parts of town, they might choose to dump the body in an abandoned building. Depending on the neighborhood, your chosen urban area might have any number of buildings to choose from.
For example, I have been looking at investing in real estate in Richmond VA, and I have usually found two or three boarded up homes within a block or two of a house up for sale.
Gaining access to that boarded up building might be difficult, and the perp might leave evidence while breaking in. (And let’s be honest, eventually someone is going to complain about the smell).
4. Fast Food Dumpster
While you might think that this option is guaranteed to fail, the truth is that your typical fast food place throws out so much meat and so much trash that the perp could probably put the corpse in heavy duty trash bags and no one would know the difference. It would be almost impossible to smell the body or see the one bag among many.
5. Local Landfill
If you’ve never been to the dump then it might be hard to imagine just how much trash is thrown out everyday. There’s so much trash that if the perp dismembered a body and put it the parts in separate trash bags then there would be literally no way to tell the human remains apart from the household trash.
6. Raised Planting Beds
This option won’t do your perp any good if the police get suspicious, but if the murderer happens to know of landscaping work in progress then they could dump the body in the new planting bed, and then cover it with fill dirt.
This option could also work with a newly built retaining wall. Just dump the body before the dirt or rock is installed behind the retaining wall, and it won’t be found without a corpse-sniffing dog or a ground penetrating sonar.
7. Bonfire
Anyone who has burned a rack of ribs or a burger could tell you that flesh creates a lot of smoke once it catches fire. So does a large wood bonfire, which means that if the perp built the bonfire over a corpse, they could throw a cookout and still destroy most of the evidence before anyone was the wiser.
The thing is, the heat from the fire would cause the marrow in the skeleton to boil, shattering most of the bones into unrecognizable bits. The rest can be scooped up after the fire has died, and then dumped in the same trash bags with the leftover bones from the rack of ribs or side of beef from the cookout.
8. Wood Chipper
Made famous by a Canadian serial killer, a wood chipper would reduce a body to mostly unidentifiable fragments, but it would not completely destroy a skeleton. (This was how the serial killer got caught.)
Your perp should only use a wood chipper if they are confident that no one would ever think to check.
9. Burial at Sea
This option has the benefit of requiring otherwise unremarkable nautical equipment to pull it off (an anchor and either chain or a rope), but it also has a problem. If the body is dumped in a high-traffic shipping channel or in shallow water, it might be spotted by a passing boat.
Also, there’s been at least one report of a body getting a Chicago overcoat and still washing up on shore, making this one of the less viable options.
10. Acid
Dissolving a body in acid might seem like the perfect solution to an annoying problem, but it’s not as easy as you might think. Buying enough acid to melt a body is bound to raise eyebrows, and once the body has been turned into soup, disposing of gallons of toxic liquid will be a hassle.
11. Cremation
If the perp has access to a crematorium then it would make an ideal way to get rid of a body. Assuming they don’t get caught in the middle of the act of burning the body, there would be literally no evidence that could be traced back to the victim.
Unless, that is, the victim had a metal plate, pin, or screw. Orthopedic surgical devices (to use the technical term) often have serial numbers which can be traced and used to identify the person they went in to.
12. Make it Look Like a Suicide
This is more a form of misdirection than a method of disposal, but there’s something to be said for making a murder look like a suicide.
Why bother with hiding a body when your character can make the detectives think there’s no crime to be investigated?
13. Existing Grave
Most graveyards typically have one body to a grave, but there’s no reason why a second body can’t go in the same hole. (Or in the same coffin, even.)
If the bonus corpse goes in the hole first, it will be covered up by a casket. This would make it hard for techs to spot it using sonar, or for corpse-sniffing dogs to smell the decay. This would make it rather hard to find.
14. Concrete
Possibly even more infamous as a body disposal solution than the wood chipper, burying a body in concrete is the stuff of horror stories and crime tv series. It is at this point almost a cliche, which could actually work to your character’s advantage.
While this option does create a problem in that the body is hidden but not gone, one upside is that all of the required supplies can be bought at the hardware store, and no one will even blink.
So tell me, what was the most interesting way one of your characters has disposed of a body?
Did they get away with it?
Nate Hoffelder has been helping people fix broken tech since 2010. He builds and repairs Wordpress sites, and acts as a virtual IT department for authors. He also blogs about the Kindle and indie publishing, and has been mentioned on news sites such as the New York Times and Forbes.
Nate belongs to a number of writing groups, and is the president of the Riverside Writers Club. When he’s not volunteering, he spends his time working on projects such as The Speaker Bureau, Book Fair Website, and Author Website in a Box.
You can sign up for Nate’s newsletter here.
What Is Fiction Writing Success? by Dale T. Phillips
THE SUCCESSFUL INDIE WRITER
“What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”
—Bob Dylan
What to know up front about any type of fiction publishing: Success (in terms of sales) is not guaranteed.
Take the view that getting a good book published is success. Whether or not it sells is a matter of luck— but the harder you work, and the longer you keep at it, the luckier you usually get. More success becomes much more probable, even likely, if you plan for it, and constantly work for it. It will likely be hard, and won’t come quickly, but your chances improve over time. Most published books, Traditionally published or Independent (Indie) published, do not sell more than a couple of hundred copies.
If your main success and happiness criteria is making big sales, you’ll never have enough, never be satisfied. Authors who hit #3 on the best-seller list want to be even higher, and to stay on it longer. I saw one top-selling author (with sales numbers most would kill to get) enter a conference loudly complaining, because a local bookstore hadn’t set up his latest novel display just the way he wanted.
Many people have the desire to write a book. They have a story to tell, whether it’s the story of their life, someone else’s, or something made up. Many talk about wanting to do it, dream of doing it, but they just never seem to make it enough of a priority to find the time or the impetus to put the butt in the chair and do the work. So they never achieve their aim. Or they get discouraged along the way. Winston Churchill said that success consists in going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm, and who wants that?
Almost everyone thinks they can write, they just need some big blocks of time, you know, like maybe after they retire, despite not having done it for their lives. Hey, they write emails all day, how hard can it be? We use the language every day, it’s just a matter of recording words, right? Well, it’s a lot more than that. Stephen King has a great cheeky response to the types of people who say they want to write a book some day (but never will). “Yes, and I’ve always wanted to try doing brain surgery some day.”
Others make an actual start on a book. They get some words down on paper, almost always finding out that what is in the head is difficult to transfer clearly to the page. Many give up when they realize that finishing seems like an impossible task. I’ve known a number of talented writers who never got around to completing even one novel. It’s a shame, really, because they had real skills in storytelling.
A few go on to finish a draft of a book. For most, that first one is a tough learning experience, the result is not very good, and is more of a home project than commercial material. It’s difficult to create something wonderful when you’re just learning how to do such a monumental creation project. But they completed a book, and that’s a great step on the success path. Most writers will tell you of early novels of theirs that have never been published, because they were not good. Since the first novel or few is the learning part, many mistakes are made. The books produced are called “trunk novels” or “drawer novels,” because one writes them, but they’re so bad, they get stuck in a trunk or a drawer, and never see the light of day. The writers realize the (usually) low quality of that first production, and seek to do better. They’ll learn more about the craft, and work on another book, using what they’ve learned. A few unwise ones will try to sell that first book, despite the flaws. Most will not have success at that, for obvious reasons. Fewer still will finish another book, and go on to publication eventually, and more books.
Statistic: Over 80% of published authors stop after 3 books. About 10% of published authors make it to six books. Only 5% make it to twelve.
This is a field in which, with practice and proper learning, one can develop skill enough to have a good product for sale. However, very few will continue for years to learn and grow and do better, because the financial rewards are usually small. They realize that for the time spent, they could make more money working a minimum-wage job. Writers do it for the love of what they’re doing. Only a handful turn this quaint hobby from a dream into something more. Still, the level of success achieved depends in great part on the effort put out by the achiever. Those who produce good work, constantly learn more, and follow successful models should do well.
The married team of Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch have been professional writers for over forty years, and they’ve seen too many writers just give up, because they could not sustain the success they desired. Most writers don’t stick around long enough to write ten books, so if you do, congrats. My original plan was that when I had ten good published novels, ten story collections, and 100 published stories, I’d have a good start, and be a professional. I’m close to that goal now, though I’ve set further goals.
Some writers push the concept of constant promotion and specialized marketing to achieve better sales. That’s fine for those who like it, and I do some, but I didn’t take up writing to become a marketer! I’d rather write more good books and stories than to constantly fiddle with algorithms and long, complex sales campaigns. To me, my success is that I get to do as much or as little as I want, how I want, on my schedule, and enjoy the results, as do many of my readers.
There are millions of books out there, more than anyone can ever read. This is now a world of infinite free entertainment (including music, movies, television, etc.), so if a stranger gives you money for something you made up in your head, you are a success! No one has to read anything you wrote, or give you so much as a penny for it. The fact that anyone does means you’re doing something right, that your stories matter enough to pay for.
Somebody said that the unsuccessful get halfway to the finish line and turn around. When the successful get halfway, they keep going. It’s the same distance at that point.
So set writing goals that are in your control. Sales, awards, great reviews, all are external. Continue to improve and publish quality work, and enjoy every small win.
Dale T. Phillips has published novels, story collections, non-fiction, and over 70 short stories. Stephen King was Dale’s college writing teacher, and since then, Dale has found time to appear on stage, television, radio, in an independent feature film, and compete on Jeopardy. He’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Visit Dale at www.daletphillips.com.
It Takes a Thief: Eugène François Vidocq by Bradley Harper
MYSTERIES IN HISTORY:
TRUE CRIMES AND REAL PEOPLE WHO INSPIRED GREAT STORIES
The Sûreté Nationale, or French National Police, was founded in 1812 by Eugene Francois Vidocq, who headed it until 1827. It was the inspiration for Scotland Yard, the FBI, and other departments of criminal investigation throughout the world, while its founder served as the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s character of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and Edgar Allen Poe’s French Inspector C. Auguste Dupin. In later years he founded the world’s first private detective agency, and was the first law enforcement official to employ female agents.
At the time of its formation in 1812, Paris was approaching one million inhabitants, and its crime rate was the highest in Europe, forcing even middle-class citizens to hire guards when they ventured out at night. Vidocq’s small force primarily worked undercover and its early members consisted largely of reformed criminals. By 1820 – eight years after its formation- its 30-man team had reduced the crime rate in Paris by 40%.
Vidocq’s ability to recruit reformed criminals and to blend seamlessly into the criminal underworld was due in large fact to his former life as a convicted thief and forger.
Born into a comfortable middle-class family he was known as a youth for his fierceness as a fencer in local fighting halls, and earned the nickname Le Vautrin, or “Wild Boar.” He was also well-known to the local police, and at the age of thirteen was imprisoned at his father’s orders for fourteen days for stealing silver plates from his home.
The lesson his father intended for his wayward son was short-lived however, for at age fourteen he stole from the cash box of his father’s bakery and ran away. He traveled about France for a few months, joined a group of entertainers, and learned how to act. In 1791 at age sixteen, he enlisted in the Bourbon Regiment and within six months was involved in fifteen duels, killing two of his opponents. While in a military jail he helped another inmate escape by forging his release papers.
He did eventually stay out of trouble long enough to see combat, and fought so bravely he was to be promoted to Corporal but at the ceremony he challenged a Sergeant Major to a duel. When the man refused Vodocq hit him, which could have resulted in the death sentence so he fled, only to join another regiment a month later.
His military discipline was no better in his new regiment, and at the age of eighteen he was cashiered out and returned to Arras, his home town. Whether to escape a mob of jealous husbands or out of boredom, Vidcocq had one last fling as a soldier, with no better results, and fled to Brussels, where he fell in with assorted criminals, then on to Paris where he soon found himself in jail for beating a lover and the man he found her with.
His sentence was for three months, but lengthened after he successfully forged a release for a fellow inmate. He escaped several times with the help of another lover, but was better at escaping than hiding, and was finally held long enough to be sentenced to eight years of hard labor for the forgery.
Sent to Brest, he escaped while disguised as a sailor but was arrested as a possible naval deserter. He escaped a military hospital while dressed as a nun, and then hired on as a cattle drover and walked across France to Holland, where he was Shanghaied onto a crew of privateers. He served with them for a short while before being released, only to be arrested as an escaped convict by the French and sent to prison in Toulon, to escape once more.
He was on the run for eleven years after that, even becoming a successful businessman in Rouen, then again in Paris, but his past kept catching up with him, and he would be forced to flee. He was arrested in 1809 as an escaped convict, but now with a death sentence over him due to his frequent escapes. He had just turned thirty-four, and decided that it was time to turn over a new leaf. He offered his services as a police informant, and his life was never the same.
He was sent to a jail and was soon forwarding information on unsolved crimes to the Paris Chief of Police. Vidocq’s information became so useful that after almost two years in prison he was allowed to “escape” with the tacit assistance of the police, allowing him to continue his work within the criminal underground of Paris.
At the end of 1811, Vidocq informally organized a plainclothes unit, the Brigade de la Sûreté (“Security Brigade”). The police department quickly recognized its value, and in October 1812, the experiment was officially converted to a security police unit under the prefecture of Police, and Vidocq was appointed its leader. On 17 December, Napoleon signed a decree that made the brigade a state security police force. From that day on, it was called the Surete` Nationale.
In 1827 Vidcocq resigned his position and in 1833, founded Le bureau des renseignements (“Office of Information”), a company that was a mixture of a detective agency and a private police force. It is considered to be the first known detective agency. Once again, he predominantly hired ex-convicts.
Forensics did not formally exist during Vidocq’s time but he usually had a small laboratory set up in his office building. In the archives of the Parisian police are reports of cases that he solved by applying forensic methods decades before they were recognized as such.
Among his successes was the development of tamper-proof paper, that would cause the ink to smear if a forger tried to alter an amount after the ink had dried, and indelible ink, that was adopted by the French government for the printing of bank notes. He also used plaster casts of footprints found at a crime scene and developed a filing card system of known criminals, listing their aliases, physical description, and modus operandi. If the criminal was a forger, a copy of their handwriting was included.
The legend of Vidocq lives on, not just in literature, but in the Vidocq Society. Founded in 1990 in Philadelphia, its members are all forensic experts. At their monthly meetings, they try to solve cold cases from around the world, free of charge and in accordance with their motto Veritas veritatum (“Truth generates truth”). The rolls of membership are closed and the number of members remains low enough to never exceed eighty-one, the number of years of Vidocq’s tumultuous life.
Bradley Harper is a retired US Army Colonel and pathologist who has performed over two-hundred autopsies and some twenty forensic death investigations. A life-long fan of Sherlock Holmes, he did intensive research for his debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, which involved a young Doctor Conan Doyle in the hunt for Jack the Ripper, including a trip to London’s East End with noted Jack the Ripper historian Richard Jones. Harper’s first novel was published in October 2018 and was a finalist for a 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel by an American Author and is a Recommended Read by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate.
Knife went on to win Killer Nashville’s 2019 Silver Falchion as Best Mystery. The audio book, narrated by former Royal Shakespearean actor Matthew Lloyd Davies, won Audiofile Magazine’s 2019 Earphone award for Best Mystery and Suspense. The book is also available in Japan via Hayakawa Publishing.
His second novel, Queen’s Gambit, involving a fictional assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Won Killer Nashville’s 2020 Silver Falchion Award twice, once for Best Suspense, and again as Book of the Year.
There Is Someone Among You...Who is Just Like You by Chad Campese
There is someone among you, standing in the master bedroom of an expensive home while other officers string yellow caution tape around the manicured lawn. He’s staring at a note on the Victorian era dresser, sitting next to some items that mean nothing to him, but were left, one for each family member that survived her. She, Mary, is in the garage, lying peacefully. It was quick, painless even, at least for her. Not for the daughter that found her, or for the husband consoling the daughter. Screams and sobs eco up the steps. He picks up the note, gloves on just in case, and begins to read. But, maybe we shouldn’t start there.
Writing can be a lonely endeavor. Staring at a computer, or with pad and pen. Outlining, reading, rereading, editing, agonizing. Is it good enough? Will anyone care? Is it even worth it? Is this project just a giant waste of time? Is life just a giant waste of time? Yes, that did escalate quickly.
I’ll never forget summers in middle school. We moved many times due to my father’s job. During those years I went to a private Christian school because my parents thought it would be best. Had very little in the way of friends. During summer I’d escape by hanging alone in the woods, in my treehouse, with another Hardy Boys adventure, any Stephen King book I could get my hands on, and even traveling into the world of Narnia for a few great weeks.
Thank God, literally, for those authors who were kind enough, talented enough to help me escape into other worlds during the days when I felt alone much of the time. As I watch my middle school aged daughter now go through a bit of that, I stand by ready to help, but giving her space as she escapes into her own worlds. For me, the stories always ended, and it always was just me, in my tree fort, staring at a new book, and pretending to be someone and somewhere else for a while. That kid became an adult, occasionally wishing I was somewhere and someone else, sitting with a whiskey, by a fire, thinking of the ways my wife, my kids, would all be better off if I simply rode into the sunset and they were free to pick another dad, another husband, one that suited the roles much better than I ever could.
As an adult I still love to read. But an odd thing happened when I became an officer, who never intended to become one, at first setting out to be a Chef and realizing how hot it truly was in the kitchen. After a few years on the stree,t emotions shut down. Empathy runs out. The life, feeling, love, is literally sucked out of police officers. I tried not to let it happen, and there are others who have made more attempts than I, I’m sure. Few succeed. The career wears on. Negativity, pain, the worst the world has to offer for forty plus hours a week, working odd shifts, getting held over on a whim or a late call, coming home to a wife and three young kids who always need something and don’t care about what daddy saw or dealt with, or how tired he is. Nor should they, I should add.
When the uniform came off, I should have been daddy, and a husband, but eventually I just became, to be frank, an emotionless prick. Cop was my identity 24/7. I couldn’t turn it off. To see what officers see and deal with everyday, emotions, feeling, they die off for reasons I’ll not get into here. But it’s an unavoidable response. The problems begin as you realize you can’t turn them back on, for anyone, on the job or in your life outside a cruiser. Partners, children, friends, family, they need emotion, love, connection. But eventually I just treated everyone like another call, another problem to be solved, another report to say how I made it all better for the moment while in reality not fixing anything at all.
On the verge of divorce once, probably twice, I still thank God for a wife who held on. Drinking too much, reading, watching movies because they let me escape, I questioned life, my faith, my purpose. I was lonely, emotionless, going call to call, just moving on to the next worst day of someone else’s life, while not really being involved in my own. But you’d never know it.
What I was going through, what my family was dealing with, to everyone else I was good, great, fine. To our friends, my wife and I were in love, happy, a picture of the perfect family. In the neighborhood, at church, at parties, family gatherings, on Facebook. Life looked grand. Wonderful pictures, happy posts and conversations, the best of our lives. All the while talking of divorce, ignoring each other, possibly scaring my kids without even realizing it, or caring.
And then one day I met Mary. There were many before her, but she hit home for reasons I can only guess. Mostly because she was honest. Her story isn’t for show or entertainment. But simply to illustrate a point. To her friends, she was great, fine. To her family she was happy. Facebook showed that she was living her best life. But one day Mary decided to buy a gun, write a note, and call life over. She did it in the garage, after a bottle of wine, over a blanket and beside her husband’s tool chest.
I was upstairs in her house that day, after a bad morning at my own, still working second shift. I saw the note on her dresser amidst the mementos addressed to her family. Other officers were in the garage, stringing tape, dealing with loved ones. Gloves on, I picked it up, read it. It was in that moment that I found myself agreeing with a dead woman, supporting her points, nodding my head in her bedroom. And I knew, then, I had a problem.
Mary was right. About life, about surface relationships, about who we are and what the world thinks we should be. About fake people, the pointlessness of small talk and about spending time on so many unimportant things. About covering it all up to be the package that is always good, great, fine, the package we think people should see. All while never really being known, or being real, or having a relationship with anyone that’s worth anything more than simply what that person across the table, or phone, or computer wants or needs from you at the moment. I’ve met many Marys since then, talked to them both prior to, and dealt with them after, they made a decision that ends it all. The Marys called me out. There were too many. There are too many. And every year since then the numbers increase.
I’ve already told you I’ve done horrible things. Treated my wife poorly, been short and dismissive to my children, taken my family for granted and lived life in selfish ways. I swore off a God I thought was there and had a plan, a purpose for life. I’ve wasted time and money on things worth less than nothing, and traded time with the people that matter for pennies on the dollar. Why does it matter, why do I confess it now, and why should you join me?
Because confession is an amazing thing. It does amazing things. They say your first book is always about you, but I never realized this fully until I wrote my first book. I wrote hoping to make sense of things, my life, sort of like Mary. Indeed, the writing, it was all about me, a confession of sorts, in a hero’s journey sort of story, and for me, a true portal to new life, and a new man. And I can’t take any of the credit.
It wasn’t the book that changed my life, though it did help make sense of things. It was my family and friends, after I finally broke down having nothing to lose and not caring about the outcome, as I asked them to read it, to hear the confession, scared to death of what they would think and do and how they would view me forever after. I just didn’t want to end up like Mary, like Jude, like so many others I’ve dealt with. The honesty that filled those pages had an impact on people I never realized it would, and it bonded me to them in a way I hadn’t imagined. After reading it they wanted to share their own stories, stories of fake lives, tragedies, pain, even healing. They felt comfortable, because they had already seen the worst in me, the honest through me. I was free. And yes, there was so much more to my redemption of sorts, but that’s entirely another story…
As an officer, one thing I’ve always noticed as people struggle, stress, and strain while they lie through all types of investigations, is the freedom and peace that comes with the final confession as they reveal the truth. No more hiding, they face reality head on. It’s like a ton of weight simply slides from their shoulders. Deep breath, relaxed posture, you can always tell when the honest finally comes out. Now I suggest it’s your turn. Why?
Well, you’re a writer of course, or maybe you’re just staring out like me. You live in other worlds and deal in stories that take people away from who and where they are. And if you let it, it’ll become a lonely endeavor. Alone, lost in other people’s lives and stories, we get disconnected from others, from ourselves, from real life. From the important things and people that are right in front and around us. Stories, like the ones that kept me happy and sane in middle school, can also kill if that’s all we have as adults. The stories we live in, the stories we project, the stories we share through photos and posts, and saying good, great, and fine to everyone that asks, all the while never really knowing who we are, or being known by others. We become Mary. I became Mary. It didn’t end well for her, and it almost destroyed my family, and ended my own life.
Stories are wonderful things, as long as we recognize that’s all they are, great stories, and we still take the time to live real life outside of them. Being honest with people we trust. Truly known by the people we love. Emotion, connection, they make life worth living. We were made for community, to socialize, to interact. Even the most introverted of us, of which I am certainly one.
Killer Nashville is a community. Can you help make it an honest one? A connected one? A community of people that are known for the connection they have doing the thing they love, telling stories, but also for being actually known to each other, real, connected outside of just the thing they do, the story world.
I’m free now. Free to be honest. Thanks to Mary, and so much more that happened after, I’m free to feel emotion and be bonded to people and have a depth in relationships and friendships that go so far beyond the Facebook posts, networking, and the small talk facade. If you’re reading this, if you’re part of the Killer Nashville family, would you consider sharing your story, your confession, with me? Not for entertainment’s sake, but for the sake of others’ lives who truly may be on the line, feeling alone, lost in a story they’ve created, the entire time knowing it is only that, a story, sitting alone at a computer and wondering if anyone really cares. Are they good enough, do they matter? Does life matter?
If I sat with you over lunch, dinner, maybe over a drink, and just asked “How is it honestly going, these days, being you?” All masks aside, the noise drowned out, the shell gone that you hold for work, or family, or friends. If you felt comfortable looking me in the eye and revealing the truth, getting out of the story you project for others, how does it really feel being you? How did it feel being you during your darkest hour, day, or year?
Honesty bonds us, pain bonds us, struggle bonds us, and, yes, so does success, especially if everyone knows the struggles prior. The deep things, in the dark water. Change never happens in the shallow end. We bond over the things said and shared. Confessions that sit on that shelf in the side bedroom beneath the cobwebs that we try never to look at, but that truly have or had a huge impact on who we are. Who we’ve become.
Everyone has a story. We identify with each other through the darkest ones. They are ones that truly create community. Even if you don’t want it written about for others to see, if you feel like you can’t tell anyone else and you’re not yet in that place, if you’ve identified with me at all and need someone to share it with, reach out, I’d be happy to listen. At least you’ll be known to someone. You can confess, feel the freedom, enjoy the deep breath and sigh of relief as you reveal what it’s really like to live your story. And bask in the knowledge that there is someone among you, just like you, who has royally screwed up, questioned life, treated people poorly, failed at many things, and still was able to turn the page. And you, no, you are not alone….
There is someone among you, who is just like you.
Chad Campese is a father, a husband, and a police officer extensively trained in peer support, CIT, CISM, and counseling. His first book currently sits with a few contests, so maybe one day he’ll have an award to speak of, or even perhaps have been published. He enjoys hanging with his kids, his wife, and his friends as he comes to terms with who he really is while enjoying a responsible drink by the fire and staring off through the night sky. His current passion is talking through real issues with others as they open up about their honest selves and walk forward together through this thing we call life.
Killer Looks: Part Two in Creating Killer Characters by Alexandrea Weis
CREATING KILLER CHARACTERS
You know by the way a character darted their dark eyes, thickened the ridge above their brow, or eased their meaty lips into a thin line that they have sinister intentions. That is the power of vivid descriptions. They can stir the imagination—creating a scoundrel any reader will love, or hate, lies in the details. Vague doesn’t cut it when making a person leap off the page. The more description, the better, but don’t get bogged down. You might bore your reader and could lose the essence of your character. Your portrayal is meant to be a tantalizing glimpse of your killer, not a mugshot. Make sure to unveil who they are in stages, adding new, important details as the story unfolds. Keep the reader hungry for more.
Many writers look to the pictures of Hollywood actors for inspiration. This is a good start, but sometimes it can get you into trouble. It is best to have an original evildoer in mind, not a copy of someone else. That is why your imagination is critical. So instead of looking for your serial killer among television or movie screens, go within to carve out a nightmarish degenerate the likes of which the world has never seen.
Most writers relate describing characters to writing a summary of their entire novel. It’s challenging, but instead of going for the physical, go for how you want to make a reader feel. If you need your criminal to terrify, create corresponding characteristics that suggest such emotions. Or you can unwittingly unnerve by presenting someone attractive and charismatic. One who disturbs because they are the perfect partner or dreamy date, but their intentions are utterly heinous. Sometimes the closer we come to a reader’s reality, the more hard-hitting the impact. The attractive, quiet guy next door can sometimes turn out to be more frightening than the haggard old man down the street who shouts at children for playing too loud.
Remember those details I mentioned? Start with the basics. The look and feel of the skin should be an essential part of your character. Cold or hot, smooth or coarse, lumpy or silky, these are descriptions that convey pleasure or instill disgust. Don’t forget scars, skin coloring, birthmarks, pockmarks, wrinkles, tattoos, odor, and other telltale signs that can add to your character’s personality. Imagine a man, his yellowish skin cracked and rough, with bleeding sores that give off the foulest stench reminding you of dead fish scattered on a lake. Behind a scraggly beard dotted with bald patches, you detect one long scar inching toward his right eye socket. Does this make you want to run into his arms or flee?
Facial features are another element that can say so much about a person. Are their cheekbones high, sunken, flat, or carved by a master sculptor, instilling lust or jealousy in another? Is their nose aquiline, prominent, or upturned, revealing a rather snooty demeanor? Pert and button noses encourage a sense of trust, whereas long, broken, and hooked noses could instill revulsion. What about their chin? Dimpled ones often bring the girls running, but a pointy one can be seen as witchlike for a woman or standoffish for a man. Are their teeth white, yellowed, crooked, or straight? We all check out people’s teeth when meeting them. It’s important to do the same for your culprit. Finally, don’t forget the forehead. The breadth, depth of wrinkles, and whether it hoods the eyes can say a lot about the person you are bringing to life.
The eyes are a must when illustrating the darker dimensions of who you are attempting to build. How they stare, the depth and color of the irises, the veins or discolorations in the sclera, the size of the pupils, the intensity and coldness they emit. Are they small, downturned, wide, have thick lashes, encrusted with sleep, or bloodshot from too many drugs or alcohol? Everything you put into your psychopath will unnerve and fascinate your reader.
Taking the time to build a true personality involves constructing your Frankenstein one feature at a time, while keeping in mind the emotions you wish to stir. Go for the original and extraordinary, that includes stepping outside your comfort zone. What scares readers most is something they don’t expect, which could take a lot of planning, but be well worth it in the end. If you have fashioned an iconic villain who lives on in the mind and hopefully causes a few sleepless nights, you’ve done your job. Killer characters are more than a pretty face or an ugly one, but you can’t make a great story without first painting an unforgettable picture.
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She has taught at major universities and worked in nursing for thirty years, dealing with victims of sexual assault, abuse, and mental illness in a clinical setting at many New Orleans area hospitals.
Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.
A member of both the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association, Weis writes mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance and has sold over one million books. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
Dwarf Appeasing with Self-Pleasing by Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D
“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give the formula for failure—which is: Try to please everybody.” —Herbert Bayard Swope
A writer feared his second novel wouldn’t be a success. He was in a writer’s critique group that didn’t “get” the plot, and it sent him into a tailspin—months of writer’s block and anguished writing. He changed
the plot, forfeiting his own truth in order to please group members.
For those writers among us who are still trying to be a good boy or good girl so everyone will like us and we’ll never be rejected, listen up. People pleasing is a direct result of our writing insecurities and is a poison for authors.
It’s possible to be open and flexible to feedback without compromising the integrity of our work, but the quality of our writing doesn’t depend upon the acceptance or approval of others. If we forfeit our own writing voice to appease the opinions of others, we shortchange ourselves, our writing suffers, and we lose our true identity as an author.
Reflect on a time when you gave your writing self away to someone else’s opinions instead of sticking to your own. How did you feel later? If you were to develop a game plan for future writing challenges around people pleasing versus self-pleasing, what would it be?
Today’s Takeaway
When push comes to shove, the key to writing success is to get comfortable with your own writing and please yourself first with your own voice as the final stamp of approval.
From Daily Writing Resilience by Bryan Robinson. © 2018 by Bryan Robinson. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., www.Llewellyn.com.
Bryan E. Robinson is a licensed psychotherapist and author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books. He applies his experiences to crafting insightful nonfiction self-help books and psychological thrillers. His multi-award winning southern noir murder mystery, Limestone Gumption, won the New Apple Book Medal for best psychological suspense, the Silver IPPY Award for outstanding mystery of the year, the Bronze Foreword Review INDIEFAB Book Award for best mystery, and the 2015 USA Regional Excellence Book Award for best fiction in the Southeast.
His most recent release is Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations and Inspirations for Writers (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018). He has written for Psychology Today, First for Women, and Natural Health, and his blogs and columns for writers appear in Southern Writer’s Magazine. He is a consulting editor for The Big Thrill, the online magazine for International Thriller Writers. His long-selling book, Chained to the Desk, is now in its 3rd Edition (New York University Press, 1998, 2007, 2014). His books have been translated into thirteen languages, and he has appeared on every major television network: 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC’s World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, The CBS Early Show, CNBC’s The Big Idea. He hosted the PBS documentary, Overdoing It: How to Slow Down and Take Care of Yourself.
Finding your Character’s Blind Spot by DiAnn Mills
Every character has a blind spot, an area where he/she is most vulnerable. Within that emotional darkness, the character lacks understanding, ignores or is unaware of a potentially harmful situation. Through a series of planned deception, the opposition successfully deceives and manipulates the character.
The reality can be painful and devastating, but it can be a vehicle to usher in truth, growth, and change. Discovering a blind spot uncovers information about the character’s behavior, and the knowledge paves the way for motivation and plot. Blind spots aren’t limited to antagonists. Our protagonists can be resistant to lies, charm, or an intoxicating lure.
Writers root blind spots in backstory, the character’s life experiences that affect the character’s goals, conflicts, and desires before chapter one, line one of the story. From the backstory, we discover how flaws and weaknesses can create areas that deceive the character. The story player who is conscious of the tendencies can overcome them through soul-searching investigation. But the character who disregards a blind spot will eventually face the consequences.
Protagonists and antagonists share similar traits of blind spots.
Both types of characters are capable of being deceived.
Both types of characters can notice the problem.
Both types of characters are capable of overcoming their weakness.
Both types of characters have a choice.
For the Protagonist
Dealing with a blind spot is an opportunity for transformation, either before or after the story begins. Sometimes the writer shows an unveiling of a blind spot to create emotional tension that endears the reader to the character. These characters have traits to become dynamic heroes and heroines.
Two scenarios can take place:
The protagonist realized the blind spot during the backstory. He/she overcame the problem. The character now uses the past to help other characters who have not reconciled with the weak trait.
The protagonist didn’t recognize the blind spot, but other strengths masked the weak area, giving the character a boost to their status. Dealing with the unaddressed issue is imperative to the plot.
High stakes result if the opposition discovers the weakness, decreasing the chances of the protagonist to reach his goal.
For the Antagonist
Just like the protagonist, if the opposition discovers the blind spot, the antagonist will struggle to reach his/her goal. This can be a method of stopping the inappropriate behavior.
Two scenarios can take place:
The antagonist has never discovered the blind spot. The character covered any inadequacies with abilities to manipulate others that originate in charm, wealth, or power.
The antagonist refused to recognize a frail part of his landscape. Arrogance overrules any desire to change.
Methods of Revealing Blind Spots
Characterization
While the writer is developing the character, details from the past and present indicate the vulnerable areas to use a blind spot. The how is initiated by the opposition using the weakness when the character least suspects it. The why is reflected in the character’s goals, weaknesses, and personality. The use may only be once, but numerous occurrences allow the character to look fragile and perhaps unstable.
Plot
A blind spot can whirl in the midst of a character struggling to achieve wants and needs, adding stress, tension, and conflict to the storyline.
Emotion
Emotion is how the character believes feelings should be internalized, displayed, or hidden. This is a mix of inherited traits and learned behavior. The character who handles emotions in an unhealthy manner often encounters blind spots that hinder appropriate reactions to life’s problems.
Symbolism
A symbol is a tangible item that means something psychological to the character—and translates the same emotional response to the reader. By providing an evocative and emotional experience, we enable a reader to identify elements of the story beyond the written word. A blind spot often reaches into the depth of a character’s psychological makeup and manifests itself in a symbol.
Dialogue
While dialogue is fresh, new, and has spirit, within the words a character speaks reflects what occupies his/her mind. A blind spot translates to denial or avoidance in what a character says and often in conflict with another character(s).
Setting
A character who has an obstructed view of a setting cannot comprehend the savagery at which a setting can turn against him. They are taken unaware by an environment either mental, physical, or spiritual.
Every character has a potential blind spot. It’s up to the writer to discover the flaw and use the information to the story’s advantage.
How are you using a character’s blind spot to move your story ahead?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Retreats: Marketing, Speakers, Nonfiction and Novelist with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com
Pre-Game by Steven C. Harms
Allow me a brief introduction. I’ve spent the previous thirty-plus years as a sports and entertainment business executive, having worked in the NBA, NFL, and MLB. But for two years at the NBA League Office in New York City, the rest of my career was at the local market level. I’ve been intimately involved in crafting the fan experience along the way, with probably close to 1,600 sports or entertainment events under my belt. Some of those national in scale (All-Star Games, World Series, Playoffs), but most were the garden variety regular season game or concert stop for a touring performer.
My journey has brought me so very many unique experiences and allowed me the opportunity to meet and, in some cases, get to know many professional athletes and entertainers along the way. People like Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Torii Hunter, Barry Sanders, Magic Johnson, Miguel Cabrera, Dick Enberg, and artists such as Bruce Hornsby, Celine Dion, Bob Seger, and others.
I’m truly not one to name drop, however, my background was important to tee up where this blog will be going.
I’ll be sharing stories in future blogs that I hope you’ll find entertaining (sort of a peek behind the curtain), but that will also be educational to you, the writer. One of my crowning achievements was becoming one myself, and in that process, the corollaries between writing/readership/story-telling and the business of sports and entertainment became apparent. A novel is all part of the entertainment mosaic. We can draw best practices from sports and entertainment, and apply them to our craft of writing compellingly great books, our author journeys, our reader’s experiences and, hopefully, finding some nuggets to become better at our craft.
This first blog is dedicated to what I’m calling the “pre-game experience.”
As a sports business executive, I always kept both eyes on our most important stakeholder, the fan. They drive almost every decision because, ultimately, their engagement with our product dictates the success or failure of our enterprise. The same goes for the books we write. Without loyally engaged readers (fans), the arc of our success is flat-lined or plateaued, or perhaps barely off the ground. And I’ll argue that a percentage of that success line is built in the pre-game.
Assuming that you’ve gone to a sports or concert event, take a moment to think about the experiential nature of that activity and what occurs before the game or concert even starts. There are a number of moving parts that can negatively or positively impact the feeling of having a great experience. Ticket purchase process, parking your vehicle, getting to your seat (crowd control management), cleanliness of the facility upon arrival, temperament of the customer-facing event staff, and so on.
When I go to a game as a fan, I’ve paid my money and I have an expectation that I’ll enjoy the hours I’m dedicating to that activity. But if the parking attendant is rude, or argumentative, or errs in giving me the appropriate change back, or rudely barks at me to “park right here,” I’ve already taken a negative position before I ever get out of my car.
Additionally, venues, concert tours, or your favorite hometown team, spend an awful lot of energy and money in creating a captivating welcome or opening ceremony targeted to you, the fan. Why? So you’re pulled into the excitement and it’s “special” from the moment you arrive. As a sports marketer, I knew we were building memories for each fan…every…single…game.
Another example is Disney. If you’ve ever been to one of their theme parks, you know what I mean by customer service and appreciation. Your entire experience begins way before you first walk through their gates.
One pillar of live sports and entertainment marketing is to be fully prepared when the gates open and eliminate all pre-game missteps.
Let’s flip the spotlight over to writing and ask yourself what’s the pre-game experience for your readers or potential readers of your new book and you as an author? Some areas to consider:
Your book cover. Is it something you really like, or is it a cover design that a majority of readers would find too artsy, or clunky, or just too weird to hold their attention? Look at it from a reader’s viewpoint and try to take your emotional attachment out of the decision. This is your main gate to your arena, so to speak. What does it look like? I understand the argument that covers don’t sell books, but I disagree. A great cover designed to capture the reader’s attention will serve a positive role in selling your books.
Same for your title – see above.
I’m big on an opening “wow” chapter or prologue, in particular within the mystery thriller genre. The open sets the stage for the rest of the book (which for this conversation is the transition from pre-game to start-of-game). It’s your opportunity to capture all that anticipation from your reader, much like the moment when football teams come bursting through the tunnel onto the field just before kick-off. The thrill, pomp and circumstance of it emotionally and energetically pulls the fan into the action about to unfold. Your opening chapter is that level of “moment.”
Does your author brand have “stickiness” or can you build to it? Stickiness simply means are you resonating with readers? Are you writing quality stories that are memorable enough to establish you as a brand? One tactic is to insure you have a website that emphasizes your uniqueness, looks fantastic, is easy to maneuver through, and uses imagery, fonts, colors and text that reflect you.
How are you set-up and operating on social media? Sports teams are very good at pushing out content, as are today’s athletes and performers. Sports entities and celebrities have a built-in base simply because they are who they are. Love or hate a team, they’ve been around for decades and have a brand. If they post something, it’s going to get attention without much effort. The vast majority of authors, on the other hand, are not household names. Pay attention to what you post. Asking my main character’s hair style of my WIP is, at best, a vapid exercise. You may get some responses, but to what end? Quality over quantity is where the focus should be. Content with thoughtful and respectful authenticity will do far more good than quick hit fleeting posts. And remember – potential readers are probably scoping you out on social media.
Athletes and musicians practice to perfect or improve their performance for games or competition in order to win. As authors, there are things you can do to hone your skills. Your novel is the same as a sports event or concert. You have one shot to win that game or nail that performance. How are you preparing? Conferences, writer’s groups, workshops, reading other author’s books, utilizing a quality editor, and the like are all there for improving your writing skills to facilitate better results for the reader’s experience. And, if you’re dedicated to the details of the pre-game experience, your odds of winning or scoring well will climb exponentially.
Think about your pre-game rituals and what you are or aren’t doing to prepare before tackling that next novel. Hall of Fame Football coach, and NFL legend Vince Lombardi put it well, “The will to win is not nearly so important as the will to prepare to win.”
Steven C. Harms is a professional sports, broadcast and digital media business executive with a career spanning over thirty years across the NBA, NFL, and MLB. He’s dealt with Fortune 500 companies, major consumer brands, professional athletes, and multi-platform integrated sports partnerships and media advertising campaigns.
He’s an accomplished playwright having written and produced a wildly successful theatrical production which led him to tackling his debut novel, Give Place to Wrath, the first in the Roger Viceroy detective series. The second book, The Counsel of the Cunning, is due out in fall of 2021.
A native of Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He now resides in Oxford, Michigan, a small, rural suburb of Detroit.
Dropping in on Another World by Maria Hudgins
MYSTERIOUS GETAWAYS
Taking in the skyline of Vienna from the top of my hotel, I was surprised to spot the Prater Wheel in the distance. Still the world’s largest Ferris wheel, it stood, not in the middle of the city, but way over in the north on the bank of the Danube River. Why had I expected it to be downtown? Simple. My concept of the city, the wheel, and even the entrance to the sewers had been formed and cemented by The Third Man, starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton, the screenplay written by Graham Greene. In the story, it seemed like the amusement park and Ferris wheel were in the heart of the war-torn city.
Our minds are filled with images of things we have seen—or think we have seen. Have I seen the Alamo, or do I just think I’ve seen it? I may have only read about it in a book, but part of who we are is what we’ve read. Do you have a mental picture of Istanbul? Of Paris? Of Japan? Have you been there, or have you just read about it? Part of the joy and challenge of writing a story is creating a world to put it in, and different authors create different worlds in the same geographic place. Inspector Morse’s Oxford is very different from Dorothy L Sayers’s.
Picture Los Angeles as described by Walter Mosely in Little Scarlet:
“The morning air still smelled of smoke. Wood ash mainly but there was also the acrid stench of burnt plastic and paint. And even though I knew it couldn’t be true, I thought I caught a whiff of putrid flesh from under the rubble across the street.”
Or Michael Connelly’s Los Angeles in The Gods of Guilt:
“He got in the front and I jumped in the back. After a quick stop at the sandwich shop on Alameda I had Earl point the car west. The next stop was a place called Menorah Manor, near Park La Brea in the Fairfax District.”
We all think we know what a little English village is like, but is that because it really is or because of what Agatha Christie told us? In the Murder of Roger Ackroyd, she says:
“Our village, King’s Abbot, is, I imagine, very much like any other village. Our big town is Cranchester, nine miles away. We have a large railway station, a small post office, and two rival 'General Stores.' Able-bodied men are apt to leave the place early in life, but we are rich in unmarried ladies and retired military officers. Our hobbies and recreations can be summed up in the one word, 'gossip.'"
I’ve driven through little villages in the English Cotswolds, and I can tell you this is pretty accurate, except for the retired military officers. When creating a world with your words, remember, this is not a travelogue. Less is more. The story is the thing. You can wax poetic for pages about weather in Sweden, or, like Stieg Larssen in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you can say, “He considered walking, but it was a blustery December day, and he was already cold. “
That’s it. You get the idea.
Maria Hudgins is the author of the Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries, the Lacy Glass Archaeology Mysteries, and a number of short stories. She has visited Italy, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and the Greek Islands, and used these locales in her stories. She still has the notebooks she kept in each of these places.
The County Coroner by Cara Bryant
The Northwest Territories is a vast expanse of land with a small population. There are roughly 44,000 souls spread out over 442,000 square miles of thick forest and vast tundra. Given the circumstances, when it comes to filling jobs, there are challenges in finding staff. One of those jobs is community coroner. The term “community” means not a traditional coroner. Most people think of a pathologist or someone with medical training. In the NWT and a few other Canadian provinces, people with no experience—but able to lift upwards of 100 pounds—are hired all the time to be community coroners. It is a job I began with no formal education in medicine of any kind. Other than episodes of CSI, I was not familiar with what the job would entail.
Basically, when a sudden death occurs, there is a need for someone to remove the body from the scene, or if it is already in the hospital, take it to the morgue. There’s a lot of paperwork to fill out, on top of working with the family of the deceased and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). I don’t inform the family of the death, that heart-wrenching job is left to the police.
Part of the job involves examining the body and recording any contents the person had on them, like wallet, jewelry, etc. I always took great care with possessions, no matter what they were. It can be surprising what objects hold sentimental value for people. I once had the wife of a deceased person ask to be given back a plastic sandwich bag found in a pocket.
I remember clearly early on in my coroner work doing an exam on an elderly woman who had passed away a few hours prior. The deputy coroner was writing down my findings, any bruising or cuts, that sort of thing. Holding her arm, it jerked out of my hands, causing me to scream in surprise. A moment of sheer terror that the deputy thought was hilarious. Rigor mortis had begun to set in.
Another night, I had actually just gotten into bed when I was called to the scene of a crash. A man had been killed in a vehicle collision. He was stuck inside the car, which was severely banged up. Removing him in the middle of nowhere in -40F was no easy task. With no other options, myself and some of the other first responders had to physically pull him out of the car. The rubber gloves I had been given froze to my hands in seconds and I had to take them off. I wore my thick winter gloves instead. I had forgotten to put on my snow pants and my legs were nearly frost bitten by the time we got back.
It’s certainly not an easy job. When I tell people about the work I do the reaction is often one of revulsion and/or confusion as to why I would volunteer for such a job. To be clear, I do get paid a flat rate per case. Death is a scary thing for a lot of people and they rather avoid it all together. For me, it has created a great appreciation for life. It’s also a reminder to wear your seatbelt, your helmet, your lifejacket every. Single. Time.
Novel Malpractice by Ronda Wells
Are you guilty of what I call novel malpractice? As a physician and fiction writer, I see repeated medical errors in novels, movies, and television shows. Some are minor flaws and necessary to fit the story in a one-hour television show—of course, we all know a heart transplant takes longer than the allotted five minutes, so we suspend our disbelief and keep watching to see if our heroine survives.
In a novel, though, outright mistakes can stop the reader (including editors) or pull them out of your story. Even some recent award-winning books have contained a major medical faux pas or two. I’ve collected a few, so to test your knowledge, here’s a quick quiz. If you have a medical background, this does not apply.
(Theme song to Jeopardy will now play in your head as seconds tick away . . . )
Common Confusions Quiz
Neurologists operate on the brain. T or F
Osteopaths are not real doctors. T or F
Psychiatrists and psychologists mean the same thing. T or F
Family Practitioners and General Practitioners are both board-certified. T or F
All doctors must complete a residency to get a state medical license. T or F
Optometrists do eye surgery; opthalmologists only fit you for glasses. T or F
Medical school takes four years. T or F
“The Match” is an online dating service for doctors. T or F
All doctors are created equal. Medical doctors can be a PhD, DO, DPM or MD. T or F
Okay, let’s see how you did. Answers:
You’ve just killed a character if you allow a neurologist, who is a board-certified physician who completed extra training in nervous system diseases and is not a surgeon, to operate on your character’s brain.
Osteopathic physicians are real doctors who train at four-year medical schools of osteopathy that also teach osteopathic spinal manipulation. Osteopaths use D.O. behind their name like I use M.D. They are trained in residency programs alongside M.D.s and can enter all specialties.
Psychiatrists are M.D.s who complete a residency in psychiatry and can prescribe medications. Psychologists, who may have a PhD in psychology, are not physicians and generally cannot prescribe medications except in certain states under the authority of a physician. Psychologists are licensed mental health professionals.
Family Practitioners must complete a Family Practice Residency and then pass a board examination given by the American Board of Family Practice. While family practitioners practice what is called general medicine, a general practitioner (G.P.) can be any licensed physician doing general practice who is not board-certified in Family Practice.
Noting a trend? Read on . . .
While most states require passing a state licensing exam or the equivalent, board certification is not usually required to obtain a medical license. Each state medical board is different and the requirements for licensure vary by state. Some states require a minimum of completion of one-year of residency (internship), others don’t. Your best bet as a writer is to read the licensure requirements for the state under the particular state’s medical licensing board.
Optometrists (O.D. behind their name for Doctor of Optometry) do not perform eye surgery and generally fit you for glasses or contacts. They can also treat eye diseases such as glaucoma. Opthalmologists are medical doctors who complete a residency in ophthalmology and operate on the eye, cataract surgery being the prime example. Opthalmologists can also prescribe eyeglasses and contacts and frequently treat rare or more complex eye diseases such as macular degeneration or retinal detachment.
While most medical schools are four years, some offer an advanced pathway that can be completed in three years. Some schools offer a combined M.D.-PhD program which can take six years or longer.
False, although many doctors wish it were that easy to find a mate. “The Match” refers to an official national computer algorithmic matching system between graduate medical students at the end of the senior year and residency programs. Each programs ranks candidates in a desired order and candidates rank their desired programs in order. The computer does the magic, and you are “matched” with a program, like a sports draft.
Gotcha! If you only have a PhD, you are not a medical doctor although you may use the title doctor. Many M.D.s also have PhD’s, therefore it could be true, from a certain point of view. D.P.M.’s are better known as podiatrists, who are medical doctors and perform surgery up to the knee, although most limit their practice to the foot and ankle. As discussed, D.O.s are medical doctors just like M.D.s.
How well did you do? If you scored all nine, congratulations. If you missed a few, you may have committed novel malpractice, but at least in this case, that won’t get you sued.
Follow future articles for more medical topics of interest to writers. Like how to properly poison, maim with knife and gunshot wounds, avoid cliché diseases, and where to get accurate medical information for medical scenarios. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me via my website (www.rondawellsbooks.com).
An award-winning writer, Ronda Wells hails from the Midwest and is married to a physician. Board-certified in Family Practice, she switched to Occupational Medicine after a stint in private practice. For the last thirty years, she has been a medical director in the health reinsurance industry and case-manages transplants. She has written and published medical policy and guidelines for multiple companies under their name, but her real love has always been fiction. She has just received an offer on her first novel, Harvest of Hope, and is developing a medical suspense series.
Broaden Your Positivity Scope by Bryan Robinson
WRITING RESILIENCE
To me the glass is half empty some days and half-full on others. Sometimes it’s bone dry. Or overflowing.—Mary Alice Monroe
Two things we know about our power as writers: one is that we have the ability to change our outlook; two is that a positive outlook leads us toward more possibilities than a negative one.
When we’re dealing with stressful writing situations, positivity unlocks the range of possibilities. It helps us focus on an encouraging outcome that negativity hides from view. Simply put, negativity keeps us targeted on the writing problem, whereas positivity helps us discover solutions to it. When we intentionally widen our scope, we see the big picture of possible solutions and more potential for success instead of staying mired in the problem.
Known as the broaden-and-build effect, this strategy expands our worldview and allows us to take more in so we can see many more solutions to writing woes. The more we take in, the more ideas and actions we add to our literary toolbox.
Contemplate your writing woes. Be willing to widen old points of view and let your imagination roam. “I’ll never be a writer” becomes “I’m still learning how to become the best writer I can be.”
Today’s Takeaway
Step back from your negative beliefs and broaden your positivity scope
by brainstorming a wide range of possibilities that can build an arsenal
for your writing success.
From Daily Writing Resilience by Bryan Robinson. © 2018 by Bryan Robinson. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., www.Llewellyn.com.
Bryan E. Robinson is a licensed psychotherapist and author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books. He applies his experiences to crafting insightful nonfiction self-help books and psychological thrillers. His multi-award winning southern noir murder mystery, Limestone Gumption, won the New Apple Book Medal for best psychological suspense, the Silver IPPY Award for outstanding mystery of the year, the Bronze Foreword Review INDIEFAB Book Award for best mystery, and the 2015 USA Regional Excellence Book Award for best fiction in the Southeast.
His most recent release is Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations and Inspirations for Writers (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018). He has written for Psychology Today, First for Women, and Natural Health, and his blogs and columns for writers appear in Southern Writer’s Magazine. He is a consulting editor for The Big Thrill, the online magazine for International Thriller Writers. His long-selling book, Chained to the Desk, is now in its 3rd Edition (New York University Press, 1998, 2007, 2014). His books have been translated into thirteen languages, and he has appeared on every major television network: 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC’s World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, The CBS Early Show, CNBC’s The Big Idea. He hosted the PBS documentary, Overdoing It: How to Slow Down and Take Care of Yourself.
10 Tips to Stack Your Writing Mind’s Positivity Deck by Bryan E. Robinson
INSPIRATION
One cruel fact of becoming a published author is that it often feels like an uphill battle because the mind’s negativity has a longer shelf life than positivity. I’ll bet you remember where you were on 9/11 but not the following week. Scientists say the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones to keep us out of harm’s way. It takes three positive thoughts to offset one negative thought. No wonder it’s difficult to remain hopeful and persevere in a publishing career bombarded with the same bad-news bias that keeps us safe. In other words, we are hard-wired to overestimate threats—yes even writing, publishing and speaking threats—and underestimate our ability to deal with them.
Here’s a real example of how our writer’s mind works. One year, after speaking on a Killer Nashville panel, I was impressed with a novice writer’s leadership as moderator. I sent her an email extoling her, “You were total dope with the way you facilitated our panel today.” She wrote back, “At first when I read your email, I thought it said, ‘You were a total dope with the way you facilitated our panel today.’” After re-reading the email, she realized she had misinterpreted it. She told me it was her first time taking on that type of professional responsibility and was feeling insecure. In other words, her insecure thoughts filtered my message and distorted the facts with a story that fit with her insecurities.
But here’s the good news. Grass grows through concrete. I want to share my secrets on how I was able to complete 40 nonfiction books and two murder mysteries by stacking my positivity deck. When that negative voice pipes up in your head, you can learn to underestimate the threat and overestimate the possibilities in order to navigate the tumultuous publishing world, break free from the clutches of writing woes, and finish that murder mystery:
Focus on the upside of downside situations. “I’ve hit a wall with my novel’s ending” becomes “Other than the ending, I’ve completed my novel and gotten promising feedback.”
Pinpoint opportunities contained in negative writing events. Ask, “How can I make this situation work to my advantage? Can I find something positive in it? What can I manage, learn, or overcome in this instance?”
Frame setbacks as lessons to learn, not failures to endure. Ask what you can learn from difficult writing outcomes and use them as stepping-stones, instead of roadblocks. When you ask, “How is this setback happening for me, instead of to me,” you’re empowered.
Broaden your scope. Look beyond rejection, put on your wide-angle lens. Remember the real reason you write, and let your love of writing steer you beyond the gloom.
Be chancy. Take small risks in new situations instead of predicting negative outcomes before giving them a try. “If I agree to be on a panel at Killer Nashville, I might fall flat on my face” becomes “If I participate on a panel, I might get to network with other writers and promote my murder mystery.”
Avoid blowing situations out of proportion. Don’t let one negative experience rule your whole life pattern: “I didn’t sell my novel, so now I’ll never get published” becomes “I didn’t sell the novel, but there are many more pathways to getting it published.”
Focus on the solution, not the problem. You’ll feel more empowered to cope with writing’s curveballs when you step away from the problem and brainstorm a wide range of possibilities.
Practice positive self-talk. After big writing letdowns, underscore your triumphs and high-five your “tallcomings” instead of bludgeoning yourself with your “shortcomings.”
Hang out with positive writers, agents, and publishers. Optimism is contagious. When you surround yourself with optimistic writers, positivity rubs off.
Strive to see the fresh starts contained in your losses. Every time you get up just one more time than you fall, your perseverance increases the likelihood of propelling your novel to the top of the charts. Each day as you put on your writing cap, remind yourself of the famous baseball player Babe Ruth’s old quote “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
Bryan E. Robinson is a licensed psychotherapist and author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books. He applies his experiences to crafting insightful nonfiction self-help books and psychological thrillers. His multi-award winning southern noir murder mystery, Limestone Gumption, won the New Apple Book Medal for best psychological suspense, the Silver IPPY Award for outstanding mystery of the year, the Bronze Foreword Review INDIEFAB Book Award for best mystery, and the 2015 USA Regional Excellence Book Award for best fiction in the Southeast.
His most recent release is Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations and Inspirations for Writers (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018). He has written for Psychology Today, First for Women, and Natural Health, and his blogs and columns for writers appear in Southern Writer’s Magazine. He is a consulting editor for The Big Thrill, the online magazine for International Thriller Writers. His long-selling book, Chained to the Desk, is now in its 3rd Edition (New York University Press, 1998, 2007, 2014). His books have been translated into thirteen languages, and he has appeared on every major television network: 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC’s World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, The CBS Early Show, CNBC’s The Big Idea. He hosted the PBS documentary, Overdoing It: How to Slow Down and Take Care of Yourself.
Part 1: The History of Punctuation by Angela K. Durden
PUNCTUATION IS POWER
Part 1: The History of Punctuationby Angela K. Durden
After the invention of the printing press, punctuation was used lightly with three, maybe four, marks, and those had no clear rules from one typesetter to the other or even within the same book by the same typesetter.
All that to say, readers have always had to parse writers’ meanings. Writers who obsess over those marks before they’ve barely begun writing are, in fact, doing a disservice to both themselves and readers.
Do not misunderstand. Punctuation matters. Such marks help organize material and can move a reader through the composition in a pleasing fashion.
For thousands of years before the printing press with its hot lead or movable type, handwritten originals and duplications by copyists included no punctuation, leaving it up to the reader to decide when a thought begins and ends. Take one famous example: The Bible. Sixty-six books written by many writers in at least three original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). Those books were translated (meaning from one original language to a second language) and versioned (meaning a translation from a translation—think King James Bible translated into English from yet another translation, this one in Latin) into just about every language that exists, all of which have their own punctuations, spellings, meanings, and so forth.
In the 1870s, the King James Version of 1611 got an update of punctuation and language changes. Since then, others have taken those new versions and versioned their own.
A comma was inserted in Luke 23:43. Guess what happened? That comma has moved so that depending on the translation or version, either the thief would be in paradise with Jesus that very day or Jesus was merely telling him that day that at some point in the future the thief would be in paradise with him.
Big debates continue about this one scripture. So you see? Punctuation is powerful…and can be manipulated, hopefully only for good purposes, not evil.
But punctuation is not the end all when it comes to novel writing. Here’s why: the story must come first. A perfectly punctuated tale that is badly written is still crap and a brilliant piece can be hidden within bad punctuation. The former needs a whole rewrite. The latter only needs a good tweak.
Think of writing as a battle. Generals plan, sending soldiers to the field with orders to accomplish that plan. But as both generals and soldiers know, those plans go out the window with the first shot fired. We novelists know this. Characters, if we are being true to them, have a way of building their own lives, telling us their personal motivations, and letting their attitudes show, whether or not we agree or want it. Plots get complicated way beyond anything we’d ever imagined.
Like a general saying, “Forget that the enemy is trying to kill you, do as I tell ya, soldier,” forcing characters and plots into our simple and easy plan renders useless any punctuation we may insert because the battle is lost.
So what are you spending your time on? Figuring out your story or trying to please some punctuation god?
Please, spend time on story first. Part 2 will get into that.
[For a fun walk through early punctuation history in the English language only, you can CLICK HERE.]
Why Publish Indie by Dale T. Phillips
THE SUCCESSFUL INDIE WRITER
Today’s fiction writer has different options for publishing:
Traditional model - Find an agent, find a publisher
Independent (Indie) model - Build your own publishing team and publish the way you want
Hybrid model - Some combination of both Traditional and Indie
There are pluses and minuses to each path. Writers should follow the path that makes them happiest.
Jane Friedman details the pros and cons of Indie versus Traditional in excellent detail here.
Statistic: Most books, about 95% or better, however published, do not sell more than a few hundred copies.
For myself, I started out on a traditional path: had an agent, and an interested editor. Then months went by with no action. Then more months. Meanwhile, the publishing world was rapidly changing. I read books, articles, and blogs on the new ways to publish, attended writer conferences and spoke to many writers, who were uneasy or unhappy with traditional publishing, but afraid to risk their careers on something new and mostly untried. I studied those who were successful with the new methods of Indie, and modeled some of their techniques. I tested, liked the results, and went further. Today I am happily independent.
Many of the “truths” of publishing are old myths, and the odds against being successful in traditional publishing are abysmally low.
Dean Wesley Smith has written extensively about this in Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing.
What mainly turned me off traditional publishing was the countless horror stories of bad agents, bad contracts, bad publishers, bad faith, bad experiences. Cheats, liars, and thieves. Court battles, broken promises, shattered careers, marriages, and lives. Why deal with any of that? With Indie, you don’t have to! And the fact that once publishers get rights to your book, it’s a battle to ever get them back. If the publisher screws up, or does nothing with the book, your work might get held up for years without seeing the light of day (four years in one example from a best-selling friend). Publishers control everything from the cover, the content, the price, the publish date, the marketing, and so much of the time they can get it wrong. But no matter what, if the book doesn’t sell, they’ll always blame the writer. Always.
Even after publishers paid money and signed deals, many books never saw the light of day. Some publishing houses closed or merged, editors left, tastes or times changed. But once traditional publishing had the rights, writers were stuck, unable to have their work get to the public if the publishing house didn’t follow through. One had a book hang in unpublished Purgatory, even after collecting a six-figure advance for it!
Standard traditional book publishing practice is to give an advance against future royalties to get rights to a book. This money is paid in installments, takes a long time to get, and may be all the writer sees as income for that work. In most cases, it’s not much, not enough to live on if one is only writing a book a year- and for the longest time, traditional publishing didn’t usually publish more than that from a writer, not knowing the market. Many writers, even Stephen King had to publish extra books under pen names, because they had more output than the snail pace of traditional publishing allowed.
The time between signing a deal to sell a book to a publisher (after the usual years to get an agent and get to that point) and publication is anywhere from months to years. And getting paid royalties, if they come, for the book takes even longer.
For many years, the “mid-list” authors were reliable sellers of a few thousand copies every year, as opposed to the “best-sellers”. But traditional publishing started losing interest in writers who weren’t best-sellers. Many writers were dropped, and lost their living as advances grew smaller and smaller. Traditional publishing stopped printing books which fell below the desired sales numbers. And so many books became “Out of Print” and unavailable, until the Print-on-Demand (POD) revolution, which made it possible to independently publish. Many good writers were suddenly and unceremoniously ditched by their publishers, and didn’t know what to do next. I wanted my books to be always available, in all formats, so now I never have to worry about being dropped by my publisher for poor sales numbers.
A number of my mystery-writing friends had books published by Five Star Publishing, which sold mainly to libraries. One day, without warning, the publisher announced they were no longer doing mysteries, and dozens of writers I know suddenly had their careers and income take a big hit.
One panel of best-sellers at a conference all showed books that made a ton of money and topped the best-seller charts when they were finally published- but each book had been turned down an average of fifty times! If an industry can’t determine a good book when they see it, why deal with them?
In the past, publishing yourself meant that you had to order a large number of books from a printer, which were hard to sell and distribute, and costly up-front. New POD technology meant one could order a few at a time, and so made it affordable to Indie publish. Ebooks didn’t cost anything for printing, and so were pure profit. But traditional publishing felt that ebooks cut into the sacred paper sales, so they jacked up ebook prices (still do, in most cases), and often would not put out ebook versions until months after the hardcover (a process called windowing), frustrating many fans, who wanted the latest work now.
Here’s just a few things that have changed.
Traditional publishing no longer equates to a reliable standard for quality. You can probably name several traditional publishing best-sellers that are terrible. But readers wanted them, so traditional publishing made money off them. Having a book published by traditional publishing is no guarantee of a good production team, and often non-name writers get less-than-optimal results, from editing, to covers, to advertising, to all aspects. When many independent “writers” jumped on the easy-pub bandwagon and pushed out crap, critics used those as the typical examples, to demonstrate that all Indie was substandard. Yet many Indie writers produce high quality work.
Bookstores are no longer the best places to sell books. Until the disruptive technology of online sales, they were, and the advantage was to traditional publishers. But ebooks (and Amazon) changed that, so that now a writer has a worldwide sales channel, working 24/7/365. Ebooks are cheaper, so more people can afford them, and buy more.
Traditional publishing still has a seasonal cycle of releases, and any book that does not quickly hit with the public gets removed to make way for the next batch. Bookstore copies are stored mostly spine-out for about 90 days, amidst thousands of others, and gone after a few months, replaced by the next crop. An Indie writer can promote that same book for years, run occasional sales and specials, include it in bundles with other books and authors, and make money over and above what they would have received for an advance.
The music business provides a good model for study. For so long, the (only) way to success was to get signed by a big record company. Many artists did so and got completely screwed, desperately signing horrible contracts. Most bands and singles didn’t do much past an album or two. Then the Indie music scene happened, and people didn’t have to sign with someone who would control them and their career. Some made their own labels and did the music the way they wanted to.
Companies care about control and profits, not people, not art.
For myself, I want the control over my writing career, and what I consider my contribution, my art. No one gets to tell me what to publish, or what not to. My schedule and my faults are my own.
And so’s my profit…
Now the publishing world no longer belongs solely to the gatekeepers. It is possible to publish and sell without an agent or a publisher (middlemen between the author and reader), and to keep control of one’s own work. It does mean that anyone wishing to be successful in this path learn a great deal about the ways and means of selling online, in essence becoming a small business. But a true business it can be.
That’s where we are today— any writer has multiple means of getting their stories out to the world without waiting years for a blessing or “go-ahead” from strangers. One can even make money at it, and some can even be very successful by adopting techniques used by successful authors before them. The information is widely available because the independent (indie) community is very open and helpful, and willing to share what works.
The writers to be pitied are the traditional writers, who came of age in a system that may have worked for them in the past, but no longer works for most. While writing stays the same, many writers have quit, unable to deal with the changes to everything they knew about publishing and unable or unwilling to learn. The sad part is, even with traditional publishers, writers are now expected to do much of their own marketing and selling anyway, but they have many more restrictions, and must do it without many of the benefits that indies enjoy. With the publishing world turned upside down, the indies are now the ones with the best chances of success going forward.
Though I began in the traditional path, getting an agent and trying to get a larger publisher interested, many months would go by with no word and no progress. By attending conferences, learning from blogs, articles, and talking to many writers, I saw that a new path was becoming viable. While I was learning more, I published my first few novels with small presses, who would let me set all the terms: content, covers, pricing, and distribution. After two years and three books, I had learned enough to strike out on my own. Now with 24 books out, I am my own publishing company, and quite happy to produce all my work on my schedule, just the way I like it.
Many traditional authors bewail people finding mistakes in their books, because it is expensive to change the galley proofs, so oftentimes errors remain unfixed. Indie writers can correct any published error and have an updated version in minutes, for ebooks, and days for print.
Due to the changes in publishing, it is now the best time in history to be a writer. One can create stories and get them to a worldwide market, in multiple formats. Anything a writer wishes to create can be up for sale, with no one blocking publication, because they feel it will not sell enough. We have ultimate freedom for our craft.
Dale T. Phillips has published novels, story collections, non-fiction, and over 70 short stories. Stephen King was Dale's college writing teacher, and since then, Dale has found time to appear on stage, television, radio, in an independent feature film, and compete on Jeopardy. He's a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Visit Dale at www.daletphillips.com.
Be An “All In” Writer by Leslie Conner
Why You Should Get Involved with
Writing Conferences and Pitch Events
If you are anything like me, you love spending your days secluded in your room with your laptop, writing and sipping on lattes, googling how long it takes a body to decompose. My search history is quite a colorful frolic down Macabre Lane.
But being a writer isn’t all about writing. It doesn’t matter if you have an agent or you’re self-published, one of the life skills a writer has to learn is how to PITCH. I’m sure most of you are thinking, yeah, I’ve got a query letter. I know the drill. But do you, really?
One of the most life-changing lessons I’ve learned (against my will, kicking and screaming) is that it is just as important to participate in the world of networking and marketing as it is to write your novel. And for that, you must put on pants and go outside. I know, putting on pants is the hard part.
Signing up for a writing conference or a pitch event is one of the best decisions you can make as a writer because it not only takes you out of your comfort zone (the aforementioned secluded room with your laptop) but it puts you in a situation to really examine what you are writing.
You feel like you really know your book, your characters, the life-shattering importance of it all—that is, until you have to explain it to someone else. Can you pare down an 80,000-word mystery novel, with all of its intricate twists and turns, into one sentence? Many people can’t. And for this reason, you may not be experiencing the success or acquiring the readership that you dream about—even if you have the next best seller on your hands.
Writing conferences are a great opportunity to learn about and get help with all of the things you may not be proficient at already. The ones who attend these wonderful get-togethers can attest to the benefits:
Meeting other writers
Talking about your work
Attending informative panels, discussions, and Q&A sessions
Getting feedback or critiques
Pitching to agents
One of the most frustrating things I hear from very talented writers is this: That sounds great, but I’m not ready yet. And sure, if you are only 35,000 words into the rough draft of your first novel, that’s a valid argument. But most people who say this have at least five completed manuscripts saved on their desktop. They work tirelessly on them, hoping to reach a level of perfection only attained by unicorns and Ben & Jerry’s, but they never get the courage to show them to anyone else.
I will admit, as a young writer, I was plagued with imposter syndrome. I couldn’t possibly hang out with other writers and (gasp) agents without feeling like I didn’t belong or I wasn’t good enough. But I made myself go anyway, and what I discovered was that I couldn’t have been more wrong. The writers I meet at conferences are open and friendly—probably the nicest people on the planet—and the advice and feedback that I receive is invaluable.
Which brings me to my next point—pitching events.
I recently participated in Pitch Madness (affectionately known as #PitMad). This event requires writers to come up with (and post on Twitter) a 280-character pitch for their novel. Interested agents can give them a “heart,” which means they are interested in hearing more. Sounds pretty easy, right? As embarrassing as it is to say, I hadn’t done anything like this before, and it was a bit intimidating.
During this nerve-wracking event, I learned how to write an effective pitch. And this isn’t a skill you only use to land an agent. This is a skill you will use for the rest of your writing career. You will have to pitch every novel you write to agents, publishers, and readers—anyone who plays a part in getting your work out to the world.
As I was going through this process, a quote from the now-famous Brené Brown, the guru of vulnerability, came to my mind:
“Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both; it’s engaging. It’s being all in.”
If you want to be “all in” as a writer, you have to put yourself out there. Take any opportunity that you can to attend and participate in writing conferences and pitch events—even if you don’t get a tangible positive, like landing an agent or a book deal. The value of the experience and what you learn is immeasurable and will benefit you in every step of your writing career.
The tools I acquired and the advice I received from conferences and pitching events led me to a publisher. But that isn’t the only reason to go and participate in them. They say the journey is more important than the destination, and the people you meet along the way will make the trip worthwhile.
Check out a list of the upcoming mystery writer conferences for 2021:
https://inreferencetomurder.typepad.com/my_weblog/upcoming-conferences.html
Check out the list of Twitter pitch events for 2021:
https://www.emmalombardauthor.com/post/twitter-pitch-party-calendar-for-2021
Leslie Conner is a writer of murder mysteries and “all things macabre.” She has had short stories published in literary journals and anthologies, and you can find her flash fiction story “Murder 101” in The Bookends Review. Her two novels, Devil’s Charm and The Darkness Within, were published through Wordcrafts Press. Her third novel, The Fairytale Killer, will be released in 2022. Visit her at www.leslieconner.com.
Interview Techniques for Writers by Judith A. Yates
All authors will need an interview at some point in their writing. Having first-hand knowledge enhances the book by making it more believable; having another source’s input is confirmation that you are knowledgeable and conducted a real investigation. Secrets to a great interview include understanding what an interview does, preparation, appearance, and having a questioning nature.
INTERVIEWS CAN BE A CHESS MATCH
My most successful interview came from a man who repeatedly screamed, “I’m not telling you anything!” Several hours later, he answered all questions, plus new information leading to other essential interviews.
HOW TO “WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW”
For nonfiction, obtaining information from the source enhances your story. Not all information can be found online or in legal records. A nonfiction author benefits from interviewing someone in the field.
For example, creating a character who is a deep-sea fisherman enhances the character if you interview a deep-sea fisher, understand climate’s impact, and have a good knowledge of the professional fishing industry. A book about a man and a golden retriever is enjoyable if you have a working knowledge of the breed plus having another opinion and varied information on the dogs. Interviews are vital.
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE
An important key is preparing.
Write down all the questions you have.
Keep side notes on why you are asking these questions.
If you are using any equipment, test it at least twice: on a test date and before the interview itself.
Always carry paper and a few pens and take handwritten notes (don’t rely solely on electronics).
You lose credibility when you are unprepared or have no idea why you are asking specific questions.
And, sometimes, just asking for an interview will get you one on the spot!
PROTECT YOURSELF
Cover yourself legally.
I carry “release of information” forms with me if I interview in person. This interview may lead to another unexpected discussion. The paperwork is most important for nonfiction authors who are writing about an event or occurrence. Having legal permission, getting confirmation of exactly what the interview entails, and proof the subject understands issues will save you heartache—and potential legal action—in the future.
BE PROFESSIONAL
Mind your manners! Always ask permission.
Send a “thank you” afterward.
Honor “off the record” statements.
Sit up straight, keep good eye contact, and nod while listening to responses. A nod indicates you are listening, and your subject’s words are important.
Consider what you are wearing. Do you look professional? Are you relatable? Will you intimidate your subject if you wear a suit or appear unprofessional because your jeans are dirty and shabby? When conducting a phone interview, I know someone who says, “I dress professionally because it makes me feel and act professional.”
HOW TO PHRASE QUESTIONS
Do not fear asking hard questions. If I were afraid to ask anything, I would never get my true crime books written.
Avoid an apology: “I hate to ask you, but…”
Don’t make the question avoidable: “If you want to, tell me…”
Your subject is being interviewed, and they expect to be questioned. Consider how you ask the tough questions:
“Tell me about your child’s death” vs. “Give me an idea of what you were thinking and feeling when they found your child.”
“What were his last words?” vs. “Did he say anything?”
WAIT FOR RESPONSES
Pauses are your friends. Pauses encourage people to talk because most people are communicators and want to hear words, noise. Investigators use this tactic when interviewing a suspect.
“Why did you go there at night?” And let silence reign. Judge when it is best to continue.
If silence is met with silence for too long, then rephrase the question. Don’t ask a different question. The former is an encouragement to speak; the latter is permission to bypass the subject. “Why did you go there at night?” (30 seconds of silence). “I’m just trying to understand what you were doing” vs. “never mind.”
Change “Yes” or “No” questions into open-ended questions. “Do you know this man?” will limit your information. “How do you know this man?” will open dialogue and probably more lead to more questions.
Ask the information-gathering question, then request detail:
“What is the worse job?” Allow time for an answer, pause, and then details:
“Why …?
“Where and when …?”
“How ..?”
CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
End your interview with, “Is there anything else that can help?”
And, “May I call you if I need clarification on something?” You will always think of more questions after the interview.
And “is there anyone else I can talk to?”
If the author understands interview dynamics, preparation, appearance, and the nature of questioning, you can complete a successful interview. Information is always worthwhile; thus, interviews are necessary for all types of authors.
Judith A. Yates is a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award winner for “Best True Crime,” and a true crime author and criminologist. She has taught interview techniques for over fifteen years. For more information, visit www.judithayates.com.
Three Ways the Pandemic Has Changed Book Publicity (For Good) by Marissa DeCuir
The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed industries across the world, and book publishing and promotion are no exception. When the U.S. government declared a national emergency in March 2020, our literary publicity team at Books Forward began to work through the rapid, sweeping changes that would define our lives and work until this moment (and for the foreseeable future).
We’ve seen plenty of changes in the book publishing and PR industry during our more than 20 years in business, always adapting to stay ahead of the trends. This time, we—as well as countless authors, booksellers, and publishers—have had to adapt like never before. In some ways, the publishing world will never be the same—and we are working hard to stay three steps ahead of the challenges, opportunities, and innovations the pandemic has presented.
Here are three ways the pandemic has changed the book industry, most likely for good:
Virtual events are here to stay.
We’ve known for a long time that book tours aren’t always the splashy money-makers they used to be. But the pandemic has simultaneously a). put the nail in the coffin of traditional book tours and b). resurrected book tours from the dead—still benefitting our beloved indie bookstores.
With facades shuttered to the public, many bookstores underwent a crash course in rapidly transitioning to virtual programming, from experimenting with various video chat and streaming platforms to finding fresh ways to reach audiences on social media. Virtual events have undeniable perks, not least of which is the fact that authors and audiences are no longer inhibited by physical distance to the store. In fact, bookstores reported significant increases in virtual attendance vs. in-person attendance. In August 2020, Third Place Books’ events manager, Sam Kaas, told our staff that their event attendance was higher than average (70-80 online, vs. 20 in-store), although sales were lower. Over time, Kaas said attendance “settled into a more normal pattern” and sales increased, with variation from event to event.
Françoise Brodsky, Director of Community Outreach and Events at Shakespeare & Co also confirmed sales have varied, but “participation has increased, because it is not linked geographically anymore.” Doloris Vest at Book No Further confirmed that although attendance fluctuates, their event pre-sales have been comparable to sales at in-store events.
All three stores confirmed that they intend to host virtual events long term and will most likely offer “hybrid” virtual/in-person programming into the future. At the start of the pandemic, Books Forward introduced a Virtual Learning Author Program that successfully connected our authors with homebound teachers, parents, librarians and booksellers in new ways. We feel confident and excited about the opportunities that virtual events present, and we are happy to digitally connect our authors with readers around the globe.
Audiobooks and ebooks are on the rise.
It should surprise no one that the demand for audiobooks and ebooks keeps growing. During the pandemic, downloadable book sales increased across retailers. According to Good E-Reader, in the U.S. during January to September 2020, ebooks sales increased by 15.8%, (with revenues for the children’s and YA genres in particular up by 69.7%). Downloadable audiobook sales increased by 15.0% during that time, finishing 2020 with an approximate 17.6% boost for the year as a whole.
Recognizing the need for downloadable books early on, our firm launched the #BooksForwardHelpline in March 2020 to help readers and authors support indie bookstores and libraries, troubleshoot their reading or listening devices, and connect with great new book recommendations.
This year we’re thrilled to launch specialized Audiobook Production and Promotion services to help our clients connect with ever-expanding audiences of readers in new ways, and get a share of what has become a billion-dollar industry.
Paying attention to the news cycle is more important than ever.
In the second quarter of 2020, Covid-19 dominated the headlines. Getting media attention for new book releases is always challenging in this competitive environment. Getting media attention during an unprecedented worldwide pandemic? We all remember the news cycle being 24/7 coronavirus.
But our authors never cease to amaze us with the variety of perspectives and stories they have, and our publicists were able to help our authors share constructive insights with the media during such an unprecedented time. Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D., author of #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life, helped Forbes readers cope with pandemic anxiety (an article that has been viewed over 147,000 times). Professor Peter Ward explained the evolution of handwashing with Vox, based on his book The Clean Body: A Modern History. Novelist Christine Meade (The Way You Burn) shared a poignant personal story about her pregnancy fears during the pandemic with HuffPost. And gardening expert Monique Allen contributed to Good Housekeeping’s advice on isolation gardening and victory vegetables patches thanks to her book, Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping.
Now that a measure of “pandemic fatigue” has set in and the news cycle is more varied, our media outreach has become a bit more normalized. Nevertheless, we’re always working to stay on top of the rapidly changing headlines, and we would encourage all authors to do the same. You never know when you can contribute in a meaningful and authentic way to a journalist’s story.
Marissa DeCuir is the president and partner of Books Forward publicity and Books Fluent publishing. As a former journalist with stories published in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications, she’s always looking for the best hooks to utilize in author publicity and book marketing. She values fostering the relationship between writer and reader in an organic way, and believes in taking a personal and strategic can-do approach to help authors reach their goals. Under the 21-year-old JKS Communications brand, Books Forward and Books Fluent are committed to elevating voices, breaking barriers and promoting books that empower, inspire and move the world forward.
Dr. Bernard Spilsbury, and the Brides in the Bath by Bradley Harper
MYSTERIES IN HISTORY:
TRUE CRIMES AND REAL PEOPLE WHO INSPIRED GREAT STORIES
Dr. Spilsbury (1877 – 1947) was one of the earliest full-time forensic pathologists in the world. Tall, handsome, and confident bordering on arrogant, he was the one witness for the Crown that defense barristers dreaded cross-examining above all others. Early in his career, he made a name for himself by identifying the body found in Dr. Crippen’s cellar as Mrs. Crippen’s, but his fame was established for all time when he unraveled the puzzle of “The Brides in the Bath.”
Edwardian England had a shortage of young, single men. Infant mortality was significantly higher among male infants, and many men left for the colonies as soon as they were able to seek their fortune. Thus, the tall and flamboyant George Joseph smith (under various names) had little difficulty in finding women willing to marry him. He lacked a knack for keeping them, however, though he did manage to keep them long enough to go through their life savings and steal any jewelry they had.
At some point Mr. Smith decided he wasn’t getting as much out of the experience as he might, so beginning with a Miss Bessie Mundy, he married them, took out a generous (to him) insurance policy, then murdered them in the bathtub.
In January 1915, Detective Inspector Arthur Neil of Scotland Yard received a letter written on behalf of a landlord in Blackpool. The landlord and his wife had rented a flat for a brief time to a newly married couple in 1913 when they were called to the bathroom by the distraught husband upon “finding” his wife dead in the bath. The landlords were struck by another, similar death reported in the papers recently occurring in Highgate, London.
Inspector Neil went to the lodgings in Blackpool and was struck by how small the tub was and failed to see how an adult could have “drowned” in a bathtub three-quarters the length of the deceased. He also discovered that the widower had taken out substantial life insurance policies on his wife a day before her death.
In London, he met with the coroner who had examined the second body. He said the only finding at autopsy was a small bruise above the left elbow. The tub was once again smaller than the deceased. The coroner mentioned the husband had contacted him as he needed a final report to file his insurance claim. Neil advised the coroner to file a false report citing natural causes, and when Mr. George arrived to claim it, he was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Enter Spilsbury. He had the two bodies exhumed, but found no traces of poison, and the evidence for drowning was inconclusive. Death seemed in both cases to be almost instantaneous. Finally, he ordered the two bathtubs be taken to his laboratory where he could examine them more closely. Meanwhile, the press had gotten hold of the story, prompting a third report of a death under similar circumstances in High Street, London. Subsequent photographs of the various husbands proved they were all Mr. George J. Smith.
WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
For weeks, Spilsbury pondered the riddle of the bathtubs. Bessie Mundy was described as having her feet out of the water, her head submerged. Spilsbury reasoned Smith must have seized her by the feet and jerked them up toward himself, sliding the upper part of the body under water. The sudden flood of water into her nose and throat might cause sudden loss of consciousness, explaining the absence of injuries and minimal signs of drowning.
Inspector Neil hired experienced female divers of the same size and build as the victims. He tried to push them under water by force but could not do so without leaving signs of struggle. Neil then without warning jerked up the feet of one of the divers, and her head slid underwater before she could react. Neil was shocked to see the woman become motionless as soon as her head went underwater and it took over half an hour to revive her. When she finally came to, she said that all she remembered was the rush of water before losing consciousness, confirming Spilsbury’s theory.
It took the jury about 20 minutes to find George Joseph Smith guilty of murder. Smith was hanged shortly after in Maidstone Prison, and until then had to content himself with a prison shower.
The “Brides in the Bath” have been mentioned in various mystery stories, most notably by Agatha Christie’s A Caribbean Mystery and The Murder on the Links, and Dorothy Sayers stories Unnatural Death and Busman’s Honeymoon, as well as more modern works by other authors.
An interesting footnote to Dr. Spilsbury’s career occurred during WWII, when he was involved in selecting a body that could be used to simulate a British officer who had drowned while carrying official secrets, in order to deceive the Germans as to the actual site of the Allied landing on Sicily. The ruse was entirely successful and immortalized in the movie, The Man Who Never Was.
Bradley Harper is a retired US Army Colonel and pathologist who has performed over two-hundred autopsies and some twenty forensic death investigations. A life-long fan of Sherlock Holmes, he did intensive research for his debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, which involved a young Doctor Conan Doyle in the hunt for Jack the Ripper, including a trip to London’s East End with noted Jack the Ripper historian Richard Jones. Harper’s first novel was published in October 2018 and was a finalist for a 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel by an American Author and is a Recommended Read by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate.
Knife went on to win Killer Nashville’s 2019 Silver Falchion as Best Mystery. The audio book, narrated by former Royal Shakespearean actor Matthew Lloyd Davies, won Audiofile Magazine’s 2019 Earphone award for Best Mystery and Suspense. The book is also available in Japan via Hayakawa Publishing.
His second novel, Queen’s Gambit, involving a fictional assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Won Killer Nashville’s 2020 Silver Falchion Award twice, once for Best Suspense, and again as Book of the Year.
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