KN Magazine: Articles
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending / Phyllis Gobbell
The demands of fiction writing and true crime writing have some similarities, says author Phyllis Gobbel. But there are also differences. In this week’s guest blog, Gobbell shares her journey from writing about cold cases to fictional mysteries.
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending
By Phyllis Gobbell
I never planned to be a true crime writer, but two Nashville cold cases—one solved after ten years, the other after thirty-three years—drew me to the genre.
I was fortunate to co-write with Mike Glasgow on "An Unfinished Canvas"and Doug Jones on "A Season of Darkness". Both writers were attorneys skilled in wading through the investigative processes and legal proceedings. My interest lay in the personal stories. I don’t recall any disagreements about who would write what. We passed drafts back and forth, checked and re-checked each other, and commiserated when we had to cut, which we did—a lot.
All in all, the collaborative experience was great, and telling the tragic stories of the murders of Janet March and Marcia Trimble, and how their killers were brought to justice, was gratifying in a way that no other writing has been for me.
But now I’ve turned from true crime to fictional crime—and not just mysteries, but traditional mysteries—cozies, if you will! In "Pursuit in Provence", an American woman travels abroad, and murder and mayhem happen all around her. The next book is set in Ireland. It’s a leap from true crime, but the genres have more in common than one might think. And both have their upsides and downsides.
Fiction demands its own kind of research, but my amateur sleuth doesn’t have to know much about weapons or forensics. I admit I was ready for a break from the meticulous research that goes into a true crime book. Describing the street scene from a sidewalk café on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence beats squinting at microfiche articles from the old “Nashville Banner”any day. Taking photos from the magnificent Cliffs of Moher so I’ll get it right when I use the site in a big scene is a lot more fun than taking notes in the courtroom as witnesses give their testimonies.
But there is that “truth is stranger than fiction” element. Sure, I like to think that my mysteries have some exciting twists and turns, but I didn’t have to imagine the series of events that Perry March initiated from his cell in the Metro-Davidson County Jail. The plot was just there. The irony was just there. Perry conspiring with a street kid to murder Janet March’s parents, promising a safe haven with his father, Arthur, in Mexico. The kid conspiring with police, who deport Arthur and offer him a deal. Guess who winds up testifying against his own son in the Janet March murder trial? I couldn’t have made that up.
The characters are just there in a true crime. The writer’s challenge is to faithfully portray the real people. Virginia Trimble is one of those memorable people, and I won’t forget how it felt to write about the evening she realized Marcia was missing, the Easter Sunday that police found Marcia’s body, and the moment during the murder trial that she identified the blue-checked blouse Marcia was wearing when she left their house for the last time.
With true crime, the writer is obligated to tell what really happened, not what should have happened, or what actually might seem more plausible than the real thing. Writing fiction, I get to create my own characters, develop their flaws and eccentricities, put them in messy situations and see what happens. I can change what happens if I choose. Fiction, well written, embodies its own truths, but that’s another blog.
I like suspense, danger, and surprise, but my mysteries are never too sad. Readers have asked me, “Was writing true crime just too sad?” Yes, the stories were heartbreaking. But I had followed these Nashville cases through the years, and after the murder trials and convictions, there was something satisfying about putting the stories to paper.
Closure, I suppose, is the word. I haven’t turned from true crime to traditional mysteries because writing about real-life murders is sad. I told the stories I wanted to tell. Now I’m writing the kind of stories I’ve always loved to read. The kind I curl up with at bedtime, knowing I won’t have bad dreams, knowing the protagonist will find her way out of whatever trouble she’s in, the kind where you don’t just get closure. You get a happy ending.
Phyllis Gobbell is author of a mystery series that will debut with "Pursuit in Provence" (A Jordan Mayfair Mystery), Spring 2015. She has co-authored two true-crime books based on high-profile murders in Nashville: "An Unfinished Canvas: A True Story of Love, Family, and Murder in Nashville"with Michael Glasgow (the Janet March case), and "A Season of Darkness"with Doug Jones (the Marcia Trimble case). Her narrative “Lost Innocence” was published in the anthology, "Masters of True Crime". She has received awards in both fiction and nonfiction, including Tennessee’s individual Artist Literary Award. An associate professor of English at Nashville State Community College, she teaches writing and literature. Visit her website at www.phyllisgobbell.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending / Phyllis Gobbell
The demands of fiction writing and true crime writing have some similarities, says author Phyllis Gobbel. But there are also differences. In this week’s guest blog, Gobbell shares her journey from writing about cold cases to fictional mysteries.
Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending
By Phyllis Gobbell
I never planned to be a true crime writer, but two Nashville cold cases—one solved after ten years, the other after thirty-three years—drew me to the genre.
I was fortunate to co-write with Mike Glasgow on "An Unfinished Canvas" and Doug Jones on "A Season of Darkness"
All in all, the collaborative experience was great, and telling the tragic stories of the murders of Janet March and Marcia Trimble, and how their killers were brought to justice, was gratifying in a way that no other writing has been for me.
But now I’ve turned from true crime to fictional crime—and not just mysteries, but traditional mysteries—cozies, if you will! In "Pursuit in Provence", an American woman travels abroad, and murder and mayhem happen all around her. The next book is set in Ireland. It’s a leap from true crime, but the genres have more in common than one might think. And both have their upsides and downsides.
Fiction demands its own kind of research, but my amateur sleuth doesn’t have to know much about weapons or forensics. I admit I was ready for a break from the meticulous research that goes into a true crime book. Describing the street scene from a sidewalk café on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence beats squinting at microfiche articles from the old “Nashville Banner” any day. Taking photos from the magnificent Cliffs of Moher so I’ll get it right when I use the site in a big scene is a lot more fun than taking notes in the courtroom as witnesses give their testimonies.
But there is that “truth is stranger than fiction” element. Sure, I like to think that my mysteries have some exciting twists and turns, but I didn’t have to imagine the series of events that Perry March initiated from his cell in the Metro-Davidson County Jail. The plot was just there. The irony was just there. Perry conspiring with a street kid to murder Janet March’s parents, promising a safe haven with his father, Arthur, in Mexico. The kid conspiring with police, who deport Arthur and offer him a deal. Guess who winds up testifying against his own son in the Janet March murder trial? I couldn’t have made that up.
The characters are just there in a true crime. The writer’s challenge is to faithfully portray the real people. Virginia Trimble is one of those memorable people, and I won’t forget how it felt to write about the evening she realized Marcia was missing, the Easter Sunday that police found Marcia’s body, and the moment during the murder trial that she identified the blue-checked blouse Marcia was wearing when she left their house for the last time.
With true crime, the writer is obligated to tell what really happened, not what should have happened, or what actually might seem more plausible than the real thing. Writing fiction, I get to create my own characters, develop their flaws and eccentricities, put them in messy situations and see what happens. I can change what happens if I choose. Fiction, well written, embodies its own truths, but that’s another blog.
I like suspense, danger, and surprise, but my mysteries are never too sad. Readers have asked me, “Was writing true crime just too sad?” Yes, the stories were heartbreaking. But I had followed these Nashville cases through the years, and after the murder trials and convictions, there was something satisfying about putting the stories to paper.
Closure, I suppose, is the word. I haven’t turned from true crime to traditional mysteries because writing about real-life murders is sad. I told the stories I wanted to tell. Now I’m writing the kind of stories I’ve always loved to read. The kind I curl up with at bedtime, knowing I won’t have bad dreams, knowing the protagonist will find her way out of whatever trouble she’s in, the kind where you don’t just get closure. You get a happy ending.
Phyllis Gobbell is author of a mystery series that will debut with "Pursuit in Provence" (A Jordan Mayfair Mystery)
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending / Phyllis Gobbell
The demands of fiction writing and true crime writing have some similarities, says author Phyllis Gobbel. But there are also differences. In this week’s guest blog, Gobbell shares her journey from writing about cold cases to fictional mysteries.
Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
True Crime to Cozies – A Happier Ending
By Phyllis Gobbell
I never planned to be a true crime writer, but two Nashville cold cases—one solved after ten years, the other after thirty-three years—drew me to the genre.
I was fortunate to co-write with Mike Glasgow on "An Unfinished Canvas" and Doug Jones on "A Season of Darkness"
All in all, the collaborative experience was great, and telling the tragic stories of the murders of Janet March and Marcia Trimble, and how their killers were brought to justice, was gratifying in a way that no other writing has been for me.
But now I’ve turned from true crime to fictional crime—and not just mysteries, but traditional mysteries—cozies, if you will! In "Pursuit in Provence", an American woman travels abroad, and murder and mayhem happen all around her. The next book is set in Ireland. It’s a leap from true crime, but the genres have more in common than one might think. And both have their upsides and downsides.
Fiction demands its own kind of research, but my amateur sleuth doesn’t have to know much about weapons or forensics. I admit I was ready for a break from the meticulous research that goes into a true crime book. Describing the street scene from a sidewalk café on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence beats squinting at microfiche articles from the old “Nashville Banner” any day. Taking photos from the magnificent Cliffs of Moher so I’ll get it right when I use the site in a big scene is a lot more fun than taking notes in the courtroom as witnesses give their testimonies.
But there is that “truth is stranger than fiction” element. Sure, I like to think that my mysteries have some exciting twists and turns, but I didn’t have to imagine the series of events that Perry March initiated from his cell in the Metro-Davidson County Jail. The plot was just there. The irony was just there. Perry conspiring with a street kid to murder Janet March’s parents, promising a safe haven with his father, Arthur, in Mexico. The kid conspiring with police, who deport Arthur and offer him a deal. Guess who winds up testifying against his own son in the Janet March murder trial? I couldn’t have made that up.
The characters are just there in a true crime. The writer’s challenge is to faithfully portray the real people. Virginia Trimble is one of those memorable people, and I won’t forget how it felt to write about the evening she realized Marcia was missing, the Easter Sunday that police found Marcia’s body, and the moment during the murder trial that she identified the blue-checked blouse Marcia was wearing when she left their house for the last time.
With true crime, the writer is obligated to tell what really happened, not what should have happened, or what actually might seem more plausible than the real thing. Writing fiction, I get to create my own characters, develop their flaws and eccentricities, put them in messy situations and see what happens. I can change what happens if I choose. Fiction, well written, embodies its own truths, but that’s another blog.
I like suspense, danger, and surprise, but my mysteries are never too sad. Readers have asked me, “Was writing true crime just too sad?” Yes, the stories were heartbreaking. But I had followed these Nashville cases through the years, and after the murder trials and convictions, there was something satisfying about putting the stories to paper.
Closure, I suppose, is the word. I haven’t turned from true crime to traditional mysteries because writing about real-life murders is sad. I told the stories I wanted to tell. Now I’m writing the kind of stories I’ve always loved to read. The kind I curl up with at bedtime, knowing I won’t have bad dreams, knowing the protagonist will find her way out of whatever trouble she’s in, the kind where you don’t just get closure. You get a happy ending.
Phyllis Gobbell is author of a mystery series that will debut with "Pursuit in Provence" (A Jordan Mayfair Mystery)
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.
And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase", the first book in the Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series, was published in 2014. After writing more than 600 articles about almost every imaginable subject including opera, Daniel Boone, and her specialty of jewelry, Shannon switched her focus to marketing her book and writing the next book in the series. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she now calls Nashville home. Visit her website at cousinsmystery.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
View on Amazon.com
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
View on Amazon.com
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil? / Steven James
Humanity has contended with evil since the beginning of time. Violence serves as its proof. Look at the Bible, it is filled with heinous acts from Cain’s killing of Abel to the crucifixion of Jesus, and still we are fascinated and even drawn to these manifestations. In this week’s guest blog, author Steven James explores whether we as writers desensitize readers to evil, or are we in fact sensitizing them? It’s an incredible perspective and one I haven’t thought about before. You decide.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil?
By Steven James
Some people have asked if my novels, which most certainly contain violence, aren’t exacerbating the problem of evil in the world. In other words, am I desensitizing people even more to violence and perhaps even inciting it as people imitate what I write about?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the years as I’ve written my last ten suspense, crime and mystery novels.
First of all, I should say that I agree that our world is desensitized to violence. I believe this happens when evil is muted and sanitized (TV shows where people get shot, fall over, there’s no blood, no grief, no mourning), glamorized, or ignored.
So first, muting evil. Some books and television shows do this by diminishing the value of human life. A person will be killed and no one grieves. Cut to commercial. Come back and solve the crime. This isn’t real life. Death hurts because we are people of dignity and worth. Death matters because life matters.
But it isn’t just fiction that mutes or sanitizes evil. It also frequently happens in the media. Think of a news program: “A suicide bomber killed 62 in Iraq,” the television announcer rattles off as objectively as possible, and then moves on to the sports scores for the day.
When we hear that, do we weep? Do we mourn? No, because the horror of what’s happened is sanitized. Only when we see the screaming three-year-old children with shrapnel in their faces, the desperate widows, and the bodies in the street do we feel, do we recognize the impact of the violent, evil act.
Besides muting evil, some films, books and video games glamorize it. Think of a slasher movie: the most interesting person is the guy wielding the axe, slaughtering the teenagers on the campout. This desensitizes people to violence. And since we tend to emulate those we admire, I believe movies or books that glamorize or celebrate violence draw people toward it.
When I was writing my first thriller, The Pawn, I had a subplot that dealt with the Jonestown massacre in 1978 when Jim Jones and more than nine hundred of his followers killed themselves and each other.
While doing research I was able to talk with one of the three people still alive who had walked out of the compound that day and survived. He told me what it was like to have Jim Jones turn to him and say, “Would you do your son first?”
The man I was interviewing had a two-year-old boy there that day. That boy and his mother were both killed in the massacre.
And here’s what struck me: those men and women were no different from you or me—mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who wanted to create a better life for themselves who came to the point of believing that the most loving thing they could do was to squirt cyanide down the throats of their babies.
Even today as I think about that conversation, a chill runs down my spine.
So the driving question for me as I wrote the book became, “What makes me different from those who do the unthinkable?” It’s not an easy question, and there isn’t a wide margin that separates our hearts from theirs.
In my books I want people to look with both eyes open at what our world is like, both the good and the evil. The violence in my books isn’t senseless; people’s lives are treated as precious. I want my readers to hurt when an innocent life is taken. The only way to do that is to let them see it on the page and then reflect on its meaning.
I think that an effective way of dissuading someone from doing something is to make them see it as deeply disturbing. And the only way to make people disturbed by evil is to show it to them for what it really is.
That’s what well-written fiction can do.
We become more sensitized to violence when it’s portrayed with honesty.
And one of the best places to do that is in crime fiction.
Steven James is the bestselling author of nine novels that have received wide critical acclaim from Publishers Weekly, New York Journal of Books, RT Book Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal and many others. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award for best original paperback. His psychological thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine’s book of the year. He is also a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest and has taught writing and storytelling principles around the world. Publishers Weekly calls James “[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” Visit his website at stevenjames.net
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil? / Steven James
Humanity has contended with evil since the beginning of time. Violence serves as its proof. Look at the Bible, it is filled with heinous acts from Cain’s killing of Abel to the crucifixion of Jesus, and still we are fascinated and even drawn to these manifestations. In this week’s guest blog, author Steven James explores whether we as writers desensitize readers to evil, or are we in fact sensitizing them? It’s an incredible perspective and one I haven’t thought about before. You decide.Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil?By Steven JamesSome people have asked if my novels, which most certainly contain violence, aren’t exacerbating the problem of evil in the world. In other words, am I desensitizing people even more to violence and perhaps even inciting it as people imitate what I write about?I’ve thought about this a lot over the years as I’ve written my last ten suspense, crime and mystery novels.First of all, I should say that I agree that our world is desensitized to violence. I believe this happens when evil is muted and sanitized (TV shows where people get shot, fall over, there’s no blood, no grief, no mourning), glamorized, or ignored.So first, muting evil. Some books and television shows do this by diminishing the value of human life. A person will be killed and no one grieves. Cut to commercial. Come back and solve the crime. This isn’t real life. Death hurts because we are people of dignity and worth. Death matters because life matters.But it isn’t just fiction that mutes or sanitizes evil. It also frequently happens in the media. Think of a news program: “A suicide bomber killed 62 in Iraq,” the television announcer rattles off as objectively as possible, and then moves on to the sports scores for the day.When we hear that, do we weep? Do we mourn? No, because the horror of what’s happened is sanitized. Only when we see the screaming three-year-old children with shrapnel in their faces, the desperate widows, and the bodies in the street do we feel, do we recognize the impact of the violent, evil act.Besides muting evil, some films, books and video games glamorize it. Think of a slasher movie: the most interesting person is the guy wielding the axe, slaughtering the teenagers on the campout. This desensitizes people to violence. And since we tend to emulate those we admire, I believe movies or books that glamorize or celebrate violence draw people toward it.When I was writing my first thriller, The Pawn, I had a subplot that dealt with the Jonestown massacre in 1978 when Jim Jones and more than nine hundred of his followers killed themselves and each other.While doing research I was able to talk with one of the three people still alive who had walked out of the compound that day and survived. He told me what it was like to have Jim Jones turn to him and say, “Would you do your son first?”The man I was interviewing had a two-year-old boy there that day. That boy and his mother were both killed in the massacre.And here’s what struck me: those men and women were no different from you or me—mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who wanted to create a better life for themselves who came to the point of believing that the most loving thing they could do was to squirt cyanide down the throats of their babies.
Even today as I think about that conversation, a chill runs down my spine.So the driving question for me as I wrote the book became, “What makes me different from those who do the unthinkable?” It’s not an easy question, and there isn’t a wide margin that separates our hearts from theirs.In my books I want people to look with both eyes open at what our world is like, both the good and the evil. The violence in my books isn’t senseless; people’s lives are treated as precious. I want my readers to hurt when an innocent life is taken. The only way to do that is to let them see it on the page and then reflect on its meaning.I think that an effective way of dissuading someone from doing something is to make them see it as deeply disturbing. And the only way to make people disturbed by evil is to show it to them for what it really is.That’s what well-written fiction can do.We become more sensitized to violence when it’s portrayed with honesty.And one of the best places to do that is in crime fiction.
Steven James is the bestselling author of nine novels that have received wide critical acclaim from Publishers Weekly, New York Journal of Books, RT Book Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal and many others. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award for best original paperback. His psychological thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine’s book of the year. He is also a contributing editor for Writer's Digest and has taught writing and storytelling principles around the world. Publishers Weekly calls James “[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” Visit his website at stevenjames.net
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil? / Steven James
Humanity has contended with evil since the beginning of time. Violence serves as its proof. Look at the Bible, it is filled with heinous acts from Cain’s killing of Abel to the crucifixion of Jesus, and still we are fascinated and even drawn to these manifestations. In this week’s guest blog, author Steven James explores whether we as writers desensitize readers to evil, or are we in fact sensitizing them? It’s an incredible perspective and one I haven’t thought about before. You decide.Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Are We Desensitizing People to Evil?By Steven JamesSome people have asked if my novels, which most certainly contain violence, aren’t exacerbating the problem of evil in the world. In other words, am I desensitizing people even more to violence and perhaps even inciting it as people imitate what I write about?I’ve thought about this a lot over the years as I’ve written my last ten suspense, crime and mystery novels.First of all, I should say that I agree that our world is desensitized to violence. I believe this happens when evil is muted and sanitized (TV shows where people get shot, fall over, there’s no blood, no grief, no mourning), glamorized, or ignored.So first, muting evil. Some books and television shows do this by diminishing the value of human life. A person will be killed and no one grieves. Cut to commercial. Come back and solve the crime. This isn’t real life. Death hurts because we are people of dignity and worth. Death matters because life matters.But it isn’t just fiction that mutes or sanitizes evil. It also frequently happens in the media. Think of a news program: “A suicide bomber killed 62 in Iraq,” the television announcer rattles off as objectively as possible, and then moves on to the sports scores for the day.When we hear that, do we weep? Do we mourn? No, because the horror of what’s happened is sanitized. Only when we see the screaming three-year-old children with shrapnel in their faces, the desperate widows, and the bodies in the street do we feel, do we recognize the impact of the violent, evil act.Besides muting evil, some films, books and video games glamorize it. Think of a slasher movie: the most interesting person is the guy wielding the axe, slaughtering the teenagers on the campout. This desensitizes people to violence. And since we tend to emulate those we admire, I believe movies or books that glamorize or celebrate violence draw people toward it.When I was writing my first thriller, The Pawn, I had a subplot that dealt with the Jonestown massacre in 1978 when Jim Jones and more than nine hundred of his followers killed themselves and each other.While doing research I was able to talk with one of the three people still alive who had walked out of the compound that day and survived. He told me what it was like to have Jim Jones turn to him and say, “Would you do your son first?”The man I was interviewing had a two-year-old boy there that day. That boy and his mother were both killed in the massacre.And here’s what struck me: those men and women were no different from you or me—mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who wanted to create a better life for themselves who came to the point of believing that the most loving thing they could do was to squirt cyanide down the throats of their babies.
Even today as I think about that conversation, a chill runs down my spine.So the driving question for me as I wrote the book became, “What makes me different from those who do the unthinkable?” It’s not an easy question, and there isn’t a wide margin that separates our hearts from theirs.In my books I want people to look with both eyes open at what our world is like, both the good and the evil. The violence in my books isn’t senseless; people’s lives are treated as precious. I want my readers to hurt when an innocent life is taken. The only way to do that is to let them see it on the page and then reflect on its meaning.I think that an effective way of dissuading someone from doing something is to make them see it as deeply disturbing. And the only way to make people disturbed by evil is to show it to them for what it really is.That’s what well-written fiction can do.We become more sensitized to violence when it’s portrayed with honesty.And one of the best places to do that is in crime fiction.
Steven James is the bestselling author of nine novels that have received wide critical acclaim from Publishers Weekly, New York Journal of Books, RT Book Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal and many others. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award for best original paperback. His psychological thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine’s book of the year. He is also a contributing editor for Writer's Digest and has taught writing and storytelling principles around the world. Publishers Weekly calls James “[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” Visit his website at stevenjames.net
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
I've Got A Secret / Sandy Ward Bell
A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre, says author Sandy Ward Bell. In this week’s Killer Nashville blog, Sandy explains that creating obstacles for your characters is one thing, but developing underlying secret subplots can make a novel a page-turner.
Cheerio!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
I’ve Got a Secret
By Sandy Ward Bell
Whether you write romance or young adult or literary fiction, adding a bit of mystery to your story will improve your work. A mystery helps to move a story forward. Creating obstacles is one thing, but developing an underlying secret as a subplot can make your book a page-turner.
A budding romance is fun, but what if the protagonist’s best friend receives a ransom note for someone they don’t know? Now the love story will include an adventure. It comes down to questions without answers and our job as writers is to make those questions so fascinating the reader will fly through to the end to get the answers. Sometimes “will she get her man” is not enough.
When I took on the challenge of writing a modern version of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, I wanted to stay true to her vision and respectful to her characters, knowing the best way to do that was to not deviate from her main themes. With that figured out, the next objective was to make my story as humorous and compelling as Austen’s. While I couldn’t use the delicate beauty of old English and the culture of ancient British estates, I could create a few extra characters with secrets that influenced the protagonist.
In Mansfield Park, Fanny Price doesn’t spend a lot of time with her father. So in Parked at the Mansfields’, I made the father of my main character, Franny Price (note the renaming), disappear without a clue. By giving my protagonist new challenges, it was easier to modernize the story as well as expand on character development. To surprise Austen fans (who know her stories by heart), I added a mystery: there is a key attached to a family secret and Aunt Wilma is going mad trying to find it, while Franny searches for her father. That was my way of twisting the story enough to make it an entertaining ride and strengthen the plot.
If you are having difficulty finding that perfect twist for your book, look first to your characters. Let’s imagine you already wrote an important scene with your protagonist and a co-worker eating at a restaurant while discussing their problems. But, did you, as the writer, notice a guy at the next table recording their conversation with his phone? Now you can imagine it, and add to the story that your co-worker is a tech-geek, and the intruder is his nemesis. Simply exaggerate a characteristic or profession and let your creative mind do the rest.
Go to your settings, if you are still stumped. Your main character is at a lake, surrounded by tall trees, contemplating if he should give his girl the engagement ring. But wait, there is a creepy sound coming from within the dark forest. He stands to investigate and a splash in the water causes him to jump. The unknown creature living in the lake will help him make his decision.
Another way to find a hidden mystery in your story is to ask why. Why does the protagonist drive a red car? Is it because that is the same kind of car his dead mother drove? Why does your main character like antiques? Is it because she’s looking for her childhood bookshelf that has a concealed compartment? Why does the Uncle always kiss the mailbox after retrieving his magazine subscriptions? Is it a sort of Morse code he uses to communicate with his neighbor? Never underestimate the power of “why.”
A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre. And you’ll have fun as a writer, too, tweaking your characters and storyline to offer readers a tale both enjoyable and unexpected.
Sandy Ward Bell grew up in upstate New York and had a successful career as a radio announcer and promotion director. After becoming a wife and mother, the art of storytelling became her new passion with the motto, “You can never be in too many book clubs.” Writing fiction became a natural next step. Her first novel, In Zoey’s Head, reflects her experience with the media and pop culture. Her second book, Parked at the Mansfields’, highlights her appreciation for Jane Austen’s timeless story. Throughout the years, she’s called Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania home. Currently she lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area with her husband and a Westie. Visit sandywardbell.com for more updates on current and new work in progress.
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
I've Got A Secret / Sandy Ward Bell
A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre, says author Sandy Ward Bell. In this week’s Killer Nashville blog, Sandy explains that creating obstacles for your characters is one thing, but developing underlying secret subplots can make a novel a page-turner.Cheerio!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
I’ve Got a SecretBy Sandy Ward BellWhether you write romance or young adult or literary fiction, adding a bit of mystery to your story will improve your work. A mystery helps to move a story forward. Creating obstacles is one thing, but developing an underlying secret as a subplot can make your book a page-turner.A budding romance is fun, but what if the protagonist’s best friend receives a ransom note for someone they don’t know? Now the love story will include an adventure. It comes down to questions without answers and our job as writers is to make those questions so fascinating the reader will fly through to the end to get the answers. Sometimes “will she get her man” is not enough.When I took on the challenge of writing a modern version of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, I wanted to stay true to her vision and respectful to her characters, knowing the best way to do that was to not deviate from her main themes. With that figured out, the next objective was to make my story as humorous and compelling as Austen’s. While I couldn’t use the delicate beauty of old English and the culture of ancient British estates, I could create a few extra characters with secrets that influenced the protagonist.In Mansfield Park, Fanny Price doesn’t spend a lot of time with her father. So in Parked at the Mansfields’, I made the father of my main character, Franny Price (note the renaming), disappear without a clue. By giving my protagonist new challenges, it was easier to modernize the story as well as expand on character development. To surprise Austen fans (who know her stories by heart), I added a mystery: there is a key attached to a family secret and Aunt Wilma is going mad trying to find it, while Franny searches for her father. That was my way of twisting the story enough to make it an entertaining ride and strengthen the plot.
If you are having difficulty finding that perfect twist for your book, look first to your characters. Let’s imagine you already wrote an important scene with your protagonist and a co-worker eating at a restaurant while discussing their problems. But, did you, as the writer, notice a guy at the next table recording their conversation with his phone? Now you can imagine it, and add to the story that your co-worker is a tech-geek, and the intruder is his nemesis. Simply exaggerate a characteristic or profession and let your creative mind do the rest.Go to your settings, if you are still stumped. Your main character is at a lake, surrounded by tall trees, contemplating if he should give his girl the engagement ring. But wait, there is a creepy sound coming from within the dark forest. He stands to investigate and a splash in the water causes him to jump. The unknown creature living in the lake will help him make his decision.Another way to find a hidden mystery in your story is to ask why. Why does the protagonist drive a red car? Is it because that is the same kind of car his dead mother drove? Why does your main character like antiques? Is it because she’s looking for her childhood bookshelf that has a concealed compartment? Why does the Uncle always kiss the mailbox after retrieving his magazine subscriptions? Is it a sort of Morse code he uses to communicate with his neighbor? Never underestimate the power of “why.”A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre. And you’ll have fun as a writer, too, tweaking your characters and storyline to offer readers a tale both enjoyable and unexpected.
Sandy Ward Bell grew up in upstate New York and had a successful career as a radio announcer and promotion director. After becoming a wife and mother, the art of storytelling became her new passion with the motto, “You can never be in too many book clubs.” Writing fiction became a natural next step. Her first novel, In Zoey's Head, reflects her experience with the media and pop culture. Her second book, Parked at the Mansfields’, highlights her appreciation for Jane Austen’s timeless story. Throughout the years, she’s called Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania home. Currently she lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area with her husband and a Westie. Visit sandywardbell.com for more updates on current and new work in progress.
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
I've Got A Secret / Sandy Ward Bell
A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre, says author Sandy Ward Bell. In this week’s Killer Nashville blog, Sandy explains that creating obstacles for your characters is one thing, but developing underlying secret subplots can make a novel a page-turner.Cheerio!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
I’ve Got a SecretBy Sandy Ward BellWhether you write romance or young adult or literary fiction, adding a bit of mystery to your story will improve your work. A mystery helps to move a story forward. Creating obstacles is one thing, but developing an underlying secret as a subplot can make your book a page-turner.A budding romance is fun, but what if the protagonist’s best friend receives a ransom note for someone they don’t know? Now the love story will include an adventure. It comes down to questions without answers and our job as writers is to make those questions so fascinating the reader will fly through to the end to get the answers. Sometimes “will she get her man” is not enough.When I took on the challenge of writing a modern version of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, I wanted to stay true to her vision and respectful to her characters, knowing the best way to do that was to not deviate from her main themes. With that figured out, the next objective was to make my story as humorous and compelling as Austen’s. While I couldn’t use the delicate beauty of old English and the culture of ancient British estates, I could create a few extra characters with secrets that influenced the protagonist.In Mansfield Park, Fanny Price doesn’t spend a lot of time with her father. So in Parked at the Mansfields’, I made the father of my main character, Franny Price (note the renaming), disappear without a clue. By giving my protagonist new challenges, it was easier to modernize the story as well as expand on character development. To surprise Austen fans (who know her stories by heart), I added a mystery: there is a key attached to a family secret and Aunt Wilma is going mad trying to find it, while Franny searches for her father. That was my way of twisting the story enough to make it an entertaining ride and strengthen the plot.
If you are having difficulty finding that perfect twist for your book, look first to your characters. Let’s imagine you already wrote an important scene with your protagonist and a co-worker eating at a restaurant while discussing their problems. But, did you, as the writer, notice a guy at the next table recording their conversation with his phone? Now you can imagine it, and add to the story that your co-worker is a tech-geek, and the intruder is his nemesis. Simply exaggerate a characteristic or profession and let your creative mind do the rest.Go to your settings, if you are still stumped. Your main character is at a lake, surrounded by tall trees, contemplating if he should give his girl the engagement ring. But wait, there is a creepy sound coming from within the dark forest. He stands to investigate and a splash in the water causes him to jump. The unknown creature living in the lake will help him make his decision.Another way to find a hidden mystery in your story is to ask why. Why does the protagonist drive a red car? Is it because that is the same kind of car his dead mother drove? Why does your main character like antiques? Is it because she’s looking for her childhood bookshelf that has a concealed compartment? Why does the Uncle always kiss the mailbox after retrieving his magazine subscriptions? Is it a sort of Morse code he uses to communicate with his neighbor? Never underestimate the power of “why.”A mysterious subplot is always intriguing, regardless of the genre. And you’ll have fun as a writer, too, tweaking your characters and storyline to offer readers a tale both enjoyable and unexpected.
Sandy Ward Bell grew up in upstate New York and had a successful career as a radio announcer and promotion director. After becoming a wife and mother, the art of storytelling became her new passion with the motto, “You can never be in too many book clubs.” Writing fiction became a natural next step. Her first novel, In Zoey's Head, reflects her experience with the media and pop culture. Her second book, Parked at the Mansfields’, highlights her appreciation for Jane Austen’s timeless story. Throughout the years, she’s called Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania home. Currently she lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area with her husband and a Westie. Visit sandywardbell.com for more updates on current and new work in progress.
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look West / Vonn McKee
Vonn McKee knows the kind of writers we are. She also knows ways we could be different. In this article, Vonn talks a little about her own journey and the two things she found most helpful in becoming a writer. And then she challenges us to maybe think outside the box to find something new for ourselves. She is also reigniting my desire to pull out those old Zane Greys I haven’t visited in a while.
Enjoy this article. Let us know if it makes you long westwardly. Better yet, let us know when you’ve climbed up on the horse.
Happy Reading!
And until next time, read like someone is burning the books.
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look West
By Vonn McKee
When I decided to become a writer, I did the thing that many prospective authors do. I googled “How to Become a Writer.” I was stunned at the avalanche of Internet article lists: “27 Tips for Becoming a Writer,” “365 Days to Becoming a Writer,” “The ONLY Thing You Need to Know to Become a Writer.” A quick visit to Amazon revealed enough “How to Become a Writer” books to fill a suburban library.
And here’s the surprise: most of them were written by authors I had never heard of. These guys were apparently selling more books to writers about being writers than they were to the actual reading public. What a brilliant scheme!
I confess that I did read some of these how-to’s. Often, the advice was conflicting from one book to the next. Some tips were downright bizarre: “Take a huge bowel movement every day. If your body doesn’t flow, then your brain won’t flow. Eat more fruit if you have to.”
Obviously, I couldn’t follow all of this advice or I would never get anything written. (For one thing, it’s really hard to balance a laptop when you’re on the privy.) There were, however, a couple of closely related truths that hit home. I’ll share them with you, along with the disclaimer that this really is NOT a “how to become a writer” blog.
Find your voice. This is harder than it sounds. It involves a lifetime of reading, and then discovering which styles of description, dialogue and characters touch off your inner tuning fork. It also involves a lot of writing — experimenting, failing, erasing, starting over, honing. Having a nice wall to stare at helps.
Find your market. Write books like ones you’ve read and could never forget. It’s the stuff of your algebra class daydreams, who are your “people”, and how many pairs of running shoes (or cowboy boots) do you own. It’s who you are. Maybe, it’s who you wish you could be. There are others out there like you — and you know how to talk to them.
Because of my particular path, I chose the Western genre. I’ve released some short stories and have a novel in the works. Apparently, I’m trendy; The New Yorker published Stephen King’s Western short story, A Death, just this week. Fans of his will recall his Western/horror/fantasy Dark Tower series, which King described as his “magnum opus.”
I’m not a big shoot-em-up, burn-em-out kind of writer. I favor the historical fiction angle and typically write about everyday characters rather than gun slinging superheroes. I’m not above throwing in some anomalies. For instance, a Spanish opera singer stuck in a Western town accidentally shoots the sheriff (but not the deputy) in The Songbird of Seville.
I wrote a mystery short story called Noah Rains with the classic “there’s something out there” theme. I’ll go ahead and tell you it isn’t a bloodthirsty alien. Horror is relative: a story about werewolves that simply gives you a start will scare my drawers off. And you may blanch at the sight of clowns after reading It, while I think they’re just weird old guys wearing too much makeup.
Here’s the point I’m trying to make: if mystery/crime/horror is your market, consider jumping genres to explore new audiences. In the Western vein, Craig Johnson’s Longmire crime novels (and the subsequent television series) feature a flawed sheriff who is battling depression, drug lords and other everyday villains, not to mention running for reelection. Psychological thriller fans need look no further than Cormac McMarthy’s Blood Meridian. (Has there ever been a better moniker than the kid’s earless traveling buddy, Louis Toadvine?)
So take your ghosts to, you know, ghost towns. Mark a crime scene in Arizona sand rather than on an urban sidewalk. Let your hellish demons possess a steam locomotive or a miner’s pack mule. The Old West was a magical, mysterious place –– and might be the perfect setting for your next story.
If you would like to read more about Vonn Mckee’s books please click here.
Vonn McKee jokes that she is descended from horse traders and southern belles. She spent summers visiting her father’s family, who raised cattle and broke horses. Inspired by seeing her grandfather stretched out on a sofa reading Zane Grey novels (some of which were passed down to her), she owned a complete Zane Grey set herself by age eighteen. After years of working at everything from a riverboat waitress to country singer to construction project manager, Vonn is incorporating her experiences — and some of the interesting characters she’s met— into stories of the old West. Vonn McKee’s short stories are available on Amazon and Smashwords.com. “The Songbird of Seville” was named a WWA Spur Award finalist for Best Short Fiction. Visit her website http://www.vonnmckee.com/
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look West / Vonn McKee
Vonn McKee knows the kind of writers we are. She also knows ways we could be different. In this article, Vonn talks a little about her own journey and the two things she found most helpful in becoming a writer. And then she challenges us to maybe think outside the box to find something new for ourselves. She is also reigniting my desire to pull out those old Zane Greys I haven’t visited in a while.Enjoy this article. Let us know if it makes you long westwardly. Better yet, let us know when you’ve climbed up on the horse.Happy Reading!And until next time, read like someone is burning the books.Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look WestBy Vonn McKeeWhen I decided to become a writer, I did the thing that many prospective authors do. I googled “How to Become a Writer.” I was stunned at the avalanche of Internet article lists: “27 Tips for Becoming a Writer,” “365 Days to Becoming a Writer,” “The ONLY Thing You Need to Know to Become a Writer.” A quick visit to Amazon revealed enough “How to Become a Writer” books to fill a suburban library.And here’s the surprise: most of them were written by authors I had never heard of. These guys were apparently selling more books to writers about being writers than they were to the actual reading public. What a brilliant scheme!I confess that I did read some of these how-to’s. Often, the advice was conflicting from one book to the next. Some tips were downright bizarre: “Take a huge bowel movement every day. If your body doesn’t flow, then your brain won’t flow. Eat more fruit if you have to.”Obviously, I couldn’t follow all of this advice or I would never get anything written. (For one thing, it’s really hard to balance a laptop when you’re on the privy.) There were, however, a couple of closely related truths that hit home. I’ll share them with you, along with the disclaimer that this really is NOT a “how to become a writer” blog.Find your voice. This is harder than it sounds. It involves a lifetime of reading, and then discovering which styles of description, dialogue and characters touch off your inner tuning fork. It also involves a lot of writing — experimenting, failing, erasing, starting over, honing. Having a nice wall to stare at helps.Find your market. Write books like ones you’ve read and could never forget. It’s the stuff of your algebra class daydreams, who are your “people”, and how many pairs of running shoes (or cowboy boots) do you own. It’s who you are. Maybe, it’s who you wish you could be. There are others out there like you — and you know how to talk to them.Because of my particular path, I chose the Western genre. I’ve released some short stories and have a novel in the works. Apparently, I’m trendy; The New Yorker published Stephen King’s Western short story, A Death, just this week. Fans of his will recall his Western/horror/fantasy Dark Tower series, which King described as his “magnum opus.”
I’m not a big shoot-em-up, burn-em-out kind of writer. I favor the historical fiction angle and typically write about everyday characters rather than gun slinging superheroes. I’m not above throwing in some anomalies. For instance, a Spanish opera singer stuck in a Western town accidentally shoots the sheriff (but not the deputy) in The Songbird of Seville.I wrote a mystery short story called Noah Rains with the classic “there’s something out there” theme. I’ll go ahead and tell you it isn’t a bloodthirsty alien. Horror is relative: a story about werewolves that simply gives you a start will scare my drawers off. And you may blanch at the sight of clowns after reading It, while I think they’re just weird old guys wearing too much makeup.Here’s the point I’m trying to make: if mystery/crime/horror is your market, consider jumping genres to explore new audiences. In the Western vein, Craig Johnson’s Longmire crime novels (and the subsequent television series) feature a flawed sheriff who is battling depression, drug lords and other everyday villains, not to mention running for reelection. Psychological thriller fans need look no further than Cormac McMarthy’s Blood Meridian. (Has there ever been a better moniker than the kid’s earless traveling buddy, Louis Toadvine?)So take your ghosts to, you know, ghost towns. Mark a crime scene in Arizona sand rather than on an urban sidewalk. Let your hellish demons possess a steam locomotive or a miner’s pack mule. The Old West was a magical, mysterious place –– and might be the perfect setting for your next story.
If you would like to read more about Vonn Mckee's books please click here.Vonn McKee jokes that she is descended from horse traders and southern belles. She spent summers visiting her father's family, who raised cattle and broke horses. Inspired by seeing her grandfather stretched out on a sofa reading Zane Grey novels (some of which were passed down to her), she owned a complete Zane Grey set herself by age eighteen. After years of working at everything from a riverboat waitress to country singer to construction project manager, Vonn is incorporating her experiences — and some of the interesting characters she's met— into stories of the old West. Vonn McKee’s short stories are available on Amazon and Smashwords.com. "The Songbird of Seville" was named a WWA Spur Award finalist for Best Short Fiction. Visit her website http://www.vonnmckee.com/
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look West / Vonn McKee
Vonn McKee knows the kind of writers we are. She also knows ways we could be different. In this article, Vonn talks a little about her own journey and the two things she found most helpful in becoming a writer. And then she challenges us to maybe think outside the box to find something new for ourselves. She is also reigniting my desire to pull out those old Zane Greys I haven’t visited in a while.Enjoy this article. Let us know if it makes you long westwardly. Better yet, let us know when you’ve climbed up on the horse.Happy Reading!And until next time, read like someone is burning the books.Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Take a Writing Turn: Be Yourself, Then Maybe Look WestBy Vonn McKeeWhen I decided to become a writer, I did the thing that many prospective authors do. I googled “How to Become a Writer.” I was stunned at the avalanche of Internet article lists: “27 Tips for Becoming a Writer,” “365 Days to Becoming a Writer,” “The ONLY Thing You Need to Know to Become a Writer.” A quick visit to Amazon revealed enough “How to Become a Writer” books to fill a suburban library.And here’s the surprise: most of them were written by authors I had never heard of. These guys were apparently selling more books to writers about being writers than they were to the actual reading public. What a brilliant scheme!I confess that I did read some of these how-to’s. Often, the advice was conflicting from one book to the next. Some tips were downright bizarre: “Take a huge bowel movement every day. If your body doesn’t flow, then your brain won’t flow. Eat more fruit if you have to.”Obviously, I couldn’t follow all of this advice or I would never get anything written. (For one thing, it’s really hard to balance a laptop when you’re on the privy.) There were, however, a couple of closely related truths that hit home. I’ll share them with you, along with the disclaimer that this really is NOT a “how to become a writer” blog.Find your voice. This is harder than it sounds. It involves a lifetime of reading, and then discovering which styles of description, dialogue and characters touch off your inner tuning fork. It also involves a lot of writing — experimenting, failing, erasing, starting over, honing. Having a nice wall to stare at helps.Find your market. Write books like ones you’ve read and could never forget. It’s the stuff of your algebra class daydreams, who are your “people”, and how many pairs of running shoes (or cowboy boots) do you own. It’s who you are. Maybe, it’s who you wish you could be. There are others out there like you — and you know how to talk to them.Because of my particular path, I chose the Western genre. I’ve released some short stories and have a novel in the works. Apparently, I’m trendy; The New Yorker published Stephen King’s Western short story, A Death, just this week. Fans of his will recall his Western/horror/fantasy Dark Tower series, which King described as his “magnum opus.”
I’m not a big shoot-em-up, burn-em-out kind of writer. I favor the historical fiction angle and typically write about everyday characters rather than gun slinging superheroes. I’m not above throwing in some anomalies. For instance, a Spanish opera singer stuck in a Western town accidentally shoots the sheriff (but not the deputy) in The Songbird of Seville.I wrote a mystery short story called Noah Rains with the classic “there’s something out there” theme. I’ll go ahead and tell you it isn’t a bloodthirsty alien. Horror is relative: a story about werewolves that simply gives you a start will scare my drawers off. And you may blanch at the sight of clowns after reading It, while I think they’re just weird old guys wearing too much makeup.Here’s the point I’m trying to make: if mystery/crime/horror is your market, consider jumping genres to explore new audiences. In the Western vein, Craig Johnson’s Longmire crime novels (and the subsequent television series) feature a flawed sheriff who is battling depression, drug lords and other everyday villains, not to mention running for reelection. Psychological thriller fans need look no further than Cormac McMarthy’s Blood Meridian. (Has there ever been a better moniker than the kid’s earless traveling buddy, Louis Toadvine?)So take your ghosts to, you know, ghost towns. Mark a crime scene in Arizona sand rather than on an urban sidewalk. Let your hellish demons possess a steam locomotive or a miner’s pack mule. The Old West was a magical, mysterious place –– and might be the perfect setting for your next story.
If you would like to read more about Vonn Mckee's books please click here.Vonn McKee jokes that she is descended from horse traders and southern belles. She spent summers visiting her father's family, who raised cattle and broke horses. Inspired by seeing her grandfather stretched out on a sofa reading Zane Grey novels (some of which were passed down to her), she owned a complete Zane Grey set herself by age eighteen. After years of working at everything from a riverboat waitress to country singer to construction project manager, Vonn is incorporating her experiences — and some of the interesting characters she's met— into stories of the old West. Vonn McKee’s short stories are available on Amazon and Smashwords.com. "The Songbird of Seville" was named a WWA Spur Award finalist for Best Short Fiction. Visit her website http://www.vonnmckee.com/
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
My Favorite Points of View / Author Bill Hopkins
In the animated movie by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson, The Point!, the main character Oblio encounters a “pointed man” in the Pointless Forest. The “pointed man” has a few heads with pointy chins, and there are arrows jutting out of his hat and suit. He tells the oval-headed Oblio that “a point in every direction is the same as no point at all.” This is what comes to mind as guest blogger and author Bill Hopkins takes on the topic of points of view. Nailing down a point of view, or views, in your work is elemental to the writing process. And being strategic with your point of view will give your work pointed direction.
Happy reading!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
My Favorite Points of View
By Bill Hopkins
What is a point of view? One definition I like from Literary Devices is this: “Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature, point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers ‘hear’ and ‘see’ what takes place in a story, poem, essay etc.”
There are several different ways to use point of view. Here are my two favorites.
FIRST PERSON
This is a story that is usually narrated by the protagonist. If you use this, then your first sentence–or certainly your first paragraph–should make it clear. “Sally whirled around and slapped me in the face.” You know that someone (the narrator) has incurred Sally’s wrath and he or she is going to tell the reader about it.
Advantages: First person allows the narrator to develop a distinctive voice that no one else in the story has (or should have). The reader will learn to like or at least understand why the narrator acts the way he does. He can ramble on about relevant points inside his own head without anyone else but the reader knowing what he’s thinking. The reader also witnesses the stress placed on the narrator and how that causes him to act in a certain way. The reader learns about the world of the narrator quickly.
Disadvantages: The narrator must be in every scene or he and the reader will be subjected to a lot of retelling by other characters concerning what happened off-stage. But even that may be skillfully handled so that the narrator doesn’t appear to be just a listening post where different folks come to tell their tales. Also, other characters and not the narrator must describe him or the narrator must slip in hints at his appearance. “Sally slapped me so hard that I thought my scrawny mustache had been knocked off my face.” And, please, avoid the cliché of having the narrator look in a mirror and telling the reader what he sees. Finally, avoid as many “I’s” as you can. “I went to the store. I bought some eggs. I took the eggs to Sally.” That soon becomes boring.
THIRD PERSON CLOSE
Third Person: An unknown narrator is telling the story. Generally, the narrator is never identified. Writers and readers have an unspoken agreement that this is a “willing suspension of disbelief” that someone witnessed and is able to tell the story. There are different kinds of third person. What makes my favorite version of third person “close” (other people have different terms for it) is that the narrator is in only one character’s head at a time. “Sally slapped him.” That would be the first line of a book written in third person (close or otherwise). Further on in the story, the reader realizes that the narrator can see into only one person’s mind. “He felt the stinging blow and didn’t like the look on Sally’s face.” In fact, third person close is almost a first person viewpoint using different pronouns.
Advantages: You can describe your character in the narration. As a reader of fiction, I rarely remember what a person looks like while reading the story. As a writer, my descriptions of people tend to emphasize oddities of their appearance or perhaps one or two nods to a physical description. Another advantage that draws me to this point of view is that you can still show the direct thoughts of the person. “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time she’s done that to him!” or “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time, he thought, that she’s done that to me.”
Disadvantages: You must be especially careful not to get into anyone else’s head. You must show us what the other person is doing to determine his reaction to what is going on or, of course, have the other person say something that presents his state of mind. This sounds easy, but it’s tricky. In one story, I had written about the protagonist and two companions doing something like “trudging dispiritedly” (it wasn’t really that bad). My most heartless editor (my wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins) pointed out that I was expressing the thoughts of the other two people as well as the protagonist, which, of course, I was.
Play around with different points of view. See what fits your protagonist the best. You’d be amazed how a character changes when you change that character’s point of view!
If you would like to read more about Bill Hopkins’ books please click here.
Bill Hopkins is retired after beginning his legal career in 1971 and serving as a private attorney, prosecuting attorney, an administrative law judge, and a trial court judge, all in Missouri. His poems, short stories, and non-fiction have appeared in many different publications. He’s had several short plays produced.
Bill is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dramatists Guild, Horror Writers Association, Missouri Writers Guild, SEMO Writers Guild, Heartland Writers Guild, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. Bill is also a photographer who has sold work in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
He and his wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins (also a published mystery writer), live in Marble Hill, Missouri, with their dogs and cats. Besides writing, Bill and Sharon are involved in collecting and restoring Camaros. COURTING MURDER was his first novel and his second novel RIVER MOURN won first place in the Missouri Writers’ Guild Show-Me Best Book Awards in 2014. His third novel BLOODY EARTH was published in November 2014. Visit him at www.judgebillhopkins.com or www.deadlywritespublishing.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
My Favorite Points of View / Author Bill Hopkins
In the animated movie by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson, The Point!, the main character Oblio encounters a “pointed man” in the Pointless Forest. The “pointed man” has a few heads with pointy chins, and there are arrows jutting out of his hat and suit. He tells the oval-headed Oblio that “a point in every direction is the same as no point at all.” This is what comes to mind as guest blogger and author Bill Hopkins takes on the topic of points of view. Nailing down a point of view, or views, in your work is elemental to the writing process. And being strategic with your point of view will give your work pointed direction.Happy reading!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
My Favorite Points of ViewBy Bill HopkinsWhat is a point of view? One definition I like from Literary Devices is this: “Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature, point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers ‘hear’ and ‘see’ what takes place in a story, poem, essay etc.”There are several different ways to use point of view. Here are my two favorites.FIRST PERSONThis is a story that is usually narrated by the protagonist. If you use this, then your first sentence--or certainly your first paragraph--should make it clear. “Sally whirled around and slapped me in the face.” You know that someone (the narrator) has incurred Sally’s wrath and he or she is going to tell the reader about it.Advantages: First person allows the narrator to develop a distinctive voice that no one else in the story has (or should have). The reader will learn to like or at least understand why the narrator acts the way he does. He can ramble on about relevant points inside his own head without anyone else but the reader knowing what he’s thinking. The reader also witnesses the stress placed on the narrator and how that causes him to act in a certain way. The reader learns about the world of the narrator quickly.Disadvantages: The narrator must be in every scene or he and the reader will be subjected to a lot of retelling by other characters concerning what happened off-stage. But even that may be skillfully handled so that the narrator doesn’t appear to be just a listening post where different folks come to tell their tales. Also, other characters and not the narrator must describe him or the narrator must slip in hints at his appearance. “Sally slapped me so hard that I thought my scrawny mustache had been knocked off my face.” And, please, avoid the cliché of having the narrator look in a mirror and telling the reader what he sees. Finally, avoid as many “I’s” as you can. “I went to the store. I bought some eggs. I took the eggs to Sally.” That soon becomes boring.THIRD PERSON CLOSE
Third Person: An unknown narrator is telling the story. Generally, the narrator is never identified. Writers and readers have an unspoken agreement that this is a “willing suspension of disbelief” that someone witnessed and is able to tell the story. There are different kinds of third person. What makes my favorite version of third person “close” (other people have different terms for it) is that the narrator is in only one character’s head at a time. “Sally slapped him.” That would be the first line of a book written in third person (close or otherwise). Further on in the story, the reader realizes that the narrator can see into only one person’s mind. “He felt the stinging blow and didn’t like the look on Sally’s face.” In fact, third person close is almost a first person viewpoint using different pronouns.Advantages: You can describe your character in the narration. As a reader of fiction, I rarely remember what a person looks like while reading the story. As a writer, my descriptions of people tend to emphasize oddities of their appearance or perhaps one or two nods to a physical description. Another advantage that draws me to this point of view is that you can still show the direct thoughts of the person. “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time she’s done that to him!” or “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time, he thought, that she’s done that to me.”Disadvantages: You must be especially careful not to get into anyone else’s head. You must show us what the other person is doing to determine his reaction to what is going on or, of course, have the other person say something that presents his state of mind. This sounds easy, but it’s tricky. In one story, I had written about the protagonist and two companions doing something like “trudging dispiritedly” (it wasn’t really that bad). My most heartless editor (my wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins) pointed out that I was expressing the thoughts of the other two people as well as the protagonist, which, of course, I was.Play around with different points of view. See what fits your protagonist the best. You’d be amazed how a character changes when you change that character’s point of view!
If you would like to read more about Bill Hopkins' books please click here.Bill Hopkins is retired after beginning his legal career in 1971 and serving as a private attorney, prosecuting attorney, an administrative law judge, and a trial court judge, all in Missouri. His poems, short stories, and non-fiction have appeared in many different publications. He's had several short plays produced.Bill is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dramatists Guild, Horror Writers Association, Missouri Writers Guild, SEMO Writers Guild, Heartland Writers Guild, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. Bill is also a photographer who has sold work in the United States, Canada, and Europe.He and his wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins (also a published mystery writer), live in Marble Hill, Missouri, with their dogs and cats. Besides writing, Bill and Sharon are involved in collecting and restoring Camaros. COURTING MURDER was his first novel and his second novel RIVER MOURN won first place in the Missouri Writers' Guild Show-Me Best Book Awards in 2014. His third novel BLOODY EARTH was published in November 2014. Visit him at www.judgebillhopkins.com or www.deadlywritespublishing.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
My Favorite Points of View / Author Bill Hopkins
In the animated movie by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson, The Point!, the main character Oblio encounters a “pointed man” in the Pointless Forest. The “pointed man” has a few heads with pointy chins, and there are arrows jutting out of his hat and suit. He tells the oval-headed Oblio that “a point in every direction is the same as no point at all.” This is what comes to mind as guest blogger and author Bill Hopkins takes on the topic of points of view. Nailing down a point of view, or views, in your work is elemental to the writing process. And being strategic with your point of view will give your work pointed direction.Happy reading!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
My Favorite Points of ViewBy Bill HopkinsWhat is a point of view? One definition I like from Literary Devices is this: “Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature, point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers ‘hear’ and ‘see’ what takes place in a story, poem, essay etc.”There are several different ways to use point of view. Here are my two favorites.FIRST PERSONThis is a story that is usually narrated by the protagonist. If you use this, then your first sentence--or certainly your first paragraph--should make it clear. “Sally whirled around and slapped me in the face.” You know that someone (the narrator) has incurred Sally’s wrath and he or she is going to tell the reader about it.Advantages: First person allows the narrator to develop a distinctive voice that no one else in the story has (or should have). The reader will learn to like or at least understand why the narrator acts the way he does. He can ramble on about relevant points inside his own head without anyone else but the reader knowing what he’s thinking. The reader also witnesses the stress placed on the narrator and how that causes him to act in a certain way. The reader learns about the world of the narrator quickly.Disadvantages: The narrator must be in every scene or he and the reader will be subjected to a lot of retelling by other characters concerning what happened off-stage. But even that may be skillfully handled so that the narrator doesn’t appear to be just a listening post where different folks come to tell their tales. Also, other characters and not the narrator must describe him or the narrator must slip in hints at his appearance. “Sally slapped me so hard that I thought my scrawny mustache had been knocked off my face.” And, please, avoid the cliché of having the narrator look in a mirror and telling the reader what he sees. Finally, avoid as many “I’s” as you can. “I went to the store. I bought some eggs. I took the eggs to Sally.” That soon becomes boring.THIRD PERSON CLOSE
Third Person: An unknown narrator is telling the story. Generally, the narrator is never identified. Writers and readers have an unspoken agreement that this is a “willing suspension of disbelief” that someone witnessed and is able to tell the story. There are different kinds of third person. What makes my favorite version of third person “close” (other people have different terms for it) is that the narrator is in only one character’s head at a time. “Sally slapped him.” That would be the first line of a book written in third person (close or otherwise). Further on in the story, the reader realizes that the narrator can see into only one person’s mind. “He felt the stinging blow and didn’t like the look on Sally’s face.” In fact, third person close is almost a first person viewpoint using different pronouns.Advantages: You can describe your character in the narration. As a reader of fiction, I rarely remember what a person looks like while reading the story. As a writer, my descriptions of people tend to emphasize oddities of their appearance or perhaps one or two nods to a physical description. Another advantage that draws me to this point of view is that you can still show the direct thoughts of the person. “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time she’s done that to him!” or “Sally slapped him. That’s the second time, he thought, that she’s done that to me.”Disadvantages: You must be especially careful not to get into anyone else’s head. You must show us what the other person is doing to determine his reaction to what is going on or, of course, have the other person say something that presents his state of mind. This sounds easy, but it’s tricky. In one story, I had written about the protagonist and two companions doing something like “trudging dispiritedly” (it wasn’t really that bad). My most heartless editor (my wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins) pointed out that I was expressing the thoughts of the other two people as well as the protagonist, which, of course, I was.Play around with different points of view. See what fits your protagonist the best. You’d be amazed how a character changes when you change that character’s point of view!
If you would like to read more about Bill Hopkins' books please click here.Bill Hopkins is retired after beginning his legal career in 1971 and serving as a private attorney, prosecuting attorney, an administrative law judge, and a trial court judge, all in Missouri. His poems, short stories, and non-fiction have appeared in many different publications. He's had several short plays produced.Bill is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dramatists Guild, Horror Writers Association, Missouri Writers Guild, SEMO Writers Guild, Heartland Writers Guild, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. Bill is also a photographer who has sold work in the United States, Canada, and Europe.He and his wife, Sharon Woods Hopkins (also a published mystery writer), live in Marble Hill, Missouri, with their dogs and cats. Besides writing, Bill and Sharon are involved in collecting and restoring Camaros. COURTING MURDER was his first novel and his second novel RIVER MOURN won first place in the Missouri Writers' Guild Show-Me Best Book Awards in 2014. His third novel BLOODY EARTH was published in November 2014. Visit him at www.judgebillhopkins.com or www.deadlywritespublishing.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Writing a Cozy? Follow the Rules … And Mind Your Language / Author Penny Clover Petersen
Nancy Drew never cursed. She was always under duress in one manner or another, but she never let, even the occasional expletive, spill from her titian-colored head. In this week’s guest blog, author Penny Clover Petersen discusses what makes a cozy mystery, and the ongoing debate about the use of bad words.
Read like they are burning books!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Writing a Cozy? Follow the Rules … And Mind Your Language
By Penny Clover Petersen
I began my first novel when I was fifty-nine. Being an avid mystery lover, I had spent most of those fifty-nine years inventing puzzling scenarios for the most trivial occurrences and envisioning dark motives behind the most benign actions. Cookies for a teacher? They are no doubt laced with something in order to avoid the afternoon’s math test. A package delivered late? You know the mailman is up to something, but what?
Poison pen letters, tripping over bodies lying by the side of the road, murder, mayhem, blackmail, all of these fascinating ideas rolling around in my head had me wondering if I were to write a mystery, what would I write?
When the mood finally moved me to get to work I took to heart the adage “write what you know” and figured that I know family, cats and dogs, suburban living, and cozy mysteries. So I determined that a cozy mystery involving two sisters, a goofy mother, and a hormonally challenged dog was something I could achieve.
Now, writing cozies is a bit tricky. The rules are pretty well defined. The first two are actually almost carved in stone and I think that we must adhere to them if we want to call a mystery a cozy.
Number one is all violence will be off-stage. Cozy writers do not depict grizzly murders. Autopsies are avoided. We don’t have psychotic killers torturing hapless victims in gruesome detail. As with many cozy writers, my victims tend to be obnoxious people that no one much likes who are conked on the head and found by the side of the road.
Number two is, of course, sex. That, too, must be off-stage. There are no steamy love scenes, no kinky aberrations. If sex enters into the plot, it generally is glossed over with only the incidental reference to “incredibly tall, slim men with well-cut graying hair and eyes the color of smoky quartz under wire-rimmed glasses.” Perhaps adding “kind of bookish and sexy — quite the studly muffin.” If the studly muffin and the leading lady ever do get together, it is definitely behind closed doors!
Number three concerns foul language. Agatha Christie, the mother of the cozy, did not use any off-color language in her books. But neither did anyone else writing at that time. It wasn’t a part of the culture.
Today, I think this is one rule that can be tinkered with. I have spoken with a number of cozy writers and this is a stumbling block for many of us. We want our characters to be somewhat real and the use of “language” in society has certainly become looser. For instance, my own everyday speech is not chockfull of colorful invective, but I do occasionally throw out a word or two my mother would not approve.
So what is acceptable in a cozy written in 2015? Of the writers to whom I have spoken, many have main characters that use the S-word. Many feel a leading lady is allowed to say, “Oh Christ!” or the like. Damn, hell, and variations seem to be acceptable these days.
But what of, as they say, the F-bomb? Now I don’t advocate throwing it around like confetti, but I do feel there are appropriate times that it might be used. As my children could tell you, if they heard me scream f….., they would most certainly know that I am really, really mad or have gone completely around the bend. And I feel the same holds true in a cozy. A crazed killer saying, “Oh gosh, I think I have to kill you now,” does not have the dramatic effect as something much more strongly worded.
A friend and fellow author, Austin Camacho, suggests leaving the cursing to the peripheral characters — the crazies, the villains — and keeping the leading ladies ‘cozy’. I tend to agree with this point of view. But I think purists probably wouldn’t. And so the question is, just how much is too much — and is it still a cozy?
If you would like to read more about Penny Clover Petersen’s books please click here.
Penny Clover Petersen’s first Daisy&Rose mystery, Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My was released in December 2013 by Intrigue Publishing. In addition to writing, Penny enjoys spending time with her family, refurbishing old furniture, collecting stories and recipes for the ‘family cookbook’, and savoring new cocktail recipes. She loves historic homes and is a docent at Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, MD. Her second novel, Roses Are Dead, My Love, will be released April 2015. Penny is currently at work on her third Daisy&Rose mystery. Visit her website at http://pennypetersen.com/
(Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Comedy That Kills / Author Diane Kelly
William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and Kurt Vonnegut knew the power of humor. It’s a great tool to leverage when writing. In this week’s blog, author Diane Kelly explains that humor is mighty: bringing levity to tense dramas, intensifying others, and even making characters appear more clever. Laugh on!
Happy Reading!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Comedy That Kills
By Diane Kelly
Murder and laughter might not seem to go hand in hand, but the contrast between humor and horror can take an ordinary book and amp it up to extraordinary. Humor techniques add tools to a writer’s toolbox, giving an author more flexibility and options as they develop their stories.
When I began writing, I knew only that I wanted to write about strong, feisty female lead characters that were matched with an equally strong male lead. I didn’t set out to write mysteries or funny books. It wasn’t until my third manuscript (the first that sold), that I realized romantic mystery was my genre and that my humorous voice would set my work apart. Once I realized this, I vowed to learn everything I could about writing comedy.
Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned is that there is a place for humor in every book. Whether it is infrequent touches of dark humor in a gritty thriller or laugh-out-loud moments in comedic crime capers like mine, humor has a home in every written work.
What can humor do for you? So many things.
First, humor can stretch a book’s emotional impact. Readers relate with characters and engage with a book via emotion. While many murder mysteries and thrillers set a reader’s heart to pumping and palms to sweating, not many give the reader the extra emotional hit of humor. Add a well-placed laugh or even just a note or two of clever irony to your stories and you’ll give the reader a broader emotional experience.
On a related note, humor can act as a breath of fresh air for a reader after an author has put them through the wringer. Too much nonstop tension can overwhelm a reader. A humorous passage placed after a particularly intense scene can give the reader some comic relief and allow them to better tolerate what will follow.
The flipside, of course, is that moments of levity can, by contrast, make dark moments appear even darker. For example, imagine a scene in which a character has been too busy for grocery shopping and is forced to improvise a dinner of Froot Loops floating in Tennessee whiskey. Funny, right? So when a machete-wielding psychopath appears in her kitchen, the contrast is even darker than it would have been had she been cooking a raw, bloody steak on the stove.
Humor is, at its core, a coping mechanism. Think about the things we find funny: bad relationships, poorly behaved children, financial instability, the loss of physical beauty, etc. All of these are negative things that people have to deal with. Rather than let these problems bring us down, finding the funny in them helps us conquer and control them. In a murder mystery, the characters — and vicariously, the readers — will likewise have to cope with negatives: Loss, Grief, Fear. If the character and reader can find some humor, they can better deal with the situations and emotions they must face.
Believe it or not, a sense of humor can make your characters seem clever. A well-worded, perceptive, or thought-provoking quip signifies intelligence. Think of your funniest friends. Chances are they are also among your smartest. If you want to amp up a character’s IQ, give him or her some funny lines to deliver. Moreover, most novels contain a cast of several characters. Put a few people together in real life and there is likely to be a cut-up among them. Such should be the same with a fictional group.
Humor intensifies a story. In a way, it acts like salt, elevating the flavor of a scene. Why? Because humor grabs a reader’s attention, and when a reader is paying attention they are more engaged and better absorb information.
A bit of warning. However you use this tool, do so with some caution. One person’s chuckle is another’s insult. Be careful what topics you approach with humor to avoid alienating readers.
Bottom line? Humor is an incredibly flexible tool. It can be dark or light, or any of the many shades in between. It can be used often to nail down the material, or it can be used sparingly when a screwdriver or buzz saw are more appropriate. But add some to your work and you’re guaranteed to like the results.
If you would like to read more about Diane Kelly’s books please click here.
A former state Assistant Attorney General and tax advisor, Diane Kelly inadvertently worked with white-collar criminals on multiple occasions. Lest she end up in an orange jumpsuit, Diane decided self-employment would be a good idea. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her “Death and Taxes” romantic mystery series. A graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy, Diane Kelly also writes the hilarious K-9 cop “Paw Enforcement” series.
Diane’s books have been awarded the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award and a Reviewers Choice Award. Be the first to receive book news by signing up for Diane’s newsletter at www.dianekelly.com. “Like” Diane on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dianekellybooks, and follow her on Twitter @dianekellybooks.
(Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
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