7/7/15 7/7/15

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World / Robin Newman

Writing for children can be complicated. There’s so much to keep in mind like using vocabulary that’s age-appropriate and providing bite-sized clues, all while telling a good story. In this week’s Killer Nashville guest blog, author Robin Newman shares her love of writing children’s stories, and some helpful hints as you write yours.Happy Reading! Clay StaffordFounder Killer NashvillePublisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World

By Robin Newman

I wish I could say that I was an avid reader and writer as a child. But to tell the truth, I didn’t become a reader until I was in high school, and it wasn’t until law school that I realized that I enjoyed writing.

Growing up in the 1970s, many of my peers and I were TV junkies. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, Hong Kong Phooey, Bugs Bunny, Fat Albert, The Jetsons, Road Runner, and School House Rock played an intrinsic part of my childhood. I also grew up watching, and may have possibly read some of, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Later, as an adult, I was hooked on television detective shows like Dragnet, Law and Order, Murder, She Wrote, Cagney and Lacey, and Barney Miller. All of these shows were perfect fodder for a budding writer of children’s mysteries.

Television, in particular, has created expectations for readers of mysteries. So, it’s no mystery that when I started writing The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, my critique group told me that I should follow the formula and language used in detective shows. “Give us the facts, and just the facts…”

When writing a mystery for young children, there are a few things that one should consider, aside from the usual suspects of plot, character, and setting.

Age matters. Who is reading the story? The parent or the child? Will the reader get the joke? These are things that you need to think about when writing for a young audience.

Word counts. Is your story going to be a picture book, early reader, transitional reader, or chapter book? Picture books generally fall within the realm of 500 or fewer words. It’s extremely hard to write a detective story in fewer than 500 words.

When I started writing The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, it was a picture book. But my word counts were off the charts, around 1200-1600 words, and I knew an editor would hyperventilate if he or she saw my manuscript. Upon excellent advice, I changed the book to an early chapter book, and the story flowed much better.

Short and sweet. Try to keep your sentences short. There’s a lot going on in a mystery, and you need to keep your readers focused on tracking the clues that will help them find the culprit.

Vocabulary. Detective and mystery vocabulary is pretty sophisticated for emergent readers. Terms like alibi, suspect, witness, clues, investigation, etc., need to come across clearly in the text. For example, in this one scene of The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, Detective Wilcox is interrogating the suspect, Fowler the Owl:

“Hoo-hoo,” said Fowler, peeking her head out of her hole. “What brings you two tasty treats to my tree?”

“Investigating a case,” I said, holding up my badge. “Detective Wilcox and Captain Griswold, MFIs. Where were you between 8:00 and 10:00 this morning?”

“I was chasing a field mouse.”

“Do you have any witnesses?” If someone had seen her, she’d have an alibi.

“There was one, but I ate him.”

Easy clues and repetition. Make sure you leave a crumb trail of easy clues for your junior detectives to find. Having one character repeat or slightly modify what another character has said is an opportunity to emphasize a clue and slow down the reader to take note of an important fact.

“But she sure was acting like a funny bunny.”

“Funny ha ha or funny odd?” I asked.

“She didn’t say a word—not even a peep when I asked if she wanted a nice hot cup of slop! And she was still wearing her pajamas…”

Have fun! Don’t forget to add lots of fun puns and jokes. Kindergartners, first and second graders LOVE puns and bad jokes. This is the age of knock-knock jokes.

It’s no mystery: writing for kids is the best job in the world. I suspect that if you give it a try, you will love it too!

Raised in New York and Paris, Robin is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the City University of New York School of Law. She's been a practicing attorney and legal editor, but she prefers to write about witches, mice, pigs, and peacocks. She is the author of The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, A Wilcox & Griswold Mystery, illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Creston Books, Spring 2015), about two hardboiled mouse detectives working their beat from a shoebox at the back of Farmer Ed’s barn. They are MFIs, Missing Food Investigators, and on their seminal case, they’re on the hunt for Miss Rabbit’s missing carrot cake. (Note: The names of the animals have been changed to protect the good guys.) Visit her website at https://robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com/

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.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.

7/7/15 7/7/15

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World / Robin Newman

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World

By Robin Newman

When writing a mystery for young children, there are a few things that one should consider, aside from the usual suspects of plot, character, and setting.

Age matters. Who is reading the story? The parent or the child? Will the reader get the joke? These are things that you need to think about when writing for a young audience.

Short and sweet. Try to keep your sentences short. There’s a lot going on in a mystery, and you need to keep your readers focused on tracking the clues that will help them find the culprit.

“Hoo-hoo,” said Fowler, peeking her head out of her hole. “What brings you two tasty treats to my tree?”

“Investigating a case,” I said, holding up my badge. “Detective Wilcox and Captain Griswold, MFIs. Where were you between 8:00 and 10:00 this morning?”

“I was chasing a field mouse.”

“Do you have any witnesses?” If someone had seen her, she’d have an alibi.

“There was one, but I ate him.”

“But she sure was acting like a funny bunny.”

“Funny ha ha or funny odd?” I asked.

“She didn’t say a word—not even a peep when I asked if she wanted a nice hot cup of slop! And she was still wearing her pajamas…”

Have fun! Don’t forget to add lots of fun puns and jokes. Kindergartners, first and second graders LOVE puns and bad jokes. This is the age of knock-knock jokes.

It’s no mystery: writing for kids is the best job in the world. I suspect that if you give it a try, you will love it too!

7/1/15 7/1/15

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

I’m old and I’ve read and seen a lot. Rarely do I read something that makes me shift back in my chair and go, “Wow!” This blog does it for me.

Author Jenny Milchman is the touring James Brown. (She took her kids out of school?) She’s accredited with the longest book tour ever. (Rented out her house ‘cos she was going to be gone 11 months!) This woman has to keep Starbucks in business.

You learn a lot on the road. Most authors keep it to themselves. Jenny shares. You may not want to load the kids in a mini-van and drive across the continent, but everything Jenny shares can be used to advantage at the bookstore in your own hometown. What a dynamo. If you want to build an audience (different from selling a book), this blog is a must-read. I’ve seen these techniques work first hand. They will make a major difference in your mind-shift, maybe even career altering.

Read, enjoy, and share you own experiences. We would love to hear them.

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

How to Host a Killer Book Event

By Jenny Milchman

First, I’m going to give y’all (this is Killer Nashville so I feel safe saying that) my bona fides for writing this post. Then, I’m going to cull ten bullet points for what will make your event the best ever. (I love bullet points! They make everything so simple and easy to digest. I wish chocolate cake came in bullet points. No, I don’t).

But, I digress. On to those credentials.

So, after my first novel — which was really my eighth, but that’s a different blog post —came out following a thirteen-year journey to publication, my husband and I did the following:

We rented out our house, traded in two cars for an SUV that could handle Denver in February, withdrew the kids from school to “car school” them on the road, and put 35,000 miles on that new car. Over a period of seven months, we toured the bookstores, libraries, book clubs and other literary pockets of this country. Then, when my second novel came out the next year, we did it all over again.

Of the past 24 months, I have spent 11 on the road, doing over 300 events.

I’ve seen everything from the one person who showed up at a bookstore in Goshen, Indiana, and didn’t buy a book (but for a very good reason) to nearly 300 foot-stomping attendees in Oxford, Miss., where I appeared at Square Books’ ever-popular Thacker Mountain Radio event. And a great deal in between.

Without further ado, here is what I’ve learned:

Do keep a contacts list. When you’re engaged in social media, find out where people live. (Nicely, not like a stalker). You’ll be amazed how many will want to come out to see you in person.
Do make things personal. Don’t send invitations to a Georgia event to everyone on your mailing list. Figure out who lives closest to Atlanta, or Savannah, or Macon. Blasts get deleted; personal notes are read.
Having said that, a Tweet and FB status update—“I am here” with a photo and place/time/date should become part of your day- or week-before routine.
Do consider creative ideas for format. You don’t have to get up there and read for twenty minutes. Instead, tell the story-behind-the-book, or the story of your publication journey. If your book has a ready tie-in, do something related (like dress up to fit the historic period or serve cookies to reflect a recipe in your book or teach a craft the sleuth uses to solve the case). Hold a writers workshop; be a guest author at the store’s book club. Pair with another author and interview each other. Bring in your dog or cat (because people love dogs and cats, of course). Your imagination is the only limit here—let it fly as free as it did when you wrote your book.
Do know that attendees love the Q&A portion of an event. Leave lots of time!
Do bring a gift for your host. Something sweet to eat, a little gift bag filled with swag related to your book (lip balm, pens, pads, matches, pouches of hot cocoa, chocolate, mini anything, tissues—again, let your imagination roam).
Do consider holding a raffle for attendees. Their receipt for your book is their ticket. Prizes could be a gift card to the bookstore, something tied to your book (Jodi Picoult gave away stuffed wolves when “Lone Wolf” came out), a book club basket of books by your author friends, or a writer’s wish list consisting of coaching or critique.
Do serve light refreshments if possible. Nothing makes it a party like wine or cheese, baked goods and one of those boxes of coffee, or even just popcorn.
Do understand this paradox. Book events are not about selling books. May you become the biggest blockbuster author in the world and sell 1,000 books at every event. You will still only begin to cover the costs of the tour. Events don’t really make dollars and cents—but they do make dollars and sense. There will be moments when your one attendee turns out to be the book reviewer for the Miami Herald. And other kinds of moments, too. That attendee I had in Goshen, IN who didn’t buy a book? It was because he already had three copies. One to read, one to loan, and one to keep “pristine.”
Do be professional. Things can go wrong, and will. I went to Arkansas with my first novel, and the venue had forgotten about my event. Never mind—we went over my calendar, saw that I was actually passing through at such and such date and could come back. When I arrived that time, the place was closed. I promise things will go easier for you than that! But when they don’t, wear a smile, don’t be a diva (or divo?) and know that getting to hang out with a bookseller who then reads your book and becomes a fan for life can be every bit as joyous as walking into a packed room.

For the past three years, Jenny Milchman has gone on what Shelf Awareness called “the world’s longest book tour”. She is the author of three acclaimed and award-winning thrillers: Cover of Snow, Ruin Falls, and the just released As Night Falls. Visit her website at http://www.jennymilchman.com/

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Clay Janeway, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

7/1/15 7/1/15

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

I’m old and I’ve read and seen a lot. Rarely do I read something that makes me shift back in my chair and go, “Wow!” This blog does it for me.Author Jenny Milchman is the touring James Brown. (She took her kids out of school?) She’s accredited with the longest book tour ever. (Rented out her house ‘cos she was going to be gone 11 months!) This woman has to keep Starbucks in business.You learn a lot on the road. Most authors keep it to themselves. Jenny shares. You may not want to load the kids in a mini-van and drive across the continent, but everything Jenny shares can be used to advantage at the bookstore in your own hometown. What a dynamo. If you want to build an audience (different from selling a book), this blog is a must-read. I’ve seen these techniques work first hand. They will make a major difference in your mind-shift, maybe even career altering.Read, enjoy, and share you own experiences. We would love to hear them. Clay StaffordFounder Killer NashvillePublisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

How to Host a Killer Book Event

By Jenny Milchman

But, I digress. On to those credentials.

So, after my first novel — which was really my eighth, but that’s a different blog post —came out following a thirteen-year journey to publication, my husband and I did the following:

Of the past 24 months, I have spent 11 on the road, doing over 300 events.

Without further ado, here is what I’ve learned:

Do keep a contacts list. When you’re engaged in social media, find out where people live. (Nicely, not like a stalker). You’ll be amazed how many will want to come out to see you in person.
Do make things personal. Don’t send invitations to a Georgia event to everyone on your mailing list. Figure out who lives closest to Atlanta, or Savannah, or Macon. Blasts get deleted; personal notes are read.
Having said that, a Tweet and FB status update—“I am here” with a photo and place/time/date should become part of your day- or week-before routine.
Do consider creative ideas for format. You don’t have to get up there and read for twenty minutes. Instead, tell the story-behind-the-book, or the story of your publication journey. If your book has a ready tie-in, do something related (like dress up to fit the historic period or serve cookies to reflect a recipe in your book or teach a craft the sleuth uses to solve the case). Hold a writers workshop; be a guest author at the store’s book club. Pair with another author and interview each other. Bring in your dog or cat (because people love dogs and cats, of course). Your imagination is the only limit here—let it fly as free as it did when you wrote your book.
Do know that attendees love the Q&A portion of an event. Leave lots of time!
Do bring a gift for your host. Something sweet to eat, a little gift bag filled with swag related to your book (lip balm, pens, pads, matches, pouches of hot cocoa, chocolate, mini anything, tissues—again, let your imagination roam).
Do consider holding a raffle for attendees. Their receipt for your book is their ticket. Prizes could be a gift card to the bookstore, something tied to your book (Jodi Picoult gave away stuffed wolves when “Lone Wolf” came out), a book club basket of books by your author friends, or a writer’s wish list consisting of coaching or critique.
Do serve light refreshments if possible. Nothing makes it a party like wine or cheese, baked goods and one of those boxes of coffee, or even just popcorn.
Do understand this paradox. Book events are not about selling books. May you become the biggest blockbuster author in the world and sell 1,000 books at every event. You will still only begin to cover the costs of the tour. Events don’t really make dollars and cents—but they do make dollars and sense. There will be moments when your one attendee turns out to be the book reviewer for the Miami Herald. And other kinds of moments, too. That attendee I had in Goshen, IN who didn’t buy a book? It was because he already had three copies. One to read, one to loan, and one to keep “pristine.”
Do be professional. Things can go wrong, and will. I went to Arkansas with my first novel, and the venue had forgotten about my event. Never mind—we went over my calendar, saw that I was actually passing through at such and such date and could come back. When I arrived that time, the place was closed. I promise things will go easier for you than that! But when they don’t, wear a smile, don’t be a diva (or divo?) and know that getting to hang out with a bookseller who then reads your book and becomes a fan for life can be every bit as joyous as walking into a packed room.

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Clay Janeway, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

7/1/15 7/1/15

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

How to Host a Killer Book Event

By Jenny Milchman

But, I digress. On to those credentials.

So, after my first novel — which was really my eighth, but that’s a different blog post —came out following a thirteen-year journey to publication, my husband and I did the following:

Of the past 24 months, I have spent 11 on the road, doing over 300 events.

Without further ado, here is what I’ve learned:

Do keep a contacts list. When you’re engaged in social media, find out where people live. (Nicely, not like a stalker). You’ll be amazed how many will want to come out to see you in person.
Do make things personal. Don’t send invitations to a Georgia event to everyone on your mailing list. Figure out who lives closest to Atlanta, or Savannah, or Macon. Blasts get deleted; personal notes are read.
Having said that, a Tweet and FB status update—“I am here” with a photo and place/time/date should become part of your day- or week-before routine.
Do consider creative ideas for format. You don’t have to get up there and read for twenty minutes. Instead, tell the story-behind-the-book, or the story of your publication journey. If your book has a ready tie-in, do something related (like dress up to fit the historic period or serve cookies to reflect a recipe in your book or teach a craft the sleuth uses to solve the case). Hold a writers workshop; be a guest author at the store’s book club. Pair with another author and interview each other. Bring in your dog or cat (because people love dogs and cats, of course). Your imagination is the only limit here—let it fly as free as it did when you wrote your book.
Do know that attendees love the Q&A portion of an event. Leave lots of time!
Do bring a gift for your host. Something sweet to eat, a little gift bag filled with swag related to your book (lip balm, pens, pads, matches, pouches of hot cocoa, chocolate, mini anything, tissues—again, let your imagination roam).
Do consider holding a raffle for attendees. Their receipt for your book is their ticket. Prizes could be a gift card to the bookstore, something tied to your book (Jodi Picoult gave away stuffed wolves when “Lone Wolf” came out), a book club basket of books by your author friends, or a writer’s wish list consisting of coaching or critique.
Do serve light refreshments if possible. Nothing makes it a party like wine or cheese, baked goods and one of those boxes of coffee, or even just popcorn.
Do understand this paradox. Book events are not about selling books. May you become the biggest blockbuster author in the world and sell 1,000 books at every event. You will still only begin to cover the costs of the tour. Events don’t really make dollars and cents—but they do make dollars and sense. There will be moments when your one attendee turns out to be the book reviewer for the Miami Herald. And other kinds of moments, too. That attendee I had in Goshen, IN who didn’t buy a book? It was because he already had three copies. One to read, one to loan, and one to keep “pristine.”
Do be professional. Things can go wrong, and will. I went to Arkansas with my first novel, and the venue had forgotten about my event. Never mind—we went over my calendar, saw that I was actually passing through at such and such date and could come back. When I arrived that time, the place was closed. I promise things will go easier for you than that! But when they don’t, wear a smile, don’t be a diva (or divo?) and know that getting to hang out with a bookseller who then reads your book and becomes a fan for life can be every bit as joyous as walking into a packed room.

6/24/15 6/24/15

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

Enjoy! And read like someone is burning the books…because somewhere in the world, they are.

Until next week!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

Unlocking the Mystery

By Blake Fontenay

What makes a mystery novel mysterious?

The answer seems obvious. A mystery is a story in which major plot points are unknown to the protagonists — and readers as well. In a murder mystery, the main question to be answered usually is: Whodunnit? And quite often, why and how the murder was committed as well.

Now, there are some authors who give readers the answers to these questions fairly early in the story. Through an omniscient viewpoint, the reader learns who the good guys and the bad guys are — and the tension in the story comes from knowing that the good guys and bad guys will eventually clash.

To me, that kind of story doesn’t really qualify as a mystery. It might be classified as a thriller, provided the author does a good job of building and holding tension.

I consider my most recent novel, Scouts' Honor, to be more of a thriller than a mystery. The book has unanswered questions — about the good guys’ mysterious advisor, about the true scope of the bad guys’ nefarious plans — but at its core, it’s a story about a group of Boy Scouts trying to survive in the wilderness while they’re being hunted by terrorists.

By contrast, I consider my first book, The Politics of Barbecue to be more of a mystery because the key to the story was finding out why the mayor of Memphis was so dead set on building a Barbecue Hall of Fame in his city.

I suppose an argument can be made that any work of fiction will have unanswered questions. In the romance novel, for example, the unanswered question might be whether the lonely widow will choose the socially inept pool maintenance worker with a heart of gold or the slick stockbroker who’s kind of a jerk.

Virtually all stories have some unanswered questions. In a mystery, however, I think those unanswered questions take on greater importance than they do in other genres. Yes, it’s important for a mystery writer to have interesting characters who grow and change throughout the story. It’s important to have a compelling setting for the story. And it’s also great if a writer can educate his or her readers on one or more issues of social importance.

But for me, those unanswered questions — and how they ultimately are answered — are what make mystery novels special, provided the writer follows certain rules.

It’s important for a writer to play fair with readers. That means there have to be enough clues provided throughout the story to give readers the opportunity to figure out the answers to those questions before they are revealed in the story.

There’s nothing wrong with a writer creating some misdirection — clues that are intended to throw readers off a little bit. However, I find it very frustrating when all the clues point one direction and the answers to the story’s central questions aren’t related to any of those clues.

The element of surprise in a story is great. The element of surprise when it’s completely unsupported by anything that has preceded it in the story is not so great. I think the best mystery novels are the ones where the right clues are there, but they are so subtle that they only make sense in hindsight. My favorite mystery novels are the ones where, at the end, I’m asking myself: “Why didn’t I see that coming?”

I’m also a big fan of having multiple unanswered questions in the same story, some concerning major plot points and some concerning relatively minor issues. As a writer, this provides a measure of insurance. Say the writer’s clues to one of the unanswered questions aren’t subtle enough and readers are able to solve that part of the mystery. If there are other questions that remain unanswered, that’s an incentive for readers to keep reading. If there’s only that one unanswered question and the reader figures it out halfway through the book, he or she is likely to feel disappointed at the story’s end.

In my own writing, I try to tell stories from many different points of view, although I’ve been told by writing coaches that this is a no-no. I’ve heard from people whose opinions I respect that limiting storytelling to one or two or three points of view is generally preferred. I don’t necessarily agree with that for all types of stories, but I can see the merit in a well-crafted mystery.

In a mystery, I’m fine with knowing only what the main protagonist knows. That makes the story a journey of discovery for both of us. He or she gets the same clues I get, at the same points in the story. With any luck, we’ll come to the same conclusions about the unanswered questions at the same time.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself that I read too many Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid, then I would disagree with you. Because you can never read too many Encyclopedia Brown books.

Maybe the points I’ve asserted in this post will seem too formulaic or conventional to some. But I know what I like. And I know what kind of stories I’m going to buy.

Blake Fontenay spent more than 25 years as a reporter, columnist and editorial writer for metropolitan daily newspapers – including the Sacramento Bee, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), Orlando Sentinel, and Commercial Appeal (Memphis). He won several awards for editorial writing while at the Commercial Appeal. Since leaving the newspaper business, he has worked as the communications director for Tennessee’s Comptroller, Treasurer and Secretary of State. He is currently the coordinator for the Tri-Star Chronicles project at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. His debut novel, The Politics of Barbecue, was published by John F. Blair Publisher in September, 2012. The Politics of Barbecue won the Independent Publishers Book Awards gold medal for fiction in the South region in 2013. He and his wife, Lynn, live in Old Hickory, Tennessee, in a neighborhood filled with other artists. His second novel Scouts' Honor is available online at www.secondwindpublishing.com

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

6/24/15 6/24/15

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

What makes a mystery? Unanswered questions, of course. But aren’t there unanswered questions in other genres. Author and Killer Nashville Guest Blogger offers his take on what unanswered questions separate mysteries from all other genres.Enjoy! And read like someone is burning the books…because somewhere in the world, they are.Until next week!Clay StaffordFounder Killer NashvillePublisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

Unlocking the Mystery

By Blake Fontenay

What makes a mystery novel mysterious?

To me, that kind of story doesn’t really qualify as a mystery. It might be classified as a thriller, provided the author does a good job of building and holding tension.

But for me, those unanswered questions — and how they ultimately are answered — are what make mystery novels special, provided the writer follows certain rules.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself that I read too many Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid, then I would disagree with you. Because you can never read too many Encyclopedia Brown books.

Maybe the points I’ve asserted in this post will seem too formulaic or conventional to some. But I know what I like. And I know what kind of stories I’m going to buy.

6/24/15 6/24/15

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

Unlocking the Mystery

By Blake Fontenay

What makes a mystery novel mysterious?

To me, that kind of story doesn’t really qualify as a mystery. It might be classified as a thriller, provided the author does a good job of building and holding tension.

But for me, those unanswered questions — and how they ultimately are answered — are what make mystery novels special, provided the writer follows certain rules.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself that I read too many Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid, then I would disagree with you. Because you can never read too many Encyclopedia Brown books.

Maybe the points I’ve asserted in this post will seem too formulaic or conventional to some. But I know what I like. And I know what kind of stories I’m going to buy.

6/17/15 6/17/15

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

Until next time, read like someone is burning the books…because — paranoid as I am — somewhere in the world, they are.

Happy Reading!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid?

By Don Winston

As part of the promotional tour for my novels, I’m often asked, “What is a paranoid thriller?” It’s a logical question, as it’s the subtitle of my first book and a recurring theme in all my work. There’s a slight yet profound difference between a traditional thriller and its paranoid cousin, so I decided to think about it more and explain. Not only for others, but for myself, as well.

In a traditional thriller, there’s a good guy and bad guy, and they both know about each other early on, even if they don’t yet know each other’s identity. There’s a murder, or a tip from the CIA, or even a ghost knocking around, making the good guy’s life hell. So the good guy channels his energy and ingenuity to get rid of the villain, growing as a person in the process. That’s essentially the hero’s journey Joseph Campbell made such a wonderful contribution mining and explaining.

Almost every thriller or action story fits into that mold, from Stephen King to Tom Clancy to Agatha Christie. By the end, typically the good guy has captured or killed the bad guy, and order is restored to his world. Until the bad guy rebounds or a new one surfaces for the sequel, jumpstarting the nasty cycle all over. It’s what kept Harry Potter so busy in high school.

In a paranoid thriller, however, the good guy — usually an Average Joe — doesn’t know if there’s a bad guy or not. In fact, the good guy doesn’t even realize he’s IN a thriller. Childlike, he (or she) innocently pursues his life and dreams, with the increasing and unnerving and ultimately horrifying suspicion that someone means him great harm. Hence, the paranoia. As mystery expert Otto Penzler puts it in his foreword to Ira Levin’s A Kiss Before Dying: “They are essentially decent people caught up in a world not of their creation –– aliens in a terrifying environment without a map or compass...this terror is dramatically magnified when it involves people who did nothing deliberately to find themselves in positions of jeopardy.”

Alfred Hitchcock, Cornell Woolrich, and, more recently, Ira Levin were all masters of this genre. It’s a rare one, but pierces deep when done well. Think The Man Who Knew Too Much, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, and, most pointedly, Rosemary’s Baby.

Often in a paranoid thriller, the good guy is his own bad guy. The escape hatch is typically wide open for a big chunk of the story; if only he’d walk through it, he’d be free and safe. We the audience know this, and scream for him to run, but he doesn’t. This is also known as “dramatic irony” –– a situation understood by the reader or audience but not grasped by the characters. This can drive the reader mad, in a fun way. It’s what makes the story tick and terrify and, hopefully, keeps the pages turning.

At some point, usually late in the story and following a cascading series of very unfortunate events, the good guy snaps out of his denial and realizes his world is on fire. So insistent he’s been going on living a normal, happy life, he’s paid attention to all the wrong things, and now he’s surrounded by extremely malevolent forces, closing in fast. By this point, however, the escape hatch is closed, and he’s trapped, cornered, sucked down into the whirlpool without a paddle, whatever metaphor you like. He’s in big trouble.

Denial is the lynchpin of the paranoid thriller, and it usually costs the hero dearly.

As if that weren’t trouble enough, as the story unfolds and the noose tightens, the good guy’s final horror is that what he fears is happening is not nearly as ghastly as what is really happening. In his optimistic hope for the best, he grossly underestimates the evil that engulfs him. That gives the paranoid thriller its ultimate nightmarish charge.

In a paranoid thriller, the good guy doesn’t go looking for trouble. It finds him, sneaks up, and surrounds him. His last-gasp attempt to free himself is what hurls us toward the climax.

It’s a messy business, this paranoid thriller stuff. But when plotted right, when the clues drop correctly and the danger crests on cue, the horror overwhelms and gives us a visceral battle of good and evil.

This is what I’ve tried to accomplish with S'wanee, The Union Club, and my brand new thriller: The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts. Whether or not I’ve succeeded is up to the reader. I hope you’ll check them out and let me know what you think.

Happy reading! And remember: Only the paranoid will survive…

Don Winston grew up in Nashville and graduated from Princeton University. After a stint at Ralph Lauren headquarters in New York, he moved to Los Angeles to work in entertainment as an actor, writer, and producer. S'wanee: A Paranoid Thriller was his debut novel and hit #3 in Kindle Suspense Fiction, followed by his second novel The Union Club: A Subversive Thriller. His new thriller The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts will be released spring 2015. He lives in Hollywood. Visit his website at http://www.donwinston.com/

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

6/17/15 6/17/15

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

In a traditional thriller, there’s a good guy and bad guy, and they both know about each other early on, even if they don’t yet know each other’s identity. In a paranoid thriller, the good guy doesn’t know if there’s a bad guy or not. In fact, the good guy doesn’t even realize he’s IN a thriller. Author Don Winston explains the differences in this week’s Killer Nashville guest blog.Until next time, read like someone is burning the books…because — paranoid as I am — somewhere in the world, they are.Happy Reading!Clay StaffordFounder Killer NashvillePublisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid?

By Don Winston

Denial is the lynchpin of the paranoid thriller, and it usually costs the hero dearly.

In a paranoid thriller, the good guy doesn’t go looking for trouble. It finds him, sneaks up, and surrounds him. His last-gasp attempt to free himself is what hurls us toward the climax.

This is what I’ve tried to accomplish with S'wanee, The Union Club, and my brand new thriller: The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts. Whether or not I’ve succeeded is up to the reader. I hope you’ll check them out and let me know what you think.

Happy reading! And remember: Only the paranoid will survive…

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

6/17/15 6/17/15

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid?

By Don Winston

Denial is the lynchpin of the paranoid thriller, and it usually costs the hero dearly.

In a paranoid thriller, the good guy doesn’t go looking for trouble. It finds him, sneaks up, and surrounds him. His last-gasp attempt to free himself is what hurls us toward the climax.

Happy reading! And remember: Only the paranoid will survive…

5/21/15 5/21/15

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

Have your own checklist? Contact us and let us know your writing process.

Write, polish, repeat. For me, that’s the secret and Jodie helps us hit that one straight on.

Happy Reading!

Clay Stafford
Founder Killer Nashville
Publisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It

By Jodie Renner

Once you’ve got the first draft of your short story or novel down, it’s time to go back and reassess each scene to make sure the characters are engaging and the scene is as compelling as it can be.

Besides advancing the storyline, every scene should:

Reveal and deepen characters and their relationships;
Show setting details;
Provide any necessary background info (in a natural way, organic to the story);
Add tension and conflict;
Hint at dangers and intrigue to come;
Enhance the overall tone and mood of your story.

Remember that every scene needs conflict and a change.

To bring your characters and story to life, heighten reader engagement, and pick up the pace, try to make your scenes do double or even triple duty – but subtly is almost always best.

For example, a scene with dialogue should have several layers, including:

The words being spoken;
The character’s real thoughts, opinions, emotions, and intentions;
The other speaker’s tone, word choice, attitude, body language, and facial expressions;
The outward actions, reactions, and attitudes of both.

Here are eight key ways you can intensify your writing and enhance the experience for readers:

1) When introducing characters, remember to show, rather than tell.

Reveal characters’ personalities, motives, goals, fears, and modus operandi not by telling the readers about them or their background, but by their actions, reactions, words, body language, facial expressions, tone, and attitude. Additionally, for a viewpoint character, show their thoughts, emotions, inner reactions, and physical sensations. Show characters’ reactions to each other, then let the readers draw their own conclusions about the players and their true intentions.

2)Use attitude when describing setting and characters.

Enhance your descriptions of the setting and other characters by filtering them through the observations, opinions, mood, attitude, and reactions of the viewpoint (observing) character for the scene. That way we’re not only witness to the most significant aspects of the surroundings and other characters, we also learn more about the POV character’s personality, tastes, preferences, and goals, and his agenda for the scene.

3) Show character sensations and reactions.

Bring the scene and character alive by showing us not only what the character is seeing, but also what she’s hearing, smelling, touching (and physical sensations like heat and cold), and even, where appropriate, tasting. Also, show sexual tension between love interests by revealing heightened sensory perceptions and physical reactions.

4) Reveal contradictory feelings.

To heighten tension and reader engagement, be sure to show the inner reactions and often-conflicted feelings of your point-of-view character. If your story isn’t in first person, use close third-person POV to show inner conflict, fears, objections, and doubts, and to illustrate how their true feelings contrast with their words and outward reactions. Increase conflict and tension between characters by showing opposing goals and values through dialogue, body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.

5) Show subtext during dialogue.

A couple might be discussing something trivial or arguing about something minor, when inside, one or both are angry or resentful about deeper problems. You can hint at their real feelings by showing inner thought-reactions like As if, or Give me a break, or You wish, or In your dreams, or Yeah? Since when? Or use body language such as running hands through hair, brows furrowed, teeth clenching, or hands forming a fist, or inner sensations, such as tightening of the stomach, shortness of breath, or cold skin.

6) Make dialogue do double duty.

Dialogue should not only convey information, but also reveal character and personality and advance the storyline. Dialogue action tags like “He rubbed his eyes,” or “She paced the floor,” which can replace “he said” and “she said,” tell us both who’s speaking and what they’re doing, as well as often providing info on how they’re feeling and reacting. For example:

Chris stood up and ran his hand through his hair. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Jesse set his coffee down, determined to stay calm. “Hey, man, relax. I told you about it last week. Don’t you remember?”

7) Drop hints, but hold back information to foreshadow and add intrigue.

Introduce suspense or heighten anticipation through the use of hints and innuendos or snippets/fragments of critical information. These are especially effective when alluding briefly to your protagonist’s secrets, shames, regrets, or troubled childhood. Show brief flashbacks to reveal character secrets, regrets, and fears, little by little.

8) Stay out of the story.

Don’t interrupt the story as the author to explain, describe, clarify, reveal, or emphasize points to the readers. That’s heavy-handed, clunky, and intrusive. Stay behind the scenes and let the characters live the story. Keep even the narration in the POV character’s voice, rather than a neutral, authorial voice.

For more details on all of these points, with examples, see my books, Fire up Your Fiction and Captivate Your Readers.

Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in her series “Fire up Your Fiction: An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Stories”, “Writing a Killer Thriller: An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction”, and “Captivate Your Readers: An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction”. She has also published two clickable timesaving e-resources to date: “Quick Clicks: Spelling List” and “Quick Clicks: Word Usage”. You can find Jodie at www.JodieRenner.com, www.JodieRennerEditing.com, at The Kill Zone blog alternate Mondays, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

5/21/15 5/21/15

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

There are two steps to writing the killer story. One is letting it flow. The other is assessing it critically. I’ve found many writers stop at the end of the first step. So what does a writer do if she wants to make sure each scene in a written story does what it was intended to do? Lucky for us, we don’t have to look any further than author/editor Jodie Renner’s checklist on post-writing evaluation. It’s a prompt and reminder you can even print and keep beside your keyboard.Have your own checklist? Contact us and let us know your writing process.Write, polish, repeat. For me, that’s the secret and Jodie helps us hit that one straight on.Happy Reading!Clay StaffordFounder Killer NashvillePublisher / Editorial Director Killer Nashville Magazine

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It

By Jodie Renner

Besides advancing the storyline, every scene should:

Reveal and deepen characters and their relationships;
Show setting details;
Provide any necessary background info (in a natural way, organic to the story);
Add tension and conflict;
Hint at dangers and intrigue to come;
Enhance the overall tone and mood of your story.

Remember that every scene needs conflict and a change.

To bring your characters and story to life, heighten reader engagement, and pick up the pace, try to make your scenes do double or even triple duty – but subtly is almost always best.

For example, a scene with dialogue should have several layers, including:

The words being spoken;
The character’s real thoughts, opinions, emotions, and intentions;
The other speaker’s tone, word choice, attitude, body language, and facial expressions;
The outward actions, reactions, and attitudes of both.

Here are eight key ways you can intensify your writing and enhance the experience for readers:

When introducing characters, remember to show, rather than tell.

Use attitude when describing setting and characters.

Show character sensations and reactions.

Reveal contradictory feelings.

Show subtext during dialogue.

Make dialogue do double duty.

Chris stood up and ran his hand through his hair. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Jesse set his coffee down, determined to stay calm. “Hey, man, relax. I told you about it last week. Don’t you remember?”

Drop hints, but hold back information to foreshadow and add intrigue.

Stay out of the story.

For more details on all of these points, with examples, see my books, Fire up Your Fiction and Captivate Your Readers.

5/21/15 5/21/15

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It

By Jodie Renner

Besides advancing the storyline, every scene should:

Reveal and deepen characters and their relationships;
Show setting details;
Provide any necessary background info (in a natural way, organic to the story);
Add tension and conflict;
Hint at dangers and intrigue to come;
Enhance the overall tone and mood of your story.

Remember that every scene needs conflict and a change.

To bring your characters and story to life, heighten reader engagement, and pick up the pace, try to make your scenes do double or even triple duty – but subtly is almost always best.

For example, a scene with dialogue should have several layers, including:

The words being spoken;
The character’s real thoughts, opinions, emotions, and intentions;
The other speaker’s tone, word choice, attitude, body language, and facial expressions;
The outward actions, reactions, and attitudes of both.

Here are eight key ways you can intensify your writing and enhance the experience for readers:

When introducing characters, remember to show, rather than tell.

Use attitude when describing setting and characters.

Show character sensations and reactions.

Reveal contradictory feelings.

Show subtext during dialogue.

Make dialogue do double duty.

Chris stood up and ran his hand through his hair. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Jesse set his coffee down, determined to stay calm. “Hey, man, relax. I told you about it last week. Don’t you remember?”

Drop hints, but hold back information to foreshadow and add intrigue.

Stay out of the story.

For more details on all of these points, with examples, see my books, Fire up Your Fiction and Captivate Your Readers.

5/6/15 5/6/15

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

Until next week, write with your heart, critique someone else as though they were you, and read like someone is burning the books!

Happy reading!

Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine

How to Read a Critique without Crying

By Suzanne Webb Brunson

A notable moment for me, a would-be author, occurred once at a writing seminar. A publishing professional asked students to write a scene. We all turned in our one-page submissions. I recognized my notebook paper as the group leader looked at it, she shook her head, and dropped it onto the desk behind her. She could have been suffering a migraine, but I was too busy thinking the worst, and working on my own death by humiliation. I learned nothing.

It was an innocuous moment that occurred at a time when I was beginning to feel some self-confidence. I am a former newspaper editor and reporter. I’ve written for everything from a daily newspaper to a church bulletin. I’ve had good experiences. This was one subjective moment.

Why would I throw my hand over my forehead and want to weep uncontrollably over a piece of paper? The worst thing you can say to a reporter-turned-author is that you are a hack. You can’t cut it. I had been praised by people I trusted, but let this one person defeat me with a casual gesture.

Was this a wasted opportunity, or the foreshadowing of my literary career? It took some thinking, some self-evaluation and I finally understood how personal it becomes when you share your thoughts and your writing style with strangers. I’d done it for years as a reporter, but now I was creating the story. Psychologically, there was a vast difference. I had to learn the basics and gained something else — a savvy critique group.

How do you give and receive a credible critique? Some people are diplomats who know how to give constructive criticism. They are tactful. Others are straightforward and candid. A three star sentence is high praise in my group.

A few basics evolved as we became more familiar. There are devices that work for us. We critique with Microsoft Word. The ‘Review’ section on the toolbar includes a yellow folder marked ‘new comment.’ That feature is golden. Those word balloons can break or bolster a person’s spirit. Others print the double-spaced submission and critique with a pencil.

We know that the The Chicago Manual of Style and The Elements of Style are essential. When the guideline basics are mastered, you write faster and concentrate on your storyline. You will learn how to point out errors or suggest improvements. You can proof a submission, but talk about the editorial content.

Recently, I began reading a huge piece of historical fiction about New York City. I’m puttering along, underlining, and stopped. The words written by this New York Times bestselling author were similar to what I put on that sheet of notebook paper. It was better than what I submitted, but I was on the right track. My experience, seeing similar words, cleared the fog.

While we know there are no new ideas, there are new ways to write. The recent lawsuit by the family of the late Marvin Gaye illustrates something we have talked about in critique. We tend to use the same phrases we read in someone else’s work. We try to go with the attitude that it is flattering and if not brazen copying, just move along.

Storylines can be similar to things we read a decade ago, but if it is your story, it’s not necessarily theft. It is a fine line and one of the things that should be addressed by a group. You write what you know, including what you read two weeks ago and critiqued. We follow fashion. We choose certain car models. Copying is the sincerest form of flattery, unless it costs someone $7.5 million in royalties. Is it plagiarism or is it first amendment writing? Write it better and clear the boards.

I have learned something new at every critique meeting. One person in eight sees one thing no one else finds. You can’t have too many eyes on your copy. Several members have told me repeatedly that they look at all the suggestions on their submission and then use what they think is best. Trust yourself. There is no one else like you. You are learning.

Look at all those setbacks as your future material. If you are fast and prolific, Godspeed. If you aren’t, take that cleansing breath. It is business, but your words are personal. They are yours alone, your gift. Close your eyes. Dream.

Then, play nice.

Suzanne Webb Brunson, a native of Maryland, has lived in New Jersey, Georgia and Tennessee, where she has learned about country stores, local politics, and strawberry festivals. A former newspaper reporter and editor, she earned a journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Widowed with two young children, she became a freelance writer for newspapers, magazines, and other news outlets. She is now writing short stories and a novel. These things she can control with the luxury of imagination. Her latest short stories will appear in a family anthology to be published this summer by Troy D. Smith of Cane Hollow Press. Her writing has also appeared in the anthology, "Gathering: Writers of Williamson County", and the online e-zine, Muscadine Lines, A Southern Journal. Visit her website at http://suzannewebbbrunson.homestead.com

(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Tom Wood, Maria Giordano, Will Chessor, Meaghan Hill, and publisher Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s blog. And for more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com, and www.KillerNashvilleBookCon.com.)

5/6/15 5/6/15

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

Criticism is meant to help you grow as a writer. But sometimes emotional attachment and fear can stand in the way. In this week’s blog, author Suzanne Webb Brunson gets to the heart of what it means to trust those giving the criticism, the best ways to deliver, and how to check that ego at the door.Until next week, write with your heart, critique someone else as though they were you, and read like someone is burning the books!Happy reading!Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine

How to Read a Critique without Crying

By Suzanne Webb Brunson

Then, play nice.

5/6/15 5/6/15

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

How to Read a Critique without Crying

By Suzanne Webb Brunson

Then, play nice.

5/1/15 5/1/15

Ask Clay: Author Business Cards

Clay Stafford, founder Killer Nashville, publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine, and CEO of American Blackguard Inc., is regularly asked a range questions from writing techniques to publishing to marketing. And, they’re always good questions, he says. But often he feels he is unable to fully answer due to time constraints. Writing as a business is important stuff and demands reflection. In our “Ask Clay” column, he will share more than 30 years of experience in what he knows about the writing and entertainment businesses.

You can connect with Clay through www.ClayStafford.com, Twitter, or Facebook.

Author Business Cards

Question: Last month in your Ask Clay Column, you said there were items that should be included in an author’s business card. Could you be more specific?

Absolutely.

First of all, let me state the obvious as I said in last month’s column: authors are – for the most part – poor marketers.

One of the most basic things an author needs is a business card. Postcards and bookmarks are great things to lay out on a table at a writers’ conference, but they are not for introductions. An author needs something that the other person can slip into his/her pocket and reference later, not lay down on a table and forget.

Author business cards don’t have to be fancy. They just need to be well-thought-out. In general, they need to have the logical information the receiver would need to make an honest opinion on whether to reach out to the author or to purchase the author’s book.

As an author – unique as you are – you need to put some thought into your cards. You are the only person in your writing company (unless you are writing with someone else), but for the most part, even if you have staff, it is just you in the limelight. You are the brand. Luckily, you do not have to match any preconceived company logo or format as you might if you had a day job with another company with other employees and a distant board of directors. It’s just you and for your card, more specifically, it needs to express who you are. And I shouldn’t have to mention, don’t use your day job card as your writer business card. It tells the receiver that you have a day job, not that you are a professional author. If the latter is your goal, present yourself as such from the start.

Like your website, your postcards, your bookmarks, and any other promotional items you use, your business card first and foremost needs to look professional in terms of content, and it is worth the extra time and money to get it printed professionally. In the minds of those receiving your card, you are only as professional as the impression they have of you later when – alone and thinking – they reflect back on you by looking at your card. You want it to set you apart from everyone else.

As a writer, it is your job to get things right. Think about it. Who wants to work with a sloppy writer? If your card is sloppy, it says you are, too. Along the same lines, who wants to work with one overly verbose? Information-less? Disjointed? Misspelled? Illogical? Cheap? Smeared? Flimsy? You get the point.

I have heard authors say that because they have books, they do not need business cards. Wrong. A business card is a set professional convention and, unless you are planning on giving away books with all the contact info (email, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), it is best to have a card. And you need a card, say, for a conference like Killer Nashville where the agents, editors, and publishers attending may see over 500+ people over the course of the weekend. You want to make it easy on those who might help your career. How do you do that? A card well designed. Bring cards with you everywhere you go, especially to conferences and book signings.

So what does a writer need to put on his/her card? Here are some elements for your checklist:

Color. The days of simple black-and-white are gone. With the other elements below, you’ll also see why color is so important.

Standard Size. Sure it is nice to stand out. Oddly square, round, extra large, extra small. But will it fit nicely in my wallet like a credit card so I won’t lose it? If you want to be innovative, save it for your writing and your marketing campaigns. In terms of the size and shape of your card, make it convenient to keep it, to pocket it, and to store it in a business card folder when the recipient gets home.

Name. Pretty obvious. And use your writer name if you use a pseudonym.

“Author”. Yep. Silly as it sounds, unless you are a recognizable name, it is always good to state what you are. Under your name, put Author. Or if you are a hyphenate, include: Author / Editor; Author / Filmmaker; Author / Screenwriter; Author / Journalist. And if you tend to write articles rather than books, or you are a minimalist, you might want to just be really simple: Writer.

Contact Info. Authors tend to leave out the right kind of info and put in the wrong kind. Here’s a checklist:

INCLUDE

Website URL. Authors need websites. If you don’t have a website, fix that before you fix your card. When you write it out, you also don’t need to include all the http://www.ClayStafford.com hyperlink info general understood by default browsers anyway. Just include the URL in as simple and concise terms as you can: ClayStafford.com. And look at the lettering: ClayStafford.com is much easier to read than claystafford.com. Make it easy for the person to remember your name.

Email address. Your personal email? No. You don’t know what kind of crazy is going to eventually get this card if someone sets it down. So what do you need? That generic and consistent one on your website that usually reads contact@ YourDomainName.com or yourname@YourDomainName.com, but not your personal Gmail account you use with close friends and family.

DO NOT INCLUDE

Mailing Address. You are not IBM. You don’t want people stopping by. And the more famous you are, the more likely you are not going to want someone to just show up at your doorstep. If you do want to get together with someone you’ve just met, I would suggest you meet at a coffee shop anyway, not your house.

Phone. Optional. If you want. But these days, who calls? Someone can always email your generic and public account and – if you want to get together – you can give the person the phone number. Remember, you don’t know who is going to get this card.

Social Security Number. I’m serious. I’ve seen it more than you think.

Picture. Most people can’t remember names, but they are visual. If someone meets 500+ individuals over the course of the weekend, they need to be able to see your face to re-spark that conversation in their heads. And it needs to be a picture of how you really look regardless of how ugly or fat you think you are. How you look is how you look. Using an airbrushed shot or one of you from 20 years ago is nice for your Glamour interview, but it will work against you if someone is trying to remember who you are by studying your face. I’ve taken cards, gotten home, looked at the picture, and can’t remember ever seeing this person before. I later find out why. The picture on their card and promotional material looks nothing like who they are. Does the picture have to be the usual square or rectangle shot with borders? No. It can be a picture of you, maybe cut out in Photoshop, imposed over the halftone background. But it needs to be prominent. Can it just be your book cover? No, but we’ll get to that in a moment. With a business card (and your career), you are not selling your latest book; you are selling YOU, which includes your latest book, as well as all your backlist and books that appear in the future. The brand is YOU, not the individual book. Use your picture.

Background. You can always include a tag line such as “mystery author”, “thriller author”, “suspense author”, etc., but wouldn’t it be better to make the person feel that rather than be told? That’s where the background of your color cards come in. When someone looks at the card they can immediately see elements of mystery, horror, or thriller if you have chosen your background – maybe in halftones – so clearly that the feeling and quick-first-impression image portrayed immediately sets the feel, creating the market for your demographics. By not using a tag, you are also saving surface space for the information that really matters.

Cover of Your Latest Book. You want a halftone background picture to set the mood. You want the picture of you to help the receiver remember who you are, and you want it to look realistic. But what are you really wanting? In addition to remembering you, you want them to buy a copy of your latest book. Put the cover on there (once again visual) and make sure the title is easily seen. It’s an expense, but each time you release a new book, update your cards. In terms of sales, presentation, and professionalism, it is worth it. Do you need to put ISBN info or publisher’s name? No. Takes up too much space. Just put the cover. If they want your book they will find it easily at the physical bookstore or online with the title of the book (from the picture of the cover) and your name alone. What if you don’t have a book published yet? Don’t include anything.

Catchphrase, blurb, or quote. If you’ve got it, it is always nice to flaunt it. “Mesmerizing” – New York Times will go a long way in saying everything you need to say without you saying it. If the NYT hasn’t reviewed your book, but a fellow author has, ask for a blurb and include that along with their solid title: “A irresistible read.” – Michael Connelly, New York Times Bestselling Author. And if you don’t know any famous authors (or even semi-famous ones), create your own tag: Mesmerizing. A thriller for the dead. This phrase should be what sets you apart from all the other people someone might meet.

And that’s it. That’s all you need.

Social Media Sites. No. Too many. The person receiving your card can get all that from your website. Don’t clutter the card.

The main thing is to look at – and then evaluate – your presentation and information on your card through a stranger’s eyes. Being a writer is a little different than being a CEO. Have fun with your card. Make it as much emotional as informational. Share the nuances of your personality through the visual feel of the card itself. Sell the image (YOU), the brand (YOU), the uniqueness of the product (YOU).

What about the back? Leave it blank and white. Why? That’s where you will personally write your cell phone number, your hotel room number, or maybe even your agent’s name and contact info. And make sure the texture of the card allows you to easily write with a pen; the back surface may be different than the front; you want a back surface that won’t smear regardless of the writing utensil. And – being the busy author you are – you don’t want to waste that extra 15 seconds shaking the card to dry it.

You need to be signing that next book.

Having worked in film, television, radio, and publishing as both a buyer and a seller, Clay Stafford is happy to take your questions regarding the publishing / entertainment industry.

Clay Stafford has had an eclectic career. Not only did he found Killer Nashville in 2006 and Killer Nashville Magazine in 2015, but he has also been an industry executive (PBS, Universal Studios, others), author (over 1.5 million copies of his books in print), a filmmaker (work in 14 languages), university professor (several universities including University of Miami and University of Tennessee), and a much-sought-after public speaker (U.S. Department of Defense, Miami International Press Club, more).

Send your questions here.

5/1/15 5/1/15

Dying for Dinner: Spinach Quiche and Florida Pie

Dying For Dinner

When newspaper columnist and critic Harriet van Horne said, “Cooking is like love: It should be entered into with abandon or not at all,” we have to agree. Otherwise, time in the kitchen is monotony, and who wants that? Here are a couple of recipes that are simple, yummy, and will leave plenty of time for writing.

Spinach Quiche

By Stacy Allen

In “Spark of Silver, Flash of Gold”, the second in my Riley Cooper Series (pub date TBA), Riley is living and working on the island of Cypress where she rents a small room in a B&B, that has a kitchenette. A fan of the quick-to-make spinach quiche, she makes it at least once a week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending upon her mood. The red peppers are her secret ingredient. The other characters love this quiche, so she sometimes makes it to give as gifts or to take to events, since it travels well. Riley is an adventurer, and though she loves to cook, she is way too busy to spend hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

3 cups raw spinach
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium white onion, finely chopped (can use ¼ c. shallots or 1 large leek, minced)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, muddled in a mortar and pestle
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish piecrust
4 eggs, beaten (can use egg beaters if preferred)
16 oz heavy cream (can use light or even half and half if you prefer)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 cup shredded provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the piecrust blind, and set aside to cool. (Blind baking simply means giving the empty crust a head start in the oven before filling it. Do not bake it until golden brown. It will continue to bake when you return it to the oven with the filling.)

2. Heat olive oil in a deep, French sauté pan or wok, and over medium heat sauté onion for a few minutes until tender. Mix in the spinach, and toss with two wooden spoons, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and toss and sauté for another minute or two, until spinach is mostly wilted. Transfer to the piecrust.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream. Pour over the spinach mixture in the piecrust. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Provolone.

Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Maggie's Florida Pie (aka Orange Chocolate Coconut Pie)

By Kathleen Cosgrove

Maggie Finn craves pie, and her desires to get a slice are thwarted through most of Kathleen’s novel, “Entangled”. Here’s an excerpt: “A side dish of pretzels sat near me while I watched a documentary on the history of pie. I developed a craving for one and looked in my refrigerator in case there was some in the back I had forgotten. Since I couldn't remember purchasing any pie the entire time I lived here, not surprisingly, there was none to be found.”

Ingredients:

1 package Orange Jell-O mix
1 package Jell-O Coconut Cream pudding mix
1 package Jell-O Vanilla pudding mix
3-ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
¼-cup condensed milk
1 graham cracker pie shell
Cool Whip

Directions:

First, make the filling by combining all the Jell-O mixes into two cups boiling water. Stir constantly until it boils again. Cool in the refrigerator for about two hours.
While the filling is chilling, melt the chocolate morsels and mix with the condensed milk. Pour into the graham cracker pie shell.
Pour in the orange filling and top with Cool Whip. (Optional: Mix 1 tbsp orange rum or Kahlua into the Cool Whip.)
Garnish with orange rind around outer edges and chocolate morsels in center.

Stacy Allen holds an advanced open water diver certificate, with specialties in night, cave and wreck diving. She is also certified in enriched air nitrox. Her passion for adventure has taken her to five continents to explore over sixty countries. She is the author of “Expedition Indigo”, the first in a new series featuring Dr. Riley Cooper, an archaeology professor from Boston who goes to Italy with a team of researchers to find and excavate the Indigo, a cargo ship full of treasures that sank in the 800s off the coast of Italy.

book photo

Kathleen Cosgrove is a writer living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, just a stone's throw from Nashville. Rubbing shoulders with some of the most creative and talented people on earth has nourished and helped her grow as a writer. She is best known for the unique voice she brings to all her writing. Her style of wit and humor along with snappy dialogue and offbeat characters has reviewers comparing her work to the likes of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen. She can also be found on-stage in venues in and around Nashville reading her always funny and sometimes touching memoirs.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking? Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.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.

5/1/15 5/1/15

The Writer's Life: Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and Conflicts

To learn, one needs to be ready to receive…and have a mentor like Beth Terrell. Her passion for helping beginning writers shines in this column about developing three-dimensional characters, or those who feel like real people.

Last month, Beth, who writes novels under the name Jaden Terrell, discussed what kinds of questions you need to ask yourself to create your main character. This month it’s about what makes them tick.

Why do your characters do the things they do?

Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and Conflicts
By Jaden (Beth) Terrell

Last month, you learned a lot about your main character, from physical appearance to habits and preferences. You thought about strengths and weaknesses. You may have explored some of his or her defining moments. Now let’s go deeper. Let’s find out what really makes your character tick, and then talk about how to use what you’ve learned to give your story more power and depth.

A character’s conscious desires and unconscious drives work together to determine his or her actions in the face of obstacles and conflicts. These four elements—desires, drives, obstacles, and conflicts—can help shape your plot and determine the course of your story.

To make sure we’re all on the same page, let’s talk about what those terms mean. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll alternate masculine and feminine pronouns.

Desires

Desires are those things we’re consciously aware that we want. Kurt Vonnegut said, “Every character should want something, even if it’s just a glass of water.” Why? Because tension is created when something stands between the character and the thing she wants, and it’s tension that keeps readers turning pages.

Based on what you’ve learned about your protagonist, what are her conscious desires? What does she want? Are her short term or immediate desires in line with her long-term goals? What does she value most?

Drives

Some neuroscientists believe that 95-99% of human behavior is determined by unconscious processes. The mind is like an iceberg, with the tip made up of conscious thoughts and awareness and the rest—by far the largest part—beneath the surface.

We don’t see it, but it’s the foundation that holds everything else up. Some say the unconscious mind is like a computer or a tape recorder, playing back the same old messages over and over. Others say it’s roiling, chaotic. Primordial soup. Whichever image you prefer, this much we know is true: it remembers everything we’ve ever experienced and everything we ever felt about those experiences.

When new situations arise, it sifts through those old experiences, finds something similar to this new situation, and uses that past experience to tell us what to think and feel about what’s happening now. We make decisions based on thoughts and emotions lurking down there in the primordial ooze. Then we justify them based on rational thoughts and logic.

Imagine Little Teddy, five years old. He marches off to kindergarten, where he learns the alphabet and how those 26 letters are magically transformed into words. One afternoon, sitting at the kitchen table, he writes a story about a squirrel and a spaceship. His brother looks over his shoulder and laughs. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever read. Squirrels can’t drive spaceships. Plus, you can’t even spell.” Teddy crumples his story and throws it in the trash. Why did he ever think Squirrels in Space was a good idea?

Grade 3, and his teacher posts everyone’s essay on the wall outside the classroom. Teddy is so proud he can hardly breathe—until he hears the snickers. “Look at this one. He spelled ‘ammunition’ wrong. And look at that handwriting. Are you sure he’s not still in kindergarten?”

And so it goes. Teddy grows up to be Ted. He hates his English classes, says they’re boring and stupid. Instead, he gets a degree in business, lands a terrific job he’s good at, becomes a rising star in his company. Then his supervisor offers him a promotion. It’s a great opportunity. Lots more money, better benefits, but he’ll have to write copy for clients. His unconscious mind knows this a bad idea. He doesn’t consciously think about the Squirrels in Space incident, but deep inside, his unconscious mind knows writing hurts. It’s already decided that this is a dangerous situation that Ted must be protected from at all costs.

Ted goes home to think it over. Maybe he makes a list of pros and cons. He thinks of all the rational reasons why the cons carry more weight than the pros. On Monday, he goes into the office and says, “Sam, I appreciate the opportunity, but…”

His decision to turn down the promotion is based, not on his carefully constructed list of pros and cons, but on an inner drive to avoid the kind of pain he felt the day his brother laughed at Squirrels in Space.

Drives are our unconscious motivations, the thoughts and emotions that churn around in that primordial soup we talked about earlier. They’re the reasons we want what we want and fear what we fear. They might drive us to enter a marathon and push on until we drop, even when common sense says it’s time to stop. The conscious desire is to win a medal, get in shape, make Dad proud.

The unconscious drive is the fear of not being good enough (because Dad, who was a track star in high school, always let you know when you fell short, but never once expressed his approval); a hunger for attention (because when you were small, everyone you knew praised you for your athletic prowess, and that felt good); or the need for validation (because your older sister was a star athlete who got all the accolades while you were the clumsy one who sat in the bleachers and pretended to cheer).

What are your character’s unconscious drives and motivations? What influences are working on him that he isn’t even aware of?

Obstacles and Conflicts

Obstacles and conflicts are the things that come between your character and what she wants. For the purposes of this lesson, obstacles are external forces (like poverty, natural disasters, physical disabilities or limitations, or an antagonist with opposing drives and desires), while conflicts are internal or interpersonal.

With internal conflict, your character feels opposing emotions (like the desire to win a show jumping competition with a $10,000 prize versus a fear of riding developed after a bad fall from her horse) or is torn between two equally attractive but mutually exclusive options (think of Stephanie Plum’s ongoing flirtations with Joe Morelli and Ranger).

Let’s go back to that show jumping competition. If your character—let’s call her Molly—wants to win the competition, has the means to enter, and has no doubts about either entering the competition or about her ability to win, then you have no conflict. Tension is low because nothing is keeping her from getting what she wants.

But let’s say she needs the $10,000 to help pay her way to the college of her dreams, and let’s say her best friend, Pia, is also entering the competition. Pia is riding a horse she loves, but the owner (their trainer) is about to sell him, and her foster parents either can’t afford or aren’t willing to buy him for her. Pia is a lonely girl whose only friends are Molly and this horse. Losing him will break her heart. That $10,000 would be enough to buy him. If Molly were to withdraw, Pia would be a shoo-in. Does Molly choose college for herself or happiness for her friend?

Now you have conflict.

Interpersonal conflict occurs when two characters have opposing desires. Some writers think that, to have conflict, the characters have to bicker throughout the story, but that’s not the case.

Imagine a mother and son. The son wants to go to college, but he knows his widowed mother can’t afford to pay for it and needs him at home to work in the family business. She has health problems, medical bills. If he leaves, she’ll lose the business and probably her home. He tells her he’s decided to forget about college.

Mom wants him to go away to school. She thinks it’s his best chance for a good future doing work he loves. She’ll sell the business, she says. Sell the house. Get a smaller place or even go live in a retirement home. No, he says, she loves this house. He wants her to be able to keep it.

There is conflict, because their desires are in opposition. Each wants the other to be happy and is willing to sacrifice much to achieve that end. Neither wants the other to make that sacrifice. Can you see how a conversation between these two, in which she tries to convince him to leave despite his determination to stay, could be infused with tension, even though these people aren’t angry, or even annoyed with each other? Even though they’re coming from a place of love and mutual respect, their conflicting desires create tension.

Some situations serve as both obstacles and conflicts. Antagonism or rivalry between two characters could be an obstacle (if it results in one keeping the other from a desired outcome), an internal conflict (if it causes emotional turmoil), and an interpersonal conflict (if one confronts the other).

Whether internal or interpersonal, conflicts are emotionally charged. As a result, they can create powerful moments in your novel.

Putting it all Together

In your character’s pursuit of her desires, what obstacles stand in the way? What internal conflicts does he have?

Is he comfortable with his current life? Happy? If so, what might happen to threaten that comfort or happiness? If not, what has kept him from acting to change the situation, and what might happen to make him finally take action?

What does your character actually need, and does this need conflict with his conscious desires? What does he value most and why? Is it a belief? A loved one? An object, homestead, piece of property? What might threaten this person or thing, and what will he risk to protect it? What is something your character would never do? Based on what you know about his motivations and desires, what would make him do that thing? Is there a way to work this into the book?

The mistake I made when I first tried to answer these last two questions (which I got from a Donald Maass workshop) was to go with the easy, obvious thing: my character would never rape a woman, murder a child, torture an infant. So when I asked myself what might make him do those things, the answer was always so extreme it would simply not believably happen.

If you’re having the same problem, back away from these most extreme circumstances. If your character is afraid of heights, maybe the thing she would never do would be to cross a suspension bridge over a canyon. What would make her do that? If your answer is, “She would never torture anyone,” can you think of a circumstance where she might? What if the villain has buried her spouse alive, the clock is ticking, and the captured villain refuses to reveal the spouse’s location? Maybe she would, in fact, resist the temptation to torture the information out of the villain, but the conflict between her moral decision not to torture and her desire to save a loved one could make for a powerful scene.

As you develop scenes and plot points, ask yourself how one or more of these elements might add tension and propel the action. Whatever your plotline, the interplay between desires, drives, obstacles, and conflicts can add depth and dimension to your story.

Jaden Terrell (Beth Terrell) is a Shamus Award finalist, a contributor to “Now Write! Mysteries” (a collection of writing exercises by Tarcher/Penguin), and the author of the Jared McKean private detective novels “Racing The Devil”, “A Cup Full of Midnight”, and “River of Glass”. Terrell is the special programs coordinator for the Killer Nashville conference and the winner of the 2009 Magnolia Award for service to the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA). A former special education teacher, Terrell is now a writing coach and developmental editor whose leisure activities include ballroom dancing and equine massage therapy. www.jadenterrell.com

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KN Magazine: Articles

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World / Robin Newman

It’s No Mystery: Writing Mysteries for Kids Is the Best Job in the World / Robin Newman

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

How to Host a Killer Book Event / Jenny Milchman

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

Unlocking the Mystery / Blake Fontenay

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

What Makes a Thriller Paranoid? / Don Winston

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

A Checklist to Evaluate Your Story After You’ve Written It / Jodie Renner

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

How to Read a Critique without Crying / Suzanne Webb Brunson

Ask Clay: Author Business Cards

Author Business Cards

Dying for Dinner: Spinach Quiche and Florida Pie

Dying For Dinner

Spinach Quiche

Maggie's Florida Pie (aka Orange Chocolate Coconut Pie)

The Writer's Life: Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and Conflicts

Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and Conflicts
By Jaden (Beth) Terrell

Submit Your Writing to KN Magazine

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KN Magazine: Articles

Author Business Cards

Dying For Dinner

Spinach Quiche

Maggie's Florida Pie (aka Orange Chocolate Coconut Pie)

Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and ConflictsBy Jaden (Beth) Terrell

Submit Your Writing to KN Magazine

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Desires, Drives, Obstacles, and Conflicts
By Jaden (Beth) Terrell