Each year I attend two writing conferences: OWFI (Oklahoma Writers' Federation Inc.) writing conference the first of May and The Muse on Line Writers' Conference in October. I always bring at least one or two excellent ideas away with me.
OWFI had Dana Stabenow as the keynote speaker in May. I don't usually take notes during the keynote speech at the Friday night banquet, but she gave some excellent promotion tips.
You don't know Dana Stabenow? Then please go to your local Wal-Mart, Target, or bookstore, or Amazon, and find her books. She writes mysteries (of course) which take place in her home state Alaska. She is becoming more well-known all the time, and she is a best selling author.
One strong point brought out by Dana, publishers don't do much for promotion unless the author is already famous. That isn't a surprise to most of us. Even James Patterson pitches his books on television. Therefore, she decided she would do a major promotion for her books herself, using the Internet.
For her first major promotion she used her website to present one chapter of the book per month starting four months before its release, and she used only the first four chapters, no more. She gave a free ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of the book each month for those four months.
Dana wrote and posted a transitional chapter linking book one to the next book, or the book before the current book to the current book. She covered what happened to her main characters (which include a wolf) and community from one novel to the next.
The Stabenow URL (http://Stabenow.com) appeared on everything, everywhere she could place it. Her website offers great advice for writers, too.
She paid for a professional trailer, which she discovered was not cost effective. Now one not done by a professional, but of good quality, does the job.
After the first book she promoted so strongly, Dana adjusted her procedure some. She began to do only one except before the release of a book, but continued adding a transitional chapter between the previous book and the current one soon to be released. She also offered an ARC as a prize a couple of times before the release of a novel, rather than one each month for four months.
Dana puts out five newsletters each year, with an active "buy" link in each e-newletter.
One thing Dana Stabenow covered, too, was building a platform (sometimes called a marketing plan), by which potential buyers can be reached. Facebook, Twitter, other social networking groups, and building followers for one's blog and website are a few ways to build a platform. Also, collecting email addresses through having people subscribe to her newsletter helps.
I am already using some of these ideas to promote my newest novel, to be released in October, and encourage other authors to do the same. I set up a website for Stolen, the novel, and incorporated some of Dana Stabenow's tips. I'll share any successes.
Since I face surgery tomorrow morning and will be rather limited for two months, I may not be back for a while. However, keep learning and writing and improving.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Showing posts with label Vivian Zabel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vivian Zabel. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Crime Fiction? by Vivian Zabel
Crime Fiction, according to most authorities, is fiction which deals with, of all things, crime. Crime supposedly means detective, solving of crimes, police procedure plots, etc. It is a sub-genre to the mystery genre.
Now I hear from Jordan Dane, mistress of thrillers, that the term “Crime Fiction” is being used as an umbrella for all mystery, suspense, and thriller works. Let’s briefly examine those genres and sub-genres and see how they can be considered “crime fiction.”
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_fiction target="_new")states that Crime Fiction and Mystery Fiction are also synonymous, meaning the different genres and sub-genres dealing with detective, crime, mystery, and anything dealing with solving a crime puzzle.
Since suspense is a major component of any mystery, no matter what the genre or sub-genre, then suspense fiction can be seen to be part of Crime Fiction. According to Writer’s Digest, July 10, 2008, the nine tricks to writing suspense tie to the needs for good mystery or thriller fiction – crime fiction. In fact the English name the sub-genre we call suspense as thrillers. All tie together.
Brian Garfield on International Thriller Writers, 1994, states that novels of suspense (thrillers) contain elements of mystery, romance, and adventure.
I appeared on a panel with Jordan Dane and Merline Lovelace as we discussed Crime Fiction (mystery, suspense, thriller) at the Heartland New Day BookFest on Saturday. Both authors are delightful authors and people. All the people in the room (the largest attended session at the festival) enjoyed themselves. I recommend if you ever have a chance to hear either of them, take it.
Any way, all this time I’ve been writing Crime Fiction and didn’t know.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Now I hear from Jordan Dane, mistress of thrillers, that the term “Crime Fiction” is being used as an umbrella for all mystery, suspense, and thriller works. Let’s briefly examine those genres and sub-genres and see how they can be considered “crime fiction.”
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_fiction target="_new")states that Crime Fiction and Mystery Fiction are also synonymous, meaning the different genres and sub-genres dealing with detective, crime, mystery, and anything dealing with solving a crime puzzle.
Since suspense is a major component of any mystery, no matter what the genre or sub-genre, then suspense fiction can be seen to be part of Crime Fiction. According to Writer’s Digest, July 10, 2008, the nine tricks to writing suspense tie to the needs for good mystery or thriller fiction – crime fiction. In fact the English name the sub-genre we call suspense as thrillers. All tie together.
Brian Garfield on International Thriller Writers, 1994, states that novels of suspense (thrillers) contain elements of mystery, romance, and adventure.
I appeared on a panel with Jordan Dane and Merline Lovelace as we discussed Crime Fiction (mystery, suspense, thriller) at the Heartland New Day BookFest on Saturday. Both authors are delightful authors and people. All the people in the room (the largest attended session at the festival) enjoyed themselves. I recommend if you ever have a chance to hear either of them, take it.
Any way, all this time I’ve been writing Crime Fiction and didn’t know.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mystery writing heroes by Vivian Zabel
Since another icon of the mystery genre has left our world, I decided to honor some of the mystery writing heroes who directly or indirectly affected my writing: Phyllis A. Whitney; Mary Stewart; Tony Hillerman; and Robert B. Parker. Three have died, and one still lives but no longer writes.
Phyllis A. Whitney passed away on February 8, 2008 at the age of 104. For more than 80 years, she wove her storytelling magic — in her lifetime garnering numerous awards and worldwide acclaim for her books. A winner of the prestigious Grand Master award for lifetime achievement from the Mystery Writers of America, and an author the New York Times once called the "Queen of the American Gothics," Phyllis A. Whitney was and remains one of my favorite mystery and romantic suspense writers. Reading her books during my teens and adult years had an impact on my writing.
"It's hard to come up with a 'quote' about myself. Perhaps I could say that most of my writing has been concerned with understanding between people. Whether of different races, or religions, or even in the same family I tried in my books... to deal with the subject of understanding the other fellow."
-- Phyllis A. Whitney
Mary Stewart published about one book a year from 1955 until 1980, each becoming a best seller. She was at the height of her popularity in the 1960s and 1970s when many of her suspense and romantic novels were translated into many languages. I read every one of her books I could lay hands on during the same years I read Phyllis Whitney's.
Stewart is considered one of the founders of the romantic suspense sub-genre, blending romance novels and mystery. The author has lived for many years in Scotland, where she divides her time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Mary Stewart has always been hesitant to categorize her novels, uncomfortable naming them thrillers, mysteries, or romances. She says, "I'd rather just say that I write novels, fast-moving stories that entertain. To my mind there are really only two kinds of novels, badly written and well written. Beyond that, you cannot categorize...Can't I say that I just write stories? 'Storyteller' is an old and honorable title, and I'd like to lay claim to it."
Anthony "Tony" Grove Hillerman was born on 27 May 1925, the youngest of the three children of August Alfred and Lucy Grove Hillerman. The Hillermans farmed and ran the crossroads store in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma. Even though Tony was originally from Oklahoma, I never had the opportunity to meet him in person until the Red Dirt Book Festival, October 2003, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I attended all his sessions, stood in line to get my books autographed, and listened as he spoke at the banquet. Several times he visited with me during the course of the two-day festival. A friendly and gracious man, he signed one of my books with a personal message, giving me a keepsake that I will forever treasure.
One thing he shared with us that weekend, some people around him in the publishing business considered him a prude because he didn’t include sexual scenes. One person told him the closest he came to sexual tension was to have a man and woman shake hands.
Many people have written about Tony over the years, and since his death, but one article that best explains his books is an article by the author himself: “Behind the Books” by Tony Hillerman. I advise anyone and everyone read that essay.
Anthony Grove Hillerman, writer, born May 27 1925; died October 26 2008.
Then earlier this week, the world learned we lost another leading mystery writer: Robert B. Parker. I blogged about him on Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap Tuesday, right after I heard about his death.
Robert Parker revitalized and brought life back to the hard-boiled mysteries. I've read most his books, and I enjoyed some more than others. I'm a fan of Spenser (loved Hawk) and Jesse Stone, and always will be.
Yes, we still have some marvelous models to follow as we write mysteries, such as Carolyn Hart, Jordan Dane, Tess Gerritsen, William Bernhardt, and many more, but those we've lost will remain as pioneers in our craft.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Alternatives to Major Publishers by Vivian Zabel
First, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. A Christmas story written by me to share with you can be found on Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap.
I usually write about tips that tie directly to writing or reading mysteries. This time I want to talk about getting a book published, no matter what the genre.
Many authors dream, as well as work very hard, to get a book published. The problem is there are many more hopeful writers than available slots in the few major publishing firms. The number of major firms has shrunk over the years as one merges with another. Finally major publishers prefer going with authors whose names already trigger the attention of the public. What then should a writer do who wants to be published and have a book to market? Various alternatives exist to trying to go through a major publishing company: small-press companies; DIY, do it yourself; or independent publishers. The first step in marketing a book is for it to be published.
According to various sources on the Internet, only six to eight major large publishing corporations now exist, if their subsidiaries are not counted separately. However, Publishers Weekly estimates that more than 7,000 new publishers form each year, giving writers options for seeing their books in print.
Small-press companies don’t have the funding to pay large, or sometimes any, advances, but according to Judith Rosen in September 2006 The Writer, they can deliver big books. A small-press can be an alternative to the frustrations of a major company or can be a stepping stone to a large corporate house.
Independent presses don’t accept everything from fiction to non-fiction, from science fiction to science, from mystery to romance. They usually specialize in rather narrow areas. But one publisher or more covers every genre and area of publishing. One place to find small presses is through the membership of The Small Press Center for Independent Publishing. Another is page 52 of The Writer, September 2006.
Robert S. Nahas, in his book How to Get a Book Published states that a decade ago, self-publishing (or DIY) was viewed as a joke, and many people considered self-published authors were not really published authors. He goes on to write, “... but today there is a much different climate ... As more and more self-published authors have begun to reap impressive, and sometimes staggering, sales over the past seven or eight years, the world has begun to take notice of the amazing successes.” Note that he is not speaking of “Vanity Publishing,” but of works that have been professionally prepared with thorough editing and formatting.
Another type of publishing is electronic publishing, whether as DIY or through an electronic publishing company. Although books on line didn’t become the replacement for hard copy books as predicted in the past, they are starting to become more popular as time passes.
As with any business venture, a writer needs to research any company he or she considers working with. All should be careful of scams, but anyone willing to write and prepare a well-written manuscript has more opportunities than ever to take the first step toward marketing a book by being able to have it published.
Sources:
1. Robert S. Nahas, How to Get a Book Published, pages 33 - 54.
2. Robin Nobles, Publishing companies on the Internet, http://www.robinsnest.com
3. Judith Rosen, “Small-press success,” The Writer, September 2006
4. “Publishing,” Wikipedia wikipedia.org
5. “Publisher,” Wikipedia wikipedia.org
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Some espionage for writers by Vivian Zabel
I took part in the Muse Online Writers Conference in October, and D.S. Kane had a workshop on how to write about espionage realistically. The information I gained from that workshop will be helpful in some of the upcoming work, and I hope you'll find some of what I share will aid you, too.
Kane listed ten intelligence agencies in the United States: CIA, NSA,FBI, DIA, NCIS, ATF, DEA, NRO, ONI, U.S. Marshals. He said he knows of sixteen, even though he didn't list that many. One that he didn't know about, and that I do because of my research for my WIP, is the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the Air Force equivalent to NCIS.
Of course other nations have their intelligence agencies, too, such as AFI (intelligence branch of the Israeli Air Force), The Mossad (Israel's "secret" service), and MI-6 (Great Britain).
The more one knows about the intelligence agencies used in writing fiction, the more believable the writing is. Research is vital. I would suggest to begin with D.S. Kane before going to some of the following works:
John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
John LeCarre, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Thomas Gordon, Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad
Peter Wright, Spy Catcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer
Thank you, D.S. Kane, not only for an interesting workshop, but also for information to help writers be better writers.
Oh, yes, to register for the 2010 Muse Online Writers Conference, click on the title. Registering now means you'll receive all the notices and won't forget until after the deadline.
Vivian Zabel
Kane listed ten intelligence agencies in the United States: CIA, NSA,FBI, DIA, NCIS, ATF, DEA, NRO, ONI, U.S. Marshals. He said he knows of sixteen, even though he didn't list that many. One that he didn't know about, and that I do because of my research for my WIP, is the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the Air Force equivalent to NCIS.
Of course other nations have their intelligence agencies, too, such as AFI (intelligence branch of the Israeli Air Force), The Mossad (Israel's "secret" service), and MI-6 (Great Britain).
The more one knows about the intelligence agencies used in writing fiction, the more believable the writing is. Research is vital. I would suggest to begin with D.S. Kane before going to some of the following works:
John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
John LeCarre, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Thomas Gordon, Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad
Peter Wright, Spy Catcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer
Thank you, D.S. Kane, not only for an interesting workshop, but also for information to help writers be better writers.
Oh, yes, to register for the 2010 Muse Online Writers Conference, click on the title. Registering now means you'll receive all the notices and won't forget until after the deadline.
Vivian Zabel
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Adding reality to mystery by Vivian Zabel
As a mystery/suspense writer myself, I want to make my books as believable as possible. I've read magazines, online, and books to learn how others write, for material to use, and to add to my knowledge. I attended workshops, clinics, and workshops for over 30 years.
Perhaps some the methods I've found that help me might help others who write mysteries, suspense, thrillers, and/or detective stories and books.
My first mystery/suspense novel, which came out last fall, Midnight Hours takes place in Oklahoma City, and three of the main characters are members of the OKC police department. Much what I wrote about the police department came from my imagination and from my experiences mainly with the country sheriff's department. I realize now that I needed a resource inside the department in order to be sure the details add to the believability of the plot if and when someone who "knows" reads the book. I can at least have that information for the next book in the series.
Ways to discover facts and possibilities to help with writing any type of mystery (including the sub-genres) are many.
Have a resource person in a police department. I now have one in the OKC department. If I decide to use another city or county entity, I will contact them and ask for help.
Join email groups in the crime/mystery genre. I'm a member of Sister in Crime (http://sistersincrime.org} and their Yahoo email group, as well as the crimescenewriters Yahoo email group. Many experts, including police and forensics experts, are parts of each group and answer questions posed about material needed for plots, deaths, discovery, and procedures. I started printing many pages of responses for my mystery file. I have at least three new possible ways to commit murder, investigate them, and solve them.
Read, read, read. Read mysteries of all kinds. Note which plots, characters, and details work and which don't. Analyze why or why not.
Read writing magazines, and articles which cover writing different types of mysteries.
Attend conferences with mystery sessions. I have two conferences on my wish list: Scene of the Crime, held in Wichita, Kansas, and Telling Your Story hosted by Mystery author William Bernhardt, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Muse Online Writing Conference last year had a complete list of forums, authors, and editors dealing with mystery. Wonder what they will have this year (next month)?
The more prepared we are, the better chance our mystery will have details and information that will make our stories and novels believable.
My novel Midnight Hours started as a novella entered in a contest on Writing.Com. The novel and long short story have a few things in common, but the novel expands and changes some of the characters and plot. However, I did my best to make characters, plot, and setting as realistic and believable as possible.
Vivian Zabel
Perhaps some the methods I've found that help me might help others who write mysteries, suspense, thrillers, and/or detective stories and books.
My first mystery/suspense novel, which came out last fall, Midnight Hours takes place in Oklahoma City, and three of the main characters are members of the OKC police department. Much what I wrote about the police department came from my imagination and from my experiences mainly with the country sheriff's department. I realize now that I needed a resource inside the department in order to be sure the details add to the believability of the plot if and when someone who "knows" reads the book. I can at least have that information for the next book in the series.
Ways to discover facts and possibilities to help with writing any type of mystery (including the sub-genres) are many.
Have a resource person in a police department. I now have one in the OKC department. If I decide to use another city or county entity, I will contact them and ask for help.
Join email groups in the crime/mystery genre. I'm a member of Sister in Crime (http://sistersincrime.org} and their Yahoo email group, as well as the crimescenewriters Yahoo email group. Many experts, including police and forensics experts, are parts of each group and answer questions posed about material needed for plots, deaths, discovery, and procedures. I started printing many pages of responses for my mystery file. I have at least three new possible ways to commit murder, investigate them, and solve them.
Read, read, read. Read mysteries of all kinds. Note which plots, characters, and details work and which don't. Analyze why or why not.
Read writing magazines, and articles which cover writing different types of mysteries.
Attend conferences with mystery sessions. I have two conferences on my wish list: Scene of the Crime, held in Wichita, Kansas, and Telling Your Story hosted by Mystery author William Bernhardt, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Muse Online Writing Conference last year had a complete list of forums, authors, and editors dealing with mystery. Wonder what they will have this year (next month)?
The more prepared we are, the better chance our mystery will have details and information that will make our stories and novels believable.
My novel Midnight Hours started as a novella entered in a contest on Writing.Com. The novel and long short story have a few things in common, but the novel expands and changes some of the characters and plot. However, I did my best to make characters, plot, and setting as realistic and believable as possible.
Vivian Zabel
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Excerpt from Romantic Suspense by Vivian Zabel
I thought I'd share a sample of my writing today with the start of the first chapter of my romantic suspense Murder in the Mansion.
Amber pulled air into her lungs and gritted her teeth to keep from yelling back at the
people pushing toward the desk, It’s not our fault two people are down with the flu and one
person missing. She smiled at the man across the desk as she took his keycard.
“I’m sorry we didn’t do as you asked.” He grimaced. “We just thought it would be easier
to check in and out separately.”
“Mr. Kane, usually we would be better organized, but we’re short handed this morning.
Please have your people move to two lines. Darlene and I will check you out and have your
statements ready. Other staff will be here soon.”
Mr. Kane turned to the couple behind him. “You heard the lady. Pass the word, and we’ll
be out of here faster.”
The hundred and ten people grumbled and cursed but moved into two scraggly lines.
Darlene and Amber began accepting returned keys, printing out statements, and settling
accounts. Where in the world is Marlene?
When the phone rang, she raised one finger toward the woman in front of her. “Excuse
me, but we don’t have anyone to answer the phone right now.” She forced a smile into her voice.
“The Mansion Conference Center, would you hold, please?”
The voice in her ear answered, “Wait, Amber, we have a Homeland Security problem and
need your help. Kile Logan needs accommodations for his group this week.”
“Dad? I can’t talk now. We’re short handed, and we’re full.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I know you’ll do your best.”
“I’ve got to go. Call me later on my cell.” Amber placed the handset on its base more
gently than she wanted. She gave another smile, although strained, as she faced the woman.
“Thank you for waiting.”
A man shouldered his way in front of the guest. “I have an appointment with a Amber
Russell. My name is Titus Fallin.”
Amber shut her eyes a second before opening them to stare at the burly man. “Sir, this
lady was here first, and your appointment isn’t for another twenty minutes.”
“Are you Miz Russell?” The scowl on Fallin’s face deepened. “I don’t do business with
no underlings.”
“Mr. Fallin, I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” Amber leaned to one side so she could see
the waiting woman. “Mrs. Greene, your statement is printing. Since you had no extra charges.,
just leave your key on the counter, and your printout will be ready in a second. Thank you for
staying with us.”
“Look, girly, I don’t like getting a brush off.”
“Mr. Fallin, please wait over in the lobby area. Thank you.” Amber snatched the
statement from the printer and reached around him to hand it to Mrs. Greene. A hand on her
shoulder caused her to jerk and spin around. “Oh, Neil. Thank you for coming down. I hated to
call, but,” she waved a hand, “as you can see, things are rather hectic.”
“No word from Marlene?” The slender, soft-spoken black man took Amber’s place as he
smiled at the next person in line, only to see Fallin still standing there. “Excuse me, sir, but you
were asked to move over to the sitting area. Ms Russell will join you in a moment."
“Damn darkie,” Fallin muttered before stomping away from the desk.
Neil’s smile never wavered as he greeted the man who stared after Fallin, who pushed
people out of his way. “May I help you, sir?”
“Yes, I need to check out.” The man handed his key card to the assistant manager.
Neil typed the information into the computer while he told Amber, “Go see if you can
tame the beast. Carl and Tony are on their way. They’ll work double shifts until our sick folks
are back and Marlene shows up.”
“Thanks, Neil. I’ll go see what Mr. Fallin’s problem is.” A frown marred her usually
smooth brow. “His group isn’t due until this afternoon.” She strode away, shaking her head.
Before Amber could reach the sitting arrangement where Titus Fallin paced, he spun
toward her. “It’s about time. Now where is your boss? I told that gal on the phone I wanted to
talk to him.”
“Mr. Fallin, I am one of the owners of The Mansion. Please follow me to my office.” She
pursed her lips for a few seconds as she walked away, not looking back. She moved down a hall
on the right side of the long counter that made the front desk of her conference center. At the
second door, she entered and walked behind her desk before she faced Fallin.
“Now, what is the problem, Mr. Fallin? Your group isn’t scheduled to arrive until later.”
“I jest want to be sure you understand we don’t want no interference in our meetings.”
“Each conference room assigned to you will be set up before you’re scheduled to be
there, and no one will enter until the room is empty. I read the contract Ms. Cruthers made with
you.” Amber opened a folder titled “Minute Men” on her desk and removed the contract. “A few
things we need to be sure you and your people understand: Housekeeping cleans rooms between
the hours of ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. If the occupants won’t allow staff in
the rooms during that time, rooms will not be cleaned that day. Also, we have a clause that states
rudeness, racial or gender slurs, or violence toward any of our staff can result in a group being
required to leave.”
“Why are you telling me this? Are you picking on us ‘cause we’re members of a militia
group?”
“No, sir, you said no one was to enter a room while any of your group was there, and I
heard what you said about our assistant manager. We want to avoid problems whenever
possible.” Amber strode around the desk and followed Fallin as he stomped through the open
door and down the hall.
When they reached the lobby, the man glared at her before he swaggered to the doors,
yanked one open, and left the building. Oh, Marlene, what have you gotten us into, and where
are you? “What a way to start a Monday,” she muttered.
When her cell vibrated against her leg, Amber pulled the phone from her slacks pocket.
“Great,” she mumbled when she saw her father’s name on the display. She snapped the phone
open. “Hello, Dad.”
“Amber, I’m serious. You have to find facilities for Kile Logan and his people.”
“I’m serious, Dad. We’re full.” She brushed her dark hair back from her face.
“As I said, if the situation wasn’t so important, I wouldn’t ask. They’ll need maybe one
or two small conference rooms, maybe two that can open into one larger one, and maybe ten
guest rooms. There’ll be about 25 people, but they can share rooms.”
“Okay, Dad, what’s going on? Does this have something to do with the militia group due
to register in a bit?”
“I can’t give any more details, gave you more information that I should.” After a pause,
he suggested, “Any apartments empty?”
“We have three, but …”
“Any single rooms at all? Please work out something. This is Homeland Security
business.”
“Oh, great, just what I need, to be involved in some terrorist plot or something.” With a
shake of her head, which caused her shoulder-length hair to swing, Amber sighed. “Okay, Dad,
I’ll work something out, but I need a little time.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but Kile will be there any minute.” Her father disconnected.
Amber sighed again as she jammed the phone in her pocket. Movement by the main
doors jolted Amber from her reverie. She felt herself pulled into his orbit, this man whose dark
blond hair barely brushed his shirt collar as he glanced around the lobby. Just as quickly, she
shrugged as she figured this gorgeous hunk was probably Kile Logan. Most likely thinks he’s
God’s gift to women, the thought flashed through her mind. In a whisper she added, “That’s not
nice. Just because he’s the cause of another problem.”
The man’s visual tour reached her, slowly frisked her from foot to head, sending shivers
of awareness along the path his eyes took. Stop it, Amber, he’s just a man – one you don’t know.
One corner of his lips turned up in a grin as he turned toward the desk, where the final
two people checked out after a weekend’s conference. With a sigh, which she thought she
needed to stop doing so often, Amber walked toward him. “Mr. Logan?” she asked a few steps
away.
He turned pale eyes, a silver gray, toward her. “Yes?”
“I’m Amber Russell. I’m expecting you.” A smile began to form across her face, but his
frown stopped it.
“You’re A. Russell? I wasn’t told you were a woman.”
“Yes, sir, I’m A. Russell, but rather than discuss this here, let’s go to my office.” She
whirled on her heel and marched toward her office for the second confrontation of the morning.
Irritation built as Kile Logan chuckled behind her. What does he think is so funny? Grrr …
“Help, help! Somebody, please.” A woman, wearing a towel and swimming-suit over her
chubby body, stumbled into the lobby from the atrium, bare feet slapping against the tiles.
“There’s a body in the fish deal, fountain, whatever it’s called.”
Amber and Kile reached the woman at the same time. Before Kile could speak, Amber
asked, “The fish pool?” She laid a hand on the woman’s arm. “Come sit down and tell us about
it.”
She glanced toward the desk and motioned for Neil to join her. When he stopped beside
her, she whispered, “Go check the fish pool. If there’s a body, call my dad.”
Neil nodded and hurried off.
Turning to the woman, who now slumped in a stuffed chair, Amber realized that Kile
hadn’t tried to talk to the gray faced, panting woman, but strode to the table with glasses and a
pitcher of water, poured a glass, and hurried back.
Amber knelt beside the woman. “Mr. Logan has a glass of water. Please sip a bit before
you try to speak.”
With trembling hands holding the glass, the woman sipped. She swallowed before saying,
“I was … I was cutting across the atrium to the swimming pool. I always stop to watch the fish.”
She looked around before sitting the glass on a round table beside her chair and raised trembling
fingers to her mouth. She shivered. “I … I never saw a dead body … she was floating face down,
just floating, her blond hair spread out … Oh, dear God, I …” She covered her face and sobbed
as she tried to continue talking. “She just lay there … lay in the water…”
****
Does that cause you to want to read more? Why? What writing guidelines did I use? Did the excerpt give you any help in starting your own writing?
Vivian Zabel
Chapter One
Amber pulled air into her lungs and gritted her teeth to keep from yelling back at the
people pushing toward the desk, It’s not our fault two people are down with the flu and one
person missing. She smiled at the man across the desk as she took his keycard.
“I’m sorry we didn’t do as you asked.” He grimaced. “We just thought it would be easier
to check in and out separately.”
“Mr. Kane, usually we would be better organized, but we’re short handed this morning.
Please have your people move to two lines. Darlene and I will check you out and have your
statements ready. Other staff will be here soon.”
Mr. Kane turned to the couple behind him. “You heard the lady. Pass the word, and we’ll
be out of here faster.”
The hundred and ten people grumbled and cursed but moved into two scraggly lines.
Darlene and Amber began accepting returned keys, printing out statements, and settling
accounts. Where in the world is Marlene?
When the phone rang, she raised one finger toward the woman in front of her. “Excuse
me, but we don’t have anyone to answer the phone right now.” She forced a smile into her voice.
“The Mansion Conference Center, would you hold, please?”
The voice in her ear answered, “Wait, Amber, we have a Homeland Security problem and
need your help. Kile Logan needs accommodations for his group this week.”
“Dad? I can’t talk now. We’re short handed, and we’re full.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I know you’ll do your best.”
“I’ve got to go. Call me later on my cell.” Amber placed the handset on its base more
gently than she wanted. She gave another smile, although strained, as she faced the woman.
“Thank you for waiting.”
A man shouldered his way in front of the guest. “I have an appointment with a Amber
Russell. My name is Titus Fallin.”
Amber shut her eyes a second before opening them to stare at the burly man. “Sir, this
lady was here first, and your appointment isn’t for another twenty minutes.”
“Are you Miz Russell?” The scowl on Fallin’s face deepened. “I don’t do business with
no underlings.”
“Mr. Fallin, I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” Amber leaned to one side so she could see
the waiting woman. “Mrs. Greene, your statement is printing. Since you had no extra charges.,
just leave your key on the counter, and your printout will be ready in a second. Thank you for
staying with us.”
“Look, girly, I don’t like getting a brush off.”
“Mr. Fallin, please wait over in the lobby area. Thank you.” Amber snatched the
statement from the printer and reached around him to hand it to Mrs. Greene. A hand on her
shoulder caused her to jerk and spin around. “Oh, Neil. Thank you for coming down. I hated to
call, but,” she waved a hand, “as you can see, things are rather hectic.”
“No word from Marlene?” The slender, soft-spoken black man took Amber’s place as he
smiled at the next person in line, only to see Fallin still standing there. “Excuse me, sir, but you
were asked to move over to the sitting area. Ms Russell will join you in a moment."
“Damn darkie,” Fallin muttered before stomping away from the desk.
Neil’s smile never wavered as he greeted the man who stared after Fallin, who pushed
people out of his way. “May I help you, sir?”
“Yes, I need to check out.” The man handed his key card to the assistant manager.
Neil typed the information into the computer while he told Amber, “Go see if you can
tame the beast. Carl and Tony are on their way. They’ll work double shifts until our sick folks
are back and Marlene shows up.”
“Thanks, Neil. I’ll go see what Mr. Fallin’s problem is.” A frown marred her usually
smooth brow. “His group isn’t due until this afternoon.” She strode away, shaking her head.
Before Amber could reach the sitting arrangement where Titus Fallin paced, he spun
toward her. “It’s about time. Now where is your boss? I told that gal on the phone I wanted to
talk to him.”
“Mr. Fallin, I am one of the owners of The Mansion. Please follow me to my office.” She
pursed her lips for a few seconds as she walked away, not looking back. She moved down a hall
on the right side of the long counter that made the front desk of her conference center. At the
second door, she entered and walked behind her desk before she faced Fallin.
“Now, what is the problem, Mr. Fallin? Your group isn’t scheduled to arrive until later.”
“I jest want to be sure you understand we don’t want no interference in our meetings.”
“Each conference room assigned to you will be set up before you’re scheduled to be
there, and no one will enter until the room is empty. I read the contract Ms. Cruthers made with
you.” Amber opened a folder titled “Minute Men” on her desk and removed the contract. “A few
things we need to be sure you and your people understand: Housekeeping cleans rooms between
the hours of ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. If the occupants won’t allow staff in
the rooms during that time, rooms will not be cleaned that day. Also, we have a clause that states
rudeness, racial or gender slurs, or violence toward any of our staff can result in a group being
required to leave.”
“Why are you telling me this? Are you picking on us ‘cause we’re members of a militia
group?”
“No, sir, you said no one was to enter a room while any of your group was there, and I
heard what you said about our assistant manager. We want to avoid problems whenever
possible.” Amber strode around the desk and followed Fallin as he stomped through the open
door and down the hall.
When they reached the lobby, the man glared at her before he swaggered to the doors,
yanked one open, and left the building. Oh, Marlene, what have you gotten us into, and where
are you? “What a way to start a Monday,” she muttered.
When her cell vibrated against her leg, Amber pulled the phone from her slacks pocket.
“Great,” she mumbled when she saw her father’s name on the display. She snapped the phone
open. “Hello, Dad.”
“Amber, I’m serious. You have to find facilities for Kile Logan and his people.”
“I’m serious, Dad. We’re full.” She brushed her dark hair back from her face.
“As I said, if the situation wasn’t so important, I wouldn’t ask. They’ll need maybe one
or two small conference rooms, maybe two that can open into one larger one, and maybe ten
guest rooms. There’ll be about 25 people, but they can share rooms.”
“Okay, Dad, what’s going on? Does this have something to do with the militia group due
to register in a bit?”
“I can’t give any more details, gave you more information that I should.” After a pause,
he suggested, “Any apartments empty?”
“We have three, but …”
“Any single rooms at all? Please work out something. This is Homeland Security
business.”
“Oh, great, just what I need, to be involved in some terrorist plot or something.” With a
shake of her head, which caused her shoulder-length hair to swing, Amber sighed. “Okay, Dad,
I’ll work something out, but I need a little time.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but Kile will be there any minute.” Her father disconnected.
Amber sighed again as she jammed the phone in her pocket. Movement by the main
doors jolted Amber from her reverie. She felt herself pulled into his orbit, this man whose dark
blond hair barely brushed his shirt collar as he glanced around the lobby. Just as quickly, she
shrugged as she figured this gorgeous hunk was probably Kile Logan. Most likely thinks he’s
God’s gift to women, the thought flashed through her mind. In a whisper she added, “That’s not
nice. Just because he’s the cause of another problem.”
The man’s visual tour reached her, slowly frisked her from foot to head, sending shivers
of awareness along the path his eyes took. Stop it, Amber, he’s just a man – one you don’t know.
One corner of his lips turned up in a grin as he turned toward the desk, where the final
two people checked out after a weekend’s conference. With a sigh, which she thought she
needed to stop doing so often, Amber walked toward him. “Mr. Logan?” she asked a few steps
away.
He turned pale eyes, a silver gray, toward her. “Yes?”
“I’m Amber Russell. I’m expecting you.” A smile began to form across her face, but his
frown stopped it.
“You’re A. Russell? I wasn’t told you were a woman.”
“Yes, sir, I’m A. Russell, but rather than discuss this here, let’s go to my office.” She
whirled on her heel and marched toward her office for the second confrontation of the morning.
Irritation built as Kile Logan chuckled behind her. What does he think is so funny? Grrr …
“Help, help! Somebody, please.” A woman, wearing a towel and swimming-suit over her
chubby body, stumbled into the lobby from the atrium, bare feet slapping against the tiles.
“There’s a body in the fish deal, fountain, whatever it’s called.”
Amber and Kile reached the woman at the same time. Before Kile could speak, Amber
asked, “The fish pool?” She laid a hand on the woman’s arm. “Come sit down and tell us about
it.”
She glanced toward the desk and motioned for Neil to join her. When he stopped beside
her, she whispered, “Go check the fish pool. If there’s a body, call my dad.”
Neil nodded and hurried off.
Turning to the woman, who now slumped in a stuffed chair, Amber realized that Kile
hadn’t tried to talk to the gray faced, panting woman, but strode to the table with glasses and a
pitcher of water, poured a glass, and hurried back.
Amber knelt beside the woman. “Mr. Logan has a glass of water. Please sip a bit before
you try to speak.”
With trembling hands holding the glass, the woman sipped. She swallowed before saying,
“I was … I was cutting across the atrium to the swimming pool. I always stop to watch the fish.”
She looked around before sitting the glass on a round table beside her chair and raised trembling
fingers to her mouth. She shivered. “I … I never saw a dead body … she was floating face down,
just floating, her blond hair spread out … Oh, dear God, I …” She covered her face and sobbed
as she tried to continue talking. “She just lay there … lay in the water…”
****
Does that cause you to want to read more? Why? What writing guidelines did I use? Did the excerpt give you any help in starting your own writing?
Vivian Zabel
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Making an antagonist evil and believable - by Vivian Zabel
Psychopath or Sociopath – how to make your antagonist real.
A good writer does the best to make characters believable. Antagonists need to be round characters, too, not stereotypes or flat. One way to put depth into a villain is to decide whether or not the person has a “problem,” perhaps one that’s pathological or traumatic, that motivates behavior.
I’ve researched psychopath and sociopath. Most information stated that they are one and the same, and the terms have been considered interchangeable for at least twenty years. However, some of the newer decisions by the psychiatric community has been to show a slight difference between the two conditions.
Let’s look at the traits found in a psychopath and then look at the slight difference between psychopath and a sociopath. The first eight are absolutely associated with a psychopath. Nine through fifteen aren’t always noticeable, but are found to some extent. The final four are not as common as the first fifteen, but many psychopaths have the traits or history of such traits.
1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Cunning/manipulative
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Emotionally shallow
7. Callous/lack of empathy
8. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
9. Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
10. Parasitic lifestyle
11. Poor behavioral control
12. Promiscuous sexual behavior
13. Lack of realistic, long-term goals
14. Impulsivity
15. Irresponsibility
1. Juvenile delinquency
2. Early behavior problems
3. Revocation of conditional release
4. Many short-term marital relationships
5. Criminal versatility
The one difference between a psychopath and a sociopath is a sociopath can, and sometimes does, feel guilt or remorse. A psychopath never does, and if he shows such emotion, he is acting.
Does that mean that every psychopath and sociopath is a criminal? No, because the same traits can be found in politicians, CEOs, and other people in positions of power. However, those people don’t believe that anything they do is wrong, that if others are hurt, it doesn’t matter.
So using the traits to make the antagonist more believable makes our writing better, gives motivation for our villain.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
A good writer does the best to make characters believable. Antagonists need to be round characters, too, not stereotypes or flat. One way to put depth into a villain is to decide whether or not the person has a “problem,” perhaps one that’s pathological or traumatic, that motivates behavior.
I’ve researched psychopath and sociopath. Most information stated that they are one and the same, and the terms have been considered interchangeable for at least twenty years. However, some of the newer decisions by the psychiatric community has been to show a slight difference between the two conditions.
Let’s look at the traits found in a psychopath and then look at the slight difference between psychopath and a sociopath. The first eight are absolutely associated with a psychopath. Nine through fifteen aren’t always noticeable, but are found to some extent. The final four are not as common as the first fifteen, but many psychopaths have the traits or history of such traits.
1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Cunning/manipulative
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Emotionally shallow
7. Callous/lack of empathy
8. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
9. Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
10. Parasitic lifestyle
11. Poor behavioral control
12. Promiscuous sexual behavior
13. Lack of realistic, long-term goals
14. Impulsivity
15. Irresponsibility
1. Juvenile delinquency
2. Early behavior problems
3. Revocation of conditional release
4. Many short-term marital relationships
5. Criminal versatility
The one difference between a psychopath and a sociopath is a sociopath can, and sometimes does, feel guilt or remorse. A psychopath never does, and if he shows such emotion, he is acting.
Does that mean that every psychopath and sociopath is a criminal? No, because the same traits can be found in politicians, CEOs, and other people in positions of power. However, those people don’t believe that anything they do is wrong, that if others are hurt, it doesn’t matter.
So using the traits to make the antagonist more believable makes our writing better, gives motivation for our villain.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Odds 'n Ends of Advice from Mystery Experts - by Vivian Zabel
I read writing magazines, blogs written by writers and writing experts, and articles about writing. Usually each thing I read gives me at least one nugget of golden advice. Here are a few of my favorites bits and pieces or “odds ‘n ends” of advice.
1. Clive Cussler, The Writer March 1979: Lead readers on and on by ending chapters on a note of mystery. Cut out deadwood. If it isn’t necessary, cut it.
I’m not always consistent about following the advice to end chapters on note of mystery, but I’m getting better.
2. I really like this bit of advice from James Scott Bell, Writer’s Digest March/April 2009, and I use it often: “Relive your scenes. Not rewrite. Relive.” Imagine yourself as the characters living the scene.
3. In the March 2009 The Writer, Staton Rabin writes: “Handle exposition delicately.” He states, “We must never know we are having things explained to us.”
4. Going back almost as far in The Writer history as the Clive Cussler article is the 1985 article by Randall Silvis, who wrote that dialogue draws the reader closer to the action, intensifying it.
5. Nancy Lamb wrote in a Writer’s Workbook, Writer’s Digest March/April 2009, and I’m going to quote the whole paragraph: “Never let the truth get in the way of your story. Creative writing is just that: creative. If the truth prevents you from telling your fictional story effectively, get rid of the facts and invent something that makes the story work.” Wonderful words of wisdom for fiction.
6. According to Gary Braver, The Writer April 2009, “give your hero two quests,” a personal and a public quest.
7. Jessica Page Morrell’s title, Writer’s Digest July/August 2009, is excellent advice: “Keep your story moving at the right pace.”
8. In the February 2009 The Writer, Mary E. DeMuth writes, “Translate your emotional experiences,” and “Get out in the world.”
I’ve given only eight tips out of the hundreds available, but each one gives an author much useful advice. Yes, they are some of my favorite odds ‘n ends of mystery writing advice.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
1. Clive Cussler, The Writer March 1979: Lead readers on and on by ending chapters on a note of mystery. Cut out deadwood. If it isn’t necessary, cut it.
I’m not always consistent about following the advice to end chapters on note of mystery, but I’m getting better.
2. I really like this bit of advice from James Scott Bell, Writer’s Digest March/April 2009, and I use it often: “Relive your scenes. Not rewrite. Relive.” Imagine yourself as the characters living the scene.
3. In the March 2009 The Writer, Staton Rabin writes: “Handle exposition delicately.” He states, “We must never know we are having things explained to us.”
4. Going back almost as far in The Writer history as the Clive Cussler article is the 1985 article by Randall Silvis, who wrote that dialogue draws the reader closer to the action, intensifying it.
5. Nancy Lamb wrote in a Writer’s Workbook, Writer’s Digest March/April 2009, and I’m going to quote the whole paragraph: “Never let the truth get in the way of your story. Creative writing is just that: creative. If the truth prevents you from telling your fictional story effectively, get rid of the facts and invent something that makes the story work.” Wonderful words of wisdom for fiction.
6. According to Gary Braver, The Writer April 2009, “give your hero two quests,” a personal and a public quest.
7. Jessica Page Morrell’s title, Writer’s Digest July/August 2009, is excellent advice: “Keep your story moving at the right pace.”
8. In the February 2009 The Writer, Mary E. DeMuth writes, “Translate your emotional experiences,” and “Get out in the world.”
I’ve given only eight tips out of the hundreds available, but each one gives an author much useful advice. Yes, they are some of my favorite odds ‘n ends of mystery writing advice.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A few characteristics of Romantic Suspense by Vivian Zabel
I attended several sessions at the OWFI writing conference the first weekend of May, in between taking care of volunteer work. One of the sessions was Romantic Suspense by Merline Lovelace. I'll share some of the information I gained from her presentation, which I'm using to write a romantic suspense myself. Well, I'm not into graphic detail, but I think I can still manage an interesting book using a bit of humor and timing to keep things going.
Merline Lovelace is an interesting person as well as an award winning author. She retired from the Air Force after a travel-filled life thanks to Uncle Sam. Much of her experiences find their way into her writing. I enjoyed meeting her and visiting with her.
Now, what I learned about writing romantic suspense, which is a sub-genre of romance, rather than a sub-genre of mystery or suspense: First, what really got my attention is romantic suspense is big business which translate to big money. However, since suspense is a major component of the genre or sub-genre, I believe we can discuss it under mystery, too.
Merlene gave five (5) characteristics of romantic suspense. I hope I can explain them half as well as she did.
1. Romantic suspense is plot driven and usually about 60,000 - 80,000 words. The action escalates each chapter, with the suspense/crime/mystery and the sexual tension between the couple.
2. The action starts with a bang and continues at a fast pace. Little time is allowed for introspection. The characters don't take time to mull over emotions and remembering in the middle of the action.
3. Dramatic tone is a must, a strong sense of atmosphere that reflects danger, excitement. Word choice and setting contribute to tone.
4. Romantic suspense has a large caste of characters (sometimes). often to introduce red herrings. The author can leave the reader guessing throughout the book or allow readers to know the antagonist(s) throughout.
5. Romantic suspense required a strong female protagonist, a very active partner who may save the hero herself.
The main challenge in writing romantic suspense is the need to write two distinct stories, romance and suspense, which must be balanced. Everything that effects the relationship, affects the suspense. As the romance builds, so does the mystery/suspense.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Midnight Hours
Merline Lovelace is an interesting person as well as an award winning author. She retired from the Air Force after a travel-filled life thanks to Uncle Sam. Much of her experiences find their way into her writing. I enjoyed meeting her and visiting with her.
Now, what I learned about writing romantic suspense, which is a sub-genre of romance, rather than a sub-genre of mystery or suspense: First, what really got my attention is romantic suspense is big business which translate to big money. However, since suspense is a major component of the genre or sub-genre, I believe we can discuss it under mystery, too.
Merlene gave five (5) characteristics of romantic suspense. I hope I can explain them half as well as she did.
1. Romantic suspense is plot driven and usually about 60,000 - 80,000 words. The action escalates each chapter, with the suspense/crime/mystery and the sexual tension between the couple.
2. The action starts with a bang and continues at a fast pace. Little time is allowed for introspection. The characters don't take time to mull over emotions and remembering in the middle of the action.
3. Dramatic tone is a must, a strong sense of atmosphere that reflects danger, excitement. Word choice and setting contribute to tone.
4. Romantic suspense has a large caste of characters (sometimes). often to introduce red herrings. The author can leave the reader guessing throughout the book or allow readers to know the antagonist(s) throughout.
5. Romantic suspense required a strong female protagonist, a very active partner who may save the hero herself.
The main challenge in writing romantic suspense is the need to write two distinct stories, romance and suspense, which must be balanced. Everything that effects the relationship, affects the suspense. As the romance builds, so does the mystery/suspense.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Midnight Hours
Thursday, May 7, 2009
One of my favorite authors - Carolyn Hart, by Vivian Zabel
Dare to Die, publisher Morrow, ISBN 978-0-06-145303-8 published date 3/31/09
Ghost at Work, publisher Morrow, ISBN 978-0-06 087436-0 published date 10/27/08 (set in Oklahoma)
May I present Carolyn Hart, mystery writer.
Vivian: Carolyn, do you have a website?
Carolyn:www.CarolynHart.com but no blog
Vivian: How did/does your history and home background affect your writing?
Carolyn: I grew up wanting to be a reporter and majored in journalism at OU. I've used a news background for several books. I also love to read mysteries. This provided the background for the Death on Demand series.
Vivian: The Murder on Demand books are set on Broward’s Rock, an island off the coast in South Carolina. Why did you choose that location?
Carolyn: We started vacationing on Hilton Head Island in the mid 1970s. When I decided to write Death on Demand, I wanted to use a resort background for Annie's mystery bookstore and Hilton Head was the only resort area I knew well. I created a fictional sea island inspired by Hilton Head of the '70s.
Vivian: The first book in your new series with Bailey Ruth is the first book set in Oklahoma, I believe. What made you decide to have a book set here?
Carolyn: The Bailey Ruth series is my only series set in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is the background for Letter from Home, a standalone novel set in a small northeastern Oklahoma town in the summer of 1944. It is a story of the home front during WWII.
(I forgot about Letter from Home.)
I love Oklahoma and enjoy using my home state as a background.
Vivian: The Henrie O series attracts me, probably because I can emphasize with a woman of “a certain age.” Do you have any more books featuring her in your writing future? If so, would you share some tidbits of information about one?
Carolyn: Henrie O is currently resting, as they say in Hollywood. I am committed to write one Death on Demand book and one ghost book every year and I don't at the moment have time for a new Henrie O.
*sigh* I can understand Henrie O resting. I find I need more rest, too. At least we'll be able to read more of your books, though, and I did enjoy "meeting" Bailey Ruth.
Vivian: Please fill us in on your hobbies, interests, or activities you participate in during your leisure time. *laugh* If you have any.
Carolyn: I used to enjoy jogging and tennis but now settle for leisurely walks in the park. Walking and reading are my hobbies.
Vivian: Authors are often asked when they started writing or what triggered their interest in writing. I like to know that, also, but I would especially like to know what keeps you writing.
Carolyn: I have always been fascinated by language. I enjoy creating a scene that I hope will interest readers. Writers are not disciplined. Writers are compulsive. Writers have to write. It is their destiny.
Oh, I so agree with your description of writers.
Vivian: You have so many projects going all the time: working on books, traveling, etc.; how do you manage?
Carolyn: I always focus on one task at a time.
Vivian: The two most recent of your books I’ve read are Ghost at Work and Death Walked In. What influenced you to write those books?
Carolyn: I love ghost stories, but I like happy ghost stories such as Topper. I wanted to write a book of that sort and the outcome was Bailey Ruth Raeburn, my impulsive, well-meaning redheaded ghost. Death Walked In, as are most of the stories in the Death on Demand series, a study of failed relationships and the effect on everyone involved.
Vivian: Do you have a particular writing process or technique that you use, if so, what?
Carolyn: When I start a mystery, I know the protagonist, the victim, the murderer, and the reason for the crime, and I have a working title. That is all I know. I have no idea where the story will lead or how I will get to Page 300.
Vivian: Do or have any writing groups benefited you and your writing? If so, how?
Carolyn: I am a member of Sisters in Crime, Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writing League, abnd the International Association of Crime Writers. If so, how? Membership affords information about the industry and collegiality.
Vivian: What advice would you have for a new author?
Carolyn: Write about something that matters enormously to you. If you care, somewhere an editor will care.
Vivian: Any other comments?
Carolyn: Follow your star.
Thank you, Carolyn. I know I enjoyed our visit, and I'm sure many others are, too. At the OWFI writing conference this past weekend, I was telling a group at lunch about Ghost at Work, and one comment was, "Carolyn can pull it off better than anyone else." I agree that you did "pull it off," and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Mysteries, Mysteries Everywhere by Vivian Zabel
Mysteries come in all shapes, sizes, level of violence, and degree of suspense. Mysteries have had so manly titles or labels attached over the years. Many people have tried to classify the genre -- basically the mystery or crime story.
Essentially, detective fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, mysteries all have been used to describe, or try to describe the genre.
Let's look at some the sub-genres for mysteries (remember that all "experts" don't always agree on the classifications, but this give us an idea):
Straight Mysteries are character driven. Action happens to center around a crime.
Puzzle Mysteries or the classic detective involves a problem and the writer "toys" with reader, matching wits with clever detectives.
Novel of Pursuit often involves espionage. The protagonist getting out of a situation is the foundation of the writing. Action, terror, often technology, methods of pursuit, as well as entrapment or capture are more important than internal motivation and psychology of characters - plot driven, rather than character-driven. This sub-genre has several sub-genres:
Spy Novel
Man-on-the-Run Mystery
Metaphysical Mystery - Gothic or occult in nature
Doomsday Mystery - threat is global
Hard-boiled Mysteries are adventure stories focused on the exploits of the protagonist, such as a private detective of nearly super-hero status.
Whodunit Mysteries are character-driven mysteries where the solution of the crime comes as a surprise to the reader, but the detectives or more featured more than the deductive process.
Sub-genres of this mystery include the following:
Caper Mystery - reader is knows the perpetrator and all details of crime.
Cozy Mystery - an amateur detective solves a mystery, usually without graphic violence.
Romantic Suspense Mystery
Period Mystery - takes place in the past
Western Mystery - has a western setting
Police Procedural Mystery
Private Eye Mystery
Camp Mystery - of any sub-genre presenting in a comical way.
Finally we have Thrillers, characterized by fast pace, frequent action, and resourceful heroes. Suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are found often. Sub-genres include many variations of the thriller concept.
I hope you enjoyed our foray into types of mysteries.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy
Essentially, detective fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, mysteries all have been used to describe, or try to describe the genre.
Let's look at some the sub-genres for mysteries (remember that all "experts" don't always agree on the classifications, but this give us an idea):
Straight Mysteries are character driven. Action happens to center around a crime.
Puzzle Mysteries or the classic detective involves a problem and the writer "toys" with reader, matching wits with clever detectives.
Novel of Pursuit often involves espionage. The protagonist getting out of a situation is the foundation of the writing. Action, terror, often technology, methods of pursuit, as well as entrapment or capture are more important than internal motivation and psychology of characters - plot driven, rather than character-driven. This sub-genre has several sub-genres:
Spy Novel
Man-on-the-Run Mystery
Metaphysical Mystery - Gothic or occult in nature
Doomsday Mystery - threat is global
Hard-boiled Mysteries are adventure stories focused on the exploits of the protagonist, such as a private detective of nearly super-hero status.
Whodunit Mysteries are character-driven mysteries where the solution of the crime comes as a surprise to the reader, but the detectives or more featured more than the deductive process.
Sub-genres of this mystery include the following:
Caper Mystery - reader is knows the perpetrator and all details of crime.
Cozy Mystery - an amateur detective solves a mystery, usually without graphic violence.
Romantic Suspense Mystery
Period Mystery - takes place in the past
Western Mystery - has a western setting
Police Procedural Mystery
Private Eye Mystery
Camp Mystery - of any sub-genre presenting in a comical way.
Finally we have Thrillers, characterized by fast pace, frequent action, and resourceful heroes. Suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are found often. Sub-genres include many variations of the thriller concept.
I hope you enjoyed our foray into types of mysteries.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Put zip in mysteries by Vivian Zabel
I tried to read three different books a few weeks ago, two of which were mysteries or sub-mystery genre. I couldn't force myself to plow through the words between the covers. Another two books, mysteries, too, were sent to me to review. I don't know what to do about those reviews because the books are poorly written, except in a few spots.
I'm a avid reader. When I can't find anything else, I may read the back of cereal boxes. But these books defied my attempts to force myself to read them. So, I decided to analyze the problem or problems as to why the reading was labored and uninteresting.
Using four of the five books, the mysteries, (but not identifying them to protect the poor authors) as examples, I can give several reasons that books can be unreadable, things that an author needs to avoid. However, this time I'll discuss five.
1.Too many subplots can become confusing. Confusing, and thus losing, readers isn't a good thing. That doesn't mean that having subplots is a bad thing, just that too many spoil the book. Too many subplots makes the overall plot too complex.
2. Making "make-believe" world unbelievable. Readers can suspend belief IF authors develop a world in writing that a reader can accept, can suspend belief enough to accept. However, a reader must be able to say, "Oh, yes, I can see how that might happen if such a world or circumstances did exist." Therefore, as Laura Whitcomb states (Writer's Digest, March/April 2009), "Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they're reading." An author cannot go too far with a plot point or not far enough as the reading audience is being prepared. The plot cannot become too far fetched, or readers will not be able to suspend belief enough to accept it.
3. Dialogue can't be just talking heads. Action needs to be involved as well as conversation, and conversation with action should move the plot along and reveals character. Also, the reader needs to know who is talking when.
4. An unsatisfactory conclusion should be avoided. A twist or surprising ending that has a good foundation laid in the story is good. An ending that does not "fit" is bad.
5. Forced emotion can destroy believability. Most people do not sit mulling over their inner most thoughts and emotions in the midst of action. Yet, I'm discovering many novels that have a character do just that. Not only does such needless and in depth thinking tell and not show, but it becomes monotonous.
There, five ways that cause mysteries to become targets for the waste basket, when avoided can improve a story. Of course more ways exist, but those can be covered another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
I'm a avid reader. When I can't find anything else, I may read the back of cereal boxes. But these books defied my attempts to force myself to read them. So, I decided to analyze the problem or problems as to why the reading was labored and uninteresting.
Using four of the five books, the mysteries, (but not identifying them to protect the poor authors) as examples, I can give several reasons that books can be unreadable, things that an author needs to avoid. However, this time I'll discuss five.
1.Too many subplots can become confusing. Confusing, and thus losing, readers isn't a good thing. That doesn't mean that having subplots is a bad thing, just that too many spoil the book. Too many subplots makes the overall plot too complex.
2. Making "make-believe" world unbelievable. Readers can suspend belief IF authors develop a world in writing that a reader can accept, can suspend belief enough to accept. However, a reader must be able to say, "Oh, yes, I can see how that might happen if such a world or circumstances did exist." Therefore, as Laura Whitcomb states (Writer's Digest, March/April 2009), "Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they're reading." An author cannot go too far with a plot point or not far enough as the reading audience is being prepared. The plot cannot become too far fetched, or readers will not be able to suspend belief enough to accept it.
3. Dialogue can't be just talking heads. Action needs to be involved as well as conversation, and conversation with action should move the plot along and reveals character. Also, the reader needs to know who is talking when.
4. An unsatisfactory conclusion should be avoided. A twist or surprising ending that has a good foundation laid in the story is good. An ending that does not "fit" is bad.
5. Forced emotion can destroy believability. Most people do not sit mulling over their inner most thoughts and emotions in the midst of action. Yet, I'm discovering many novels that have a character do just that. Not only does such needless and in depth thinking tell and not show, but it becomes monotonous.
There, five ways that cause mysteries to become targets for the waste basket, when avoided can improve a story. Of course more ways exist, but those can be covered another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Pain, Agony, and Misery by Vivian Zabel
My body aches with twinges of sharp pain thrown in for good measure, letting me know that I’m very much alive. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia affect joints, muscles, and even skin. Pain is a constant companion but not a friend. Different methods or combination of methods help people manage living with pain, but not all work consistently. Knowing and using some of these methods in writing about a character helps develop that character more fully.
Pain medications are the main line of defense for many pain sufferers. Everything from aspirin to heavy-duty narcotics help delete or deaden the pain that wracks bodies. Also, often those medicines only deaden the level of pain, without dispersing it completely. However, the use of such drugs can allow a person to have a better quality of life. A person in a book or story might use pills and/or injections to move and do things.
Massage and/or manipulation helps alleviate some aches and pains. Such treatments also relax a person, which in turn causes pain to decrease at least somewhat. When the arthritis in my neck and back is severe, massage works with my medication to reduce the levels of agony. Another bit of information which could be woven into a plot.
A warm bath, or at least a shower, relaxes a person and eases the pain in muscles, tendons, and joints. Climbing into a hot tub with jets pounding against sore places brings relief, too.
Some people practice bio-feedback to help manage pain. The results seem to vary from person to person. At times, a person can develop a method that greatly reduces pain levels; at other times, the results are little to none.
Exercise appropriate for a person’s condition, age, and/or situation helps with pain. With my many problems, my physical activities are quite limited, but swimming, short walks several times a day, and isometric exercises help reduce the level of pain. When I’m in a lupus or RA flare, activity has to be limited, but exercising in warm water helps. One of my characters not only had to endure the agony of pain from an injury, but also the misery caused by therapy.
When all methods have been tried, often some pain remains. Then a person has to learn to live with it. I know that I’m never completely without pain, and if I should be, I would be like the old woman in a joke. She woke her husband, insisting that she was dead. He assured her that she wasn’t dead. She would state again that she was dead. Finally he asked her what made her think she was dead. Her answer was, “I’m not in pain, so I must be dead.” I laugh because it’s so close to the truth, and crying just makes the pain worse.
But, you ask, what does that information have to do with writing mysteries? The best writing has believable characters, and a character who lives with constant pain needs to exhibit how he does. Knowing about methods to deal with pain, a writer can invest some of that knowledge into his character. A hero who lives with pain but still acts and reacts “heroically” despite it appears more human to readers. Villains, who suffer physically, also seem more human. Every character, at least major ones, should be well-rounded, three dimensional, not flat. Therefore, the protagonist shouldn’t be without flaw, and the antagonist shouldn’t be all bad, completely evil.
In my mystery/suspense novel Midnight Hours, the protagonist is recovering from being shot in the back. He lives with pain as he attempts to regain the use of his legs. I used "real" life solutions and experiences in the book.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Pain medications are the main line of defense for many pain sufferers. Everything from aspirin to heavy-duty narcotics help delete or deaden the pain that wracks bodies. Also, often those medicines only deaden the level of pain, without dispersing it completely. However, the use of such drugs can allow a person to have a better quality of life. A person in a book or story might use pills and/or injections to move and do things.
Massage and/or manipulation helps alleviate some aches and pains. Such treatments also relax a person, which in turn causes pain to decrease at least somewhat. When the arthritis in my neck and back is severe, massage works with my medication to reduce the levels of agony. Another bit of information which could be woven into a plot.
A warm bath, or at least a shower, relaxes a person and eases the pain in muscles, tendons, and joints. Climbing into a hot tub with jets pounding against sore places brings relief, too.
Some people practice bio-feedback to help manage pain. The results seem to vary from person to person. At times, a person can develop a method that greatly reduces pain levels; at other times, the results are little to none.
Exercise appropriate for a person’s condition, age, and/or situation helps with pain. With my many problems, my physical activities are quite limited, but swimming, short walks several times a day, and isometric exercises help reduce the level of pain. When I’m in a lupus or RA flare, activity has to be limited, but exercising in warm water helps. One of my characters not only had to endure the agony of pain from an injury, but also the misery caused by therapy.
When all methods have been tried, often some pain remains. Then a person has to learn to live with it. I know that I’m never completely without pain, and if I should be, I would be like the old woman in a joke. She woke her husband, insisting that she was dead. He assured her that she wasn’t dead. She would state again that she was dead. Finally he asked her what made her think she was dead. Her answer was, “I’m not in pain, so I must be dead.” I laugh because it’s so close to the truth, and crying just makes the pain worse.
But, you ask, what does that information have to do with writing mysteries? The best writing has believable characters, and a character who lives with constant pain needs to exhibit how he does. Knowing about methods to deal with pain, a writer can invest some of that knowledge into his character. A hero who lives with pain but still acts and reacts “heroically” despite it appears more human to readers. Villains, who suffer physically, also seem more human. Every character, at least major ones, should be well-rounded, three dimensional, not flat. Therefore, the protagonist shouldn’t be without flaw, and the antagonist shouldn’t be all bad, completely evil.
In my mystery/suspense novel Midnight Hours, the protagonist is recovering from being shot in the back. He lives with pain as he attempts to regain the use of his legs. I used "real" life solutions and experiences in the book.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Meeting Writing Heros by Vivian Zabel
Saturday I meet another one of my mystery/suspense/thriller writing heroes --
I heard that. So you don't think us old fogies should have or do have heroes, huh? Well, young whipper snapper let me tell you a thing or three: Just because we have lived long enough to be considered experts or leaders or even folks who have outlived everyone else, we still have people we admire and dream of being when we grow up.
Since I love reading mysteries, of course many of my writing heroes are mystery authors. Many of my favorites I'll never be able to meet, either because they're gone or because they live too far away and may never cross my path.
However, through my attending book festivals and conferences and going to local book signings, I've met several whose books are in my book shelves -- now some with autographs.
I attended the Red Dirt Book Festival nearly six years ago, the first one held. The featured speaker was Tony Hillerman. I not only attended all of his sessions, I was able to visit with him outside of the structured events. What a delightful man. His mysteries fascinated me because he wove the suspense into his knowledge of the Navajo culture. He autographed two of his books, but the autograph in his autobiography was personal and touching. I'll miss Tony Hillerman; Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee can be found again in the books that Tony left behind.
I first met Marcia Preston through her writing magazine ByLine Magazine, and then through OWFI (Oklahoma Writers' Federation). Her award winning books are not the gritty, hard-nosed mysteries found so often any more, but each book with a mystery winding through the chapters are well-written and interesting. I only have one of her autographed books, though, one that won the Oklahoma Book Award a few years ago. I noticed her recent book is one of the finalists for this year's honor.
Carolyn Hart appeared at a local bookstore, and I nearly beat her there. I like her two series I've read, the Books on Demand series and the Henry O one. I've ordered the first of her new series and will let everyone know how I like it. Anyway, back to the book signing, Carolyn was kind enough to visit with me. I also went home with three autographed books.
With her encouragement, I put my fears aside and wrote Midnight Hours, which by the way placed 10th in the Mystery Preditors & Editors Readers Poll category, and 4th in the mainstream category.
I don't remember when I first met William Bernhardt, but we've attended several of the same functions over the years. I would like to attend his writing workshop in Tulsa, Oklahoma some day, but we'll have to see if that works. Bill's characters may be flawed, but they still manage to survive and solve. I think that's true of real people, too.
J. A. Jance, the keynote speaker at the OWFI writing conference last year, is a delightful person, and very interesting. She answered questions for the interview with her with thoughtful answers. When I asked how many books I could bring to the conference for her to sign, she answered, "All of them, if you're willing to wait until the end of the line so we don't keep people waiting." I didn't take all her books I own, but I took a few of my favorites and bought two new titles there.
Also at the conference last year, I finally met CJ Lyons. We had visited on line for some time, but we met face to face there. In fact she sat at our table for both banquets. She's a good writer and an excellent conversationalist. I'm reading her second medical thriller now.
Through the OWFI Yahoo group, I "met" Jordan Dane. We met in person at the Edmond Authors Book Festival in January. She came to the writing group's (Pen and Keyboard Writers) meeting Saturday and spoke. Now her books are gritty. Her protagonists are tough women, even though they all have issues. I have copies of two of her first three books. She will be interviewed by me before long.
This May, I'll meet Tess Gerritsen, who I hear is one of the top current mystery writers. I'm reading one of her books, so I'll see if she becomes one of my writing heroes or not.
Maybe some day someone can say Vivian Zabel is his or her hero, but even if that never happens, I'll keep on writing my books because of the influence of authors such as Tony Hillerman, Marcia Preston, Carolyn Hart, Bill Bernhardt, J.A. Jance, CJ Lyons, and Jordan Dane.
Who are your mystery writing heroes?
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Vivian's Mysteries
I heard that. So you don't think us old fogies should have or do have heroes, huh? Well, young whipper snapper let me tell you a thing or three: Just because we have lived long enough to be considered experts or leaders or even folks who have outlived everyone else, we still have people we admire and dream of being when we grow up.
Since I love reading mysteries, of course many of my writing heroes are mystery authors. Many of my favorites I'll never be able to meet, either because they're gone or because they live too far away and may never cross my path.
However, through my attending book festivals and conferences and going to local book signings, I've met several whose books are in my book shelves -- now some with autographs.
I attended the Red Dirt Book Festival nearly six years ago, the first one held. The featured speaker was Tony Hillerman. I not only attended all of his sessions, I was able to visit with him outside of the structured events. What a delightful man. His mysteries fascinated me because he wove the suspense into his knowledge of the Navajo culture. He autographed two of his books, but the autograph in his autobiography was personal and touching. I'll miss Tony Hillerman; Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee can be found again in the books that Tony left behind.
I first met Marcia Preston through her writing magazine ByLine Magazine, and then through OWFI (Oklahoma Writers' Federation). Her award winning books are not the gritty, hard-nosed mysteries found so often any more, but each book with a mystery winding through the chapters are well-written and interesting. I only have one of her autographed books, though, one that won the Oklahoma Book Award a few years ago. I noticed her recent book is one of the finalists for this year's honor.
Carolyn Hart appeared at a local bookstore, and I nearly beat her there. I like her two series I've read, the Books on Demand series and the Henry O one. I've ordered the first of her new series and will let everyone know how I like it. Anyway, back to the book signing, Carolyn was kind enough to visit with me. I also went home with three autographed books.
With her encouragement, I put my fears aside and wrote Midnight Hours, which by the way placed 10th in the Mystery Preditors & Editors Readers Poll category, and 4th in the mainstream category.
I don't remember when I first met William Bernhardt, but we've attended several of the same functions over the years. I would like to attend his writing workshop in Tulsa, Oklahoma some day, but we'll have to see if that works. Bill's characters may be flawed, but they still manage to survive and solve. I think that's true of real people, too.
J. A. Jance, the keynote speaker at the OWFI writing conference last year, is a delightful person, and very interesting. She answered questions for the interview with her with thoughtful answers. When I asked how many books I could bring to the conference for her to sign, she answered, "All of them, if you're willing to wait until the end of the line so we don't keep people waiting." I didn't take all her books I own, but I took a few of my favorites and bought two new titles there.
Also at the conference last year, I finally met CJ Lyons. We had visited on line for some time, but we met face to face there. In fact she sat at our table for both banquets. She's a good writer and an excellent conversationalist. I'm reading her second medical thriller now.
Through the OWFI Yahoo group, I "met" Jordan Dane. We met in person at the Edmond Authors Book Festival in January. She came to the writing group's (Pen and Keyboard Writers) meeting Saturday and spoke. Now her books are gritty. Her protagonists are tough women, even though they all have issues. I have copies of two of her first three books. She will be interviewed by me before long.
This May, I'll meet Tess Gerritsen, who I hear is one of the top current mystery writers. I'm reading one of her books, so I'll see if she becomes one of my writing heroes or not.
Maybe some day someone can say Vivian Zabel is his or her hero, but even if that never happens, I'll keep on writing my books because of the influence of authors such as Tony Hillerman, Marcia Preston, Carolyn Hart, Bill Bernhardt, J.A. Jance, CJ Lyons, and Jordan Dane.
Who are your mystery writing heroes?
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Vivian's Mysteries
Friday, January 30, 2009
Meet Medical Thriller Author CJ Lyons by Vivian Zabel
I first met CJ Lyons on two Yahoo email lists: Crime Writers and Sisters in Crime. Soon after I discovered that she would be one of the presenters at the OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.) writing conference May 1-2, 2008.
Not only did I attend CJ's sessions and have her autograph my copy of her debut medical thriller LIFELINES, but she also joined me at my writing group's table at both banquets.
When I heard about her new novel being released this month, and which I have pre-ordered, I asked her if I could interview her. She agreed, and the following is the result.
Vivian: How did/does your history and home background affect your writing?
CJ: My mom was a voracious reader, so I grew up surrounded by books. I began reading at a very early age and skipped the whole "see Dick run" stage, going right to books like Agatha Christie.
And fairy tales—lots of fairy tales. But not the sanitized Disney version, my mom had lots of the "real" ones—Perraults, Grimm Brothers, etc. I think they helped me to learn the value of a good story, how the hero's journey works on a subliminal level, and also that no happy ending comes without paying a price.
Vivian: Tell us something about your background that has made you a better, or more caring, writer.
CJ: Being a pediatrician definitely has given me insight into how real heroes are born. Watching children and their families respond to tragedy and triumph has both inspired and humbled me.
Since I spent a lot of my career working in urban trauma centers and as a victim's advocate, I also witnessed occasions of true evil—and saw how insidious it is, how easily it can hide in plain sight. And I saw how so many of us live our lives in a gray area between good and evil.
That's the reality of our world. In my fictional world, I try to address this cosmic ambiguity, with many of my characters doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons—or all the wrong things for all the right reasons. I love stories of redemption, of triumph over one's own self.
Vivian: Please fill us in on your hobbies, interests, or activities you participate in during your leisure time. *laugh* If you have any.
CJ: Great question — strange to say, but I used to have a lot more free time when I was practicing medicine! Now that I write full time, it seems that almost everything is tied to the writing. Either getting the current book done, researching the next, or marketing the one hitting the stores now.
But that's all good!. When you do something you love, it doesn't seem like work. And I've been able to expand my writing career to include a busy teaching schedule. Now I get to combine my love of travel with trips to give master classes, workshops and keynotes. This way I'm always meeting new people who share my love of storytelling!
Vivian: Authors are often asked when they started writing or what triggered their interest in writing. I like to know that, also, but I would especially like to know what keeps you writing.
CJ: I've been telling stories all my life—took me a looooong time to figure out the difference between fiction and reality when I was a kid. This led to many hours in time out—which led to more stories fermenting in my imagination…..a vicious cycle.
I honestly don't think I could stop writing if I tried. It's an addiction for me. There are so many stories to tell and so little time.
Vivian: You have so many projects going all the time: working on books, traveling, etc.; how do you manage?
CJ: I'm a lousy housekeeper. Seriously, you should see my place—my Christmas gift to myself was investing in a Dirt Dog robot vacuum cleaner so at least the floors would get done. Now, if I could just teach it to dust and do the laundry….
Vivian: What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?
CJ: WARNING SIGNS is due out on January 27th. It's a coming of age tale, featuring a medical student who is investigating a mysterious illness killing her patients. Then she begins to exhibit the same deadly symptoms herself….
I was inspired by my own experiences as a student. None of us were immune from "medicalstudentitis"—a form of hypochondriasis brought on by exposure to arcane knowledge about rare and mysterious ailments.
I swear at one point we all thought we had Leishmaniasis, Q-fever, Kawasaki's, and Sjorgens—simultaneously! Working 100+ hours a week, plus non-stop studying, poor diet, no sleep, no exercise all combined to produce in us symptoms that we were sure were deadly….only to be reassured by our patient clinical instructors that we would indeed live until tomorrow.
Of course things are never so easy in the fictional world of Angels of Mercy Medical Center and my medical student has something a lot more devastating to face.
About CJ:
As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge suspense novels. Her debut, LIFELINES (Berkley, March 2008), became a national bestseller and Publishers Weekly proclaimed it a "breathtakingly fast-paced medical thriller." The second in the series, WARNING SIGNS, is due out January, 2009. Contact her at http://www.cjlyons.net
Lifelines by CJ Lyons
Berkley/Jove
March 2008
ISBN: 978-0-425-22082-5
Warning Signs by CJ Lyons
Jove, Feb 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515145830
********
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Vivian's Mysteries
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ideas not to use in mysteries by Vivian Zabel
I read books that sometimes irritate me because they contain cheap tricks, but nothing causes me to grit my teeth and throw the book across the room than when it's a mystery with cheap writing tricks. What are some of these "don't use ideas"? Ah, let me count the ways. Sorry, wrong analogy.
Don't have a protagonist, which is usually a woman, insert herself into a dangerous situation when she could call 911. How many stupid people are there in the literary world?
Don't leave the reader guessing about what the hero finds. A clue, a piece of evidence, whatever, should be shared with the reader when the character finds it.
Don't make dialogue boring, unreal, filled with background information. Have you ever become irate when one character explains something to another that the second person should know? I don't like it when one CSI person tells someone running a test all the steps. Surely the one running the test would know what to do.
Don't make the police appear stupid or dumb. Law enforcement officers should be realistic, not buffoons. Yes, they can make mistakes and actually appear flawed as we all are, but they should be intelligent enough to be on the force.
Just a few of my "don't dos," but I'll have more another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy
4RV Publishing
Vivian's Mysteries
Don't have a protagonist, which is usually a woman, insert herself into a dangerous situation when she could call 911. How many stupid people are there in the literary world?
Don't leave the reader guessing about what the hero finds. A clue, a piece of evidence, whatever, should be shared with the reader when the character finds it.
Don't make dialogue boring, unreal, filled with background information. Have you ever become irate when one character explains something to another that the second person should know? I don't like it when one CSI person tells someone running a test all the steps. Surely the one running the test would know what to do.
Don't make the police appear stupid or dumb. Law enforcement officers should be realistic, not buffoons. Yes, they can make mistakes and actually appear flawed as we all are, but they should be intelligent enough to be on the force.
Just a few of my "don't dos," but I'll have more another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Midnight Hours
Prairie Dog Cowboy
4RV Publishing
Vivian's Mysteries
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Writing Tips from other Writers by Vivian Zabel
I take and read several writing magazines: The Writer, WRITERS' Journal, and Writer's Digest. All of them give me ideas and advice that helps me be a better writer. As I read some of the current issues, I realized that some of the articles included suggestions that definitely apply to writing mysteries, thrillers,crime, and/or suspense novels and/or stories.
Some of the suggestions apply to any writing; some perhaps more to the mystery genres. However, all are usable to us. At the end of this article, I'll give the sources for the information I'm using. I highly recommend that everyone read all the articles.
Create believable and distinctive characters. Have you ever read more than one book where at least one character could be dropped into more than one story, even if the names aren't the same, and no one notice? I mean other than in a series or a sequel that contains the same characters.
Some ways to make characters believable and distinctive are several, but a few include to have characters not be predictable, to make them three-dimensional rather than stereotypical or all good or all bad, to "show" their personalities and characters rather than "tell" the reader what kind of person they are. An antagonist shouldn't be a "flat" all bad, evil person. A protagonist shouldn't be all good without any faults or short comings.
Include the four elements. Every well-written novel or story needs to have a strong hook at the beginning to grab the readers attention and keep it.
Conflict is necessary to have a plot, a story. Of course without conflict, we would have only a narrative, and we wouldn't have anything to interest a reader.
Conflict leads to a struggle, according to Diane E. Robertson, both internal and external. The ups and downs of the struggle make the plot move forward to the resolution, the end of the story. Authors need to be sure that that end is not a false finish. The end must make sense and satisfy the reader. A surprise ending should still be credible.
Make sure the plot is plausible to the reader. Often, coincidences are thrown in to surprise a reader, but if credibility is stretched too far, the reader won't accept it. Hallie Ephron states, "... never, ever, ever make a coincident integral to the solution.
Don't conceal clues from the reader. The reader should know all the clues as soon as the mystery solver or detective does.
I gave a few of the many tips found in three articles and a bit of my own knowledge mixed in. I'll add to the list later.
Sources, besides the information I've accumulated over the years:
The Writer, Hallie Ephron,October 2008 page 26-29; Paola Carso, December 2008 page 28-29.
WRITERS' Journal, Diane E. Robertson, January/February 2009 page 46-47.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Vivian's Mysteries
Midnight Hours
Some of the suggestions apply to any writing; some perhaps more to the mystery genres. However, all are usable to us. At the end of this article, I'll give the sources for the information I'm using. I highly recommend that everyone read all the articles.
Create believable and distinctive characters. Have you ever read more than one book where at least one character could be dropped into more than one story, even if the names aren't the same, and no one notice? I mean other than in a series or a sequel that contains the same characters.
Some ways to make characters believable and distinctive are several, but a few include to have characters not be predictable, to make them three-dimensional rather than stereotypical or all good or all bad, to "show" their personalities and characters rather than "tell" the reader what kind of person they are. An antagonist shouldn't be a "flat" all bad, evil person. A protagonist shouldn't be all good without any faults or short comings.
Include the four elements. Every well-written novel or story needs to have a strong hook at the beginning to grab the readers attention and keep it.
Conflict is necessary to have a plot, a story. Of course without conflict, we would have only a narrative, and we wouldn't have anything to interest a reader.
Conflict leads to a struggle, according to Diane E. Robertson, both internal and external. The ups and downs of the struggle make the plot move forward to the resolution, the end of the story. Authors need to be sure that that end is not a false finish. The end must make sense and satisfy the reader. A surprise ending should still be credible.
Make sure the plot is plausible to the reader. Often, coincidences are thrown in to surprise a reader, but if credibility is stretched too far, the reader won't accept it. Hallie Ephron states, "... never, ever, ever make a coincident integral to the solution.
Don't conceal clues from the reader. The reader should know all the clues as soon as the mystery solver or detective does.
I gave a few of the many tips found in three articles and a bit of my own knowledge mixed in. I'll add to the list later.
Sources, besides the information I've accumulated over the years:
The Writer, Hallie Ephron,October 2008 page 26-29; Paola Carso, December 2008 page 28-29.
WRITERS' Journal, Diane E. Robertson, January/February 2009 page 46-47.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
Vivian's Mysteries
Midnight Hours
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Some Mystery Help by Vivian Zabel
In my forays into writing and reading, I visit the works of many mystery writers and sites for information. Allow me to share a few of my finds.
Places to look: I receive several writing magazines, and I've found The Writer and Writer's Digest to have more information about mysteries and writing mysteries (including suspense and thriller sub-genres) than most. For example, the July, 2008 The Writer has articles by Anne Perry (one of my favorites), William G. Tapply, and John D. MacDonald (from their achieves). I suggest that everyone find a copy of the July issue and read all three articles that I'll mention.
One place to find all types of information dealing with forensics, police procedure, types of guns, and other material a writer may need is Lee Lofland's website Graveyard Shift. Lee is a retired law enforcement person with a list of credentials that's most impressive.
Ideas to use: John D. MacDonald wrote a series based on the character Travis McGee. The article in The Writer appeared the first time in September 1964, but the journey taken by MacDonald holds true today.He said that "successful" to him meant two things: Not just a public acceptance ... but also a format which would give him the chance to continue to do paper-bounds originals satisfying to him. MacDonald wrote two full-length books, which he scraped because the hero didn't work. His third try he had Travis McGee, who had some of the man from the first book and some of the man of the second. MacDonald then allowed his character to "live" and become himself. "The only way to find out (what will work with characters) is to keep trying."
William G. Tapply offers tips about developing a series character in his article, "Create a sleuth for the LONG Haul." He has five which he labels: 1. Think big, have faith, and plan ahead; 2. Decide if your sleuth is going to be a pro, semipro or amateur; 3. Decide on voice, tone and personality; 4. Focus on flaws, foibles, weaknesses and quirks; and 5. Decide to what extent and how you'll reveal personal history, tastes, preferences and appearance. Reading and following some of Tapply's advice will strengthen anyone's detective.
Anne Perry sets her mysteries in the past, and she states that details need to be placed accurately. "Clothes, fabrics and fashion have to be right ... Of course, they can also reveal a great deal about characters ..." Perry says that characters must sit easily in their time and place, and an author's job is to do this well enough that readers feel as if they are in the time and place of the story. A few examples she gives in "Set your characters in their TIME & PLACE" to give fiction the feel of daily life include the following: domestic chores that go with the time; food of the time, preparation, quantity and locality; flowers and plants of the time; medicine and medical practices of the time period. The most important ingredient is accuracy.
I like mysteries, and have since I discovered Nancy Drew, but I want to be able to lose myself in the believability of the characters and plot. Anything that helps me accomplish that goal as a writer, I want to learn.
Please visit the site for my books Midnight Hours; Prairie Dog Cowboy
and Vivian's Mysteries.
Vivian Zabel
4RV Publishing
Places to look: I receive several writing magazines, and I've found The Writer and Writer's Digest to have more information about mysteries and writing mysteries (including suspense and thriller sub-genres) than most. For example, the July, 2008 The Writer has articles by Anne Perry (one of my favorites), William G. Tapply, and John D. MacDonald (from their achieves). I suggest that everyone find a copy of the July issue and read all three articles that I'll mention.
One place to find all types of information dealing with forensics, police procedure, types of guns, and other material a writer may need is Lee Lofland's website Graveyard Shift. Lee is a retired law enforcement person with a list of credentials that's most impressive.
Ideas to use: John D. MacDonald wrote a series based on the character Travis McGee. The article in The Writer appeared the first time in September 1964, but the journey taken by MacDonald holds true today.He said that "successful" to him meant two things: Not just a public acceptance ... but also a format which would give him the chance to continue to do paper-bounds originals satisfying to him. MacDonald wrote two full-length books, which he scraped because the hero didn't work. His third try he had Travis McGee, who had some of the man from the first book and some of the man of the second. MacDonald then allowed his character to "live" and become himself. "The only way to find out (what will work with characters) is to keep trying."
William G. Tapply offers tips about developing a series character in his article, "Create a sleuth for the LONG Haul." He has five which he labels: 1. Think big, have faith, and plan ahead; 2. Decide if your sleuth is going to be a pro, semipro or amateur; 3. Decide on voice, tone and personality; 4. Focus on flaws, foibles, weaknesses and quirks; and 5. Decide to what extent and how you'll reveal personal history, tastes, preferences and appearance. Reading and following some of Tapply's advice will strengthen anyone's detective.
Anne Perry sets her mysteries in the past, and she states that details need to be placed accurately. "Clothes, fabrics and fashion have to be right ... Of course, they can also reveal a great deal about characters ..." Perry says that characters must sit easily in their time and place, and an author's job is to do this well enough that readers feel as if they are in the time and place of the story. A few examples she gives in "Set your characters in their TIME & PLACE" to give fiction the feel of daily life include the following: domestic chores that go with the time; food of the time, preparation, quantity and locality; flowers and plants of the time; medicine and medical practices of the time period. The most important ingredient is accuracy.
I like mysteries, and have since I discovered Nancy Drew, but I want to be able to lose myself in the believability of the characters and plot. Anything that helps me accomplish that goal as a writer, I want to learn.
Please visit the site for my books Midnight Hours; Prairie Dog Cowboy
and Vivian's Mysteries.
Vivian Zabel
4RV Publishing
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Interview with mystery author J.A. Jance by Vivian Zabel
I’ve had the honor and privilege of meeting author J.A. Jance, first through her books, through e-mails, and then in person at OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.) Conference in 2008. Not only is she a talented mystery writer, but she is a lovely person.
She was kind enough to answer a few questions, and I feel as if I’m sitting across a table from her drinking a mug of tea as we visit.
How did/does your history and home background affect your writing?
An editor, a short-lived editor, once told me, “The problem with your books is that all your characters do things because of the way they were raised.” I kept waiting to hear what the problem was with that because it’s true for all of us. All of us, fictional characters or not, do what we do because of how we were raised. In some instances, we fight against it. In other instances we embrace it. I came from a loving family where reading was an important activity.
Tell us something about your educational background that has made you a better, or more caring, writer.
When I was a sophomore in high school, my Latin teacher, Mr. Guerra, wrote on the top of an essay I wrote about Servius Tullius, one of the five kings of Rome, “A+, Research worthy of a college student.” That was the first time I had any inkling that maybe I was smart enough to go on to college, and it’s no accident that one of my books is dedicated to Richard Guerra.
Please fill us in on your hobbies, interests, or activities you participate in during your leisure time. *laugh* If you have any.
I’m a bad but nonetheless enthusiastic golfer. Make that fair-weather golfer. And I still love to read.
Authors are often asked when they started writing or what triggered their interest in writing. I like to know that, also, but I would especially like to know what keeps you writing.
I wanted to be a writer from the time I read the Wizard of Oz books in Mrs. Spangler’s second grade classroom in Bisbee, Arizona. A lot of people who “want” to be writers aren’t so much interested in doing the “work” of being a writer—of meeting deadlines; of going on book tours; of sending out 7000 notices in advance of a book coming out. Writing is WORK. But what keeps me writing is knowing I have fans all over the world who use my books as a way to have fun and as a way to get through tough times
You have so many projects going all the time; how do you manage?
I’m usually writing one book, editing another, and promoting a third. Those are three very different tasks and that I can do. I don’t try to write more than one book at a time. That would drive me nuts.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?
I think we all assume that what we do or say in the privacy of our computers is private. Just this week someone reached into my computer—without benefit of a download or permission and messed up my mail programs. Cruel Intent grows out of that same kind of thing. There are predators wandering around on the Internet, and they don’t have our best interests at heart.
How did you manage to come up with the ideas for your series, which now numbers three, correct? What would you care to share about any of your books? (By the way, I own almost every book you’ve written except the last two)
Four actually. Ali Reynolds, J. P. Beaumont, Joanna Brady, and the Walker Family. I started with Beaumont. After writing 9 books about him, I was getting ready to knock him off. My editor suggested that I give him a rest instead. That’s when I wrote the first Walker book and also my first hardback, Hour of the Hunter. When I went back to write about Beau again, it was also fun again. Then they suggested I have another series. Up popped Joanna.
The Beaumont books are police procedurals written in the first person through the eyes of a middle-aged homicide cop. The Joanna books are third person, female point of view. The Beau books are set in the Pacific Northwest where I live now. Joanna lives and works in southeastern Arizona where I grew up. For Beau’s background I used what I learned during my first marriage to a man who ultimately died of chronic alcoholism. For Joanna I used what I learned being a woman in a “man’s job” (insurance sales) and also being a single mother.
The thrillers are set on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation where I taught school for a number of years. The Ali Reynolds books are about a middle-aged woman forced by circumstance to rethink her life and start over in a new direction. Been there, done that, too.
(Ooops, I forgot the Walker family, but I’ve read those books, too. *shiver* J.A. gets into her characters almost too well.)
Do you have a particular writing process or technique that you use, if so, what?
I start at the beginning and write to the end. Because I write murder mysteries, I usually start with the murder. Then I spend the rest of the book trying to figure out who did it and how come. I do NOT outline. I know lots of writers who do, but for me, personally, it doesn’t work. I count the words every day. My books are supposed to be around 100,000 words long. By counting the words, I know how many I’ve used and how many I have left before I need to finish telling the story—to me as much as to my readers.
(Knowing I’m not the only writer who does not outline makes me feel better.)
How do you feel when you complete a book?
I feel GREAT!! Starting a book? Not so much.
What are your writing achievements and goals?
My goal is to keep writing as long as I physically and mentally able. I want to be P.D. James when I grow up, and I hope, like her, I’m still writing at age 88.
Do you or have you participated in writing groups, and if so, what help have they been?
I was a single mother when I started writing. A single mother with two kids, no child support, and a full time job selling life insurance. My writing time was between 4 AM and 7 AM when I got the kids up to get ready for school. There were no writers groups that met during those hours, so I didn’t participate in any. I have, however, participated in numerous writers’ conferences. As a college junior, I wasn’t allowed in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Arizona because I was a “girl.” (It’s no accident that the crazed killer in my first thriller is a former professor of Creative Writing from the University of Arizona.) I participate in the conferences because they constitute a back door to the world of writing to many folks who had the front door of writing slammed shut in their faces.
Does writing help better you as a person? How?
It’s a self-starting job. I’m more focused and more motivated by doing this job, one I love, than I would be if I were doing anything else.
What advice would you have for a new author?
When I bought my first computer, the guy who installed my word processing program fixed it so that when I booted up, these were the words that flashed across the screen: A writer is someone who has written today. Those were encouraging words that kept me motivated when I was a beginning writer, and they do the same thing for me today. And today, by the way, I do qualify. Answering e-mail interviews is part of the “work” of being a writer.
Thank you, J.A., for answering my e-mail questions. I know that for you to take time to help another person, by answering questions you’ve probably answered dozens of times before, is a kindness.
J.A. Jance's newest book is Cruel Intent, a Ali Reynolds novel.
Interviewed by Vivian Zabel
Vivian's Mysteries
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
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