In my email news bag this morning, thanks to Query Tracker, I was able to see the national list of Borders stores on the hatchet list for closure. Thank goodness, none were listed within the state of Maine. In truth, I don't know how many Borders Bookstores are located in Maine. I do know the one in Bangor is a treasure. It would be such a loss to have that one close. I have also heard wonderful things about the Borders Bookstore located in San Diego, CA. That one wasn't on the list either. The closest one to San Diego on the list is in El Cajon. Too bad. El Cajon needs as many places of literature and art as businesses will bring into the area.
****
Another piece of Internet news this morning was that the state of Texas decided to go after Amazon for $270 MILLION in taxes. It seems Amazon.com's distribution center has been located in Austin, Texas. Perhaps it should be noted that the state of Texas does not have a state income tax. For sure it should be noted that it was also reported that Amazon is moving its distribution center OUT of the state of Texas.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
WHAT HAPPENS TO WRITERS WHEN MAJOR BOOKSTORES GO BUST
From today's email came this missive from Josuha Bodwell, President of Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (MWPA). As a writer trying to get that first publisher book, the news about Borders is pretty devastating. Are we all doomed to write only for e-books and Amazon.con?
***
HELLO ALL,
As I drove to Bangor earlier this week (the MWPA is co-sponsoring the Bangor Book Festival in October!), I listened to the radio squawk news of the pending Borders bankruptcy. The news made me cringe at the thought of how many small presses, publishers, and therefore writers would lose their hard earned dollars.
Later in the week, Publisher’s Weekly put numbers to how much Borders owes:
“Publishers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars led by Penguin Group (USA), which is owed $41.1 million, followed by Hachette at $36.9 million, Simon & Schuster at $33.8 million, Random House at $33.5 million, and HarperCollins at $25.8 million.”
The trickle-down effect of these losses—if in fact these publishers are not paid back by Borders—could have a serious impact on authors and writers hoping to be published—I don’t think devastating is too strong a word.
Then I came upon this other headline in Publisher’s Weekly: “Bookstore Sales Fell 1.4% in 2010.” An ominous tone?
Well, I was surprised to read the story and find that total bookstore sales equaled $16.50 billion in 2010. Billion. That could hardly be considered bad news, right?
Out of curiosity, I did a little research and found that 2010’s annual movie ticket sales totaled $10.65 billion—about $6 billion less than 2010’s bookstore sales. Pretty interesting, ay?
Wouldn’t conventional wisdom have us believe that far more people go see movies than read books today? I mean, aren’t we inundated with pundits bemoaning the death of books and reading? Well, this news about bookstore sales figures made me think of my favorite line in the book Freakanomics: “Conventional wisdom is often wrong.”
I was buoyed by the bookstore sales figures. And I hope you are, too. We know that things in the book business are changing. And quickly. But beyond that, very little can be assumed. So let’s keep faith, okay?
In the meantime: buy local.
***
HELLO ALL,
As I drove to Bangor earlier this week (the MWPA is co-sponsoring the Bangor Book Festival in October!), I listened to the radio squawk news of the pending Borders bankruptcy. The news made me cringe at the thought of how many small presses, publishers, and therefore writers would lose their hard earned dollars.
Later in the week, Publisher’s Weekly put numbers to how much Borders owes:
“Publishers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars led by Penguin Group (USA), which is owed $41.1 million, followed by Hachette at $36.9 million, Simon & Schuster at $33.8 million, Random House at $33.5 million, and HarperCollins at $25.8 million.”
The trickle-down effect of these losses—if in fact these publishers are not paid back by Borders—could have a serious impact on authors and writers hoping to be published—I don’t think devastating is too strong a word.
Then I came upon this other headline in Publisher’s Weekly: “Bookstore Sales Fell 1.4% in 2010.” An ominous tone?
Well, I was surprised to read the story and find that total bookstore sales equaled $16.50 billion in 2010. Billion. That could hardly be considered bad news, right?
Out of curiosity, I did a little research and found that 2010’s annual movie ticket sales totaled $10.65 billion—about $6 billion less than 2010’s bookstore sales. Pretty interesting, ay?
Wouldn’t conventional wisdom have us believe that far more people go see movies than read books today? I mean, aren’t we inundated with pundits bemoaning the death of books and reading? Well, this news about bookstore sales figures made me think of my favorite line in the book Freakanomics: “Conventional wisdom is often wrong.”
I was buoyed by the bookstore sales figures. And I hope you are, too. We know that things in the book business are changing. And quickly. But beyond that, very little can be assumed. So let’s keep faith, okay?
In the meantime: buy local.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
JANET CHAPMAN BOOK SIGNING AT BORDERS BOOKSTORE
Janet Chapman, Romance writer, conducted a reading and book signing at the Bangor, Maine, Borders bookstore last Saturday, January 29. She had fans showing up from as far away as Presque Isle, Maine and New Hampshire - long drives for all, especially during this winter when the daytime high temperatures have hovered at 20 degrees.
Janet, who lives in one of the small communities outside Bangor, was at first unbelieving that the people were there just for her - thinking they must have been in the store and just stopped by the table on the second floor that the Borders' staff had set up for her. NO, those people made it quite clear, they were there for her. Good thing she wasn't scheduled before 3pm. The people from New Hampshire must have started out very early or driven up the day before. and Presque Isle isn't much closer.
Darn good thing Borders decided to have some of Janet's books sent overnight via Federal Express.
On the other hand, the Borders' staff have always been more than supportive of the Writers Group this writer belongs to. And they never complain if we want to carry our coffee (from their cafe) with us as we roam the bookstacks, or need help finding a reference book. It's practically a personal library with snacks, WiFi and comfortable chairs - and heat. No small benefit this winter here in the too-much-snowy north.
Janet, who lives in one of the small communities outside Bangor, was at first unbelieving that the people were there just for her - thinking they must have been in the store and just stopped by the table on the second floor that the Borders' staff had set up for her. NO, those people made it quite clear, they were there for her. Good thing she wasn't scheduled before 3pm. The people from New Hampshire must have started out very early or driven up the day before. and Presque Isle isn't much closer.
Darn good thing Borders decided to have some of Janet's books sent overnight via Federal Express.
On the other hand, the Borders' staff have always been more than supportive of the Writers Group this writer belongs to. And they never complain if we want to carry our coffee (from their cafe) with us as we roam the bookstacks, or need help finding a reference book. It's practically a personal library with snacks, WiFi and comfortable chairs - and heat. No small benefit this winter here in the too-much-snowy north.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
TIME FRAMES, RESEARCH & THE VALUE OF WRITERS GROUPS
Sometimes the smallest things can trip up a writer. Almost happened to this one. But for the good eyes and critical thinking of my Writers Group, who don't even write the same genre as I, a piece of work I am working on would have continued with a significant error.
The problem came about because I changed the original time frame to fifteen years earlier. The reason isn't important; I just felt other elements would work better. In the process I failed to research that certain critical elements that couldn't be changed hadn't been developed by the new time frame, i.e. the Internet and emails not to mention certain "language" we commonly use such as BTW, FYI, LOL, etc.
Fortunately, one of the members in my Writers Group raised the issue. She wasn't sure but.... Stop the Presses and send out group "Help" messages to people of the appropriate ages and who lived in the story's location at the time of the story's time frame. Seems the Writers Group was on the money. And it was my daughter (!) who found the most "on the mark" piece of information needed.
Yes, the story can be "fixed", the time frame can be changed to fit the accuracy of that critical element - BUT what if I had not had the eyes and critical thinking of my Writers Group? Deep doo doo. That's what.
I had done research on car models and colors of the cars being used (not every color is produced by every car maker in a given year - something to check out). I had checked out the appropriateness of certain perfumes and men's colognes. But the Internet and the availability of email communication? Nope.
With so much technology evolving so quickly - and taken so much for granted by so many, writers need to be careful when incorporating any aspect of it in their writing. Once more, a butt was saved from the fire. Could have been a bonfire without that catch....
The problem came about because I changed the original time frame to fifteen years earlier. The reason isn't important; I just felt other elements would work better. In the process I failed to research that certain critical elements that couldn't be changed hadn't been developed by the new time frame, i.e. the Internet and emails not to mention certain "language" we commonly use such as BTW, FYI, LOL, etc.
Fortunately, one of the members in my Writers Group raised the issue. She wasn't sure but.... Stop the Presses and send out group "Help" messages to people of the appropriate ages and who lived in the story's location at the time of the story's time frame. Seems the Writers Group was on the money. And it was my daughter (!) who found the most "on the mark" piece of information needed.
Yes, the story can be "fixed", the time frame can be changed to fit the accuracy of that critical element - BUT what if I had not had the eyes and critical thinking of my Writers Group? Deep doo doo. That's what.
I had done research on car models and colors of the cars being used (not every color is produced by every car maker in a given year - something to check out). I had checked out the appropriateness of certain perfumes and men's colognes. But the Internet and the availability of email communication? Nope.
With so much technology evolving so quickly - and taken so much for granted by so many, writers need to be careful when incorporating any aspect of it in their writing. Once more, a butt was saved from the fire. Could have been a bonfire without that catch....
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
NEW RESOURCE FOR FICTION CRIME WRITERS
In today's QueryTracker email is an interview and notification of Carolyn Kaufman's first book for writers, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior. It hits Borders bookshelves today - December 1, 2010.
How fortunate I am to have a great Borders bookstore right here. In fact, that's where our Writers Group meets.
This book, which I intend to gift to myself, is being praised by bestselling thriller writer and psychologist Jonathan Kellerman as "thoughtful, scholarly, comprehensive and a boon to writers aiming for accuracy when depicting the world of abnormal psychology and clinical treatment." Another bestselling author, Jilliane Hoffman, adds, "Every writer who even thinks about creating or explaining a character with a psychological disorder should have a copy on their desk, right next to their dictionary and thesaurus..." (which is where I will have my copy, BTW)
According to the article on QueryTracker, "Carolyn Kaufman's doctorate is in clinical psychology, and she is a former psychotherapist turned full-time psychology professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. She is frequently consulted by journalists as an expert source, and her specializations are clinical/abnormal psychology and media psychology."
I know that I have often read her columns on QueryTracker and found them insightful and true in accordance with experiences and individuals I encountered during my career in the law enforcement/corrections field.
Even in the brief introduction provided in this morning's column the author talked about the differences in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic and psychopathic and errors made in television and fiction when trying to use these illnesses to describe characters.
This book will be a treasure trove for any writer who desires to write credible stories with characters of depth and validity.
How fortunate I am to have a great Borders bookstore right here. In fact, that's where our Writers Group meets.
This book, which I intend to gift to myself, is being praised by bestselling thriller writer and psychologist Jonathan Kellerman as "thoughtful, scholarly, comprehensive and a boon to writers aiming for accuracy when depicting the world of abnormal psychology and clinical treatment." Another bestselling author, Jilliane Hoffman, adds, "Every writer who even thinks about creating or explaining a character with a psychological disorder should have a copy on their desk, right next to their dictionary and thesaurus..." (which is where I will have my copy, BTW)
According to the article on QueryTracker, "Carolyn Kaufman's doctorate is in clinical psychology, and she is a former psychotherapist turned full-time psychology professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. She is frequently consulted by journalists as an expert source, and her specializations are clinical/abnormal psychology and media psychology."
I know that I have often read her columns on QueryTracker and found them insightful and true in accordance with experiences and individuals I encountered during my career in the law enforcement/corrections field.
Even in the brief introduction provided in this morning's column the author talked about the differences in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic and psychopathic and errors made in television and fiction when trying to use these illnesses to describe characters.
This book will be a treasure trove for any writer who desires to write credible stories with characters of depth and validity.
Friday, November 19, 2010
SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL WRITERS
On Saturday, December 4 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, MWPA (Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance) member Jeff Foltz will be at the Bangor Public Library and then at the Rockport Public Library from 3:30 PM to 5:00PM with his new historical novel, Birkebeiner.
It has been a real treasure to find other local writers. Even more surprising is the LARGE number of published poets in the state.
Finding "First Readers" has been interesting as well. In addition to the writers in the Writers Group in which I participate, I recently "recruited" a select group of individual "First Readers." These are friends and associates who read mysteries and police procedurals simply as a hobby. After all, these are my would be buyers. Better to find out their thoughts, interests, opinions, etc.
Some seem to devour pages with almost daily - at least weekly - feedback and requests for the next chapter. Others have had personal "bumps in the road" to handle. Afterward they are quick to let me know, they are back at it with their feedback to follow. And others... Well, I'm not quite sure where they are.
This last group are mostly individuals who are still holding down full-time jobs. And we are all happy for them - even for those who could fold-it-up if they wanted. So maybe they are just busy with the business at hand. Who knows. But the one thing I don't do is to push the issue. One of the objectives is to write something the reader doesn't want to put down - can't wait to read the next page. So the absence of feedback is feedback after all.
It has been a real treasure to find other local writers. Even more surprising is the LARGE number of published poets in the state.
Finding "First Readers" has been interesting as well. In addition to the writers in the Writers Group in which I participate, I recently "recruited" a select group of individual "First Readers." These are friends and associates who read mysteries and police procedurals simply as a hobby. After all, these are my would be buyers. Better to find out their thoughts, interests, opinions, etc.
Some seem to devour pages with almost daily - at least weekly - feedback and requests for the next chapter. Others have had personal "bumps in the road" to handle. Afterward they are quick to let me know, they are back at it with their feedback to follow. And others... Well, I'm not quite sure where they are.
This last group are mostly individuals who are still holding down full-time jobs. And we are all happy for them - even for those who could fold-it-up if they wanted. So maybe they are just busy with the business at hand. Who knows. But the one thing I don't do is to push the issue. One of the objectives is to write something the reader doesn't want to put down - can't wait to read the next page. So the absence of feedback is feedback after all.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
BENEFITS FROM WRITERS CONFERENCES/RETREATS
Finished the chapter - polished and re-written 'til I'm blue in the face (like the corpse). But I've come to realize I would never have thought of this "new" first chapter without having gone to the retreat, without having been in that particular workshop, without having had the benefit of learning from an experience and published writer in a related genre.
There is just so much a writer can learn from reading "teaching" books, articles, email blogs, etc. Sometimes you just have to invest in being where the professionals are, making contacts with those who've walked the path ahead of you, creating networks that include people who will generously share their knowledge and will extend even more of that knowledge once you have gone home and are plodding along.
Courage and hard work are part of the journey. Writers Groups and then Friends in the Biz help, too. Always remember to say "Thank You" to those who extend a hand and the offer of helpful suggestions even when, at first, you think "I thought it was done. Oh, boggers!"
There is just so much a writer can learn from reading "teaching" books, articles, email blogs, etc. Sometimes you just have to invest in being where the professionals are, making contacts with those who've walked the path ahead of you, creating networks that include people who will generously share their knowledge and will extend even more of that knowledge once you have gone home and are plodding along.
Courage and hard work are part of the journey. Writers Groups and then Friends in the Biz help, too. Always remember to say "Thank You" to those who extend a hand and the offer of helpful suggestions even when, at first, you think "I thought it was done. Oh, boggers!"
Monday, October 11, 2010
LIFE'S NOT EASY - NEITHER IS DYING
If you read the prior post, you know I am trying to write a challenging chapter. Challenging on several planes - for several reasons. Distractions come easily. At some points I welcome them. Like now. So I look out the office window at the beautiful blue sky with only a few white cotton ball clouds. The sun sparkles off the water that moves from west to east (for the moment. The current changes as easily as my nerves lately.). Fall has arrives in this part of the state and the largest oak tree along the shoreline has finally caught up, the leaves at the top a bright rusty gold while mid-way down they are still green. The pine tree across to its left is its ever-present green but dropping needles, I know.
I can see the trees on the opposite side of the shore, a rainbow of reds, oranges, yellows and greens both bright and dark. All the summer docks have been pulled up. There are no boats zipping, no jet skis skipping, no motor sounds. The water is quiet except of the wind. It has been windy this past week. Everything from blow-the-house-down windy to just breezy enough to blow down the leaves and send them bouncing across the lawn. "Just keep right on and into the woods," I urge from my spot. I have no time or desire to be raking. I am suppose to be killing my victim.
But I wrote this first draft some time ago. But it aside to mellow and not it is going into the fire of review and rewrite through the writers group. A NEW first Chapter I had not planned on, but there it is on my "to do list" along with some ironing that has been waiting nearly a month. And the large driveway garden that needs to be cleared for the removal of TONS of iris rhizomes. I couldn't remove them last Spring so I vowed to get rid of them this Fall. Must be done, even if it takes an ax to get the job done. (Hate those irises - ugly color.)
See? There are so many ways to avoid doing what must be done. I've completed the research. Have the dialogue. Know how the "device works. It's just the "getting to it" that keeps getting in the way.
It will be done, I know. It's just that she's such a nice person. And she's had a hard time of things. She thought life was just about to get better. It was all in the business of trusting and betrayal. Bad choices, poor thing.
I can see the trees on the opposite side of the shore, a rainbow of reds, oranges, yellows and greens both bright and dark. All the summer docks have been pulled up. There are no boats zipping, no jet skis skipping, no motor sounds. The water is quiet except of the wind. It has been windy this past week. Everything from blow-the-house-down windy to just breezy enough to blow down the leaves and send them bouncing across the lawn. "Just keep right on and into the woods," I urge from my spot. I have no time or desire to be raking. I am suppose to be killing my victim.
But I wrote this first draft some time ago. But it aside to mellow and not it is going into the fire of review and rewrite through the writers group. A NEW first Chapter I had not planned on, but there it is on my "to do list" along with some ironing that has been waiting nearly a month. And the large driveway garden that needs to be cleared for the removal of TONS of iris rhizomes. I couldn't remove them last Spring so I vowed to get rid of them this Fall. Must be done, even if it takes an ax to get the job done. (Hate those irises - ugly color.)
See? There are so many ways to avoid doing what must be done. I've completed the research. Have the dialogue. Know how the "device works. It's just the "getting to it" that keeps getting in the way.
It will be done, I know. It's just that she's such a nice person. And she's had a hard time of things. She thought life was just about to get better. It was all in the business of trusting and betrayal. Bad choices, poor thing.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
STARTING WITH A "BANG"
Today I have to be in a "killing" mood. Sorry. That's just the way it is.
Good thing it's rainy and windy outside. Don't think a bird would have a chance holding its own. Even the squirrels and chipmunks have gone to ground.
The water is churning on the lake. Not a duck or loon in sight.
Perfect day to write a thriller scene - an entire chapter if I can stay in that place I have to go - see and feel what must be seen and felt. It may take days. For sure, there is no music playing in the background, not even the soft jazz I usually have muted to keep me company. No. Murder needs no company.
The opening of the book was never planned to be this way. But it seems the logical way. Even though, to be honest, it gives me the creeps.
I know the method. I know the killer. I know his motive. And I know the victim. I know them all too well. And because I know this killer I admit he scares me, even though I am the writer. Even though he is "fictionalized", he's based on others who are/were real. And I do not know for sure they are now dead. Murderers don't always see a court room, and even when they do they're not always sentenced to death row, and even then... Well, you know the reality of death row. Don't we all. Well, except in Texas maybe.
Remember, I just came back from the Writers Retreat where I read from the opening chapter of my novel-in-progress. The entire chapter was read in the workshop I attended. Got fairly good reviews actually. But then the workshop leader, Patrick Quinlan, published writer of thrillers, said words to the effect, "You need to capture the reader, the publisher, with a bang. Grab them by the throat. Show your victim being killed in the first chapter."
Then during a break, in a one-on-one, once I had the opportunity to outline the entire plot and characters in the book, he was even more emphatic.
And he was right!
It has now been four days and a long drive home that I have danced around this. Danced up close to it and then backed away. Do all mystery/police procedural writers dance this way when they have to go back into Hell? I don't know. I just know I have. Because I know that is where I have to go. Again.
Today is a killing day.
Good thing it's rainy and windy outside. Don't think a bird would have a chance holding its own. Even the squirrels and chipmunks have gone to ground.
The water is churning on the lake. Not a duck or loon in sight.
Perfect day to write a thriller scene - an entire chapter if I can stay in that place I have to go - see and feel what must be seen and felt. It may take days. For sure, there is no music playing in the background, not even the soft jazz I usually have muted to keep me company. No. Murder needs no company.
The opening of the book was never planned to be this way. But it seems the logical way. Even though, to be honest, it gives me the creeps.
I know the method. I know the killer. I know his motive. And I know the victim. I know them all too well. And because I know this killer I admit he scares me, even though I am the writer. Even though he is "fictionalized", he's based on others who are/were real. And I do not know for sure they are now dead. Murderers don't always see a court room, and even when they do they're not always sentenced to death row, and even then... Well, you know the reality of death row. Don't we all. Well, except in Texas maybe.
Remember, I just came back from the Writers Retreat where I read from the opening chapter of my novel-in-progress. The entire chapter was read in the workshop I attended. Got fairly good reviews actually. But then the workshop leader, Patrick Quinlan, published writer of thrillers, said words to the effect, "You need to capture the reader, the publisher, with a bang. Grab them by the throat. Show your victim being killed in the first chapter."
Then during a break, in a one-on-one, once I had the opportunity to outline the entire plot and characters in the book, he was even more emphatic.
And he was right!
It has now been four days and a long drive home that I have danced around this. Danced up close to it and then backed away. Do all mystery/police procedural writers dance this way when they have to go back into Hell? I don't know. I just know I have. Because I know that is where I have to go. Again.
Today is a killing day.
Monday, October 4, 2010
MAINE WRITERS & PUBLISHERS ALLIANCE FALL RETREAT
This past weekend was the 2010 Fall Writers Retreat sponsored and conducted by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (MWPA) out of Portland, Maine. The setting was gorgeous. Never having been to Boothbay Harbor before, I have to admit it is a postcard advertisement for coastal Maine. And the staff at the Liniken Resort provided food not only fit for kings and queens, but courtesy and accommodations beyond anything the concept of a retreat could hope for.
There were different two-day workshops in the mornings for the many genre of writers in attendance, in addition to three special seminars on Saturday afternoon. On both Friday and Saturday evening, members of the Retreat staff and MWPA Board read from their works-in-progress or various published work. These included poetry, novels and short stories. Patrick Quinlan, published thriller novelist - and the leader of the workshop I attended - also read a piece he recently finished following his trip to China. It haunted me later through the night. While some might considered it "thriller" material, it is pure non-fiction. While it is not entertaining in the truest sense, in this writer's opinion, it needs to be published.
Of course, by the time I arrived home late Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted. Brain drain mostly. The three-hour drive home was nothing compared to the five-hour drive to get there in torrential rain with white-out back splash from vehicles in front of me on the highway - many of which did not have their headlights on while windshield wipers were going at full speed. True, it was in full daylight and those drivers didn't need their headlights to see where they were going, but those of us behind them needed to be able to see their taillights to see their cars through the white-out of water and the planing that was a threat to all of us. Stress is a word that doesn't begin to describe the environment for the middle two hours of that trip.
There is a lot I have brought home to my writing environment from the Retreat - nice people, generous writers all, encouragement shared roundly, new and creative ideas, tender thoughts put to paper, friendships nurtured, laughter, information and the bountiful knowledge gained from steps other have walked that may reduce the bumps and bruises for others in their wake.
It was a gift of many layers given to me. Many thanks are due.
There were different two-day workshops in the mornings for the many genre of writers in attendance, in addition to three special seminars on Saturday afternoon. On both Friday and Saturday evening, members of the Retreat staff and MWPA Board read from their works-in-progress or various published work. These included poetry, novels and short stories. Patrick Quinlan, published thriller novelist - and the leader of the workshop I attended - also read a piece he recently finished following his trip to China. It haunted me later through the night. While some might considered it "thriller" material, it is pure non-fiction. While it is not entertaining in the truest sense, in this writer's opinion, it needs to be published.
Of course, by the time I arrived home late Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted. Brain drain mostly. The three-hour drive home was nothing compared to the five-hour drive to get there in torrential rain with white-out back splash from vehicles in front of me on the highway - many of which did not have their headlights on while windshield wipers were going at full speed. True, it was in full daylight and those drivers didn't need their headlights to see where they were going, but those of us behind them needed to be able to see their taillights to see their cars through the white-out of water and the planing that was a threat to all of us. Stress is a word that doesn't begin to describe the environment for the middle two hours of that trip.
There is a lot I have brought home to my writing environment from the Retreat - nice people, generous writers all, encouragement shared roundly, new and creative ideas, tender thoughts put to paper, friendships nurtured, laughter, information and the bountiful knowledge gained from steps other have walked that may reduce the bumps and bruises for others in their wake.
It was a gift of many layers given to me. Many thanks are due.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
TOMORROW IS THE DAY
Tomorrow is the first of a three-day Writers Retreat sponsored by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. The retreat is being conducted at the Liniken Resort in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
Because I will be leaving early (to allow plenty of time to get lost-and-found several times enroute - it always happens when going to a new place, regardless of whatever map I use), there will be no posting tomorrow. On top of the new route and my propensity for getting lost, the weather is projected to be rainy - very rainy. Oh Joy!
So today I am getting chores done, for both my place and for a family member who will be returning to his home on Saturday following rehab for a hip replacement. The objective is to minimize the stress tomorrow and to arrive at the Retreat relaxed (and excited). The latter is an automatic. The former, a challenge.
In the meantime, I can see the storm coming in over the lake and I still have to go to town, the post office, etc.
Maybe a nap is in order first. Naps always help. Perhaps I am part cat.
Have a great day.
Because I will be leaving early (to allow plenty of time to get lost-and-found several times enroute - it always happens when going to a new place, regardless of whatever map I use), there will be no posting tomorrow. On top of the new route and my propensity for getting lost, the weather is projected to be rainy - very rainy. Oh Joy!
So today I am getting chores done, for both my place and for a family member who will be returning to his home on Saturday following rehab for a hip replacement. The objective is to minimize the stress tomorrow and to arrive at the Retreat relaxed (and excited). The latter is an automatic. The former, a challenge.
In the meantime, I can see the storm coming in over the lake and I still have to go to town, the post office, etc.
Maybe a nap is in order first. Naps always help. Perhaps I am part cat.
Have a great day.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
WHEN LIFE IS AT ITS BUSIEST - TAKE A BREATH
Lately I have found there is much too much to do and not enough time to look, think, ponder or even breath. Not good, especially for a creative person. Definitely not enough time to laugh - especially to laugh at life's moments.
Yesterday was the gathering of my weekly writers group at Borders. I do LOVE our Borders store. The staff and management there are so welcoming and accommodating. It's a bit like a mini-library with benefits galore.
So there we were, the six of us - gathered around our two tables pushed together, papers out, coffees on the table (hoping no one spills anything), sharing the news of the week. One of us has just been signed by an agent who sounds like she must have been a heavenly angel in her previous life. Another one has just returned from caring for a daughter-in-law who had major surgery and an elderly mother. Needless to say, she is more than qualified to writer about the "sandwich generation."
So, the assignment for the week was to read and critique one member's submission from the previous week. We go around the table - one at a time. First the summary and then page by page - punctuation, flow, typos, the whole kit and caboodle. And there are six of us, remember. The writer/submitter only gets to take notes or to answer a question if specifically asked. No defending. No clarifying unless asked. (But we are not brutal either. On the other hand, if we don't understand something, why should the writer assume any other reader will?)
I took last dibs yesterday. I have a tendency to be a bit "creative" in my critiques - offering suggestions about how a sentence might have more punch with a word change - or breaking one sentence into two - or changing one word for another. Or moving an ending paragraph to a different position. Or asking what if you did this instead of that. Just a thought, nothing more than a thought to ponder.
Well, in the middle of one of those - "think it would have more punch" kind of remarks, a gentleman from a nearby table comes by - probably on his way to get another coffee - and interjects, "I think what you all are doing is great!"
It was a bit startling, I will admit. But we are a friendly group so we turned to him and said, "thanks" - or words to that effect.
"I've been listening to you all. I think your group is just great. I teach writing at the local community college. You people are really good."
We didn't say who or what we were. It was just nice to have the "approval." Maybe he overheard something that will end up in his classroom this week.
One just never knows what will go out over the air or where it will land.
(Gee, I'm glad we weren't reviewing/critiquing a sex scene. We have been known to do that, too. Certain ones of us always want to make it more steamy. Even the gentleman in the group likes it steamy. And then there is the question of what to call certain components or actions..... We can be sooo creative. LOL)
Yesterday was the gathering of my weekly writers group at Borders. I do LOVE our Borders store. The staff and management there are so welcoming and accommodating. It's a bit like a mini-library with benefits galore.
So there we were, the six of us - gathered around our two tables pushed together, papers out, coffees on the table (hoping no one spills anything), sharing the news of the week. One of us has just been signed by an agent who sounds like she must have been a heavenly angel in her previous life. Another one has just returned from caring for a daughter-in-law who had major surgery and an elderly mother. Needless to say, she is more than qualified to writer about the "sandwich generation."
So, the assignment for the week was to read and critique one member's submission from the previous week. We go around the table - one at a time. First the summary and then page by page - punctuation, flow, typos, the whole kit and caboodle. And there are six of us, remember. The writer/submitter only gets to take notes or to answer a question if specifically asked. No defending. No clarifying unless asked. (But we are not brutal either. On the other hand, if we don't understand something, why should the writer assume any other reader will?)
I took last dibs yesterday. I have a tendency to be a bit "creative" in my critiques - offering suggestions about how a sentence might have more punch with a word change - or breaking one sentence into two - or changing one word for another. Or moving an ending paragraph to a different position. Or asking what if you did this instead of that. Just a thought, nothing more than a thought to ponder.
Well, in the middle of one of those - "think it would have more punch" kind of remarks, a gentleman from a nearby table comes by - probably on his way to get another coffee - and interjects, "I think what you all are doing is great!"
It was a bit startling, I will admit. But we are a friendly group so we turned to him and said, "thanks" - or words to that effect.
"I've been listening to you all. I think your group is just great. I teach writing at the local community college. You people are really good."
We didn't say who or what we were. It was just nice to have the "approval." Maybe he overheard something that will end up in his classroom this week.
One just never knows what will go out over the air or where it will land.
(Gee, I'm glad we weren't reviewing/critiquing a sex scene. We have been known to do that, too. Certain ones of us always want to make it more steamy. Even the gentleman in the group likes it steamy. And then there is the question of what to call certain components or actions..... We can be sooo creative. LOL)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
SEASONS AND THEIR CHANGES
This past week has been a challenge with temperatures in the very high 90s. I will admit, 96, 97 degree days with or without humidity drains everything out of me, creativity, happiness, the ability to even sleep or desire to eat. (And that's a hard one to whip.)
Nights don't seem to bring any respite and so, upon rising I am even more tired, if possible, than I was when falling on the bed the night before. In truth, I can not imagine living in the deep south. Just watching old film noir stories like "To Kill a Mockingbird," where everyone is wiping his or her face with a handkerchief to remove the beads of perspiration, leaves me sticky and irritable. I don't know how they all managed to survive without killing off half the population during those hot, humid days that seemed to last forever. And yet, that is just what it has been like here for the last week. And we had other weeks like that earlier this summer. During such days, I fine impossible to write or work on the current manuscript. One can hardly conjure up a good murder when one just wants to kill any and every thing that moves.
And so along came "Earl." I know, people down along North and South Carolina had a totally different perspective than I about Earl - and rightly so. Down there, Earl was a down right unpleasant and unruly, not to mention unwelcome caller. But, by the time he came visiting up here in Maine, he'd run out of steam and he'd been pushed aside, so to speak, by some cold air giving him a good thumping from Canada. And so, when Earl arrived around 4AM Saturday morning, he had no wind left in his sails. Literally. No enough to blow out a match. Certainly nothing compared to this morning. For truth.
But Earl did bring more than three inches of sorely needed rain to the area where I live. (Thank goodness. I can barely think what my water bill will be the next billing cycle since I have been watering the lawn and gardens for hours at a time every morning starting at 6AM until the heat said the water would be working upward instead of the other way and thereby a total waste of money.) In the process, the temperature has dropped at least twenty degrees, there's a good stiff breeze, and I can write again. I can sleep. I can fix a decent meal which will, in turn provide the energy to work on the next stage of this mystery with all of its twists and turns.
There is a nip in the air that smells like fall - not that I look forward to the season that follows. But fall has energy whereas hot summer days have none for me. It takes energy to plan a mystery. Energy to plan a murder. And energy to catch a killer. A good season is upon us. Now all I have to do is entice some good neighbor to bring in the dock before the water gets too cold. No place in this manuscript for a frigid body, or a dock dragged offshore by the ice that is yet to come.
Nights don't seem to bring any respite and so, upon rising I am even more tired, if possible, than I was when falling on the bed the night before. In truth, I can not imagine living in the deep south. Just watching old film noir stories like "To Kill a Mockingbird," where everyone is wiping his or her face with a handkerchief to remove the beads of perspiration, leaves me sticky and irritable. I don't know how they all managed to survive without killing off half the population during those hot, humid days that seemed to last forever. And yet, that is just what it has been like here for the last week. And we had other weeks like that earlier this summer. During such days, I fine impossible to write or work on the current manuscript. One can hardly conjure up a good murder when one just wants to kill any and every thing that moves.
And so along came "Earl." I know, people down along North and South Carolina had a totally different perspective than I about Earl - and rightly so. Down there, Earl was a down right unpleasant and unruly, not to mention unwelcome caller. But, by the time he came visiting up here in Maine, he'd run out of steam and he'd been pushed aside, so to speak, by some cold air giving him a good thumping from Canada. And so, when Earl arrived around 4AM Saturday morning, he had no wind left in his sails. Literally. No enough to blow out a match. Certainly nothing compared to this morning. For truth.
But Earl did bring more than three inches of sorely needed rain to the area where I live. (Thank goodness. I can barely think what my water bill will be the next billing cycle since I have been watering the lawn and gardens for hours at a time every morning starting at 6AM until the heat said the water would be working upward instead of the other way and thereby a total waste of money.) In the process, the temperature has dropped at least twenty degrees, there's a good stiff breeze, and I can write again. I can sleep. I can fix a decent meal which will, in turn provide the energy to work on the next stage of this mystery with all of its twists and turns.
There is a nip in the air that smells like fall - not that I look forward to the season that follows. But fall has energy whereas hot summer days have none for me. It takes energy to plan a mystery. Energy to plan a murder. And energy to catch a killer. A good season is upon us. Now all I have to do is entice some good neighbor to bring in the dock before the water gets too cold. No place in this manuscript for a frigid body, or a dock dragged offshore by the ice that is yet to come.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
YESTERDAY WAS BOUNTIFUL
Ever have the phone ring right when you're in the middle of writing an inspired passage? Me, too. The benefits of caller ID helps decide if you're going to pick up the phone or let it go to voicemail. Telemarketers usually hang up when the voicemail starts up. (I really do not like telemarketing and in spite of registering with the "NationalDoNotCall List", they still call - usually during the dinner and national news hours.)
So yesterday, when in the middle of the current novel (editing and polishing and wondering "What was I thinking!) the phone on the desk rings. "Caller Unknown. Location Unknown." Forget it, would be my normal reaction, but for some reason, I picked up the receiver and said, "Hello."
Good news sometimes arrives from "Caller Unknown" I have decided. Because that one caller was the new President of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. He was calling to let me know I have been named the recipient of the 2010 Writers Retreat Scholarship - and there is only one. YabaDabaDo!
Needless to say, no more work on the novel. I just wasn't in a "killer mode."
Maybe I should answer "Caller Unknown" calls more often. No, I think yesterday was just an exceptional day. We all need them every once in a while.
So yesterday, when in the middle of the current novel (editing and polishing and wondering "What was I thinking!) the phone on the desk rings. "Caller Unknown. Location Unknown." Forget it, would be my normal reaction, but for some reason, I picked up the receiver and said, "Hello."
Good news sometimes arrives from "Caller Unknown" I have decided. Because that one caller was the new President of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. He was calling to let me know I have been named the recipient of the 2010 Writers Retreat Scholarship - and there is only one. YabaDabaDo!
Needless to say, no more work on the novel. I just wasn't in a "killer mode."
Maybe I should answer "Caller Unknown" calls more often. No, I think yesterday was just an exceptional day. We all need them every once in a while.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
MWA UNIVERSITY IN BETHESDA, MD
The pilot program for MWA University (otherwise known as MWAU) was held at The Writers' Center on Walsh Street Saturday, August 14. Co-sponsored by MWA's national Board of Directors and the Mid-Atlantic MWA Chapter, I'm so pleased I was at the First MWAU. THIS was a learning experience unlike typical writers' conferences.
The presenters (and teachers) were Jess Lourey (author of Murder-by-the Month mysteries and a tenured professor of English and sociology at a two-year Minnesota college) who spoke on After The Idea. Great handouts, too.
Next was Hallie Ephron (author of psychologoical suspense Never Tell a Lie, crime fiction book reviewer for the Boston Globe, and author of the Edgar-nominated Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel), spoke on Dramatic Structure & Plot.
The final morning presenter was Daniel Stashower who is a two-time Edgar award winner, and a recipient of the Raymond Chandler Fulbright Fellowship in Detective and Crime Fiction Writing. Dan's presentation on Setting & Description was not only beneficial, but his humor and comparative examples kept everyone involved.
After a one-hour lunch break, the afternoon session began with Donna Andrews talking about Character & Dialogue. Donna is the award-winning NYT bestselling author of sixteen novels and founding member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of MWA.
Reed Farrel Coleman got everyone involved with his topic of Writing as Re-Writing. It was nice to hear Reed discuss his person process of dealing with writing and editing as a continuing process. Reed has been twice nominated for the Edgar (MWA's top annual honor) and three-time winner of the Shamus Award. Reed is an adjunct professor of English at Hofstra University.
The last presenter was Hank Phillippi Ryan, a Boston TV reporter who has won 26 Emmys for her investigative jurnalism. She has also been the winner of two Agatha Awards in addition to being nominated for the Anthony, Agatha and Macavity. Hank (a woman for those unfamiliar with her work) spoke on The Writing Life - a perfect closing for the day's program. One might think it difficult to be the last speaker at such an event, but Hank got everyone's attention from the "get-go" by passing out miniature chocolate candies. Her presentation was just as encouraging and energizing.
Anyone who hears of a MWAU being held in their area should plan to attend. At $50. for MWA members and non-members alike, it was a bargain.
The presenters (and teachers) were Jess Lourey (author of Murder-by-the Month mysteries and a tenured professor of English and sociology at a two-year Minnesota college) who spoke on After The Idea. Great handouts, too.
Next was Hallie Ephron (author of psychologoical suspense Never Tell a Lie, crime fiction book reviewer for the Boston Globe, and author of the Edgar-nominated Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel), spoke on Dramatic Structure & Plot.
The final morning presenter was Daniel Stashower who is a two-time Edgar award winner, and a recipient of the Raymond Chandler Fulbright Fellowship in Detective and Crime Fiction Writing. Dan's presentation on Setting & Description was not only beneficial, but his humor and comparative examples kept everyone involved.
After a one-hour lunch break, the afternoon session began with Donna Andrews talking about Character & Dialogue. Donna is the award-winning NYT bestselling author of sixteen novels and founding member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of MWA.
Reed Farrel Coleman got everyone involved with his topic of Writing as Re-Writing. It was nice to hear Reed discuss his person process of dealing with writing and editing as a continuing process. Reed has been twice nominated for the Edgar (MWA's top annual honor) and three-time winner of the Shamus Award. Reed is an adjunct professor of English at Hofstra University.
The last presenter was Hank Phillippi Ryan, a Boston TV reporter who has won 26 Emmys for her investigative jurnalism. She has also been the winner of two Agatha Awards in addition to being nominated for the Anthony, Agatha and Macavity. Hank (a woman for those unfamiliar with her work) spoke on The Writing Life - a perfect closing for the day's program. One might think it difficult to be the last speaker at such an event, but Hank got everyone's attention from the "get-go" by passing out miniature chocolate candies. Her presentation was just as encouraging and energizing.
Anyone who hears of a MWAU being held in their area should plan to attend. At $50. for MWA members and non-members alike, it was a bargain.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
OFF TO THE MWA UNIVERSITY
Today will be one of travel to Portland, Maine in preparation of flying tomorrow. This coming Saturday will be the MWA University in Bethesda, MD. Looking forward to the sessions, even if not the projected thunderstorms.
Tonight, in Portland, in the grand 35 years celebration of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. Dinner with published authors in various restaurants followed by a Champagne and desert at the Portland Public Library and a dance. Congrats to MAPA and the many people who have made the organization (and tomorrow night's events) possible.
Tonight, in Portland, in the grand 35 years celebration of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. Dinner with published authors in various restaurants followed by a Champagne and desert at the Portland Public Library and a dance. Congrats to MAPA and the many people who have made the organization (and tomorrow night's events) possible.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A NETWORK FOR MYSTERY WRITERS AND READERS
Check out www.Crimespace.com for a network of mystery, crime, thriller and suspense writers, readers and just fans. You can make "friends", ask questions, and read/comment of blogs. It's free - and a good source.
I'll be at a Mystery Writers of America (MWA) learning experience this coming weekend. Blogs resume here next week.
I'll be at a Mystery Writers of America (MWA) learning experience this coming weekend. Blogs resume here next week.
Monday, August 2, 2010
NOVELS CAN BE BASED ON THE IRONIES OF LABELS, IDEAS & PHRASES
This writer has often wondered at the irony of the conflict inherent in certain pat phrases we become accustomed to over time. Phrases like "Law and Order", "Peace Officers/Keeping the Peace and Law Enforcement", "Corrections and Rehabilitation" just for a few. Think about it.
The LAW is constant changing. ORDER is rather static. Maintaining Law and Order is not always compatible. It is somewhat like the age-old story of "the haves and the have-nots". Those who "have" will certainly want their version of order preserved. Those who considered themselves dis-enfranchised will be more inclined to want their version of order changed. The process of maintaining or changing is through both the evolution of the law and whatever other factors will generate more (goods, money, power, etc.) to the "have-nots", which by its very nature means less will be in the hands of the "haves." Sometimes that change is achieved peacefully through negotiation and compromise. Other times it is through rebellion and revolution. Somewhere, in the midst of that change (by whichever means) is that group of people charged with enforcing the law (and which law is often the question), - maintaining order (and whose order is the often question), - keeping the peace (among all of the people or only some is the question) without any question as to where they, as individuals, stand on the issue(s). And what if they, as individuals, feel conflict with their assigned duty?
As to the phrase "Corrections and Rehabilitation" - now there is an interesting idea. I did not say reality because there is little rehabilitation in the idea of corrections. As expensive as "corrections" is ($40,000+/annually per inmate in many state institutions), rehabilitation in the short-term is more. Inmates who would be eligible for rehabilitation programs are usually working in the institution, thereby reducing the cost of running the institution. If these same inmates were in rehab programs, that work might well have to be done by paid labor. On the other hand, rehabilitation is less expensive in the long-term because these individuals stand a better chance of not re-offending, of not coming back to prison.
Unfortunately, rehabilitation is not considered punishment in the minds of most voters. So while the title and label and department names may include the idea of changing behavior through rehabilitation, budgets are not paid with ideas. They are paid with voters' tax dollars. And campaigns are often waged on Law and Order promises. From such irony are interesting (and sometimes great) novels written.
The LAW is constant changing. ORDER is rather static. Maintaining Law and Order is not always compatible. It is somewhat like the age-old story of "the haves and the have-nots". Those who "have" will certainly want their version of order preserved. Those who considered themselves dis-enfranchised will be more inclined to want their version of order changed. The process of maintaining or changing is through both the evolution of the law and whatever other factors will generate more (goods, money, power, etc.) to the "have-nots", which by its very nature means less will be in the hands of the "haves." Sometimes that change is achieved peacefully through negotiation and compromise. Other times it is through rebellion and revolution. Somewhere, in the midst of that change (by whichever means) is that group of people charged with enforcing the law (and which law is often the question), - maintaining order (and whose order is the often question), - keeping the peace (among all of the people or only some is the question) without any question as to where they, as individuals, stand on the issue(s). And what if they, as individuals, feel conflict with their assigned duty?
As to the phrase "Corrections and Rehabilitation" - now there is an interesting idea. I did not say reality because there is little rehabilitation in the idea of corrections. As expensive as "corrections" is ($40,000+/annually per inmate in many state institutions), rehabilitation in the short-term is more. Inmates who would be eligible for rehabilitation programs are usually working in the institution, thereby reducing the cost of running the institution. If these same inmates were in rehab programs, that work might well have to be done by paid labor. On the other hand, rehabilitation is less expensive in the long-term because these individuals stand a better chance of not re-offending, of not coming back to prison.
Unfortunately, rehabilitation is not considered punishment in the minds of most voters. So while the title and label and department names may include the idea of changing behavior through rehabilitation, budgets are not paid with ideas. They are paid with voters' tax dollars. And campaigns are often waged on Law and Order promises. From such irony are interesting (and sometimes great) novels written.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
WRITING FOR ENTERTAINMENT & EDUCATING THE READER
I'm a member of several national writers organizations that specialize in the mystery genre. Of course many of the members write related genres - thrillers, suspense and sometimes even romance - because every life needs a little romance. These organizations regularly put out newsletters which is wonderful because they contain valuable information in articles containing information that often helps us write better or overcome obstacles in this business.
Several years ago, one of these organizations - I think it was Sisters in Crime (primarily women writers of crime-related books) - had an article in one of their newsletters regarding the responsibility writers have in writing stories that solve the crime in a factually correct manner - meaning the writer doesn't use some kind of hocus pocus that couldn't really work. Now if the book is some kind of science fiction set in the year 2100, who knows - maybe hocus pocus will work. But if the setting is 1980, the writer has to use a method that would have been available at that time and since DNA wasn't.... Another example is to understand that not all law enforcement departments have all the whiz-bang, high-tech equipment. Sometimes a microscope and a scapel are the basic forensic tools. Understand what I'm saying here?
An example was offered of a real life trial where the case involved a man being tried for homicide - the killing of another. The prosecutor had extensive evidence to prove the case against the defendant - the gun, the bullet from the body matched the gun owned by the defendant, the gun was found at the murder scene, the defendant's fingerprints were on the gun and at the murder scene, the victim's blood was found on some of the defendant's clothing, the defendant had both a motive and an opportunity.
But the jury's verdict came back 11-1 with 11 voting Guilty and one lone hold-out for Not Guilty. When the lone hold-out was finally asked Why she refused to vote Guilty, her answer was - "They didn't find the defendant's fingerprint on the bullet" meaning the bullet inside the victim. When she was pressed as to why she expected a fingerprint to have been found on that particular bullet, she is reported to have said she had seen it on the television program, CSI. Unreal. And I do mean - Un-Real.
Television is NOT real life. Television is "entertainment." Where else is a crime committed, discovered, investigated and solved and sometimes ("Law and Order") prosecuted and a verdict received in 40 minutes or less - because we do have to allow plenty of time for the never-ending commercials. The answer is NoWhere.
Writers have a far more responsible job to the public. We write to entertain, of course. Otherwise we would never get published. Heck, sometimes we entertain and still don't get published. But nonetheless, we have the responsibility to try to educate our readers to what the "reality" of the "system" is. Otherwise there won't be any system and far less chance of justice if one of our readers ever has the privilege of becoming a Juror some day. (And I have.) For the sake of what we call the Justice System, we have to try to ensure those who do sit on juries in this country are at least not expecting to be "entertained.
Several years ago, one of these organizations - I think it was Sisters in Crime (primarily women writers of crime-related books) - had an article in one of their newsletters regarding the responsibility writers have in writing stories that solve the crime in a factually correct manner - meaning the writer doesn't use some kind of hocus pocus that couldn't really work. Now if the book is some kind of science fiction set in the year 2100, who knows - maybe hocus pocus will work. But if the setting is 1980, the writer has to use a method that would have been available at that time and since DNA wasn't.... Another example is to understand that not all law enforcement departments have all the whiz-bang, high-tech equipment. Sometimes a microscope and a scapel are the basic forensic tools. Understand what I'm saying here?
An example was offered of a real life trial where the case involved a man being tried for homicide - the killing of another. The prosecutor had extensive evidence to prove the case against the defendant - the gun, the bullet from the body matched the gun owned by the defendant, the gun was found at the murder scene, the defendant's fingerprints were on the gun and at the murder scene, the victim's blood was found on some of the defendant's clothing, the defendant had both a motive and an opportunity.
But the jury's verdict came back 11-1 with 11 voting Guilty and one lone hold-out for Not Guilty. When the lone hold-out was finally asked Why she refused to vote Guilty, her answer was - "They didn't find the defendant's fingerprint on the bullet" meaning the bullet inside the victim. When she was pressed as to why she expected a fingerprint to have been found on that particular bullet, she is reported to have said she had seen it on the television program, CSI. Unreal. And I do mean - Un-Real.
Television is NOT real life. Television is "entertainment." Where else is a crime committed, discovered, investigated and solved and sometimes ("Law and Order") prosecuted and a verdict received in 40 minutes or less - because we do have to allow plenty of time for the never-ending commercials. The answer is NoWhere.
Writers have a far more responsible job to the public. We write to entertain, of course. Otherwise we would never get published. Heck, sometimes we entertain and still don't get published. But nonetheless, we have the responsibility to try to educate our readers to what the "reality" of the "system" is. Otherwise there won't be any system and far less chance of justice if one of our readers ever has the privilege of becoming a Juror some day. (And I have.) For the sake of what we call the Justice System, we have to try to ensure those who do sit on juries in this country are at least not expecting to be "entertained.
Monday, July 26, 2010
FIGHTING FOR YOUR STORY
As if writing your story weren't hard enough - finding a plot, developing your characters, making the story flow, building the tension, finding the hooks, developing the threads without giving away too much of the secrets, pulling it all together at the end with a sense of "of course" and satisfaction - it seems one must often be prepared to fight for it after the fact. A friend of mine, another writer, has written a marvelous novel. Seems a potential agent thinks its about 30,000 words too long. That may be, considering the concerns of the publishing business these days. Of course there are readers like me who actually look for the thicker books to read, and are willing to pay the extra dollars for them, but maybe we are too few or something.
Anyway, to get back to my friend, she is now in the throes of trying to cut out words and passages without losing the color and meat of her story. Because it's not enough to leave just the skeleton. There has to be the growth, and the passion and the tricky intrigue. For my friend's book, there are such marvelous details and color, the story wouldn't be the same without them. Sometimes a writer can make magic with words, transporting the reader to places and times they only thought they knew or previously imagined.
My friend is working on the task before her and I know she will succeed. But I loved her response at one suggestion where a cut could be made. "I will fight for that section. It's where she (her protagonist) becomes the winner in her own race."
Writers need to fight for their own races and the winning. Sometimes that's the real reason, maybe the only reason, for writing hours and hours into the dark of the night with only the moon and stars for company.
Anyway, to get back to my friend, she is now in the throes of trying to cut out words and passages without losing the color and meat of her story. Because it's not enough to leave just the skeleton. There has to be the growth, and the passion and the tricky intrigue. For my friend's book, there are such marvelous details and color, the story wouldn't be the same without them. Sometimes a writer can make magic with words, transporting the reader to places and times they only thought they knew or previously imagined.
My friend is working on the task before her and I know she will succeed. But I loved her response at one suggestion where a cut could be made. "I will fight for that section. It's where she (her protagonist) becomes the winner in her own race."
Writers need to fight for their own races and the winning. Sometimes that's the real reason, maybe the only reason, for writing hours and hours into the dark of the night with only the moon and stars for company.
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