Doug M. Cummings's Blog, page 4
August 5, 2013
Take It Like a Man, Kid!
I really hate to be trendy. Sort of makes my teeth itch as my old squad car partner used to say. But these two stories just seem to be yanking the commentary out of me today.
Consider. A twelve-year-old boy on "Kids" week of that venerable show, Jeopardy, bets $3,000 of his $9,600 in winnings on his answer to: "Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, "a fit and necessary war measure." His answer, spelled the way he spelled it, was "Emanciptation Proclamation."
It's spelled wrong, right? So the show busts his wallet. He winds up in second place...where he would have been anyway because the winner had amassed $66G.
But the kid hollers about it. And the media, and social media, pick it up. His father calls the show's producers and host Alex Trebek "smug" and says the poor child "hung his head," and "was barely holding it together..."
Tough beans, little guy. If you can't stand to lose, you shouldn't have gone on the show.
Though your teachers and parents may give you a pass, though it's not important on Twitter and Facebook and in texts and wherever else nowadays, spelling counts on Jeopardy. It's in the rules.
Your dad may help you whine about it, but here's the lesson. Just because you're a kid and came close, suck it up. Sure we all knew what you meant.
That's not good enough.
Also not good enough...A-Rod's suspension from baseball for doping. Yeah, he's suspended but he's in the lineup tonight here in Chicago.
"Yes, kiddies, we've told you taking drugs is bad...unless a baseball team and league is depending on you to make money for them...then it's okay."
End of rants.
Consider. A twelve-year-old boy on "Kids" week of that venerable show, Jeopardy, bets $3,000 of his $9,600 in winnings on his answer to: "Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, "a fit and necessary war measure." His answer, spelled the way he spelled it, was "Emanciptation Proclamation."
It's spelled wrong, right? So the show busts his wallet. He winds up in second place...where he would have been anyway because the winner had amassed $66G.
But the kid hollers about it. And the media, and social media, pick it up. His father calls the show's producers and host Alex Trebek "smug" and says the poor child "hung his head," and "was barely holding it together..."
Tough beans, little guy. If you can't stand to lose, you shouldn't have gone on the show.
Though your teachers and parents may give you a pass, though it's not important on Twitter and Facebook and in texts and wherever else nowadays, spelling counts on Jeopardy. It's in the rules.
Your dad may help you whine about it, but here's the lesson. Just because you're a kid and came close, suck it up. Sure we all knew what you meant.
That's not good enough.
Also not good enough...A-Rod's suspension from baseball for doping. Yeah, he's suspended but he's in the lineup tonight here in Chicago.
"Yes, kiddies, we've told you taking drugs is bad...unless a baseball team and league is depending on you to make money for them...then it's okay."
End of rants.
July 31, 2013
Praise It? Trash It? Write It!
Whether or not you like a book, the Internet offers a chance to express your opinion to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of potential buyers.
As I noted in my previous post, Point of Sale reviews on sites like Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Goodreads (a subsidiary of Amazon where tons of readers gather to talk books) and others, are essential to book sales because they offer feedback from readers to potential customers.
Writing a review is easy. Here are six ideas to get you started:
(1) Your post doesn't have to be as long as the book! Short, snappy assessments are more likely to catch the eye. Aim for two to three paragraphs at most.
(2) It's helpful to briefly summarize what the book is about ("Joe the Robber follows the exploits of a thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor in modern day New York City") but long explanations aren't necessary. Your opinion is what counts.
(3) What's the first thing you'd say to a friend who's interested in buying the book? No matter if it's good, bad or indifferent, write it down. That's your lead. ("Joe the Robber" may be fiction but it offers a fascinating look into the way modern armed robbers work, how they pick their targets, how they feel afterward and how they spend all that dough.").
(4) Give some specific examples. Were the action scenes exciting? Did the characters' conversations make it seem like you were listening to real people talking? Did the book move along, or drag in certain parts? ("I liked how Joe managed to get out of some really hairy situations by using his head rather than hurting people" or "After the first five stickups, it was pretty obvious the author doesn't like coffee shops because that's all he sent Joe to rob.").
(5) Reviewing a novel is different than reviewing a textbook. If you're a trauma doc reading a thriller about hospitals and the main character takes a risk you'd never in a million years take to save a patient . . . remember, it's fiction, not fact! The author may have written the scene that way to hype the suspense or help describe a character. On the other hand, if you find significant problems with the basic research revealed in the book, that may be fair reason for complaint.
(6) Know your audience. Most folks who consider buying a spy novel starring a stuffed panda appreciate fantasy. Just because you happened to pick up The Panda That Assassinated Putin by mistake, and you really prefer the James Bond approach, is no reason to trash the book.
Bottom line, keep it classy. Authors do their best to create a fun and informative experience for their readers. Good reviewers do the same thing.
As I noted in my previous post, Point of Sale reviews on sites like Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Goodreads (a subsidiary of Amazon where tons of readers gather to talk books) and others, are essential to book sales because they offer feedback from readers to potential customers.
Writing a review is easy. Here are six ideas to get you started:
(1) Your post doesn't have to be as long as the book! Short, snappy assessments are more likely to catch the eye. Aim for two to three paragraphs at most.
(2) It's helpful to briefly summarize what the book is about ("Joe the Robber follows the exploits of a thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor in modern day New York City") but long explanations aren't necessary. Your opinion is what counts.
(3) What's the first thing you'd say to a friend who's interested in buying the book? No matter if it's good, bad or indifferent, write it down. That's your lead. ("Joe the Robber" may be fiction but it offers a fascinating look into the way modern armed robbers work, how they pick their targets, how they feel afterward and how they spend all that dough.").
(4) Give some specific examples. Were the action scenes exciting? Did the characters' conversations make it seem like you were listening to real people talking? Did the book move along, or drag in certain parts? ("I liked how Joe managed to get out of some really hairy situations by using his head rather than hurting people" or "After the first five stickups, it was pretty obvious the author doesn't like coffee shops because that's all he sent Joe to rob.").
(5) Reviewing a novel is different than reviewing a textbook. If you're a trauma doc reading a thriller about hospitals and the main character takes a risk you'd never in a million years take to save a patient . . . remember, it's fiction, not fact! The author may have written the scene that way to hype the suspense or help describe a character. On the other hand, if you find significant problems with the basic research revealed in the book, that may be fair reason for complaint.
(6) Know your audience. Most folks who consider buying a spy novel starring a stuffed panda appreciate fantasy. Just because you happened to pick up The Panda That Assassinated Putin by mistake, and you really prefer the James Bond approach, is no reason to trash the book.
Bottom line, keep it classy. Authors do their best to create a fun and informative experience for their readers. Good reviewers do the same thing.
July 22, 2013
You Too Should Write A Review
My newest book, Easy Evil, will be out in a few weeks and already I'm trying to dream up ways to persuade my friends and fans to write reviews.
Reviews, you say? You mean those things in the New York Times?
I wish I could be reviewed by the Times. But no. There are professional reviews, written by journalists, and then there are the reviews written by everyday folk who like, or dislike, a book and then feel compelled to share their feelings about it.
My goal for Easy Evil is to collect so many reader reviews that potential buyers on Amazon and elsewhere, are stunned by the numbers. And, hopefully, motivated to purchase the book based on the good things people have to say.
Reader opinions shared on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble, Good Reads and other sites are called Point of Sale reviews. They can be critically important to the sales of a book because they reflect the way consumers feel about it.
Say I read a Twitter post about a book, click through to its Amazon page, and see dozens of five-star reviews and great commentary. A bunch of 5-stars. You can be darn sure I'll edge my finger ever closer to that button that will buy and send the thing to my e-reader.
Now here's the catch. A lot of ordinary readers don't understand that their reaction to a book is so important to the life-cycle of that author's work. But, frankly, it's the electronic equivalent of shouting from the rooftops.
You don't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning writer to write a review. And what you write doesn't have to be more than a few sentences long. What's essential is that you make your opinion known...on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble...and even on your blog or Twitter page. Even on Facebook. Anywhere you have online friends...you have a ready audience.
A simple "I liked Easy Evil by Doug M Cummings because . . . will spread the good news.
Even a "I didn't like Easy Evil by Doug M. Cummings because . . . is useful. As someone once said, "all publicity is good publicity" or something like that.
Notice how I've gone from talking generally about reviews to casually suggesting you write one?
Give it some thought when the book comes out, will you? Maybe even go to Amazon and see how it's done. The process is easy and ... bottom line ... I will really appreciate your taking the time to do it.
Reviews, you say? You mean those things in the New York Times?
I wish I could be reviewed by the Times. But no. There are professional reviews, written by journalists, and then there are the reviews written by everyday folk who like, or dislike, a book and then feel compelled to share their feelings about it.
My goal for Easy Evil is to collect so many reader reviews that potential buyers on Amazon and elsewhere, are stunned by the numbers. And, hopefully, motivated to purchase the book based on the good things people have to say.
Reader opinions shared on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble, Good Reads and other sites are called Point of Sale reviews. They can be critically important to the sales of a book because they reflect the way consumers feel about it.
Say I read a Twitter post about a book, click through to its Amazon page, and see dozens of five-star reviews and great commentary. A bunch of 5-stars. You can be darn sure I'll edge my finger ever closer to that button that will buy and send the thing to my e-reader.
Now here's the catch. A lot of ordinary readers don't understand that their reaction to a book is so important to the life-cycle of that author's work. But, frankly, it's the electronic equivalent of shouting from the rooftops.
You don't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning writer to write a review. And what you write doesn't have to be more than a few sentences long. What's essential is that you make your opinion known...on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble...and even on your blog or Twitter page. Even on Facebook. Anywhere you have online friends...you have a ready audience.
A simple "I liked Easy Evil by Doug M Cummings because . . . will spread the good news.
Even a "I didn't like Easy Evil by Doug M. Cummings because . . . is useful. As someone once said, "all publicity is good publicity" or something like that.
Notice how I've gone from talking generally about reviews to casually suggesting you write one?
Give it some thought when the book comes out, will you? Maybe even go to Amazon and see how it's done. The process is easy and ... bottom line ... I will really appreciate your taking the time to do it.
July 17, 2013
Rolling Stone Gathers Some Flak
The latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine features the the surviving Boston bombing suspect on the cover.
At first glance, he could be one of the scruffy-faced rock stars that usually inhabit that space. But no, he's just a run of the mill, scum-sucking dirtbag who killed and/or maimed a bunch of innocents in his quest for fame.
Regardless of the appropriateness of Rolling Stone's editorial decision, what fascinates me is the reaction from other media. Every outlet I follow on Facebook, from CNN and ABC to local stations in Chicago, Kansas City and other parts of the country, is asking how people feel about that RS cover.
Let's see if I have this right. The media (especially CNN...the network that darn near reported every time hospital officials changed his bed linen) that made the jerkwad a superstar by repeating his name and endlessly displaying his image in video and stills in the weeks after the bombings now wants to know our reaction to giving him even more attention? And by asking the question, they're undoubtedly jacking up sales of the issue far beyond what they would be otherwise.
Next will come the indignant, finger-shaking rebukes from the babbling heads who couldn't wait to get on the air to talk about him the first time.
And so...the cycle begins again.
Which is, I'm sure, just what Rolling Stone intended.
Of course, I'm also indignantly writing about him. And you're reading about him.
What's that say about us?
At first glance, he could be one of the scruffy-faced rock stars that usually inhabit that space. But no, he's just a run of the mill, scum-sucking dirtbag who killed and/or maimed a bunch of innocents in his quest for fame.
Regardless of the appropriateness of Rolling Stone's editorial decision, what fascinates me is the reaction from other media. Every outlet I follow on Facebook, from CNN and ABC to local stations in Chicago, Kansas City and other parts of the country, is asking how people feel about that RS cover.
Let's see if I have this right. The media (especially CNN...the network that darn near reported every time hospital officials changed his bed linen) that made the jerkwad a superstar by repeating his name and endlessly displaying his image in video and stills in the weeks after the bombings now wants to know our reaction to giving him even more attention? And by asking the question, they're undoubtedly jacking up sales of the issue far beyond what they would be otherwise.
Next will come the indignant, finger-shaking rebukes from the babbling heads who couldn't wait to get on the air to talk about him the first time.
And so...the cycle begins again.
Which is, I'm sure, just what Rolling Stone intended.
Of course, I'm also indignantly writing about him. And you're reading about him.
What's that say about us?
July 12, 2013
"No Comment" is Not an Acceptable Answer
I once had a TV boss with no tolerance for the police department and especially none for the police chief. When the cops refused to talk to us about a case, Ken insisted we find someone, anyone, who could, "Stick it to 'em!"
One of his favorite sayings: "No comment is not an acceptable answer."
That's true for news reporters, but it's also true for crime fiction writers. A number of young or first-time novelists have approached me at conferences and elsewhere to ask how they can get information from unwilling local police departments. Apparently it's common nowadays for law enforcement agencies to refuse to answer even the most harmless questions from any civilian...not just the news media.
Here are a couple of work-arounds I've used that you might find helpful.
Approach the police chief, not the guy on the front desk. Explain that you're a fiction writer, not a journalist, and that you're looking for basic, procedural information, not asking about specific cases. Offer to share what you've written before its published (a good idea in any case to make sure you have the sometimes arcane information correct). If you still get push-back, offer to give the town you're writing about a different name (Ed McBain did so and look up his sales numbers sometime).
If the police chief won't help you, the local union that represents the police or sheriff's officers in your area may very well agree to answer your questions. Police unions often have a much different take on what information can be discussed. Union officials can also point you to retired officers eager to share their experiences and discuss the way the agency works.
If you still find yourself banging your head against a wall of silence, a call to the mayor or a council representative may unlock some lips. Politicians love to see their names in print (and on an acknowledgements page of a crime novel may work for them). Remember, no matter how "independent" a police agency is, the chief always reports to the mayor or city/village manager and town council.
Here are a couple of other thoughts. Social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, is full of all sorts of people, including cops. Many towns have their own social media contact person. Link up, follow, and make friends.
If you can afford it, buy a police radio scanner. I started freelancing for the local paper after buying my first scanner in high school. It's a good way to learn the sorts of calls that your town handles. Some jurisdictions have made their police communications very difficult to monitor but most places don't go to that extreme. Ask at your local Radio Shack (Ask as well if there is a radio hobby group in the area. They may have police officer or retired police officer members.) One caution: after listening for awhile, you may be tempted to chase the police calls. While that can be exciting, you're probably not going to get close enough see much, you risk injury, and you may annoy the very officers whose help you're seeking. On the other hand, if you're cautious and responsible about your chasing, you might meet some good sources.
They key to getting information from anyone is to be quietly, respectfully persistent. Eventually, even some of the toughest of the tough will eventually realize you're a willing listener...and there's nothing most cops like more than sharing war stories.
One of his favorite sayings: "No comment is not an acceptable answer."
That's true for news reporters, but it's also true for crime fiction writers. A number of young or first-time novelists have approached me at conferences and elsewhere to ask how they can get information from unwilling local police departments. Apparently it's common nowadays for law enforcement agencies to refuse to answer even the most harmless questions from any civilian...not just the news media.
Here are a couple of work-arounds I've used that you might find helpful.
Approach the police chief, not the guy on the front desk. Explain that you're a fiction writer, not a journalist, and that you're looking for basic, procedural information, not asking about specific cases. Offer to share what you've written before its published (a good idea in any case to make sure you have the sometimes arcane information correct). If you still get push-back, offer to give the town you're writing about a different name (Ed McBain did so and look up his sales numbers sometime).
If the police chief won't help you, the local union that represents the police or sheriff's officers in your area may very well agree to answer your questions. Police unions often have a much different take on what information can be discussed. Union officials can also point you to retired officers eager to share their experiences and discuss the way the agency works.
If you still find yourself banging your head against a wall of silence, a call to the mayor or a council representative may unlock some lips. Politicians love to see their names in print (and on an acknowledgements page of a crime novel may work for them). Remember, no matter how "independent" a police agency is, the chief always reports to the mayor or city/village manager and town council.
Here are a couple of other thoughts. Social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, is full of all sorts of people, including cops. Many towns have their own social media contact person. Link up, follow, and make friends.
If you can afford it, buy a police radio scanner. I started freelancing for the local paper after buying my first scanner in high school. It's a good way to learn the sorts of calls that your town handles. Some jurisdictions have made their police communications very difficult to monitor but most places don't go to that extreme. Ask at your local Radio Shack (Ask as well if there is a radio hobby group in the area. They may have police officer or retired police officer members.) One caution: after listening for awhile, you may be tempted to chase the police calls. While that can be exciting, you're probably not going to get close enough see much, you risk injury, and you may annoy the very officers whose help you're seeking. On the other hand, if you're cautious and responsible about your chasing, you might meet some good sources.
They key to getting information from anyone is to be quietly, respectfully persistent. Eventually, even some of the toughest of the tough will eventually realize you're a willing listener...and there's nothing most cops like more than sharing war stories.
July 9, 2013
A Baby Faced Killer in a Batman Shirt
She's 21, has two kids and a husband she wanted murdered.
That's the allegation against a Muskegon, Michigan woman, caught on tape telling an undercover police detective posing as a hit man that she thought having her husband killed would be "easier than getting a divorce" and she wouldn't have to "worry about breaking his heart."
All that coming from a baby-faced young woman with dyed red hair wearing a batman shirt and carrying a batman-stickered phone.
It's one of the coldest conversations I've ever heard.
According to news accounts, the suspect has pleaded guilty to Solicitation to Murder and is scheduled for sentencing later this month. She could go to prison for life, though her husband has reportedly asked that she not spend any time behind bars.
Somehow I doubt the judge will agree.
She doesn't appear angry in the video. She claims she and her husband aren't having problems. She just wants a "clean getaway" from the marriage and doesn't want to worry about her her "family's judgement." When the phony hitman tells her he's going to shoot her husband twice in the face to kill him, she responds, "It makes me sad," though I can't hear a lot of regret in her words. Earlier in the conversation, however, she stresses she doesn't want him hurt, even suggesting that perhaps the killer, "could do it painlessly, breaking his neck."
Her breezy manner is what's so terrifying. It suggests nothing more sinister than if she were planning a birthday surprise or a trip to the mall.
Take note, all of you who think evil wears a monster's face.
Sometimes it appears in the person of a smiley-faced girl-next-door with apple cheeks and a bad outfit.
That's the allegation against a Muskegon, Michigan woman, caught on tape telling an undercover police detective posing as a hit man that she thought having her husband killed would be "easier than getting a divorce" and she wouldn't have to "worry about breaking his heart."
All that coming from a baby-faced young woman with dyed red hair wearing a batman shirt and carrying a batman-stickered phone.
It's one of the coldest conversations I've ever heard.
According to news accounts, the suspect has pleaded guilty to Solicitation to Murder and is scheduled for sentencing later this month. She could go to prison for life, though her husband has reportedly asked that she not spend any time behind bars.
Somehow I doubt the judge will agree.
She doesn't appear angry in the video. She claims she and her husband aren't having problems. She just wants a "clean getaway" from the marriage and doesn't want to worry about her her "family's judgement." When the phony hitman tells her he's going to shoot her husband twice in the face to kill him, she responds, "It makes me sad," though I can't hear a lot of regret in her words. Earlier in the conversation, however, she stresses she doesn't want him hurt, even suggesting that perhaps the killer, "could do it painlessly, breaking his neck."
Her breezy manner is what's so terrifying. It suggests nothing more sinister than if she were planning a birthday surprise or a trip to the mall.
Take note, all of you who think evil wears a monster's face.
Sometimes it appears in the person of a smiley-faced girl-next-door with apple cheeks and a bad outfit.
June 27, 2013
Of George Zimmerman, Concealed Carry and Not Being a Cop
George Zimmerman went on trial this week in the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.
I don't have an opinion about his guilt or innocence but I do wonder what prompted him to get out of his car that night. You'll remember he called police, reported a suspicious individual, and was advised, "We don't need you to do that," when he told a dispatcher he would follow Martin on foot.
I wonder if he would have been so bold had he not been carrying a pistol.
I bring the subject up because I've heard a couple of opinions expressed by people who say they intend to apply for concealed weapons permits, if the law allowing them to do so ever gets passed in Illinois.
Their feeling was that Zimmerman did absolutely nothing wrong. He was Neighborhood Watch. He had a gun permit. He was suspicious of Martin. He had the right to check him out "as any Watch member would."
I kept my mouth shut, but they were mistaken on a couple of major points. One, the Neighborhood Watch program policy encourages only the observation and reporting of suspicious circumstances. It prohibits taking action. Two, a concealed weapons permit doesn't grant an individual police powers any more than a drivers' license gives the right to race on the track at Indy.
I think more than a few folks don't understand those limitations. They're like my former shooting range buddy who talked wistfully about packing heat at malls and movie theaters, "just in case there's a guy who goes berserk and I have to step up and save everybody!"
In my opinion, that's a dangerous way to think.
A concealed weapons permit allows the carrying of a handgun for self defense in the most extreme and life-threatening circumstances.
It's not a badge. It doesn't come with a cape, or place a red "S" on the chest.
A fact I suspect George Zimmerman may now sadly realize.
I don't have an opinion about his guilt or innocence but I do wonder what prompted him to get out of his car that night. You'll remember he called police, reported a suspicious individual, and was advised, "We don't need you to do that," when he told a dispatcher he would follow Martin on foot.
I wonder if he would have been so bold had he not been carrying a pistol.
I bring the subject up because I've heard a couple of opinions expressed by people who say they intend to apply for concealed weapons permits, if the law allowing them to do so ever gets passed in Illinois.
Their feeling was that Zimmerman did absolutely nothing wrong. He was Neighborhood Watch. He had a gun permit. He was suspicious of Martin. He had the right to check him out "as any Watch member would."
I kept my mouth shut, but they were mistaken on a couple of major points. One, the Neighborhood Watch program policy encourages only the observation and reporting of suspicious circumstances. It prohibits taking action. Two, a concealed weapons permit doesn't grant an individual police powers any more than a drivers' license gives the right to race on the track at Indy.
I think more than a few folks don't understand those limitations. They're like my former shooting range buddy who talked wistfully about packing heat at malls and movie theaters, "just in case there's a guy who goes berserk and I have to step up and save everybody!"
In my opinion, that's a dangerous way to think.
A concealed weapons permit allows the carrying of a handgun for self defense in the most extreme and life-threatening circumstances.
It's not a badge. It doesn't come with a cape, or place a red "S" on the chest.
A fact I suspect George Zimmerman may now sadly realize.
June 24, 2013
Who Was Wallenda Walking With?
Lots of stories today about high-wire walker Nic Wallenda's death-defying stroll across part of the Grand Canyon last evening.
I missed the actual broadcast. Many of my Facebook friends say it was exciting but tough to watch at the same time. From the news coverage, I bet it was. I'm encouraged by the bits I've seen, however. Especially encouraged by his words as he stepped out on the wire.
"Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful view."
Wow. That's impressive. Praise in a situation like that. Praise and thanks as he moves along ("Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God," CBS quotes him as saying about 13 minutes into the walk)!
Not: "It was really stupid of me to do this, Jesus, but save me anyway 'cause, you know, IMHO, my life is really important, and by the way if you let me do this without screwing up, I'll make a BIG donation to the nearest church as soon as you let me get off this wire safely!"
Which is what I have said after climbing on the wire of my own choosing MANY times!
Praise and thanks. Hmmm. Wonder if he read Psalm 148, for example: "Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. . ."
Just some pondering on a Monday morning.
I missed the actual broadcast. Many of my Facebook friends say it was exciting but tough to watch at the same time. From the news coverage, I bet it was. I'm encouraged by the bits I've seen, however. Especially encouraged by his words as he stepped out on the wire.
"Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful view."
Wow. That's impressive. Praise in a situation like that. Praise and thanks as he moves along ("Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God," CBS quotes him as saying about 13 minutes into the walk)!
Not: "It was really stupid of me to do this, Jesus, but save me anyway 'cause, you know, IMHO, my life is really important, and by the way if you let me do this without screwing up, I'll make a BIG donation to the nearest church as soon as you let me get off this wire safely!"
Which is what I have said after climbing on the wire of my own choosing MANY times!
Praise and thanks. Hmmm. Wonder if he read Psalm 148, for example: "Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. . ."
Just some pondering on a Monday morning.
June 18, 2013
The Old Days
If you're writing crime novels, it helps to know a little something about crooks and cops, prosecutors and defense attorneys, guns, bullets, red lights and sirens, two-way radio traffic, crime scene investigation and about a hundred other things you pick up on naturally if you've been a cop or spent time as a journalist covering the police beat.
Fortunately, I've done both. I started listening to police scanners in high school, then graduated to freelancing still photos to the newspaper and a TV station in the town where I grew up. I followed that with a television internship, a television reporter's job when I was nineteen, and joined the sheriff's department at 21. The media drew me back a number of years later and I spent the next twenty-some years chasing crime stories.
I haven't constructed an entire plot based on a past experience but that's likely to happen. I often think about how I might concoct a book from . . . well, you'll read it when I write it.
More often it's a scene (old newspapers piled to chest height in the kitchen of a woman who died in a house fire), a bit of characterization (a vice cop who carries an Uzi under the seat of his car . . .and writes poetry in his spare time), a street-term ("mope" is a favorite) , or the chatter I've heard from street criminals trying to convince the cops they had nothing to do with the incident being asked about ("Aw man, I was in the bat'room! I didn't see/do nuthin.'")
In my second book, Every Secret Crime, I used the traumatic memory of a double-fatal car crash and mixed it with the recollection of another case where police searched under a bridge for the bodies of two children to create a scene where a murder victim and her car are "hooked," or dragged from a river by a heavy-duty tow-truck.
A chase sequence in my new book, Easy Evil, picks up on some of the thrills that came from cranking on lights and siren and pursuing folks who chose not to pull over for traffic stops. Frankly, that was one of the best parts of wearing a badge, as well as one of the most terrifying. Some drivers react in the darnedest, most unpredictable ways when they see red lights coming up behind them.
Rewriting history isn't all fun and games. Much of what I saw as a cop and reporter was emotionally scarring. Perhaps the worst part was talking to victims, or the families and friends of victims, or the witnesses to a vicious crime or disaster.
Never have I seen so many stunned, terrified and, at the same time, grieving teenagers than in the hours immediately after the shootings at Columbine High School in April of 1999.
One of the most heart wrenching interviews : a nurse who tried to save the life of a young boy trapped in a school bus struck by a commuter train. Her words, "Just tell his mother, he was a brave boy . . ." bring a lump to my throat even as I write them.
Covering the case of a woman who poisoned, and then smothered, her children to get back at her estranged husband was very nearly the catalyst that caused me to leave the news business.
So when fans ask, as they inevitably do, "Where do you get your ideas?" I have a well-prepared answer for them.
I just remember the old days.
Fortunately, I've done both. I started listening to police scanners in high school, then graduated to freelancing still photos to the newspaper and a TV station in the town where I grew up. I followed that with a television internship, a television reporter's job when I was nineteen, and joined the sheriff's department at 21. The media drew me back a number of years later and I spent the next twenty-some years chasing crime stories.
I haven't constructed an entire plot based on a past experience but that's likely to happen. I often think about how I might concoct a book from . . . well, you'll read it when I write it.
More often it's a scene (old newspapers piled to chest height in the kitchen of a woman who died in a house fire), a bit of characterization (a vice cop who carries an Uzi under the seat of his car . . .and writes poetry in his spare time), a street-term ("mope" is a favorite) , or the chatter I've heard from street criminals trying to convince the cops they had nothing to do with the incident being asked about ("Aw man, I was in the bat'room! I didn't see/do nuthin.'")
In my second book, Every Secret Crime, I used the traumatic memory of a double-fatal car crash and mixed it with the recollection of another case where police searched under a bridge for the bodies of two children to create a scene where a murder victim and her car are "hooked," or dragged from a river by a heavy-duty tow-truck.
A chase sequence in my new book, Easy Evil, picks up on some of the thrills that came from cranking on lights and siren and pursuing folks who chose not to pull over for traffic stops. Frankly, that was one of the best parts of wearing a badge, as well as one of the most terrifying. Some drivers react in the darnedest, most unpredictable ways when they see red lights coming up behind them.
Rewriting history isn't all fun and games. Much of what I saw as a cop and reporter was emotionally scarring. Perhaps the worst part was talking to victims, or the families and friends of victims, or the witnesses to a vicious crime or disaster.
Never have I seen so many stunned, terrified and, at the same time, grieving teenagers than in the hours immediately after the shootings at Columbine High School in April of 1999.
One of the most heart wrenching interviews : a nurse who tried to save the life of a young boy trapped in a school bus struck by a commuter train. Her words, "Just tell his mother, he was a brave boy . . ." bring a lump to my throat even as I write them.
Covering the case of a woman who poisoned, and then smothered, her children to get back at her estranged husband was very nearly the catalyst that caused me to leave the news business.
So when fans ask, as they inevitably do, "Where do you get your ideas?" I have a well-prepared answer for them.
I just remember the old days.
Getting Snookered
Writing a book is a great way to attract those who are eager to snooker.
My first self-publishing experience was terrific, primarily due to an open-minded staff of sincere individuals who all wanted me to succeed. They never tried to up-sell me anything they could not legitimately provide and actually helped me create a way they could allow returns of unsold books ordered by booksellers, something not done at that point by self-publishers.
And then . . . another company acquired my publisher.
Some of that company's recent efforts to rope me into add-on marketing programs have been laughable.
A typical call from them goes like this:
(broadly accented voice, suggesting a call center in another country): "Dough (like in cookie) Cummings? Is this Dough Cummings? This is Geeoorge Potterrr at _____. I'm very concerned about the lack of recent sales of your book "Deeder by the Lake" (real title: "Deader"). We have a number of programs that could assist you . . ."
One of those programs plays to every author's inherent desire to see their work on the big screen. For a mere twenty-grand, I'm told, I could have my book (Deeder) turned into a script and "potentially" considered by Hollywood. Of course, it would have to pass muster of an un-named in-house reviewer first, then be considered by a film agent, who "might" accept me as a client so that I "potentially" could get that movie deal.
All for around twenty-THOUSAND dollars. I have visions of their "reviewer" being the guy on the phone and their "studio executive" contact a guy in the mail room at Some Big Studios.
I've listened to other pitches offering full-page ads in the New York Times, outrageously priced internet marketing deals . . . the list goes on.
If you're considering self-publishing as an option or if you have other questions about companies or individuals in the publishing realm, take a look at http://pred-ed.com/ first.
You may be surprised to discover who is snookering who these days.
