Peg Herring's Blog, page 43
June 10, 2010
Knitting Up the Ravel'd Sleeve of Care
It is stating the obvious to write that Shakespeare was a genius, but every once in a while, that fact is brought home to me with such clarity that I have to do it. As writers, we know about themes and how they enrich a story. In MACBETH, the theme of sleep is handled brilliantly.
At the outset, Macbeths have no idea that murder sticks with a person. They think (although he is less convinced of it than she is) that once the king is dead, everything will be fine. But once it is done, they are haunted by their action. The murder eventually brings about their doom, but in the short term, it manifests most clearly in sleep. He becomes unable to sleep at all. She does, but we see the turmoil that occurs when she lets her subconscious take over.
I don't think mystery writers take enough note of such things. Not being murderers ourselves, we might assume that they go blithely on their way, unbothered by their crimes. While that may be true of psychopaths and sociopaths, an ordinary person who kills will suffer afterward. Shakespeare's demonstration of that, while not the only one, is a good one. For most of us, sleep restores, puts our troubles into perspective, and allows us to begin anew. For the guilty, I would guess that sleep is evasive and likely to further unravel that "sleeve of care".
At the outset, Macbeths have no idea that murder sticks with a person. They think (although he is less convinced of it than she is) that once the king is dead, everything will be fine. But once it is done, they are haunted by their action. The murder eventually brings about their doom, but in the short term, it manifests most clearly in sleep. He becomes unable to sleep at all. She does, but we see the turmoil that occurs when she lets her subconscious take over.
I don't think mystery writers take enough note of such things. Not being murderers ourselves, we might assume that they go blithely on their way, unbothered by their crimes. While that may be true of psychopaths and sociopaths, an ordinary person who kills will suffer afterward. Shakespeare's demonstration of that, while not the only one, is a good one. For most of us, sleep restores, puts our troubles into perspective, and allows us to begin anew. For the guilty, I would guess that sleep is evasive and likely to further unravel that "sleeve of care".
June 9, 2010
Naming and Renaming Yourself
I got a book contract yesterday, and it forces me to make a decision. Since the story is quite different from everything else I've got out there, I have to decide if I'm going to use my usual author name or choose something else.
"Experts" in the industry (if there is such a thing) often suggest an author have a name for each different genre or subgenre. I began with historicals. so Peg Herring should be associated with them in the minds of readers. Since this book is paranormal mystery, I imagine the experts coming up with exotic names like Pamela Divine or Rebecca Starr. (Okay, those sound more like porn actresses than authors.)
I don't think so. My name is my name, and smart readers, the kind I want to attract, don't read in just one genre or subgenre. If they like my historicals, they might also like my "vintage"Vietnam-era mystery, and they should enjoy this new one, too.
What I strive for is always the same: a good story with a well-contructed plot and characters a person can root for. The details that add interest are historical in the case of the Simon & Elizabeth series while they are more nostalgic in GO HOME AND DIE and the new one, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY. Either way, readers get little extras along with all the excitement of murder and mayhem, details that make them smile, remember, or shake their heads in wonder. That's the kind of story I promise when I sign the name my mother gave me.
"Experts" in the industry (if there is such a thing) often suggest an author have a name for each different genre or subgenre. I began with historicals. so Peg Herring should be associated with them in the minds of readers. Since this book is paranormal mystery, I imagine the experts coming up with exotic names like Pamela Divine or Rebecca Starr. (Okay, those sound more like porn actresses than authors.)
I don't think so. My name is my name, and smart readers, the kind I want to attract, don't read in just one genre or subgenre. If they like my historicals, they might also like my "vintage"Vietnam-era mystery, and they should enjoy this new one, too.
What I strive for is always the same: a good story with a well-contructed plot and characters a person can root for. The details that add interest are historical in the case of the Simon & Elizabeth series while they are more nostalgic in GO HOME AND DIE and the new one, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY. Either way, readers get little extras along with all the excitement of murder and mayhem, details that make them smile, remember, or shake their heads in wonder. That's the kind of story I promise when I sign the name my mother gave me.
June 8, 2010
Putting Stress into Perspective
The best way to overcome the stress of modern life, I have found, is to consider the past. For me, it's the Tudors, my favorite era. I might worry about the future, but no one is going to drag me into a dungeon, feed me on moldy bread and brackish water, and then burn me at the stake or slice my head off with an axe.
I might stress over the multitude of tasks I am expected to do, but if I don't measure up, no one is going to brand a letter on my forehead so everyone will know what sort of failure I am.
And I can feel overcome by the ever-quickening pace of the world without fear of spending sun-up to sun-down in the stocks with passers-by encouraged to throw at my face whatever nasty things they might find lying around.
And since I'm still working on that Katherine Parr costume for the RWA conference ( in Orlando in July), I will add that, whatever my worries and dreads in this life, I don't have to face them in hoops, corsets, and ten pounds of velvet fabric!
I might stress over the multitude of tasks I am expected to do, but if I don't measure up, no one is going to brand a letter on my forehead so everyone will know what sort of failure I am.
And I can feel overcome by the ever-quickening pace of the world without fear of spending sun-up to sun-down in the stocks with passers-by encouraged to throw at my face whatever nasty things they might find lying around.
And since I'm still working on that Katherine Parr costume for the RWA conference ( in Orlando in July), I will add that, whatever my worries and dreads in this life, I don't have to face them in hoops, corsets, and ten pounds of velvet fabric!
June 7, 2010
WIPs to WMDs
No, not weapons of mass destruction. WIP is Work in Progress and for me, that WIP just became a Work Maybe Done. "Maybe" is there because I can always find things I want to fix.
My WIP became a WMD last night, but already I'm thinking that I could tweak a couple of characters a bit so they're more understandable. And the part where the bad guy chases them through the house...maybe a bit more action? I'd better read it again.
Maybe for me there's no such thing as Done. Maybe I always need that Maybe.
My WIP became a WMD last night, but already I'm thinking that I could tweak a couple of characters a bit so they're more understandable. And the part where the bad guy chases them through the house...maybe a bit more action? I'd better read it again.
Maybe for me there's no such thing as Done. Maybe I always need that Maybe.
June 4, 2010
Guilty of Book Prejudice?
I will admit that I am. If I've somewhere along the line decided I don't like an author or a book, I cannot make myself give him/it another chance. Classics that I should read (THE BROTHERS K, for example) turned me off and I can't get over it. Authors I find preachy, silly, shallow or overly dramatic may have other series, other books than the one I read, but my expectation is that I won't like their work.
Last night I took a copy of a VERY famous author's newest book (given as a freebie at Malice Domestic) and tried to read it. I had read her stuff long ago and disliked it, but it's been years. She's probably gotten better; I've probably gotten over it. Right?
Conditions were right: I had nothing else to read, the evening was long, and I was relaxed. On the first page, I hit a sentence that reminded me of what I didn't like before, and that was it.
There's an opposite to this which shows that some people are better than I am. (Maybe better readers, maybe better people!) Last week a woman admitted to me that someone had recommended my book to her, but she'd been reluctant to read it. "I don't like history," she told me. "I was never interested in the past, and I don't like stories about dead famous people." What, then, makes her a better person than I am? Her final sentence. "But I tried your book and I have to tell you. I couldn't put it down." Now there's an unprejudiced reader (Applause, applause, applause).
Last night I took a copy of a VERY famous author's newest book (given as a freebie at Malice Domestic) and tried to read it. I had read her stuff long ago and disliked it, but it's been years. She's probably gotten better; I've probably gotten over it. Right?
Conditions were right: I had nothing else to read, the evening was long, and I was relaxed. On the first page, I hit a sentence that reminded me of what I didn't like before, and that was it.
There's an opposite to this which shows that some people are better than I am. (Maybe better readers, maybe better people!) Last week a woman admitted to me that someone had recommended my book to her, but she'd been reluctant to read it. "I don't like history," she told me. "I was never interested in the past, and I don't like stories about dead famous people." What, then, makes her a better person than I am? Her final sentence. "But I tried your book and I have to tell you. I couldn't put it down." Now there's an unprejudiced reader (Applause, applause, applause).
June 3, 2010
Who Says It's Hilarious?
One gets used to Overspeak in book blurbs. One must. Still, it bothers me, despite lowered expectations, that the term "hilarious" is used to describe the book I'm reading right now. It says on the cover: "This book is hilarious. I laughed till I wet myself." (Okay, I invented that last bit, but you know the sort of over-the-top comment I refer to.)
The book is not hilarious. It isn't even particularly funny. As a matter of fact, I don't think the author MEANT it to be funny. What it is is a run-of-the-mill mystery, the type we read all the time because we read mysteries. And isn't run-of-the-mill okay? Can everything we pick up be the be-all and end-all of modern fiction? Why did some blurber think he had to say the book was hilarious?
I guess for the same reason that all Hollywood actresses are stunning, all stain removers are amazing, and all soldiers are heroic. We've lost the will to describe anything in terms of normalcy. It should be all right to say simply, "It was a good book. I enjoyed reading it." Not that that is likely to happen.
The book is not hilarious. It isn't even particularly funny. As a matter of fact, I don't think the author MEANT it to be funny. What it is is a run-of-the-mill mystery, the type we read all the time because we read mysteries. And isn't run-of-the-mill okay? Can everything we pick up be the be-all and end-all of modern fiction? Why did some blurber think he had to say the book was hilarious?
I guess for the same reason that all Hollywood actresses are stunning, all stain removers are amazing, and all soldiers are heroic. We've lost the will to describe anything in terms of normalcy. It should be all right to say simply, "It was a good book. I enjoyed reading it." Not that that is likely to happen.
June 2, 2010
Two Word Reviews
Here are some books I've read recently and my two word reactions.
Fault Line by Barry Eisler---Not Barry
Ten Little Herrings by L.-C. Tyler---Very cute
Death and the Lit Chick by G. M. Malliet----Unexpectedly entertaining
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly----Always quality
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley----Still funny
Fault Line by Barry Eisler---Not Barry
Ten Little Herrings by L.-C. Tyler---Very cute
Death and the Lit Chick by G. M. Malliet----Unexpectedly entertaining
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly----Always quality
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley----Still funny
June 1, 2010
Internet Issues
Okay, so I'm late today. The Net was not cooperating, and I got a call from my provider that said, "Hey, the Net is not cooperating...at your house. Call tech support." Gee, thanks, guys. I would rather have a coffee klatch with Sarah Palin.
Or maybe not.
Anyway, I did the unplug-and-wait thing, and it eventually worked. No tech support today, world. What a great feeling to have conquered a problem, albeit a small one, and prevailed!
So guess what. That's today's blog.
Or maybe not.
Anyway, I did the unplug-and-wait thing, and it eventually worked. No tech support today, world. What a great feeling to have conquered a problem, albeit a small one, and prevailed!
So guess what. That's today's blog.
May 31, 2010
GO HOME AND DIE - A Kindle Book
I was at a craft show on Saturday and was surprised to find people looking shocked at the title of my April release from Red Rose Publishing, GO HOME AND DIE. Funny. It didn't seem that scary to me.
GO HOME AND DIE is a Vietnam-era mystery about a prim young woman (Carrie) who wants to change her dull life but doesn't know how. When she witnesses the murder of a recently-returned Vietnam vet, she joins with his hunky-but-surly partner (Jack) to discover what happened. There are secrets, of course. Reviewer Patricia Pellicane says:
Ms. Herring’s wonderful style of writing managed to send me on a delightful trip down memory lane. She did a great job of catching the essence of a time when things were far more innocent and uncomplicated, all the while keeping my interest with an intriguing story that proved indeed to be a page turner. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
See? GO HOME AND DIE isn't designed to scare, just designed to entertain!
GO HOME AND DIE is a Vietnam-era mystery about a prim young woman (Carrie) who wants to change her dull life but doesn't know how. When she witnesses the murder of a recently-returned Vietnam vet, she joins with his hunky-but-surly partner (Jack) to discover what happened. There are secrets, of course. Reviewer Patricia Pellicane says:
Ms. Herring’s wonderful style of writing managed to send me on a delightful trip down memory lane. She did a great job of catching the essence of a time when things were far more innocent and uncomplicated, all the while keeping my interest with an intriguing story that proved indeed to be a page turner. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
See? GO HOME AND DIE isn't designed to scare, just designed to entertain!
May 28, 2010
A Book's Tipping Point
Few comments give an author a greater thrill than "I couldn't put it down!" We love to imagine readers glued to our books, unable to eat or sleep until they find out what happens to the hero. We don't even mind if there's a bit of complaint beneath the words, as with one reader who informed me that she got nothing done all day long once she started HER HIGHNESS... (Yay, says I.)
For most books, I find that a tipping point exists. I read along because I love to read, but there's a spot where I MUST read, want to find out the end, want to know it and see if I approve. That point can come anywhere in the book. At times, I read along until the middle, even past it, enjoying the story but not really concerned. I can set the book down and walk away, no problem. But then there comes a point where I can't set it down, where I keep reading till the end. That's good.
For other books, the tipping point is negative. I read until I realize that I don't care about any of the characters enough to get involved. In such cases I might read on, depending on circumstance. If I'm in the airport and it's the only book I've got and the flight is delayed, I'll finish it. Otherwise, I will probably find something I like better.
Best of all are the books where the tipping point comes early, sometimes as early as the first chapter. I'm involved right away. I care about what happens, about the people. I can't put the darned book down. That doesn't mean a bloody corpse on page one. It just means that I care about something in the book from the beginning. A person. An event. An idea. I must know!
It's not good for my housekeeping to-do list, but still.
For most books, I find that a tipping point exists. I read along because I love to read, but there's a spot where I MUST read, want to find out the end, want to know it and see if I approve. That point can come anywhere in the book. At times, I read along until the middle, even past it, enjoying the story but not really concerned. I can set the book down and walk away, no problem. But then there comes a point where I can't set it down, where I keep reading till the end. That's good.
For other books, the tipping point is negative. I read until I realize that I don't care about any of the characters enough to get involved. In such cases I might read on, depending on circumstance. If I'm in the airport and it's the only book I've got and the flight is delayed, I'll finish it. Otherwise, I will probably find something I like better.
Best of all are the books where the tipping point comes early, sometimes as early as the first chapter. I'm involved right away. I care about what happens, about the people. I can't put the darned book down. That doesn't mean a bloody corpse on page one. It just means that I care about something in the book from the beginning. A person. An event. An idea. I must know!
It's not good for my housekeeping to-do list, but still.
