Lea Wait's Blog, page 127
October 12, 2020
New Season. Same Pandemic. But New Get-Out-There Strategies
Sandra Neily here: Here comes a new season so I’ve got two new goals to get more use out of things I’ve taken for granted.
Goal One: Get out on the first snow, even if it’s only a few inches, and then get more use out of my snowshoes and skis than ever before.
[image error]https://q1065.fm/maines-8-most-popular-state-parks-in-the-winter/
Goal Two: Change up my blog posts so they get a better workout too. Find a way to reuse them, re-tweak them, and repurpose them to reach more people interested in their content.
First: The snow. On only a few inches of lawn, field, or golf course, we can snowshoe. (Long before terrain gets skiable.) Today I’ll share some visual encouragement and some links to find snowshoe places. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. “Just widen your stride a bit, kind of like you’re wearing diapers,” I say. Don’t laugh. That’s all it takes.
[image error]https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/8-blue-blazed-snowshoe-hikes-off-the-appalachian-trail
Now for my indoor goal. I’m going to write shorter blog posts and then work to get more use out of them. Find more ways to rework or tweak them. Find more publishing and sharing pathways.
A few days ago I treated myself to a Jane Friedman webinar, “Blogging Strategies That Work in 2020.” It was worth every cent of the $25. She has an amazing free newsletter and her classes are very affordable. Jane’s an expert on the business of writing.
So, for anyone who’s thinking about blogging or for my fellow Maine Crime Writers authors, here ya go: some of Jane Friedman’s blogging advice.
***********
Less than 30% of text gets read. Think I should repeat that. Less than 30% of text gets read.
So……”Online readers are task-oriented. Give them a “call to action” of some kind. (A sign-up or other interactive task.) One-sentence paragraphs are great.
Use headlines: Be literal, specific, clear. Avoid click-bait, cute headlines. Clearly advertise what you plan to say. Use language recognized by your audience. (Ask: what will resonate?) Use numbers and lists (for example: 10 ways to … whatever).
Blogging is good for building greater visibility in a community, building relationships or network; engaging readers & fans and long-term marketing of your books, products and services.
Blogging is good for “Lead Generation.” Lead generation has two important elements: 1. You “get” or understand your reader or target (you’re probably one of them). 2. You can present yourself to that target in a memorable way (persona / voice)
[image error]I added this picture because my daughter and dog are always telling me to get off the keyboard and get out there and this is literally out my back door, so,…..no excuses.
Blogging is often preferred by writers. It’s writing! Fun! (Right?) It can be more easily repurposed or reused for later publication.
For fiction authors: Use a literary citizenship approach to blogging content: write a lot about other books or authors in your genre. Do roundups of books that your readers would enjoy (Top 10 Thrillers That Take Place in Prague). Write posts that take advantage of any expertise that informs your work (e.g., forensic scientist writes about interesting cases and research).
Blog content vs Email Content. Blogs: more discoverable, likely to be shared, for anyone, could attract new readership, more timeless/evergreen. Email content: for existing fans (more personal), for the invested, not typically search friendly, timely. There is crossover—and some duplication is OK! “
If you only have time for only one thing? Jane says choose the email newsletter.
*****
[image error]https://www.untamedmainer.com/maines-nordic-ski-areas-snowshoe-areas/
ps: Here’s a good article on snowshoeing with kids or people with less stamina for snow or cold. My tips: plan a short loop so you will know you’re always near the indoors or the car, even if your crew does not. Bring thermoses of cocoa, and easy to eat snacks, and something to sit on. (Heavy duty garbage bags are light. With holes made for head and arms, they’re great for extra warmth.) Handle any snow outing like a surprise scavenger hunt. Take pictures of tracks and look them up later. Bring a baggie and collect cool stuff: pine cone debris from squirrels, shelf fungus off trees, bits of fluff from tall plant stalks. Great for indoor art projects!
[image error]
Sandy’s novel “Deadly Trespass, A Mystery in Maine,” was a finalist in the Maine Literary Awards, a recipient of a Mystery Writers of America national award and a national finalist in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association “Rising Star” contest.. Her second Mystery in Maine novel, “Deadly Turn” is now in Sherman’s Books and on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. She lives in the Maine woods and says she’d rather be “fly fishing, skiing remote trails, paddling near loons, or just generally out there.” Find more info here.
New Season. New Get-Out-There Strategies
Here comes a new season so I’ve got two new goals to get more use out of things I’ve taken for granted.
Goal One: Get out on the first snow, even if it’s only a few inches, and then get more use out of my snowshoes and skis than ever before.
[image error]https://q1065.fm/maines-8-most-popular-state-parks-in-the-winter/
Goal Two: Change up my blog posts so they get a better workout too. Find a way to reuse them, re-tweak them, and repurpose them to reach more people interested in their content.
First: The snow. On only a few inches of lawn, field, or golf course, we can snowshoe. (Long before terrain gets skiable.) Today I’ll share some visual encouragement and some links to find snowshoe places. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. “Just widen your stride a bit, kind of like you’re wearing diapers,” I say. Don’t laugh. That’s all it takes.
[image error]https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/8-blue-blazed-snowshoe-hikes-off-the-appalachian-trail
Now for my indoor goal. I’m going to write shorter blog posts and then work to get more use out of them. Find more ways to rework or tweak them. Find more publishing and sharing pathways.
A few days ago I treated myself to a Jane Friedman webinar, “Blogging Strategies That Work in 2020.” It was worth every cent of the $25. She has an amazing free newsletter and her classes are very affordable. Jane’s an expert on the business of writing.
So, for anyone who’s thinking about blogging or for my fellow Maine Crime Writers authors, here ya go!
***********
Less than 30% of text gets read. Think I should repeat that) Less than 30% of text gets read.
So……Online readers are task-oriented. Give them a “call to action” of some kind. One-sentence paragraphs are great.
Use headlines: Be literal, specific, clear. Use language recognized by your audience (ask: what will resonate?) Use numbers and lists.
Blogging is good for “building greater visibility in a community, building relationships or network; engaging readers & fans and long-term marketing of your books, products and services
Blogging is good for “Lead Generation.” Lead generation has two important elements: 1. You “get” or understand your reader or target (you’re probably one of them). You can present yourself to that target in a memorable way (persona / voice)
[image error]I added this picture because my daughter and dog are always telling me to get off the keyboard and get out there and this is literally out my back door, so,…..no excuses.
Blogging is often preferred by writers. It’s writing! Fun! (Right?) It can be more easily repurposed or reused for later publication.
For fiction authors: Use a literary citizenship approach to blogging content: write a lot about other books or authors in your genre. Do roundups of books that your readers would enjoy (Top 10 Thrillers That Take Place in Prague). Write posts that take advantage of any expertise that informs your work (e.g., forensic scientist writes about interesting cases and research).
Blog content vs Email Content. Blogs: more discoverable, likely to be shared, for anyone, could attract new readership, more timeless/evergreen. Email content: for existing fans (more personal), for the invested, not typically search friendly, timely. There is crossover—and some duplication is OK!
If you only have time for only one thing? Jane says choose the email newsletter.
*****
[image error]https://www.untamedmainer.com/maines-nordic-ski-areas-snowshoe-areas/
ps: Here’s a good article on snowshoeing with kids or people with less stamina for snow or cold. My tips: plan a short loop so you will know you’re always near the indoors or the car, even if your crew does not. Bring thermoses of cocoa, and easy to eat snacks, and something to sit on. (Heavy duty garbage bags are light. With holes made for head and arms, they’re great for extra warmth.) Handle any snow outing like a surprise scavenger hunt. Take pictures of tracks and look them up later. Bring a baggie and collect cool stuff: pine cone debris from squirrels, shelf fungus off trees, bits of fluff from tall plant stalks. Great for indoor art projects!
[image error]
Sandy’s novel “Deadly Trespass, A Mystery in Maine,” was a finalist in the Maine Literary Awards, a recipient of a Mystery Writers of America national award and a national finalist in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association “Rising Star” contest.. Her second Mystery in Maine novel, “Deadly Turn” is now in Sherman’s Books and on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. She lives in the Maine woods and says she’d rather be “fly fishing, skiing remote trails, paddling near loons, or just generally out there.” Find more info here.
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again (Bob Dylan)
This blog is not about the upcoming election, or Daylight Savings Time, or Columbus Day now designated Indigenous Peoples’ Day. No more Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria, and rightly so. Disaster of a different kind has struck.
No, nobody’s sick. The house hasn’t burned down. I still have most of my teeth, though I lost a crown eating Sugar Babies. They look so innocent and delicious, but they are chewy little devils, so fair warning. Fortunately, I did not swallow the tooth with the candy, and it sits on my desk in a baggie rebuking me as I type. I have explained we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and it will have to wait to be reinserted.
I know in the wake of Hideous Current Events, this is a mere trifle, but…my yard guy is talking about leaving town and moving out west. Mike has been with us fourteen years through four houses. When we left Farmington, he followed us all the way to Belgrade in 2010 and then back to Farmington again in 2019. We have very little lawn in our new (to us—it was built in 1880) house, so he adjusted his fee accordingly. He has raked up millions of leaves and planted at least 1,000 bulbs between our last two houses. He and his wife came to our son’s outdoor lakeside wedding, for which he took such pains preparing the property. Despite the meticulous landscaping, the marriage didn’t last, but Mike is faithful, showing up every two weeks or so from early spring through late fall. He arrives with treats for our dog Fitz who loves him unabashedly and a political opinion we usually agree with.
We have given away our mower, string-trimmer, and wheelbarrow because Mike has all these things. During the course of our marriage (still lasting…50 years in January), both my husband and I have taken turns cutting the grass. Years ago, we conned our kids into doing the job with a riding mower “that was almost like driving,” but they have licenses and lawns of their own now.
I have discovered I don’t really like change, which is too bad, since publishing, like life, is moving at warp speed. I can’t seem to keep up with the various promotional schemes, trends, and brouhahas (I have always wanted to use that word somewhere). I don’t want an Instagram or TikTok account—Facebook and Twitter are tortuous enough.
Ten years ago, when I was first published, I had an active personal blog and contributed to several other group blogs on a weekly basis. My morning routine consisted of checking on favorite sites (around a dozen) daily. Most of the blogs I used to follow are no more. Today, I’m here (and very happy to be), but rarely post on my own website. Maybe I’m worried about running out of words, or staying relevant.
If you’re reading this, I thank you! Is there a Mike in your life you depend on? Do you have a special Internet site you don’t want to miss that’s gotten you through these odd times? Where do you go for book news? I visit Word Wenches and Crime Reads, and belong to the Crime Thru Time mailing list to get news on free historical mysteries. What else should I be doing, besides pricing lawn mowers?
[image error]
October 9, 2020
Weekend Update: October 10-11, 2020
[image error]Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Maggie Robinson (Monday), Sandra Neily (Tuesday), Guest Claire Ackroyd (Wednesday), Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson (Thursday), and Kate Flora (Friday).
In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:
If you’re missing author events, here’s an event featuring Maine Crime Writers from the Curtis Library:
Here is the link for our final event, Tuesday October 20, Joseph Souza, author of Pray for the Girl; The Neighbor and his latest thriller, The Perfect Daughter. Feel free to share the link.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82347338232
Don’t forget our Body contests, details here:
It’s Maine Crime Writers “Where Would You Put the Body?” contest – late summer/early fall edition. How do you enter? Send a photograph of your chosen spot to: WritingAboutCrime@gmail.com with “Where Would You Put the Body?” in the subject line. There will be prizes for First, Second, and Third place–books of course and other Maine goodies. You may enter no more than three photographs, each one entered separately. They must be of Maine places and you must identify the place in your submission. Photos must be the submitter’s original work. Contest will run through the middle of October.
Kate Flora is excited to finally get a cover, and a pub date, October 27th, for the next Thea Kozak mystery, Death Comes Knocking.
Here are the ISBNs:
[image error]
eBook9781644570395Paperback9781644570401
Missing those author library events? You can catch Kate Flora here:
[image error]
.
An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.
And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. We also do programs on Zoom. Contact Kate Flora
Writing Authentic Dialogue
As a burgeoning young writer growing up in the Boston area in the 1970s and 80s, I continually looked for inspiration around me. I grew up hardscrabble, Roman Catholic, trying to make my way in the world. College was a luxury, and while my parents didn’t help me financially, they supported me as best as they could. I worked on the docks of South Boston and drove a cab in order to pay for tuition. While I didn’t have the chops at that time to be a professional writer, I was inadvertently storing a vast amount of experiential data in my head that could someday be used to write the kind of stories I someday wanted to tell. But I knew of no great novels that took place in the Irish Riviera—Boston’s South Shore. I hadn’t discovered any great characters who talked like I did.
Then I came across Robert Parker and his Spenser novels. While I loved Parker’s sense of place and characterization, his tightly woven plots, the thrills and chills that Hawk and Spenser provided, the dialogue didn’t speak to me in any kind of meaningful way. Not that I was searching for it back then. I was young and still trying to reverse engineer the novel’s I admired. I’m not sure I even believed that a novel’s dialogue could move me in any meaningful way. Dialogue, I believed, was merely a vehicle to move the plot along.
Then along came George V. Higgins’s and I was blown away by he was trying to do. The literary structure he utilized was revelatory. Not only did V. Higgins write dialogue relevant to the milieu that I grew up in, but the way he structured his novels was unlike anything I’d ever read. His novels were practically devoid of exposition, primarily because he allowed his characters to tell the story and fill in the plot gaps. In fact, his stories were mostly comprised of long passages of conversational dialogue, and it was this amazingly authentic dialogue that propelled the intrigue. Not only had he nailed the blue collar Boston accents that I was used to hearing on a daily basis, but he knew all the esoteric terminology of our idiom. He wrote speech in the clipped, informal manner that wise-guys and small time criminals actually used. Here’s a quote by V. Higgins on dialogue.
“Many of my critics seem to feel that they have to say, or strongly imply, that my gift for dialogue is all I have; or that writing dialogue is not the most important attribute a novelist can have . . . A man or woman who does not write good dialogue is not a first-rate writer. I do not believe that a writer who neglects or has not learned to write good dialogue can be depended on for accuracy in his understanding of character and in his creation of characters. Therefore to dismiss good dialogue so lightly is evidence of a critic’s incomplete understanding of what constitutes a good novel.”
I grew up in Quincy, just south of Boston. Quincy is separated from Boston by the murky Neponset River. It was where many Dorchester and Southie refugees landed when desegregation became the law of the land in Beantown. It meant that the students in these rough-and-tumble neighborhoods got bussed to other, more hostile, neighborhoods. Black students got bussed to Southie and white students bussed out to schools in Roxbury, and the result was often explosive, violent and chaotic. Because of that many Irish-American families fled across the river to the suburbs of the South Shore—the Irish Riviera.
The Boston dialect back then varied from neighborhood to neighborhood, and from town to town. It changed from one street in Southie to the next. Quincy and the South Shore had their own particular way of speaking, although to someone from the Midwest we might have all sounded similarly pedestrian and provincial. Somewhere in our long heritage we managed to drop the letter R from our alphabet.
Higgins absolutely nailed the way people from my neck of the woods spoke. He grew up in the Boston area. He went to college in Boston. Worked as a prosecutor there, too, and knew the way criminals, cops and lawyers spoke. Not only was his writing fresh and exciting, but it spoke to me in a deeply personal way. Prior to reading him, I took my accent for granted, never really knowing that our way of speaking would become fodder for parody. V. Higgins took our strange dialect and elevated it to high art. In later years, to my hilarity, it seemed everyone wanted to talk like me. I moved to the West Coast and it was as if I was speaking a foreign language to the people there. Hollywood tried to teach their biggest stars how to talk with a Boston accent, but it always sounded silly and laughable to me. Mastering the Boston accent, it seems, takes years of immersion and intense study. Words and phrases like ‘whiffle’, ‘bang-a-uey’ and ‘jimmies’ were part of the jargon. The sports teams were referred to as the Celts, Sox and the Bs, and the Bs played in the Gahden where Orr, Espo and Cheesy were legends.
V. Higgins novels forced me to re-examine language and writing, and how dialogue could be written in a meaningful and powerful way to tell very personal stories. Who knew that you could structure an entire novel in such a conversational manner, and a crime novel to boot. Like a linguistic historian seeking to save a tribe’s dying dialect, V. Higgins encapsulated a time and idiom in Boston’s history that is long gone and ain’t coming back. V. Higgins was ‘wicked pissa’ in Boston parlance—and here I’m falling into a bit of cliche, but that’s okay.
Here’s a sample of V. Higgins work.
“Count your fuckin’ knuckles,” the stocky man said.
“All of them?” Jackie Brown said.
“Ah Christ,” the stocky man said. “Count as many of them as you want. I got four more. One on each finger. Know how I got those? I bought some stuff from a man that I had his name, and it got traced, and the man I bought it for, he went to MCI Walpole for fifteen to twenty-five. Still in there, but he had some friends. I got an extra set of knuckles. Shut my hand in a drawer. Then one of them stomped the drawer shut. Hurt like a fucking bastard. You got no idea how it hurt.”
I discovered many other writers after that, although none as good as writing dialogue as V. Higgins. There was William Kennedy and his Albany based novels. Elmore Leonard. Ken Bruen and his wonderful White Trilogy. Martin Amis, who I loved, and who accomplished similar results with his London-based novels, although he never relied on dialogue to carry the full load of his tales. No novelist that I can think of used dialogue as effectively and strategically as V. Higgins. He wrote crime novels that were not centered as much on crime, as they were on the criminals committing these crimes, and then sitting around talking about it.
Getting dialogue right in your writing is tricky and often a double-edged sword. Overuse of a particular accent in a novel can get tiresome to a reader, sapping valuable energy from the plot’s flow. If not used properly, regional accents can become repetitive, reducing your characters to nothing more than stale cliches. Once that happens, the novel immediately loses credibility and the characters become one-dimensional stereotypes.
Writing authentic dialogue is hard and consuming work. An author must really understand who their character is and pay close attention to their history. It takes skill and patience to create lively, memorable dialogue for the various characters in your story. Endowing characters with their own, unique speech patterns takes subtly and considerable sleight of hand. Writing from the opposite gender’s perspective also presents challenges. Ask most men and they’ll unabashedly tell you that they’ll never understand women (joke).
I love writing dialogue but like a lot of authors I also struggle at times following my own advice. I’m like a therapist who needs therapy. Every word out of a character’s mouth should pop and crackle with intensity. Every line should be compatible with the particular character speaking it. Some writers like to read their dialogue out loud after they’ve written it. I’m not one of those writers, but if it works for you I say go for it. I tend to time the speech patterns in my head and listen to the rhythms and pacing. As far as ethnic characters go, I try not to go too overboard with their accents, choosing instead to use a light hand. In that regard, subtly and nuance can often go a long way when developing a character’s speech patterns. The key is to avoid cliche and stereotyping as much as possible.
I guess the best thing to do is study the way people talk and look for unique and fresh phrases. Read a lot. See how experienced authors handle dialogue in their own work. Dig for deeper meaning in speech rather than just the words and phrases. Realize that what people say is not always what they actually mean. All dialogue should contain at least some contextual ambiguity so that the reader might reach their own interpretations. This tension between what’s being said and what the character actually means can bring much-needed tension to your story, as well authenticity. And authenticity is always far more important than getting the accent pitch perfect.
So good luck with your writing and reading. Think I’ll go grab some chowdah before stahting on my new book.
[image error]
October 8, 2020
Like A Birch Tree
John Clark sharing recent contemplations in this strangest of years. Like most of those blogging on MCW, I’ve had to look at events and circumstances on almost a daily basis in order to stay safe and sane. Unexpected changes have resulted from some of my realizations and not all have been comfortable. Activities that occupied good portions of my time became unsafe or unrealistic, necessitating my coming up with things to replace them that were safe and low stress. Here are some of the adjustments I’ve made.
Daily aquatic exercises in a heated pool with a good bunch of people stopped early in the pandemic. It was truly the only exercise I could do on a regular basis and my body soon let me know it wasn’t happy. Fortunately, that activity resumed two weeks ago, but under fairly stringent conditions. Instead of the 12-18 we had back in February, there are four or less most mornings, oddly enough mostly men.
AA meetings also ceased around the same time. I’ll be the first to admit my trepidation about not being able to attend after 39 ½ years, but was able to maintain an even keel. Sadly, most of the meetings that have started back up are crowded and very few wear masks, so I’ve made a decision to remain away until masks are prevalent or here’s an effective vaccine available. Frankly, I’m shocked and saddened that so many people who worked their butts off to get and stay sober, don’t feel masks are necessary.
Two months ago, I realized that social media, particularly Facebook, wasn’t good for my mental health. When I started arguing with people I liked and cared about over trivial stuff, I realized it was time to back away. I miss many of the people I’m friends with online, but it wasn’t worth the emotional churning that accompanied it. I may think about going back after the election.
Some of the time and mental energy freed up by the above factors has gone into local political activity. I’m an active member (via Zoom) of the Waterville Democrats, playing the role of the opposition mayoral candidate in a mock debate to get our candidate ready. In addition I helped edit and polish his platform and campaign literature as well as brainstorm what should be on the Waterville Democrats website.
My latest endeavor has been volunteering at Waterville City Hall to assist in processing absentee ballot requests, in-person absentee voters and help file much of the accompanying paperwork. I can emphatically state that the entire process is professional, triple checked and completely above board. It’s very satisfying to see how many people, particularly college students are coming in and registering.
While I’m on the subject of absentee balloting, I can’t emphasize how easy and hassle free the process of in person absentee balloting is. Until a few weeks ago, I was completely unaware of the concept, but I’m here to tell you that if you want to avoid the crowd on November 3rd, in-person absentee voting is the way to go. If you’re already registered, simply check where to go and what the hours are in your town or city. Most people are in and out in less than five minutes. All ballots are sealed in an envelope, placed in a safe and will be counted (at least in Waterville) the Saturday and Sunday before the election.
[image error] Vote here 8-4 Mon-Fri in Waterville
In addition to reading lots of books and teaching my granddaughter to bug stomp(that’s a story for another column), I’ve been selling stuff on Ebay in addition to my selling books on Amazon. A friend of Beth’s wanted to get rid of a lot of books, so I drobe up to her place and picked them up Some went on Amazon, others on Ebay. Last weekend, I went (with a mask on) to an estate sale in Waterville. The very nice older couple were obviously moving to an apartment or assisted living. I bought a couple boxes of music books and sheet music, another box of books and yet another full of music videos and CDs (all gospel stuff). I spent $32.00 and made it back in three days, with sales still happening on Ebay.
[image error]The absentee ballot box at Waterville City Hall, opened by one person only on a frequent basis.
Like the birches during the 1997 ice storm, I may have to bend, but thus far I’ve managed to spring back whenever necessary. I’d love to hear how you’re dealing with the extended and the unexpected.
October 5, 2020
Is This What’s Wrong In Our Society?
Vaughn
Vaughn C. Hardacker here: On September 10, 2020, Heidi Carter, owner of Bogan Books in Fort Kent, ME, and I did a virtual book launch from her store. After the event, I asked her if she had come across any good books. She immediately recommended MILL TOWN by Kerri Arsenault.
Ms Arsenault grew up in Rumford/Mexico, Maine on the banks of the Androscoggin River (at one time labeled as the most polluted river in the country) in what WCVB’s news series Chronicle called Cancer Valley–this particular episode was considered too controversial and never aired in Maine. The early part of the book deals with the Boise Cascade paper mill in Rumsford and dioxin. Dioxin is a by product of the bleaching process that is used to make our paper white.
[image error]
MILL TOWN by Kerri Arsenault
Dioxin or polychlorinated dibenzodioxin (PCDD) is the generic term for a group of seventy-five related chemical compounds and is an unintended by-product of the paper-making process. It is classified as a persistent organic pollutant, becauseit is persistent in the environment, they bioaccumulate in the body and in the food chain, and they are toxic. The book, a work of non-fiction reads scarier than something penned by Stephen King. If you are interested in Maine’s environmental issues and the love / hate relationship with paper manufacturing, I highly recommend this book.
Now, what does all this have to do with the title of this blog? In the latter portion of the book, she talks about life in a small town and how the various residents view each other. To illustrate this I will quote from page 254:
“I look over at a group of boys throwing pens at each other. To me, they look like all teenage kids: a little sloppy, misunderstood, too big or too small for their clothes. Pimply and raw. But there’s a code, she’s (Ms Arsenault is writing about a conversation with a friend who is the high school principal) implying in the off-brand sneakers or in the slightly unfresh T-shirts worn on repeat that someone points out. These codes create an imaginary line between who’s on the inside and who’s on the outside track. The more fortunate kids, they glide confidently across the linoleum floor as if the very air around them is oiled.
“People tend to comment on differences (no-name clothes, poverty) rather than sameness (boys, teenagers, all receiving free lunch, all friends), which mirrored something I had been seeing everywhere–in classrooms, boardrooms, living rooms: even though we are generally alike in our desire to be fed, clothed, housed, loved, we zero in on differences–in political parties and at dinner parties–perpetuating a cycle of divisiveness that does nobody any good.” (above italics are my italics, not hers)
When I read this I stopped dead! In two paragraphs Ms Arsenault sees what many people never see. Look at our system of government, education systems, and even our personal lives. What is the current state of governmental grid-lock but our so-called leaders emphasizing each other’s differences. As she so aptly calls: “a cycle of divisiveness that does nobody any good.”
Maybe this portion of MILL TOWN should be required reading for any person running for office at every level of government. I think that this hit home with me because as a teenager and eldest son of an alcoholic my self-esteem had been battered for my entire childhood. I grew up in an atmosphere where my mother sat at the kitchen table, drinking beer, and smoking cigarettes firm in the belief that all of the neighbors (especially those known to abstain from drinking alcohol) were looking down on her. In grammar school this wasn’t a big deal (or so I thought) but when I entered Junior High School where some genius felt it was best if students were aligned according to their ability to learn; we were segregated into six divisions with one being the smart kids and six being those who who work the counter at a fast food restaurant for the rest of their life. My dysfunctional background led me to believe that everyone in level one was looking down on me, a member of level two. As time went along I would be socialized to only associate with members one level above and one below mine, all others would be excluded. People have a tendency to congregate along social lines whether that be based on a financial basis or, as in the case of Caribou Junior High School, intellectual level. Coming from this type of background I have worked my entire life to overcome my tendency to make judgemental decisions when I first meet someone. I key in on our differences. I’m not out of the woods yet, but I’m only seventy-three, I still have time.
The next time that you watch the television news look for those people who key in on differences, not common areas. Where would we be if those geniuses (and I use that word facetiously) would stop the ridiculous bickering because the other party presents something beneficial to all. Our congressional people are possibly the worst example of this. When the Affordable Care Act was passed the Speaker of the House was criticized for signing it before she had read it. He comment: “We had to pass the bill to know what is in it.” That baffled me . . . what if hidden in that bill was a clause declaring war on Canada? Recently, that same person criticized the opposition party for passing a budget before she had time to read it. . . This form of hypocrisy is seen every day from our political leaders. If you read my last post dealing with the role of Universities in the Nazi suppression of all writing not in line with their beliefs. How should we classify a university who refuses to allow a speaker with political views they don’t agree with to speak? Or a professor who encourages (orders?) his or her students to protest against an ideal or belief contrary to theirs? How many of these become infiltrated by people with an agenda and become violent.
I have always believed that you cannot legislate social change, it can only be true change if it occurs through unbiased education and our young people are taught to respect the beliefs and ideas of others and at least be intelligent to think about the similarities between theirs and ours.
October 4, 2020
Until We Meet Again . . .
Seven months into the pandemic, we’ve become pretty darned good at adapting, haven’t we?
The crime writing world also has adapted with online book launches, readings and conferences. It may not be exactly the same, but because we’re a creative bunch, and we’re making it work.
For many of us here at MCW, a big annual gathering of the clan is the New England Crime Bake, held each November near Boston.[image error] Due to the pandemic we can’t meet in person this year, but whether you’re a writer or a reader, you can still take part in the region’s largest celebration of crime writing, because the ‘Bake will take place virtually on Saturday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. and most of the programming is free!
The registration link is here: https://crimebake.org/
There will be two live panel discussions. The first, Writing During the Pandemic, will showcase New England crime writers Jeannette deBeauvoir, Alexia Gordon, Edith Maxwell and Peter Swanson talking about how to stay on task and remain productive in challenging times. I will have the honor of moderating that discussion and cannot wait to hear these talented writers talk about how they’ve kept on keeping on during this tumultuous year.
[image error]
A panel from last year’s Crime Bake, where panelists Eddie Vincent, Amy Collins, Kristopher Zgorski and Dru Ann Love had the audience (and themselves) laughing.
The second panel—The Publishing Landscape: 2020 and Beyond—will feature Jason Pinter of Polis Books, Terri Bischoff of Crooked Lane Books, Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary and Dana Kaye of Kaye Publicity, talking about what we know and don’t know about how the pandemic is affecting publishing. This important discussion will be moderated by the wonderful Dru Ann Love, the woman behind the award-winning book blog Dru’s Book Musings.
As always, Crime Bake will honor debut authors (there are seven CrimeBakers with first books out this year!), applaud the winner of the Al Blanchard Award for excellence in short story writing, and celebrate the winners of the Flashwords micro-fiction contest (once you register, you’ll get the info on how to enter).
[image error]
Every November, the newly-published are recognized at Crime Bake.
Several modestly-priced add-ons also are available. You can connect virtually with an agent or editor to discuss your query letter ($50) or the first page of your book ($50). Here’s the link for more info: https://crimebake.org/2020-agentseditors/
For $75, you can have 20 pages of your manuscript critiqued by a published author. Here’s where to sign up for that: https://crimebake.org/2020-manuscript-critiques/
The deadline to sign up for both the agent/editor package and a manuscript critique is October 13 or until all the slots are taken, so hop online now and register if you’re interested in those Crime Bake opportunities.
Glass-half-empty types may focus on the drawbacks of attending a virtual conference, and it’s true, this year we won’t have the chance to schmooze in front of the coffee urn or hang out together in the bar, but Crime Bake 2020 will have its advantages:
You can wear your most comfortable sweatpants;You’ll be less tired than usual on post-conference Monday, because it will be a couple of hours of fun, not an entire weekend, andBest of all, there will be no need to navigate Boston traffic.
[image error]
Our own Kate Flora was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Crime Bake in 2018.
In November 2021, Crime Bake will return live and in-person. Steve Berry, author of the bestselling Cotton Malone series, will be our Guest of Honor. Master classes will be back, and the Lifetime Achievement Award will be, too.
But until we meet (in person) again, Crime Bake 2020 is a fine alternative. See you there!
Brenda Buchanan is the author of the Joe Gale Mystery Series, featuring a diehard Maine newspaper reporter who covers the crime and courts beat. Three books—QUICK PIVOT, COVER STORY and TRUTH BEAT—are available everywhere e-books are sold. A member of the New England Crime Bake’s organizing committee and the Maine member-at-large on the Board of Sisters in Crime- New England, these days Brenda’s hard at work on new projects.
October 2, 2020
Weekend Update: October 3-4, 2020
[image error]Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Brenda Buchanan (Monday), Vaughn Hardacker (Tuesday), John Clark (Thursday), and Joe Souza (Friday).
In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:
Next Tuesday, Charlene D’Avanzo will be doing a zoom presentation at the Curtis Library. Here’s the link:
Tuesday Oct 6 at 7pm, Charlene D’Avanzo, writer of environmental mysteries featuring Mara Toscani.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85839147489
It’s Maine Crime Writers “Where Would You Put the Body?” contest – late summer/early fall edition. How do you enter? Send a photograph of your chosen spot to: WritingAboutCrime@gmail.com with “Where Would You Put the Body?” in the subject line. There will be prizes for First, Second, and Third place–books of course and other Maine goodies. You may enter no more than three photographs, each one entered separately. They must be of Maine places and you must identify the place in your submission. Photos must be the submitter’s original work. Contest will run through the middle of October.
Are you missing conferences and chances to get together, at least virtually, with other mystery writers? Consider the Virtual New England Crime Bake on Nov. 7th.
Registration information is here: https://crimebake.org
[image error]
An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.
And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. We also do programs on Zoom. Contact Kate Flora
Amidst the Mists
Kate Flora: My sister Sara used to love this tongue-twister of a poem, and recited it often enough that it immediately came to mind when I thought I would blog about fog and mists and weather in mysteries:
“Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,
With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
He thrusts his fist against the posts
And still insists he sees the ghosts.”
Strangely (because writers love to do research) when I began prepping for the blog by[image error] looking up “Autumn Mists” it turned out that it is a Benjamin Moore paint color, and I got pages of decorating ideas. It’s a nice color, for sure, if you like pale green, but no thanks. If I have a couch, a chair, a rug, and a lamp, I’m done. Oh, and lots of bookcases. No. Not paint. I was thinking about these lovely autumn mornings when the mists in the valleys and rising from rivers and fields is so beautiful I wish I could stop and take its picture. Morning mists against autumn leaves or hovering over golden corn or pumpkins is delightful. So is a herd of black cows rising out of a ghostly white field.
Sadly, a cell phone is not much good at capturing the subtle magic of morning mist. And far too often, I spot images that would make perfect photos when I’m driving, and I’m past before I could ever get my phone out. Besides, we’re not supposed to hold phones while driving.
But I was thinking about fog and mist and haze recently because for days the island was bathed in a deep gray fog that approached and retreated like a reluctant lover or a partner in a dance. It was the kind of fog that leaves your face slicked with wet and distorts sounds and light.
[image error]I’ve used fog quite a bit in my books, because fog is very much a part of our Maine environment. When I was writing Led Astray, my fifth Joe Burgess mystery which opens on a foggy day, I quickly realized that Burgess was going to be in fog until he solved the mystery, and that that external fog mimicked the fog of the investigation. Years back, in my first Burgess mystery, Playing God, he is driving to Cape Elizabeth on a winter day when the rising sun illuminates the sea smoke and he’s driving through a golden haze.
A quarter of a century ago, I did my very first panel at the Malice Domestic mystery conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The topic was one that sounded very dull on paper: Using Weather in Our Mysteries. I was terrified because I was a newbie, and doubly so because Charlotte MacLeod was on the panel, a very established writer I greatly admired. Looking back, I can’t remember what we talked about, I was too focused on thinking about what to say about mysteries set in New England. But being in a discussion with writers from all over the country, I became aware of the differences weather makes.
Here in Maine, our characters likely choose what to drive by what works in snow and[image error] mud. That might not be a consideration in parts of California. Our characters also have to think about what to have in the car in case of emergency, including boots, a coat, and gloves as well as scrapers and a snow shovel. Maybe even some kitty litter. Once, I had someone criticize a character for not using a cell phone. Well, I, and many others, live in a place where there barely is cell service, and those black holes are great for creating tension.
As I was doing research on fog, I found a few links you might enjoy:
Fog, mist, and haze explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxKdzIpofas
And again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd4XQD1MzSk
Seasmoke over Willard Beach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCBCocX55HM
And two versions of someone reading Keat’s poem:
Keats: To Autumn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHAE-jF4YNE
Or this, which is lovely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwn6Xaz_uLM
Wouldn’t you like this fellow reading you a poem every day?
And don’t forget to enter:
It’s Maine Crime Writers “Where Would You Put the Body?” contest – late summer/early fall edition. How do you enter? Send a photograph of your chosen spot to: WritingAboutCrime@gmail.com with “Where Would You Put the Body?” in the subject line. There will be prizes for First, Second, and Third place–books of course and other Maine goodies. You may enter no more than three photographs, each one entered separately. They must be of Maine places and you must identify the place in your submission. Photos must be the submitter’s original work. Contest will run through the middle of October.
Lea Wait's Blog
- Lea Wait's profile
- 506 followers
