Talli Roland's Blog, page 17
April 6, 2012
How Am I Going to Kill You?
Hello there! I interrupt this blog break to bring you the wonderful writer Elizabeth Bailey, talking about killing characters!
I will be back next Wednesday. Until then, have a great Easter/ Passover/ Chocolate Bunny Eating holiday!
Now over to Elizabeth...
How am I going to kill you?
This is the first question for the crimewriter, I've discovered. A tad macabre, but that's the genre.
Hellothere, victim, how would you like to die? I can strangle, bludgeon, knife orpoison you, just for starters. But if that ain't good enough, let's beinventive. The sky's the limit. The other day someone got mirrored to death inMidsomer Murders!
Problem is, the moment you decide how tokill someone, you've immediately got to find out what that's going to do totheir body. Enter medical research. That leads backwards to what your sleuthcan and can't notice and what it will tell her. She has to work out how it wasdone before she can figure out whodunnit.
Just to complicate matters, when you setyour crime in a historical context, you've got to find out what your medicalman would have known at that time. Which isn't what he knows now by a longchalk. At which point, thank heavens for the internet!
I turned up the most marvellouscontemporary treatise on poisons on Google books, which tells me exactly whatwas known or thought about it, as well as how to recognise it, for everypossible poison you could think of, and some you couldn't. This is for the bookI'm currently writing. You can also dig up lots of accounts of horrific 18thcentury murders, which is extremely helpful, thank you, generating plenty ofideas.
There's a strange satisfaction aboutkilling victims off, I find. Does this mean I'm a closet murderer? Let's becharitable, and say that it's pure imagination and the writer's mind. Afterall, I may kill them, but I'm also revenging their deaths and seeing thatjustice is done.
The other thing I've found is that youcan't avoid the inevitable exposition where your sleuth says how it was done.I've managed to steer clear of the cliché of gathering suspects together forthe purpose, though, and tried to make it a natural part of the investigationprocess. But as a reader I wouldn't be satisfied if the puzzle wasn't somehowexplained.
I don't honestly think I'm going to spendtoo long worrying over the how-am-I-going-to-kill-you question. Ideas forfuture books seem to leap out at me with images of full-blown murders readymade. I've got a humdinger for book four, but I haven't a clue who dunnit orwhy! But that, for me as writer, is the fun of the genre.
Elizabeth Bailey's second novel in her Lady FanMystery Series, THE DEATHLY PORTENT, comes out in April in the US and June inthe UK.
Theblacksmith has been bludgeoned to death and the village blame the local witch,a girl with second sight. The Fanshawes have broken down on the road and whenOttilia hears the news, she cajoles Francis into going to Witherley, where afull-blown investigation leads her intopersonal danger before she can find out the perpetrator.
More details atwww.elizabethbailey.co.uk.
I will be back next Wednesday. Until then, have a great Easter/ Passover/ Chocolate Bunny Eating holiday!
Now over to Elizabeth...
How am I going to kill you?
This is the first question for the crimewriter, I've discovered. A tad macabre, but that's the genre.
Hellothere, victim, how would you like to die? I can strangle, bludgeon, knife orpoison you, just for starters. But if that ain't good enough, let's beinventive. The sky's the limit. The other day someone got mirrored to death inMidsomer Murders!
Problem is, the moment you decide how tokill someone, you've immediately got to find out what that's going to do totheir body. Enter medical research. That leads backwards to what your sleuthcan and can't notice and what it will tell her. She has to work out how it wasdone before she can figure out whodunnit.
Just to complicate matters, when you setyour crime in a historical context, you've got to find out what your medicalman would have known at that time. Which isn't what he knows now by a longchalk. At which point, thank heavens for the internet!
I turned up the most marvellouscontemporary treatise on poisons on Google books, which tells me exactly whatwas known or thought about it, as well as how to recognise it, for everypossible poison you could think of, and some you couldn't. This is for the bookI'm currently writing. You can also dig up lots of accounts of horrific 18thcentury murders, which is extremely helpful, thank you, generating plenty ofideas.
There's a strange satisfaction aboutkilling victims off, I find. Does this mean I'm a closet murderer? Let's becharitable, and say that it's pure imagination and the writer's mind. Afterall, I may kill them, but I'm also revenging their deaths and seeing thatjustice is done.
The other thing I've found is that youcan't avoid the inevitable exposition where your sleuth says how it was done.I've managed to steer clear of the cliché of gathering suspects together forthe purpose, though, and tried to make it a natural part of the investigationprocess. But as a reader I wouldn't be satisfied if the puzzle wasn't somehowexplained.
I don't honestly think I'm going to spendtoo long worrying over the how-am-I-going-to-kill-you question. Ideas forfuture books seem to leap out at me with images of full-blown murders readymade. I've got a humdinger for book four, but I haven't a clue who dunnit orwhy! But that, for me as writer, is the fun of the genre.

Theblacksmith has been bludgeoned to death and the village blame the local witch,a girl with second sight. The Fanshawes have broken down on the road and whenOttilia hears the news, she cajoles Francis into going to Witherley, where afull-blown investigation leads her intopersonal danger before she can find out the perpetrator.
More details atwww.elizabethbailey.co.uk.
Published on April 06, 2012 00:00
March 30, 2012
Novelution
Happy Friday! Can you believe it's still sunny here?
I can't remember exactly how many novels I've written now, but as I finished Draft 2 of Construct A Couple, it struck me how my emotional writing journey usually remains the same -- even with all I've learned along the way.
Planning stage: This will be the one novel where I actually stick to my pre-planned plot. I've definitely got it all spot on this time. It's going to be easy!
Draft 1: This plot sucks. What if I just do this . . . or this . . . or maybe this . . . I'll fix it all later. Hey, this is going well, isn't it? Oh great, another new character! Sure, I haven't mentioned them until 3/4 of the way through, but that's okay... I'm done! Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?
Draft 2: Oh. My. God. What have I done? What have I done? I have written a huge pile of crap. This can never be a novel Never. What am I going to do? Okay, deep breath. Small steps. Here I go.
Draft 3: Phew. It might just work. Maybe. But there's still this to fix, and this, and this... oh yes, and THIS! How on earth did I miss that?
Draft 4: Okay, I think I'm finally getting there. But why is this sentence so long? And why is there a comma there? And why do all my characters roll their eyes? Where are there eyes eyes eyes everywhere?
Draft 5: Holy crap, there's a typo on page 1. I must do another 10 read-throughs.
Draft 6: If I read another word of this, I'm going to be sick.
So there you have it! Novelution!
What is your emotional writing journey?
(I will likely be on a blog break next week as I try to dig into Draft 3 and get as much work done as I can. Best of luck to everyone starting in on the A to Z Challenge!)
I can't remember exactly how many novels I've written now, but as I finished Draft 2 of Construct A Couple, it struck me how my emotional writing journey usually remains the same -- even with all I've learned along the way.
Planning stage: This will be the one novel where I actually stick to my pre-planned plot. I've definitely got it all spot on this time. It's going to be easy!
Draft 1: This plot sucks. What if I just do this . . . or this . . . or maybe this . . . I'll fix it all later. Hey, this is going well, isn't it? Oh great, another new character! Sure, I haven't mentioned them until 3/4 of the way through, but that's okay... I'm done! Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?
Draft 2: Oh. My. God. What have I done? What have I done? I have written a huge pile of crap. This can never be a novel Never. What am I going to do? Okay, deep breath. Small steps. Here I go.
Draft 3: Phew. It might just work. Maybe. But there's still this to fix, and this, and this... oh yes, and THIS! How on earth did I miss that?
Draft 4: Okay, I think I'm finally getting there. But why is this sentence so long? And why is there a comma there? And why do all my characters roll their eyes? Where are there eyes eyes eyes everywhere?
Draft 5: Holy crap, there's a typo on page 1. I must do another 10 read-throughs.
Draft 6: If I read another word of this, I'm going to be sick.
So there you have it! Novelution!
What is your emotional writing journey?
(I will likely be on a blog break next week as I try to dig into Draft 3 and get as much work done as I can. Best of luck to everyone starting in on the A to Z Challenge!)
Published on March 30, 2012 04:40
March 28, 2012
The London Undergrub
Continuing on the random city posts (I swear, I'll get back to normal topics once I've pulled my brain out of Draft 2!), I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful thing: a food-map of the London Underground. Every station has been changed into a sort-of similar sounding food... brilliant. (Click to link below to enlarge.)
Click here for the original.
My station is Nutty Hill Gate. Now I'm starving.
If you could live at any food station of your creation, what would it be? Cow's Hind Quarters? Mornington Croissant? I'd love it if there were a Twizzlers station.

My station is Nutty Hill Gate. Now I'm starving.
If you could live at any food station of your creation, what would it be? Cow's Hind Quarters? Mornington Croissant? I'd love it if there were a Twizzlers station.
Published on March 28, 2012 05:38
March 26, 2012
A Tale of One City
Happy Monday! Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had what can only be described as an absolutely idyllic weekend tootling around Paris. The weather was perfect, the hotel was perfect, the wine was . . . well, you get the picture. But because perfection can also leave one feeling a bit exhausted, I will leave you with these photos.
Lounging on the grass at the Places des Vosges.
The Promenade Planteée, an elevated walkway on a disused railway line.
Graffiti and blossoms on the Promenade Plantée/
Cutting through the buildings.
Drinks on a boat in the Seine, just across from Notre Dame.
The view from our hotel window, right outside the Places des Vosges.
Scary tunnel as our boat makes its way from Bastille to the Canal St-Martin.
One of the many locks on the Canal St-Martin.
The Basin de Villette.
Budding trees at the Jardins des Luxembourg. Phew! And there you have it. Paris in the springtime: done.
How was your weekend?










How was your weekend?
Published on March 26, 2012 03:58
March 23, 2012
Word of the Day

I'll keep this short and sweet: it's my birthday tomorrow (yay!); I'm off to Paris for the weekend (yay!); it's sunny outside (double yay!); and I'm done with my work for the day (YAY!).
Let the games begin.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Published on March 23, 2012 10:35
March 21, 2012
Spring in Your Step
It's a glorious day here in London, and I'm in a springy kind of mood -- thanks in part to your wonderful support and comments on my Monday post. Time and again, I'm reminded what a wonderful community of bloggers I'm a part of, and I'm so grateful.
Anyway! *wipes eyes* Some of you may remember that before I had my fiction published, I wrote guide books: 24 Hours London and 24 Hours Paris. As I'm off Paris next weekend and plan to post about it next week, I thought it only fair to tell you about some of my favourite spring-like places in my adopted home. Most of my novels are set in and around London, and I love writing about the city!
The text below is lifted from my London guide.
The Serpentine Lake, though budding trees at Kensington Gardens. First up, it's got to be Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park -- the site of my (almost) daily run.
These interconnected parks offer a wide variety of jogging routes or, if you're up for it, you can take a plunge in the Serpentine Lake. Enter the park from High Street Kensington. You'll see Kensington Palace straight ahead. Saunter by the former home of Princess Diana and past the black railings where mountains of flowers were heaped when she died in 1997. Run by the man-made Round Pound, taking in the ornate Albert Memorial through the trees to your right, and go down to the Serpentine Lake. So-named for its snake-like shape, the lake is actually a river that was dammed by order of Queen Caroline as part of the redevelopment of Hyde Park. As you jog by the long arm of the lake, take in the oval shaped Diana Memorial to your right, then cool off by braving the water at the roped-off swimming area at the Lido.
Postman's Park, East London.Next, it's across the city to Postman's Park. It's beautiful this time of year with all the daffodils. Located between King Edward Street, Little Britain and Angel Street, the park contains a wall with 47 hand-crafted tiles commemorating the bravery of ordinary Londoners who died saving others. Each tile, made by Royal
Doulton, is hand-lettered. The park features in Mike Nichols' film Closer.
Columbia Road Flower Market.If you're looking for something to get you in the spring-like spirit, head to an iconic East End market at Columbia Road. Moved to Sunday to accommodate Jewish traders, the market served the area's former Huguenot immigrants whose interest in cut flowers has remained a legacy amongst East Enders. A variety
of bulbs, shrubs and freshly cut flowers – along with breads, cheeses and garden accessories – is available.
Little Venice.For a bit of Italy in London (sort of), wander through the weeping willows by the Regent and Grand Union canals in Little Venice, one of the prettiest and most serene spots in the whole city. InPaddington runs free
walks along the Grand Union Canal, while London Walks offers guided tours exploring the whole area. If you really want to see canal living first hand, you can take a narrowboat trip down the canal towards Camden. The boat is indeed as the name suggests – no wider than seven feet in order to navigate the canals of Britain and Wales.
I could go on and on and ON, but I'll stop there. Hope the new season is treating you kindly so far.
What are some of your favourite places to visit in Spring?
Anyway! *wipes eyes* Some of you may remember that before I had my fiction published, I wrote guide books: 24 Hours London and 24 Hours Paris. As I'm off Paris next weekend and plan to post about it next week, I thought it only fair to tell you about some of my favourite spring-like places in my adopted home. Most of my novels are set in and around London, and I love writing about the city!
The text below is lifted from my London guide.

These interconnected parks offer a wide variety of jogging routes or, if you're up for it, you can take a plunge in the Serpentine Lake. Enter the park from High Street Kensington. You'll see Kensington Palace straight ahead. Saunter by the former home of Princess Diana and past the black railings where mountains of flowers were heaped when she died in 1997. Run by the man-made Round Pound, taking in the ornate Albert Memorial through the trees to your right, and go down to the Serpentine Lake. So-named for its snake-like shape, the lake is actually a river that was dammed by order of Queen Caroline as part of the redevelopment of Hyde Park. As you jog by the long arm of the lake, take in the oval shaped Diana Memorial to your right, then cool off by braving the water at the roped-off swimming area at the Lido.

Doulton, is hand-lettered. The park features in Mike Nichols' film Closer.

of bulbs, shrubs and freshly cut flowers – along with breads, cheeses and garden accessories – is available.

walks along the Grand Union Canal, while London Walks offers guided tours exploring the whole area. If you really want to see canal living first hand, you can take a narrowboat trip down the canal towards Camden. The boat is indeed as the name suggests – no wider than seven feet in order to navigate the canals of Britain and Wales.
I could go on and on and ON, but I'll stop there. Hope the new season is treating you kindly so far.
What are some of your favourite places to visit in Spring?
Published on March 21, 2012 12:50
March 19, 2012
I Am Not My Book
Hello, Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. It's slowly turning into Spring in London Town, and for that I am happy. I love to hear those birds chirping right outside my window as dawn comes at 5:45 a.m., oh yes I do!
Speaking of chirping, I like writing mainly about chirpy things on my blog: wine, coookies, Twizzlers, and such. But sadly, not everything in the world involves sweetness and light -- and that's certainly true when it comes to publishing books.
As any author or aspiring author knows, the opportunities for disappointment are endless. We get rejected. We get bad reviews. Our books don't sell -- or not as much as we'd like them to. Our contracts are not renewed . . . are you depressed yet?
Over the past few weeks, I've been fighting a little disappointment of my own (you can read about it here, if you wish). To many, it may not seem like a big deal. But most authors would agree that after investing so much time, head-space and emotion into a novel, it's hard not to sink into a tailspin when you're faced with a disappointing outcome, no matter what it is. It's easy to believe that you and your happiness are dependent on the success of your book.
That's when I tell myself: I am not my book. It's out there now, independent of me, and my happiness should not depend on how it fares. There's more to me than that one novel; there's more to my life than Amazon (well, sort of). I love writing, I love creating, and that's what I need to focus on. And maybe drink a little wine.
How do you get over disappointment?
Speaking of chirping, I like writing mainly about chirpy things on my blog: wine, coookies, Twizzlers, and such. But sadly, not everything in the world involves sweetness and light -- and that's certainly true when it comes to publishing books.
As any author or aspiring author knows, the opportunities for disappointment are endless. We get rejected. We get bad reviews. Our books don't sell -- or not as much as we'd like them to. Our contracts are not renewed . . . are you depressed yet?
Over the past few weeks, I've been fighting a little disappointment of my own (you can read about it here, if you wish). To many, it may not seem like a big deal. But most authors would agree that after investing so much time, head-space and emotion into a novel, it's hard not to sink into a tailspin when you're faced with a disappointing outcome, no matter what it is. It's easy to believe that you and your happiness are dependent on the success of your book.
That's when I tell myself: I am not my book. It's out there now, independent of me, and my happiness should not depend on how it fares. There's more to me than that one novel; there's more to my life than Amazon (well, sort of). I love writing, I love creating, and that's what I need to focus on. And maybe drink a little wine.
How do you get over disappointment?
Published on March 19, 2012 13:59
March 16, 2012
Stop the Bull
Happy Friday, all!
Over on Shari Larsen's blog, she's spreading the word about National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, which happens to be today!
Now, I'm not in America, but I'm all for speaking out against bullying and violence. Truth be told, though, I struggled thinking about what to write for this. Honestly, I've been pretty lucky: I can't recall being bullied to an extent were it affected me. Sure, I was called names, pushed & shoved, all the things that mark out a 'normal' childhood. As an adult, my work colleagues and bosses were -- for the most part -- respectful and considerate. So . . . what to write?
Well, how about this.
Now picture a human, ten times sadder, and ten times lonelier.
Would you want to make someone feel that way? Would you want to stand by and let someone else make another person feel that way? All it takes to stop a bully is one person to stand up to them. (Or, in the case of Syria, China and Russia... but that's another story!). From children to politicians, we can put an end to bullying and violence if we work together.
Maybe the world should just drink wine...
Have a great weekend, everyone. And treat everyone like a precious Persian kitty you don't want to upset!
The following bloggers are also taking part today. Drop by and say hi if you get the chance.
Sheri Larsen - http://www.writersally.blogspot.com/
Dawn Dalton - http://www.dawnmdalton.blogspot.com
Jessica Bell - http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogs...
Candace Ganger - http://themisadventuresincandyland.blogspot.com/
LM Preston - http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
Donna Martin - http://www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Jonathon Arntson - http://jonathonarntson.blogspot.com/
Nicole Zoltack - http://www.NicoleZoltack.com
PK Hrezo - http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com
Over on Shari Larsen's blog, she's spreading the word about National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, which happens to be today!
Now, I'm not in America, but I'm all for speaking out against bullying and violence. Truth be told, though, I struggled thinking about what to write for this. Honestly, I've been pretty lucky: I can't recall being bullied to an extent were it affected me. Sure, I was called names, pushed & shoved, all the things that mark out a 'normal' childhood. As an adult, my work colleagues and bosses were -- for the most part -- respectful and considerate. So . . . what to write?
Well, how about this.

Now picture a human, ten times sadder, and ten times lonelier.
Would you want to make someone feel that way? Would you want to stand by and let someone else make another person feel that way? All it takes to stop a bully is one person to stand up to them. (Or, in the case of Syria, China and Russia... but that's another story!). From children to politicians, we can put an end to bullying and violence if we work together.
Maybe the world should just drink wine...
Have a great weekend, everyone. And treat everyone like a precious Persian kitty you don't want to upset!
The following bloggers are also taking part today. Drop by and say hi if you get the chance.
Sheri Larsen - http://www.writersally.blogspot.com/
Dawn Dalton - http://www.dawnmdalton.blogspot.com
Jessica Bell - http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogs...
Candace Ganger - http://themisadventuresincandyland.blogspot.com/
LM Preston - http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
Donna Martin - http://www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Jonathon Arntson - http://jonathonarntson.blogspot.com/
Nicole Zoltack - http://www.NicoleZoltack.com
PK Hrezo - http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com
Published on March 16, 2012 16:28
March 14, 2012
Staying Upright
There's been a lot of talk lately in the blogosphere about maintaining balance.
As my writing career progresses, I find striking a balance harder. Mornings are spent writing ('coz without that, I'm not actually a writer!), and the afternoons are filled with answering reader emails (yay!), answering questions from fellow writers (yay!), preparing presentations and workshops (yay!), and writing guest posts (yay!). All great stuff that I feel incredibly lucky to do, but also time-consuming.
When wine o'clock rolls around, I often realise I haven't spent any time blogging nor responding to comments I've received, and I'm faced with a difficult question: blogging or wine (I learned the hard way you can't do both at the same time, ha!)? I bet you can guess which one wins out. Plus, sometimes I just want to close the lid on the laptop and enjoy real life.
I used to be fanatical about blogging every day and get sharp pangs of guilt if I didn't reply to each and every comment promptly. Now, I blog three days a week and although I do try my best to get around to everyone quickly, well . . . I don't always manage it. But that's okay, because I've come to the conclusion that blogging should be fun. I love popping around and visiting the people who've become my friends; seeing what they're up to. I blog because I want to, not because I think it will help me sell a zillion trillion books.
I'm not going to ask why you blog, because I think we've all answered that question a lot! Instead, I'd love to know: have you ever experienced blog fatigue? And if so, how do you get back on track?[image error]
As my writing career progresses, I find striking a balance harder. Mornings are spent writing ('coz without that, I'm not actually a writer!), and the afternoons are filled with answering reader emails (yay!), answering questions from fellow writers (yay!), preparing presentations and workshops (yay!), and writing guest posts (yay!). All great stuff that I feel incredibly lucky to do, but also time-consuming.
When wine o'clock rolls around, I often realise I haven't spent any time blogging nor responding to comments I've received, and I'm faced with a difficult question: blogging or wine (I learned the hard way you can't do both at the same time, ha!)? I bet you can guess which one wins out. Plus, sometimes I just want to close the lid on the laptop and enjoy real life.
I used to be fanatical about blogging every day and get sharp pangs of guilt if I didn't reply to each and every comment promptly. Now, I blog three days a week and although I do try my best to get around to everyone quickly, well . . . I don't always manage it. But that's okay, because I've come to the conclusion that blogging should be fun. I love popping around and visiting the people who've become my friends; seeing what they're up to. I blog because I want to, not because I think it will help me sell a zillion trillion books.
I'm not going to ask why you blog, because I think we've all answered that question a lot! Instead, I'd love to know: have you ever experienced blog fatigue? And if so, how do you get back on track?[image error]
Published on March 14, 2012 12:16
March 12, 2012
Daffodils and Desks
Yay! It's Monday! Can you hear the enthusiasm in my voice?
Actually, for the first time in a bit, I'm happy Monday is here. Why? Because I had a lovely London weekend, starting with a walk through Hyde Park and a concert at Wigmore Hall on Saturday, and ending with a stroll down the South Bank and through the Tate Modern yesterday.
Not only that, but the weather was glorious.
Daffodils outside the Tate Modern.
Crazy dude playing guitar in the Thames under the Millennium Bridge.And -- since Mr TR is back to work today after a stint working from home -- I have my office to myself again! I must admit, it's much better for concentrational (not a word! I know!) purposes.
So, Monday or not, I'm happy. What's your state of mind this week?
PS - Thank you for the lovely comments on Friday's post. :)[image error]
Actually, for the first time in a bit, I'm happy Monday is here. Why? Because I had a lovely London weekend, starting with a walk through Hyde Park and a concert at Wigmore Hall on Saturday, and ending with a stroll down the South Bank and through the Tate Modern yesterday.
Not only that, but the weather was glorious.


So, Monday or not, I'm happy. What's your state of mind this week?
PS - Thank you for the lovely comments on Friday's post. :)[image error]
Published on March 12, 2012 12:19