Michael J. McCann's Blog: Open Investigations, page 12

Writing the Perfect Crime Story

Crime fiction writer Niall Leonard, who writes television scripts and books for teens and young adults, has some interesting advice on how to write the "perfect" crime story.

First, he suggests starting with a story that fascinates you as a writer so you can convey this enthusiasm to your readers.

Second, he recommends a lot of research so your stories will ring true to life and be "far more interesting than anything you could dream up at your desk".

His third point is not to drown your story in details. Remember that you're entertaining, not lecturing your reader.

His other points include the importance of a protagonist in unraveling the crime, and the identification of motive(s). Also, he suggests that the killer should operate in plain sight of the reader from the beginning of the novel. He or she may have a rock-solid alibi, but it's through the actions of the characters that the mystery should be revealed rather than through the introduction of the killer at the end of the story like a deus ex machina. It's the writer's job, he contends, to hide the clues leading to the ultimate revelation of the killer as the book progresses.

And his final word of advice?

Perseverance, patience and resilience are essential.

Even the most successful of today's crime novelists, he notes, took years to establish their reputation.

Leonard's advice is, of course, commonsensical, but it never hurts to remind ourselves of the basics of crime fiction writing.

For the full text of the article, please see http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-....

(Adapted from a previous Overnight Bestseller post)

2015 Library Awards

There are numerous awards that recognize contributions to the library profession.
Each year Library Journal lists such awards and invites nominations in electronic format. Here are some of the awards being offered:


New Landmark Libraries - focuses on public libraries "with new construction, expansion or significant renovations"

Submission deadline: March 31, 2015


Library of the Year - recognizes role-model libraries

Postmark deadline: April 6, 2015


Best Small Library in America - honors "the top libraries serving populations of 25,000 or fewer people"

Postmark deadline: September 9, 2015


Movers & Shakers - honors "emerging leaders in the library world"

Submission deadline: November 6, 2015


Librarian of the Year - honors "a professional librarian for outstanding achievement and accomplishments reflecting the loftiest service goals of the library profession"

Postmark deadline: November 2, 2015


To learn more about the nomination process and view past winners, please see http://lj.libraryjournal.com/awards/#_.

2014 Book Sales and Author Earnings

A report published in January 2015 shows encouraging news for indie authors and publishers.

Here are some stats from the executive summary of the report:

- 33% of all paid e-book unit sales on Amazon.com are indie self-published e-books;
- 20% of all consumer dollars spent on e-books on Amazon.com are being spent on indie self-published e-books;
- In mid-year 2014, indie-published authors began taking home 40% of all e-book author earnings generated on Amazon.com while authors published by the Big Five publishers (the imprints of Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster) slipped into second place at 35%.

For those who have managed to win a spot with one of the Big Five publishers--primarily established, best-selling authors--this is probably not good news, and will no doubt herald another round of frontal attacks on indie publishing. But for those trying to break into the market, whether as an independent or with a small- or medium-sized publishing company, these are encouraging statistics.

For the full text of the report, please see http://authorearnings.com/report/janu....

Happy Groundhog Day

In case you weren't aware, Monday, February 2, is Groundhog Day. This is the day on which these furry little creatures become weather prognosticators.

According to folklore, if a groundhog emerges from his burrow on a sunny day and spots his shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter. Conversely, if it's an overcast day and he doesn't see his shadow, we can look forward to an early spring.

I personally need a bit of encouragement that warmer weather is on its way. Especially when I get all these Facebook posts from friends who are sunning themselves on beaches and gleefully sending me "wish you were here" messages.

So whether it's Punxsutawney Phil or his Canadian cousin, Wiarton Willie, don't forget to check out the furry forecast. Spring could be on its way...

Strangers Seen from a Train

The Girl on the Train by British novelist Paula Hawkins has made current best-seller lists and has generally been favorably reviewed. It has been described by NPR Books as a homage to Hitchcock in such movies as Rear Window and Strangers on a Train, with strong writing and character development. The premise is intriguing: a commuter, desperately unhappy with her own life, builds up a fantasy of a young couple she glimpses daily from the commuter train. Then suddenly the situation changes...

NPR Books has an interesting interview with the author, who explains the genesis of the novel. To listen, please visit http://www.npr.org/2015/01/13/3769961....

For the NPR Books review and to read an excerpt from the thriller, please see http://www.npr.org/2015/01/13/3761670....

Winter in the Limerick Forest

Winter is a time for writing. It keeps me busy and warm on these short, cold January days. I've been working on something new, The March and Walker Crime Novel series. Set in eastern Ontario, it features homicide investigators of the Ontario Provincial Police. The first novel, Sorrow Lake, has been completed in manuscript and is being read and evaluated. The second, Burn Country, is on my mind every morning when I wake up, and I expect it'll keep me busy until the snow is gone.

While the snow's here, however, I bundle up each day and take the dogs for a walk in the back forest. Our property is a long, narrow strip extending into former pasture that's now busily reforesting, if that's a word. The other day we were watched by a large barred owl as we meandered along my home-made foot path. We often startle ruffed grouse and cross the tracks of deer as they travel back and forth along their own trails. It's a great place to get out and clear my head, breathe the cold fresh air, and, yes, daydream.

Foremost in my daydreams these days is a plan to create an oval back there where I made a small clearing in the fall. It's a place where I've put a chair and bench for sitting when the weather's warmer. You can see the spot here, on the right. In the foreground on the right is the trunk of a white pine that fell a few seasons ago; it'll become another bench for sitting. There's a dead tamarack just out of the frame to the left that will provide logs for raised beds filled with wild flowers. When I cut it down, of course.

Meanwhile, we wander and daydream. My retriever, Charley, noses around beneath one of our tall white pines. If you look up, you may spot a porcupine who's spending the winter in this particular tree. He's something of a problem, because he's stripping the tree for lunch, and I don't want him to kill it. So far, stern warnings and cuss words have had little effect. Next I suppose I'll try a few snowballs. It's worked before on his cousins. Porcupines are shy and don't like people, particularly noisy ones like me, but this fellow's being stubborn. They really don't like snowballs, though, so I think I may change his mind about hanging around.

Back inside, at the keyboard, I'm in complete control of the world in which my stories are set. As much in control, I suppose, as any of us when it comes to the universe of the imagination. But out here, in the forest, control isn't an issue. I'm a participant. A partner. I've noticed in the snow that the rabbits and deer like to use my paths when I'm not back there.  I hope they find my oval beneficial, when it's done. On the other hand, I still have a bone to pick with that porcupine.......!

Upcoming Let's Talk Day for 2015

On January 5, Bell Canada launched its Let's Talk campaign for 2015. The official Let's Talk day when you can talk and tweet in support of mental health is January 28, 2015, and this will be a subject of a later post. In the interim, here are some suggestions from the campaign launch on how you can help in ending the stigma of mental illness:

Language matters - pay attention to the words you use about mental illness
Educate yourself - learn, know and talk more, understand the signs
Be kind - small acts of kindness speak a lot
Listen and ask - sometimes it's best to just listen
Talk about it - start a dialogue, break the silence 

For the full text of the campaign launch, please see http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/14685....

And please stay tuned for a future post on supporting the January 28 Let's Talk day.

The Year of Books for Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame has announced his own modest reading challenge for 2015 (two books a month). His Facebook announcement suggests that the idea of reading something longer than a tweet or post is a real novelty to him. He writes:

... Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today. I'm looking forward to shifting more of my media diet towards reading books.

The Annoyed Librarian of Library Journal fame is less than impressed by Zuckerberg's undertaking. To read her sardonic take on his announcement, please see http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/an....

New Crime Fiction Festival in Shetland

A new crime fiction festival known as "Shetland Noir" will take place in Shetland from November 13 (a Friday, of course) until November 15, 2015.

The festival grew out of a discussion last year at the Bloody Scotland Festival about the possibility of having Shetland host a festival in conjunction with Iceland Noir, a group of authors who write Icelandic crime fiction.

To date, the writers scheduled for attendance will be Denise Mina, Stuart MacBride and Alex Gray from Scotland, and Arne Dahl, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Hakan Nesser representing the Nordic countries. Further writers are to be announced.

For more information on Shetland and its first crime fiction festival, please visit http://visit.shetland.org/crime-ficti....

Anne Tyler: Fifty Years of Writing

The British Broadcasting Corporation, in its online list of novels to look forward to in 2015, indicates that Anne Tyler will celebrate her 50th year of writing with the release of her 20th novel, A Spool of Blue Thread, a family saga set in Baltimore. Ms. Tyler, whose understated writing style, quirky characters and family dramas, and ability to use symbols to convey complex layers of meaning and emotion, is a Pulitzer Prize winner. Her previous novels include Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and The Accidental Tourist.

The BBC interviewed Anne Tyler in 2013 when she was in the process of writing A Spool of Blue Thread. She was 71 at the time and speculated that this would be her last novel. Ms. Tyler obviously has a keen sense of humor as she jokes about her decision to put aside her pen. To listen to the interview, please click here.

For the full text of the BBC article, including other novels that will appear in 2015, please click here.

A Spool of Blue Thread will be released on February 10, 2015.