Judith Post's Blog, page 81
June 15, 2018
What Would It Take?
I’m halfway through writing my third cozy mystery. I read two chapters of it to my writers’ group and got great feedback. Another member of our group is writing a mystery, too–more of a thriller, a gritty page-turner. My story feels slow compared to his mix of drug dealers, political powerhouses, and the people caught up with them. I love his book and plan to buy it when it’s available, but my story would be too slow for him. Cozies aren’t for everyone. Yet I’ve been drawn to them since I first discovered Agatha Christie.
It made me wonder why I love them so much. I read and enjoy a variety of genres, but cozies are my favorite. Why? I think cozies, Agatha Christie’s in particular, can be great character studies. They dig around in peoples’ psyches, trying to find what drives them. They’re more subtle. What secrets do ordinary people hide? What would drive them to commit murder? And is Agatha Christie right, that any man, if the circumstances are right, would kill someone?
Here’s a quote by Poirot from THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD: “Let us take a man – a very ordinary man. A man with no idea of murder in his heart. There is in him somewhere a strain of weakness – deep down. It has so far never been called into play. Perhaps it never will be – and if so he will go to his grave honored and respected by everyone. But let us suppose that something occurs.” Interesting, isn’t it, the question of what a person would kill for? To protect his reputation? His wealth? Jealousy? What is his weakness? What would it take for him to commit murder? The question of WHY is just as important as the question of WhoDunnIt.
In a cozy, every suspect has a secret. As the story progresses, that secret’s exposed, and we understand that character better. Good people might lie for reasons they feel worthy. Poirot says,
“Every one of you in this room is concealing something from me. Yes, yes, I know what I am saying. It may be something unimportant – trivial – which is supposed to have no bearing on the case, but there it is. Each one of you has something to hide. Come now, am I right?” That digging a little deeper chapter by chapter moves the story forward. When a cozy’s characters walk on stage, they make a first impression. That first impression might be all wrong. But scene by scene, page by page, we learn more and the impression deepens. That’s what I like about cozies. I get to add things up to decide who the killer is. And if the author tricks me–as long as it’s fair–all the better.
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(I found Poirot’s quotes at https://www.gradesaver.com/the-murder-of-roger-ackroyd/study-guide/quotes)
June 14, 2018
Kathy’s story
My friend and fellow writer, Kathy Palm, shared one of her short stories on Watt Pad. I love her writing–so immediate, so emotional. You might want to check it out: https://www.wattpad.com/587854995-perfection
June 12, 2018
One Less Warlock–part 2–is up
I posted the end of One Less Warlock. It was my stab at writing a paranormal locked room mystery. I hope you liked it. Next week, I’ll post another novella–part 1 on Monday and part 2 on Wednesday, (hopefully). I hope you stop by my webpage to check them out.
June 11, 2018
June 8, 2018
June 7, 2018
How Many Times Can You Get Up and Down and Still Finish a Chapter?
I’ve reached 31,000 words in my manuscript. Only 40,000 more to go. The set-up’s finished. Characters are introduced. Things are slowing down and getting serious. Which means, I’m in that middle place where things start tempting me besides writing.
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When I get up every morning, I drink a couple cups of coffee with the Old Poop before I finally wander into my back room, sit in front of my computer, and start to work. I don’t start writing. I read e-mails and maybe a blog or two to get the noggin going before I turn to my WIP. Lately, though, if there’s a link that looks interesting, I follow that up, too. I mean, if there’s a new way to guarantee one thousand followers with five tweets, I’d be silly not to read about it, right? And what about the link with lots of pictures of cats and dogs. Who could pass that up?
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It’s called stalling. But I know myself, so pretty soon, I make myself stop and pull up my manuscript. I always do rewrites on whatever I wrote the day before and then get busy on new pages.
Most days, that’s when my cat stalks in to jump on the office chair he considers his. Did I ever tell you how cute my cat is? Yes, I’m in the middle of a paragraph, but Dutchy curls in his chair and starts purring and I have to stop writing to pet him. Cats need love, and Dutchy needs more than most. Then the dog bounces in and wants me to let him outside. A good reason to leave my desk. While I’m at it, I might as well grab some cashews from the can in the kitchen.
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Then it’s back to work again. Fanny in chair. Except that it sounds like the parakeet’s digging for seeds from the bottom of his food dish. He must need a refill. Up I get again. Ten minutes later, I look at the time. How did it get so late? I head back to my computer. This time, I will NOT stop typing until I finish a chapter. But I hear the dog bark, and I know that means the mailman’s come. Maybe he brought a new magazine for me to thumb through. I should wait to see, but it only takes a few minutes to get the mail. Up I go again. There IS a magazine. I flip through the pages quickly before I put it next to my reading chair, then back to my computer it is.
Soon it’s lunch time. I can’t concentrate when I’m starving. And the next time I glance at the clock, it’s afternoon. Now, an internal alarm goes off. If I don’t duct tape myself to my chair, there will be no chapter. This time, I’m serious.
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In a few hours, I finally have a seven-page chapter done. Not the most I’ve ever accomplished, but I’m a slow writer anyway. One chapter is good, right? Nothing to brag about, but I’ll take it. And it moved the story forward. I peek at my plot points, and tomorrow’s chapter will be tricky to navigate, too. And so is the chapter after that. And then, some new action. The words should flow a little faster, have more oomph than angst. I’m only three chapters away from the next plot twist.
I can make it three more chapters. I can write more words, better words, in less time. But I invited friends over for supper tomorrow night. I might want to make a few things ahead. Joy! I know I’ll be up and down tomorrow, too.
I’d like to say that I didn’t succumb to the middle muddle before my husband retired, that I had more discipline and stuck it out. But that wouldn’t be true. There’s something about the middle that only lets me write in spurts. A page here. Oh, a phone call–yay! Two pages there–why not make the pasta salad now? Stops and starts. Until I find my groove again, piling on complications and pushing my protagonist’s goal further away, it’s work to write. But the middle will eventually grab me again, I know. Book after book, this rhythm repeats itself. But soon, characters will reveal more about themselves. Tension will build. Clues will point, and I’ll place my fingers on keys and lose track of time for hours. But not right now. Right now, a fig bar is calling to me. Have to go!
And happy writing!
June 4, 2018
PUT OUT THE DAMN LIGHT
My friend Mary Lou Rigdon writes Regency romances as Julia Donner. She shares tips on writing historical fiction. Many of them can apply to ANY good writing, so I thought I’d share.
Judi Lynn/Judith Post recently wrote a blog about ten steps to make your mystery better and started off with “kill somebody.” I can’t think of any opener to top that, so will just start off with the things I look for and try to incorporate in historical fiction to make it believable and immediate. Because that’s the point, isn’t it? To immerse the reader in a world that has been before.
Character/s
How often do we see the same man or woman over and over in a story and nothing changes but their eye and hair color? In reality, people don’t look the same, even when they look sort of the same. People are unique. So should characters be. It’s best if they possess the kind of personality you’re drawn to, but perhaps you prefer the challenge of finding a way to make a somewhat off-putting man or woman sympathetic…
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June 1, 2018
Writing conferences
I signed up today to attend the writers conference Magna Cum Murder in Indianapolis, Oct. 19-21. When I first started writing mystery short stories and thought about trying my hand at novels, I went to quite a few conferences. My first was Midwest Writers in Muncie, Indiana, not far afield. I met a lot of talented people, but the workshops, at that time, covered a wide range of genres and topics. Once I knew I wanted to write mysteries, I decided to go to conferences that specialized in crime novels of all types.
That’s when I discovered Of Dark and Stormy NIghts in Chicago. Oh, how I loved that conference! It was held in the oldest building on the Northwestern University campus–complete with creaky stairs and hideaway cubbyholes. Perfect for nefarious deeds. And the writers there were so friendly and generous! They made every newbie feel welcome.
Sadly, Of Dark and Stormy finally ended, and then I ventured to bigger conferences, like Bouchercon and Malice Domestic. After a while, though, it was time for me to take a break from them. I just didn’t mean for the break to be so long. Once I stopped going, I filled my summers with other things–like trips with my family and going to see my kids when they moved away.
Conferences were good for me, though. The panels, made up of four or five authors, covered topics from poisons to creating series characters to explaining how to build tension. Experts shared their hardwon knowledge. Most importantly, though, I learned that writing wasn’t just about arranging words and ideas to tell a coherent story, hoping to hold a reader’s interest. It was also a business, and good writing wasn’t enough to guarantee you a sale. Then conferences became a way of meeting people, learning about markets, and making connections. Eventually, you graduate from attending panels to hanging out in the bar or lobby to meet more people.
Most conferences, these days, make agents and editors available for pitches. That doesn’t guarantee one will want to sign you, but your odds are better if they meet you in person. Just do your homework. Go in prepared. Know what type of work that agent represents and why your novel would be a good fit for him/her.
I always come home from writing events exhausted. My mind hits the saturation point and wants to shut down for a day or two. But I also come home excited, full of new ideas and plans. The first time I went to a conference, I was so nervous, I thought I’d make wallflowers look like extroverts. But I did better than I expected, and after that, I looked forward to meeting fellow writers and readers. Because the readers are full of information and enthusiasm, too. I always enjoy listening to which author is a person’s favorite and why.
The first time I was invited to be on a panel at a conference, I said yes–thankfully–before I could freak out. But even then I enjoyed the experience. It was fun talking writing with fellow writers and answering questions from readers. And everyone was NICE. Overall, most writers and readers are easy to like. It will be fun to be a part of a conference again.
Happy Writing!
Chapter 27’s up
https://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/
I want to let you know that I’m no longer going to post here when I put up a chapter on my webpage. I’m getting close to the end of Empty Altars and I’m going to post more often and don’t want to clutter my blog. Hope you enjoy the last pages!
