Lisa M. Lilly's Blog, page 2

Two To Go S6 E21 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)

In Two To Go (S6 E21 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Buffy and friends put themselves in peril to stop Willow from killing Andrew and Jonathan, Dawn seeks out Rack, and Spike faces trials. Along with the recap, this podcast episode focuses on:

(1) Willow’s shift from antagonist to genuine, three-dimensional villain, (2) deeply-felt emotions and other reasons Willow, the villain, is so much more intriguing than Buffy, and (3) whether the repetitive dialogue here creates a theme or slows the story.

Last Episode: A Very Buffy Holiday

Next Episode: Grave

New Release: Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1: Write More Gripping Plots, Characters, And Themes By Watching Buffy Download free Story Structure worksheetsGet more content while supporting the podcast by becoming a patron Get Super Simple Story Structure: A Quick Guide to Plotting And Writing Your Novel (ebook, audiobook, or workbook)Get The One-Year Novelist: A Week-By-Week Guide To Writing Your Novel In One Year (ebook, audiobook, or workbook)Try the first Q.C. Davis Mysteries ($0.99 each 11/13/23 through 11/19/23) by clicking here

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this site, but that doesn’t change the purchase price to you or influence my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

About Lisa M. Lilly

In addition to hosting the Buffy and the Art of Story podcast, Lisa M. Lilly is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series as well as numerous short stories. She is currently writing the latest novel in her Q.C. Davis mysteries. Her  non-fiction includes books on writing craft under L. M. Lilly . She also founded  WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

Click here for free books by Lisa M. Lilly

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New Year’s Resolutions For Fun

New Year's resolutions can be tricky. That's why I rarely make them, but this year I decided to. Why? Because a friend suggested a way to make a new year's resolution fun.

Many people make resolutions to try to improve parts of their lives they struggle with. But often they focus on what the “should” do not what they want to do. Eat vegetables every day. Go to the gym once a week. Learn a language. The challenge comes when you miss a day or a week, then one more, and pretty soon it's March. Sometimes all you feel, if you think of resolutions at all, is sort of bummed that you didn't stick with it.

And here's my confession. Having fun is something I struggle with.

Needing More Fun

It's not that I never have a good time. But quite often that's mixed with creativity and work. I love writing fiction. It makes me feel wonderful. I have a great time going out with my friends. But I met lots of them in my other life as a lawyer, so when we get together for fun we tend to talk work, too. Ditto with other writers and creators.

Also, for decades of my life I worked so many hours I didn't have much time to do things just because I enjoyed them. When I did, I read books, which I'm happily doing more of now that I'm working less. But I practically forgot what it's like to have a good amount of free time.

You can probably see why a New Year's resolution to have fun is a good thing.

New Year's Resolution Fun

One of my favorite things to in the years after college was to see movies. My boyfriend at the time (who is a screenwriter now) and I had little spending money. We both had arranged our lives to write as much as possible and work as few hours as possible at our day jobs.

But every Tuesday we either went to the second-run movie theater ($1.50) and saw whatever was playing or chose a movie ($1) from our local library's videotape collection. (Yes, it was that long ago.) There, too, selection was limited. That meant we saw a lot of movies we didn't absolutely love. But we loved taking them apart afterward as much as we did watching them.

That's why I settled on movies for my new year's resolution:

One movie a week in 2024. At the movie theater when I can, streaming otherwise. 

And, as long as it stays fun, I'll share a little about them here.

The First Movie

I know this is a great resolution because I started it early. Last Friday I picked a movie from Netflix with a cool concept. It's called What Happened To Monday. (Which you knew from the photo. That's my Kindle Scribe, which I just got as a holiday present. I'm having fun with that, too, as you can see by my starting my movie list using its notebook feature.)

The Premise

In a future very overpopulated world, a one-child policy is put in place. Additional children are taken away and put in cryogenic sleep. But a grandfather is unwilling to see this happen to his grandchildren, who are septuplets.

He names them each for a day of the week and pretends they are one person. Monday goes out only on Monday. Tuesday on Tuesday and so forth. At home each girl has her own life and expresses herself how she chooses. But to the outside world, these girls are only one girl, one personality they create between them. This works well for decades.

Then one day Monday doesn't return home from work to rehash the day with her siblings and her electronic tracking goes dark. The others must find out what happened to save her and themselves. But how can they without revealing their secret?

What I LikedI loved this premise. It's a fascinating chance to explore identity, inner lives, and the pressures to present a certain way to society.No question this movie passes the Bechdel test. These women, all named, talk to one another all the time about all sorts of topics other than men.The early twists engaged me, and a few surprised me.Glenn Close (she's the villain). I like her in any movie.What Didn't Work As WellThe mystery shifted too quickly to chase and fight scenes for me, leaving too little time to explore the themes that intrigued me.The gore likewise was a bit too much for me (and eyeballs freak me out).Glenn Close's character was too much of an evil villain. I'm more intrigued by layered villains who do evil things but with whom we can sympathize. Some groundwork was laid for understanding her point of view, but we don't get to know her enough to feel for her.The ending never dealt with the overpopulation issue, which the movie did a good job of showing truly was a serious and humanity-endangering problem but then in my view brushed aside.Three Stars (Of Five)

The 3 stars is mainly for the premise and some interesting moments and world-building. If this were a usual year where I see maybe 4 or 5 movies, I'd be disappointed I picked this one. But it's 1 out of 52, so I felt like it was a pretty good start.

What's next? Check back and see. Oh, and Happy New Year!

Lisa M. Lilly

P.S. If you happen to be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and want to hear thoughts on the story elements of each episode, check out my Buffy and the Art of Story podcast and books here.

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New Release Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1

New Release:  Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1: Write More Gripping Plots, Characters, And Themes By Watching Buffy

What can you learn about fiction writing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

How about how to create gripping plots, characters, and themes that speak to the audience decades later?

This book delves into each episode of the first half of Season Three of the cult TV series.  Each chapter includes questions to help you improve your own writing and storytelling.

If you love Buffy, and you love creating stories – or just taking them apart to see how they work – this book is for you.

Order New Release Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1 Today:Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Apple | Nook | GooglePlay | Other Retailers

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this site, but that doesn’t change the purchase price to you as the buyer.

Want to start at the very beginning? Check out Buffy and the Art of Story Season One.  Or start listening to the Podcast.

About The Author:

L. M. Lilly is the author of numerous books and articles on writing craft. As Lisa M. Lilly, she writes horror, mysteries, and supernatural thrillers.

Her Q.C. Davis Mystery Series, set in Chicago, includes The Worried Man, The Charming Man, The Fractured Man, The Troubled Man, The Hidden Man, and The Forgotten Man. Lilly also is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series.

A lawyer and author, Lilly lives and works in Chicago and is currently writing the next crime novel in the Q.C. Davis Mystery Series. She also hosts the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story.

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The Forgotten Man Book Group Questions

Below are suggested book group questions for crime novel The Forgotten Man (A Q.C. Davis Mystery).

What Quille learns about her father's past deeply disappoints and angers her. Is she being fair to him? Do his explanations satisfy you?Does knowing more about what Quille's mother went through when Quille was a baby make you more sympathetic to her? Could she do more to improve her relationship with Quille? Do you think Quille will be more understanding with her mother from now on? Should she be?Is Dylan (the pastor's son) being honest with himself about the ways he is both like and unlike his father? How do you think both his mother and his father influence how he sees himself and the world? Do you still feel strongly about events involving your parents or your children that happened long ago? If yes, why?If Quille answered Ty's question about the future faster, do you think he would have chosen differently at the end of the book? Why or why not?Why do you think police focused more on Quille's family than on the Kevs? Did it relate to their standing in the community, the facts of the murders, or something else?Do you think the events of The Forgotten Man make Quille feel better or worse about her place in her family? Does Quille work so hard because she feels she needs to prove her own worth to her parents? Or does her work make her happy?Do you identify with any of the families in the book (the Davises, the Kevs, the Sabatinis, the Ericksons)? Why or why not?Meet The Author

Let author Lisa M. Lilly know if you'd like her to appear via Zoom or Skype for a Q&A with your book group. (Click here for contact information.)

 

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Prague And Krakow Spark Supernatural Ideas

My recent travels to Prague and Krakow sparked all sorts of ideas for novels, including for a new supernatural thriller series.

A Non-Supernatural Mystery In Prague

First, though, private investigator Quille C. Davis will travel to Prague to question a psychic medium, who is also a murder suspect, in my Q.C. Davis mysteries.

View from my favorite spot along the river in Prague at night

While the Q.C. Davis mystery series is not supernatural, Prague's long history of mysticism and alchemy make it an ideal home for the psychic medium character. And the city's overall beauty makes me willing to have Quille spend time away from Chicago, which she (like me) loves and where she lives, practices law, and solves crimes.

Supernatural Books And Mystic Prague Nights

More on the new series, which will be a follow up to my Awakening Supernatural Thriller series, down the road. But to give you a hint, some highlights, photos, and ideas.

 

Simply being in Prague felt mystic, especially at night. Above is a statue on the famous Charles Bridge. 

And the monastery sparked many ideas for twists and turns in a new novel, as it included two halls of books.  Look at the sign on one of them — perfect for a religious conspiracy thriller.

 

 

The Missing Bones

I also toured the convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Prague. (Hall and scale model of convent below.) What intrigued me most?

 

My guide told me that the crypt that bears the name of Agnes of Bohemia is not her final resting place. 

Turns out her supporters hid her bones from enemies after her death.  They did such a great job that no one has ever found them.

I'm sure I can do something with that legend, or borrow from it.

Cathedrals And Castles

In Krakow, the Wawel Castle and the cathedral in it captured my imagination. In particular, the skull on one wall and what looks like a goat's head with a sword thrust into it on the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are both there? I'll need research. Which will be fun and no doubt will lead to more ideas for plot twists.

Here's the castle:

If you want to be first to know when the new supernatural thriller series begins or the new Q.C. Davis mystery is underway, click here to join my Readers Group email list and get a free Reader's Guide to the original Awakening series.

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A Break For New Books

Thank you to everyone who helped make the launch of my new book The Forgotten Man (A Q.C. Davis Mystery), a success by buying early copies, posting reviews, and sharing about it on social media!

It was great to see so many people at the book release party as well.

Now I'm taking a much needed break and traveling in Europe. Along the way, though, I'm getting tons of ideas for a new book that will begin a series that spins off of my Awakening supernatural thriller series. And some possible destinations for Quille in the next Q.C. Davis mystery. There must be some witness or suspect she'll need to see in Paris or Prague, right?

Photos in the collage above include Prague, which is beautiful and historic, a dinner in Paris, the book release party (including a photo of my youngest fan who is a couple books behind, but he's a fast reader, he'll catch up), and my parakeet Joss at home with the pet sitter.

I hope you're getting a chance to take a break or vacation soon, too.

More next month!

Best,

Lisa

P.S. If you haven't gotten The Forgotten Man yet, you can find links here. 

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New Release: The Forgotten Man

Chapter One: A Likely Suspect

It’s not every day you interview the man who might have murdered your sister. I leaned into the airport restroom mirror and dotted concealer over the dark circles under my eyes, then brushed lint from the jacket of my suit. It was my best suit. The one I saved for appellate arguments and pitches to gain new clients. Its warm brown color set off my olive skin and nearly black hair nicely.

I wanted the man I was meeting to answer questions about his daughter’s death. Like my sister, his daughter was kidnapped and killed at age five. The two girls were found in a grave together. Evidence showed the same person committed both crimes.

My phone buzzed.

Get New Release The Forgotten Man Here.

The Q.C. Davis Mysteries in Order:

The Worried Man

The Charming Man

No Good Plays (novella)

The Fractured Man

The Troubled Man

The Hidden Man

The Forgotten Man

About The Author

In addition to writing new release The Forgotten Man and the other Q.C. Davis Mysteries,  Lisa M. Lilly is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series as well as numerous short stories.  Her  non-fiction includes books on writing craft under L. M. Lilly . She also hosts the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story.

 

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This Lawyer Writes Crime Novels To Find Justice

I didn't start out writing crime novels. A need for justice in real life sent me in that direction. As some readers know (though I never wrote about it in my novels), in 2007 a drunk driver killed my parents.

The court proceedings against that driver marked the first time I directly experienced the criminal justice system. I learned about it in law school. But as a lawyer, at that point I'd handled only civil cases. (Meaning cases about recovering money, not prosecuting crimes.)

These experiences changed more in my life that I can cover in one post.

One key change, though, was the fiction I read and wrote. That might sound trivial. But stories are how I — and so many people — deal with and make sense of the world.

Before the crash that took my parents' lives, probably 70% of my reading fell into the supernatural and horror genres, and that heavily influenced my writing. After was a different story.

Supernatural Switch

From my teenage years on, I loved reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz, both masters of supernatural and horror fiction and of creating engaging characters who fight against evil. One of my favorite books was the early horror classic Rosemary's Baby. It influenced the first series I published, which is something of a cross between Rosemary's Baby and the much later best seller The Da Vinci Code.

I confess to skimming the gore in the Stephen King novels. What drew me in was the quietly building horror and the likeable characters who faced seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The wonder, magic, and mysticism of these types of books also appealed to me, as well as the way they explored themes of life, death, and faith.

But after my parents' deaths, I starting turning away from novels that had horror elements. I didn't want to immerse myself in darkness, even if the main character prevailed over evil in the end.

I'd always also enjoyed mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels. I began reading more of those. But a specific type of them only.

No Tormented Crime Novels

If you read mysteries, thrillers, or suspense novels, you know that many focus on women as victims, show the action through the eyes of the villain, and/or include scenes where victims are terrorized. (If you don't read these types of books, I'm not sure why you're here, but thanks for stopping by.)

As with horror novels, I no longer wanted to read those types of books.  And I definitely didn't want to write them.

I spend months reading and researching as I sort out the plot for a novel. After a fairly fast first draft, I revise it substantially at least two or three times. Now that my legal work falls into the category of very part-time, I spend about a year on each novel. Back when I ran a more-than-full-time law practice, finishing a novel took closer to three years.

That's a long time in a universe where victims are tormented.

But there is a genre of crime novel where the focus is on solving the crime and, possibly, achieving justice. That's what I found myself drawn to.

Catching The Killer

For decades, along with horror, I read and loved the crime novels of Sara Paretsky. Her Chicago-based female private eye V.I. Warshawski pursues evildoers, protects the powerless, and strives to right all types of wrongs.

During the years after the crash, I started seeking out more authors that fit in that category. Getting lost in the books of Louise Penny, John Sandford, Jonathan Kellerman, and Elly Griffiths made me feel there was order in the universe. Their detectives reminded me that there are people out there who care deeply about justice, protecting others, and doing what's right.

Admittedly, what's “right” varies from detective to detective, but I loved that as well. There are few bright lines in life, and the books explored complex characters and moral questions along with the crimes.

I know the protagonists and the allies and friends who surround them are fictional. But the authors who created them are real. And I couldn't help but feel comforted that they, too, must share some part of my vision of what the world ought to be.

So perhaps it's no surprise, with all of the above, that I'd eventually begin writing my own series of crime novels. My detective, a woman lawyer who moonlights solving crimes, is driven by her own need for peace and justice. Named after a sister who was murdered before she was born, Quille works hard at finding justice for others.

In the latest book, The Forgotten Man (A Q.C. Davis Mystery), Quille at last turns to her sister's cold case. It was a challenging book to write. In it, Quille grapples not only with two decades-old murders but with the effect that had on her entire family.

While my life is very different from Quille's, as was my family's loss, it's a story I felt compelled to write.

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Crime Writer At The Shooting Range

Not too long ago I took a research trip I hesitate to write about. I went to a shooting range. I'd never held a gun before let alone fired one. It was a little scary.

The fifth Q.C. Davis mystery.

I did it because at some point Quille, the protagonist of my Q.C. Davis Mystery series, will probably pick up a gun. Spoiler: I don't ever imagine her owning one or shooting anyone.

But a crime writer probably should know how it feels.

Also, if/when I write a present day supernatural thriller (perhaps revisiting Tara Spencer), even in a fantasy-type world it's hard to avoid guns.

So I asked a friend who's an ex-cop and my unofficial criminal law consultant (he's been a lawyer for decades) to take me to the range. 

We started with a safety lesson. That's when I almost called it off because it truly brought home to me that I was doing something that could kill someone.

Safety First

I practiced setting the gun down pointed down range (the barrel toward the target). I also practiced setting it down, then turning to ask my friend a question about it. He told me about too many accidents where the novice without thinking turns to an instructor while still holding the gun, points it at the instructor without meaning to, and it goes off.

Sounds like a dumb thing to do. Yet I'm glad I practiced. I could see how easy it would be for someone like me, who has never held a gun, to forget and simply turn and ask my friend something.

But first I needed to learn how to hold the gun. I needed two hands. One to keep it steady, one to pull the trigger. It was a 38 revolver. Weirdly, it looked familiar because as a kid my brothers and I played with a cap gun that looked just like it.

I learned that sometimes people drop a gun the first time they fire it. They're not ready for the kick back.

I was concerned about that. I exercise every day. But I do yoga and minimal resistance training and walk a lot. I don't lift weights. I don't have a lot of upper body strength. 

Also, I felt uneasy about others at the shooting range. What if someone who wasn't careful was there? I remembered a terrible story about a shooting range incident where a little girl killed her instructor. I found it online. Again, I almost backed out.

At The Shooting Range

We chose a late weekday morning when my friend guessed the range would mostly have current law enforcement there. The people who worked at the gun range were low key and pleasant. We were assigned to a range that was empty for the moment. Later someone with an AK 47 came in. Talk about a booming sound even through the protective earmuffs. If he'd been there when we arrived I might not have gone in. 

I did okay. Better than okay.

Because I was expecting it, the kickback wasn't so bad. My shoulders rocked back a little, but I held onto to the gun just fine. Always pointed it down range. My friend had to remind me twice early on not to hold the gun with my finger near the trigger until I was ready to fire. But then I remembered. I always set it on the ledge, pointed down range, when I was done and it was his turn to shoot. 

And I hit the paper target. Every time, though only in the outermost circle when I started. I got better. And I was able to aim where my friend suggested.

That surprised me. I figured I'd be terrible. Or too nervous to shoot. It turned out to be fun in a way. I liked trying to improve my aim. To get closer to the center. It reminded me why archery was one of the few activities I enjoyed in gym class. (I was pretty awful at all sports.)

But the experience didn't change my lack of interest in ever owning a gun. After shooting, I feel even more so that I'd fit the statistics.

I live near downtown Chicago and the violent crime rose in my once quiet neighborhood during the pandemic. But I still feel sure a gun would pose more danger to me than any any intruder or attacker.

On Ownership

For one thing, twice in my life I've been seriously depressed.

Both times were due to life circumstances, but those circumstances took a long time to overcome. I fleetingly thought of suicide but never took a step toward it. Instead, I immediately sought help. I hope I'll never be in that place again. But I never want to make taking a fatal step easy. (One reason more men than women die by suicide is men are more likely to use guns.)

Also, more than one former police officer has told me that you never know if you'll be able to use a gun or not until the moment happens. Sometimes people (including ones with far more training than I'll ever have) freeze. And if you have a gun and aren't ready to use it, the most likely thing that'll happen is your attacker will take it and become far more dangerous to you.

It's one thing to fire at a paper target. But I don't know if I could fire at a real person even if my life were in danger. I do know I don't want to hand a gun to someone who might not already have one.

On the other hand, research aside, I'm glad I know what it's like to fire a gun. I doubt I'll ever use one “for real.” But the world is an unpredictable place. If there were some sort of emergency, if there were some reason I needed to, at least I've got some idea. And I've learned some gun safety, which is probably more important.

So will I go to the shooting range again? Maybe. Maybe not. But at least I, and my characters, can be more realistic about handling a gun.

Last thought – it's common to a include a closely-related photo or graphic with a blog post (rather than or in addition to the book cover I added). A photo that catches the eye. And that will make search engines more likely to find the post. I have a photo of the target I used. But that target was shaped like a person. With all that's happening in the world, that's not a photo I want to share online.

I hope you understand. Whether or not the search engines do.

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The Hidden Man And The Book Fair

Two quick notes for the weekend:

First, the Printers Row Lit Fest is this weekend in Chicago. I'll be there Saturday, September 10, from 12:30 – 3. It's the largest outdoor book fair in the Midwest.

If you're in the area and can stop by, you'll not only find tons of books and authors, you'll see the neighborhood where Quille, the lawyer/sleuth in my Q.C. Davis mysteries, lives. Look for me under the Chicago Writers Association Tent on Dearborn Street just north of Polk Street in Chicago. (Near 720 S. Dearborn Street if you want to put it in your GPS.) Feel free to bring books with you if you'd like them signed.

Here's a photo from the year when I attended in a cast (that's why I'm sitting):

Second, even if you can't make it to the book fair, you can get the most recent Q.C. Davis mystery, The Hidden Man, online (as well as all my other books). Click here to find links. Or ask at your local bookstore or library. 

What's The Hidden Man about? 

Chicago lawyer Quille C. Davis has investigated crimes before, but only for loved ones. Now a client hires her to solve a murder – his father's. A prominent attorney, the man died with a secret. One his son is desperate to keep hidden. Quille vows to solve the murder and get justice for the victim. But can she do it while keeping his hidden life hidden? And before she – or someone she loves – becomes the next victim?

Available in paperback, ebook, and large print editions. Click here to learn more or get your copy. 

Hope to see you soon!

Best,

Lisa M. Lilly

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