Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 157

The Mess

by Barb, in Key West where it is a gorgeous evening

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I’m deep in my favorite part of the writing process with Maine Clambake Mystery, #8, Sealed Off.

I’ve mentioned before, many times, I don’t enjoy first drafts. They are like pulling teeth for me. But once that awfulness is “done,” I get to have fun.

Because I love to revise.

Revising is bringing order out of chaos, which is my driving force in life. It was essentially my job as a chief operating officer in software startups, where there was always plenty of chaos, and you never knew what you would find when you turned over any given rock, but it was sure to be a juicy, complicated problem.

Prior to the actual grinding through the pages part of revising, there is always plenty to figure out. Like, what, exactly, is the timeline of the critical events in the backstory? What is every little thing that happened on the day of the murder and what time did it happen? On what day of the week did each scene in the book take place, and what was the weather on that day? What is the final name of each character ever mentioned, plus the name of their store or their boat or their car or their house, whatever of those might be relevant?

Maybe some authors figure this stuff out before they start writing, but I never have enough information. During the drafting, characters’ names change, sometimes because I’m looking for just the right one and sometimes because I have honestly forgotten what I wrote days ago. (I never look back. I am afraid, like Lot’s wife, I will turn into a pillar of salt.)

I often describe the process of writing a novel as one of making smaller and smaller decisions. You start with the biggies. What kind of book is it? Who are the characters? What is the setting? (For subsequent books in a series, these decisions are often already made.) And the biggie, what is this book really about?

In the drafting you get to the medium stuff. What time of year is it? What is driving each character? What do they look like? And what, for goodness sake, happens?

By the end, you’re deciding much more mundane stuff. Here are the things I’m wondering about now (no spoilers).

–How long have Jason and Pru been divorced? Because, honestly, there are a few scenes where they seem really settled into a routine and comfortably co-parenting, but other times their relationship seems really raw. If it’s confusing me, it’s going to confuse readers, so I need to make up my mind.

–That storm that blew through before the story started, how many days was that? Was it the remnants of a hurricane? What was the track of the storm? What were the top wind speeds?

–What is the name of that convenience store? I thought it was a bit player, but now that it’s been mentioned 37 times in a dozen scenes, I can’t keep calling it “the convenience store–mini-mart–gas station out on the highway,” because if it’s annoying me, it will definitely annoy readers.

–What kind of boat is Jason’s, exactly? I’ve told readers it’s new and big and show-offy, but what does that mean, specifically?

There are dozens of these questions that I can’t tell you about because they are definitely spoilers. I love making decisions and finally nailing stuff down (both in writing and in life), which is another reason I love this part of the process.

My drive to create order out of chaos is often thwarted in life, by, well, life, which goes on its crazy way heedless of my desire to tame it. But in the fictional realm I am the queen, and my subjects must obey. Lots of writers say, “I can’t control my characters. They have minds of their own.” To which, I always say, “I have enough people in my life who don’t do what I think they should. My characters have to. That was the point of making them up in the first place.”

Sometimes I feel like if I was a better writer, I would know all about Jason and Pru before I got to this point. But that’s not really how it works. They are like acquaintances in real life. You observe their behavior and draw certain conclusions about them. But if you can’t figure it out, if you’ve become close enough, you just ask. “So, how long have you and Jason been divorced?” And Pru gives you an answer and from then on (and sometimes even retrospectively) you view their behavior through that lens.

I’m off to do more revising. I do it on paper, so I have to type changes into the manuscript at the end of the day, which can be incredibly tedious. When I’m grumbling about that, remind me–I love this part.

Writers: Does any of this sound familiar? Or maybe not at all?

Readers: I don’t know what to ask, because if we’ve done this part right, made all the tiny decisions and implemented them consistently and with finesse, you shouldn’t notice them at all.

Don’t Miss this Hallmark Movie — Guest Dana Cameron

I’m so happy that multi-talented author Dana Cameron could stop by to talk about visiting the set of third movie adapted from her books! She is giving away a DVD of the first “Emma Fielding Mysteries” installment, “Site Unseen.” (US only.)

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Dana: Remember the scene in “Wayne’s World” when Wayne and Garth get all-access passes for the Alice Cooper concert? And they over-enthusiastically showed their badges to all and sundry? That’s how it kinda how it felt when I got to visit the set of  “Emma Fielding Mysteries: More Bitter Than Death”

[http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries...] last August. It’s the third movie in the series on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries is based on my fifth novel of the same name [https://www.amazon.com/More-Bitter-Death-Fielding-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B000VYX91W] , starring Courtney Thorne-Smith as Emma Fielding, James Tupper as FBI Special Agent Connor, and Mark Valley as Duncan Thatcher.  The premiere is scheduled for February 10, 2019 at 9pm Eastern—just a few days away!—and I’ll be live tweeting, so join me!

[image error]Wayne and Garth come to mind because of the giddiness I felt at getting to see how the movie was made. There were no name tags, but I did have to be escorted onto set (as did everyone who was not in the cast or crew), and I got to wear a headset to hear the acting and the instructions to the crew and cast. And I managed to stay cool, most of the time (no “we’re not worthies!”), because I didn’t want to get booted for interrupting work. And even when I didn’t move quite fast enough (there’s a lot of hustling on a set), people were really kind. “Dana, I’d like to invite you to go over to craft and have a snack” is a lot nicer than “dude, move it, we’re about to shoot over here.”

One of the neatest things I got to see was how the crew are constantly editing their work—and mine—to tell the story to their audience. It was a little strange at first, to see how the screenplay differed from my book. Then, it was really cool to watch and understand, because knowing who your audience is, and how to communicate with them, is an important part of being a professional artist.

[image error]For example—no spoilers for either the book or the movie!—some things would have been too difficult or costly to shoot.  Others, like creating the character of Special Agent Jim Conner, makes sense for the TV movies to keep Emma in the thick of the investigation.  In the books, I wanted everything else in Emma’s life but her marriage to be in upheaval; for movie-Emma, having her career and living situation already sorted out gives her more time to solve mysteries (and maybe even find a new love interest? No spoilers!). Some of the elements of the academic conference were a little too “inside baseball” for anyone who wasn’t an academic, and what might work in a book wouldn’t read the same way on the screen. But Phoef Sutton [http://www.phoefsutton.com/my-work/tv...] the screenwriter kept enough of it to get the flavor, create tension (and a few laughs), and scatter a few clues.

I’m a fan of the current trend of retelling stories from different points of view or set in different historical periods. They show how a story that rings true in one time or place, still works when it’s set today (or even in the future). That it’s useful to look at another character’s take on a familiar story; take BBC’s “Sherlock” episode, “The Abominable Bride,” for example, where we see very different sides of Mary Watson and Emelia Ricoletti. Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver is a wonderful example of retelling “Rumplestiltskin” in a realistic historical context.

Probably what I like best about different versions of the same story is that it starts out with the ultimate writer’s question, “What if?” And there’s always room for creative speculation.

So what’s your favorite book-to-film adaptation, or favorite retelling of a familiar story?

[image error]BIO: Dana Cameron writes across many genres, but especially crime and speculative fiction. Her work, inspired by her career in archaeology, has won multiple Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Awards, and has been nominated for the Edgar Award. Dana’s Emma Fielding archaeology mysteries were optioned by Muse Entertainment; the third movie, based on MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, will premiere on the Hallmark Movie & Mystery Channel on February 10, 2019. When she’s not traveling or weaving, museums, she’s usually yelling at the TV about historical inaccuracies.

 

 

 

Hemingway, Cats, Sleuths, Blogs

[image error]Kensington set up a wonderful blog tour for me with Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book for the release of The Gun Also Rises. I always love the blogs and interviews and decided to share some of them here. Click on the name of the blog to read the entire post.

[image error]I visited Bab’s Book Bistro and talked about my visit to the Hemingway House in Key West, Florida last year. I talked about how the covers for my books are developed, my mad love for Hemingway’s typewriters and how serendipity converged the two.

Next up was an interview on Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book! One of the questions she asked are what are three things most people don’t know about me.

On A Wytch’s Book Review  Sarah is the one being interviewed. Can you guess what her two favorite movies are?

Sarah takes over on Storeybook Reviews!

[image error]On Ruff Drafts I talk about how the cats at the Hemingway House are like a sleuth in a mystery. Plus there are cute cat pictures that I took during  my visit.

It was fun to be interviewed on Lisa K’s Book Reviews. You have to scroll down a bit. One of the questions Lisa asked was if I found writing energizing or not.

On Readeropolis I was asked if I had any unique talents or hobbies.

Along with the blog tour I did a few other posts.

On Dru’s Book Musing Sarah talks about a day in her life.

I talk about the real bit of history I used in The Gun Also Rises on Jungle Red Writers.

[image error]E.B. Davis interviewed me on the Writers Who Kill blog.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with the release of The Gun Also Rises!

Readers: How would you answer the question what is something most people don’t know about you?

 

 

 

 

 

Hobbies Our Characters Love

[image error]Ah, February the month of love, cold weather, and the need to have something to do–inside for those of us in cold climates. Do your characters have hobbies? How did they end up with that hobby? And do they have much time with all the sleuthing they do to pursue that hobby?

 

Jessie: My characters always have hobbies, likely because I do too! Edwina knits, gardens and reads. She is also a decent cook and enjoys entertaining guests in her home. Beryl loves traveling to new places, motoring in a automobile that is fun to drive and mixing up cocktails. Edwina is a rather proper woman of her time and sphere and her hobbies reflect that she has often valued what society has encouraged. Beryl, on the other hand, has made a deliberate decision to engage in pastimes that flaunt her disregard for convention. I will say she refrains from making cocktails whilst motoring!

Barb: I hadn’t thought about a hobby for Julia Snowden until Dru’s Book Musings interviewed her for A Day in the Life and asked about it. Julia works so much during the tourist season, it’s often hard to figure out how she solves the mystery, much less fits in anything else. The next book I am to write takes place in the off season, so I should think about it–though I more see Julia using her extra time to volunteer, perhaps at the library or historical society. Jane Darrowfield has plenty of hobbies–travel, gardening, bridge–but in retirement she finds they are not quite enough, which starts her down the road to her new job as a Professional Busybody.

Edith: Robbie Jordan picks up a crossword puzzle whenever possible, and since she’s a master at it, she does them in pen. Sometimes she creates a puzzle to help her think through an investigation. She also goes out for hard hilly bike rides to clear her mind and get her heart rate up. Mac Almeida? No hobbies have surfaced so far other than a daily walk, but birding on Cape Cod would be a natural. And Rose Carroll works too hard for a hobby – when she’s not helping pregnant or birthing women or solving crimes, she’s baking bread or growing herbs for her practice. Only the elite in the nineteenth century could afford to have hobbies!

 Liz: Stan Connor’s hobby has always been baking and cooking, although now that it’s turned into a job, she’s got to find other hobbies! Once she gets a little less busy, she’ll have time to sort that out. As for Maddie James, she loves music – and loves to watch live music. She’s even a closet singer, which pairs nicely with her new love interest’s gig in a band.

Julie: Lilly Jayne (in the Garden Squad series) gardens, which is a passion of hers. Her love of gardening gets her into conversations that helps with the sleuthing she and the rest of her team do. Delia is also a cook, which serves everyone well. In my Theater Cop series, Sully is an ex-cop who runs a theater company. Her hobby is eating. I just did the last round of edits on the next book in that series, and food plays an important role.

[image error]Sherry: Sarah Winston’s hobby of going to garage sales and finding bargains becomes her job in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries. How fun would that be to have something that we love doing turn into a job? (I guess for me that would mean someone would pay me to read novels!) And as I think about Chloe Jackson for my new series I need to give her some hobbies. Chloe is an avid runner and loves water sports between that and work (former children’s librarian and now working in a bar) she doesn’t have a lot of time for other hobbies.

Readers: Do you have a favorite hobby? Or lots of hobbies?

Opening Lines

Add an opening line for the picture below:

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Sherry: The shoe was killer. And no matter what it said online rubbing vodka on the bottom of your feet didn’t help.

Barb: It was a killer of a night on the town.

Liz: When I went back to find her in that shady neighborhood, she wasn’t anywhere – but I recognized the abandoned shoe outside the back door. I didn’t have a good feeling.

Edith: As a geriatric specialist and with Mel’s balance issues, Josie should have known better than to encourage her in her high heel habit. Those two always did fight like cats. Maybe Josie did know what she was doing.

Julie: Sadly, the prince who picked up this shoe turned out to be a nightmare. But I didn’t know that until later. When it was too late.

Jessie: Griselda thought she had finally found her calling when she answered the advertisement for a gladiator. When she realised the job required more than the right costume she made a concerted effort to drown her disappointment in a bottle of pomegranate infused vodka.

Have You Got It Right?

First Monday Post by Sheila Connolly

I found myself writing not one but two books simultaneously for the past couple of weeks. Well, only one was new, but the other was the edits of a much-reworked version of a different one that I had written months ago, and I’ll admit I had a little trouble remembering what I’d written back then. At least the characters and settings were sufficiently different between the two books that I wasn’t likely to muddle them. (I keep thinking that one of these days I’m going to have all my main characters get stranded in an airport together and talk to each other.)

But sometimes it’s hard to keep timelines straight, even within one series. How many days or weeks have passed? What day of the week is it? That’s been true for the County Cork Mysteries. I know the series began in the spring (lots of symbolism, right? New beginnings, a new life, et cetera). But after that things got a bit murky. I knew it snowed in one book, so that had to be in winter. Yes, there are seasons in Ireland (if not quite as extreme as in the US), and time does pass, so I had to write a chronology to help me remember. Thanks to that I figured out that Maura had arrived in Ireland about 15 months earlier. Funny, it had seemed longer to me. I just finished writing Book 8, which takes place in Maura’s second summer, so things aren’t moving fast). A lot had changed, but Maura still thinks of herself as the new kid in town, and she’s still learning about her new home. That’s actually helpful because she still has a lot to discover (even though she never seems to leave the pub), so I have plot ideas in reserve.

I know there are writers whose series span decades (and I congratulate them!). In their stories, one generation passes away; couples meet and marry; they have children, who go on to live their own lives. And often the world changes around them. Certainly electronics play a bigger role than they once did (though I do remember that in my first published book, Through a Glass, Deadly, which came out in 2008, my protagonist did have a cell phone, but since she seemed to spend a lot of time in the desert in Arizona, I could eliminate cell reception easily.)

It’s fine to write historical (or semi-historical) books, and there are plenty of readers who enjoy them (my mother was one). I tend to stay away from writing about history, except in small snippets, because I believe you have to be careful with the details. I remember years ago reading a book set in the later 18th century, in which an antique desk held an important clue (a photograph) in a secret drawer that hadn’t been opened since it belonged to the first owner in 17-something, which of course the modern sleuth discovered. At which point I stopped dead and said, “excuse me, photography wasn’t invented until around 1824, so that clue couldn’t possibly exist.” (Unless you believe in time travel.) Thanks to Google, that could easily have been fixed.

And if you really want to sneak in a bit of history that interests you, you can find your own empty drawer (yes, I’m guilty—I once put a clue into a mortise joint in the attic of an 18th century house, that I’ve visited more than once. This became very weird when the owner was showing me the attic, and I put my hand on a beam and discovered that the mortise I though I had invented was real and I was holding the matching tenon in my hand (recycled beams–apparently recycling had begun by 1760). No hidden clue there, though.)

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I find that the challenge is to give your reader enough detail that they can recognize what era the book is set in, but not so much that they get bored before the story really starts. I know what fun it is to find new (to you) information, and of course you don’t want to waste it since you went to all that work to find it, but not everyone may want to know when gunpowder was invented (700 AD in China, although it wasn’t used for weapons until 904 AD. Don’t worry—I had to look it up.).

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I think people expect a writer to tell the truth. You may have a wonderful dramatic idea for an important confrontation or a big reveal, but if you get your facts wrong, some reader is going to complain. Readers want to believe what they are reading could have happened—after all, you’re writing fiction and they know it, so they give you a bit of leeway. You can sneak around that by making a brief statement at the beginning of the book that you’re writing historic fiction and you’ve taken just a few small liberties, and then luring the reader into the story so he or she doesn’t care that horseshoes (the kind with nails) weren’t used until around 900 AD, when your Roman emperor rides off to battle on a shod horse. (And I won’t even get into what your publisher may do with the cover image, which sometimes has nothing to do with the story or the time period.)

Have you found things that are clearly anachronisms in a book you were reading? What did you do? Fling it across the room, cursing? Write the author a polite letter? Or did the writer do such a good job that you want to keep reading anyway?

http://www.sheilaconnolly.com

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Decisions, Decisions

Julie, Liz, and I are continuing to celebrate our triple birthday launch. When writing a series one of the biggest decisions is where to set the book and how to get your protagonist to that setting. All three of us took a different approach and thought we’d share a little bit about the process we went through to arrive at that decision. Look for a giveaway at the bottom!

[image error]Liz: I wanted Stan Connor, my protagonist in the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, to be a little different right from the start. She is a successful corporate woman who made smart investment decisions, so when she loses her fancy corporate job, she can truly take time to take stock of her life without feeling pressured to jump right back into another job. As part of that taking stock, she drives through a small town far away from the city life to which she’s accustomed, and she falls in love with a little Victorian house sitting on the town green. Impulsively, she buys it and falls into a whole new world that takes her down a path she’d never have imagined otherwise.

[image error]Julie: I am fortunate, because this is my third series, so I thought a lot about the world I wanted to create, how it would support the series, and how I wanted Lilly, my protagonist, to be part of it. I wanted Lilly to be a woman of the world, but a an active citizen of Goosebush. I also wanted her to have some power, because I believe that women over 60 have a lot of quiet power to make things work. The final thing I thought about, think about, is how Lilly interacts with the other characters, and with her town. At this point in her life she’s all about rediscovering joy, and fixing the things she hadn’t noticed.

[image error]Sherry: It’s so interesting to see the different takes we all had on getting our protagonist to their towns! Sarah Winston grew up in Pacific Grove, California but after her divorce she didn’t want to go running home with her head hung down. I had her move to an apartment in Ellington, Massachusetts which was right next to the Air Force base she had been living on. That way she still had the support of friends and she’d fallen in love with the area. However, to further complicate Sarah’s life I had her ex-husband be the chief of police in Ellington. The police force is pro him and anti Sarah. As she builds her business and makes new friends she realized that this is the place for her.

Readers: Where would you set a book? We are each giving away a book to someone who leaves a comment.

A Love Letter to the Crime Fiction Community

Dear Crime Fiction Community,

I love you. I love being part of this community and I love knowing you – even if it’s only virtually.

[image error]Yes, I get a little emotional every time a new book comes out. The release of The Gun Also Rises is no exception. It’s the sixth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series. I was shocked to get even one book published and here I am at six with more to come. But without the crime fiction community I’d only being writing for my own pleasure.

I love the authors I’ve met. They are generous, funny, talented, amazing people. So few of them have giant egos and so many of them are willing to lend a hand. And yes, I have to reflect for a moment – oh, no backstory – but I can’t let a release day go by without mentioning Julie Hennrikus, our chance meeting at the Malice Domestic banquet, and what a life changing event that was. And now our books are shelved next to each other in New Fiction! Trust me, we stood in many a line waiting to pitch to agents before this happened.

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I met the other Wickeds along the way. We laugh, cry, bitch, moan, support, celebrate, retreat, email, and laugh some more. How lucky am I?!!!!

Being a member of Sisters in Crime has introduced me to so many people, made me work harder, and dig deeper. The members give so much and enrich my life.

Bloggers – thank you, thank you, thank you. None of you are getting paid and yet you spare the time to read my books and review them. You are heroes.

Readers – when Tagged for Death came out I was terrified that everyone would hate it. You didn’t—well, a few of you did but as Julie says that’s why there’s different colored refrigerators. You write me, became invested in my characters, and root for Sarah along with me.

So thank you, my lovely crime fiction community, for embracing me, lifting me up, and sharing this crazy author journey with me. Life would be bleak without you.

Sincerely,

Best regards

Yours respectfully

Love,

Sherry

Readers: What community lifts you up? Or just say hi! I’ll give away a copy of The Gun Also Rises to someone who leaves a comment.

Wicked Triple Release Week!

It’s a big week for the Wickeds – a triple release week! Sherry Harris’s The Gun Also Rises, Julia Henry’s first in a brand new series, Pruning the Dead, and Liz Mugavero’s Murder She Meowed are all out in the world – finally!

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We’ve got two long-running series and one brand new one. What do you like best about each?

Edith: I’m thrilled to have three new Wicked books to read! I haven’t read Julie’s yet, but I already love the premise of the group of older sleuths and can’t wait to get to know them. In the Pawsitively series, I really like the core cast of characters and how Stan’s family has all followed her to the small town. And in Sherry’s series, she does such a great job integrating Sarah’s life in the town with her friends and crimes that happen on the military base. Congratulations, my dear friends!

Julie: One of the things I love about series is that each book lets you revisit friends. I am thrilled that I get to visit with Stan Connor and Sarah Winston. I also love the premise of the new books, and can’t wait to read them!

Sherry: Julie, I’m so excited for your new series. I read the first fifty pages while you were working on it and fell in love with Lilly right off the bat. Liz, I always love being in Frog’s Leap and to tell you the truth I’m more than a little in love with Jake. Watch out, Stan.

Barb: What an exciting day here at the Wickeds! Congratulations to Julie, Sherry & Liz. I cannot wait to dig into these new releases.

Jessie: Books are created out of the depths of the writers and presented through their lens on the world and via their voice. Reading my friends’ work is like getting to spend time with each of them in a unique way. Thanks ladies!

Readers, let us know in the comments!

It’s Today! PRUNING THE DEAD is launched!

by Julie, celebrating in Somerville

[image error]Have you ever seen the musical Mame? (Hopefully onstage.) There’s a song at the beginning of the first act I’ve been humming for the past 24 hours:

Light the candles

Get the ice out

Roll the rug up

It’s today

It’s today indeed! The launch of a brand new series. I am so, so thrilled that Pruning the Dead is finally in folks’ hands. I’ve been working on this series for a while, and Lilly, Tamara, Ernie, Delia and the gang have all moved into my brain as I’ve been working on the books. I look at the world with a “Lilly would like these earrings” and “Tamara would rock those shoes” mindset, even though Lilly and Tamara aren’t real, and most of you haven’t met them yet.

Today they are all standing on Lilly’s back porch, taking a bow as the rest of the characters in the series clap and celebrate that Goosebush will be on the cozy reader’s map. I’m enjoying creating this town, and its inhabitants. I’ve been changing the Massachusetts coastline to suit the novel, but that’s the lovely part of being a novelist. I can change the world.

Lilly Jayne is the center of the story, and it is refreshing to write about someone who is not that much older than I am. She is a woman who is coming back to life after a period of mourning, and in doing so starts fixing things. There is a quiet power to women in their mid-sixties, and Lilly owns that power, but doesn’t abuse it. Making her an amateur sleuth made so much sense to me–she knows everyone, cares, and has nothing to lose by making things right.

I’ll be celebrating for the rest of the day, and I’ll also be on Facebook tonight with Sherry Harris and Liz Mugavero to celebrate our joint book birthdays! Head on over to my Facebook page at 8pm ET–we’re going to be doing a live event, so you’ll get to see us all and ask questions!

Also, Pruning the Dead is the first of my books to have an audio book option! So thrilling!

Thanks for celebrating with me today!