Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 21

Nanowrimo Writing Lite Video Tip #3 — Raise The Stakes

One of the points we’re always told when plotting a novel, no matter what genre, is to raise the stakes. The protagonist (or his/her loved ones) must confront obstacles, jump over hurdles, or solve problems… or else…

But what does that really mean? I explain in this short video. Hope it helps your Nanowrimo project.

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Nanowrimo Writing Lite Video Tip #2 — Beginnings

Welcome to WRITING LITE #2. I’m still talking about suspense, but this time I’m starting at the beginning. I talk about the power of that first line, how to approach it, and give you some of my all-time favorite examples. It is a little longer than I anticipated (at three and a half minutes) but hang in there. And, as always, let me know what you think.

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As Close to Crime Fiction Perfection As Possible…

Meet Dark Justice

So this new bundle in town walks into my office last week, and tells me she’s “as close to crime fiction perfection as possible.” Now, being the kind of guy I am, I don’t get excited when someone talks crime to me, and this dame was no exception. I took a good long look. The bundle looked good – that was clear. But perfection?

“Prove it,” I said, reaching for the half-filled bottle of whiskey in my drawer.

“Okay,” she replied. Then this big smile comes across her face, and she bats her eyelashes. “We got a Grand Master, several award-winners, New York Times and USA Today best-sellers, household names, and writers who’ve just entered the mystery field—sometimes with a bang.”

I took a pull on my whiskey but kept my mouth shut. Truth was this bundle did sound impressive.

“Oh.. and there’s one other thing,” she said coyly, patting the curls in her hair.

“What’s that?” I put the whiskey back in the drawer.

“You only pay what you want.”

“What kind of racket is that?”

“You heard me. You just pay what you want for the minimum.. a little more for the whole bundle.”

“I’ve never heard that before.”

“Yeah, well maybe you should have.”

I studied her face. “Well, dollface, I don’t know whether to believe you.”

She threw me a cool glance. “Better make up your mind, honey, ‘cause it’s only gonna be around for another week or so.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This bundle is so special it’s only here for a limited time. After November 19th, it’s gonna skip town.”

I didn’t know what to think.

“So, get your act in gear, you know what I mean, pal?” She rose, and sashayed to the door, making sure I saw her better half. “I just wanted to let you in on it. It’d be a real shame to pass up all these great talents.”

I watched her open the door. She seemed to float through it. I was waiting for her to slam it shut, but at the last minute she surprised me. She stopped, turned around, and blew me a kiss.

“That’s Dark Justice for you, sweetheart.”

And then she was gone.

 

 

The initial titles in the Dark Justice Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

Cold Call by Dean Wesley Smith
And Then She Was Gone by J. Daniel Sawyer
An Eye For Murder by Libby Fischer Hellmann
Code Blues by Melissa Yi
A Fatal Twist of Lemon by Patrice Greenwood

Just head here to name your price: https://storybundle.com/crime

If you pay more than the bonus price of $15, you get all five of the above titles, plus these outstanding books:

Fatal Destiny by David DeLee
Playing With Matches by Julie Hyzy
A Dangerous Road by Kris Nelscott
The Night and the Music by Lawrence Block
The World Beneath by Rebecca Cantrell

Recognize a few big names do you? Of course you do! Get in on this super deal here: https://storybundle.com/crime In fact, I better let you go so that you can jump on this. As always, happy reading…

P.S. Remember, this sweet bundle will be gone after November 19th, so don’t delay!

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Nanowrimo Video Writing Lite Tip #1 — Suspense

Hi, all. In honor of National Novel Writing Month, I’ve decided to repost my Writing Lite video series. I hope you find them useful, even if you’re not participating. There are twelve videos, and none are over four minutes– most are under three. I’ll try to post a few each week so you have them all by the end of the month.

Here’s #1. It’s all about building suspense, which, whether you’re writing genre or literary fiction, is something every author needs to master.

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Nanowrimo Video Writing Tip #1 — Suspense

Hi, all. In honor of National Novel Writing Month, I’ve decided to repost my Writing Lite video series. I hope you find them useful, even if you’re not participating. There are twelve videos, and none are over four minutes– most are under three. I’ll try to post a few each week so you have them all by the end of the month.

Here’s #1. It’s all about building suspense, which, whether you’re writing genre or literary fiction, is something every author needs to master.

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Print Books: Paying It Forward

Print books are enjoying a revival, some say. So what’s up with that?

Print has been the poor cousin as the digital revolution looked set to change the way we consume literature. But ebooks didn’t kill print after all, just as video didn’t kill the movies, and TV didn’t kill radio. Some people have always valued the printed book over digital formats, and as the digital dust slowly settles, there are hints  that print books are as popular as ever.

The trend for leaving books in public places

Take the growing trend for leaving books in public places for others to pick up. A British friend of mine tells the tale of finding one of my Ellie novels in a Brighton thrift shop. She opened it to discover I had signed it at some book signing event or other in the USA. What a weird—but happy— coincidence. Maybe somebody bought the novel in the US, took it abroad on vacation? Or maybe a Brit read it on the plane home then passed it on. We’ll never know, but it goes to illustrate how books are still precious, worth hauling across the Pond.

 

 

The same friend tells me about her mother, who leaves books in the village bus stop shelter for local people to enjoy. But she’s not alone. The UK’s Guardian newspaper holds an annual Book Swap, where  people all over the world are encouraged to ‘leave a book on a bench’. And at Book-Crossing, you can track where your old books go after you release them into the wild. I have friends in the US who are avid Book-Crossers.

 

 



 

It’s interesting, since much the same thing is happening in the music industry. Some of the most popular chart bands are releasing their new music on vinyl, a medium that was never quite killed off by CDs and downloads. So It appears that real, physical records are enjoying a dramatic mass market revival as well. My daughter, in fact, insisted on buying a turn-table a couple of years ago. (She found one at Target.)

 

 

Books last forever, binary code doesn’t

You can see vinyl lovers’ point, in the same way as you can understand readers who love ‘real’ books best. Contrary to popular belief, digital stuff doesn’t last forever. If you bought a music CD twenty years ago there’s a chance it might have decayed and won’t be playable. If you cut your own CDs they will almost certainly be past their prime.

The same goes for .pdfs and Kindle files. Storing novels in the binary, in ones and zeros, is a temporary solution. Data storage can decay. In fact data storage is a huge deal right now as organizations and governments try to find a way to store the world’s knowledge in a digital format that will still be here in ten or fifty or several hundred years’ time.

Books and vinyl are also tangible pieces of design which you can actually touch and examine. You can’t do that with an electronic file; consequently, there’s much less sense of ownership.

As proved by ancient illuminated manuscripts, when you look after a book it can last hundreds of years, unlike the content on your Kindle. It’s a sobering thought. Now, if print publishers would just match the royalties that authors get from electronic copies— 70 per cent vs. 8 per cent— I bet you’d see the decline of e-books faster than a speeding bullet.

 

 

 

 

What about you – do you love electronica or print best, or are you happy to adopt both in the pursuit of reading happiness?

 

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A Fabulous Story Bundle Is Here!

I am thrilled and honored to be a part of a brand new, just-launched crime fiction Box Set… Story Bundle.. or whatever you like to call it. Take a look at some of the authors in this bundle (like Lawrence Block, Kris Nelscott, Rebecca Cantrell, Julie Hyzy, and Dean Wesley Smith) and tell me you don’t want to read them. I sure do!

To tell you more about it, I’m going to turn my blog over to Kris Rusch who curated the set.  Before I do, though, here’s where you can get it. And the best part? You can name your own price! Really.

Now, here’s Kris:

 

THE DARK JUSTICE BUNDLE

Curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

This bundle comes as close to crime fiction perfection as possible.

When I put the bundle together, I considered various authors and stories. I wanted books similar enough to attract readers (and to allow me to name the bundle), but different enough to provide a sample of the crime fiction genre. (Insiders call “mystery” fiction “crime” fiction because that word is much more accurate.) I also wanted a mix of long-established writers and up-and-comers.

I achieved all of those things and more. This bundle boasts one Grand Master, several award-winners, bestsellers who’ve hit lists like the New York Times and USA Today with multiple books, household names, and writers who’ve just entered the mystery field—sometimes with a bang.

We also have a lot of diversity here. Our investigators include an African American detective, a Canadian doctor of Asian extraction, a disabled stockbroker and a group of retired cold case detectives. Throw in a few amateur detectives, a disgraced ex-cop, a female bounty hunter, and the famous Matthew Scudder, who has appeared in film (most recently A Walk Among The Tombstones), and you’ll encounter the full range of characters the mystery genre has to offer.

I’ve read and loved the work of each and every one of these writers. Some of them I’ve read since I started reading mystery and some I’ve read since before they ever had a book published. In one of my other incarnations, I’m an award-winning editor, so believe me when I tell you that if there were some kind of Kristine Kathryn Rusch Gold Seal of Approval, the books in this bundle would receive it.

For those of you who have never purchased a bundle from StoryBundle before, welcome! StoryBundle makes ordering and downloading these books spectacularly easy.

The initial titles in the Dark Justice Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

Cold Call by Dean Wesley Smith
And Then She Was Gone by J. Daniel Sawyer
An Eye For Murder by Libby Fischer Hellmann
Code Blues by Melissa Yi
A Fatal Twist of Lemon by Patrice Greenwood

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $15, you get all five of the regular titles, plus these outstanding books:

Fatal Destiny by David DeLee
Playing With Matches by Julie Hyzy
A Dangerous Road by Kris Nelscott
The Night and the Music by Lawrence Block
The World Beneath by Rebecca Cantrell

Our curator, on the authors:

Cold Call by Dean Wesley Smith

I fully admit I might be biased when it comes to Dean Wesley Smith the person. I married him because I think he’s one of the most terrific people I know. But I’m not biased when it comes to his fiction—or not biased in the way you’d think I should be.

I’m his first reader, and it’s my job to tell him if something’s brilliant or if it needs to go back to the drawing board. Dean writes a several series, but only two make me grab the books out of his hands the moment he finishes them. (And nag him to finish more.) One is the Thunder Mountain series. I think you should look it up now.

The other series? The Cold Poker Gang. I insisted he participate in this bundle with first book in the series, Cold Call. Once you start this series, you’ll become as rabid a fan as I am.

And Then She Was Gone by J. Daniel Sawyer

Daniel Sawyer has the most amazing voice of any writer I’ve ever encountered. It makes sense, since he started writing for audio and writing for the ear is all about voice. His most popular series, featuring ex-cop Clarke Lantham, focuses on his other specialty—computers and technology. Dan used to work in the tech industry when he lived in the Bay Area, and his expertise comes through in every sentence. He’s added the first book of that series to this bundle, and believe me, you’ll want to read every single one of the others.

An Eye For Murder by Libby Fischer Hellmann

When popular mystery writer Libby Fischer Hellman offered the Anthony-Award nominated first novel in her Ellie Forman series for this book bundle, I jumped at the chance. This book travels from Prague in World War II to modern Chicago, Libby’s stomping ground. I discovered Libby through her amazing short fiction which led me to her novels. You get to start with one of her very best novels which will ease you into one of her best series to date.

Code Blues by Melissa Yi

When I first met Melissa Yi, she was an emergency room physician with dreams of becoming a professional writer. Her writing, including her award-nominated short fiction, has always had power, but she has truly found her niche with the Hope Sze mystery series. Drawing on her personal experiences in the ER in Canada, Melissa has created medical thrillers that shine with authenticity and are impossible to put down.

Another first book in a series (like others in this bundle), Code Blue provides the perfect introduction to a world we often experience, but rarely understand.

A Fatal Twist of Lemon by Patrice Greenwood

There are a lot of mean streets in this bundle, dark stories and creepy villains. Patrice Greenwood provides a respite from all of that. Her Wisteria Tea Room falls into a subgenre that I often find twee—the cozy. Yet Patrice writes a mean cozy, the kind I absolutely love. And I mean “mean” in the best possible way.

Under another name, Patrice is an award-winning western and historical writer. You can see those influences here. She’s also from New Mexico, where this book is set, adding yet another layer of authenticity to A Fatal Twist of Lemon, the first book in this marvelous series.

A Dangerous Road by Kris Nelscott

Full disclosure: I’m Kris Nelscott. In the introduction to this bundle, I promised you high quality work and believe me, I wouldn’t say that about something of mine without some outside confirmation. The Smokey Dalton mystery series has received a large number of award nominations, including the prestigious Edgar Award (mystery’s highest honor) and the Shamus Award (for best private eye novel). A Dangerous Road made the New York Public Library’s recommended lists and several top ten lists when the novel first appeared. And, like so many others here, A Dangerous Road marks the beginning of the series, a series I love writing, seven books down the road

Playing With Matches by Julie Hyzy

New York Times bestselling writer Julie Hyzy is best known for her cozy mysteries, but she writes darker crime stories as well. Originally hidden under a pen name, Playing With Matches bears Julie’s bestselling award-winning name for the first time. Like David D. Lee, and Melissa Yi, Julie first came to my attention before she had ever published a word. Her writing was good then; it’s spectacular now.

I’m hoping Playing With Matches marks the first book in the Riley Drake series. At the moment, the novel stands alone and will, I hope, lead you to Julie’s other marvelous work.

The World Beneath by Rebecca Cantrell

I discovered New York Times bestseller Rebecca Cantrell the old-fashioned way—in a bookstore. The first book in her Hannah Vogel series caught my eye, and boy, oh, boy was it worth the read. Later, we became Twitter pals. Then she introduced Joe Tesla. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure she could make this Hannah Vogel fan happy. Yet she did.

The World Beneath didn’t just make me happy. It made other readers happy too. It won the International Thriller Writers’ Best Ebook Original Novel Award and it hit the USA Today bestseller list due to word-of-mouth.

I envy those of you about to embark on your first Rebecca Cantrell novel. I remember my first. Those of you who’ve already encountered her will know what I’m talking about.

Fatal Destiny by David DeLee

Award-winning novelist David DeLee is one of those writers I knew way back when, in the days before he published anything. I thought he’d veer into science fiction. Instead, he’s made a heck of a career as a mystery and thriller writer.

He’s best known for his award-winning Grace deHaviland series, and we’re lucky enough to have the first book in that series to share with you. Grace is a bounty hunter, who takes on some pretty tough clients. I think you’ll enjoy every moment you spend in her company. I know I have.

The Night and the Music by Lawrence Block

I have loved Lawrence Block’s work for decades. Literally. I read my first Lawrence Block novel in the 1970s, and I’ve read many of them since. I won’t say I’ve read all of them, because he has written a lot of books under pen names and some books are just starting to come back into print.

He writes a number of series characters. They appear in both short stories and novels. He’s a master of the short story form, someone I’m still stealing —oops, I mean learning— from. I’ve found that his short work provides the perfect introduction to one of his series character.

He contributed one of his best known characters to this bundle, Matthew Scudder. Scudder has appeared on the big screen twice that I know of, first portrayed by Jeff Bridges in Eight Million Ways to Die, and just last year by Liam Neeson in a Walk Among The Tombstones.

The Scudder books have hit bestseller lists and graced award ballots. The Scudder short stories have received award attention as well. This collection not only lets you sample Scudder stories, it also contains a list of all the Scudder books in order.

I’m going to assume that, if you’ve never read Larry’s work, you’ve just started your mystery reading habit. If you’ve read Larry’s work but somehow missed Scudder, you’re in for a treat.

In fact you’re all in for a treat. Because once you read the short stories, you’ll move to the novels. I guarantee it.

The bundle is available for a very limited time only, via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle?

Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity.
Receive extra books: If you beat our bonus price, you’re not just getting five books, you’re getting ten!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook.

 

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2015’s Top 7 Thriller Movies (according to IMDb)

Thriller films are incredibly popular right now. In fact for every thriller that is released, there are probably ten more in development or, at least, requested by Hollywood. (I’ve been offering mine to the film-making universe as we speak). It’s a genre that fascinates, keeps us riveted, and then makes us come back for more. So what are the top thriller movies for 2015 so far, the stories catching movie-makers’ imagination? Here are the top 7 from IMDB, which including Dreamworks’ excellent Bridge of Spies, set during the Cold War, which echoes An Incidental Spy.

Coming from a somewhat “purist” background, I’ve had to expand my definition of a thriller. In the past, I have limited it to espionage or medical or legal thrillers. But thrillers today include the world of horror, dystopian stories, and pretty much any story with suspense at its core. Like the following.

Crimson Peak – A horror spook-fest

An aspiring writer suffers a terrible family tragedy. (I’m always a bit cautious when the protagonist is a writer – for obvious reasons). She’s torn between her beloved childhood friend and a tempting mysterious stranger. In an effort to avoid the ghosts of her troubled past she ends up in a terrifying house, one that actually breathes, bleeds and – worst of all – remembers. Directed by Guillermo del Toro , it stars Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Hiddleston. While it sounds a bit over the top for me, it’s predicted to be highly popular.

“Even the pristine white snow bleeds bright scarlet in Crimson Peak, the malformed love child between a richly atmospheric gothic romance and an overripe Italian giallo.” (Peter Debruge for Variety)

Knock Knock – When a kind gesture goes horribly wrong

Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo ,and Ana de Armas star and Eli Roth directs this super-scary story about a devoted husband and father who stays home alone for the weekend. When a couple of seductive young girls turn up at the door asking for help his kind, human gesture turns horribly sour… and the results are deadly. This sounds a lot more palatable, but I’m still on the fence. What do you think?

“Eli Roths glossy and reasonably fun update of Peter Traynors 1977 exploitation movie Death Game” (Ben Kenigsberg for Variety)

Sicario – The war against drugs takes an intense turn

When a dedicated FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to help fight an escalating war against drugs on the US Mexico border, his ideals are brought into question. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it stars Emily Blunt, Josh Broli and Benicio Del Toro.

I love the actors in this film so I’ll probably go see it, if only to compare it to Doubleback, my Georgia Davis novel also about drugs on the US Mexico border.

“Sicario is a solid piece of crime genre fiction elevated into a haunting and powerful cinematic experience by impeccable filmmakers and a talented cast.” (Kofi Outlaw for Screen Rant)

The Walk – Dizzying heights of brilliance

It’s the mid 1970s and the French high-wire artist Philippe Petit is determined to wire-walk between the Word Trade Centre’s towers. He gathers a team to help him realize the fantasy, and the rest is history. If you hate heights, it’s a powerful combination of thrills and chills. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon and Guillaume Baillargeon. As some of you may recall, I gaped and held my breath when Nik Wallenda walked between two skyscrapers in the Chicago Loop, so I can relate. What can possibly compare to a man walking on a tightrope hundreds of feet in the air. With no net? A definite yes, here.

“You feel every groan and sway of the wire. You sense the depth of the mighty drop. And you believe again in the sheer enormity of the Twin Towers.” (A A Dowd for AV Club)

Spectre – The latest (and last with Craig) James Bond

It’s James Bond again, and this latest movie is as dark as ever. Starring Daniel Craig, Christopher Waltz and Ralph Fiennes (some of my favorite actors), the plot involves a cryptic message from Bond’s past, which sends him on a complex journey to reveal a sinister organization. M is busy battling powerful political forces to save the secret service and Bond is horrified to uncover the awful truth behind SPECTRE. Sam Mendes directs. Spectre is scheduled for release next week in the UK, with a worldwide holiday release on November 6th. This is the last Bond with Daniel Craig, so if you like him, go see it. I’ll be there.

Bridge of Spies – Cold War spy brilliance

I’ve already seen this so I can highly recommend it. A star-studded cast that includes Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, a respected British star of stage and screen, this tells the remarkable (and mostly true) Cold War tale of a US lawyer recruited by the CIA to help rescue a pilot held by the USSR. Steven Spielberg directs, always a sign of exceptional storytelling.

“Who doesn’t like to cozy up to an old-school spy thriller that knows how to build tension and tighten it?” (Peter Travers for Rolling Stone)

Mad Max: Fury Road – Outrageous Australian dystopia

The latest Mad Max movie is IMDb’s number seven best thriller movie for 2015 so far, the potent story of a woman who rebels against the tyrannical post apocalyptic Australian leader. She’s desperately searching for her homeland, accompanied by a gang of female prisoners, a crazy religious type and the drifter called Max. George Miller directs Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult and the visual effects are eye-candyish good.

“The sort of exhilarating gonzo entertainment that makes even the nuttier Fast and Furious movies look like Autopia test drives.” (Justin Chang for Variety)

Which ones are on your agenda? What’s your favorite spy thriller or crime movie for 2015 so far?

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What’s In A Title?

A book title has a critical job, much the same as an opening paragraph: if it doesn’t grab the reader instantly, and inspire them to turn the page, you’re lost. The title of a book or story can make all the difference between it being read or ignored.

A book title should be interesting, grab readers’ attention and be appropriate – in other words it should hint at what’s inside. Even more importantly the book title you choose for your masterpiece will live on and on, with a bit of luck outliving you, the author. As the public face of your work, it has to be right. At the same time, book titles can be subjective. Some readers might love your title, others might hate it or find it offputting. There’s not a lot you can do about that.

Ernest Hemingway – Master of book titles

Who does it best of all? If you’ve ever thought Hemingway’s book titles were the ultimate in cool, join the club. The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man of the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Moveable Feast, In Our Time, To Have and Have Not, to name a few. They’re all short, punchy and intriguing, and they all hint at something seriously special between the covers.

Hemingway also agonized over titles. The Sun Also Rises was the final choice, but early alternatives for the novel include Fiesta: A Novel, Two Lie Together, and the unsuitably long For in much wisdom is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow, lifted from the bible.

Taking control of my own book titles

In my early days of publishing the short, punchy original titles I’d given my first four Ellie books were changed by Berkeley Prime Crime:

• An Eye For Murder was originally called Out of Lawndale… (okay it wasn’t that great)

• A Picture of Guilt was Outtakes

• An Image of Death was first named Rough Cut

• A Shot to Die For was supposed to be called Longshot

I considered changing them once I got my rights back, but by that time, it seemed too late. Once I changed publishers, however, the titles got punchier.

Easy Innocence kind of titled itself, which was the only time the title just emerged out of the sky without my having to obsess. My editor came up with Doubleback: I knew I wanted the word “double” because it’s a plot involving both my series sleuths, Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis, but I’d run dry. ToxiCity was a no-brainer because of the subject matter, and Nobody’s Child was a relatively obvious choice considering the book’s themes. Jump Cut, my 5th Ellie book, which is coming in March 2016, is the kind of title I wish I’d had for the first four Ellie books. But I suppose better late than never, eh?

The title for my latest novella

Speaking of titling your work, my latest novella, The Incidental Spy has just come out. In the 30 second video below, I talk about where the novella got its name.

If you don’t have a Street Team, then maybe some of these other ideas will help.

Sensible guidelines for choosing a book title

Following are a few guidelines I take into account when titling my stories.

1. First, a title can’t be dull. It needs to catch the eye online and off. After all, it’s competing for attention with thousands of other books and novels.

2. Second, it should be easy to remember. Why? So readers can recommend it to other people without having to struggle to recall what it’s called. It might seem like a little thing but where book sales are concerned, there’s no such thing as unimportant.

3. Third, less is more. There’s no need for a lengthy and complex sentence-length title when one, two or three well chosen words can encompass the book’s subject and personality.

4. Fourth, I take care not to confuse potential readers. Don’t call your book ‘The Space Race’ if it’s actually about superpowers’ race to claim their stake in the Arctic. There’s no point being so ‘clever’ that most people completely miss the point. By the same token, if the title is too generic, or too abstract, you’ll lose readers.

If you think this is beginning to sound a lot like marketing, you’re not wrong. Figuring out the best title for your book is indeed a mini-marketing task.

Titles are a bitch! What’s your favorite?

Still, titles are a bitch. What’s the best book title you’ve ever come up with or read? Why?

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It’s the Neighborhoods, Stupid…

There’s something about Chicago-based authors. Darkness is part of the scenery. Take the brilliant Chicago resident Gillian Flynn, whose super-dark thrillers have spooked millions of readers all over the world. Or the legendary Silver Dagger award winner Scott Turow.

The same goes for thrillers set in the city. Goodreads reports an impressive 136 thrillers set in Chicago with works by myself, Hugh Holton, Andrew M. Greely, Sara Paretsky, Sharon Fiffer, Marcus Sakey, and Joe Gash, to name a few. So what is it about Chicago that inspires so many dark tales, horrific heroes, and heinous plots?

What makes Chicago special?

Some say it’s the violence and crime. Some say the institutionalized corruption. In an earlier essay, I thought it was the contrast between the light and dark:

Chicago is an inherent paradox: all bluster, business, even bombast on the surface; underneath, though, it’s a place where darkness creeps in around the edges. June may be busting out all over Chicago during the day, but you don’t want to be in the wrong place on a cool June night. Even during Chicago’s fleeting midsummer, there’s an uneasy recognition that as the days get shorter and the nights blacker, the dark can swallow you whole.

Maybe it is something in the air. But a lot of it has to do with the neighborhoods. If anything is going to drive the city’s stable of writers, many with imaginations as dark as it comes, it’s the schizoid nature of our neighborhoods.

Chicago itself is huge… with 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in Illinois and the Midwest, all 237 square miles of it. And the metropolitan area, Chicagoland, is home to nearly 10 million of us.  There are more than 100 neighborhoods within the city, and that doesn’t include any of the suburbs.

The point is that each neighborhood has its own personality, its own favorite spots and sites, its own food and customs… call it its own micro-culture. And that culture defines the area for everybody. My daughter has lived in Lakeview, Logan Square, Wrigleyville, and now Lincoln Square. Before I moved to the suburbs, I lived in Near North. I wanted to live in Lincoln Park but couldn’t afford it, so I moved one neighborhood north to Lakeview, originally called Bethania, then New Town. To Chicagoans, each place I named has its own atmosphere, its own zeitgeist.

Chicago’s changing neighborhoods

Neighborhoods are fluid. Things change all the time. Old neighborhoods are re-invented or renamed. When I moved here, there was no Logan or Lincoln Square. Or Bucktown. Wrigleyville meant Wrigley Field, and that was it. If you like things to stay the same, it can be disturbing.

 

There’s the Gold Coast, Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Lawndale,

Andersonville, the East Side—and all of them are different. The connotations of each dictate its personality, influence, and whether it’s safe to visit. (The map above will give you a clue.)

 

 

Take Albany Park, for example. Since the 1970s it has been the main entry point for Asian and Latin- American immigrants. And before that, it, along with Lawndale, was home to Jewish immigrants. The result is one of the city’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods with hundreds of world-class multicultural restaurants and excellent independent grocery stores, while Lawndale became ground zero for the riots after the Martin Luther King assassination.

Then there’s Chicago’s official downtown area, The Loop, one of the world’s most influential business districts. And Streeterville with Navy Pier at its eastern edge: a carnival atmosphere with amusement rides, gift shops, docks, and sightseeing boats.

And of course, there’s Englewood on the South Side, which consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous places in the city. In September it came 5th in a list of the most violent places in Chicago.

Variety breeds variety

There are so many neighborhoods in Chicago, all unique in a special way, that it’s no wonder the city has spawned such a variety of authors.

There’s inspiration on every street corner. Walk a few blocks and everything changes so profoundly you’d think you were in a different city. One minute you’re in amongst towering blocks, the next in a residential area lined with bungalows and kids playing in the streets. Or you segue from a neighborhood rich in different cultures to one where everyone’s cultural background is the same. Street signs are in different languages, depending where you are. Signs above stores, the same.

Violence and peace live side by side, separated by man-made borders that keep shifting. Some neighborhoods are further bisected by gang turf – there are parts of Englewood the Gangster Disciples never go to; other corners the Black Disciples never visit.

What’s your theory?

It’s a provocative theory (at least to me). That living in a city this diverse has an effect on writers: the way they feel, how they write, their preoccupations and obsessions. What do you think?

Oh, and just to emphasize the point: The second Chicago Noir: The Classics has been published by Akashic. The editor is the fabulous Joe Meno, and he’s painted a chronological picture of how different authors have seen Chicago. There are stories by Nelson Algren, Patricia Highsmith, Richard Wright, Sara Paretsky, Stuart Kaminsky, Max Allan Collins, Hugh Holton, Percy Spurlack, Stuart Dybek, and more, all looking through the lens of different times and neighborhoods. That’s probably why they’re calling it Chicago Noir 2: The Classics. And yes, I have a story in there, too.

 

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