Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 33

Writing Lite Tip #33: Chapter Titles Aren’t Necessary

I am actually in awe of writers who title their chapters. I’m not sure why they do it. Or how. Writing a novel is hard enough.

Why add to the hardship? Especially if your chapters are James Patterson-short, and you end up with more than 100. Numbers are just fine. And you can use numerals, too.

See all writing lite tips thus far here on Pinterest.

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Going Dark

In case you missed it, this is a reprint of my blogpost that appeared on Omni-Mystery last week. It’s long, so settle down with the beverage of your choice and dig in. Would love your opinion in the comments.

The 4th Georgia Davis novel.

No, this isn’t about Facebook posts. Or how to fly under the radar. Or drop off the grid. This is about writing crime thrillers. Story arcs. Voice. Tone. Setting. Even action.

Over the past few years, my writing has grown progressively darker, and Nobody’s Child, my eleventh novel and fourth Georgia Davis crime thriller, is the darkest book I’ve ever written. But where did this noir bent come from? Is that my authentic voice? Or something that’s evolved over time?

Good Vs. Evil

I’ve given a lot of thought to this and decided that I flip between two diametrically opposite perceptions of human nature. The optimist in me sees human beings as fundamentally good, compassionate, and principled. Life is filled with challenges—even disappointments—but tempered by mercy and inspired by endless possibilities. Kind of a combination of Anne Frank (“In spite of everything I still believe people are good”) and the adventures of Francois Rabelais’ Pantagruel.

But the other side of my brain sees human nature in a darker vein. People are selfish, manipulative, and greedy. The object is to get “yours” before someone else takes it. Destroy someone if they get in your way. Believe the worst and prepare for it. Take a trip down those Chandler-esque “Mean Streets.” Of course, that’s nothing new; most crime writers spend their careers tapping into the dark side. But we also understand that a villain is usually a hero in his or her own mind, so we may temper their evil by giving them abusive childhoods, broken dreams, or plenty of bad luck. Or we ignore their troubled background completely and create a really bad-ass with no redeeming qualities.

I’ve written novels from both sides. Indeed, in some books the perpetrator turned out to be a surprise, even to me. In A Bitter Veil, for example, the characters surprised me with their heroism and compassion, and I had to keep changing who committed the crime. That was my last heroic novel, btw. Since then, I’ve taken a sharply darker turn.

Chaos To Order

Another factor that took me down the dark path has to do with the structure of a crime novel. When we begin, the world of the novel is in order. The commission of the crime tips that world into chaos, and it’s the job of the protagonist to restore order. Which he or she does ninety-five per cent of the time. In this way, btw, a mystery is similar to a western. The bad guy is caught and justice is served.

But what if that doesn’t happen? What if the protagonist only does part of the job? Do the forces of evil return, perhaps even stronger, to wreak vengeance? Does the chaos persist, and if it does, who suffers and why? I wanted to explore those questions, and I have—in short stories, plus my novels An Image of Death, Havana Lost, and Nobody’s Child.

 

The World Today

Yet another issue is the condition of our world. So many frightening situations occur today that even Upworthy can’t comfort me. Hot tempers, hotter dogma, escalating violence, the explosion of the Middle East, aggression from our supposed friends… all of it fed by a media whose oversimplifications and biases make them shills for the highest bidder…It seems as if the planet is one matchstick away from annihilation. I don’t write science fiction or dystopian, but it’s clear some of that anxiety and despair has seeped into my fiction.

In fact, the downward spiral I’ve traveled is beginning to scare me. A human being can only take so much darkness. Not to mention readers. I realize I need to pull back. That’s why my next book will be an Ellie Foreman mystery. Ellie’s got a rock-solid support system and a great sense of humor. She refuses to wallow in the dark side for long. She’s a fundamentally positive person, the yin to Georgia’s yang.

For all those reasons, I’ve decided to become a reluctant optimist. George Orwell explained it in All Art is Propaganda:

 “On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.” 

I’m going to try to emulate that. Wish me luck.

 

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Amazon Ebook Royalty Estimator

Spreading the word about a handy-dandy new tool that helps you estimate your Amazon royalties. It’s very simple and you can embed it on your website, blog, or just about anywhere. It was developed by Will Bontrager and you can find out more about here, including how to embed it on your pages.

 

Thanks, Will!

 

 

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Writing Lite Tip 32: Write new material for 45 uninterrupted minutes a day

If you, like me, are a “reluctant” writer (one who can find a million things to do instead of writing), I have a suggestion. Set a timer for 45 minutes, and during that time, write new material. Don’t edit, don’t revise, don’t even go back over your material. And don’t answer emails, check your book rankings, or surf the net. Just write. 

Like Rule #31, the new material doesn’t have to be great. It doesn’t even have to be good. It just has to be “written.” At least partially. Btw, when that timer goes off, stop. Even if you’re in the middle of a sentence. The unfinished thought will, hopefully, keep your momentum flowing when you’re ready for the next 45 minute session. 

As the best procrastinator east of the Mississippi, I can attest to this technique. It’s the only way I’ve been able to write my last four novels.

See all writing lite tips thus far here on Pinterest.

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Writing Lite Tip #31: Annie Lamott and Sh*tty First Drafts

 

 

The first book about writing I ever read was Bird by Bird, and it just might be the most valuable. I particularly love Lamott’s discussion about “Shitty First Drafts.” You see, I am one of those writers who hates to write. Who always thinks she is unequal to the task. Who always second-guesses her own prose. But Annie says I should aspire to writing a shitty first draft, because only then can I revise, edit, and make it really good. Clearly, you can’t edit if the page is blank. Curiously, when I remember to follow her advice, writing does become easier. Sometimes even fun.

So if you’re like me, run – don’t walk — and read Bird by Bird. If you’re not like me, read it anyway.

 

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Good News, Bad News

 

 

Good News:  I am interviewed at OmniMystery News today.

 

 

Bad news: I had to put down Einstein, my 12 year old rescue dog, yesterday. He had lung cancer.

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PW Reviews Nobody’s Child… and it’s great!

Some great news this morning! PW (Publishers Weekly) reviewed Nobody’s Child! For those of you who don’t know, it’s very difficult to have a self-published book reviewed by PW… let alone a good review, which this is… So forgive the crowing…

Here’s the whole thing, with the relevant parts bolded:

Former cop-turned-PI Georgia Davis takes on what could be her most personal case yet in Hellmann’s thrilling fourth installment in her Chicago based series. Georgia always thought she was an only child until she receives a bloodstained note revealing that she has a half-sister Savannah, who’s not only in trouble but is pregnant. With little to go on, Georgia soon discovers that Savannah, who’s almost sixteen and is called Vanna, is caught up in Chicago’s underground human trafficking ring, which provides whoever’s willing to pay with everything from organs to babies, not to mention girls for sex. Few people are willing to talk to Georgia about the details of the operation, but the wily PI soon learns that a former foe could be an asset in bringing her sister home safely. Hellmann rachets up the tension with each chapter, and the reader is constantly kept wondering about the fate of both sisters.

Feel free to tell everyone (parents, children, spouse, pets) about this…

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Writing Lite Tip 30: “Said” is about the only dialogue tag you’ll ever need

 

OK. I’m lying. You can also use “asked.”

But anything else calls attention to itself and indicates you don’t have enough confidence in the dialogue without adding a declaration of how someone spoke.

If your dialogue is clear and strong, you will rarely need anything beyond “said” or “asked.”

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ADT Security Update: Problem Solved

Hi, all.

Guess what? After posting here, on FB, Twitter, and Google+, I got a call around 3 pm from ADT Corporate Relations. How could they help me?

The problem, which required me to simply press 4 numbers on my keypad — really, that was it — is fixed, and my alarm is now working.

I am grateful to ADT (and the power of social media) for listening and responding to my problem. My only question is why it had to escalate to the corporate level if the solution was so simple. Why didn’t the line managers I spoke to over the weekend and yesterday have the intelligence and/or authority to act?

If ADT is really serious about good customer relations, I hope they’re asking themselves the same question. My problem is solved, but what about theirs?

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A Letter to the CEO of ADT Security

I think the letter speaks for itself. I am beyond frustrated.

 

Naren K Gursahaney

CEO, ADT Security

The ADT Corporation 

1501 Yamato Rd

Boca Raton, FL 33431 September 8, 2014

Dear Mr. Gursahaney,

I’m writing to you as a former Brinks and then ADT customer for over 10 years. Over those 10 years, I have probably paid you in the neighborhood of $4-5,000, usually a prompt one-time annual payment.

I canceled my monitoring service in August 2014, and a few days later, my system does not function. I was told that because the service is cancelled, you will not send a technician to my home to see what the problem is. That I own the system now.

Except that you have a proprietary system that relies on your own codes to operate and communicate with the home units. Thus, you have effectively locked me out of my own system.

I suspect this is not only horrible customer relations but it just might be illegal—or at the very least—dishonest and unethical. Please designate a technician (for whom I will pay a reasonable fee) to straighten out the unit I purchased from you so it can be used locally.

Thank you. You can reach me via my email.

Sincerely,

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