Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 39

Writing Lite Tip #7: Be concise

 

You don’t need three adjectives before a noun. You don’t even need two. Adverbs as well.

Look for opportunities to delete redundancies and streamline your prose.

A lot of this fine-tuning happens during revision.

 

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For The Warm and Fuzzy Moms… and the others, too

Whether you have a Motocycle Mama, A Mother’s Day heroine like Rebecca De Mornay, or everyone’s “Mommy Dearest,” her day will be here soon. Why settle for the usual flowers, candy, or lunch to show your love? Help her escape the tedium of life—with a good book. As it happens (ahem), I have a suggestion, and it’s at a special price now through Mother’s Day.

An Eye For Murder was a personal journey for me. Not so much because it was the first Ellie Foreman mystery, but because of its backstory which involves my late mother and father in law.

My husband’s parents were “off the boat” from Germany— his mother, Lucy, in 1938, his father, Fred, in 1939. His mother cleaned houses in New York while she learned English. She used to say how she scrubbed Danny Kaye’s floors.

Fred, the sole survivor of his family, was drafted six months after he arrived in the US. But instead of going to boot camp, he was shipped up to Canada where he trained with William Stephenson (A Man Called Intrepid) who, as many of you know, was one of the founders of the OSS. Then Fred was sent back behind German lines to do intelligence work for the Allies. He came home in 1945.

Their story was so remarkable I knew I had to write about it. I hope you enjoy the result. Here’s what others have said:

 “A masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense…”

“Complicated… fascinating… Hellmann has a beautifully tuned ear… which makes many of her scenes seriously funny …”

“Taut, compelling and gripping, AN EYE FOR MURDER is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in years!”

“A brilliant debut mystery… not only has she created a wonderful character …but also she has given us a truly scary plot.”

 The Ebook is just 99 cents on Kindle through Mother’s Day.

The Audio and Print versions are available too!

 And if you’re a Mother:

 

 

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Writing Lite Tip #6: Grammar isn’t something your editor should have to correct.

Here is where I sound like your fourth grade teacher. Grammar IS important. But it’s not rocket science. You can learn all those pesky rules (and English has more rules than most languages).

Why? Because knowing the rules will make you a better writer. When you know proper grammar, it’s easier to eliminate dangling participles, incorrect possessive pronouns, or unruly adverbs.

Bad grammar stops the reader and takes them out of the story. They may not know why, but they know something isn’t flowing. And if it happens too many times, they may stop reading altogether.

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The Criminal States of America

I was approached by the folks who write a blog called Criminaljusticedegreehub.com. Part of their mission is to reach out to bloggers who might be interested in their data, and after they showed me this infographic, I was. I think you will be, too.

Produced By Criminal Justice Degree Hub

 

You’d think the least populated states would have the mildest crime statistics. Apparently, not. I’m not sure what that says about us, but I’d love to hear your comments.

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Oxymoron: Discipline and the Internet

I used to be really disciplined. If I didn’t have a training session (I used to train executives to be better speakers), I’d write early in the morning before I took the kids to school. I would work out, come home, and write some more. By lunchtime I was done. I’d spend the afternoon editing. Or doing promotion.

And then there was the Internet. And email and Amazon and and blogposts and free days and everything else. My productivity declined precipitously. These days, I feel like I live online. And I do. It’s actually pretty sad.

In fact, I have no idea how I wrote my last three books. Really. My impression of the past six years is that I’ve done nothing except stay online the entire day. To be fair, part of my day is spent reading about the business of publishing. It’s hard for me to pass up certain blogs, digests, and opinions. I used to be a news junkie, and I fear I’ve simply transferred  my information jones to publishing.

But the internet doesn’t help. I’ve heard some people have two computers, one for writing with absolutely no hook-ups to email or a browser, the other a more typical set-up. I refuse to believe I’m that far gone. But I do sometimes wonder if I weren’t online so much, would the books I do write be better? Would I be a faster writer?  I don’t use an outline, so there are times where I’m need to take a break and figure out where the story is going. But I wonder.

Unfortunately, as studies now suggest, I am aware of an increasingly shorter attention span. One report said that people now scan articles rather than read them. Guilty. It’s becoming so bad that I caught myself doing that while reading a novel. And I love to read. Close reading too, so I can appreciate (or trash) the quality of the prose.

That scares me. I don’t want to lose my ability to focus. So I’m trying to clean up my act, so to speak. A mental spring cleaning.

I’ve recently unsubscribed to a bunch of emails that were clogging up my inbox and distracting me. I’ve also deleted a lot of my bookmarks. I’ve quit a lot of groups that I never visited much to begin with, and  I’ve discovered a very useful button. Did you know you can turn off your email and close your browser for a couple of hours, and the world doesn’t come to a screeching halt?

An on-off switch. What a concept.

It seems to be helping. It’s been easier to make revisions on Nobody’s Child, and I’m feeling more satisfied. But I know I’m only scratching the surface, so I’d really like your help— What do you do to break through the internet fog ? How do you stay focused?

 

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Writing Lite Tip #5: Learn the difference between “who” and “that.”

A common mistake writers make is this:

“I was afraid of the man that held a gun in his hand.”

Because “man” refers to a person, it should read: “I was afraid of the man who held a gun in his hand.” (Actually, that could be shortened to read “I was afraid of the man with a gun.”

“Who,” “which,” and “whose” refer to people; “that” refers to objects. They are all relative pronouns that introduce a subordinate clause.

The tricky part is when you’re using the words “group” or “couple” or “crowd.” You are referring to people, but the words are themselves objects. Technically, you should use “that” afterwards, but there are times when “who” really does sound more appropriate.

Use your judgment.

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Writing Lite Tip 4: Learn proper punctuation. It’s important.

Do you know when to use a semi-colon instead of a colon? When commas are mandatory?

You should. It makes a huge difference in how a reader absorbs your prose.

Punctuation tells your reader when to pause or when to race to the end of the sentence or paragraph for the payoff.

Help your reader understand what’s important in your writing. Learn correct punctuation.

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Writing Lite Tip 3: The sense of smell is under-rated. Use it.

We are taught to use all our senses when we write narrative. But sight and sound usually predominate. Personally, I believe the sense of smell is our most powerful sense.

We all relate to the stench of garbage, or the aroma of Chanel No. 5. Smell adds a unique element to our writing, one which immediately indicates whether a scene is going to be pleasant or malodorous.

Think of smell when you’re describing a scene. But don’t overdo it. Smell is so powerful that one mention per chapter, or even every other scene, can be plenty.

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Writing Lite Tip 2: One clause sentences. Two at the most

Long, languorous sentences make it difficult for the reader to follow, unless he or she is a very patient reader. Most readers aren’t, sorry to say.

They’re interested in story. Not the prose you’ve so carefully crafted.

So, make it easy for your readers. Limit your sentences to easily understood thoughts. Each sentence should add to the narrative, character description, or action. More sentences with fewer words are easier to digest than long, winding sentences.

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8 Movie Musicals To Watch During April Showers

Some of you know I write a column for Women’s Voices Magazine. Happily, it’s in their “Enjoy” section, which means I get to write about books and movies I’ve loved — every month. Usually they’re not new films or books, but they are centered on a theme. Recently, I wrote about Movie Musicals. Since April is supposed to bring us lots of showers, I thought you might “enjoy” these suggestions on watery weekends. Even better, most of them are family friendly.

 

 

Watching performers sing and dance always makes me happy.  Even when it’s raining. I mean, how can you not smile at Gene Kelly?

 



 

 

My Fair Lady

 

How can you resist Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in one of the best stage to film adaptations ever? Even though neither of them were great singers, the movie about Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins is one of the best of its kind. Released in 1964, it won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rex Harrison.  I don’t think there’s even one song from the show that isn’t still sung today. My favorites are “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Get Me To The Church on Time.” What about you?

 

 

The Sound of Music

A year later, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer delighted us in The Sound of Music, the story of a young woman who leaves an Austrian convent and becomes governess to seven children of a naval officer widower. It’s set during the early days of World War Two, and the family eventually sings their way out of Nazi occupied Austria. Along the way are some of beautiful and cleverly written songs, including “Climb Every Mountain” “Doe, A Deer,” and of course, “The Sound of Music.” The movie seems rather tame by today’s standards, but it’s still a keeper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Side Story

This modern Romeo and Juliet story, set amidst ethnic gangs in New York is both ahead of and behind its time. Ahead, in that it predicted the growth and the danger of gangs; behind because it tried to suggest that love could conquer all. The love story between Tony, an American, and Maria, a Puerto Rican, is touching and tragic. But the songs and dance numbers are fabulous. It’s the kind of movie you can watch multiple times and see something new each time. As with My Fair Lady, each song from West Side Story is better than the next… “Officer Krupke,” “When You’re a Jet”, “One Hand, One Heart,” “Somewhere,” “I Feel Pretty” and, of course, “Tonight.”  With such a great score, it may be my favorite musical.

 

 

A Chorus Line

I don’t think I’ll ever forget hearing the song “One” in A Chorus Line for the first time. I think I knew then it was going to be a classic. “What I Did for Love” is another. The show is short on plot, but the singing and dancing more than make up for it. This is a movie during which you simply can’t sit still.  Ostensibly about a director auditioning young performers for a show (a “show within a show” idea), A Chorus Line is a joyous celebration of movement and song. Hopefully it will warm your heart as well as your body, if you dance your way through it (as I have.)

 

 

Chicago

No list of top movie musicals would be complete without Chicago, released in 2002. What a super cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones (who knew she could sing and dance so well?), Reneé Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C Reilly, Christine Baranski, and more. And all of them look like they’re having the time of their lives. Chicago is a satire that mixes celebrity, crimes of passion, corruption, and other scandals in jazz-age Chicago.  Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, both of whom have committed murder, compete to see who can drum up the most sympathy from the public, and one of their trials turns into a media circus, (something we Chicagoans are very familiar with). This is one show that is pure FUN. And the score is simply terrific.

 

 

 

Dreamgirls

This is my daughter’s favorite, and it’s easy to see why. Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy tell the fictional story of Motown and the rise of The Supremes, although the girls are called “The Dreams” in the show. As you’ll probably remember, Jennifer Hudson stole the show with her amazing performance, but all the actors, especially Beyoncé and Danny Glover did a fabulous job. The movie won two Oscars, and several Golden Globes. Definitely worth a watch. It was released in 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “That’s Entertainment!”

“That’s Entertainment!” is a 1974 compilation of movie musicals released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary.  It’s full of scenes from classic performers, including Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, and others, some of whom you’d never expect to see in a musical.

Btw, “That’s Entertainment” is personal for me. The first time I saw it I’d just been laid off from a job, and my father took me to the movie theater to console me. I went in crying and came out laughing. Since, then I’ve seen it three times, and each time I sing along and tap my feet. I dare you not to.

 

 

 

 

Finally, here’s a cleverly edited video that mixes the past with the past… (well, the recent past). It’s called “Stayin’ Alive with Rita Hayworth.” I hope it puts a smile on your face.

 

 

What are your favorite movie musicals?

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