Terry Odell's Blog, page 278
July 1, 2011
Friday Field Trip - China
First - Happy July. My Buy 1 get 1 free sale ends on Monday, so check the Deals & Steals tab. Two books for 99 cents -- a $2.99 savings.
Also, please check out my interview at The Romance Studio.
Shortly after China opened its doors to tourism, my parents visited there. Here are some shots my mom sent. Enjoy.
Also, please check out my interview at The Romance Studio.
Shortly after China opened its doors to tourism, my parents visited there. Here are some shots my mom sent. Enjoy.
June 30, 2011
Does Your Subconscious Foreshadow?
After giving my "Plotting for Non-Plotters" workshop last Sunday, I managed to motivate myself enough to dive into the new WIP again. It had stagnated for a bit, and until I heard myself speak, I wasn't really sure why it was giving me trouble.
Bottom line. I was worried about plot instead of just writing. After demonstrating the use of my "idea board" to the group, I figured I ought to get out the Post-its and update mine.
And, as a reminder, my "idea" board is full of more than just ideas for possible scenes or plot threads. It's also full of questions and reminders. I don't plot much, but I do recognize the importance of tracking.
For example, on my current board, I've made notes that my hero (who was injured in some yet-to-be-determined cop incident) was injured, and that it's his right arm and left leg. I can refer to that in case I forget and have him favoring the wrong leg or rubbing the wrong shoulder.
This new book is in my Pine Hills Police universe. Although at the moment, Randy & Sarah aren't in the book (I sent them on a well-deserved honeymoon), the Pine Hill Police station is there, and it's populated with some familiar figures. One is Police Chief Laughlin, and when he wants to talk to one of his staff, he'll call them and say, "My office." That's been established in the other 2 books, so it stands to reason he's going to say it again in this one.
My hero in this book has just begun working for the PHPD, and not as a cop, but as a civilian due to his injuries. When he reports to the chief, and the chief summons another cop to show him around, my hero hears him give that command. It's normal, logical, and fits in with the story, and when I wrote it, that's about all the consideration I gave it. But then, since I was in my hero's head, I wondered how he heard it, so this was in the scene:
Laughlin … picked up his phone, punched a few buttons, then spoke. "My office."
Laughlin's tone was civil, but Scott had the feeling he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a summons when the man was in a bad mood.
Although I wasn't thinking beyond this scene when I wrote the above, upon my nightly re-read of the day's output, I flagged it, and it went onto a Post-it on my idea board. Because, somewhere down the line, my hero will have to hear those words, but this time they'll be directed at him.
Will it be a good thing or a bad thing? How should I know? I haven't written that far yet.
Come back tomorrow. I think we're going to China with my mom.
Bottom line. I was worried about plot instead of just writing. After demonstrating the use of my "idea board" to the group, I figured I ought to get out the Post-its and update mine.And, as a reminder, my "idea" board is full of more than just ideas for possible scenes or plot threads. It's also full of questions and reminders. I don't plot much, but I do recognize the importance of tracking.
For example, on my current board, I've made notes that my hero (who was injured in some yet-to-be-determined cop incident) was injured, and that it's his right arm and left leg. I can refer to that in case I forget and have him favoring the wrong leg or rubbing the wrong shoulder.
This new book is in my Pine Hills Police universe. Although at the moment, Randy & Sarah aren't in the book (I sent them on a well-deserved honeymoon), the Pine Hill Police station is there, and it's populated with some familiar figures. One is Police Chief Laughlin, and when he wants to talk to one of his staff, he'll call them and say, "My office." That's been established in the other 2 books, so it stands to reason he's going to say it again in this one.
My hero in this book has just begun working for the PHPD, and not as a cop, but as a civilian due to his injuries. When he reports to the chief, and the chief summons another cop to show him around, my hero hears him give that command. It's normal, logical, and fits in with the story, and when I wrote it, that's about all the consideration I gave it. But then, since I was in my hero's head, I wondered how he heard it, so this was in the scene:
Laughlin … picked up his phone, punched a few buttons, then spoke. "My office."
Laughlin's tone was civil, but Scott had the feeling he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a summons when the man was in a bad mood.
Although I wasn't thinking beyond this scene when I wrote the above, upon my nightly re-read of the day's output, I flagged it, and it went onto a Post-it on my idea board. Because, somewhere down the line, my hero will have to hear those words, but this time they'll be directed at him.
Will it be a good thing or a bad thing? How should I know? I haven't written that far yet.
Come back tomorrow. I think we're going to China with my mom.
Does Your Subconsicous Foreshadow?
After giving my "Plotting for Non-Plotters" workshop last Sunday, I managed to motivate myself enough to dive into the new WIP again. It had stagnated for a bit, and until I heard myself speak, I wasn't really sure why it was giving me trouble.
Bottom line. I was worried about plot instead of just writing. After demonstrating the use of my "idea board" to the group, I figured I ought to get out the Post-its and update mine.
And, as a reminder, my "idea" board is full of more than just ideas for possible scenes or plot threads. It's also full of questions and reminders. I don't plot much, but I do recognize the importance of tracking.
For example, on my current board, I've made notes that my hero (who was injured in some yet-to-be-determined cop incident) was injured, and that it's his right arm and left leg. I can refer to that in case I forget and have him favoring the wrong leg or rubbing the wrong shoulder.
This new book is in my Pine Hills Police universe. Although at the moment, Randy & Sarah aren't in the book (I sent them on a well-deserved honeymoon), the Pine Hill Police station is there, and it's populated with some familiar figures. One is Police Chief Laughlin, and when he wants to talk to one of his staff, he'll call them and say, "My office." That's been established in the other 2 books, so it stands to reason he's going to say it again in this one.
My hero in this book has just begun working for the PHPD, and not as a cop, but as a civilian due to his injuries. When he reports to the chief, and the chief summons another cop to show him around, my hero hears him give that command. It's normal, logical, and fits in with the story, and when I wrote it, that's about all the consideration I gave it. But then, since I was in my hero's head, I wondered how he heard it, so this was in the scene:
Laughlin … picked up his phone, punched a few buttons, then spoke. "My office."
Laughlin's tone was civil, but Scott had the feeling he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a summons when the man was in a bad mood.
Although I wasn't thinking beyond this scene when I wrote the above, upon my nightly re-read of the day's output, I flagged it, and it went onto a Post-it on my idea board. Because, somewhere down the line, my hero will have to hear those words, but this time they'll be directed at him.
Will it be a good thing or a bad thing? How should I know? I haven't written that far yet.
Come back tomorrow. I think we're going to China with my mom.
Bottom line. I was worried about plot instead of just writing. After demonstrating the use of my "idea board" to the group, I figured I ought to get out the Post-its and update mine.And, as a reminder, my "idea" board is full of more than just ideas for possible scenes or plot threads. It's also full of questions and reminders. I don't plot much, but I do recognize the importance of tracking.
For example, on my current board, I've made notes that my hero (who was injured in some yet-to-be-determined cop incident) was injured, and that it's his right arm and left leg. I can refer to that in case I forget and have him favoring the wrong leg or rubbing the wrong shoulder.
This new book is in my Pine Hills Police universe. Although at the moment, Randy & Sarah aren't in the book (I sent them on a well-deserved honeymoon), the Pine Hill Police station is there, and it's populated with some familiar figures. One is Police Chief Laughlin, and when he wants to talk to one of his staff, he'll call them and say, "My office." That's been established in the other 2 books, so it stands to reason he's going to say it again in this one.
My hero in this book has just begun working for the PHPD, and not as a cop, but as a civilian due to his injuries. When he reports to the chief, and the chief summons another cop to show him around, my hero hears him give that command. It's normal, logical, and fits in with the story, and when I wrote it, that's about all the consideration I gave it. But then, since I was in my hero's head, I wondered how he heard it, so this was in the scene:
Laughlin … picked up his phone, punched a few buttons, then spoke. "My office."
Laughlin's tone was civil, but Scott had the feeling he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a summons when the man was in a bad mood.
Although I wasn't thinking beyond this scene when I wrote the above, upon my nightly re-read of the day's output, I flagged it, and it went onto a Post-it on my idea board. Because, somewhere down the line, my hero will have to hear those words, but this time they'll be directed at him.
Will it be a good thing or a bad thing? How should I know? I haven't written that far yet.
Come back tomorrow. I think we're going to China with my mom.
June 29, 2011
New Look to Terry's Place
First – I've revamped my blog. I spent a good long time at my son's on Sunday. He may be a landscape/nature photographer first, but he agreed to take some new head shots for me. If you're one of my Facebook friends, you might have seen the ones I posted there. You know they say pictures don't lie. Well, forget that one! At least that adage doesn't hold true here, and for that, I'm very grateful! And daughter Jessica worked with a graphics artist friend of hers to create a new logo for me. With all that support, I figured I should update my blog. I've also changed my profile picture here and on my website. Any thoughts about the results?
Next: My Buy 1 Get 1 Free sale will be gone after the 4th of July. Don't wait too long. (Details under Deals & Steals)
As for a post: I'm visiting Carol Kilgore at her blog, Under the Tiki Hut. Carol's a frequent visitor here, and provided those gorgeous Galveston shots last Friday.
She has a clever slant on her guests. She provides everyone with the same "what if" setup, and has her guests create their responses. (She also has a tight work count, and anyone who knows me knows that was more of a challenge than dealing with her scenario!) This is her theme:
You brought your laptop to the Tiki Hut for some peace and quiet.
What drink do you order? Any snacks?
You're writing away when something catches your eye.
What is it? How do you stay focused on your writing?
If you want to see my interpretation, be sure to check out her blog. Carol posts at 7:15 AM Central time, so if you're an early bird here, wait a bit and then pop over. And comments welcome!
June 28, 2011
That Second Paragraph
Today I welcome author Jacqui Jacobi to Terry's Place. With her trusted computerized day planner, Miguel, by her side, she is able to work in many aspects of the writing community: as an author and contributor to the Kiss of Death as well as RWR Magazine; as a chapter volunteer and contest judge, and as a workshop presenter, both live and online.
Every writer faces it. Every writer worries and dreads that it is going to arrive. You sit down to the computer, whether the project is a novel, an article or a blog entry, and there it will be: a blank document with a blinking cursors asking you to type.
We sit in our chairs, ready to write, the ideas in our head ready to pour onto that page, but we just can't get it. We can't get it to sound perfect, moving from our minds to our fingers, even when we think we know what to say.
"Why don't you just start on the second paragraph," Lucien Carr said when he at worked at the United Press International, no doubt kick starting a cub reporter at a type writer. And Carr was right. Sometimes leaving the beginning to fill in later and moving on to what comes next, is all it might take to get forward momentum.
Hitting a wall of "writer's block" can be cured by something as simple as Mr. Carr's suggestion. You can't get that first paragraph to work, move down the food chain to the second and see if that doesn't jump start your ideas. Sometimes something as simple as going back to write the beginning last can fix the problem.
If hitting the wall, however, turns to jumping off the cliff, then it might take a little bit more creativity to break through.
Ted Schwartz, in his book Time Management for Writers gives excellent advice on multi projects. It is, as Mr. Schwarz says, only writers who set off to work on one solitary project at a time giving it your full interest, until that interest is burned out. "Doctors see several patients. Lawyers see several clients … but writers often believe the myth that they are not being professional unless they stay with one project through to completion …"
Editing a book? Have you started the research on the next, giving equal time to both projects? Have you volunteered to guest on a blog? How about your favorite RWA chapter? I bet the editor of the newsletter would love to have you ask to contribute. Contest judging? Always a fun way to share our creative thinking while getting a chance to see what other people have to say.
The key to finishing a novel is regularity, to be able to face that first paragraph on a daily basis and say "This is what we're going to do." You must commit to it with a set time and a set goal in order to move from Page One to The End. Nothing can get in the way of this goal. Not TV programs, telephone calls, requests from family or even that cat who decides your keyboard is the warmest place in the house. Here is a little known truth: You *can* move the cat.
On the days the book talks back rudely, telling us "writer's block" is on the menu, then we need a to attack from a different angle, letting that book know it is going to get written. We'll just spend twenty minutes answering writing related e-mail, or maybe we'll write an entry or our blog. Or better still … we'll start on the second paragraph that day and see what the story has in store for us.
Please visit Jax at her movie blog: http://jaxsmovielist.blogspot.com/ Or at her web site: www.JacquiJacoby.com, or via Twitter: @JaxJacoby
Every writer faces it. Every writer worries and dreads that it is going to arrive. You sit down to the computer, whether the project is a novel, an article or a blog entry, and there it will be: a blank document with a blinking cursors asking you to type.
We sit in our chairs, ready to write, the ideas in our head ready to pour onto that page, but we just can't get it. We can't get it to sound perfect, moving from our minds to our fingers, even when we think we know what to say.
"Why don't you just start on the second paragraph," Lucien Carr said when he at worked at the United Press International, no doubt kick starting a cub reporter at a type writer. And Carr was right. Sometimes leaving the beginning to fill in later and moving on to what comes next, is all it might take to get forward momentum.
Hitting a wall of "writer's block" can be cured by something as simple as Mr. Carr's suggestion. You can't get that first paragraph to work, move down the food chain to the second and see if that doesn't jump start your ideas. Sometimes something as simple as going back to write the beginning last can fix the problem.
If hitting the wall, however, turns to jumping off the cliff, then it might take a little bit more creativity to break through.
Ted Schwartz, in his book Time Management for Writers gives excellent advice on multi projects. It is, as Mr. Schwarz says, only writers who set off to work on one solitary project at a time giving it your full interest, until that interest is burned out. "Doctors see several patients. Lawyers see several clients … but writers often believe the myth that they are not being professional unless they stay with one project through to completion …"
Editing a book? Have you started the research on the next, giving equal time to both projects? Have you volunteered to guest on a blog? How about your favorite RWA chapter? I bet the editor of the newsletter would love to have you ask to contribute. Contest judging? Always a fun way to share our creative thinking while getting a chance to see what other people have to say.
The key to finishing a novel is regularity, to be able to face that first paragraph on a daily basis and say "This is what we're going to do." You must commit to it with a set time and a set goal in order to move from Page One to The End. Nothing can get in the way of this goal. Not TV programs, telephone calls, requests from family or even that cat who decides your keyboard is the warmest place in the house. Here is a little known truth: You *can* move the cat.
On the days the book talks back rudely, telling us "writer's block" is on the menu, then we need a to attack from a different angle, letting that book know it is going to get written. We'll just spend twenty minutes answering writing related e-mail, or maybe we'll write an entry or our blog. Or better still … we'll start on the second paragraph that day and see what the story has in store for us.
Please visit Jax at her movie blog: http://jaxsmovielist.blogspot.com/ Or at her web site: www.JacquiJacoby.com, or via Twitter: @JaxJacoby
June 27, 2011
More Hints for Public Speaking - Workshops
What I'm reading: Murder in the Mind, by L.L. Bartlett; Treachery in Death, by J.D. Robb
Yesterday, I gave a presentation to my local RWA chapter. This was a craft workshop, and there are different considerations when doing an informal chat, which is what I talked about last week.
For a workshop, you're going to need more preparation, of course. Here are a few more hints for a successful presentation.
1. Even if it's one you've given until you think you could do it in your sleep, REVIEW THE MATERIAL in advance. You don't want to have to stop to read your notes.
2. Work from notes, NOT a printout of your workshop. You'll put everyone to sleep, because "reading" isn't "talking." You don't want to sound like a boring professor.
3. Have handouts. People will be more attentive if they know they don't have to struggle to write down everything you're saying.
4. Touch base with the organizer to make sure any equipment you required will be available.
5. Arrive early to set up. Make sure everything works. Be prepared with plans B and C if everything doesn't work. Can you give your talk if there's no powerpoint projector, or if your computer won't communicate with it? While technology can make your talk lively and give your audience something to focus on other than you, it can break down, or not work the way you expected.
6. Try to be interactive with your audience. Ask for their ideas if your topic permits. You're probably not talking about something where you're the only person in the room who's had experience along those lines. (Hint: I offer chocolate to anyone who participates in any fashion. Ask a volunteer to hand it out.)
7. HAVE FUN.
And, although I've never been invited to give a "featured presentation" at a conference, I found this on Bob Mayer's site yesterday and had to share. The tongue-in-cheek humor isn't really all that far off.And I urge you to check his site, because he has some excellent advice for going to a conference as a featured speaker. Some day, you might need it!
Tomorrow my guest is Jacqui Jacobi, who's talking about writing the Second Paragraph. Come back!
Yesterday, I gave a presentation to my local RWA chapter. This was a craft workshop, and there are different considerations when doing an informal chat, which is what I talked about last week.
For a workshop, you're going to need more preparation, of course. Here are a few more hints for a successful presentation.
1. Even if it's one you've given until you think you could do it in your sleep, REVIEW THE MATERIAL in advance. You don't want to have to stop to read your notes.
2. Work from notes, NOT a printout of your workshop. You'll put everyone to sleep, because "reading" isn't "talking." You don't want to sound like a boring professor.
3. Have handouts. People will be more attentive if they know they don't have to struggle to write down everything you're saying.
4. Touch base with the organizer to make sure any equipment you required will be available.
5. Arrive early to set up. Make sure everything works. Be prepared with plans B and C if everything doesn't work. Can you give your talk if there's no powerpoint projector, or if your computer won't communicate with it? While technology can make your talk lively and give your audience something to focus on other than you, it can break down, or not work the way you expected.
6. Try to be interactive with your audience. Ask for their ideas if your topic permits. You're probably not talking about something where you're the only person in the room who's had experience along those lines. (Hint: I offer chocolate to anyone who participates in any fashion. Ask a volunteer to hand it out.)
7. HAVE FUN.
And, although I've never been invited to give a "featured presentation" at a conference, I found this on Bob Mayer's site yesterday and had to share. The tongue-in-cheek humor isn't really all that far off.And I urge you to check his site, because he has some excellent advice for going to a conference as a featured speaker. Some day, you might need it!
Tomorrow my guest is Jacqui Jacobi, who's talking about writing the Second Paragraph. Come back!
June 25, 2011
And the Winner is ...
The winner of Ellis Vidler's giveaway, a download of Haunting Refrain, is
Urban Milkmaid!
Congratulations! Email Ellis at ellis (at) ellisvidelr (dot) com to arrange to get your prize. And thanks to everyone who commented.
Urban Milkmaid!
Congratulations! Email Ellis at ellis (at) ellisvidelr (dot) com to arrange to get your prize. And thanks to everyone who commented.
June 24, 2011
Friday Field Trip - Galveston
Today's Friday Field Trip come courtesy of fellow writer, commenter, and blogger, Carol Kilgore. I'm sure some of you know her from her blog, Under the Tiki Hut. I hope more of you will step forward with photos to share. Thanks, Carol!
These photos were all taken sometime between April 14-19 this year on Galveston Island in Texas. Galveston has been around for a long time and has a rich and slightly dark history. The island was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike in September 2008 and is still recovering. Century-old live oaks were destroyed and sculptures designed from their trunks dot now the landscape where they once ruled their surroundings. I've included a lot of different sights so you can get a better feel for Galveston and its proud people. Enjoy!
These photos were all taken sometime between April 14-19 this year on Galveston Island in Texas. Galveston has been around for a long time and has a rich and slightly dark history. The island was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike in September 2008 and is still recovering. Century-old live oaks were destroyed and sculptures designed from their trunks dot now the landscape where they once ruled their surroundings. I've included a lot of different sights so you can get a better feel for Galveston and its proud people. Enjoy!
June 23, 2011
Rules? Why?
What I'm reading: Mystery, by Jonathan Kellerman
Remember,Ellis Vidler is giving away a book to one commenter, and you have until Friday to leave yours on her post. Scroll down to Tuesday.
There was a very interesting discussion at the Mystery Writers of America Yahoo group about when a dead body should show up in the book.
This puzzled the heck out of me. I know when I started writing romance, people told me I broke the "rules" because the first male character on scene wasn't the hero. Rules? I'd never read a romance, but the mystery I thought I was writing was, according to my daughters, turning into one, so I thought I should start reading them.
At first, looking at the short category romances (I tend to think of them as romance Garanimals because of the color and design coded covers), that seemed to be true. Now, I have no problem accepting conventions and reader expectations. If it's a romance, then there's going to have to be a hero and a heroine, and figuring out who's who is part of the reading experience. And in those very short books, I could understand why you had to get there early on.
Luckily, I had just about finished my first draft of my novel or I might have given up. I expanded my reading horizons and found there were very successful rule breakers out there. Allison Brennan even killed off a character that seemed to be set up as the hero. And Linda Castillo didn't bring her characters together into anything resembling a relationship until well into one of her books.
Another romance "rule" I broke was bringing Randy and Sarah back as the hero and heroine of a second book. I wasn't done with them, and I didn't see why they couldn't continue, especially since I'd broken the "they get married and have children in the epilogue" rule.
Now, if readers are expecting a murder because the book is classified as mystery, then maybe there should be one. However, I don't recall a murder in every single Sherlock Holmes story, and I defy anyone to dispute that Doyle wrote mysteries. I still regard my books as "mysteries with relationships" and rely as much on the structure of a mystery as that of a romance when I write them.
In Finding Sarah's first draft, there was no murder at all. The closest was the death of her husband, which happened well before the book started. When I finished, I did have a murder, but it wasn't on the page and wasn't the focus of the book by a long shot.
Hidden Fire did put a dead body up front, but it was because I needed a logical reason for Randy to abandon Sarah on their first night together after a 3 month separation.
What's in a Name? Another romantic suspense, but the mystery had nothing to do with a dead body. Nowhere to Hide. A body did show up, but well into the book.
When Danger Calls. More of an action adventure, so maybe I'm forgiven for not having a murder in the book. Where Danger Hides. Some deaths, but solving them wasn't the point of the book.
I guess I'm confused. But I'm not stopping the writing. Right now, I'm in chapter 7 of a WIP and there's still no dead body. Stuff is happening, but nobody's died. When I re-read the book for pacing, I might move it up, but …
When I was working on the cozy mystery proposal I discussed here some time back, I turned in the first 3 chapters, with the body discovered, per what the editor seemed to have requested, on about page 6. When she asked for revisions, she wanted me to introduce all the players and hint at motives, and to move the discovery of the body well into chapter 3.
And, when I added my response to why I objected to being told that a murder had to show up in the first pages to the Mystery Writers group, another member sent me this link. I think it's a delightful example of breaking the "rules." (And getting another look at a youthful Redford and Newman doesn't hurt, either.)
Have you read anything recently that defied "convention" but turned out to be a good read anyway?
Remember,Ellis Vidler is giving away a book to one commenter, and you have until Friday to leave yours on her post. Scroll down to Tuesday.
There was a very interesting discussion at the Mystery Writers of America Yahoo group about when a dead body should show up in the book.
This puzzled the heck out of me. I know when I started writing romance, people told me I broke the "rules" because the first male character on scene wasn't the hero. Rules? I'd never read a romance, but the mystery I thought I was writing was, according to my daughters, turning into one, so I thought I should start reading them.At first, looking at the short category romances (I tend to think of them as romance Garanimals because of the color and design coded covers), that seemed to be true. Now, I have no problem accepting conventions and reader expectations. If it's a romance, then there's going to have to be a hero and a heroine, and figuring out who's who is part of the reading experience. And in those very short books, I could understand why you had to get there early on.
Luckily, I had just about finished my first draft of my novel or I might have given up. I expanded my reading horizons and found there were very successful rule breakers out there. Allison Brennan even killed off a character that seemed to be set up as the hero. And Linda Castillo didn't bring her characters together into anything resembling a relationship until well into one of her books.
Another romance "rule" I broke was bringing Randy and Sarah back as the hero and heroine of a second book. I wasn't done with them, and I didn't see why they couldn't continue, especially since I'd broken the "they get married and have children in the epilogue" rule.
Now, if readers are expecting a murder because the book is classified as mystery, then maybe there should be one. However, I don't recall a murder in every single Sherlock Holmes story, and I defy anyone to dispute that Doyle wrote mysteries. I still regard my books as "mysteries with relationships" and rely as much on the structure of a mystery as that of a romance when I write them.
In Finding Sarah's first draft, there was no murder at all. The closest was the death of her husband, which happened well before the book started. When I finished, I did have a murder, but it wasn't on the page and wasn't the focus of the book by a long shot.
Hidden Fire did put a dead body up front, but it was because I needed a logical reason for Randy to abandon Sarah on their first night together after a 3 month separation.
What's in a Name? Another romantic suspense, but the mystery had nothing to do with a dead body. Nowhere to Hide. A body did show up, but well into the book.
When Danger Calls. More of an action adventure, so maybe I'm forgiven for not having a murder in the book. Where Danger Hides. Some deaths, but solving them wasn't the point of the book.
I guess I'm confused. But I'm not stopping the writing. Right now, I'm in chapter 7 of a WIP and there's still no dead body. Stuff is happening, but nobody's died. When I re-read the book for pacing, I might move it up, but …
When I was working on the cozy mystery proposal I discussed here some time back, I turned in the first 3 chapters, with the body discovered, per what the editor seemed to have requested, on about page 6. When she asked for revisions, she wanted me to introduce all the players and hint at motives, and to move the discovery of the body well into chapter 3.
And, when I added my response to why I objected to being told that a murder had to show up in the first pages to the Mystery Writers group, another member sent me this link. I think it's a delightful example of breaking the "rules." (And getting another look at a youthful Redford and Newman doesn't hurt, either.)
Have you read anything recently that defied "convention" but turned out to be a good read anyway?
June 22, 2011
Ask Yourself Why
What I'm reading: Hollywood Scandals by Gemma Halliday.
Thanks so much to Ellis Vidler, yesterday's guest, for her look at showing emotions. Remember, she's giving away a book to one commenter, and you have until Friday to leave yours. Scroll down.
Why is there a dog in DANGER IN DEER RIDGE? What's the most important question to consider when you're writing? That's what I'm talking about today at The Blood Red Pencil. Hope you'll drop by and say hello.
Meanwhile, please don't forget that I'm giving away copies of DANGER IN DEER RIDGE as part of my buy 1 get 1 free offer. Click the Deals & Steals tab for how to get yours. Remember, you can buy When Danger Calls from any of your favorite e-tailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords.
Thanks so much to Ellis Vidler, yesterday's guest, for her look at showing emotions. Remember, she's giving away a book to one commenter, and you have until Friday to leave yours. Scroll down.
Why is there a dog in DANGER IN DEER RIDGE? What's the most important question to consider when you're writing? That's what I'm talking about today at The Blood Red Pencil. Hope you'll drop by and say hello.
Meanwhile, please don't forget that I'm giving away copies of DANGER IN DEER RIDGE as part of my buy 1 get 1 free offer. Click the Deals & Steals tab for how to get yours. Remember, you can buy When Danger Calls from any of your favorite e-tailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords.
