My New Year's Resolution: Loving Words, Dreading Writing





Let's Take a Hard Look at that Word!





RESOLUTION "Making up your mind to do something . . . to resolve."





For me that's acting on thoughts, putting pen to paper and fingers to keyboard.





I love words--finding new ones --or using words in a way I haven't done before.





The latter can be a danger to the writer of mystery novels. Readers have a certain subconcscious expectation of style and pace. Going outside the norm may turn on a few readers. Reality is that doing so also causes many to close their books and toss them aside "for another time."





I've maneuvered around that "debris in the highway" so to speak, by going for old-fashioned expressions or sayings. These are ones that would fit one of my characters, usually an older auntie type or curmodgony neighbor.





Had that predilection (love that word) come "home to roost" when my 10-year-old granddaughter Bridget said to her mother:





"You know today I told my friend Alicia, 'Let's skeddadle'



Granddaughter Bridget threw up a hand to cover her mouth. She grinned slyly at me and added, "I sounded just like grandma."





And you know, that's okay by me.





Here's to your wordsmithing and publishing in 2009.





Day 1 of posting on my blog on Day 2 of 2009.





Yours in mystery,





Pat

HINTS AND TIPS

Writer wannabees and experienced authors can benefit from this e-book. I'm proud to be one of the contributing authors, with "Grant Writing Tips for Authors." This is well worth a look and the price. check it out at http://www.lulu.com/content/775602 for paperback, and go to

doubledragonpublishing http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/glist.php?genre=Self%20Help
For e-book or Sony book version.

Cheers and yours in writing,

Pat

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTERS

No, they are not one and the same. At least, not when I reflect on an excellent article in Forbes online titled "When the Old and Young Collide at Work."

The gist of this piece, developed out of research done by Cristina Simon, professor at the Instiuto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain, is that there are four generations that currently make up the corporate workforce. They include:

• 
  
  Traditional Workers (born before 1946);


• 
  
  Baby boomers (1946-1960);


• 
  
  Generation X (1961-1979); and


• 
  
  Generation Y (starting from 1980).

What does this have to do with those of us who write fiction--mysteries?

The answer is her research provides insight that helps us as writers to flesh out the "why" of how our characters act and react in certain ways. Most writers do character profiles or sketches as they embark on their novels. These sketches include more than the color of hair and the person's birthdate. Age, alone, without understanding the molding influence on that generation by the culture around, is to miss some of the richness contributing to the personality of the person.

So, for me, this article provided one of those "ah ha!" moments.

For example, I learned that:

• 
  
  Traditional workers value loyalty and discipline and respect authority and hierarchy. (Wouldn't it be fun to have two characters of that age group who do and then an additional one, who does not?)


• 
  
  Baby boomers have the largest population of workaholics in the corporate world, says the author. And that generation gave birth to the "yuppie;"


• 
  
  Generation X is rich in entrepreneurs, skeptical of large enterprises, and they are individuals who embrace flexibility and conciliation; and finally


• 
  
  Generation Y is the first generation to live entire lives with information technology, and are much more individualistic. (I knew that, but have to remember it deliberately when using a character from that age group.)

Every mystery story must have inherent conflicts and crises to be interesting. One way to provide them is to pit different generations as well as just peers.

I had fun looking at some of my current characters in my WIP and thinking about how to give them more depth because of this way of looking at them.

Here's the link to the Forbes article: http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/when-the-old-and-young-collide-at-work/20080109164009990001

Hope this is fodder for your imagination.

Yours in mystery,

Pat

NEW YEAR, FRESH START, GOOD INTENTIONS

A blog is a lonely venture if it isn't read--it's more of a useless space if it isn't written on a regular basis. So . . . that's --

New Year's Intention No. 1 -- Write often! Daily, in fact. See below!

No. 2 -- Invite fellow authors of the mystery genre to visit and write a blog. This has become a freebie and good resource for marketing, gaining name recognition and, hopefully, picking up new readers and sell books.

No. 3 -- Provide helpful tips learned from others and by the old-fashioned "hard way." That is, through painful experience. One of these tips is to:

• Pick one word, or take one brief thought and write on it for ten minutes without self-condemnation or self-critiquing. Just go with the flow, even if it's fragment writing. One of the greatest barriers to turning out sufficient material and quickly for a couple hundred pages or more, is crippling self-doubt: Who am I to call myself a writer? Unfortunately, critique groups, writing sites and books on writing can tend to inhibit rather than encourage free flow writing. Sure, you'll have to go back, tear out sections, mutter, "blech," and rewrite and catch typos, etc. But, the important part is that you WROTE, you put words to paper.

No. 4 -- Post a variety of helpful links about writing, mysteries in particular, and share them for readers and those who pick up on RSS feeds. Here are a few:

• MuseConferenceBoard@yahoogroups.com -- Lea Schiz runs this and offers an online conference in November that is excellent and fun. She also has the museclub@yahoogroups.ca which is a congenial writing group.
  
• Crimeandsuspense.com -- Tony Burton, Editor/Publisher, also has a list for writers interested in the mystery/suspense field at crimeandsunspense@yahoo.com Visit the site, get a feel for what he has to offer and the submission guidelines. Tony often runs contests, too, and he's now paying for stories.

No. 5 -- Explore more the art, craft and business of marketing, which every author is required to go in the extremely competive field.

• One of the musts is Dan Poynter's newsletter, publishinpoynters.com. He has a back file on a lot of topics relative to publishing, publishers and such.
  
• Also, check out Self-Publishing@yahoogroups.com that gives useful information about self-publishing and the craft/business of selling books. Even if an author is with a traditional publisher, the info shared is helpful. SPAN stands for Small Publishers Association of North America.

No. 6 -- Reach out to someone, write a note of thanks, comment on others' blogs with helpful information or an "atta girl," or an "atta boy." The old expression fits here: What goes round, comes round.

Here's to a successful writing year to you.

Pat

KILLER HOBBIES: Canine Cops

KILLER HOBBIES: Canine Cops

Love these kinds of stories and the background on this K-9 cop and his partner(s). Don't know how my amateur detective Bridget's pal, Narvik would do. But I suspect a pretty Norwegian Elkhound might like to hang our with a big, strong German Shepherd. The blog's worth a peek.

TRAVEL WRITING AND

THE FOCUS FACTOR

Probably, I should throw in a palm tree or two. on this post. (In fact, I'm throwing in pre-pub cover art of my novel that I'm working on. Murder Visits Antigua and the research thingy is tough duty (she says, tongue in cheek.)

Along the way to finding out what was happening on a Caribbean Island in the 1930s for my Golden Age Mystery novel, I've had wonderful adventures. They included finding out from a taxi driver the name and phone number of a retired Leeward Island Police Commissioner. Then calling him up, finding his house in a tiny village and interviewing him.

Can I use the material in other ways besides lending authenticity to my novel's characters and setting? You bet, I can. Now here's where "focus" or lack thereof, comes in. I'm focused on the history and current times of Antigua, but I'll use the material in multiple ways.

For example, I'm also working on an article now for the Caribbean Trvel and Life magazine and am looking for more travel-related markets. http://www.carribbeantravelmag.com/ I have found out so much that would be of interest to other travelers, historians, archeologists and other interest groups.

It has to be the best of all worlds to be a writer and to have the epiphany: I'm looking through a multi-facted prism that glitters with multiple opportunities for writing and publishing my researcht in different venues.

Yahoo! It's a great life.

Wite on, my friends!

Pat

P. S. Check out my mock book cover pix.

RESEARCHING EXOTIC SETTINGS

FOR MYSTERY NOVELS

ANTIGUA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Was It Hard Work? . . . You Got to Be Kidding!

Mystery Visits Antigua is a Golden Age Mystery featuring Aunt Amelia Winthrope. Am I ever having fun with this character!



I've done a pre-pub/pre-promotion cover with story overview that is uploaded. I used it in my interviews and contacts when in Antigua this month. I found that having the visual piece helpful to those I interviewed. They opened up more to my questions, gave me some wonderful referrals to folks that would have specific information about a place or time or event.



I've included below an update on my Antigua trip, and a bit about my "research" trip to the Caribbean Stonhenge. I hope you enjoy it. And, out of this trip, came an invitation to attend the Antigua Literary Festival held the first weekend in November.



Well, of course, I'm going, and I'm psyched. There are some wonderful literary Caribbean authors who will be speaking and attending. I feel priviliged to be asked.



So, friends, read on, and I hope you enjoy.



Yours in the mystery of writing and of life,



Pat



The trip? It went well--how could a person say otherwise? Fun thing going up to the Caribbean Stonehenge, although little of that site is left now. It's fast eroding because it isn't a priority for being maintained. For my last few trips to Antigua, one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, I've been asking and asking to go up to the site with our Antiguan friend, Wayne. He acts as my kind of "minder" while I'm on the island.



The megaliths are on Green Castle Hill, about 600 ft. high with a vertical grade of 35-40 degrees in places. And it's above a stoney masonry factory that is busy carving out the limestone and volcanic rock that will end up in fences around expensive resorts and compounds. So, they often are blasting at the hill/mountain. At any rate, one of the villagers from Green Castle, Bonehead (true name) led the way with Wayne and me following. Lots of lemon grass, whipping ankles and legs, rutted trails, shale and loose rock. I made it about 7/8's of the way, the wind was gusting about 35 knots, and there was no protection from it. I had to stop. The guys went up to the top and took pictures for me.



The way down was harder, and the men held my hands as we slipped and slid down the mountain side. I had this idiotic picture in my head of looking like a debutante, hands outstretched on either side to a "gallant" escort, who helped me down steps, as I swept regally into the ballroom. The guys did hold my hands, but I was sweating, slipping, sliding, and they were, too. Hair hung in my eyes, cap half off. All, in all, I was not a pretty sight.



And then we had to cross paths through a potholed field with a bull who didn't look too happy to see this sweating, redfaced lady encroaching on his turf.



Then had an interesting session with trying to get a diabetic testing kit that I ordered for a retired Leeward Island Police Force commissioner. He couldn't afford one, so I had my son Stateside buy and FedEx one to my attention. (Things have a way of not getting to people in the small villages in any timely manner). Finally ransomed the diabetic kit from customs and took it to my friend, who also is vetting my manuscript.



Let me tell you, power in developing countries, is with the individual holding the rubber stamp--seal of approval. Never have any doubt to that. Had to have five sets of papers, rubber stamped in order to get that testing kit "free at last." My friend has the kit and all is well.



Truly, I had a marvelous time, a learning one, and I'd sure do it all over again.

BTW, I was asked to come back in November to attend the Antigua Literary Festival. It is primarily for Caribbean authors and this is the second year that is has been held. My WIP, Murder Visits Antigua, plus my story published on Amazon Shorts, "Antiguan Memories," makes me eligible to be invited.



If anyone has the time, please check out the story. It costs 49 cents from Amazon. And, I need more reviews posted on it. Write me off list, if you'd like a copy to peruse. The story is speculative fiction:



Set in the 1930s on the Caribbean Island of Antigua, a disillusioned Anglican priest,

a mute Antiguan young man, and the spirit of a murdered slave girl--all seek release

from their captive states.