Writing and the Pursuit of Happiness — T.K. Thorne

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      Writer, humanist,
          dog-mom, horse servant and cat-slave,
       Lover of solitude
          and the company of good friends,
        New places, new ideas
           and old wisdom.


Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Thomas Jefferson felt those three things of such importance,
he wrote them into the Constitution of the United States and dubbed them “unalienable
rights.”
But what do they mean? 
“Life” isn’t a hard one. I like breathing as much as the
next person. “Liberty” may be more nuanced, but we know, at the least, it means
freedom from tyranny. But the “pursuit of happiness” has always kind of
confused me.
For most of my life, the desire of my heart was to have a
horse. My poor parents had to endure the steady entreaties of my obsession,
begging that did not wait for gift-giving holidays.  If only I had thought of it, I could have
declared it was my right as a U.S. citizen to have a horse because that was the
only thing that would grant me happiness.
My sharp mother would have most certainly pointed out that
having the horse was not my right, only pursuing it, which I was doing.
Still, the questions remain. 
What is happiness and why do I have a right to pursue it and just how do
I pursue it? This is not a frivolous question. Please bear with me for a tiny
bit of history.
Thomas Jefferson was a self-declared Epicurean. Epicurus was
a Greek philosopher who lived from 341 BC and 270 BC, about 2300 years ago.  He emphasized pleasure as the highest goal of
mankind. The word today conjures up words such as hedonism, luxury, and sensual
pleasure, all with a negative judgment attached. This misinterpretation may be
laid at the feet of the early Catholic Church who declared Epicurean philosophy
a pagan challenge to the Church and, therefore, heresy.   Very bad things happened to heretics.
The original teachings of Epicurus lifted up pleasure not in
the sensual, temporary sense, but in the long-term acceptance of oneself and
one’s nature that leads to serenity and inner peace. The journey toward that
goal actually called for temperance and moderation.  The Greek word worked its way through Greek
and Latin into English as “pleasure,” but perhaps in modern terms the word “happiness”
is truer to the original meaning.
For the sake of simplicity, let’s distinguish “pleasure” and
“happiness.”  Pleasure is the temporary
chasing and fulfilling of desire. [I must have a horse, now, or I will forever
be miserable.] Happiness is a state of inner peace and balance where life is
lived for the most part in the present. [I love and appreciate horses but if I
don’t  have the Black Stallion in my
backyard, I will still be a complete and fulfilled human being.]
Go tell that to my ten-year-old self. Ha! . . .Obviously, it
takes maturity to find happiness.
Where were we? 
So happiness is something way deeper than pleasure,
something so important and basic that it is our inalienable right to seek it.
Wow.
What does this have to do with writing?
Again, bear with me for a short backing up.  One of the components of finding happiness is
the ability to live, for the most part, in the present. We humans come with a
brain that has evolved with the capacity to plan.  That is a big deal and definitely made a
difference in our ability to survive.
Planning is not necessarily limited to humans. Squirrels
hide nuts for the winter. (I always thought ants stored food too, but unless Aesop was talking
about the Messor aciculatus species,
that was just a fable.) What we don’t know is if the squirrel is aware that the
tasty nut he hides will feed him come winter or if he just acts on instinct,
but whatever.  The important thing is
that we humans are wired to plan. In ancient days, we sought a cave for when it
got dark and dangerous or rained or snowed. We smoked meet to preserve it. We
learned to grow and store crops. Now we shop at the grocery store but usually for
at least a week’s worth of food.
That’s the good side of concern and subsequent rational
planning, but there is an evil twin lurking. 
Her name is “worry” on a light day, and “anxiety” on a dark one. Our
minds can go into hyper drive about the future or the past. Angst and regret
are children of the mind’s tendency to dwell in a time that is not the present.
[How’s that for mixed metaphors? *sticking
out tongue * It’s my blog and I can do it if I want.]
Memory can be a friend that saves us from repeating mistakes
and gives us direction for decision making. 
Or it can be a pleasant companion. It can also be a special hell on the
road away from happiness. [See above.]
The answer according to Buddha and Epicurus is to find a way
to live in the present because that is the only experience that is real, that
is truth. There are other aspects of this, but let’s stay with this one—living
in the present, also known as mindfulness. 
Step One used by Eastern seekers of happiness is meditation.  There are lots of ways to meditate, but the
primary goal is to practice bringing the wandering mind (lovingly) back to the now.
We writers are rarely in the now.  We are dreamers.  Our mind wanders as easily and naturally as
breathing.  [Sitting down to dinner and
noticing silverware while guests talk about politics of the day: How would I hide that knife in my clothing
if I were kidnapped—though I put up a brave fight and a breathtaking chase on
my black stallion—and a prisoner in the castle of an evil man who wanted to
marry me against my will?]
The present?  Very
funny. Impossible.
Writers spent a great deal of our lives dreaming and
“living” with characters and situations in made-up worlds, so engrossed that
the real world, the present, and the passage of time are completely unnoticed.  [Really. 
Ask my husband.] We are not in the here-and-now. You can’t get more
“elsewhere.”
That makes us failures at Step One, right?
Not so fast. 
Meditation is not an end of itself.  It’s a tool. We exercise and eat well in order to have a healthy body that can
do the things we want to do—walk, run, swim, not be in pain.  Unless you are a monk, meditating all day is
not the goal. The goal is happiness. 
Mindfulness is a state of attention that is conducive to the path or way
of being happy.
Wait.  Did you catch
that?  Directing our thoughts to what we’re engaged in. 
A potter absorbed in the feel of wet clay shaping in his
hands is living in the present. An
artist focused on the task of mixing the perfect color is likewise living in
the present. A child at play. A reader absorbed in a story. A parent intent on helping his child hold a bat. An athlete in the zone. A fruebd truly listening.
The purpose of meditation is to exercise our focus, so that
we can bring our full attention to the moment–to a scene of beauty, a moment of
sorrow . . . a task.
When I am writing, lost in the creating or the shaping of what
I have created, I am happy. I am not “aware” of my happiness. I just am. I am
not judging, not thinking about or worrying about the future or the past. I
just am.  It’s my inalienable right.

A retired police captain, T.K. has written two award-winning historical novels, NOAH’S WIFE and ANGELS AT THE GATE, filling in the untold backstories of extraordinary, yet unnamed women—the wives of Noah and Lot—in two of the world’s most famous sagas. The New York Post’s “Books You Should Be Reading” list featured her first non-fiction book, LAST CHANCE FOR JUSTICE, which details the investigators’ behind-the-scenes stories of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing case. Coming soon: HOUSE OF ROSE, the first of a trilogy in the paranormal-crime genre. 

She loves traveling and speaking about her books and life lessons. T.K. writes at her mountaintop home near Birmingham, Alabama, often with two dogs and a cat vying for her lap. More info at TKThorne.com. Join her private newsletter email list and receive a two free short stories at “TK’s Korner.”

My Notes on Writing by Juliana Aragon Fatula

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Dear Reader,

Today, I’m sharing more of my notes on writing that I’ve
taken since I began this journey to teach myself how to write a mystery. My notes are from the following books on writing mysteries: Linda Rodriguez’ Plotting the Character Driven Novel recommends these books on writing: Carolyn See’s Making a Literary Life, Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer, Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way, Stephen King’s On Writing: A memoir of the Craft, Madeleine L”Engle’s A circle of Quiet, Leonard Bishop’s Dare to Be a Great Writer, Elizabeth George’s Write Away, One Writer’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, Brenda Ueland’s, If You Want to Write a Book About Art, independence, and Spirit, John Gardener’s On Becoming A Novelist, Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life, Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft: Exercise and Discussion on Story Writing for the  Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew.

My attention has been distracted lately. You’re a writer.
Life happens. 

My 83-year young tió passed away in his home in his own
bed. His suitcase sat by the door to move into assisted living the next day. He
was the last of my Father’s generation of ten siblings. 

I met cousins, second cousins, third cousins. I sat in the funeral
home with my husband and son. I read Mary Oliver’s poem “Sometimes”
from Red Bird. I sang an Ojibway death song and shared my family story of
mi tió Joe. I didn’t know him well, but I knew his caregiver, my
cousin, tió Joe’s niece. She asked me to do a reading, claro que sí. 


The next day, my husband and son escorted me to my 71-year-old
brother in low, Frank’s funeral. I’ve known him since I was eight years
old. I shared my favorite memory of Frank for his children, grand-children
and great grandchildren.


The death of her father was particularly difficult
for my favorite niece because she had been his caregiver for years before
Hospice lent a hand.

I made the audience laugh by telling a story about Frank.
It was regional. My hometown is predominately white. My family are Mexican
Indians, Chicanos. Frank’s kids are half Irish Chicanos. His great
granddaughter is part Irish, Indian, and Puerto Rican. She’s blue-eyed but dark
skinned. My husband is white. My son from a previous relationship is puro
Chicano. 


I went with my son to the third funeral this week. He knew
the grandkids of the woman who had been my mother’s best-friend, Mary.


She was a Chicana. Her sons played in my parent’s
yard with my brother when we were kids. I realized my generation is now the
ancestors. Our ancestors have all passed and gone to the party in the sky to
join their loved ones.

Two funerals this week were in my hometown. The
first funeral was in Pueblo, a predominately Chicano community.  The
funeral in Pueblo this week was a Chicano funeral orchestrated by Rev. Lucero.
He wore a tailored black suit, white crocodile cowboy boots, rings and chains
and turquoise. He gave me ideas for a character in my mystery. He did the
service in Spanish and English. He played his guitar and sang old Mexican
corridos. It was memorable. 

Tió Joe’s son,
daughter, and grandkids id not attend. There was no reception or gathering
afterward. He received full military honors for his service. The flag was
presented to his niece, his caregiver. 

All of tió Joe’s brothers and sisters and parents wait for
him in the next world to complete the circle of life. I read a poem about a bird. I sang a death song about a
bird walking in the sky. Here were tears ands miles and hugs.

The funeral for Frank consisted of a Reverend
from Hospice and a recording of Elvis Presley singing Amazing Grace. Frank’s children invited
my husband, son, and I to the wake. There was bountiful food, beer, alcohol. 

My favorite niece looked like she needed to eat and sleep.
She’s my favorite because she spent the night at the hospital with me the night
my Mother died. It’s a memory we share that no one in the family has. It’s our
memory of Mother’s passing while we held her hand and tried to keep each other
awake. My husband works at the hospital, so he kept us coffee’d-up. He was
there in the room when she passed. My Mother called my husband the Energizer
Bunny. 

Frank’s funeral gave me the opportunity to be there for my
niece and nephews. They call me tía. Frank’s funeral hit me hard. 

Mary, my Mother’s best friend, had a Catholic Mass, very
traditional. I didn’t have the energy after three funerals to visit Mary’s
wake. I said good bye to her and asked her to tell my Mother and Father hi for
me. Seeing her open casket was mistake for me, it reminded me of my Mother’s
funeral ten years ago. I see my Mother welcoming, Mary, Frank, Joe her best
friend, son in law and brother in law to heaven. I feel her presence near me. I
feel my Father’s spirit everywhere especially in Villa Nueva, New Mexico when
we visit the place he was born in 1917. 

Attending these funerals has inspired me to be a better
person. And to write a will and prepare for my day to join them. 

I observed the people at these funerals and made mental
notes for character’s in my mystery. The sights, sounds, smells of incense in
the cathedral, the perfume of the women I hugged, the difference between the
Chicano funeral in Pueblo, the Chicano funeral in my hometown, and the Irish
funeral at the funeral home my family has used my entire life. This week will
be memorable, but he older I get, the more funerals I attend. The circle of
life. 

Here are some of the notes I’ve taken from some of the
master writer’s I’ve studied on the art of writing a mystery. Answering these
questions and exploring some of the writing assignments helped me to get
started. I hope they help you, too. 


1. Character X wants Y but Z gets in the way.

2. Why does your protagonist want to solve the murder?

3. What if stalker is female?

4. Why is the villain willing to kill?

5. What does your protagonist see, hear, smell, taste, or
touch that would startle or frighten her/him?

6. There are two ways to make a character stand out: give
them distinctive mannerisms or a relatable conflict that is odd or unusual.

7. What does your character do when she/he is scared or
nervous?

8. What brings the character into the story?

9. Describe the character’s goal at the beginning of the
mystery.

10. What does your character say she/he wants?

11. How will she/he change because of what she/he faces
and/or learns about her/himself?

12. What make the character different from others?

13, What is the character’s stake for getting involved?

14. What in your character’s family history shapes her/his
take in the story?

15. Humanize your villain.

16. Don’t make life too easy for your bad guy. Give them
soft spots and flaws. 

17. Make characters diverse: LGBTQ, people of color and
especially women in non-traditional careers.

18. Make everything plausible in the story.

19. Write a climactic scene in which the protagonist
demonstrates an ability or skill to overcome the bad guy.

20. Allow the protagonist to fail at attempts to defeat bad
guy.

21. Write a scene that shows how this ability is used to
rescue a friend.

22. Write a one paragraph flashback showing how and why the
protagonist developed and mastered this skill. 

A final note, because my life is diverse, so are
my characters. I chose Chicanas for my private investigation team. I wrote
characters that are transgender, bisexual, gay, and celibate. My characters are
Chicano, white, black, Jamaican and Chinese. They have unusual mannerisms and
speak with different colloquialisms. They are based on people I know and people
I have yet to meet. But they are real people will real histories and real
problems. Think about making your characters diverse like the world we live in
and create your world in your mind full of colorful personalities. I hope this
helps you. The books I’ve studied helped me immensely and I’ve learned from the
masters of mystery how to tell a great story.

Sunburn and Books

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by Bethany Maines
Last weekend I participated in a “Literary Corner” at a
local arts festival.  It was a chance to
sell books, meet readers and network with other authors.  It’s always so great to see how other authors
sell and a chance to learn some pointers. 
It was also, as it turned out, a chance to sunburn my feet.  No one warned me that part of being an author
would be having to be cognizant of my sunscreen and footwear choices.  So, if you are also in a summer sun
situation, here are some sun burn tips.

1. Act Fast to Cool It Down
Take a quick dip in a pool or
other body of water.  But don’t stay in
too long and get more burned!
2. Moisturize While Skin Is Damp
Use a gentle, but non-oil based,
moisturizing. Repeat to keep burned or peeling skin moist over the next few
days.
3. Decrease the Inflammation
At the first sign of sunburn,
taking an anti-inflammatory drug , such as ibuprofen. Aloe vera may also soothe
mild burns.
4. Replenish Your Fluids
Burns draw fluid to the skin’s
surface and away from the rest of the body. It’s important to rehydrate by
drinking extra liquids.

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery Series, San
Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo
Crime Series, and numerous short stories. When she’s not traveling to
exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in
karate, she can be found chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working
on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on YouTube,
Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Encounters

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by Paula Gail Benson

Today, I
wanted to feature the online publication, Shotgun Honey, which since 2011 has
been offering a forum for crime, noir, and hard-boiled shorts of 700 words. It
has featured over 400 authors, compiling contributors by photo, bio, and
published stories. It offers a great place to find work by favorite writers as
well as discover new talent. Here’s the link:

This weekend, I had the great opportunity of connecting with
fellow blogger Dru Ann Love and terrific author Dorothy McFalls in Charleston,
S.C. (Sorry to have arrived too late to see Tina Whittle, who writes the Tai
Randolph/Trey Seaver series.) We toured the Charleston Tea Plantation (http://www.charlestonteaplantation.com),
the only tea plantation operated in the United States. Following a visit to its
gift shop, we traveled down the road to view the massive, around 400-year-old
Angel Oak (http://www.angeloaktree.com).
We finished the evening with some great local seafood from Vickery’s at Shem
Creek.

Magnificient Angel Oak

Many thanks to Dru Ann and my friend Sue Husman for
letting me share photos. So delighted to spend this happy time with great
people.


Dorothy McFalls, Tina Whittle, and Dru Ann Love
Sue Husman, Dorothy McFalls, Dru Ann Love, and me at Charleston Tea Plantation



‘Neath the Spanish Moss at the Tea Plantation
Dru Ann and Dorothy on the waterfront





From the Keyboard to the Kitchen

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by Shari Randall
I have to admit that my favorite cooking utensils are the take-out menu and the phone. I do occasionally enjoy baking and I can follow a recipe like nobody’s business. That’s why I’ve been surprised to discover that some folks have categorized my mystery series as a “culinary cozy.” 
Cue laughter from my husband and kids.
I write a series set at the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack in mythical Mystic Bay, Connecticut. The Mermaid is owned by Gina “Aunt Gully” Fontana, a woman who has finally achieved her dream of owning a lobster shack. Lobsters are her life and foodies travel miles to eat one of her award winning lobster rolls, which are served topped with Lobster Love sauce. This sauce is basically lobster bisque. Yes, Aunt Gully pours lobster plus butter and heavy cream on lobster.
In the name of research, I’ve visited many lobster shacks and enjoyed the delicious treats they prepare.
But I’ve never cooked a lobster myself. This past weekend I decided to change that and tackle not just cooking a lobster, but also creating the delicious Lobster Love sauce that lures lobster lovers to the Lazy Mermaid lobster shack.
Could writing a character who is an excellent cook help me in the kitchen? I decided to channel Aunt Gully’s expertise and cook a lobster.
(Full disclosure: All this cooking took a village, including my husband and fabulous sister-in-law, who is an even better cook than Aunt Gully.)
It started with steaming some lobsters, which we had to eat with clams casino, corn on the cob, and a lovely a bean salad my husband made because sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your art. 
If you’ve read the books, you know that Aunt Gully sings to her lobsters as they make the ultimate sacrifice, so I hummed her signature tune (“Get Happy” from Summer Stock) as I put the lobsters in the pot. 
Of course, the key to lobster bisque is the lobster flavor – and butter and heavy cream. Lots of butter and heavy cream.
How to get the lobster flavor? For my bisque recipe, we used the leftover lobster carcasses.
Preparing the carcasses is as much fun as it sounds – removing the “yucky stuff” (the intestinal tract and the sac behind the head), breaking up the shells, and sauteeing them in butter. This created a low-tide odor in the house that took two days to dissipate. Take my advice and always cook your lobsters outside on your grill.
From this…

To bisque!
We combined the carcasses with garlic, onion, carrots, tomatoes, herbs, and stock, simmered the resulting mixture, removed the shells, ran the mixture through a food processor, strained it, simmered it some more, added a lot of butter and cream, tasted the soup, added salt and pepper, and there it was. Aunt Gully’s Lobster Love sauce.
Whew!
It took hours to prepare, but the end result was worth it. I not only gained a beautiful bowl of bisque, I gained a whole new appreciation for Aunt Gully.
Have you ever tried to channel one of your characters?  What are some of the things you’ve done in the name of research for your writing?
Shari Randall’s latest Lobster Shack Mystery, AGAINST THE CLAW, will be published by St. Martin’s Press on July 31.

WHY READING IS LIKE CHOCOLATE

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by Kay Kendall

 

Reading is
similar to chocolate. It tastes luscious to most people, but not to all. These
days, however, we know through research that chocolate is a healthy thing to
eat.

Scientific
researchers have likewise come up with reasons why we should read. Here

is a curated list of reasons scientists say
reading should be done—not only for our enjoyment and increased knowledge, but
for our mental and physical well-being.

So next time you feel remorse when
you’ve spent all day reading a favorite new book, just remember these reasons.
Then POOF! Your guilt should vanish. Getting swept away by a compelling story
line or character in a wonderful book is not only entertaining but also is good for you.


Which of these reasons resonate most
with you? I’ve picked two faves. I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours!
How about it?

1.
Reading is an effective way to overcome stress.
Researchers at the University of Sussex found that reading relaxed the heart
rate and muscle tension faster than other activities often said to be
de-stressors—for example taking a walk, listening to music, and drinking tea.
Note that the research was done in England, a bastion of tea drinkers, so this is
really saying something shocking.

 2. Reading exercises our
brains. As our bodies need movement to be strong, our brains need a
work out too. Reading is a more complex activity than watching television and
actually helps establish new neural pathways.

 3.
Reading helps maintain our brains’ sharpness. Neurologists
who studied brains of those who died around age 89 saw signs of a third less
decline among those who stayed mentally active with reading, writing, and other
modes of mental stimulation like puzzles, as compared to those who did little
or none of those activities.

 4. Reading may even ward off Alzheimer’s disease. Adults who pursue activities like reading or puzzles that involve the brain
are less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. Intellectual activity not only
grows our brain power but also strengthens brain against disease.

5. Reading may help us sleep better. Reading before bed is a good
de-stressing habit, unlike watching flashing electronic devices or television
that cue the brain to wake up.

6. Reading self-help books can ease
depression. Reading
books that encourage people to take charge of their own lives can promote the
idea that positive change is possible. A control group that had “bibliotherapy”
combined with talk therapy was less depressed than another group that did not
read self-help literature.

7. Reading helps people become more empathetic.
Spending time exploring an author’s imagination helps people understand other
people’s points of view and problems. Researchers in the Netherlands performed
experiments showing that people who were “emotionally transported” by
a work of fiction experienced boosts in empathy.

8.
Reading can develop and improve a good self-image. Poor readers or non-readers often have
low opinions of themselves and their abilities. Reading helps people understand
their own strength and abilities, hence growing better self-images.

So, here’s to your hours and hours ahead of guilt-free reading! Enjoy!
 ~~~~~~~

Meet the author —
Kay
Kendall is a long-time fan of historical novels and now writes mysteries
that capture the spirit and turbulence of the sixties. A reformed PR executive
who won international awards for her projects, Kay lives in Texas with her
Canadian husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. 
Her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan
buff. Her second mystery, Rainy Day Women, won two
Silver Falchion Awards at Killer Nashville in 2015.

Visit Kay at her website
< http://www.austinstarr.com/>

or on Facebook
< https://www.facebook.com/KayKendallAuthor>

Stretching Out of My Comfort Zone

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by J.M. Phillippe

It all starts with an idea. What if…?

And then you have a choice — follow through with the idea, or don’t. Not following through is easy. You just have to avoid taking any action.

But following through often means doing something new, stepping out of your comfort zone, taking some sort of risk.

This year, I am putting out a Christmas-themed novella. I have never written a holiday-themed story before, so this is all new territory. There is the added stress that I have a very tight deadline to get this story done.

The fun / hard part is having to think about Christmas stuff when in the middle of a heat wave. At this point, “Christmas in July” is a cliche, but I have found myself listening to Christmas carols, and watching Christmas movies to help me get in the mood for my story.

It has definitely been hard to concentrate on Christmas themes with fireworks going off, but it has also been nice to keep some of that holiday cheer up year round. I even have some decorations out for visual inspiration.

Trying something new always feels at least a little risky. And while all writing feels risky, stepping outside of your usual genre or style feels like an even bigger leap than usual. My fear and anxiety is at war with my excitement, and any given day one or the other wins. Good writing days, the excitement wins. Bad writing days, the fear wins.

I find this same fear vs excitement battle happening in other parts of my life, forcing me to take deep breaths, control my catastrophizing thinking, and remind myself that the stakes are not nearly as high as my emotions want me to feel they are.

In the end, I know I will be proud for stepping outside of my comfort zone, whatever happens with the book. That’s what I keep holding on to whenever the fear threatens to take over — there is going to be another side of this feeling. All I have to do is plow through, endure the discomfort, and make it to that other side.

***
J.M. Phillippe is the author of the novels Perfect Likeness and Aurora One and the short stories, The Sight and Plane Signals. She has lived in the deserts of California, the suburbs of Seattle, and the mad rush of New York City. She works as a clinical social worker in Brooklyn, New York and spends her free time binge-watching quality TV, drinking cider with amazing friends, and learning the art of radical self-acceptance, one day at a time.

The Lexington (SC) Serious Writers’ Tour with Steven James, Michelle Medlock Adams, and Bethany Jett

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Bethany Jett

by Paula Gail Benson

In
May, the local Word Weavers group, an affiliate of Word Weavers International,
brought the Serious Writer One Day Tour to the Riverbend Community Church in
Lexington, S.C. If you’re looking for excellent craft and business instruction,
I suggest you check out the offerings at http://www.seriouswriter.com.
The organization, operating since 2015, has online classes as well as the
one-day programs and appearances at conferences.

 

Michelle Medlock Adams

The
instructors who attended the Lexington meeting were Michelle Medlock Adams, a
journalist and award-winning author of primarily children’s books and
devotionals; Bethany Jett, co-founder of The Serious Writer and Vice-President
of Platinum Literary Services, whose work includes devotionals, ghostwriting,
and marketing; and Steven James, who I knew as a prolific thriller writer and terrific
writing instructor, whose craft books include Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting
Your Novel. I also learned that he had written a significant number of
books for the inspirational market.

 

I
decided to attend the program because I had heard Steven James speak at Killer
Nashville and I knew he taught a highly respected novel writing intensive
course with Robert Dugoni, limited to twelve participants each year. His
presentations for the Serious Writer tour were very generous, including
specific techniques and excellent handouts to help with crafting twists,
creating suspense, and revising problem areas. While I spent most of my time at
Steven James’ sessions, I also very much enjoyed the portions of the program
where all the authors joined in to give tips about the process of marketing a
book and using social media. The day was full of good advice and fellowship.

 

Steven James

Following
are some great lists of information that James provided for improving story
telling:

Aspects
of Story Telling

(1)
orientation, which lets a reader know where the story takes place, then
provides the hook that gives the impetus for escalation;

(2)
crisis or calling, which is what goes wrong, turns the world upside down, and
makes the protagonist respond;

(3)
escalation, which occurs as things get worse and is in two parts: (a) the
moment of despair and darkness, and (b) the inevitable, unexpected conclusion;
and, finally, as the story ends, are:

(4)
discovery, and

(5)
transformation.

James
recommended that every story is driven by tension and every scene should end
with a plot twist. To be satisfying, plot twists should be:

(1) unexpected;

(2) inevitable;

(3) an
escalation of what preceded it; and

(4)
a revelation of what went before.

 

He
categorized the five types of plot twists as:

(1)
identity;

(2)
awareness;

(3)
complexity (example: a sting operation);

(4)
cleverness; and

(5)
peril.

 

James
listed four essentials for creating suspense:

(1)
reader empathy (that is, providing a character trait or desire with which a
reader can identify, for example, to love and be loved or to have an adventure);

(2)
reader concern (giving reasons why a reader should care about the characters);

(3)
impending danger (physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, or relational);
and

(4)
escalating tension.

 

Finally,
he offered four questions to ask when solving plot problems:

(1)
what would the character naturally do?

(2)
how can I make things worse?

(3)
how can I add twists or take the story in a new direction?

(4)
what promises have I made that I have not yet kept?

 

Steven
James said that that everything you write is a promise and that in fiction a
writer has both stated and implied promises. In distinguishing among mystery,
suspense, and horror, he gave the following characteristics:

(1)
mysteries are intellectual, not emotional activity where the detective is two
steps ahead of the reader;

(2)
suspense deals with important life matters where the reader is two steps ahead
of the characters and wants to stop the danger; and

(3)
horror allows the gruesome event to happen with the reader and characters in
the same place.

 

If
you want to read more, please check out Steven James’ website, http://www.stevenjames.net/, and his
recorded interviews with other writers at https://www.thestoryblender.com/.

 

And,
if one of the Serious Writer tours or events is coming near you, you’ll find it
a great program to attend!

Sock Stories by Debra H. Goldstein

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SOCK STORIES by Debra H. Goldstein
Have you ever
noticed the socks a person wears? Like the words a writers put on paper, each
pair tells a story or evokes images or feelings.

For example, my
husband wears dark socks to his office because he has bought into the theory that they look more  look more professional than gym socks, but his disinterest in how he dresses is reflected by his
unwillingness to take the time to match the color of his socks to the shade of his slacks.
He’s just as likely to wear black with brown as he is to grab a pair of brown
socks. Joel is most comfortable in gym socks and sneakers. To my chagrin, his yucky
looking tube socks and an old pair of slip-ons are the image indelibly pressed
into our neighbors’ minds when they seem him going outside every morning to
retrieve his precious newspaper.

A young man I
know tells a different story through his sock choices. He considers himself to
be a player. Consequently, he coordinates the sharpest socks I’ve ever seen
with tailor made suits and shirts, as well as specialized pocket handkerchiefs
or patterned ties.

Personally, I’ve
always been fond of wearing socks that tell a story or bring a memory back to
me. I wear Chanukah, Mah jongg, and other holiday socks to make a statement for
the moment, much as one does with a Christmas sweater. On a bad day, I choose
between the comfort afforded by two pairs of warm soft fuzzy socks.

Last week, when
we took a family cruise to Alaska, the socks I ended up wearing not only
created a story for the moment, but became part of memories I will pull up in
the future.

The ages in
our group ranged from five to seventy-five. I wasn’t the oldest, but I easily
was the group’s cattle herder. Before we sailed, I reminded everyone to bring
passports, cold weather and rain gear (and of course our coldest day was 72
degrees and the only time it rained was once while we were sleeping), and other
essentials. I chided, sent e-mails, and while packing managed to leave my air
pushed out of it plastic bag of socks on the dining room table.

I arrived on
the ship with only the striped sneaker socks I was wearing, but never fear,
cruise ships sell everything. That is why I am now the owner of pink and purple
socks that all say Alaska and have moose heads, full sized mooses, bears, and
something I’m not sure of on them.

Each morning,
as I pulled on a pair of these socks, they reminded me I was sharing Alaska with
people who matter to me more than anything else. The animals, background
mountains, and whatever it was on one pair that I wasn’t sure of, also made a statement
that this would be a day of new experiences and beautiful terrain.

Our most
varied day was in Juneau. For us, it was the day of the glaciers. Joel and I
took the most sedate way of seeing them – busing and hiking to lookout points,
but even from a distance, the beauty of massive pieces of ice broken from the
main glacier fascinated me. What I saw and the ranger’s movie made me ever so
much more aware of global warming because of how the glacier itself has
receded. My daughter and her husband kayaked out to the glacier; my two sons
took a float plane into the glacier area; and our five year old grand-daughter and
her parents visited a dog camp and rode a dog sled. Everyone came back to the
ship impressed by what we experienced.

From now on,
whenever I put on a pair of my Alaskan socks, I will remember the looks of
happiness everyone had while telling me about their day.

My initial
anger at forgetting my socks has been replaced by the stories my new ones will
always unlock. Whenever I see the pink moose or either “Moose Hug” or “Alaska” on my socks, memories and
scenes from the cruise will be triggered – much as words create mental images
in a good book, short story or poem.

My Murder Mystery Notes by Juliana Aragon Fatula

/in /by

Dear Readers, 

I’ve taken some notes in my study of how to write a mystery and today I share some of them with you. These may be from one writer or several. I’ve read books by the following writers on writing mysteries:  

Linda Rodriguez’ Plotting the Character Driven Novel recommends these books on writing: Carolyn See’s Making a Literary Life, Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer, Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way, Stephen King’s On Writing: A memoir of the Craft, Madeleine L”Engle’s A circle of Quiet, Leonard Bishop’s Dare to Be a Great Writer, Elizabeth George’s Write Away, One Writer’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, Brenda Ueland’s, If You Want to Write a Book About Art, independence, and Spirit, John Gardener’s On Becoming A Novelist, Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life, Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft: Exercise and Discussion on Story Writing for the  Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew.

On learning to read like a writer Linda Rodriquez suggests, “Read the first time the way any reader does for enjoyment and delight to find out what happens next. Then, read over and over, very slowly, Read and ponder. Read like a writer reads for techniques. These writers are our teachers…learn everything you can from them. Learn from the best. Then go practice some of those good techniques in your own work…You’re a writer. Think on paper.” 


Deborah Coonts, “Give your characters one or two eccentricities. Too many weird traits and too many offbeat characters and they start to blend together. Make them memorable.”

Roberta Isleib, “The writer must build an urgency to solve the crime into the character’s history and psychology, your character should learn new things about herself, and she should change because of what she learns.”


Deborah Turrell Atkinson, “The most interesting conflicts usually combine internal and external threats and examine the reactions under pressure. The protagonist learns skills and acquires wisdom throughout the story, so t hat she/he is prepared for the final confrontation. She needs to grow and change. Add the unexpected. Life does that. 

John Westerman, “Imagine a mixed gender of adults you know well, concentrate on their faults, weaknesses and exaggerate them. Do the same for their modest strengths. What divides them? Brings them joy or sorrow? Some will be brave but some will have hands that shake and voices break during confrontation. Now imagine these people as cops and hand them badges and guns and the power to cause great harm on themselves and others. Send them on a noble mission.”


Mathew Dicks, “As a write you must be willing to step into the darkness. A villains life is never simple. Villains are not without villains. Remember this.”

Hallie Ephron, “Choose details to reveal character. How does she/he stand, sit, walk, run? How does she/he show anxiety, upset, frustrations, elation, or surprise? Include some at outset and layer more as story moves forward. Fill the fictional world your character inhabits with props. If you carefully choreograph details, you choose to put on page, you can reveal protagonists and her/his backstory in layers. Etch her possessions and setting in your mind.”


1. Treat your protagonist like you hate her/him. No struggle beans boring story. Obsessions, bad choices, faulty judgements, trust wrong people, blind to people and things that might help to solve murder investigation, believes in betrayers, obstacles to solving homicide, wrong direction, delay/damage, make things bad and then worse, scandal, blind to real motive, danger, disasters, storms, injury, failures, betrayal, thwart the desire, use physical injury, mechanical failures, rejection…


2. A scene many never be written just to kill time or provide atmosphere and must fulfill more than one purpose, advance our understanding of character, must move story forward, escalation, and conflict, tension, two reversals that work against protagonists efforts, the last so serious it feels thee is no way to overcome, raise the stakes, make it harder….


3. Stories begin at the moment of change, force protagonist to correct, gain, prevent, a threat from happening. The story of that struggle coincidences can never be used to help protagonist but will be believable if they favor the antagonist (killer). Fail or win at a terrible cost that it hardly feels like a win, a victory. The ending must be earned by protagonists’ efforts, sacrifices, leading to their growth as a person. 


4. Make protagonist run a gauntlet of fear and hates, plan a scene around each of them. Design your story structure to fit the kind of story you’re writing, make use of characters’ flaws, vulnerabilities, fears, and desires, conflict with obsessions, passions, secrets of other characters…


5. Make sure each scene has a beginning question, conflict, resolution of some kind and a push toward next scene’s question. Create rising tension in chapters through the book to the climax. 


6. Construct a situation where your protagonist is faced with a situation she/he cannot ignore. Establish the problem. Think of three lessons she/he must learn in order to vanquish the opponent. Don’t make these easy, Give her/him some bruises. Think of three ways she/he gains wisdom. Does she/he listen to someone she scoffed at? Come up with three different twists that no one could be prepared for. They must be related to the issue. 


7. When you are feeling an emotion, take note of how it feels, in your head, in your gut, nerves. How are you breathing? How fatigued or excitable are you? Are you sweating? Tearful? Are you blushing? Repressing emotions is associated with physical sensations and external behaviors as well as expressing them, without vivid emotions there is no character arc. One whose emotions are well communicated can win reader’s hearts…