Real Locations

In fiction, a good guideline is ‘don’t use a real business for something bad.’ Readers like to recognize the setting in a book, but a business isn’t likely to appreciate a notorious crime occurring in their establishment.

Should the author use fictitious settings or change the names to protect the innocent?

Whichever the author chooses, the reader wants to feel immersed in the story’s setting. If the story doesn’t occur in an area the author knows well, a research trip could help the setting come to life on the page.

I took such a trip to realistically describe the setting for my current work-in-progress. But I just realized my fictitious crime scene business is in the same location as an actual business offering the same services. I had come up with a story idea, searched for the ideal town, then used the town as inspiration for description.

Do I have a problem, and if so, how do I solve it? The easiest answer is to change the town’s name, but I intentionally set the story in this specific town. I could move the business, but the crime is linked to the specific location. Does the ‘fictitious use’ disclaimer on the publication page cover this situation?

Reader Expectation

Reader expectation is a powerful force. Effective story openings introduce main characters and the dilemmas they’ll be facing. Themes and settings are suggested. By the end of the story, the reader expects the characters and themes to be fleshed out, and the dilemmas to be resolved one way or another. The reader also expects a satisfying ending – happy or sad – with the loose ends tied up.

Expectations also apply to non-fiction genres, including craft books on writing. Several years ago, when I first began writing, I bought craft books I saw highly recommended online. One of the books I ordered sight unseen was Stephen King’s On Writing (2000, 2010 paperback). The book arrived, and I saw the subtitle: A Memoir of the Craft. On page seventeen, the first page of narrative after his three forewords, King states, “This is not an autobiography.” I stopped reading on page twenty-three. I had expected a craft book; instead, I had purchased a mildly interesting autobiography.

I signed up for a writing course that begins later this month. One of the pre-course homework assignments is to read Stephen King’s On Writing. I pulled it from the discard pile and knocked off the dust. This time I made it to page one hundred-three before tossing it on the ephemeral “Should Be Read” pile. At least I’d found a helpful editing example on pages fifty-six-to-fifty-seven. I’ll read the remaining one hundred-eighty-eight pages before the course starts. In those pages, I expect to find the jewels for which the book is so highly recommended.

* * *

On the other hand, if you want a craft book that shows examples of what not to do from an editor’s point of view, consider How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them – A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman (2008). I chuckled at the Introduction and belly-laughed through Part I. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this helpful and highly entertaining book.

Defining Characters

Source: Geeden blog

How can an author create characters who are distinct individuals? The obvious answer is to know them. Many writers interview their characters, write their backstories, and get to know what events in their lives molded their current personalities.

When I ran across this Left Brain-Right Brain image, it helped me determine what characteristics might be grouped and represented in different individuals. (Both halves of the brain actually work together.) I made a chart of the characters in my current work-in-progress (WIP). Half of the characters jumped out as displaying more Right-Brain traits. Two showed more Left-Brain functions. And two presented with characteristics of Both.

I also considered Introvert vs Extrovert and filled in the chart with this characteristic. Knowing my characters’ occupations and how they react with others helped me determine which labels applied.

Then I analyzed the chart, and patterns emerged (Left-Brain behavior). I noticed my Right-Brain characters are Extroverts, and my Left-Brain characters are Introverts. One Both-Brain character is an Introvert, the other is an Extrovert. My WIP characters are four couples. Only one couple is mixed Introvert and Extrovert. The same couple is mixed Right and Left Brain. I wonder if these patterns exist in the general population or only in my imaginary book world?

Characters in Forever After: A Detective Scott McGregor Mystery

Happy Anniversaries!

Today I celebrate two anniversaries – four years since I began writing (Camp NaNoWriMo April 1, 2017) and two years since I began retirement (April 1, 2019).

What have I done since those milestones? Published books and traveled the world.

How will I celebrate? No telling, but I’ll call if I need to be bailed out of jail.

 

Read!

I’ve reignited my reading habit. I used to read two or three books a week but somehow stalled during the pandemic.

I grabbed The Caller: An Inspector Sejer Mystery by Karin Fossum from my dusty to-be-read pile. I was amazed at her skill layering in backstory and subplots for multiple characters. Fossum moved smoothly between multiple point-of-view (POV) characters in the same scene – something I’ve been taught not to do. I don’t know if writing styles have changed since the 2009 publication, if the difference in technique is due to the book’s Scandinavian origin, or if this is the author’s personal style.

Reading The Caller demonstrated lessons from an online class I just finished. POV, internal dialogue, backstory, descriptions, deep dives into thought processes and emotions, etc. all shone from the pages. I have frequently run across the advice to read – a lot – to improve your writing, and this book supports that advice.

The reading habit should be instilled early in a child’s life. My favorite children’s literacy program is AHHAH’s Pop Up Lending Library (PULL) Station campaign. View the PULL Station photo gallery to see these artfully decorated boxes which are filled with free books. If you want to build your own PULL Station, download a how-to manual.

Develop (or strengthen) a healthy Spring habit – Read!

Celebrate Everything!

The pandemic lockdown began one year ago in mid-March. I was attending my first ever book-related convention, Left Coast Crime, in San Diego. The convention shut down the first day.

Recently, the occasional bouts of cabin fever have hit more frequently. I’m burned out on online meetings, and writing doesn’t fulfill my need for escapism. Television, the great time waster, leaves me feeling restless.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Celebrating the little things will re-ignite my interest. And March has many things to celebrate – first month of the year starting with an “M,” daylight savings time change day, St. Patrick’s Day, the beginning of spring, and birthdays.

Millicent Hart’s birthday is March 26th. I won’t be throwing an invitation-only gala with formal dress, champagne, and hors d’oeuvres, or inviting the characters from the first Detective McGregor mystery, but I can have a real birthday cake. I’m looking forward to it already.

Valentine Gift

Silver Thaw by Wayne Woodcock

This year I gave myself self-care for Valentine’s Day.

Permission to kick back, relax, and enjoy the simple things. A conversation with a friend. A walk in the park with my dog. The beauty of nature in a silver thaw.

Permission to replace self-criticism with self-acceptance and to be proud of small accomplishments. A productive writing day. Meeting two writing goals in one week. That’s the “trick” to accomplishment – setting goals and meeting them.

I’ve strayed from the literary path and lost the daily writing habit. I stopped setting small, easily-attainable goals. Without the structure of a writing habit, my progress has floundered.

Baby steps will lead me back to productive writing habits. I can’t write a novel today, but I can write 500 words. And I can do it again tomorrow and the day after. For at least five days a week. Writing daily keeps the story fresh in my mind so I can be more productive with less stress.

These are the lessons I have to keep re-learning every time I stray off the writing path.