Almost done with the restructuring in "The Janus Rule," and I'm feeling better about the pacing and flow of events. The way it was before, too much happened all in one day. While in some situations that might work, in this case it all hit me as somewhat improbable, even beyond what one can excuse in the name of fiction. I know I'm going to have to go over it all very carefully to check for anachronisms that may have been introduced, bits of dialog or thoughts that refer to events before they happen in the new order.
Today and tomorrow on Goodreads, I've set up a Q&A group for discussion of my books. No takers yet although two people have signed up for the group. Ah, well . . .
Still working on some library promotions, however, and waiting for a review of "Dabblers" to appear on Windy City Reviews and Amazon. I also started reading a novel which I pick up from time to time when I have time.
Showing posts with label Janus Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Janus Games. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
New Look
I decided to freshen up my blog page with a new background. I found the gently rippling water serene and soothing. Comments on the change are most welcome, or on any other topic on this blog. I'll also take this opportunity to invite followers to this page. While it's gratifying to see the page view counter move upward, sometimes in surprising jumps, I greatly enjoy getting comments from readers.
This morning, I started proofing the galley for "Dabblers" the print edition. I don't know the exact date when it will be available, but I'm hoping to have another print book to sell at the Author Fair in Joliet in October. And "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is also in the works, so it's arrival could be just as timely.
Unfortunately, "Janus Rule" will go on hold for a few days while I work on "Dabblers," but I have a lot of the next segment in my head. I've been debating on whether or not to use an actual restaurant I know about as the setting for it. The Twisted Spoke is sort of an upscale biker bar in Chicago which was reviewed on the PBS show, "Check Please." It has the sort of quirky atmosphere that goes with one of the characters in the scene, just the sort of place he'd pick for a dinner date with Angel. I always wonder how businesses react to having their names appear in fiction. Presuming I write that the characters like it, there should be no worries. A lot of times, I wind up bypassing the reality and make up a restaurant. I suppose I could describe the restaurant, where I've never actually been, but not use its name. Then I can always mention it later in another post.
This morning, I started proofing the galley for "Dabblers" the print edition. I don't know the exact date when it will be available, but I'm hoping to have another print book to sell at the Author Fair in Joliet in October. And "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is also in the works, so it's arrival could be just as timely.
Unfortunately, "Janus Rule" will go on hold for a few days while I work on "Dabblers," but I have a lot of the next segment in my head. I've been debating on whether or not to use an actual restaurant I know about as the setting for it. The Twisted Spoke is sort of an upscale biker bar in Chicago which was reviewed on the PBS show, "Check Please." It has the sort of quirky atmosphere that goes with one of the characters in the scene, just the sort of place he'd pick for a dinner date with Angel. I always wonder how businesses react to having their names appear in fiction. Presuming I write that the characters like it, there should be no worries. A lot of times, I wind up bypassing the reality and make up a restaurant. I suppose I could describe the restaurant, where I've never actually been, but not use its name. Then I can always mention it later in another post.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
A Name Change and a Dilemma
Made more progress on the new Jack Watson book yesterday and some this morning as well, and I have decided to change the working title to "The Janus Rule." This came from a bit of conversation about suspects as Jack tries to figure out who would want to kill him. Becca, his office assistant, quotes one of Jack's former bosses when his firm was Riley and McBride. Riley would cite what he called the Janus Rule, that anyone can turn two faced when properly motivated. This little piece came to me early this morning while still in bed, but it had one of those ah-ha-oh-yeah effects.
Now for the dilemma part. As part of her investigation, Angel will interview staff members at an accounting firm. She must pretend to be gathering information for a publicity brochure while secretly evaluating each person's potential to be the turncoat who is giving or selling information to a competing firm, i.e., looking for the Janus among them. Cute, huh?
Anyway, my quandary is how much of these interviews to include. If I focus on only the one with the real perpetrator, in order to hint at motive, I could give it away too early. I can include a few others as red herrings, but then I have to account for introducing those people in a substantial way. It's sort of like what happens in movies and television. If the actor gets a line to speak, then he must get his name in the credits. I don't like the idea of someone reading the book and at the end realizing that a character of no import whatsoever got "face time" just to fool the reader.
Having written that, I suspect the fair thing would be to have some of the interviews "on stage" as it were, and while the real bad person will be among them, the others will provide clues to who that bad person is. To not have the main bad guy appear well before the big finale wouldn't be fair either. I believe in fair play in fiction, that the reader must have enough clues to get close to figuring it all out or at least to narrow the suspect list.
Now for the dilemma part. As part of her investigation, Angel will interview staff members at an accounting firm. She must pretend to be gathering information for a publicity brochure while secretly evaluating each person's potential to be the turncoat who is giving or selling information to a competing firm, i.e., looking for the Janus among them. Cute, huh?
Anyway, my quandary is how much of these interviews to include. If I focus on only the one with the real perpetrator, in order to hint at motive, I could give it away too early. I can include a few others as red herrings, but then I have to account for introducing those people in a substantial way. It's sort of like what happens in movies and television. If the actor gets a line to speak, then he must get his name in the credits. I don't like the idea of someone reading the book and at the end realizing that a character of no import whatsoever got "face time" just to fool the reader.
Having written that, I suspect the fair thing would be to have some of the interviews "on stage" as it were, and while the real bad person will be among them, the others will provide clues to who that bad person is. To not have the main bad guy appear well before the big finale wouldn't be fair either. I believe in fair play in fiction, that the reader must have enough clues to get close to figuring it all out or at least to narrow the suspect list.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Freedom, Promotion, and Progrss
Well it's sure good to be out of that arm cast! While my wrist is still a bit stiff from being immobilized for five and a half weeks, it's getting better. To be able to type at full speed again is awesome! I'm already looking for a new car to replace my totaled one, and that means I can start doing things again.
Back to work on "Janus Games" and enjoying the fact that I can type a lot faster. The suspects keep mounting, and each POV character has their own theory about the motive behind the shooting. My newest character, Angel, throws in some interesting aspects and she's becoming more defined and real to me.
By way of promotion, I sent off a printed copy of "Dabblers" to a reviewer for Windy City Reviews on Friday. At my local Post Office, the woman at the counter asked the usual questions about the contents of my small box, i.e., any liquids, batteries, other substances. I said it was just paper, and she remarked it was two pounds of paper. So I took the opportunity to tell her what was in it. She was excited to meet an author and took one of my business cards. I made these myself:
These are really easy to do with Print Shop 2.0. On the back side, I included my web addresses and other information. I print a sheet at a time--10 cards--on card stock with micro-perforations for clean edges. I can update the text as needed if anything changes.
Sometimes it seems a little slippery, turning every encounter into a promotional opportunity, but when you do a lot of your own advertising, you take whatever opportunity comes along. I think most writers are, by nature, a bit shy, but you have to push yourself to get over it. You seek publication to sell books, and they don't sell without someone, i.e., the author, getting the word out so people will buy them. Promoting yourself as a writer and promoting your work is part of the job.
Back to work on "Janus Games" and enjoying the fact that I can type a lot faster. The suspects keep mounting, and each POV character has their own theory about the motive behind the shooting. My newest character, Angel, throws in some interesting aspects and she's becoming more defined and real to me.
By way of promotion, I sent off a printed copy of "Dabblers" to a reviewer for Windy City Reviews on Friday. At my local Post Office, the woman at the counter asked the usual questions about the contents of my small box, i.e., any liquids, batteries, other substances. I said it was just paper, and she remarked it was two pounds of paper. So I took the opportunity to tell her what was in it. She was excited to meet an author and took one of my business cards. I made these myself:
These are really easy to do with Print Shop 2.0. On the back side, I included my web addresses and other information. I print a sheet at a time--10 cards--on card stock with micro-perforations for clean edges. I can update the text as needed if anything changes.
Sometimes it seems a little slippery, turning every encounter into a promotional opportunity, but when you do a lot of your own advertising, you take whatever opportunity comes along. I think most writers are, by nature, a bit shy, but you have to push yourself to get over it. You seek publication to sell books, and they don't sell without someone, i.e., the author, getting the word out so people will buy them. Promoting yourself as a writer and promoting your work is part of the job.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Story Conflict and Notes on Rejections
It has become part of my daily writing routine to begin by going back to an earlier part of the manuscript to add or change something. Today, it was to add another layer of conflict, in this case, Jack feeling divided on his feelings about embracing the home-and-family concept while giving up some of the investigative stuff his new associate is doing. He wants a future, to build a family, but he likes being a detective, too. Can he reconcile his wants? A similar theme will play out for Tabitha as well, a performer near the peak of her career and wondering how much of it she must sacrifice in the name of future security. I didn't really have plans for this under-story when I started, but once I got going, the characters led me along. One of the advantages of writing a sequel or series is knowing the character(s) so well and letting them take on their own stories.
Earlier this morning, I was on Facebook where I belong to a group for the Chicago Writers Association. There was a conversation going about rejection letters. While I've gotten many of those since I first attempted to get something published, I haven't seen one in quite some time. But I do remember them. From the terse to the verbose, I went through phases. At first, the rejections were deeply disappointing. Like other writers I'm sure, I felt I had THE next best seller and never even considered someone wouldn't want to snap it up for a big advance. Gradually, I took them in stride. Since a lot of my experience was via the U.S. mail system, I got to the point of knowing what was inside the just-received SASE before I opened it. Thin meant a preprinted slip of paper saying "No thanks" or just my query letter with a note scrawled on it. Thicker envelopes held out some promise of at least a bit of guidance written on some sample pages or a longer critique. Oddly enough, I treasured those because they allowed me to learn valuable lessons about the publishing business, which while it intersects with the writing business, the two are far from the same. What gets written versus what gets published are often very far apart.
I kept at it in the face of rejections because I love writing, and I guess I would do it even if my stories never saw any readership beyond myself.
Earlier this morning, I was on Facebook where I belong to a group for the Chicago Writers Association. There was a conversation going about rejection letters. While I've gotten many of those since I first attempted to get something published, I haven't seen one in quite some time. But I do remember them. From the terse to the verbose, I went through phases. At first, the rejections were deeply disappointing. Like other writers I'm sure, I felt I had THE next best seller and never even considered someone wouldn't want to snap it up for a big advance. Gradually, I took them in stride. Since a lot of my experience was via the U.S. mail system, I got to the point of knowing what was inside the just-received SASE before I opened it. Thin meant a preprinted slip of paper saying "No thanks" or just my query letter with a note scrawled on it. Thicker envelopes held out some promise of at least a bit of guidance written on some sample pages or a longer critique. Oddly enough, I treasured those because they allowed me to learn valuable lessons about the publishing business, which while it intersects with the writing business, the two are far from the same. What gets written versus what gets published are often very far apart.
I kept at it in the face of rejections because I love writing, and I guess I would do it even if my stories never saw any readership beyond myself.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
In the Name of Promotion
I just spent most of the morning printing a review copy of "Dabblers" to send out. Nothing is easy with this cast on my arm. Printing, changing an ink cartridge, loading paper, stacking pages, three-hole punching the pages, inserting them into a binder. Before I even got that far, I had to fiddle around with the file to get page numbers to print on each sheet. Should be easy, right? Wrong. For some reason, my Microsoft Word page number "gallery" isn't working. I finally had to copy and paste from a different manuscript to get the job done. Whew! Now I have to get it to the post office and on its way.
Yesterday, after working on "Janus Games" until my arms were sore, I explored the web for ideas on promoting books. One article reminded me that I am probably not making the best use of Twitter. Of late, I have only been "tweeting" when I have a new blog entry, but I know I should be taking a little time out to read the tweets of others and either retweeting or favorite-ing them for the increased exposure.
On the Write Words, Inc. Author's Guide, the Publicity page starts out with "Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel". An author working with a small publisher (or self-published) must participate heavily in promoting his/her work, and this requires tooting one's own horn wherever and whenever possible. To that end, I was having a phone conversation yesterday with a career-transition consultant (how and why is a long story, and not relevant) and because I mentioned being a published author, she said she was eager to look up my books online. Maybe she'll buy one (or more!) and maybe she'll tell other people about our conversation and get them interested. Word of mouth works, too.
Yesterday, after working on "Janus Games" until my arms were sore, I explored the web for ideas on promoting books. One article reminded me that I am probably not making the best use of Twitter. Of late, I have only been "tweeting" when I have a new blog entry, but I know I should be taking a little time out to read the tweets of others and either retweeting or favorite-ing them for the increased exposure.
On the Write Words, Inc. Author's Guide, the Publicity page starts out with "Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel". An author working with a small publisher (or self-published) must participate heavily in promoting his/her work, and this requires tooting one's own horn wherever and whenever possible. To that end, I was having a phone conversation yesterday with a career-transition consultant (how and why is a long story, and not relevant) and because I mentioned being a published author, she said she was eager to look up my books online. Maybe she'll buy one (or more!) and maybe she'll tell other people about our conversation and get them interested. Word of mouth works, too.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Organic Development
Another good scene for "Janus Games" done this morning, and boy do my arms hurt! Typing with the cast on my arm requires holding my left up at an odd angle so the part of the cast that covers my palm clears the keyboard on my laptop. That makes me sit completely off kilter, so both arms get sore. (Two more days until I see the doctor about getting rid of this thing!)
There are a lot more ideas in my head for coming scenes, but the notion of how it all will come together and end up remains cloudy. Maybe that's a good thing. It means the story is inventing itself as I go which suggests a more natural, organic development process. I do know a few things, however. As I suggested in an earlier post, the real heroes will be unlikely ones and perhaps the same goes for the villains. That's probably the next part of the project to tackle is adding to the suspect list. The case Jack and Angel are working on together has already taken a turn which suggests enemy action. I added a layer to the cop character investigating the attack on Jack and Tabitha this morning. Will it all come together in the end? Or not? Even I don't know at this point.
There are a lot more ideas in my head for coming scenes, but the notion of how it all will come together and end up remains cloudy. Maybe that's a good thing. It means the story is inventing itself as I go which suggests a more natural, organic development process. I do know a few things, however. As I suggested in an earlier post, the real heroes will be unlikely ones and perhaps the same goes for the villains. That's probably the next part of the project to tackle is adding to the suspect list. The case Jack and Angel are working on together has already taken a turn which suggests enemy action. I added a layer to the cop character investigating the attack on Jack and Tabitha this morning. Will it all come together in the end? Or not? Even I don't know at this point.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
We Have A Corpse
"The Janus Games" now has an official murder as of this morning. I had started to wonder if perhaps not enough was happening early in the story, but I think I've corrected that. I often lose track of how far into it I really am, getting that nagging I'm-starting-too-slow feeling because of how many days I've been working on it or what chapter I'm on. Now that someone has been murdered, not to mention two main characters having been shot at, I feel more comfortable with the progress. Having the killer's point of view in the story early sometimes doesn't seem like enough suspense to me although that's its intended purpose.
All things considered, suspense is the whole point, no matter what kind of story you're telling. It's about making the reader interested enough in the characters and what's going on with them to keep on reading to find out what that is. I've read--or started to read--any number of books where nothing much seemed to happen in the early stages and I lost interest. I've also heard or read reviews of others where people had the same complaint, although some actually manage to stick with them and maybe the story finally gets going. I don't have the patience, I guess. I have also started to read books, figured out what the end will be within the first chapter, and then turned to the back to verify it.
That being said, some of my favorite books of all time were slow starters. What they lacked in action in the early stages, they made up for in fascinating characters. I became interested in the people enough to keep reading. One author in particular that comes to mind in this category is John Grisham. "The Firm" and "Runaway Jury" are up there on my favorite books list.
But back to the subject of suspense. Since I have some idea of what's coming next, I stay excited about my own story. The tricky thing is to reveal enough of that idea soon enough to hold the attention of a reader who doesn't know what's coming next, to make them want to know what's coming next. That's part of the fun.
All things considered, suspense is the whole point, no matter what kind of story you're telling. It's about making the reader interested enough in the characters and what's going on with them to keep on reading to find out what that is. I've read--or started to read--any number of books where nothing much seemed to happen in the early stages and I lost interest. I've also heard or read reviews of others where people had the same complaint, although some actually manage to stick with them and maybe the story finally gets going. I don't have the patience, I guess. I have also started to read books, figured out what the end will be within the first chapter, and then turned to the back to verify it.
That being said, some of my favorite books of all time were slow starters. What they lacked in action in the early stages, they made up for in fascinating characters. I became interested in the people enough to keep reading. One author in particular that comes to mind in this category is John Grisham. "The Firm" and "Runaway Jury" are up there on my favorite books list.
But back to the subject of suspense. Since I have some idea of what's coming next, I stay excited about my own story. The tricky thing is to reveal enough of that idea soon enough to hold the attention of a reader who doesn't know what's coming next, to make them want to know what's coming next. That's part of the fun.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Creative Groove
As usually happens after I get over a stuck spot, the ideas start flowing faster than I can write about them. I've even started getting some for the big final scene. I'm toying with making some unlikely heroes, the ones who save the day not the ones you would expect. It'll just be how the events unfold that make them step up.
And on another creative front, I'm already thinking about what's next. I have a few ideas for a third Windsong Lake book, as well as another project I've been considering. It's a revamp of the book that I originally had an agent for. There were a number of rewrites but nothing ever happened. I remember the comment of one publisher who rejected it: Another corrupt politician in Chicago? So what? Too true. But what I'm thinking about doing--and even started to before I got onto "Seer, Tyro, Fiend"--is putting the story into the future. No, I'm not thinking space ships and aliens, and certainly not zombie apocalypse stuff. (Soooo overdone!) The inspiration is to . . . oh! Maybe I shouldn't be sharing that at this stage. Suffice it to say I think I can come out with something a little bit different.
And on another creative front, I'm already thinking about what's next. I have a few ideas for a third Windsong Lake book, as well as another project I've been considering. It's a revamp of the book that I originally had an agent for. There were a number of rewrites but nothing ever happened. I remember the comment of one publisher who rejected it: Another corrupt politician in Chicago? So what? Too true. But what I'm thinking about doing--and even started to before I got onto "Seer, Tyro, Fiend"--is putting the story into the future. No, I'm not thinking space ships and aliens, and certainly not zombie apocalypse stuff. (Soooo overdone!) The inspiration is to . . . oh! Maybe I shouldn't be sharing that at this stage. Suffice it to say I think I can come out with something a little bit different.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Unstuck
Okay, now Angel's doing her undercover work at the accounting firm who hired her and Jack to find out who is feeding sensitive information to the outside. She's somewhat out of her element since she's more accustomed to hunting down criminals as a cop, but she wants to prove to Jack that his faith in her as a private detective is justified. I started building the scene with her in the suburban accounting office and already realize that some of it may get cut.
Or not. The problem is, I haven't yet figured out who in this office is the culprit she's looking for. I know there are authors out there who would be appalled by such lack of planning, but I guess that's just how I roll. During my laughable attempts at planning "Janus Games," I made some notes and a list of employees of this firm. I've tweaked some of them. As Angel meets them, the names will be fleshed out into people with physical descriptions, backgrounds, opinions, and all that. She'll have to home in on suspects.
What got me unstuck from yesterday was an idea. For this case, Jack has already started poking around for information about the other firm that is benefiting by the leaked information, and he found that a former employee of his client now works for them. In light of that, Angel will have to determine if that person still has access to the computer system. My inspiration--a computer system that can't be hacked. I think it would actually work, although it still has some security issues. This is going to be even more fun!
Or not. The problem is, I haven't yet figured out who in this office is the culprit she's looking for. I know there are authors out there who would be appalled by such lack of planning, but I guess that's just how I roll. During my laughable attempts at planning "Janus Games," I made some notes and a list of employees of this firm. I've tweaked some of them. As Angel meets them, the names will be fleshed out into people with physical descriptions, backgrounds, opinions, and all that. She'll have to home in on suspects.
What got me unstuck from yesterday was an idea. For this case, Jack has already started poking around for information about the other firm that is benefiting by the leaked information, and he found that a former employee of his client now works for them. In light of that, Angel will have to determine if that person still has access to the computer system. My inspiration--a computer system that can't be hacked. I think it would actually work, although it still has some security issues. This is going to be even more fun!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Aarrrgh! Stuck
It's one of those times when I find I don't know enough about what happens next. I wrote a turning-point scene in "Janus Games" yesterday, and today...stuck-ola.
I know the next scene should belong to Angel and move her undercover case forward. But she also has to react to what happened with Jack and Tabitha the night before. How will it influence her investigation?
I also know that Jack and Tabitha do not share the same assumptions about the big event and why it occurred. They won't be discussing it right away but taking their own actions.
There's also the cop who is investigating and his new relationship with Angel. She's always suspicious of everyone, and he'll be no exception. More conflict, which is good.
Time to sit down and think this over, imagine myself in Angel's shoes.
I know the next scene should belong to Angel and move her undercover case forward. But she also has to react to what happened with Jack and Tabitha the night before. How will it influence her investigation?
I also know that Jack and Tabitha do not share the same assumptions about the big event and why it occurred. They won't be discussing it right away but taking their own actions.
There's also the cop who is investigating and his new relationship with Angel. She's always suspicious of everyone, and he'll be no exception. More conflict, which is good.
Time to sit down and think this over, imagine myself in Angel's shoes.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Writing and Promoting
So now we have a list of suspects which is growing by the minute. Even the investigating cop, an old friend, seems a bit odd. Now comes the fun part, setting up suspicion in the minds of the characters that may be different from those in the mind of the reader.
The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what the next scene will be. I suppose it should advance the case Jack and Angel are working on. Her role in this is complicated for a number of reasons and the waters are going to get really muddy along the way. That, too, is fun stuff.
But even as I'm having a good time weaving this web, a nagging voice inside my head tells me I'm neglecting my promotional duties. I always come back to the excuse that my inability to drive while my arm is in a cast makes it difficult, yet it should not stand in the way of doing Internet based advertising. I allowed my Facebook ads to end because while they generated "likes" of my book pages, I have no idea how good they are at generating sales. I also let the Google ads drop for the same reason. Maybe I'll go back to either of those down the road, but for now, all I'm paying for is an ad on Goodreads.com.
As for free avenues, I haven't made much use of Twitter lately, and maybe it's time to start tweeting teasers again. And perhaps I need to hunt up new ways to advertise, hopefully for free. Any readers of this blog who have ideas, things that have actually performed, I'd love to hear about them.
The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what the next scene will be. I suppose it should advance the case Jack and Angel are working on. Her role in this is complicated for a number of reasons and the waters are going to get really muddy along the way. That, too, is fun stuff.
But even as I'm having a good time weaving this web, a nagging voice inside my head tells me I'm neglecting my promotional duties. I always come back to the excuse that my inability to drive while my arm is in a cast makes it difficult, yet it should not stand in the way of doing Internet based advertising. I allowed my Facebook ads to end because while they generated "likes" of my book pages, I have no idea how good they are at generating sales. I also let the Google ads drop for the same reason. Maybe I'll go back to either of those down the road, but for now, all I'm paying for is an ad on Goodreads.com.
As for free avenues, I haven't made much use of Twitter lately, and maybe it's time to start tweeting teasers again. And perhaps I need to hunt up new ways to advertise, hopefully for free. Any readers of this blog who have ideas, things that have actually performed, I'd love to hear about them.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Updates and Progress
I did some updating on this blog site yesterday, adding a page for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend." Added the same to my Google site, Kathryn Flatt, Writer . While I don't have a firm date on the book release yet, I thought seeing more about the sequel could induce some people to read "Dabblers" first.
Also yesterday, I sent the corrections for "Stranger Faces" the print book, so that one will also be coming out soon.
Now it's back to "Janus" for a while, at least until I get galleys for "Dabblers" the print book. The big scene I alluded to earlier is written, so the stalker angle is now evident to Jack and Tabitha as a concrete fact. So who fired shots into their bedroom? Someone stalking Tabitha? An old enemy of Jack's? A stalker of Jack? Someone concerned about the case he just started working on? All the characters will have their favorite suspect and motive, and I hope the result comes as a big surprise. That's always an issue for me, of course. I always wonder if I've made it too easy, either by what I put on the page or what is implied. Did I give the real antagonist too much face time and so subtly suggest this person is more important? I know who it is already, of course, and I know what the motive is. Now I just have to make sure the other suspects have equally believable motives.
Also yesterday, I sent the corrections for "Stranger Faces" the print book, so that one will also be coming out soon.
Now it's back to "Janus" for a while, at least until I get galleys for "Dabblers" the print book. The big scene I alluded to earlier is written, so the stalker angle is now evident to Jack and Tabitha as a concrete fact. So who fired shots into their bedroom? Someone stalking Tabitha? An old enemy of Jack's? A stalker of Jack? Someone concerned about the case he just started working on? All the characters will have their favorite suspect and motive, and I hope the result comes as a big surprise. That's always an issue for me, of course. I always wonder if I've made it too easy, either by what I put on the page or what is implied. Did I give the real antagonist too much face time and so subtly suggest this person is more important? I know who it is already, of course, and I know what the motive is. Now I just have to make sure the other suspects have equally believable motives.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Aaannnd...Action!
Trouble had reared its head in a big way in "Janus Games" this morning. I had to do a little research, though, to find out how to describe the sound of a bullet hitting a window. Amazing what you can find on the Internet. I was able to listen to the sound effect and then put it into words.
I noted something interesting about my own writing habits as well. When a big scene is coming up, I often have a problem getting it started. I don't know why this is. Maybe I'm trying to build up my own suspense or something. Or perhaps I'm just getting ready for a flurry of typing while I'm getting the scene down in words. I also know that such scenes are often the target of considerable tinkering, if not full-scale rewriting at a later date.
Action scenes can be a challenge because they have to move fast at the same time as providing sufficient information about what's going on. Certainly, some of the details will come out later as the characters recap to someone else, as Jack and Tabitha are about to do to the police. Oh, I know some people might say that Jack should be playing hero, getting out a gun and hunting for the shooter himself, but that's not his way. He leaves law enforcement to those who are sanctioned for it, and as an ethical man, he would not consider assuming that authority, even to protect the woman he loves. He demonstrated this mindset in the other two books, although he will play hero when circumstances demand it. It's just who he is.
Besides, it's much too early in the book for a scene like that. This one is just introducing a new level of danger. Now Jack will have to figure out who is the intended target as well as who the shooter is.
I noted something interesting about my own writing habits as well. When a big scene is coming up, I often have a problem getting it started. I don't know why this is. Maybe I'm trying to build up my own suspense or something. Or perhaps I'm just getting ready for a flurry of typing while I'm getting the scene down in words. I also know that such scenes are often the target of considerable tinkering, if not full-scale rewriting at a later date.
Action scenes can be a challenge because they have to move fast at the same time as providing sufficient information about what's going on. Certainly, some of the details will come out later as the characters recap to someone else, as Jack and Tabitha are about to do to the police. Oh, I know some people might say that Jack should be playing hero, getting out a gun and hunting for the shooter himself, but that's not his way. He leaves law enforcement to those who are sanctioned for it, and as an ethical man, he would not consider assuming that authority, even to protect the woman he loves. He demonstrated this mindset in the other two books, although he will play hero when circumstances demand it. It's just who he is.
Besides, it's much too early in the book for a scene like that. This one is just introducing a new level of danger. Now Jack will have to figure out who is the intended target as well as who the shooter is.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Little Scenes
One of the fun things about writing the Jack Watson books is the little scenes. Sometimes, these are from the antagonist's point of view, and I use them to provide updates on what the baddies are up to, supplying (hopefully) an element of suspense. I also sometimes include them to define something about one of the characters.
But my favorites are those where I'm providing hidden clues and especially making up incidental characters. Those one-scene characters often must be memorable so that they pop into the reader's head when mentioned later. An example from "The Changeling Kill" is Little Bobby, an informant. In "The Janus Games," I just invented a gun dealer aliased as Jerry Nefarious. The killer goes to him for a weapon, complete with the sleazy dump of a house where Jerry conducts business and a code name the killer uses to gain access. As the two of them verbally circle each other, small clues are dropped. Of course, I'm only on Chapter 5, so they are very small clues. The setting is a great opportunity to paint word pictures.
Names for these incidental characters are fun, too. Since they are only mentioned once, I don't have to worry too much about name similarities. I believe I addressed this before (see the page "Observations for New Authors") where in an unpublished novel, I had a good guy named Michael and a bad guy named Maxwell. When they get into hand-to-hand combat near the end, it becomes confusing as to who hit whom because the names look so similar. For one-scene characters, I also don't worry about reusing a name now and then. It's only natural that anyone would encounter more than one Tom or Jerry or whatever along the way, but never in the same book.
But my favorites are those where I'm providing hidden clues and especially making up incidental characters. Those one-scene characters often must be memorable so that they pop into the reader's head when mentioned later. An example from "The Changeling Kill" is Little Bobby, an informant. In "The Janus Games," I just invented a gun dealer aliased as Jerry Nefarious. The killer goes to him for a weapon, complete with the sleazy dump of a house where Jerry conducts business and a code name the killer uses to gain access. As the two of them verbally circle each other, small clues are dropped. Of course, I'm only on Chapter 5, so they are very small clues. The setting is a great opportunity to paint word pictures.
Names for these incidental characters are fun, too. Since they are only mentioned once, I don't have to worry too much about name similarities. I believe I addressed this before (see the page "Observations for New Authors") where in an unpublished novel, I had a good guy named Michael and a bad guy named Maxwell. When they get into hand-to-hand combat near the end, it becomes confusing as to who hit whom because the names look so similar. For one-scene characters, I also don't worry about reusing a name now and then. It's only natural that anyone would encounter more than one Tom or Jerry or whatever along the way, but never in the same book.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Purpose of the Scene
I've been concentrating on proofreading the galley for "Stranger Faces" and so have not made any real progress on "Janus" this morning. I have been thinking about it, however, and also did a little research earlier about guns, particularly rifles. My killer is going to buy one in a coming scene, most likely an illegal one, and I needed to know what sort of weapon would be the best, how it would be described to the dealer, and all that sort of thing. As usual, I'm not out to impress anyone with detailed knowledge within the story itself. I only need to know enough to make the passage plausible to a potential reader with their own knowledge of guns. Since my "baddie" is out shopping with a nefarious purpose in mind, that character will know what to ask for. I would not want any reader to say, "But no one would use that kind of gun to kill someone that way!" and then throw the book aside.
Which brings up another point in my mind, i.e., what to leave in and what to leave out. I just finished a scene which introduces the idea of a stalker, and the next big scene where the killer takes action is a ways off. How to fill the time in between? Should I just jump over the interval? I would if I could not think of anything significant that happens in it. The rule is, everything that is in the book should have a purpose. Maybe it's introducing a character or providing some insight about one. Maybe it's foreshadowing, laying the ground work for something to come. Is comic relief a "purpose?" If I were writing humor, maybe.
An example comes to mind from "Stranger Faces" of how I broke the rules in a way. One big rule is to get some conflict going as close to page one as possible, but I didn't. The start of Chapter 1 serves to establish the setting, the time frame, and to reestablish Tracy's personality, but the mystery at hand does not really start until the last half of the chapter. HOWEVER, there is another purpose behind the opening scene which follows Tracy doing her job of solving problems--the characters in that scene will return later to fulfill different but pivotal roles in the action. Even as I first wrote it, I felt this might be a risky move, but I let it stand with the hopes that potential readers would have read the first two books in the series and have an interest in Tracy, enough to keep them going. I'd also hope readers who have read my other novels would know that I hate loose ends and like to tie everything together in a neat package by the end of the book.
Which brings up another point in my mind, i.e., what to leave in and what to leave out. I just finished a scene which introduces the idea of a stalker, and the next big scene where the killer takes action is a ways off. How to fill the time in between? Should I just jump over the interval? I would if I could not think of anything significant that happens in it. The rule is, everything that is in the book should have a purpose. Maybe it's introducing a character or providing some insight about one. Maybe it's foreshadowing, laying the ground work for something to come. Is comic relief a "purpose?" If I were writing humor, maybe.
An example comes to mind from "Stranger Faces" of how I broke the rules in a way. One big rule is to get some conflict going as close to page one as possible, but I didn't. The start of Chapter 1 serves to establish the setting, the time frame, and to reestablish Tracy's personality, but the mystery at hand does not really start until the last half of the chapter. HOWEVER, there is another purpose behind the opening scene which follows Tracy doing her job of solving problems--the characters in that scene will return later to fulfill different but pivotal roles in the action. Even as I first wrote it, I felt this might be a risky move, but I let it stand with the hopes that potential readers would have read the first two books in the series and have an interest in Tracy, enough to keep them going. I'd also hope readers who have read my other novels would know that I hate loose ends and like to tie everything together in a neat package by the end of the book.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Ah, Proofreading
This morning, I picked up the galley files for "Stranger Faces" the print book and I started reading. Once again, I find myself itching to change little things that don't really need it--a phrase reused in too short an interval, a word, a paragraph change--but I know I must resist. I'm on Chapter 4 now and have only found one real correction.
I also added a bit to "Janus Games" first thing, having jotted some notes on ideas the night before. At times it seems that my subconscious knows the plot before I do and supplies those ideas as needed, surprising me with how well things fit together. Even when I have to devote some time to proofing galleys, I try to keep adding to my current work in progress so the story doesn't lose its allure in my imagination. I also think about how great it is to not have a regular day job to get in my way.
As for things that get in my way, in 15 more days, I'll get rid of one of them--the cast on my arm.
I also added a bit to "Janus Games" first thing, having jotted some notes on ideas the night before. At times it seems that my subconscious knows the plot before I do and supplies those ideas as needed, surprising me with how well things fit together. Even when I have to devote some time to proofing galleys, I try to keep adding to my current work in progress so the story doesn't lose its allure in my imagination. I also think about how great it is to not have a regular day job to get in my way.
As for things that get in my way, in 15 more days, I'll get rid of one of them--the cast on my arm.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
More Books and About Suspense
I've been providing various pieces of my books to my publisher in the last week or so -- adjustments to cover art, blurbs, etc. -- which means there will be more available formats soon, plus "Seer, Tyro, Fiend".
And it's steady as she goes on "Janus Games." A friend of mine, also a writer, reported on Facebook that she wrote 100 pages in a day. Wow! If I had full use of both hands, I still don't think I could write that much in a day. It seems that most of the time, I work out scenes in my head first, fiddling with the imagery and words, before I sit down and type it into my manuscript. On rare occasions, the scenes just sort of flow one after another without planning, although that is easier to do in the Faces and Windsong Lake books because they are in first person point of view.
The Jack Watson books present a different sort of process. With multiple points of view, I need to consider what the next event is chronologically and which character is best to present that event. This can be elementary in some cases as only one POV character is present in the scene. Where there is more than one, however, deciding who should "drive" can be tricky. Sometimes there's no clear choice, with advantages for each candidate.
I'm also conscious of balancing the on-stage time for all my POV characters, especially the unknown "bad guy(s)." In both earlier Watson books, the protagonists don't know what's coming, but by introducing the point of view of the antagonist, the reader gets an idea of it in advance. This is one way to avoid a lot of post-climactic explanation about the baddies' motives and plans. I also hope this is a device to build suspense, maybe making the reader long to warn my heroes of impending doom.
I remember something from my childhood that sort of relates. A friend of my sister went to see some horror movie, one of those 1960's shockers that mostly come off cheesy today. Anyway, the ubiquitous negligee-clad leading lady was creeping deeper into the BAD PLACE, and the theater audience had fallen silent with suspense since they knew she was walking into danger and horror. Then, as the screen heroine placed her hand on a door knob, my sister's friend shouted, "Don't go in there!" I'm sure the film's creators would have grimaced at the burst of laughter in that theater, an abrupt release of all that tension prior to the big reveal which should have induced screams.
As a novelist, I can at least imagine a reader reacting to a suspenseful buildup with an equal impulse to shout out a warning.
And it's steady as she goes on "Janus Games." A friend of mine, also a writer, reported on Facebook that she wrote 100 pages in a day. Wow! If I had full use of both hands, I still don't think I could write that much in a day. It seems that most of the time, I work out scenes in my head first, fiddling with the imagery and words, before I sit down and type it into my manuscript. On rare occasions, the scenes just sort of flow one after another without planning, although that is easier to do in the Faces and Windsong Lake books because they are in first person point of view.
The Jack Watson books present a different sort of process. With multiple points of view, I need to consider what the next event is chronologically and which character is best to present that event. This can be elementary in some cases as only one POV character is present in the scene. Where there is more than one, however, deciding who should "drive" can be tricky. Sometimes there's no clear choice, with advantages for each candidate.
I'm also conscious of balancing the on-stage time for all my POV characters, especially the unknown "bad guy(s)." In both earlier Watson books, the protagonists don't know what's coming, but by introducing the point of view of the antagonist, the reader gets an idea of it in advance. This is one way to avoid a lot of post-climactic explanation about the baddies' motives and plans. I also hope this is a device to build suspense, maybe making the reader long to warn my heroes of impending doom.
I remember something from my childhood that sort of relates. A friend of my sister went to see some horror movie, one of those 1960's shockers that mostly come off cheesy today. Anyway, the ubiquitous negligee-clad leading lady was creeping deeper into the BAD PLACE, and the theater audience had fallen silent with suspense since they knew she was walking into danger and horror. Then, as the screen heroine placed her hand on a door knob, my sister's friend shouted, "Don't go in there!" I'm sure the film's creators would have grimaced at the burst of laughter in that theater, an abrupt release of all that tension prior to the big reveal which should have induced screams.
As a novelist, I can at least imagine a reader reacting to a suspenseful buildup with an equal impulse to shout out a warning.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Day By Day
"Janus Games" making good progress, albeit slowly. While I am now able to type with both hands, all fingers, the cast still gets in the way. Since I have to hold my left arm at an odd angle to make it work, The muscles get fatigued rather quickly and I have to stop and rest. I am grateful, however, that I CAN type at all and that I should be back to normal by mid-June at least.
The other plot line is starting up which will bring in more suspects along the way. Come the first big scene, the introduction of danger, it won't be clear whether Jack or Tabitha is the center of it, so the suspects can come from her celebrity, his past, or his present case. Red herrings everywhere!
I'm hoping that the ebook of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" will be making the scene pretty soon, and I'll be firing up the promotion engine on that. I had planned to make more of an effort on the promotion front prior to my accident putting me out of commission, but alas, until I can drive a car again, it must wait.
The other plot line is starting up which will bring in more suspects along the way. Come the first big scene, the introduction of danger, it won't be clear whether Jack or Tabitha is the center of it, so the suspects can come from her celebrity, his past, or his present case. Red herrings everywhere!
I'm hoping that the ebook of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" will be making the scene pretty soon, and I'll be firing up the promotion engine on that. I had planned to make more of an effort on the promotion front prior to my accident putting me out of commission, but alas, until I can drive a car again, it must wait.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Progress and a Gotcha
Back to writing "Janus Games" this Monday morning, although still clumsy with the cast on. I made some adjustments to the touch pad on my laptop so that the cursor would not keep moving every time my left thumb brushes over it. Very annoying. The cast will stay on until the end of May, according to my doctor, and then there will be a splint instead. Sigh. Maybe typing will be easier with the splint.
At this stage, I'm building up a list of suspects and now starting on the detective case line of plot. An explosive scene is right around the corner, but I need to make sure that it does not become obvious what has happened. That's why I'm throwing out hints and red herrings beforehand. There are two sections inside the killer's head so far, but those are designed to foreshadow the danger ahead. I've tried not to give much in the way of clues as to that person's identity, only their frame of mind and intentions to a degree.
Over the weekend, I thought of another Gotcha and a good example of why proofreading a manuscript is so vital. Here are two sentences, exactly the same except for the position of two letters.
The first one could appear in a western or wilderness adventure, describing a physical path over the earth, suggesting someone on horseback. The second could appear in almost any story to reference a courtroom situation or perhaps a difficult time of some sort where the "ride" is kind of slang-ish. Both sentences will pass computer grammar checks, yet depending on the context of the story, could still be wrong!
Many people, myself included, have a talent for what is called "closure." The mind is capable of reading text with mistakes in it but automatically correcting them before they reach a cognitive level. People do this to varying degrees, which can be a blessing in that it speeds up reading in general, but a curse when it comes to proofreading. Doing the latter takes patience and concentration, both of which become more difficult if the story itself takes control of your attention.
At this stage, I'm building up a list of suspects and now starting on the detective case line of plot. An explosive scene is right around the corner, but I need to make sure that it does not become obvious what has happened. That's why I'm throwing out hints and red herrings beforehand. There are two sections inside the killer's head so far, but those are designed to foreshadow the danger ahead. I've tried not to give much in the way of clues as to that person's identity, only their frame of mind and intentions to a degree.
Over the weekend, I thought of another Gotcha and a good example of why proofreading a manuscript is so vital. Here are two sentences, exactly the same except for the position of two letters.
- The trail made for a rough ride.
- The trial made for a rough ride.
The first one could appear in a western or wilderness adventure, describing a physical path over the earth, suggesting someone on horseback. The second could appear in almost any story to reference a courtroom situation or perhaps a difficult time of some sort where the "ride" is kind of slang-ish. Both sentences will pass computer grammar checks, yet depending on the context of the story, could still be wrong!
Many people, myself included, have a talent for what is called "closure." The mind is capable of reading text with mistakes in it but automatically correcting them before they reach a cognitive level. People do this to varying degrees, which can be a blessing in that it speeds up reading in general, but a curse when it comes to proofreading. Doing the latter takes patience and concentration, both of which become more difficult if the story itself takes control of your attention.
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