FINISH LINE

~ Kimila Kay ~ 1 Comment

“Hi, my name is Kimila and I’m a word-aholic.”

I absolutely love words! I grew up in a family of storytellers and some of my crazy clan may have made up their own words occasionally. For instance, warshcloth for washcloth, tempature for temperature and yellow for hello. You get the idea, right?

Now part of the reason for these created words could be because my relatives moved to Oregon from Oklahoma before I was born. And all y’all no what a strong southern accent can do to the English language.

When I entered the working world one of my first jobs was a secretarial position at a bank. I’d always thought of myself as a great speller, but my mean supervisor soon taught me that was not the case. Imagine you’re typing a letter on a manual typewriter, and you’ve read the piece believing the missive is error free. Then … your supervisor hands it back with red ink markings showing your misspelled words and errors.

I became a better writer, editor, and speller thanks to Mean Mary. And the invention of computers and software has helped immensely. I love that Word tells me what’s wrong with a hint of blue or cute red squiggly lines.

My very first WIP in 2004, “Murder in Margaritaville” (no Jimmy Buffet would not let me use the name) was a labor of love created on a desktop using a keyboard. I pounded out all 125,000 words over the course of three months. Worked hard on editing, printed the pages, and clipped them into a three-ring binder. Then I had my mom, of course, and a few friends read my masterpiece.

Oh, the life of a novice writer. I attended my first Willamette Writer’s conference that year and fell for the line, “I’d love to represent you and your novel, but first we’ll need to have it professionally edited by our team of awesome editors. For a small fee (fortune).”

Of course, I forked over the money for the editing service and learned some valuable tools I still use today. Such as, the correct way to use the word “like”, which I had used incorrectly 30,000 times in my 125,000 word bemouth. One of the editors and I became friends after she sent me a sticker with the word “Like” in the middle of circle, then crossed out.

The most important lesson I learned, though, was do not pay someone who’s dangling the dream of helping you land a book deal. After paying for the editing, the agent, who’d lured me into her web of deceit, told me my masterpiece wasn’t a good fit for her firm.

She gave me a few reasons, but the one that stuck and haunts me still was, “As a novice writer, you should stick to 70-75,000 words in your books.”

I decided not to perseverate about this unpleasant experience and moved forward with my fledgling career. To hone my skills, I wrote short essays published by the “Cup of Comfort” anthology series. You learn how to be an efficient wordsmith when the count is 2,000 words. How to tell an interesting, compelling story without the excess baggage of unneeded words. That being a ruthless editor of your own work serves to make your story stronger.

Now that I’ve let go of the “book deal” dream, I’ve embraced creating interesting characters and writing the fabulous stories swirling in my mind. With three novels, a novella, and a handful of short stories in my collection of work, I feel good about my writing skills. A few glowing reviews for these books has also encouraged me to continue weaving my beloved words into dark and twisty tales.

Still, every now and then, I hear those long ago words echoing in my mind. As a novice writer, you should stick to 70-75,000 words in your books. And worry I’m being too wordy, adding unnecessary blather that will bog down my story and cause a reader to set the book aside.

Each novel I have written over the past six years has grown in wordcount. I find myself watching the count with a bit of trepidation as the number draws close to 70,000. But then I ask myself, is the story good? Can it be better? Have the character’s completed their journey within the tale? Are the loose ends wrapped up for the reader? Have I created a sense of anticipation for the next book?

At this point, I smile and keep writing until the story has reached the finish line. I don’t think of myself as a novice writer anymore, but instead as a writer who loves words and plans to let them determine when the tale is told no matter the word count!

Happy New Year, Ladies of Mystery! And happy writing!

Guest Blogger ~ M. E. Proctor

~ patyjag ~ 2 Comments

The Long and Short of It

If writing a novel is a long-lasting love affair—and it better be passionate because there’ll be a lot of time spent in close quarters—what are short stories? A brief encounter burning bright, a summer romance, a little walk on the wild side … It sure feels like that for me at times. Short fiction is a gulp of fresh air after completing a book draft, a welcome reprieve from obsession, and a new way to look at writing when the work-in-progress leaves me so cross-eyed I don’t see anything anymore.

Short stories are like stretching exercises. Tension is released, relaxation ensues.

A character pops into my head, a place triggers an image, a memory surfaces, a sentence rings true, and an idea is born. Could it turn into a book? Maybe, and some have grown wings and gone the distance, but not all stories deserve a 300-page treatment. Often their strength is in the instant. Their intensity cannot be sustained without dilution in a full-length narrative.

“Rabbits”, one of my favorite stories in the Family and Other Ailments collection, is a good example. It is told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy who blanked out a dramatic event. We meet him when he starts remembering. There’s fear and confusion, and a growing sense of panic that is more acute and more immediate for being at the core of the story instead of distributed over book chapters.

I love the spontaneity of short stories, and the best ones are written in a feverish rush with very little rework. They scream to get on the page. I often go back for inspiration to Ray Bradbury, who knew quite a bit about short fiction. One of his quotes is printed in my brain: In quickness is truth. The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you write, the more honest you are.

I can ponder a scene in a book for days, finetune and rewrite it endlessly. That kind of needlepoint doesn’t work for my short stories. The struggle doesn’t improve them, it tends to suck all the life out of them. My files are full of false starts and abandoned fragments. No regrets, they just didn’t make the cut.

Then there’s the guilty pleasure of genre-hopping. I write mostly crime, both in short and long form. The rules of the genre are infinitely flexible and accommodate pretty much everything. Yet, sometimes I feel myself slipping into horror or science fiction. I have a soft spot for cool vampires and conflicted androids. They would not fit in my contemporary detective series. Or I may decide to take a stroll in the 1950s because I’m a sucker for fedoras and hardboiled dialogue. Short fiction is like a pastry shop. All these colorful macarons. And there’s no sin in wanting to sample them all.

There are twenty-six tasty treats in my short story collection, Family and Other Ailments. Have a bite and tell me which one makes you want to come back for seconds. The main character of the book’s title story has already earned a return engagement. In a book.

Family and Other Ailments – Crime Stories Close to Home

Blood ties. The family we’ve been given, the friends we make, the loves we keep, and those we lost. The twenty-six stories in Family and Other Ailments (Wordwooze Publishing) teeter on the brink, hover at the periphery or even the possibility of crime.
The collection opens with “Spy Head,” a tale of friendship after a crushing trauma. In “Texas Two-Step,” brotherhood leads to a wicked double-cross. “Razorbills” shows a young woman seeking freedom from the prison-like caring of her sibling. “Black and Tan” slips into domestic horror, as does “Mutti,” with a hint of the fantastic. “Hour of the Bat” and “Bag Limit” are deep woods Texas noir, while “A Head for Numbers” and “No Recoil” go west, to the stark unforgiving beauty of the desert.

Buy Links:

Family and Other Ailments is available in eBook, paperback, and audiobook.

All links are accessible here: https://books2read.com/u/3Lx0v5

From reviews:

“Channelling distinct voices, subtle humor, and endings that plant a fist in your gut, Proctor’s Family and Other Ailments is a terrific collection of crime, suspense, and fear. The tales are carefully calculated, with each scene, each piece of dialogue building to that oh so important final strike: a crescendo point that leaves the reader jarred.”

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. Her short story collection Family and Other Ailments is available in all the usual places. She’s currently working on a contemporary detective series. The first book comes out in August 2024 from Shotgun Honey. Her short fiction has appeared in Vautrin, Bristol Noir, Pulp Modern, Mystery Tribune, Reckon Review, Black Cat Weekly, and Thriller Magazine among others. She’s a Derringer nominee.

Author Website: www.shawmystery.com

On Substack: https://meproctor.substack.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martine.proctor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEProctor3

Getting Back into Character

~ Pamela Beason ~ 3 Comments

Fiction is my salvation, both in reading and in my writing, because often everyday life is so tragic or so infuriating that I need an escape. So it is with renewed enthusiasm and determination that I am finally turning back to my work in progress: my crossover novel between my Sam Westin wilderness mysteries and my Neema the gorilla mysteries.

Somehow, during the long COVID isolation, my creative brain withered. I have only been able to write in fits and starts for several years now. And after the restrictions were lifted, I’ve been traveling quite a lot—Vietnam, Central America, Tanzania, and multiple shorter trips within the U.S. But life is supposed to be back to normal now, right?

However, having been derailed by family struggles and tragedies and having personally detoured (and procrastinated) for so long, I now must remember how to write. You’d think, as this will be my 15th full-length novel, that the process would be natural. But no. I have never been capable of writing an outline in advance for a novel. My brain just doesn’t work that way.

When I finally sit down at my computer and stare at that blank page on the screen, I feel like I’ve never done this before.

I need to remember how all my characters think, and since this book will contain two casts of characters, this is a bit of a challenge. But I will draw on my life experience. And on the internet, of course. First, I tackle Sam Westin, since Sam and Pam are a lot alike in their love of nature and their outdoor activities. Last October, I hiked part of the trail along Ross Lake in the North Cascades National Park complex that I am planning to use in this book. I have kayaked to other portions, so I can envision myself as Sam setting off on that trail and camping at the campgrounds. Like Sam, I would love to see wolves in the wild, so I can identify with Sam’s goal and imagine reasonably well what that would be like.

Finding not one, but two dead men in the wilderness? That’s a little harder, but hey, I’m a mystery writer. I can imagine it. I often imagine finding bodies in the wilderness when I’m out kayaking or snowshoeing or hiking. (Doesn’t everyone?)

Getting stuck with an injured foreigner who desperately needs help? I used to be the designated first aid responder at a geological research facility, so I’ve dealt with blood and injuries before. I’ve studied wilderness first aid and done stress and rescue training as a scuba diver. In college, I worked as a dormitory counselor in an English language school, where I had to interact with students from around the world. So, I think I can handle those scenes.

Being shot by an unseen stranger for no reason I can think of and needing to run for my life? Nope, I’ve never been there, thank God. But I can imagine the pain and confusion and fear. And I’ve walked through wild areas at night as Sam will need to do, so I’ve got that, too. But there’s a horse, and the injured guy. I’ve dealt with horses before. Yes, I can handle the Sam Westin part of the story.

But then, I turn to the Neema portion. Neema is a gorilla that knows sign language, she has a mate, Gumu, and a baby, Kanoni. So, I write the beginning scene for the Neema portion of this book, in which both baby Kanoni and a foreign woman are shot (Kanoni, on purpose; the woman, accidentally). Yes, it’s horrible, but mystery writers have to do terrible things now and then, or readers won’t believe that they could happen in a book by that author. (Don’t worry too much, I can’t stand to kill animals, so the little gorilla will survive.)

Only the gorillas witnessed the terrifying crime and the perpetrator. So, after the dramatic original scene, I try to put myself in Neema’s place. She’s a mother, she’s confused and grieving after the vet takes Kanoni away. But she’s a gorilla; she doesn’t understand what happened or what to expect. I am neither a mother, nor a gorilla.

Blake, Sam Westin’s housemate, is way out of his depth in this story. He’s in charge of taking care of the gorillas while their owner is on vacation in Hawaii. Blake is a gay man who was betrayed by a lying lover. I’m not a gay man who has been betrayed by a lying lover.

My imagination is not getting very far with this. Why did I think I could do this?

Like many frustrated writers, at this point, I run away. I go for a walk. I vacuum the endless cat fur from my rug. I read several books. I re-caulk my bathroom. And then, after a couple of days of doing everything except writing, a revelation slaps into my brain: while Neema the gorilla is the character readers most often remember from that series, the stories are actually told from the point of view of Detective Matthew Finn.

Well, duh! Like I said, sometimes I feel like I’ve never written a book before, and it’s been quite a few years since I wrote my last Neema mystery, and my imagination has been on vacation for way too long.

I’ve done detective work. I was a private investigator for ten years. So, what is Detective Finn going to do when the case lands on his desk? Oh, yeah, I see it now. I see the path forward! Well, at least for several more chapters.

How will I blend these two stories? I have some thoughts, but none that are fully fleshed out right now. There is a common theme, trust me. There is a connection. I’ll get there.

But now I need to go for a walk. And vacuum up more cat hair.

The Peace That Follows Chaos by Karen Shughart

~ kshughart47 ~ 4 Comments

December is chaotic here on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York state, but in a good way. It’s busy and a lot of fun, but by New Year’s Day we’re exhausted and ready for some quiet time. The season starts the weekend after Thanksgiving, but then the entire month is filled with parties, shopping flings, festivals, gift exchanges, impromptu gatherings, and food – lots, and lots of food – both the cooking and eating of it.

Decorating is big up here, and although we don’t do much of that, just a little festive touch or two both in-and-outside our house, many friends and neighbors go full bore, hoping to win or place in a contest sponsored by our Neighborhood Association for the best outdoor decorating. And many of them do.  Frankly, it’s quite impressive, and more than a little magical.

Now it’s January. The decorations have been stored away for another year, the snowbirds who flew north for the holiday have migrated south again to spend the rest of the winter in warmer, sunnier climes. The days are a bit longer, and while that’s certainly good news, they’re a bit grayer, too, and there’s more chance of snow. While we loved the hustle and bustle of the previous month, we breathe a sigh of relief.

We greet our like-minded neighbors when we walk each morning, but other than the roar of the waves crashing on the beach or the sound of the wind, it’s quiet. A couple restaurants and almost all the shops have closed until spring, and there’s not much traffic, hardly a vehicle to be seen traversing through our streets.

Now our gatherings are small ones: intimate dinners with friends at the restaurants that remain open; a pot of soup or chili with a small group at our house on a Sunday evening; a ladies’ night out; or for my husband, the regathering of his summer golf group for lunch and playtime at a virtual, indoor facility.  I happily resume my yoga classes. We venture to the city to take advantage of the cultural offerings there: a symphony; a Broadway show presented by a traveling touring company; or special exhibits at museums and galleries.

I’d been making good progress with the fourth book of my cozy series, but during December that project was mostly put on hold. This is the month when I commit to moving forward with my writing, and have been spending at least part of each day expanding the story as I continue with the first draft. Then, later in the afternoon, I read, fire burning in the fireplace, a cup of tea in hand.

Some friends and family who don’t live where we do wonder how we manage during this time of quiet and isolation, with weather that’s fickle and can change in a minute or two. For us it’s a time of centering and peacefulness, and it’s very beautiful with white caps on the water, grey skies intermittently clearing for brilliant blue and bright sun, starry nights, and a landscape dotted with wheat, rust, faded green and brown. Because many of the trees are barren of leaves, I can see the lake and bay and the tops of the two lighthouses that flank each end of our village beach from several rooms in our house.

By March, we’ll be ready for a change and begin to search for signs of spring: daffodils peaking above the thawing ground; buds starting to swell on trees and bushes; a greening of the grass. But for now, we’re enjoying the peace that follows chaos.

A member of Crime Writers’ Association of the UK ( CWA), North America chapter, Karen Shughart is the author of the Edmund DeCleryk cozy mystery series, published by Cozy Cat Press, including the award-winning Murder at Freedom Hill.  All books have historical backstories that provide clues to why the crime was committed, and recipes at the end. They are available in Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and Audible.

In 2024, I Resolve To . . .

~ Margaret Lucke ~ 6 Comments

By Margaret Lucke

Here we are—halfway through January. Have you broken your New Year’s resolutions yet?

I recently came across this definition:

New Year’s resolutions = a to-do list for the first week of January

Maybe it’s true that most resolutions don’t last. In fact, a lot of people claim not to make them at all. But I sort of enjoy the annual ritual. If you’re like me, this is the year you’ve resolved to do things right—to break all your bad habits, finish all the projects you’ve been procrastinating on, and become that all-around perfect person you know you have it within you to be.

Most of my resolutions have to do with writing. It’s the same list I made last year, and the year before, and, well, probably every year since 2010.

If you’re a writer and you’ve neglected to make your own New Year’s resolutions, I hereby make you a gift of mine. I probably won’t keep them this year either, so someone else might as well put them to good use.

Note well: If carefully followed, these resolutions are guaranteed to lead to fame, fortune, and bestsellerdom. How do I know? Because they’re based on the never-fail counsel I’ve received over the years from how-to books, English teachers, and writers far wiser than I. Or is it than me?

That question leads me to:

 Resolution Number 1: I will brush up on grammar.

Here are the rest of them:

2:  I will write every day.
(Okay, let’s be realistic here—I will write every week. Would you believe every month?)

3.  I will study the markets and never submit anything that is not tailored precisely to its intended home.
(I will also learn to read editors’ minds as well as their guidelines.)

4.  I will write about what I know.
(Hey, that puts me back to writing only once or twice during the whole year!)

5.  I will not try to second-guess market trends but will write only what speaks to my heart.
(Wait a minute—does anyone else detect a contradiction here? See Number Three.)

6.  I will keep pen and paper handy so that I can jot down ideas as they come to me.
(Especially those ideas that are so huge, so fabulous and solve so many plot problems that I could not possibly ever, ever forget them—until the next time I’m at my desk, when I will remember that I had this idea that was so huge, so fabulous … but I will have absolutely no recollection of what it was.)

7.  I will get organized.
(I’ve got a head start on this one. For New Year’s 2022 I bought myself a box of file folders. As soon as I find it, I’ll be all set to go.)

8.  I will eat right and exercise so that I will be in excellent shape for producing excellent work.
(That is, I will follow the Writer’s Diet Plan. It has been scientifically established that creativity is stimulated by the four basic food groups: caffeine, chocolate, wine, and nacho chips. And if getting up to refill your mug isn’t exercise, I don’t know what is.)

9.  I will quit procrastinating.
(Well, maybe I ought to wait until 2025 before committing myself to that one.)

10.  I will persevere, because writers with perseverance and no talent are more likely to succeed than writers with talent and no perseverance.
(All the books say so. Of course, it would be nice to have perseverance and talent both. Not to mention luck.)

11.  I will follow all the good advice I receive about my writing and ignore all the bad advice.
(And I will suddenly be blessed with the perspicacity to know which is which.)

12.  I will double-space my manuscripts when I submit them.
(Hey, I had to throw in one resolution that I might actually keep.)

So there you are—help yourself. Learn these lessons well, and let me know the minute these little gems make you rich and famous. And have a wonderful 2024!