Burning the Midnight Oil by Bonnie Le Hamilton

I’d say I’m burning the midnight oil but it’s actually long past midnight. Not only am I not tired, but I’m supposed to be posting in a few hours, and I’m not ready.

I have a friend who complimented me this past week on posting like clockwork. Come on, let’s face it, I’m not in this blog alone, and we keep each other in line when it comes to being consistent. Consistency is a good thing. Our followers know when we’ll have something new up every Wednesday morning.

But it hasn't been easy. Actually, its dang hard, and well a few of our posts have been rather short. My last post wasn’t the first time I forgot it was my turn, and there were a few times where I wasn’t feeling well. Then there’s all the times where Konnie didn’t have time to write something.

I know of a few of our posts that were little more than a paragraph or two.

And I know I’ve said this before, but Konnie leads a busy life. I don’t. For me, getting out of the house once a day is hectic, for Konnie that’s a walk in the park. Now days, more often than not, when I call Konnie, she’s either leaving, traveling, or just returning home. 

Well, actually, that has changed this last month because one of her daughters finally got a driver’s license. So instead of Konnie having to chauffeur her all over town, she can take herself. More importantly, Melinda can run errands and chauffeur her non-driving siblings instead of Konnie doing it.

Of course, things have changed here too. I did finally get a new vehicle not too long ago. Meaning, I don’t have to forgo doing things I wanted to do because I couldn’t find a ride.

So, my social calendar has picked up a few things.

To start with, I’m a member of two different local writing groups, I’m in a book club, and participating in a group of people who knit and crochet. I’ve also recently volunteered three hours a week at the local visitor’s center and I put in the paperwork to volunteer eight hours a week helping scan genealogical information from old books into computers.

And that’s on top of giving my sister-in-law rides to, well, most of her appointments, and taking her shopping, helping her out around her place, etc.

Is it any wonder I’m way behind on things like dishes, laundry, and doing my editing and writing? Let’s face it, I’m also behind on my reading for book club, but it’s more because I’d rather read my scriptures or a Dick Francis novel than the novel the group picked for this month.

It seems, I have no problem reading Shakespeare, but Jane Austin bores me to tears. Of course, her stories read more like a synopsis than a novel, which might have something to do with it. Think about it. An almost 500-page novel, and it reads like a synopsis, as in pretty much all telling.

Talk about deadly dull!

On the other hand, Shakespeare may be in old English but it isn’t telling, or boring. And yeah, I know a lot of people who can’t understand Shakespeare at all, I’ve never had a problem understanding it. Maybe I’m just weird.

And if any of you is thinking Jane Austin’s hard to understand because of all the big words she uses, I’m afraid, I understand her except for a word or two which are no longer used today. I also understand everyone of her characters has a major case of what my concise writing professor called Cossellism, i.e. they use several big words when they all mean basically the same thing.

So, for me, as a modern-day writer, its annoying as well as boring, and I’m having trouble forcing myself to finish reading it. I’m at the end of chapter four, and I’ve barely gotten past the backstory. I think. Its hard to tell, since it’s all telling anyway. And that doesn’t include the info dumps, which frankly is all the first 3 chapters. One long info dump. To say the least, if Austin lived today, she wouldn’t be selling any novels. Not with that writing style.

Anyway, I have a lot more editing to do this month.

Happy writing (or editing) everyone!

To Trope or Not To Trope by Konnie Enos

Because Bonnie and I are twins, we have been asked about whether or not we write twin characters. Personally, a few and generally secondary characters. I don’t usually write twin characters because there is a basic flaw in portraying them.

You see there are few writers who would understand how to show two siblings are twins  without coming right out and telling that detail of their birth. I also have read very few books where the twins weren’t identical because it is the easiest trope to understand and write.

You’ve all read/seen them.

So totally alike no one, not even their own family members can tell them apart. (This is bogus by the way.)

So totally alike they have all the same likes and dislikes, dress alike, same hobbies, everything the same. (This is creepy and equally bogus.)

Or the worst one yet, they look exactly alike but one is super good and one is practically the devil incarnate. (Seriously, this is not what is meant by mirror opposites, believe me.)

Even so, these tropes are so pervasive it is not only difficult to get away from them, it is nearly impossible to convince some people this isn’t what twins are really like.

Because of this, for years I didn’t even attempt to write twins as main characters. A few secondary ones, but no main ones. I couldn’t stand drawing them as the caricatures people expect.

Then when I started writing my sci-fi two of my POV characters are twins, identical even.

I didn’t want to write them to be one of these tropes because I know that’s just not how we are.

So I wrote twins who look alike, if you don’t know them well and can’t see the differences. Twins who have a ton of different likes and aren’t exactly the same personality. Twins who are both good guys who just happen to have a brother who looks a lot like them and has the same birthday.

Easy, writing basic against the trope stuff.

I was well into my story before Bonnie pointed out I could do better. I re-read their scenes. I agreed. Then we brainstormed. What could I write to show their twinness?

We discussed the unique things we do and have done then I found ways to show these kind of things in my story. Things singletons don’t experience and probably couldn’t understand, unless they managed to find a well-crafted description.

While working on it I realized creating twin characters without relying on tropes and making them real to life twins, was not easy. And I’m a twin.

As I’m thinking about this I’m wondering if my singleton characters are more trope than real life since so many singleton writers rely on tropes to portray twins.

It’s really just a frame of reference question.

Can writers create real to life characters outside of their frame of reference?

If they are heterosexual and they create real life LBGTQ characters? If they are able bodied/healthy can they create real life disabled/health challenged characters?

Since I’ve actually only written a few twin characters, most of mine are singletons, so are they believable?

If you are writing outside your frame of reference, what kind of research do you do so you can get the character right?

That’s what I’m thinking about today, and I’d love to hear your answers.

In the meantime:

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Last minute Rush by Bonnie Le Hamilton

Okay, here it is. I haven’t been sleeping well the last several weeks, and I spaced that I had to do a post because of it. At this moment, I’m not even fully awake, so I’m not thinking at full capacity. I’d also like to point out that Konnie didn’t say anything to me about my post not being up yet until a half an hour ago.

Yeah, that’s right, I’m the one scrambling for something to say this week. That’s usually Konnie.

And on top of all that, its already the tenth of April and I’ve only managed to edit twenty-six pages of my manuscript this month. I’d set a goal of editing one hundred pages, so something else I’m behind on.

Actually, I’m behind on a lot of things, it’s a wonder I managed to get my rent and car payment taken care of on time. Its hard to concentrate when you can’t seem to get to sleep at a decent hour. 

Then there’s the time when I had things to do and I ended up crashing for three hours. Yeah, I needed the sleep, but I also need to get things done. A lot of things. And my list isn’t getting any shorter.

All I can say is, “Konnie, don’t wake me up at 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning saying my post isn’t up.”

Had she said something sooner, I’d have had something up already, but here it is. I spaced it was my turn and she didn’t say anything until it was too late. And now I need to at least try to get through my “To Do” list, editing Forbidden Connection included.

Happy writing, or editing as the case may be, everyone.

Hope’s Statutes On Writing a Novel By C. Hope Clark

I’m writing my tenth novel right now and have a contract for two more with a solid, reputable, traditional publisher. In looking back, I never would have forecasted that I’d be charging this strong at this stage in my life, in my second career, with not only that many mysteries behind me but also an endless list of stories to tell awaiting me up the road.

            My biggest fear is that my mental faculties fail me somewhere downstream, and I cannot write stories anymore. I finally found a profession I hope to never retire from.

            Invariably, when I speak to bookstores, libraries, book clubs, and writing conferences, I’m asked about my routine, my habits, and my beliefs in how a writer ought to pursue the business. Time after time I explain how writing is a personal decision, with personal conclusions on how to write and find happiness in the journey.

            But like Stephen King and Kurt Vonnegut and all the other famous authors have their mantras about success, over the twenty years I’ve been writing, I’ve developed statutes of my own. . . some shared with other authors and others of my own making.

1)      Write daily. If I’ve learned anything about writing, it’s that the consistent habit or reporting to work results in better writing, more writing, and quicker growth as a writer. Some argue about muses and replenishing the energy to which I say sorry. If you write for a living, you report to work. Some days are easier than others, but isn’t any job? Teachers, doctors, and engineers don’t go home because they’re having a hard day.

2)      Only read good writing. I don’t want my mind crowded with poor stories. The more brilliant writing I can read in my short lifetime, the more polished I become as a writer. Why? Because that wonderful prose and storytelling genius sticks in my head instead of a slurry of excessive adverbs and passive voice.

3)      Give back with critiques. I never would have improved without critique groups. Giving my all in red-penning a manuscript  made me hunt for mistakes, and that effort made my eye keener for spotting them in my own work. One may argue that if I only read good work, why would I critique immature work. Truth is, it takes a different section of your brain to critique than it does to read for enjoyment.

4)      Avoid passive voice. Sounds simple enough, but it’s not easy. First, you have to become familiar with recognizing it, which many writers are not. Passive voice dilutes the storytelling. It’s the epitome of telling instead of showing.

5)      Read aloud. After beating up a chapter on the screen, I print it off and read it aloud to someone. An option would be to have someone read it aloud to you, while you follow along. This habit catches way more mistakes than editing just on your computer. Then when I’ve completed an entire manuscript, I take a whole day, if not parts of two days, and read the book aloud. At this stage you look not only for glaring grammar mistakes, but check also for voice, flow, and story.

6)      Keep the pace moving. Both narrative and dialogue should propel the story forward. If you aren’t sure if a phrase, paragraph, or chapter contains strong, forward movement, then strongly question whether it’s needed.

7)      Use tags only when needed. Beats and narrative identify the speaker while helping you keep the story moving. And when you use tags, keep them extremely simple, like said and ask.

8)      End each and every chapter with a hook. It doesn’t have to be a cliff-hanger, but the story should stop at a place that makes a reader strongly question what comes next. You want to hear that readers have stayed up all night reading your book.

9)      Don’t talk openly about your pending story. Your story could change. You might not finish it. But most of all, you’ll sap the energy out of the story before you’ve written it. New writers are the most guilty of broadcasting what they are doing and how they are doing it, because they are eager for feedback. Keep your tale to yourself until it’s completed and ready to be promoted.

10)  Accept feedback with intelligent discretion. The mature writer willingly accepts feedback, and unemotionally sifts through it for worthiness. Then they either use it or discard it without a second thought. The day you can eagerly welcome feedback and use it with only your story’s improvement in mind, is the day you’ve climbed the ladder. 

Good writing takes time. It takes seasoning. Nobody is a born natural, and every successful writing reached their pinnacle from hard work. Study their habits. Analyze their work. Then steadily write, ever with improvement in mind. You will get better. You will find self-satisfaction. And you will build a readership. Serious readers always gravitate to the strong writer, and the strong writer paves his own road.

BIO

BIO:C. Hope Clark is the award-winning author of the Carolina Slade Mysteries and the Edisto Island Mysteries. During her career with the US Department of Agriculture, she met and married a federal agent-now a private investigator. She plots murder mysteries at their lakeside home in South Carolina, when she isn’t strolling Edisto Beach. Find our more about her at chopeclark.com 

LINKS

https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Edisto-C-Hope-Clark/dp/1611949424

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44089103-dying-on-edisto

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130656357

http://chopeclark.com/edisto-island/

BOOK BLURB

One death. Two detectives. And unexpected backup.
A Callie Morgan and Carolina Slade crossover, standalone mystery!
When a renowned—and now dead—travel blogger washes ashore on the banks of Indigo Plantation, Edisto Beach Police Chief Callie Morgan agrees to head the investigation as a favor to the county sheriff, whose reasons are as questionable as the death itself. When death turns to murder and a watchdog from the county makes her investigation difficult, Callie reluctantly turns to Carolina Slade and Wayne Largo, vacationing agents with the Department of Agriculture.
Because poison is growing on this plantation and someone knows how to use it well.

TESTIMONIALS

Murder, corruption, and page-turning intrigue are usually the elements that shine the brightest in mysteries like Hope Clark’s latest Dying on Edisto. But it’s the characters that bring a vivid literary element to Clark’s prose and create a strong emotional response to their tangled lives. The scenic town of Edisto Beach is peopled with a modern-day pirate claiming to be a descendent of Blackbeard, a degenerate travel blogger, a yoga teacher who drives a baby blue vintage Benz convertible, a mixed race waitress and her matriarchal grandmother, and a whole slew of wealthy and crooked good ole boys. Leading the cast are two strong female protagonists—a police chief and an investigator with the Department of Agriculture. Did someone say hemlock? —Susan Cushman, author of Cherry Bomb and editor of Southern Writers on Writing
"In a plot as complicated as the numerous waterways that create Edisto Island in South Carolina, C. Hope Clark has combined the characters from her two series to solve the murder of a renowned travel blogger. They mystery requires all of their detective skills and blends the two mystery worlds in a page-turning standalone. The story opens with a floater and progresses with edge-of-your-seat action. Prepare to be absorbed by Clark's crisp writing and compelling storytelling. This is one you don't want to miss!"--- Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of three mystery series. She is the author of over 80 books and has received numerous writing awards.
Hope Clark converges her sleuths, Carolina and Callie Jean, on Edisto Island for the finale, Dying on Edisto, concluding her two murder mystery series. Slews of fans always awaited these highly addictive and superbly penned novels - grabbing you from the first page and not letting go until the last. A pristine, sleeper sea island, two determined masters of law who butt heads, a mystery corpse from Atlantic waters, a few idiosyncrasies along the way - the absolute best cast and plot for an intense coastal thriller. ~Karen Carter, Owner, Edisto Bookstore