What I Learned at Malice Domestic

I have already confessed to being a cozy writer. And reader. And I spent last weekend with 700+ like minded folks.

Malice Domestic is an annual mystery fan conference that celebrates the traditional mystery. This wasn’t my first Malice. It was my fourth or fifth–but the last time I was there was 2005. There are lots of reasons to go to a conference, but I was struck by how my experience at Malice has changed over time.  My writing life has propelled me forward in interesting ways. I am more confident of my craft. I have a wide circle of published friends, and many of them were at Malice. I am also on the board of Sisters inn Crime New England, and SinC National has a strong presence at the conference.

Eight years ago I wasn’t as confident, and felt like more of an outsider. This time, I belonged a bit more. Maybe not to the inner circle, but I was definately with my tribe. Though the panels were good, what I really found interesting were the different events that the conference set up for the authors and readers/fans to interact. Since I wasn’t an active author at the conference, I went to these events to support my friends who were participating. And in the process, I learned a lot.

On Friday morning, there is an event called “Malice-Go-Round”. Attendees sit at round tables with two authors. At the sound of the bell, each author has 2 minutes to pitch her/his (mostly her) book. Then the authors go to the next table, and the process is repeated. I went because my friend Barbara Ross was participating for the first time, and I wanted to show support. But watching 60 authors (I think that is the number) pitch, you can’t help but start to think about what is working, and what isn’t. Here are some thoughts, should you ever have this sort of opportunity. (And honestly, you will, at some point, for something. Pitching is part of life.)

Don’t tell us the plot. Some authors really got stuck telling us the story, and two minutes isn’t enough time for that. Instead give a two or three sentence recap, and then turn to the characters. Why should we care what happens? What wrong is the protagonist trying to right? What is the hook? There are a remarkable number of similar plots–what makes your book different is how you make me care about what happens to your characters.

Swag. I knew that it was suggested that each author bring enough of “whatever” for everyone. This varied–some people brought candy, or recipe cards, and one person brought a pen. Most people either brought a bookmark, or a business card with a book cover on one side. So here are some swag observations.

1. Make sure it is a nice piece. Well designed, with information easily accessible.
2. Cute ideas (candy, for example) don’t last once they are used, so the name recognition isn’t long.
3. Make your piece stand out. One bookmark had a ribbon attached to the top. It probably cost a few cents, and took time, but it made me want to keep the bookmark. And when you are collecting that many pieces of swag, a lot of it is going to be dumped. Unless it stands out.
4. Have enough of whatever for everyone. I totally understand the numbers are significant, but not having information to hand out is a lost opportunity.

Smile, have fun, and be professional. Practice your pitch, and know it well. But don’t know it so well that you can’t have fun with the crowd. And remember to SMILE. It must be scary, but 60% of the attendees are fans, and they want you to succeed. They want to find a new author, or series. So help them like you.

What a great opportunity for me to learn, and one I didn’t expect. And props to everyone who participated. It was a great way to start the conference.

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J.A. Hennrikus is the Executive Director of StageSource. She is a mystery writer. Her short story, “Tag, You’re Dead” was published in Level Best Book’s anthology THIN ICE. “Her Wish” is in Level Best Books’ DEAD CALM. And “The Pendulum Swings, Until It Doesn’t” was published in BLOOD MOON in November 2012.She is a social media fan, and tweets under @JulieHennrikus. She wrestles with allusions of athleticism, is an avid theater goer and a member of Red Sox nation. Her website is jahennrikus.com

Six Writing Lessons From The Garden

 I love to garden. It’s a meditative activity – something I can do while my mind freewheels. Last Sunday, I found myself thinking how preparing a small vegetable patch is like writing a book.

Lesson 1: Writing is Solitary.

For the first time in thirty years, I’m planting the garden solo. My husband helped me install the fence posts (just as he built the studio where I write), but he prefers to nurture the orchard. I’m on my own, just as I write by myself during the week while he’s off tending to his patients’ health.

Lesson 2: Selectivity is Good.

There was a time when we grew and preserved all our food – but no longer. We’re now supplied with locally grown produce from a neighbor’s organic farm, so I’m only planting high-value items that are harder to find in local markets – shallots and leeks, fennel, escarole and Brussels sprouts – as well as items we consume in quantity – cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and a wide assortment of culinary herbs.

I’m leaving the prosaic vegetables – the zucchini and green beans, the carrots and potatoes – to the production professionals. In a similar way, I’ve retired from the teaching, managerial and editorial jobs that others can do as well as or even better than I can. No one else can tell the stories I imagine, so I’m concentrating on them.

Lesson 3: Limits are Helpful.

I started by limiting the scope of my garden. I’ve fenced off an eight- by sixteen-foot rectangle to keep the free-range chickens out, and to keep my intentions focused – and manageable. Our previous gardens were huge, time-sucking affairs, and sometimes we raised an equal quantity of weeds as tomatoes. Similarly, over the past year, I’ve drafted thousands of words about my character’s life. But recently, I’ve come to realize that the story I’m telling takes place over the course of nineteen months. So that’s what I’ll develop; everything else must come out, just like the weeds.

Lesson 4: Writing Takes Time.

At the outset, a hundred and twenty-eight square feet looks just as big as a 100,000-word novel, and turning it over with a hand fork appears as daunting as filling a ream of paper by pen. My husband offered to do this heavy task for me; he would have had the garden-plot ready in less than an hour. I thanked him and said I would do it myself. It took me three hours, during which time I meditated on how preparing the garden is like writing a novel. I stopped only for water and to take pictures for this post, which I was composing as I dug.

Lesson 5: Small Tasks Yield Success.

A week earlier, I’d covered my plot with a tarp to warm the earth and kill weeds. The weeds continued to flourish, however, and the prospect of turning the soil by hand and pulling the weeds out by the root was too much. So I put the tarp back in place and

Working a small section at a time.

uncovered only a quarter of the space. After I turned those thirty-two square feet, I peeled the tarp back again, turning and weeding the next section. Now, the job was half done. I folded the tarp back again and again, always giving myself a small, measurable task that I could reasonably accomplish. Writing a book is just the same: I break each chapter into sections, and each section into paragraphs, each paragraph into sentences, each sentence into words. Each time I stuck the fork into the soil, it was a reminder that books are written one word at a time.
Lesson 6: The End is the Beginning

By the time I had raked the soil into beds and outlined the footpath with string, my neck was sunburned, my back was sore, and I was ready for a bath. I was done – for the day. I now had a well-defined garden plot with clearly outlined beds as weed-free as a clean piece of paper. Even though I was done-in, I’m anything but done. In fact, I’m just ready to start.

Ellen, the novel I’m crafting, is further along than my garden. But the garden is a good reminder about how to maintain forward progress on this first draft. My afternoon preparing my garden yielded these six truths: 1) Even though I work alone, I’m deeply engaged with my characters; 2) every time I cut out a scene or a character or an unnecessary word, I gain a clearer sense of what aspect of the story to nurture; 3) knowing the limit of the narrative has helped me focus on the story I have to tell; 4) drafting the novel is taking a long time – and I make progress daily; 5) I experience the elation of success when I set myself small, measurable tasks; and 6) every time I finish a section, a chapter, an entire draft, I’m ready to begin another section, another chapter, another draft.  And even when that’s done – even when the writing and revision are finished – there’s another whole set of steps to see a book to completion, but those are chores of another season.

This growing season has just started. I tell myself, if I write word by word, weed by weed, my effort will blossom, and in time, I’ll see my book in my readers’ hands.

Meanwhile, I have a lovely garden bed ready for seeds.

photo: M. Shafer

Author Deborah Lee Luskin gardens and writes in southern Vermont and can be found on the web at www.deborahleeluskin.com

Different ways to get your story started

Writers (of fiction, non-fiction, online, print, and so on) know that beginnings are important. Without the right beginning, the chance for retaining a reader declines rapidly.

So, what type of beginning is best? There’s no perfect answer, of course, but do you have a habit of starting stories, articles, or blog posts the same way? If so, or if you’re unsure, now is a good time to evaluate your writing and see if there’s a way to refresh your beginnings.

Exercise: Pull out a few stories, articles, or blog posts you’ve written recently. Note how you started them. Did they start with the same part of speech? Do you lean on nouns, verbs, pronouns, or adjectives every time?

If not, you already have variety in your beginnings. Bravo!

But if you notice a tendency to open with a certain part of speech  (I favor starting with ‘The’), consider trying something new with the next piece you write.

Here are some examples of ways to start a sentence:

• Adjective – Bright lights can show more than you want seen.
• Article – The best way to manage your time is to schedule it.
• Adverb – Sometimes clients know what they want, but not what they need.
• Conjunction – But you may not find the answers if you don’t ask the questions.
• Gerund - Crossing your arms is a sign of disagreement.
• Noun - Jess made her way to the stage to accept her award.
• Preposition - On the ropes, the boxer glanced at his girlfriend and winked.
• Pronoun - She bought the antique clock after taking its measurements.
• Verb - Start now and celebrate the milestones.

Practice opening your sentences in different ways to see if anything new works for you.

Give it a shot, there’s nothing to lose, and only refreshed writing to gain.

Lisa J. Jackson loves working with words in her own work and with businesses. She also loves New Hampshire and is focused on completing several 5Ks in 2013 as a way to get off the couch consistently. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

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Lisa J. Jackson: Time flies by so quickly! Another Saturday already? Well, okay.

What I’m writing: I put the final touches on a short mystery story and subbed it to an anthology on Tuesday. Why I waited until the last minute to submit it, baffles me since subs opened in January for this particular book. I hope to get better at submitting in general and submitting before the last minute going forward. Speaking of last minute submissions – I better get my sub in to my crit group!

What I’m reading: The user’s guide to my new DSLR. So many features and things to learn about this fabulous camera. It’s a Nikon D600 and will keep my happy for many years to come. I’ve been saving and planning to get a nice camera for years. A goal accomplished!

In other reading – Terry Whalin posts a lot of great information for writers through his Twitter account. He’s a former literary agent and is now an acquisitions editor and author, so knows what writers need to know about. A recent post by Toby Neal caught my attention, Women and the new entrepreneurship. She talks about what it’s like to be a small business owner. Her site is focused on writing, creativity, and Hawaii (where she lives). And while I’m on the topic of small business ownership – Intuit has a lot of great articles and resources on its Small Business Blog.

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: Great progress on Ellen, the novel; wrote and submitted a column on storytelling for the Commons; started a commentary on the prompt “Lost and Found” for the VPR Commentator’s Brunch on June 15; wrapped up the special project I’ve been doing for VPR and submitted my final invoice (fun!). I also set up three meetings to learn from others about starting a very local newsletter for my small town. Wednesday evening, I attended a lecture about William Wadsworth and Robert Frost given by Vermont’s Poet Laureate, Sydney Lea, and I’ve been  rereading Robert Frost ever since. I also sat down at the piano twice!

Friday Fun – Celebrating Spring

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, get-to-know-us question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION: The calendar suggests that spring arrives in late March. New Hampshire residents know it’s more like the first of May (if not June). How do you celebrate spring?

Lisa J. Jackson: I celebrate by doing my Spring Cleaning. Out with the bulky winter clothes and in with the comfy light-weight clothes. I *love* this time of year. There’s something motivating to knowing that even if the house has a chill in the air in the morning, it will give way to just-enough warmth. And I love the sunrise coming earlier and earlier and waking up to the birds singing to each other. Right now I’m pretty excited about my 5th race of the year (Sunday) and having this wonderful streak of cool nights and 70-degree sunny days.

I spent last weekend in Atlantic City, NJ and walked the impressive boardwalk each day. Sunday could have been a beach day — if I had packed shorts. I had no idea it would be so nice there in April!

photo: M. Shafer

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Deborah Lee Luskin: I think about spring cleaning, but I always choose the dirt in the garden instead!

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Susan Nye: Normally I try to find time for the too many to count spring chores or ignore them to revel in the sunshine on a walk around the lake. This year, I headed down to Florida. It’s a working vacation. I still have a bunch of assignments to juggle but I’m writing in shorts and a t-shirt.
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Diane MacKinnon: To celebrate spring, I run more! I’m outside a lot anyway, but once the snow melts I can get back to running in the park (Mine Falls) with my son in the jog stroller. Now it’s light early enough that I can run before my husband leaves for work, too. Or meet one of my sisters on a weekend morning for a sunrise run. I’m training for my first half-marathon since I had my son, so I’m getting out more and more. This weather seems to be celebrating spring this week, too, and I’ve been outside to celebrate with it, whether it’s in the sandbox with my son, at the playground, or at the park.

Reader Q&A: To pitch now or to pitch later, that is the question

What is the best way to pitch a story to a potential publisher? What if you have access to a great interview candidate (say, a prominent local artist) – should you go ahead with the interview, write the piece, and submit it to a magazine; or should you first find a publisher who would like the piece, and then schedule the interview?

Sounds like a chicken and egg conversation, doesn’t it?

Well, we thought it was an excellent question when Brit DeLong (a graduate student who contributes a health column to the DC Examiner and writes her own blog – Busy Girl Health – while studying publishing at The George Washington University) brought it to our attention. Here’s what some of our Live to Write – Write to Live experts had to say on the subject:

From Susan Nye:

Dear Brit,

Query first; interview and write the article after you get the go from an editor/publisher. As you will need to interview the subject of your article, you will be taking some of his/her time as well as setting expectations that an article will appear sometime in the future. The artist gives you time – you give him/her some publicity. You don’t want to take the artist away from his/her art unless you can deliver.

I suggest you query potential editors to find out if they are interested in the topic. Unfortunately many articles have trouble finding homes because the editor(s) of your target magazine(s) does not see a good fit for your topic – especially if your subject is local or regional and the number of potential publications is limited. Just because an idea is brilliant doesn’t mean a particular magazine will leap to buy it. In addition, many small magazines have their editorial calendars filled for months to come. If nothing else, the artist will know in advance that the article isn’t coming out until July 2014.

People like choices. I suggest that you put together three great ideas, you already have your first, and query editors with all three. Include examples of your work with your query. Published clips are preferable but unpublished articles can do in a pinch. More than one student has secured an assignment with an article from a journalism or creative writing class. I got my first gigs with a newsletter I wrote for friends and family. The examples should demonstrate that you are up for the tasks you propose – an in-depth interview of an artist and your other two ideas. In addition, try not to go too far afield on your proposed topics. Most editors will believe you are credible on a limited set of subjects. It can be hard to convince a stranger that you are capable of a story about an artist one day and venture capital fund management the next.

Good luck – Susan

 

From Wendy Thomas:

I would add:

Include photos, let the magazine know that you have photos ready to go along with the article (some mags take their own photos, others like to have them supplied.)

Also, it’s important to list all of the people and references you will use for your article. That’s a point that adds credibility to your pitch.

I’ve done articles both ways. Querying or pitching first is preferable. My most memorable article first, pitch second was when I interviewed Michelle Obama. The campaign headquarters chose me to interview her but as a freelancer I hadn’t yet placed the article. I spent the night before the interview calling up editors to see if one would take the article. Eventually one did accept it, but not before I grew myself a baby ulcer.

Trust me, it’s a lot easier to pitch before you promise a published final product.
 

… and a little PS from me:

I don’t have much to add since the feature/column work I’ve done has all been procured through my network and word-of-mouth referrals, so I haven’t been in a position of having to pitch a story. I trust that my colleagues know their stuff, though.

The only other, smallish piece of advice I’d offer is to make sure you follow best practices for your pitch and the etiquette of reaching out to an editor. As a blogger who is often approached by people who would like to guest post or otherwise appear on one of the blogs I either write or edit, I can attest to the sad majority of folks who haven’t got good sense about how to respectfully reach out to someone.

A few random thoughts:

• Know about the publication you’re approaching – read a few of their other pieces (if not full issues, or a bunch of archived materials if the target pub is a blog).
• If you can, reference a piece or two in your cover note – just briefly, but to make the point that you know what they are all about.
• Proactive tip: If you have a few pubs you would really like to write for, get involved with their online community spaces (Facebook, Twitter, blog comments, Google+, etc.). This will make it a LOT easier for you to approach someone when the time comes.
• There are dozens of great resources out there re: how to write a solid pitch, but a few things that always bear repeating:
  • Address it to a real person, vs. “Editor.”
  • Keep it brief and to the point.
  • Focus on how your piece will benefit the pub’s audience. Remember – this isn’t about you. It’s about the pub and their audience.

 
 

We were delighted to be able to share some of our insight and perspective with Brit. We wish her the best of luck with this project (and all future writing endeavors).

If you have questions for the writing team at Live to Write – Write to Live, please feel free to reach out to any one of us via our individual blogs or Twitter. We’d be happy to help out if we can. It’s all about sharing what we’ve learned.

Thanks for being here and being part of the conversation!

 

Image Credit: base image by Rubin Alexander

Chipping away at the statue that is our story

You know when you are watching a movie and the camera stays a heartbeat too long on the kitchen knife and you just know that something pivotal is going to happen with that knife? In most cases, this sort of cinematic emphasis to a prop means that the prop is going to be used later on in the film – the knife will be used to cut the ropes for escape, used to stab the bad guy, etc.

And likewise, I’m sure that you’ve seen films where you’ve noticed the knife and only after, you frustratingly realize that the knife was meaningless to the story. In that case, it was a poorly directed movie, where no one paid attention to that major rule of storytelling.

If you emphasis a prop, then you need to use that prop later on.

You’ve probably heard the advice for carving a statue – take a block of marble and cut away everything that does not look like the final statue. Easy enough huh?

The same advice goes for writing.

When you write a scene, you are obligated to incorporate detail. Think of the five senses, taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. Obviously, you don’t need to use them all but you need to strive to “paint” a textual picture of where your characters are. Everything in your scene must exist to propel your story’s action or plot.

The problem is that many writers rely on their own interpretations of the scene. You might recall a fancy restaurant where you had a memorable dinner once as the scene for your characters to have a heated argument over a pending divorce.

Even though you remember the forks as being incredibly study (and trust me, I appreciate a heavy fork as much as the next person) it’s not necessary to mention the forks in your scene, no matter how impressive they are.

If, however, one of your characters is going to steal a knife and then stab the other and then frame someone else, you might want to mention the sharpness of the steak knife, the way the lighting glints off of the blade. Even if they use another knife, attention to this knife might be warranted in the guise of foreshadowing.

As writers we must use our personal filters for all of our writing. It’s a given and that’s what makes our work individual and unique. However, as crafters of stories, we need to recognize that even though we see our stories through our own eyes, we need to be vigilant about chipping away all of our words that don’t leave behind the finished statue.

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Wendy Thomas is an award winning journalist, columnist, and blogger who believes that taking challenges in life will always lead to goodness. She is the mother of 6 funny and creative kids and it is her goal to teach them through stories and lessons.

Wendy’s current project involves writing about her family’s experiences with chickens (yes, chickens). (www.simplethrift.wordpress.com)

For the record, I’ve even “borrowed” a heavy fork that had impressed me.