Another Loss

On Saturday, my funny friend and fellow writer, Rebecca (RE) Geneck Delo, died after a heroic battle with cancer. I HATE CANCER! I’ve lost entirely too many friends to it, and now another.

Rebecca was a member of our church. She had also belonged to our critique group, although she had stopped attending before we began. Still, the group continued to cheer her on, and in 2012, she announced that her first book, Another Crappy Diet Book, was finally available in paperback.

I got one of the first copies, and found it laugh-out-loud funny. The next time I saw her, she said she knew some revisions were still necessary. I said I’d help her edit it for a second edition and also get it into Kindle as an ebook.

Life happened, and we never completed either of those tasks. Then came the cancer.

In the final chapter of her book, Rebecca (almost prophetically) says:

“Through the course of living, we lose some of our loved ones, No matter how old or young they were, it’s a painful loss. However, from our grief comes strength.”

Later she continues:

“…Our gifts are many; use all of them. When we do this, an interesting thing happens—life becomes so much easier, and simply happier. We must embrace what we have, because we are the lucky ones.

“Our parents have given us the greatest gift of all: our life. Maybe it’s time to let the little child in us come out to play. The future has amazing possibilities for us. Enjoy your path.”

And she did.

Her husband wrote a note to the church today:

“To our Church Family. Rebecca passed after a long and painful struggle. Cancer got her body, but not her Spirit and her Soul. Your thoughts, prayers and love sustained her over the past three years and was a monumental support to both of us. May God continue to bless you all.”

Her book is available on Amazon.com. The proceeds are donated to the animal rescue group she and her husband ran on their ranch. If you want to enjoy a hearty laugh, get a copy. Like Rebecca herself, much of the narrative is unfiltered, and all of it is real and genuine.

You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/py89t2x.

Your life was much too short, my friend, but your legacy of laughter will bring joy to all who read your words. Rest in peace.

Where Does F.M. (aka Marilyn) Meredith Get Her Ideas?

Lorna:

Today I am hosting good friend and wonderful mystery author Marilyn Meredith. Murder in the Worst Degree, the tenth book in her rocky Bluff P.D. series, has just been released, and It’s my very favorite yet. So I asked her where she gets all her ideas since she writes two books a year, one for each of her two mysteries series. This is her answer:

Marilyn:

Ideas are everywhere.

For instance, just by being observant and letting your imagination go wild, you can come up with all sorts of ideas. Watch people and wonder. Why is she in such a hurry? Is someone following her? Is that man on his cellphone really watching that man who is going into his house?

Another way to get ideas is to watch the news—or read about something happening on the Internet. Then ask yourself, what if it happened this way instead?

I’ve collected news stories for years, ones that I thought I could change around and use as a partial plot and I’ve done it many times. Of course no one would recognize them because they’ve been changed so much as I’ve worked them into a story.

Sometimes I’ve asked a police officer friend to tell me some outlandish thing that’s happened to him, or his most scary arrest, one that could’ve gone wrong. Once I asked for a funny vice story and got a lulu and yes, I did use it in a book.

I love to listen to cop friends share stories and yes, I’ve used many of them. Of course they are never exactly how it was told because I need to work it into a plot that works for my Rocky Bluff P.D. guys.

One of the easiest ways to pick up ideas is listen to what people say on their cell phones. Everyone talks so loud on them you can’t help but eavesdrop. And speaking of eavesdropping, listening to conversations in restaurants can sometimes trigger ideas too.

A new way to pick up ideas for both characters and plot is on Facebook. It is amazing what people reveal about themselves in such an open forum.

So really, the best advice I can give anyone about accumulating ideas is to pay attention to everything that is going on around you. Jot things down in a way that works for you. When plotting a new book, sort through all these gems and see what occurs to you.

Writing is fascinating—and so is gathering your ideas.

Thanks for hosting me today, Lorna.

Murder in the Worst Degree:

The body that washes up on the beach leads Detectives Milligan and Zachary on a murder investigation that includes the victim’s family members, his housekeeper, three long-time friends, and a mystery woman.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith is the author of over 35 published books. She enjoys writing about police officers and their families and how what happens on the job affects the family and vice versa. Having several members of her own family involved in law enforcement, as well as many friends, she’s witnessed some of this first-hand.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith/

Contest:

Once again I am offering the opportunity to have your name used for a character in a book if you comment on the most blogs during this tour for Murder in the Worst Degree.

Tomorrow you can find me visiting http://www.rebeccabuckley.blogspot.com/

Me Write Science Fiction? – Larry Collins, Guest Blogger

I have always loved reading science fiction and fantasy, starting with Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and H.G. Wells when I was in grammar school. Then later A.E. van Vogt, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

In the 1950s, The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, originally written as one super-long book, broken into three parts by the publisher, led the fantasy realm into what has been dubbed “Epic Fiction” and “Myth Arc” books.

The 1960s and 1970s exploded with myth arc. It is similar to a standard story arc but is larger than can fit in a single book. It demands sequels. Think the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, the Man-Kzin Wars by Larry Niven, or the Well of Souls series by Jack L. Chalker, all of which I have read and enjoyed.

The 1980s and 1990s saw more character-driven stories. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is an example. An epic battle between good and evil is the overall myth arc plot, but how the characters, like Dumbledore, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, change and grow are what make each book interesting.

Okay, So if I like the sci-fi genre, why haven’t I written it?

Science fiction and fantasy usually involve some epic theme: save the world or the universe. I don’t write big themes. My stories tend to involve a small slice of life. In my mysteries, the protagonist solves a murder or saves a friend, but not much more.

As Carl Sagan wrote, "To make an apple pie, you need wheat, apples, a pinch of this and that, and the heat of the oven. The ingredients are made of molecules—sugar, say, or water. The molecules in turn, are made of atoms—carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and a few others. Where do these atoms come from? …the Big Bang, the explosion that began the cosmos. If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."

I feared writing science fiction required me to invent an entire universe.

Other types of fiction don’t have those requirements. If you’re writing about the old West or the Civil War, the terrain and characters you’ll meet are well known. If you’re collecting characters from present day, you need only to look to the personalities around you. But if you’re making a futuristic universe and populating it with alien species, you need to make all up. Or so I believed.

In our weekly critique group, one of the authors started a young adult science fiction novel. She had questions on how to portray certain events or define an alien landscape. I was able to help her with examples of how other writers handled similar situations.

I realized, as Joseph Campbell said of the hero’s journey, “…we have not even to risk the journey alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path…”

So it is with writing sci-fi. I write my own story, told in my own words. But the concepts of time-travel, faster-than-light spaceflight, or alien encounters are well-known. Readers are familiar with them. I need not re-invent everything.

I’ve finally started a sci-fi story, but in mine, the protagonist sets out to save his kidnapped brother. Another character finds a family. And neither saves the universe. Now I find I’m enjoying writing science fiction as much as I have enjoyed reading it.

John Wills, Writer

Today my guest is writer John Wills. We met recently at a writers’ conference and I was very impressed with him. He won several awards at the conference.

 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up one of six children on the south side of Chicago. Our parents worked long and hard to afford to send all of us to Catholic schools. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that education was priceless.

What kind of childhood did you have? Were there siblings? Where were you in the birth order? Did it affect you?

I am the second oldest of six kids. We didn’t have a lot of money, as would be expected in a large family. All of us wore hand-me-downs, even my oldest brother. He got them from cousins. I had a wonderful childhood—lots of neighborhood kids to play sports with. We rode our bicycles everywhere: school, parks, the store, and as long as we were home when the streetlights came on, life was good.

When did you first realize you could write? Did you always enjoy it?

It was early on in grammar school. I did enjoy it, particularly, the process of writing—putting pen to paper and actually writing, not typing. When I got older, creating a story, whether fact or fiction, appealed to me.

What other jobs have you done during your life? Did they influence your writing?

I served in the Army during Vietnam. It was a difficult time in our nation’s history and an unpopular war. A military career did not seem attractive to me at that point. I came home and joined the Chicago Police Department and served for 12 ½ years. I left the CPD to become an FBI agent, and retired in 2004.

Writing was an important skill in the Bureau. Being able to document a complex case from beginning to end, in a concise, complete manner was absolutely essential. Once the arrest was made, it was time for prosecution. The U.S. Attorney’s office had little time for agents who had poor writing skills.

What was your first book? Was it published? Is it still in print?

Chicago Warriors Midnight Battles In The Windy City. The book is still available and is the first in the trilogy of the Chicago Warriors Thriller series, featuring Chicago Police detectives Pete Shannon and Marilyn Benson.

Many of us (yours truly included) have a stash of unfinished or simply older manuscripts siting around. Do you?

No, but I did have some short stories taking up space on my hard drive. I decided to collect them, and some poetry, and create an anthology. I named it after an award-winning story I wrote. The Nightstand Collection is available on Amazon.

How did you come up with the protagonist in your latest book?

He is based on a friend of mine, as well as some of my experiences throughout my law enforcement career.

How do you name your characters?

Since much of my writing involves real-life, I often use friends and family in my stories. If the character is a nationality I need to fit a certain role, I will usually use a name generator engine on the internet.

Does the setting for your book resemble where you live?

Yes, and I have a wide range of venues to choose from since I’ve lived in the Midwest, the South, and the East Coast.

Do you include any of your family members or friends among your characters?

Yes, and they seem to enjoy the effect.

Before you leave, tell us a little about your new book, The Year Without Christmas.

I shed a lot of tears writing this one. The book tells the story of a small town family’s peace being shattered when a tragic accident sends them plunging into the darkest times they have ever known. The members struggle with their new reality, as the husband disappears and his grandson faces a life-threatening disease. It’s a tale about loss and unwavering hope, and demonstrates the power of love, faith and a family’s will to survive.

Thank you for stopping by today. We look forward to seeing you again in person. See my review on Amazon.  Lorna

John M. Wills is a former Chicago police officer and retired FBI agent. He is a freelance writer and award-winning author in a variety of genres, including novels, short stories and poetry. He has published more than 150 articles relating to officer training, street survival, fitness and ethics. John also writes book reviews for the New York Journal of Books and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. His book, Women Warriors, is available online and at the National Law Enforcement Memorial Gift Shop in Washington, D.C. John’s October 2013 release is The Year Without Christmas: A Novel. Visit John at: www.johnmwills.com.

Writing Believable Characters

At one of our writing group meetings a couple of years ago, a member suggested one of our characters could do a particular action. Larry and I responded at the same time . "Oh, no. She'd never do that." She laughed and said, "You talk about your characters as if they are real," to which I replied," Of course they're real. If they aren't real to us, how can we expect our readers to believe they're living breathing people?"

I've been thinking a lot about how we create realistic and believable characters, and I'll share a few of our methods with you.

When we initially discuss a story we want to write, we create character sketches for the major ones. The protagonist is better defined than the more minor characters, but we need to know some of the following about those folks we'll be spending time with during the writing of the book.

WHEN AND WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE?

Young people growing up today speak differently than those who grew up in the '60s or '70s or '80s. And those from earlier periods had different speech patterns as well. What was happening in the world during their early years? Was the country at war? In what country is the story set? If in the US, what state, town, city? The life experiences of the characters will be influenced by all of these.

WHAT WAS THEIR CHILDHOOD LIKE?

A child raised without parents will have a different world view than one raised by a single parent. And that child will see the world differently than one raised with both parents.

Was the family rich or poor? What was their ethnicity, and what were their family rituals? Was it a happy home or a dysfunctional one? Was the person abused in any way as a child? How large was the family? Were drugs and/or alcohol used to excess in the family? Where in the country did the child grow up? Small towns are different from suburbs are different from large cities.

We are all molded by our early years, and they provide motivation for the rest of our lives.

WHAT WAS THE BIRTH ORDER?

Lots of studies of the effect of birth order on behavior and personality have been done over the years. The order in which one arrived in the family has a great influence on their overall personality.

This came home to me when we had finished our first romance anthology, Snowflake Secrets. It's the story of four little girls in the years between 1958 and 2007. The novellas in the book were written by four different writers. Yet when I assembled the complete manuscript, I was struck by how accurately each of the four displayed the personality traits most commonly associated with their birth order!

WHAT CHOICES DID THEY MAKE?

Did they go to college or not? Did they marry young, or older, or not at all. Did they have children, and when? Are they divorced, widowed, single? What was their career choice? How did that affect their lifestyle?

HOW DO THEY REACT TO STRESS?

This is very important. Does the heroine twirl her hair or bite her lip? Does the hero raise his eyebrows or frown? Does someone tap their foot or fingers? How do they react to other people? Do they become quiet or do they become aggressive?

WHAT IS THEIR FEAR, AND WHAT DO THEY NEED?

You have to know this about each and every main character in the book so you know how they will react when you place them in danger or under stress. And you need to know what they have to lose and how important it is to them.

HOW DO THEY TALK?

What is the rhythm of their speech? Their area of origin will dictate this to some extent, but everyone has a different speech pattern. What are their favorite words? Do they have expressions they repeat?

When we get the basics defined, we begin to note other characteristics as we write. The characters may end up very different than we thought they would, but we have a starting point. As we get to know them better, we discover additional minor nuances. Each of them must be distinctly different or the reader won't believe in them.

WILL YOU GRIEVE THEIR LOSS?

This past week we had to let several of the major characters in our current project, The Memory Keeper, die. As is our habit, we began to read the finished chapter aloud to each other. And we couldn't get through it. I was sobbing and Larry was choking. In short, we were a mess. We had become so close to these people we felt their loss as acutely as their family members.

When I was writing Ghost Writer, I couldn't figure out why I just couldn't finish the manuscript. It finally dawned on me! I didn't want to let the ghost go! He had no other story to tell, so when this book was completed, I'd never see him again. When I got the edits back from the publisher and reached that chapter, I wept again.

After we finished Snowflake Secrets, we took the final manuscript to the house of the hostess of our writing group to read it through for her. She had only heard it in bits and pieces. When we got to the last chapter, however, none of us could get all the way through. Larry started until he choked up. Then Luanna read a while. I had to finish it, and I wasn't doing too well, either. But Martha, our hostess, was sobbing. And in reality, that was the precise response we wanted our readers to share.

How do you create real characters who step off the page? Have you ever read a book where all the characters spoke with the voice of the author? Did you ever put down a book because you just didn’t care about the characters? I'd like to hear your experiences.