Attitudes

This week I had a chance to get together with the writers group. It’s been a while since we gathered, so I was curious as to what progress everyone had made on their individual efforts. It’s a diverse group with a lot of talent. As the Alpha Dog, it’s my role to find any articles on relevant topics and share them, along with offering words of encouragement and constructive criticism to their work.  Sometimes I’ll even create an assignment, a type of challenge that they can use to help sharpen their writing skills.

Since it’s been a while, I put together an assignment about attitude. It’s important for your characters to have realistic attitudes.  Some can be meek and mild, but depending on the circumstances that they find themselves in, they may exhibit sudden bouts of bravery. Just like real people. So I wrote this out and included a little bit of dialog between two characters. One was sweet and innocent. The other was tinged with frustration and anger.  After I read this to the group, one person was slowly shaking her head in disgust.

“How do you do that? Where did you learn to capture those moods?”

“Observation,” I said. “You’ve got to pay attention whenever you’re out with other people.”

I went on to explain. At times I’ll be in a restaurant and while waiting for my food, I’ll watch everyone. You learn to read body language. Are the two people at that booth sitting close together and locked in conversation?  Or are they leaning back, each lost in their own thoughts. What are their expressions like? Do they appear happy or tense?  Are they impatient?  Are they enjoying their food or just moving it along the plate?  These are all signs. It’s up to the observer to interpret them.

“There are other methods. But this is what works for me. I’ll watch people and then incorporate that into the characters for my stories.”

“You make it sound easy,” she said.

I shrugged. “It’s just that easy. But it’s taken years of practice to get it right.”

Here’s an example of attitude from “Devious” the first Jamie Richmond mystery.

"What the hell took you guys so long?" I shouted as they rushed to us. The paramedics rudely pushed me aside and bent over Smitty. I was about to kick one guy squarely in the ass when someone grabbed me from behind and lifted me off the ground. I was carried back to Smitty's car, struggling all the way. Finally, they sat me down on the hood.  My eyes focused and I recognized Sergeant Malone.

"Relax, Jamie. Let the paramedics do their job."

I was exasperated. How could he be so calm when one of his own men lay there wounded?  "He could be dead by now, Malone. He's been lying there bleeding for over an hour."    

"It hasn't been an hour. It's only been three minutes." Malone tried to smile but it never reached his eyes.

"Three minutes?"

"Three minutes. Your call came in two minutes after Smitty radioed in his position. His report was logged in at ten-fourteen. Your call was at ten-sixteen. It's now ten-nineteen."

"Three minutes?" I repeated.

"That's all, Jamie." Malone pointed over my shoulder to the ambulance. They were already loading Smitty into the back of the wagon. One of the medics waved at Malone, flashing a thumbs up signal.  Malone returned the gesture.

"He's okay?"

"He's not going to die. Smitty's damn lucky you were riding with him tonight. Help might not have gotten here so quickly if it weren't for you." We watched the ambulance race away, sirens wailing. The hospital was two miles up the road.

"It all happened so fast."

 

Here's a link to an older post you might enjoy.

http://marklove024.blogspot.com/2015_07_01_archive.html 

 

Bestseller

I've always been an avid reader.  If I'm lucky, I'll get through a new book each week. Every once in a while, I pick up a book by somebody I've never heard of but the back cover blurb intrigues me. I usually read a page or two in the beginning, to see if they can capture my attention and if the writing is any good. If so, I'll take the plunge and buy it.

Last week was a perfect example. I was vacationing up in the northern part of Michigan, among the throng of visitors enjoying the extended holiday weekend. Wandering into a store in Mackinaw City, something on the shelf caught my eye.  Bestseller.  My first reaction was, 'that's pretty damn bold to give your book that title' or words to that effect.  So I checked out the back cover. This was written by Christopher Knight.  Not somebody I'd ever heard of, but the blurb sounded promising.  I skimmed the first page, then flipped it open at random and read another. Then another.  At one point the rest of the group I was with headed out so I stuck it back on the shelf and moved on.

Ten minutes later, I was still thinking about it. So I doubled backed and bought a copy.  Right there should have told me that this one was promising. It spent a few days tucked in the back of the car until we got home and I dug it out.

Every once in a while, I'll get caught up in a book and realize I'm torn between two perspectives. One, I want to hurry up and finish it to see how the author pulls it all together and if they can keep the tension and interest going until the end. Two, I'm enjoying the story so much I don't want it to end.  Crazy, isn't it.   This is one of those stories.  This one was such a success, it was even made into a movie.

http://www.bestsellerthemovie.com/about.html




Turns out Christopher Knight is another pen name for the guy also known as Jonathan Rand, who penned the Michigan Chiller series for kids.  Obviously he knows how to get your attention. So if you're looking for something different, check out "Bestseller".  I'll certainly be on the lookout for some of his other novels.

Shakespeare Sez

Although I’m an avid reader, I have yet to tackle the complete works of William Shakespeare.  I’ve enjoyed reading several of his plays and have seen a number of theatrical performances over the years. One of my favorite lines is from “Romeo and Juliet”:  “What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  

But when it comes to names, whether it’s the name of your business, an event, the title of a novel or short story, or your character names, I have to disagree with the Bard. Names have always been important to me. My own name is odd and great fodder for a joke or two but hopefully it’s memorable.  

In addition to my full time job, I also teach a business class at the local college for people interested in becoming entrepreneurs. One of the topics we cover early in the semester is what you’re going to call the company you create. It needs to be memorable. Preferably something short and to the point. It needs to have some reference to what your business is all about, so people seeing the name will make an instantaneous connection. Or close to it.

For example, this summer I’ve participated in two events. One was the Ann Arbor Book Festival.  Very distinctive. You knew where it was and what it was about. This was a very successful endeavor that drew a lot of people interested in checking out the various booths, talking to authors and buying a few books. It was my second year attending and I’m already looking forward to 2017’s festival.

Yesterday I was one of 40 authors at the Tulip City Author Event. We were packed into a conference room in a very nice hotel in downtown Holland, MI. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the crowd for the six hours we were scheduled to be there. Sadly, there was no crowd. By the bitter end, barely twenty potential customers wandered through.  Few books were sold by any author.

So what’s in a name?  In this case, everything.  The name of the event made it look like it was a conference for authors, not a book sale. Nothing indicated it was a chance to buy a book, talk to a local author about their work, or pick up some swag.  Several disappointed authors packed it in shortly after noon. My darling wife even walked over to the local visitor’s center to see if they had any information about it. She was told they had a flier but had no idea that the public could come in.

Live and learn. I’ll chalk it up to experience. But if they attempt this next year with the same name, I’m gonna pass.  Maybe I’ll read Hamlet instead.

 

Tulip City Author Event

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the book festival in Ann Arbor.  As I'd hoped, it was a great time, talking to many readers who braved the heat wave and were interested in learning more about my novels. It was such a blast that I wanted to do it again.  As luck would have it, there's another opportunity next Saturday (July 9).

Holland, MI is a great place to visit.  On Saturdays there is a huge farmer's market at the end of the downtown section. I've been there a few times and it's teeming with people, even chefs from some of the local restaurants showing you how to prepare dishes using items from the market. The downtown strip has a number of quaint shops definitely worth checking out.  Just around the corner is the Hope College campus.  I wouldn't be surprised if there was still an abundance of colorful tulips around the city. And only a few miles away is Lake Michigan.  It doesn't get much better than that.

So if you're in the area, stop by Holland and check out the Author's Event.

Here's an older post you might enjoy.

http://motownmysteries.blogspot.com/2016/03/making-sense-of-it-all.html

Lie To Me

At a recent meeting of the writer's group, the discussion turned to characters and how sometimes you need to shake things up a bit.  Several people were looking to me for guidance, so I said "Lie to me."

Everybody lies. It’s part of human nature. Can the question “Do these jeans make my butt look big?” ever be answered truthfully, without fear of grievous bodily injury?  What about “How old do you think I am?”  Admittedly, some people are better than others when it comes to lying. The con man’s credo is ‘keep it simple’.  The more complicated your lies are, the harder it becomes to keep them straight.  And there’s nothing worse than getting caught up in a lie. Or was that really your plan all along?

So I took it a step further and spun the following scene.

Valerie was a sultry brunette with a no-nonsense attitude and just enough curves on her lanky figure to distract him. “According to your profile, you claim three important facts.  First, you’re a successful author, whose latest book may be considered for a movie.” Her voice was low and throaty, as if she just finished a shot of twelve-year-old Scotch and half a pack of Marlboros.

“That’s right.” Alexander was trying not to let his eyes wander. But it was difficult, especially the way she was standing there, hands planted on the table between them, looming over him. She was flashing just a hint of cleavage.

“Second, you once tried to drown a Catholic nun.” Valerie arched an eyebrow at him. Her gaze was intense. If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. Maybe she was raised by nuns?

“Right again,” Alexander said. Was it getting warmer in here?

“Third, you supposedly spent the summer cruising around the back roads of the Midwest on a motorcycle.” Valerie leaned back and gave her head a shake, tossing that luxurious mane of chocolate brown hair. “And you readily admit that one of those statements is a lie.”

Alexander shrugged.  “That was the idea, one falsehood mixed with a couple of truths that would raise someone’s interest.  Apparently I got your attention.”

“Which one is the lie?”

“You tell me.”

She loomed over him again. Another button on her blouse was undone. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

“I have my moments.”

“Which one is the lie?” she repeated.


 

****************************************************************************

That's where I left the group hanging.  I did admit that the three statements were from my own life and that it was up to them to figure out which were true and which was the lie.  I'll be curious to the response.  So, what do you think is the lie?

By the way, last week was the Ann Arbor Book Fair.  It was an excellent day, despite the furnace like blast of ninety degree weather in the scorching sun.  I met a lot of great people and sold quite a few books. Can't complain about a day like that.   I also learned about a new group promoting local authors called Hometown Reads.  Since all of my mysteries take place in the Metro Detroit area, it seemed like a perfect connection.  I'm delighted to be part of their latest effort.    Here's a link to their new site.

http://hometownreads.com/books/fleeing-beauty/