Location, Location, Location...The Importance of Setting in Your Work

I attended two panels at Bouchercon 2015 on the importance of setting to your novel, especially your mystery. Donna Andrews moderated "Crime Beyond the White Picket Fence" with her panel, Tom Franklin (who tells the funniest stories about armadillos), Maya Corrigan, LynDee Walker, and Judy Penz Sheluck. Katrina N. Holm's moderated, "Danger and Death in Suburbia,' with Greg Hemen, Mary Sutton, and Lori Roy. Both groups emphasized the importance of where you locate your story. They also focused on smaller communities, rather than large urban areas.

Crime set in small towns are more personal than those committed in the bigger cities. And here's why...

1. In small towns, everyone knows everyone else.

2. Small towns are surrounded by swamps, forests, and farms, all great places to hide a body.

3. Small police forces often don't have quick turn-arounds on forensic investigations. The body often has to be sent to a larger city, and that gives the amateur sleuth some time to figure out the crime before the expert.

4. Murder in a small community is more frightening. Crime destroys the trust of a close-knit group.

5. Suburbia used to be the ultimate goal of the American dream. This changed with the economic downturn, and it's led to the rise of crime outside of the urban areas.

6. The suburbs are often the femme fatal that lure people with the promise of the perfect life.

7. Small towns and suburbs are where the families and the secrets live.

And secrets are always key to a good mystery.

Keeping it Moving - Maintaining Plot

Plot and pacing are key to successful writing. Too much or too little can cause issues. I attended a fun panel on plotting recently. The authors, Meg Gardner, Glen Erik Hamilton, Alexandra Sokoloff, Terrence McCauley, and S.J. Rozan offered tips for keeping your story moving. Here are twelve ideas to help tighten up your writing.

1. Make sure your characters get in trouble in the novel. Conflict always leads to action.

2. Shorter chapters help move the story along.

3. Dialogue is faster to read than dense narrative. Be strategic about where you put your narrative.

4. Sprinkle in the back story. Avoid data dumps of information about your character's history.

5. Build tension in your story and then release it, but don't release it too soon.

6. Avoid ending your chapters with the character going to bed or thinking. If you do, make sure that something interesting happens along with it. You don't want to give readers the idea that your chapter end is a good stopping point. You want your reader to keep reading.

7. Don't let your characters get bored.

8. Read over your work. If you're bored, your readers will be too.

9. Look at how many times your characters eat. Think of something else for them to do.

10. Use jump cuts (moving the story to the next scene) to keep the action in motion. You don't have to tell your readers every detail of each activity. If the character is in New York and goes to Egypt, you don't have to write about every detail of getting on the plane and flying unless it is key to the story.

11. Cut out any unnecessary words. Don't write a paragraph when a sentence will do.

12. Keep your reader engaged.

These are good reminders to make your writing strong and to keep the story flowing. What else would you add to the list?

My Fan Girl Moment...And What I Learned about Writing from Dashiell Hammett's Granddaughter and Biographer

I had the great pleasure of meeting Julie Rivett (Dashiell Hammett's granddaughter) and Richard Layman (a Hammett biographer) recently at Bouchercon. Their talk of on one of my favorite mystery authors was a dream come true for mystery fans. I loved getting the business/historical perspective of his life juxtaposed to the family memories and stories.

Here are some tidbits of interest from their presentation...

1. Dashiell Hammett was a master of dialogue and his novels were cinematically structured. This made an easy transition for him when started writing for the movies.

2. Rivett and Layman have a new electronic book coming out in 2016 of Hammett's short stories. They appear in order of original publication. One story even has the original author's character and plot notes included.

3. Hammett also wrote many stories that weren't in the detective genre.

4. Hammett's writing style was compact and concise, and that influenced the style and genre for novels that came after his.

5. Hammett's philosophy was to get out of the way of the story. He believed that the characters told the story. Good advice for writers.

6. The family donated Hammett's papers and documents to the University of South Carolina. This is a huge opportunity for literary research. And it preserves the legacy of Dashiell Hammett for years to come.

Forensic and Technology Tips for Authors

I had the pleasure of attending a forensic and technology panel at Bouchercon 2015 with Neal Griffin, Kathy Reichs, Anne Hillerman, Ryan Quinn, and Alex Letrau. Here are some of the tips they offered to help writers make their mysteries and thrillers more plausible.

1. Even with all the science and technology, you still need the dogged persistence of a good investigator. Make your detective strong with good instincts.

2. The creation of databases for forensic information has been an extremely effective tool for crime solvers. These vast databases provide samples for comparison for investigators. Without the comparison, the technology isn't viable.

3. Weaponizing contagions is not as easy as it is portrayed on TV and in movies. It is very difficult and expensive, and most portrayals are more fantasy/science fiction rather than reality.

4. If you are writing about the world of espionage, the WikiLeaks, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden information provide a lot of critical details about the spyworld. And all the information is available on the Internet.

5. Make your stories plausible. You need to get the facts right for your readers to believe in your work.

6. Do your research, but you do not need to put every little, scientific detail in your writing. Keep it fun and interesting.

l-r: Ryan Quinn, Anne Hillerman, Alex Letrau, Kathy Reichs, and Neal Griffin

9 Things I Learned about Search Dogs and Their Training

I had the pleasure of attending "What the Dog Knows" at Bouchercon 2015 with Cat Warren, Kate Flora, and representatives from the Durham Sheriff's Office. Cat Warren and Kate Flora are a wealth of information. I love dogs, and it was fun to watch Dreyfus the dog in action.

Here's what I learned...

1. Dogs with energy and drive make the best search dog candidates. Dreyfus is a black Lab.

2. Cadaver dogs can tell the difference between human and animal bones.

3. Many government and police agencies have dogs with training in several areas (search/rescue, cadaver, water rescue, etc.). Dreyfus, from Durham, is trained in cadaver searches and water rescues.

4. The toy/game and the collar/harness clue the dog into the type of work that needs to be done. Dreyfus has a different collar for water rescue than he does for cadaver searches.

5. The scent has to be available for the dog to find it. It often takes two weeks for the scent to rise up from a buried body.

6. These types of searches always require a team. It's usually the handler, dog, and other trained staff.

7. Missing person and searches for human remains are complicated. Searchers can go for days without a lead.

8. Dogs are often used in bedbug searches.

9. Watch the teamwork between the handler and the dog. If you're going to have a search dog in your writing, you need to observe a team in action.

l-r: Cat Warren, Kate Flora, and Dreyfus

What I Learned about Social Media from "Tweet This"

I attended Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina recently. "Tweet This" by Deborah Lacy, Maddee James, Janet Rudolph, Cara Brookins, and DruAnn Love provided some great social media tips for writers. Here's my quick summary of fifteen key points.

1. You don't have to do all platforms. You will get overwhelmed and frustrated if you try.

2. Know the target audience of the platform you choose. The demographics will help you decide if its the same audience for the type of books you write.

3. Social media is about building relationships.

4. All of your posts and tweets shouldn't be "buy my book."

5. Have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously.

6. Make your posts easy to share.

7. Use hashtags. If your audience is over 35, limit your hashtags to two. If your target audience is younger, don't worry about the number of hashtags.

8. Don't put the exact same information on all your platforms at the same time. Mix it up. Fans don't want to read the same post on four different sites.

9. Pinterest has a lot of options for authors. People like to see pictures of what you're writing about.

10. Don't forget to post videos from time to time.

11. Band together with other writers to promote each others' work. Your reach grows with each share.

12. Have discussions. Network and interact with people.

13. Share interesting things (e.g. hobbies, funny pictures, hints, and pictures). People love dog and cat pictures.

14. Build your brand on all your platforms. Your book covers should be on all your banners.

15. Social media can be a "weapon of mass distraction" (Cara Brookins' term). Don't get sucked into spending too much time online.

Social media sites are powerful (and low cost) marketing tools for authors. Step in and try them. Start small and build your networks.

In a Rut? Ten Ways to Recharge Your Writing

Every once in a while, I get too comfortable in my routine or life is just crazy, and I don't feel very creative or I take a break from writing. Here's my list of ten things to do to give you a jumpstart.

1. Mix it up. Vary your routine. Change the setting on your shower. Wear something you won't normally be seen in. Try a different route to work or eat something out of the ordinary. Have breakfast for dinner to shake up the routine.

2. Try a different hair style. Change your makeup or paint your nails.

3. Journal or do stream of consciousness writing. Sit down and just write. Nothing is off limits. Don't edit or proofread. Just write. You may be surprised at the results.

4. Find a book or website with writing prompts. Do one or two to get you started. They may turn into an interesting blog post.

5. Do a project. Try a new recipe, paint, sew, refinish furniture, make a scrapbook, or knit a scarf. Creativity expression comes in thousands of different forms.

6. Exercise or go for a walk. It'll clear your head and change your perspective.

7. Visit somewhere different. Take a vacation, go to a museum, or visit your city. The time away is a good break.

8. Learn something new. Take a class, watch a YouTube how-to video. There are plenty of free or online classes.

9. Volunteer. Donate some time to a worthwhile cause and meet some new people with different experiences. You'll get as much as you give.

10. Go for a drive. I commute about two hours a day, and I do my best plotting in the car.

What else would you add to the list?

Mustangs and Rearview Mirrors

My husband asked me to help him bleed the brake lines in his '69 Mustang convertible this weekend. Pumping and releasing the brakes several hundred times gave me a moment to observe and ponder. I had a '74 Mustang as my first real car in the 80s, and the technology of his convertible was close to my yuck yellow one with the avocado-colored top. (I saved my money from my part-time job to have it painted red.)

I drive a 2015 Mustang now, so looking at the gears and switches was a trip down memory lane. The '69 has slides for the defroster and heat (no air conditioning), a cylinder on the floor for the high beams, a cassette player, metal slide seatbelts, windows that wind down, a hard plastic steering wheel with a mental arc for the horn, and a square key for the ignition and a round one for the trunk. It also has an ashtray and cigarette lighter.

Juxtaposed to my '15, I don't have to take the key out to open the doors or start the engine as long as it's in my purse. I can even start the engine remotely if I want to warm the car up. And the kickin' sound system, phone, and climate controls are changed on the touchscreen in the dash, or I can use voice commands. I can get music through AM, FM, satellite, my phone, or a host of other devices.  And I can enjoy my tunes from space in my heated or cooled seats.

This week is all about memories. My high school reunion is coming up soon, and I'm looking forward to seeing friends who've known me since kindergarten and the old high school. We're going to the homecoming game on Friday. At some point, we're the same people from back then, but in other ways, we're not. We've changed (on all levels), and had a lot of experiences outside of those school walls we shared for twelve years.

We've come a long way. I love the nostalgia of the reunion and the classic cars. It's fun for a summer cruise with the top down, but for every day life, I like my airbags, computer-controlled engine, anti-lock brakes, power steering, and padded steering wheel. 

I love visiting the past. The nostalgia and memories are great. But like with the cars, I've adapted to the technology and ways of today. And, there's a reason that the rearview mirror was designed to be a lot smaller than the windshield.

Enjoy the memories and where we've come from, but celebrate the present and where you're going. Every decade has its own surprises.

The '69 Mustang's dashboard

This is where roll down the window comes from...

My 2015 Mustang