Oh, now I get it

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So I’m in this extended stay hotel where I don’t have to clean or cook (unless you count throwing something into the microwave), where there’s a desk, table, relatively comfy sofa with a view over a park filled with budding cherry blossoms, and nothing but a straight expanse of time each weekend.

I can either goof off (which I did yesterday because it was rainy and cold and couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday than watching Season 1 of the Borgia’s) or I can sit my butt in the chair and write (which I did yesterday).

Somehow, even though I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday’s scheming intrigues, Sunday was a lot more fun.

No worries. No responsibilities nagging away in the back burner of my mind. No feeling guilty that I’m neglecting my guy.

Just a broad expanse of uninterrupted time in which to write.

Now I get it.

The lightbulb is now on.

I’m a little slow at times, ok? Bear with me.

Settling in

‘Messy Room” courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What is it about traveling for work that makes life so disorganized?

You pull together everything you might possibly need, check it against a list, comb through the piles a few times to toss out the irrelevant, add back a few vital items, then discover you still managed to forget something important.

Like sunglasses. (Very important in sunny climes).

Or socks.

Or nylons.

And here’s a puzzler. Why is traveling for work alarmingly like moving? Just when the suitcase is finally shut up and locked, you turn around and see five more little things that somehow escaped your eagle eye attention.

So you grumpily open the suitcase yet again and struggle to somehow find room for everything.

Maybe it’s the combination of both the professional and traveling life. You’re packed for two scenarios instead of one, trying to remember where you parked, navigating an unfamiliar city (hey, where did that toll road come from??), hunting down decent places to eat (thank you Yelp!) and trying to jump full speed into the new project (the easy part).

No wonder the first week is so tiring.

No wonder I got absolutely no writing done.

Here’s hoping…no, make that planning, to make this coming week different.

And now, we wait

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My PNWA submission deadline’s come and gone. I mailed off the 28 pages earlier this week and just received confirmation the office received the package.

Now I wait for June to see if I made the cut into the finalist’s round. Everything’s out of my hands.

Part of me is glad to finally get it done. I’d read and re-read the darn thing so many times my self-editing switch finally flipped off. There’s nothing to do but kick it upstairs to a fresh set of eyes.

The other part of me is nervous knowing the judges are looking for anything and everything to kick my submission out of competition. Did I clearly follow the directions? Does my summary keep them interested enough read on? Does the first chapter hook them in? Do the next chapters keep the action going? Can the judges see my character development?

I can’t answer that. What I can say is I did the best I could.

And all the efforts put into making my work as crisp and clean and interesting as possible are helping to deepen the rest of the book. I know what I need to do to make my characters more flawed, more human, more believable.

Time to get back to work. There’s a lot more polishing to be done.

Editing the edits

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Been pulling out all the stops (and more than a little hair) over the past week to make sure this is is as polished as I can possibly make it. To date, I have:

• Pumped an extraordinary amount of cash into my local coffee shop. (Note: the caffeine and the banging of my head against their tables seems to have helped creativity flow).
• Joined a writing group where we come in, say hello, shut up, and then write for a couple of hours. (Somewhat helpful, but not as much as mass quantities of caffeine and head banging).
• Exercised–because it’s amazing what comes into my mind when the endorphins flow. (Ok, I’m lying. If my ass gets any bigger, I could star in Sir Mix-A-Lot’s remake of Baby Got Back).
• Brought in beta readers to read my initial draft and summary. (Make that bribing and browbeating said beta readers. Didn’t read The Godfather for nuthin, baby).
• Read other authors and analyzed how they wrote their first 50 pages. (Vast pits of deepest, darkest despair experienced over this one–not recommended).
• Printing out multiple hard copies to catch the small errors. (Sierra Club, I am so very, very sorry for all the trees I killed today).

Go ahead. Ask me what I think of it. Please.

YOU: So, What do you think of the submission?

ME (in my mind): Are you freaking serious??  You want to know what I think of it? Fine, I’ll tell you what I think of it. It’s a complete D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R! How the hell I ever came up with this POS idea is beyond me! What an absolute bollocking waste of my time! I can’t believe I ever thought the judges would take any of this crap seriously!

ME (actually): Not too bad, I guess. Think it’s finally coming together. Perhaps a few more edit checks will do the trick.

Yes, indeedy. 

Writing the dreaded summary/synopsis

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I spent this past weekend and a good portion of yesterday drafting and editing my one-page summary. I’m still only 98% happy with it, but am keeping my fingers crossed that today, I can finally put this sucker out of its misery.

Yes, you read correctly. 4+ days spent slaving over a one-page round up of my novel. Here’s what my favorite book doctor, Elizabeth Lyon, says about summaries:

“What some writers fail to realize is that they must summarize the beginning, middle AND end.  In other words, Problem, Conflict, Resolution.  Plot that springs mostly from character ensures that a novel has dramatic structure.”

And again:

“I asked a literary agent with strong editorial skills what a synopsis should include: “Emotional turning points,” she said. [A summary] leapfrogs from one big scene to the next. The climax of a novel is the final emotional turning point. It should be emphasized in your synopsis, along with a statement regarding how your protagonist ultimately changes by book’s end.”

Oh sure. Sounds simple enough. Which explains why I have a tremendously skull-rapping headache.

I pulled out every trick I knew to make this thing happen. I researched examples of summaries, re-read Ms. Lyon’s critiqued examples in her book, Sell Your Novel ToolKit, countless times and harassed my beta readers into reviewing several drafts.

I even dredged up every last bit of skill gained from writing press releases. After all, writing a great summary is just like creating a great movie trailer. If the trailer looks dumb, no one’s going to pay money to see it in the theater. They’ll just wait until it’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

I’m tired. I can’t believe how much effort is involved in a one-page round up.

A GOOD one-page round up.

But now the beta readers are making approving noises. Perhaps it really is finally looking the way it’s supposed to–an invitingly, delicious mystery novel feast. The figurative version of that ice cream sundae pictured above.

My head still hurts though.

Writing Helps – Storyboarding plots

I’m a planster.

That’s in response to the question Chuck Sambuchino asks in his Storyboarding For Success: Plotters vs. Pantsers post for Writer’s Digest.

Do you plan out your novel (oh no, the dreaded outline word!) or fly by the seat of your pants.

Are you a plotter or panster?

Or in other words, are you an anal, OCD plotting fiend or a laid back, creative artist going with the flow?

Yeah, like that topic won’t cause writers to start a coffee shop brawl.

I wrote about this in an earlier post, firmly coming down on the middle ground. I do a 30,000 foot outline but then allow the characters and plot to run free within those boundaries.

What makes Chuck’s post valuable is the whole idea of storyboarding. I never thought about it before but it makes sense. “You can see where your turning points should be, your “black moment,” and your resolution,” he says.

Something to think about for my next book.

Coffee, tea & writing

I’ve had so much coffee and tea this week my back teeth are floating.

Not that I had much choice. I had no idea my first chapters were so incoherent but I guess that’s the result of relentlessly plowing full speed ahead (just write the damn book!) back in the fall.

Just like last week, revisions are still coming slowly, almost painfully, but the words are finally emerging. I need to submit 27 pages of sparkling, innovative intrigue (plus a one page summary) for the contest and as of last night, I finally hit 21 acceptable pages. Only 6 more to go!  Fire up the coffee pot one more time for the final stretch!

Obviously I’ve discovered this is all a lot more work than I expected but I really like what’s taking shape–especially since I ended up trashing the original prologue in favor of something more fitting. The first chapter got tossed, too. Alignment with the main plot and all that.

Oh, and I’ll probably rip up the third while I’m at it.  Yeah, the first chapters definitely needed some serious re-working. They remind me of when I first started to ride a bike–all wobbly until my muscles finally learned the necessary push and pull to make the bike fly.

And floating back teeth notwithstanding, I like what I’m seeing.

The dialogue is more sparkly, the tension higher, more hints of intrigue–everything is moving faster, more smoothly. I’m going to be proud to put my name to this submission.

But now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta pee again.

The snail’s on a mission

Wow. Getting back into the writing swing of things after a month and a half off is a lot harder than I anticipated.

Actually, it’s a lot like squeezing out the last bits of toothpaste from a well-crumpled up tube. There’s a generous amount left for just one more brushing, it pops in and out like a child sticking out his tongue, but no matter how hard you squeeze, it slurps right back in.

Ugh. Not what I was expecting.

Guess I have to go back to the old tried and true of using a timer. Talk about echoes of childhood. “You’re in a 45 minute time out, missy. Go sit in the corner!”

Funny thing about timers. Now that I’m an adult, they work. Thirty minutes is too short, one hour is too long, but forty-five minutes is just right for settling down. By the time the beeper goes off, I’m usually well into a groove and will often continue until the creativity spark peters out.

Still doesn’t mean the words won’t take their own sweet, constipated time but at least it makes my life seem a little more controllable.

Back in the saddle again

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I’m very excited about 2013.

Excited and actually a little nervous because there are so many things to do this year. I gotta finish editing this book, submit it to the PNWA contest, begin shopping it around, and start researching the next novel.

Oh, I suppose I should plan for some fun, too. After all, that long overdue vacation made me realize all work and no play turns my creativity into a dry, cracked river bed.

Seriously, I was amazed at the number of plot tweaks (and even new book ideas!) flooding my mind as I wandered around different cities with absolutely nothing else to do but enjoy museums, meet new people or just sit outside a cafe watching the world go by.

Vacations – a definite must for battery recharging for the new year.

So yes, the 2013 To Do list of things is now hanging on the wall directly across from my laptop, giving me the gimlet eye.

Yup, I’m one of those people who does New Year’s resolutions. And I do them because I’ve learned that they work. When I write things down on a list and stick that list where I see it often enough through the day, somehow I manage to get them all done by the end of the year.

Granted, they’re not always expertly tied off in pretty packages but they are respectably completed.

First up on the list: Revise the first two chapters and write-up the summary for PNWA contest submission. Luckily, part of my vacation included spending a week in upstate New York near where my novel is set so I was able to rewrite the prologue.

But I still have yet to revamp the second chapter and attack the summary.

The deadline looms. I gotta get going.

Research is fun: The perfect car for the 90-year old woman

Window shopping is so much fun. I can spend thousands outfitting my characters without putting the slightest dent into my own pocketbook–a good thing considering the economy still stinks.

However, I could NOT pass up the opportunity to share the perfect car for one of my characters. Ok, so she’s 90+ years old but she’s still sharp as a tack, has a smartass attitude, is a mean pinochle player, and secretly enjoys watching Formula One racing.

Even though she still needs three cushions to see over the dashboard, she drives like a bat out of hell. Yup, my girl’s got very little patience for slow drivers, preferring to blast past them instead. Sometimes on a double yellow line.

What can I say? She likes living a little dangerously.

So I gave her a souped up, 1971 Plymouth Scamp in Arrest Me Red, with a black hard top and black racing stripes. The racing tires were a non-negotiable. She needs them for cornering on winding country roads.

Yeah.

So take that for thinking old ladies drive like, well, little old ladies.

Revision 102: Helpful reference books

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Revising a novel is a little like revising a freelance article except there are lots more questions to ask, lots more details to tie off, and LOTS more pages to proof.

Definitely lots more pages.

No wonder there’s such a swarm of substantive editors, developmental editors, and copyeditors out there offering their services to hapless novelists. There’s a lot of stuff to consider if you want to do it right.

And there are a ton of books out there, all claiming to offer the inside scoop on doing it right and many times, claiming contradictory actions. Do it this way, one writing expert claims. No, do it this way, demands another. Hang on a minute, the other two are a waste of time. Buy my book, clamors yet one more expert.

It’s enough to give anyone a ripping headache.

Certainly, I’ve wondered about this too since my reference library has more than my fair share of books on writing so I keep the pile to a relatively conservative minimum.

Aside from the Binder Full of Writing Strategies, I’m currently marking up the following books:

1. How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey (practical, useful, insightful questions and examples)
2. How to Write a Damn Good Novel II by James N. Frey (more advanced, subtle shading techniques)
3. How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey (practical hints for succeeding in this specific genre)
4. The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit by Elizabeth Lyon (worth every penny–just trust me on this one)
5. Writing Mysteries: 2nd Edition, Edited by Sue Grafton (like attending your own mystery writing conference)
6. On Writing by Stephen King (no bullshit, just plain, practical advice about writing it like it is)
7. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White (shame on you if you don’t already own it!)

And that’s it. Even though there are so many other tempting books out there, I draw the line at these seven.

No more.

These books offer all sorts of useful hints in addition to stop-me-in-my-tracks questions. I’ve got enough on my plate without going overboard with gluttony. Besides, we all know what happens when we let gluttony get the best of us.

We get ripping headaches from all the contradictory advice.

Research is fun: Vintage clothing

The best part about writing a novel is research, specifically, vintage clothing.

This coat is perfect for one of my characters. She loves the coat–no that’s wrong–she adores this coat. Her husband bought her this coat as a vintage anniversary gift back in the 1960s. Kicky, perky, smart, and fun. That’s what I see when I look at this coat.

The same traits as my character.

Now tell me you wouldn’t want this, too?

Psst – here’s the website showing more of this fabulous coat.

Writing withdrawal: What no one tells you about finishing the first draft

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Lately, I’ve been feeling like Henri the existential cat. Life goes on yet there’s an inexplicable hole in my life. After thinking about it for several days and attempting to fill said trench with copious amounts of Thanksgiving pie, I finally realized the source of my ennui.

I miss my novel characters.

I miss their quirks, their stubborn refusal to do what I tell them to do, and the simple act of discovering a completely new (yet perfectly logical) twist in the plot development road.

In a nutshell, I miss writing.

I knew I was going to experience caffeine withdrawal but this empty-nest feeling is new. No one ever seems to talk about it. Instead, we’re inundated with advice on research, outlining, writing the novel, developing the subplots, finishing the last 50 pages with proper eclat, etc., etc.

What about the letdown? Who talks about this? Did I miss the post-partum novel completion blog posts?

Looks like I did.

There’s an emptiness in me now where my characters used to live, dream, work, and struggle. Yes, yes, I know. It’s the fallow time between typing The End on the first draft and plunging back into the fray with editorial-machete wielding abandon.

It’s the very necessary time when the yeast goes to work while the baker rests from the hard labors of mixing and kneading.

But I understand now why novelists sometimes feel an emptiness after typing The End. The children are moving away, off living their own lives, coming home only at the holidays, aka revisions.

It’s a little sad.

You know you’re writing mystery when…

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National Novel Writer’s Month offers all sorts of fun, encouraging ways to keep people on track. Chat forums are one of them and this year, the mystery thread really helped me along. I’ve copied over some of the best and made sure the right genius was attributed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

You know you’re writing mystery when:

1. You email a forensics friend about how to best handle the bones just found on your property and he immediately calls to ask what the hell you’re doing emailing him when you should be calling the police. (Yours Truly)
2. Your Google search history makes you look like a criminal. (ObiKimono)
3. You and your writing partner get banned from hotels for measuring said spaces and “upsetting guests” for talking about a fictional murder. (DarknessRekindled)
4. You start fingering the knives at Target then find yourself checking out the heft of the cast iron skillets in the next aisle. (Bscriss)
5. The FBI shows up at your workplace to ask you a few questions and you have a 10-second-freakout until he opens his notebook to ask about someone else. (KylaSedai)
6. You hike through Olympia National Park on a family vacation and subconsciously look for places that would make a great site for a body drop. (Crice)
7. You go house hunting and you freak out the real estate agents with your seemingly supernatural knowledge of the previous occupants, as well as their reasons for moving out. (Ellie_B)
8. Your retired-police-officer father no longer requires an explanation before he answers questions like “if someone calls in the middle of the night needing bailed out of jail, can you give a credit card over the phone?” and “how long would it take the FBI to get involved if….” and “can a cop do _____ if he’s technically off-duty?” (KylaSedai)
9. You see a piano, you don’t think music, you think “wire equals murder weapon”. (Tsukkuyomi Kokuryuu)
10. When your friend tells you that they have a poisonous plant in their back-yard and you ask, “How much would it take to kill a person?” (Pensical Withersby)

Revision 101: A binder full of…writing strategies

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No matter what I want to call it (Revision, Slash-n-Burn, Rewrites, Dialogue Spice-Ups, Killing My Darlings), editing my first draft means bringing out the Big Gun.

Specifically, my binder full of strategies.

I subscribe to various writing magazines such as Writers’ Digest, Poets & Writers and The Writer. Over the course many years, I ripped out articles I thought might come in handy, packing them away in my strategy binder for that special, Some Day far, far away in the future.

And thus, Some Day has finally arrived.

Right now, I’m working my way through gems such as Secrets of Creating And Sustaining Suspense, Understanding the Minor Character Role, Spin Subplots like a Master Weaver, The First 50 Pages, The Last 50 Pages, How NOT to Write a Novel, and so forth.

I’m making notes, jotting down questions, re-thinking the plot spin.

For example, The Protagonist’s algorithm, an oddly left-brain termed process, details a typical book outline. (Non-writers, just tell me you haven’t seen this in your favorite books!)

1. The main character finds herself in a comfort zone (ordinary life).
2. She wants something (to satisfy a desire or to solve a problem).
3. She enters into an unfamiliar situation (a call to adventure).
4. She must adapt to it (and overcome resistance, objections).
5. She gets what she wants (a mentor appears to guide them and provide the key to solve their problems or satisfy their desires) but has to pay a price for it (the call to action).
6. She returns to her familiar situation (she applies the solution you provide) having changed for the better.

Other helpful hints focus on spicing up dialogue, aka, DO NOT BORE THE READER!

1. Dialogue is not conversation; it’s conversation’s greatest hits. (Read: make it snappy, fun, witty, quick).
2. Dialogue can feature arguments, wheedling, whining, refusals and head games. (Read: make good use of your teenager).
3. Tense dialogue contains lots of short sentences, fragments and white space. (Read: Feel the need for speed).
4. Exchange discussions for confrontations, arguments, teasing and misunderstandings. (Read: See number 2).

This is good stuff.

No, sorry, that’s not quite true. Actually, it’s humbling stuff. It’s the Oh-my-gosh-this-is-so-logical-how-could-I-not-have-done-this, stuff. It’s the I-feel-like-such-a-rube-and-my-draft-is-a-POS, stuff.

So correction. It’s good stuff if you want your writer’s ego rudely smacked back to earth. Did I also mention the stuff’s also really good for spotlighting glaring weaknesses in a once rose-colored first draft?

Yeah.

Ouch.

So after allowing my ego to pout for a bit, I shoved it back into the closet and am once again reading, jotting notes, questioning, and re-thinking.

Humbling? Uh-huh.

Worth it? Yeah, every bit. I’m already seeing how my novel is morphing into something better.

The finished draft: As holey as a block of Swiss cheese

Courtesy DreamTime/Ksena 2009

Doesn’t it look wonderful? Yes sir, that’s my baby, the first draft of my novel.

Ok, so I admit it’s more like a pockmarked block of Swiss cheese than a real novel, but that’s not the point. The first draft, the biggest milestone (in my opinion) is done. I feel like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders.

Hoo baby!

No more nagging from the Writer’s Conscience shaming me into writing when I dare take a day off to rest the creative juices. (Ok, so I hung out watching old TV show reruns but in my defense, it was the Midsomer Murders series and they gave me creative shots in the arm).

No more hair pulling frustration over why the last fifteen pages simply refused to step out of the shadows onto the pages. And of course, no more caffeine over-indulgence. Ugh, I can feel the withdrawal symptoms even as I write.

Nevertheless, the first draft is done. Hallelujah, on to the next phase!

Call me weird, but I’m one of those people who actually like revising. Note: I didn’t say copyediting. I hope to hire a freelance copy editor to help with that side of things because it’s just way too detail-oriented, even for me.

Nope, I’m really looking forward to the chance to make this baby stronger, give it more impact, make it sing for its supper. The best part is that these are smaller, more easily achievable milestones (again, in my opinion) than the humoungous milestone of getting the monstrously bulky first draft completed.

So I’m taking a few days off to relax and regroup. When I come back, it’ll be the start of the substantive editing phase.

The proverbial mile

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“If you want to understand someone else’s perspective, walk a mile in his shoes.”

Typically, I’m the reliable one others turn to for getting things done, getting them done promptly, and getting them done well. I pride myself on it. My current career depends on it. So you can understand that for the longest time, I couldn’t quite fathom how creative people managed to operate on a daily basis let alone feed themselves regularly.

How could they?

Artists, writers, actors, dancers and the like are total flakes living in their own dreamy, self-absorbed world. They’re constantly late to appointments, never seem to pay bills on time or meet deadlines.

These people are completely unreliable sops put here on this earth to drive the rest of us who are living in the real world, batty.

No wonder these people need managers, I’d sniff.

Spoiler alert: freshly baked crow coming up!

Then I decided to devote a block of uninterrupted time to my novel and walk several miles in the artist’s shoes. Boy, have I discovered a few things!

First, the creative muse has no interest in respecting personal boundaries. Meaning, at any time and place, a brilliant flash of insight could strike, leaving me mumbling incoherently while scrabbling for a piece of paper, pen, pencil, even blood to capture the idea before it disappears.

Second, in order to really get inside my characters, I have to live inside my head–not in the real world. Character personalities, plot twists, witty repartee–I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve ignored passing neighbors because I was so lost in thought.

My long-suffering better half now understands that when I suddenly stop talking to him and stare off into space, I’m not annoyed, I’m just thinking about why Character X drove one way when taking another route makes so much more sense.

Third, mundane tasks like returning library books on time or paying bills promptly–well, I simply can’t be bothered when my character’s struggling to stay conscious after suffering contusions, a broken leg, a mild concussion and the loss of several fingernails. The character’s fighting for her life and you want me to stop everything to pay the rent? Good God, man, where are your priorities?

And let’s not talk about what’s for dinner, either. Dinner’s whatever’s still scrounge-able in the cupboards.

Yes, it’s true. I’ve morphed into all I once looked down upon…and I’ve missed out on SO MUCH FUN! These creative types are on to something and I’m gonna get me some more of it.

Although I suppose I should make a grocery run one of these days. Maybe even pay the utility bill, too.

Time to suffer

It’s time for my main character to suffer.

Whether she’s pushed or merely falls through the rotten floorboards into the old abandoned root cellar, one thing’s for certain, she’s going D-O-W-N. Don’t worry. Someone will come along to rescue her but until that happens, she’s gonna lie for several hours in a dark, wet, muddy old root cellar.

And I need to figure out what creepy crawly things she’ll meet.

I’m talking viscerally repulsive creepy crawly things. Mice? Rats? Spiders? Centipedes? Snakes? Since she’ll probably be all scraped and bruised from the fall, I’m also thinking maybe something that’s attracted to the smell of blood.

What about earwigs? You know, the nasty thing reputed to crawl into people’s ears and bore into their brains? Yeah, an urban legend for sure but still, just looking at that picture gives me the heebie jeebies.

So right now, I’m leaning toward earwigs, centipedes skittering over her bare arms and maybe a black snake or two.

Ugh, now I’ve grossed myself out.

Any other ideas?

Writing Help #3: NaNoWriMo

For some reason, NaNoWriMo strikes a nerve in the writing community.

Some people say it’s ridiculous to expect anything but dreck to come out of a month’s worth of firehosed words. Others say buzz off, I’m having fun you loser, or something a little more spicy.

I happen to like NaNoWriMo. Been participating for a couple of years now but this year is a little different.

This year’s NaNo is going to help me finish an already started novel. That’s right, I’m totally going against the NaNo rules of starting at a zero word count and writing frantically until my fingers fall off from typing, my voice fails from dictating, and my souper-dooper mind reader/translator breaks down.

I’m cheating. I already have 50,000 words. Actually, by the end of today, I should have 75,000. So why even bother?

Because I need to finish the novel THIS MONTH. I’ve got a personal deadline for the first draft. If I’m ever going to have a wisp of hope to make the PNWA deadline (initial revision, polished first 25 pages, and a summary) I’ve got to get this thing done.

NaNo is going to get me there. Oh yes, it will.

Just thinking about the legions of other writers across the country scribbling, typing, babbling, and quaffing countless cups of Jolt, Red Bull, Monster (apparently, coffee’s for losers in this contest) is inspiring me to push on. I’m tired, I’m slowing down mentally, but I’m so damn close to the end.

NaNoWriMo, take me away!

Besides, maybe this will be the time when my book joins the list of published NaNo-ers.

Shake your groove thang

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Writing is wonderful but the side effects can be deadly–e.g., the dreaded spreading backside.

So in an attempt to combat the dreadful threat of having to buy an entirely new set of clothes, I’ve incorporated a morning workout routine into my day. First thing in the morning, yes that’s right, before coffee, before breakfast, before anything completely in the realm of civilized behavior, I force myself to work out.

The routines vary. One day it’s brisk walking, the next, a 30-minute workout on the elliptical, and the next, a couple miles worth of jogging. Rinse and repeat.

I’ll be honest. I hate getting out of a warm, comfortable bed in the morning. The mere idea of slogging around in the chill is so unappealing that I have a tough time tying up my laces. But for some strange reason, the internal whining stops the minute I walk out of the house and into the fresh, crisp air. There’s just something about getting outside in the early morning that perks me up.

Another thing that gets me going is that I make this small amount of exercise time completely and utterly mine.

Deadlines are not allowed to intrude. Likewise problems. The time is all mine, all about me, my time to think of absolutely nothing but the push/pull of muscles and the steady intake of chilled air into my lungs.

Funny thing is, once the workout is done and I’m showered and ready to start my day, the writing seems to come easier. The words seem fresher. I get more done.

But I still whine the next morning when that alarm goes off…

Stuck

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I’m stuck.

I can’t figure out what to write next. No wait, that’s wrong. I can’t figure out HOW to write what’s next.

The weird thing is that it’s not writer’s block. I’ve got several great sections just begging to get written, I’ve got an insane goal of finishing the (rickety) first draft by Halloween, my inner zombie is ready to go, but by golly, I haven’t a clue about how to properly segue into the next scene.

Even my earlier Khumbu ice fall ladder method is failing me this morning.

The only thing I can think to do is type PLACEHOLDER and move on to the next scene.

Danger, Will Robinson! Unexpected novel twist up ahead

There’s a reason why I like partially outlining and then leaving things to chance because when I do, I inevitably strike creative gold.

This week is proving to be no exception. After digging up bones all last week (and adding some rather grotesque imagery courtesy of all those CSI episodes) I happily assumed this week would continue on the same route.

That’s right. I thought my main character was simply going to head into the local diner for some pie and coffee before leaping once more into the fray of researching just why it is bones are showing up on her property.

Not so. Didn’t happen.

Instead, one of my minor characters pitched a fit right in the middle of the diner and got kicked out. My main character slinks off shortly after because the pitched fit involved the bones found on the property. Better to make a quiet exit, she thinks. Better to employ the old ‘discretion is the better part of valor’ tactic before anything else explodes.

So now the main character is walking home when out of nowhere, the minor character sneaks out of the shadows to warn her that maybe the bones have something to do with it, maybe not, but there’s more than what meets the eye with that old house.

Sounds like a typical segue, right?

Ok, I’ll give you that but only up to a point because what this character is talking about is the perfect red herring to throw my readers off the trail. Something I could’ve never planned if I’d rigidly outlined my whole story.

But I’ll know for sure by the end of the week.

Digging up bones

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It’s gonna be a great noveling week!

Why? Because I can finally start digging up bones. Gosh, I’m so excited! Or as one of my friends used to say when she couldn’t wait for a particularly cool hiking trip; “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

But wait, there’s more.

Because once all the bones are exhumed and the forensic anthropologist gets done figuring them all out, I get to indulge my inner research nerd. My main character gets to sift through dusty old libraries, check out Ancestry.com, and ultimately decide whether she wants to live in a town having such a horrid history.

Even better, she’ll have a cool sidekick to help her figure things out. Hint: he’s a retired archeologist turned local historian.

And just for the record, let me state again that my novel is not horror–it’s a historical murder mystery.

So to kick things off and to start getting in the mood for Halloween, I thought I’d share some of the funny epitaphs out there in old New England cemeteries.

Funny Bones: http://wp.me/p6pQ0-2D

More Funny Bones: http://wp.me/p6pQ0-3d

You know, the Puritans don’t necessarily have the best reputation in this country but after reading these, you have to admit their sense of humor was a real scream.

No pun intended.

My muse is a zombie

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Yesterday started off so innocently.

I sat down at my desk with the perfectly blended cup of coffee–the kind that only happens every few weeks when the coffee gods finally deign to answer my prayerful genuflections in front of the French press–and began to write.

I wrote and wrote and wrote. I wrote so much I could barely manage time for lunch and bathroom breaks because the words poured from my brain and down into my fingertips like an out-of-control firehose.

What an amazing feeling–at least until I realized what was really happening.

My muse is a zombie.

When he/she/it gets on a roll, there’s no stopping until the blood lust is fed. Or in this case, satiation is achieved only after the words finally come to a dripping halt. I finished up my day with over 4,500 well-structured words that, in the cold light of morning, still stand.

Let’s see, word count and decent structure?

Hmm.

Maybe I shouldn’t whine about feeling like a truck ran me over. Maybe this zombie muse has got something going on.

Sure, he/she/it isn’t necessarily the prettiest thing to have around what with the ripped flesh, gaping chest wounds and ratty, smelly clothes but hey, in a world that thinks it’s better to look good than to be good, I’ll take the being good.

Hey zombie muse! Wanna come help me write again today?

Writing helps #2, aka a swift smack upside the head

I follow several writers’ blogs that constantly offer useful, practical and inspirational advice. Today, I saw a post from Seth Godin that nicely summed up the truth about pursuing a dream.

Quote:

It would be great to be picked, to win the random lottery, to have a dream come true.   But when we rely on a wish to get where we want to go, we often sacrifice the effort that might make it more likely that we get what we actually need. Waiting for the prince to show up is a waste of valuable time, and the waiting distracts us from and devalues the hard work we might be doing instead.”  

Thanks for the reality check, Seth.

Gonna get back to work now–there’s a novel waiting in the wings.

Naming your characters

Apparently, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet.

Really? What if a rose was called something else, like skunk cabbage?

Skunk cabbages are a particular type of foul greenery that, “when leaves are bruised or crushed, the plant releases a strong odor which smells like rotten meat. This smell attracts insects.“

Nope, I want my roses to stay roses.

But isn’t that point? When we name our characters, we need to choose something that will stand out, be memorable in our readers minds. It’s really no different from naming your children. You want something unique, individualistic, but not too strange lest he (or she) get tormented mercilessly through middle school and high school.

Frankly, I think the name’s gotta fit the book. For example, for a romance, I’d choose something like Sir Percival Cabot Montmorency III for the swashbuckling hero and Lady Penelope Lucinda Cartwright (of the heaving bosom) for the plucky heroine.

Since I’m writing more of a plain spoken sort of mystery, my choices are a little more constrained. Unfortunately, this translates to my main character experiencing several identity crises over the past few weeks because I keep bouncing between two monikers. Hmm, X has more oomph but then again, Y sounds like it’s got roots.

Thankfully, I think I’ve finally settled on something that should wear well in the wash. It may not have the immediate grittiness of Jack Reacher, the polished tinge of Gabriel Allon or the superbabe punch of Charlie Fox, but it works.

How have you named your characters?

Novel outlines: Are they worthwhile?

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The next time you want to really piss off a group of writers, tell them that only fools refuse to outline their novels. Locate the nearest exit before making this grand declaration, however. You may need it.

Outlining (or the refusal to indulge in such logical Vulcan OCD behavior) is a perpetual hot button topic. Typically introverted writers will whip themselves into quite the extroverted frenzy whenever it’s raised. On the one hand, an outline is a helpful guide preventing novel stall out. On the other hand, outlining can drastically curtail any sense of spontaneous creativity in favor of sticking to The Plan.

Do I outline? It depends.

Freelance articles, yes, I outline. It decreases the overall time I spend writing, increases the quality of my first draft, and smooths the sometimes painful revision process.

For my novel, not so much.

For example, when I followed a strict outline for the first attempt, the work in progress felt (and sounded ) too stiff, too formal and frankly, too boring. More laxity was allowed for the second attempt, but even that version got dumped because the novel ended up going all over the place and nowhere at all.

My current version is a blend of both.

Since my novel is based around a historical event, outlining is necessary for the research part. I have to thoroughly understand both the big and small picture first before creating the story around it.

I’m more flexible with my characters, though. The essential players are there, along with their general backstory, but for the most part I’m content to let them develop as we go along. I’m amazed at who ends up popping out of the woodwork when I take this path.

Do I have a set of chapter blueprints? Kind of. They’re more notes than anything else. They’re pointers on how to keep the novel moving  without locking me into specific actions that MUST happen. Again, I’m surprised at what appears when I loosen the reins.

The last thing I do is restrain the editor within. If I get a creative brainstorm after finishing up a chapter, I’ll insert the idea via a comment balloon next to the paragraph in question. Once the draft is done I’ll review the comments and incorporate the valuable ones into the revisions  while tossing the worthless ones.

So there you have it.

Purists might say I lean more toward the stricter outline camp than the let-it-all-hang-out camp. They’re probably right but what’s more important is this blended, half-and-half method is doing the trick for me.

And the next time someone decides to incite a writers’ riot on outlining, I’ll be standing far away on the fringes.

Novel, (slightly) interrupted

Had to shift gears last week to handle some unexpected article edits. It felt weird emerging from the warm cocoon of half-forgotten murders only to plunge into the icy waters of how re-branding impacts medical facility affiliations.

To tell the truth, it threw me off balance for a few days.

So after finally re-submitting the revamped piece at 1.30 am, last Friday morning, I took a leaf from the Patricia Cornwell interview in the October issue of Writer’s Digest to help hot wire my stalled novel. (Note: non-subscribers can’t access the article but you can get a tasty overview at Andi Marquette’s blog).

The interview’s got some wonderful insights but my favorite is, “Treat your writing like a relationship and not a job. Because if it’s a relationship…it’s like visiting your friend.”

Hmm. I think she’s onto something. I’m not treating my characters like they’re my friends, listening to what they have to say or more importantly, to what they’re not saying.

Instead, my focus has been on maneuvering everyone as if they all have steering wheels implanted in their backs for me to use. Nothing like a little,  pretty-as-a-neatly-wrapped-package-navigation OCD, eh?  So I took a deep breath and this morning, I let go. I sat down with an iced mocha chocolate cookie latte, told my new friends to tell me like it is, and watched the creative engine fire back up.

Cranked out some good writing, although I’m thinking that perhaps the sugar/caffeine rush may have helped.

Building out the novel joints

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Figuring out a readable (and believable) bridge between dramatic scenes is proving a challenge.  Words that typically tumble out through my fingertips for an intense scene, suddenly stop flowing like an abruptly shut off faucet when it comes time to segue.

Today, I slogged through bolting one such joint together and it took forever. It was as if I was digging down through sun-baked, Texas hardtop for the words. The result? Not pretty. The gaping holes here are so big, I could drive my car through them.

Obviously, future revisions are needed.

However, the initial goal is accomplished. I’ve cobbled together a semblance of a bridge and that’s what’s important.  Now, while I wouldn’t recommend walking across it just yet (unless you like these kinds of bridges), I’m not concerned. I expect to get some sort of 2:00 A.M wakeup call one of these nights telling me the best way to monkey wrench the faucet open.

Writing Helps Part I: Surreptitious behavior

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For those of you who think writers simply magic up tightly spun, coherently woven, and logically tied off reams of sentences and paragraphs, let me enlighten you. You’re wrong–unless you’re talking to someone like Gayle Lynds or David Baldacci, whose first novel, Absolute Power, is one of my favorite books of all time.

For the most part, our words spill out over the page like runaway Scrabble bits which we then clumsily attempt to form into something sensible, something readable. And sometimes, ok, many times, we need help. Our characters are flat, we’ve run out of witty repartee or are just stumped on how someone should look. That’s where surreptitious behavior comes in handy.

To put it plainly, writers eavesdrop and spy on other people.

No, we really don’t care about you per se, we just want to hear your choice of words, the tone of your voice, see your intriguing selection of clothing. You could have won the lottery for all we care just as long as you’re dressed in a shocking lime green shirt, pink and blue checkered shorts, wearing white socks with Birkenstocks and speaking in a twangy Boston (that’s Baahstan to everyone outside the east coast) accent. Or you could be the 20-something blond on her very first hike ever, wearing pink, open-toed espadrilles, black biker shorts, a string tank top, grasping your fashionable beige Fendi clutch bag to your chest in lieu of water. What makes the picture even more memorable is your comment about how there seem to be a lot of rocks in the park.

We also look to our relatives and friends for help.  Got a nana who has a collection of smart-ass zingers? We’ll happily steal them. Got an uncle with hair growing out of his ears? Guess what, he may be our favorite uncle but by golly, ear hair is just too good to pass up. Same with behavior patterns. Know someone who always wriggles out of paying the bill, even though she makes twice as much as you? Someone else who’s color blind, but still insists on wearing mismatched colors? A boss who’s a screamer? All fair game.

Now please understand that we lift only that particular habit, comment or clothing style for our use (and Taylor Swift seems to be the master of this trick). That’s it. We don’t go any further than that. Doing so is bad form and just downright dumb considering libel laws.  Nope, we just want your funny comments, odd behavioral ticks, and insightful behavior to give our characters and plots that little extra punch and sparkle.

Sometimes, we’ll even get a whole book idea out of it. Tess Gerritsen did when she went out to dinner one night. She overheard such a frightening conversation that it eventually spawned her breakthrough book, Harvest.

So be warned. The next time you’re in a coffee shop, outdoor restaurant or even the beach, take a look around. Notice anyone paused for thought, head cocked to one side, eyes staring off into the distance as if he/she is pondering the deep problems of the universe? Yes, it’s a good act, isn’t it? Guess what, that person is most likely a writer and is probably scoping out your conversation for interesting bits and pieces.

You’ll know for sure if there’s a little careful scribbling after you say something particularly witty. Or if you are wearing some sort of clashing colors.

Plotting my stride

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Sometimes I progress faster when doing nothing at all.

Well, by nothing, I mean sitting and staring out the window while thinking about the plot and how I can make it richer. Any of you who have ever lived with a writer will recognize the suddenly dreamy, absent-minded look that steals over our faces.

Note: don’t even bother trying to talk to us–we’re in the zone.

So the other morning I’m staring out the window, coffee cup in hand, enjoying the crisp morning air when wham! All of a sudden, a brilliant character twist clicked into place and I almost smack myself on the forehead because it’s just so logical.

Of course, it all makes sense now. The only reason why one of my characters would do X is because he’s Russian, Lenin just toppled the Russian monarchy in favor of a communist government, and now all the western governments are in a tizzy. No one wants a newly emigrated Russian hanging around. What if he was a secret Bolshevik looking to topple the American government?

But let’s make it even more difficult for our character. He’s not just Russian, he’s Jewish–a refugee from the senseless, Tsarist peasant war-fodder conscriptions and Cossack pogroms. However, he’s now struggling to find work because he’s Russian and no one in the small American town where he lives, likes Jews. How else can he make a living but to take on the tasks others won’t?

Ah, now we’re talking. So with that realization in hand, I sat down and pounded out my prologue from start to finish this morning.

Tomorrow, I’ll start working over my main character. Now that’s someone else in need of an upgrade.

No editing, please–we’re writing.

Lately, I’ve been struggling with my internal editor. For example, I’ve been revamping my initial chapters over the past few days because I keep thinking, oh, this is a much better way to snag the writer. Do this instead. Clean up that sentence. Tighten the character’s angst more – yeah, that’s it.

Unfortunately, that’s the freelance writer/editor side of me talking–the part that  rudely butted into my precious writing time and has no idea what she’s talking about because she’s applying freelance rules to a novel. What’s the difference? Well for starters, freelance articles are short(er) and quickly completed. Ergo, I can write and edit almost simultaneously. But I can’t do that here. Not anymore.

Hello, internal freelance editor? Guess what? I’m writing a novel. Not a 1,800 word researched, non-fiction business operations article  but a N-O-V-E-L. So just stop what you’re doing, step away from the white board outline, and go away for a few months.  You are making me totally counterproductive–for now.

There’s plenty of time LATER for your visit and that’s when I’ll really need your expertise. Just not now.

Bits of paper

Bits and pieces of paper are jumbled in a pile on my desk, their scribbles ranging over a wide spectrum:

• One lists potential titles, including one that sounds too horror-novelly, a great title that unfortunately sounds too much like a romance novel, and a suggestion that’s almost on target.
• Another bit includes new plot twist suggestions such as, what if the ex-wife real estate developer, in a fit of peevish revenge, bought our hero’s house in a foreclosure sale?
• A third notes character enhancement comments: X is too angry – back him off a bit.
• And so on…

Looks like I’ve got a lot of sorting, updating, and organizing to do this weekend before plunging back into the fray.

But it’s all good.

The enforced time away from actual writing means my imagination got to re-examine the basic plot (still good), fiddle with character development (more believable) and incorporate some really neat lightning bolt twists that came out of nowhere.

Just a few more days…

Breakers ahead

The finish line is in sight. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but there it is on my calendar. That’s right, the last day of regular work–all highlighted, circled, and red pen starred.

It’s a beautiful sight.

Sure, I’m still 2+ weeks out, there’s still a lot of regular work to get done and there’s the usual reaction of, “You’re leaving? Oh, you need to get all this done first.”  It’s a familiar drill to anyone who’s ever resigned and moved on.

But it’s ok. It’s all part of tying things off and getting ready for the next stage. Besides, I have an extra bounce in my step (make that two) because A). I can see the finish line and B). I’ve gotten some wonderful recommendations on my work.

Aside from getting a juicy cash bonus, how much better could this get?

OK, I admit, the work load means I haven’t made much progress word-count wise on the novel but I’ve grabbed some amazing insights about my character. I guess it helps to lie awake on a Sunday night trying to think about anything but the pile of work waiting for you Monday morning. Sounds silly but just take a moment to think about your favorite characters and why they resonate for you.

For me, it’s the 5th Harry Potter book that hits home because that’s when Harry became really annoying. Typical teenage boy, incapable of controlling his temper, wracked by hormones, and completely self-centered. In fact, Harry’s character got so irritating, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue the series.

I just wanted to smack that kid silly.

I can’t speak for J K Rowling but I imagine that was precisely the reaction she wanted to elicit.

Now my character is not a teenager (although he does have a teenaged niece who sulks and stomps around a lot because she’s ‘misunderstood’) but he’s made some choices that have really locked him into a less than ideal situation. These are not bad choices but ones we can all recognize. For some of us, they will hit a little too close to home.

2+ more weeks and this can finally start falling into place. I can’t wait.

A dune with a view

My “office” view

Work schedules, plus a fast approaching freelance deadline, have temporarily left me in the creative lurch. I’m not sure why. I always thought late July and August were slow times at work. People were either going to leave for vacation, currently leaving for vacation, or long gone on vacation. Not so this summer. All of a sudden, the work load has exploded in intensity which means my creative output has slowed.

But I haven’t stopped. I may be turning out fewer words than planned but I’m also doing other things like research. Earlier this week I played hooky. Yeah, the deadlines got to me and I just had to get away. Luckily, I took my camera because I walked by some amazing old Victorian houses. They are perfect descriptor-helps when I start writing about That House Everyone Knows But No One Talks About.

I’ve also been reading other mystery/thriller novels per Stephen King’s advice in his book, On Writing.  He suggests reading everything – the good, the bad, the ugly. And boy, is it all out there. The good thing about reading crappy novels is the fun quotient in an otherwise stress-filled day. Another is the simple realization of, this person got published?

Then there are the days when I stumble over pure gold, like John Katzenbach’s The Wrong Man. If you’ve never read it and if you are a mystery fan, get a copy. If you are a writer, get your hands on a copy. You won’t regret it. I read a LOT of books but the plot line and more importantly, how this story is told is so intriguing and original, I couldn’t put it down. It gave me so many ideas of how to better structure my own writing.

This brings me back to the actual writing. Thanks to this weekend’s dune with a view, I rewrote my prologue. Sure, I’d promised myself to not slack off into rewriting until the whole novel was done (just write the thing, darn it!) the flash of insight was too good to pass up. The original prologue was overly dramatic and typical and dated.

The restructure is simpler, cleaner, and offers hints of a dark something shoved away, but not quite forgotten.

Fabulous.

Kickin’ it old school

At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is look at a screen.

Unfortunately, that’s not very helpful where part-time noveling is concerned. I try to convince myself that it doesn’t matter as long as I write something. But it does. After structuring tightly scripted logical patterns (read technical documents) for eight hours, I just can’t face the screen anymore.  So I made a decision to go retro.

Really retro.

I started writing the story longhand. Once the writing jones passes, I take a break and then come back to transcribe my notes.

Seriously?

Yeah, you heard right. Trust me, it wasn’t a decision I made lightly.  I’ve had to practically re-learn the art of longhand because I type almost as fast as I think. Writing longhand is a challenge. Writing longhand is slow. Writing longhand makes my fingers cramp.

Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s good to slow down.

Or maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that I’m doing the right thing. At least I don’t have crappy penmanship like most people so I can actually read my notes.

I don’t know for sure about this experiment but so far, it seems to work. I easily cranked out 2,000 words in about an hour and half this past weekend–much faster than when I’m looking at a screen. And it was a pretty decent 2,000 words, too.

So maybe there’s something to this retro kick. After all, I remember how endless stories flowed out of my head when I was small and all I had to write with was a pencil nub and scrap paper. So maybe it doesn’t matter how I write as long as I write.

Let’s see how this retro weekend goes.

I needed a man

There’s a saying out there:  “Don’t change horses in mid-stream.”

Usually it’s very good advice but in this case, I’m ignoring it. Nope, the novel plot is still the same, the twists are still the same (although I added a new one this past weekend) and the original outline pretty much remains the same. What’s different is the main character. How did this happen?

Well, this past weekend, I indulged in the luxury of a nap.

Wonderful thing, naps. Can’t understand why I don’t take more of them. The only problem is that when I woke up, I knew I had to dump my current main character because she just wasn’t the right fit. Sure, she was making the plot good but her behavior was too typical, too expected, too not-quite-hitting-the-mark. The answer was simple.

I needed a man.

Yup, to really make the plot sing better, I needed to showcase a man as my main character.  Someone more down to earth, someone who doesn’t quite know the ins and outs of the stuff going on. Someone who would be forced out of his comfort zone into something completely new.

Unfortunately, it means a lot of story restructuring and brushing up on a long-rusty expertise. I had to think about that for a bit. Sure, I could leave the main female character in and end up writing a decent novel. But if I swapped in Stan, I could see the potential of going from decent to great. Yup, lots more work involved but a much more believable character.

Permission granted

Ready to go

The heck with waiting until August…I’m starting the blog posts now.

So here goes: 10 weeks from Monday.

10 weeks from Monday is when I finish up work and give myself over to a 2-3 month writing frenzy. No work responsibilities, nothing other than a full-time focus on a plot involving a forgotten cemetery, forgotten memories and a crime scene the village elders wish would just go away.

And that’s all you’re going to know for now. Want to find out more? You’ll have to read the finished book. But I promise you, it will be good. How do I know? Well, that’s a blog post for another day.

What I won’t do is bore you with posts about what it’s like to squeeze in noveling alongside of a daily job and freelance writing. You already know something like this is hard. Why repeat the obvious?  In one corner, creativity rages into a full force 7 gale hurricane, pulling, calling, DEMANDING that I do something about it and yet I sit quietly in the other corner, plowing through the assigned work tasks in front of me.

Right now, I only write on weekends (and holidays). Frankly, I don’t know how I’m doing it. I just do it. I do it partly because I want to do it. I do it mostly because it has to be done. The story has to get told.

Ooh, sounds boring, people say. Aren’t there better ways to spend your time? Sure. Hiking, spending time with friends and family, good food, the beach, all those things are great fun – and necessary to kickstart stalled creativity. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve had a breakthrough on the elliptical, annoying as it is since I’m not usually in the habit of bringing a notebook and pen with me to the gym. I gotta draw the geek line somewhere.

But here’s the kicker. When you are completely engrossed in something you love, something bigger than yourself, something worthwhile, it’s not work. It’s fun. It’s fabulous. It’s magical.

And time stops.

Or at least it does until the throbbing in your shoulder breaks your concentration and you look up to realize three hours have slipped away. So going forward, I’ll tell you about the idea germination, the research, the outlines, the false starts and stops. And hopefully, you’ll stick around for the whole ride because I think the final result will be worth your time.

Permission granted. Start the 10-week countdown.

Keep August in mind

Hello all:

Thank you for continuing to visit! I am constantly surprised and touched by how many people are interested in historical cemeteries. Yes, it’s been far too long since I’ve posted anything meaty but today I wanted to share some upcoming news.

I’ve decided to continue the blog.

Let me explain. I’m writing a novel that has a mysterious cemetery in it (how could I not?) so I plan on adding posts here detailing the novel development, the research involved (look for some forensic archeology postings) and of course, links back to my favorite posts on this site.

These posts will begin in late August/early September and they are only starting then because work considerations are preventing me from doing so now.  Bill payments and all–I’m sure you understand the feeling. Nevertheless, I’m really excited to finally begin pulling together all the hard work already done here into a fun, mysterious, roller coaster ride of a novel plot. I hope you’ll join me in this journey.

Until then…