Release Day! MAKING STORY: TWENTY-ONE WRITERS ON HOW THEY PLOT

 

It's release day for MAKING STORY! This collection of essays from twenty-one writers on how we plot is the first in a series of writing books that will address all sorts of writing topics. Collectively, these books will be known as the Twenty-one Writers Project. Our first installment addresses plotting methods. Some writers are outliners. (I envy them.) Others are "pantsers," who write by the seat of their pants. (I envy them too.) Some, like me, fall messily in the middle.

 

Our range of approaches are shared candidly in this collection, compiled and edited by Edgar- and Macavity- nominated thriller author, Timothy Hallinan.

 

I'm so excited to be part of this, and I hope that those of you who enjoy writing will check out the new book.

 

 



Ebb and flow

It's been an interesting summer, writing-wise. Shortly after I finished the third Emily Locke novel, my publisher discontinued the series. I didn't see that one coming.

But the news isn't all bad. The hole that opened in my schedule offered time after work and on weekends for other pursuits, and it's been an otherwise fun summer with my kids and friends. I slowed down a little and found time for more moments like the one pictured here. Those feet belong to my daughters. We took our first camping trip.

And I haven't given up on that manuscript yet, although I'm not exactly sure at this point what I'll do with it.

Tim Hallinan is editing a new book, Making Story, that includes contributions from twenty-one writers about various approaches to plotting. I'm honored to be in such amazing company with authors Brett Battles, Cara Black, Lisa Brackman, Rebecca Cantrell, Jeffrey Cohen, Meredith Cole, Bill Crider, Jeremy Dunn, Leighton Gage, Gar Anothy Haywood, Wendy Hornsby, Debbi Mack, Mike Orenduff, Stephen Jay Schwartz, Zoe Sharp, Jeffrey Siger, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Kelli Stanley, Michael Stanley, and, of course, the tireless Timothy Hallinan.

The project is super neat, and the authors' perspectives are as unique and interesting as their novels. I hope that those of you interested in writing will check it out. I'll post updates on Making Story as we go forward. It's coming very soon!

My day job has me writing lately too--proposal efforts and peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. I like the variety, and what's interesting is that I'm still writing these days, just different stuff. So my lesson this summer has been the one about what happens when one door closes...

I turned in the book!

It's a gut-twisty feeling. This must be what a guy feels like right after he asks his girlfriend to marry him. There is the thought, "This could be the best day ever!" but it's mixed with "Pleasepleaseplease don't reject me and make me cry like a little girl."

There is happiness with a finished draft. There is anxiety about the impending revision letter. Like last time I'll post any non-plot-spoiling editorial comments here on the blog to help demystify the publication process for those of you who are headed down this road.

One funny thing. It's been so long since I've turned in Dead Lift that I couldn't remember my own pre-submission checklist items. I had to look them up in the blog archives.  While looking, I rediscovered Ode to Revisions from back in 2010. Apparently, I'd blocked it from memory.

A coincidence, or perhaps not, is that both Ode to Revisions (2010), which I have no recollection of writing, and Ode to First Draft (2012), which I do, include the phrase "wear me down" in the first two lines. Apparently this is a running theme with me.

Maybe revisions kill more brain cells than alcohol.

Ode to First Draft

by Rachel Brady

First Draft, our road has never been easy

You wear me down and make me queasy

I yearn for you, pursue you still

You never call when you say you will

We agreed on a year, you showed up in two

What the hell is wrong with you?

Plot holes, time warps, misspellings, grammar

Flat dialogue, word choice, scenes that ramble

Implausible twists, sagging middle

Cannot believe I wrote this drivel

Second Draft's handsome, Third Draft is smooth

Final Draft's sexy and confident too

You are a Two. Those guys are a Ten.

Why can't you just be more like them?

Instead you are stubborn, messy, and crude

Always late and in a mood

You don't comb your hair, your prose does not flatter

And your word count? My God. Yes. Size does matter.

You drive me to drink and complain all the time

Since the day we first met, it's been whine whine whine

Yet I tolerate you, inconsiderate ass

Because you clean up nice on the second pass.

The End

Win a book contract. Get a free book. And one other thing.

Prepare for Random, folks.

1. If you are a mystery or suspense writer who is trying to get published, please don't miss an amazing opportunity offered by Poisoned Pen Press. The Discover Mystery Contest is open through April 30th and the publisher is looking for new blood!

2. In my last post I mentioned that I received two courtesy copies of Now Write! Mysteries: Suspense, Crime, Thriller, and Other Mystery Fiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers from its publisher because I was one of the contributors to the book. Yay! But the deal is, I'm an OCD clutter-phobe, minimalist sort and the second copy is creating issues. It needs a new home. If you will feed it and walk it, it's yours. Just leave a comment below to let me know. If more than one of you are interested I'll figure something out. Just check back here in the comments. We may have a drawing on our hands.

3. Finally, I've just discovered Erica Spindler. Have you read her? I'm glad I'm finally aware of her wonderful books. Good stuff.

I hope you all are having a wonderful week and that your projects are behaving.

My Guest Appearance in Now Write! Mysteries

The other day I received a package in the mail from a New York publisher. Packages are fun!

I wasn't expecting this one, but upon opening it I found two courtesy copies of Now Write! Mysteries: Suspense, Crime, Thriller, and Other Mystery Fiction Exercises from Today's Best Writer's and Teachers.

In 2010 I was invited to contribute an exercise for this compilation and it was about this time last winter that the submission was due. I polished it and sent it off. Then life happened and things got busy, as they will, and I lost track of the production schedule for it.

And then, suddenly, books in the mail!

My exercise, "No Sloppy Seconds: Write a Purposeful Supporting Cast," is squeezed between the covers with others from many of my favorite writers and friends, including: Stephen Jay Schwartz, Gar Anthony Haywood, Diana Orgain, Kelli Stanley, Tim Maleeny, Rebecca Cantrell, Meg Gardiner, Twist Phelan, and Bill Crider.

It was an honor to be included, and I love seeing the finished product.

WRITING IS FUN.

Mystery Writers of America University: New Orleans, October 1

Now a plug for my friendly neighborhood writing organization:

Mystery Writers of America University (MWA-U) is a full-day, low-cost writing seminar designed to teach folks the essential skills needed to write a novel. The workshop covers everything from the idea stage to the final edits. Here, college level courses are taught by published mystery writers who are also experienced teachers. Topics include:
After the idea

• Dramatic structure and plot


• Setting and description


• Character


• Editing


• The writing life

The Southwest chapter of MWA will host this workshop on Saturday, October 1st in New Orleans. If it interests you, please click here for more information.

Happy writing!

How to handle life and what to avoid in the school cafeteria, as explained by my little girl

This month at the Stiletto Gang, I turned to my nine-year-old daughter for some life guidance.

Kids are insightful. Also kind of funny.

Live Simply, Live Well.

Today at the Stiletto Gang, I share my recent impressions about the power of paring down.

What happens when you listen to audiobook Disk 2 before Disk 1?

Nothing really. Which I found remarkable.

I'd never read The Devil Wears Prada (Lauren Weisberger) or seen the film, but plenty of my girlfriends have loved it, so when I saw the audiobook at the library, I picked it up. Rachel Leigh Cook did a fabulous job narrating and I was completely immersed in the story when Disk 1 ended and I reached for Disk 2, which turned out to be the real Disk 1.

Huh?

Had I really just jumped into a novel partway through and not noticed?

Yes. Thank you, library patron who borrowed this audiobook before me.

I struggled with how to handle it. Put in Disk 1 and catch up on what I'd missed in the opening chapters? Or stay in the flow and go forward with Disk 3?

I went on to Disk 3.

The remainder of the book was as entertaining as I'd hoped and I had no trouble following along. When it ended, I went back and played Disk 1, finding that it didn't reveal anything I should have known to enjoy the rest of the story. The mistake actually reminded me of something I often hear in writing circles, which is that many of us open the action in our novels too soon. In fact, with Dead Lift, one of my critique partners told me to open the book with Chapter 4. That is the scene that now appears as Chapter 1 in the published copy.

My audiobook gaffe was amusing. I learned two things: Read the labels on audiobooks. And I want to rent this movie. :)

Book Buzz: Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaehler

Tammy Kaehler delivers a solid debut with Dead Man's Switch, featuring racecar driving protagonist Kate Reilly. The story opens when Kate gets a much needed chance to accelerate her racing career after veteran driver Wade Becker turns up suspiciously dead just days before the American Le Mans Series finale.

Kate isn't a total rookie. She's shown her driving skill in earlier races and has made herself available for this one, hoping to score an invitation to drive. Granted, she didn't expect her invitation to come because another racer turned up dead. But, like her grandad always says, beggars can't be choosers.

Turns out, the racing community isn't full of hugs and brotherly love. Plenty of racers on the circuit are jealous. Did Kate sleep her way into the Corvette's driver's seat? Maybe she killed Wade to get a shot at the big league? Rumors fly around the track about as fast as the cars. Kate has to keep her thinking clear and focus. She has a car to learn, a track to learn, and a team to learn . . . all in four days, when she'll finally get her chance to drive in the spotlight, *if* she can keep a persistent police detective off her back.

Dead Man's Switch is a great pick for fans of strong female protagonists, amateur sleuths, all things racing, and those who like to be first to find promising new mystery authors. Two thumbs up! Vrooom.

The "Heeeyyy! Whatcha doin'?" call

I never liked those calls.

You know, the ones where somebody calls you up for no reason in particular. When I answer my phone, I expect 1) news or 2) a request.
Example of #1: "There's a hurricane coming!"
Example of #2: "Will you help me avoid my mother-in-law?"


Calls like these serve a purpose and have a natural ending point.


The "Heeyyy! Whatcha doin'?" phone call doesn't work for me because I have a job and three kids and one of those things is usually what I'm doing, plus I'm not confident that the awkward phone call is ever going to end, and I'm never clear about why it's happening.


Much like this particular blog post.


And for that, I'm sorry. But tonight I realized that I haven't posted here for two months and felt compelled to do a check-in call, even though it's kinda lame.


There's no hurricane coming. At least not to Houston. We haven't had rain for about six hundred years . . .


And, yes. Of course I'll shield you from your mother-in-law.


I'll also try not to let the blog get this dusty again. I hope everyone is doing well and ready to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Happy 4th!

Why I Will Survive an Alien Attack

Today at the Stiletto Gang I discuss another embarrassing mind game that I play with myself. But this one is potentially useful in the event of an alien attack.

In case, you know . . . you're worried about that.

Book Buzz: The Albuquerque Turkey by John Vorhaus

John Vorhaus brings his personable, yet criminal, main character--Radar Hoverlander--back for some schemes-gone-wrong in his new release, The Albuquerque Turkey. Readers met con-man radar and his equally lovable and crooked new girlfriend, Allie, in the series debut, The California Roll. Now the pair is back for their toughest challenge yet: a respectable life as crime-free, upstanding citizens. Easier said than done for these two.

Add in a grifter patriarch, an old nemesis, and a couple of eccentric artsy friends on the make for fame and glory, and pretty soon it's impossible to tell who's double crossing whom.

Radar's a charming, affable narrator and I really enjoyed his quirky supporting cast, both the good guys and the bad. (Probably because much of the time I couldn't be sure of the difference.) Twists in the story are frequent and amusing. This is a great choice for those looking for fast thrills and a break from predictable PG humor.

I almost never laugh out loud while reading, but The Albuquerque Turkey got me more than once. Thumbs up.

Why a first draft is like a poorly planned paint job

This post has automagically uploaded today while I'm off chatting up mystery writers at the Left Coast Crime mystery convention in Santa Fe, NM.

At the Stiletto Gang today, I talk about first drafts that do not behave. I hope your manuscripts are not as disobedient as my WIP.

That's "work in progress" for those of you with dirty minds.

Behave yourselves while I'm gone. Write lots of words, use your spellchecker, and don't answer the door for anyone.

Houston area writers: affordable writers' workshop near you on April 16th

A little shout-out to my fellow Houston area writers. Alvin Community College is hosting a writers' workshop on April 16th. It's open to the public, and I'll be one of the speakers. Come on out and get your inspiration on. :)

What makes a good story, how GPS works, and other questions answered...by a 10-year-old.

Sometimes it helps to look outside our own heads for a fresh perspective. So I went to my daughter and we had a chat.

RB: When you are working on a story, what has been the hardest part?

JB: The quotation marks, because I always forget to put in the "he said" and "she said" parts.

RB: The tags.

JB: Right. The tags.

RB: Tell me why you started writing stories.

JB: Because my teacher made me.

RB: Sometimes I write in a notebook and other times on my laptop. Do you have a preference about the way you write?

JB: The computer is better because it tells you if you spell something wrong.

RB: You just finished reading a huge book in three days! (Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins, ~400 pages) I've never seen you do that before. What elements in the Jake Ransom book made it so important that you read it that fast?

JB: It was funny and scary at the same time. Animals with swords? Is that not funny and scary?

RB: Tell me your opinions about audio books vs. real books.

JB: Audio books are faster but real books . . . when we read those, we have to imagine the voices.

RB: Some people are using e-readers now, like a flat little computer you hold in your hand. The whole book is on there, kind of like a Word document. What do you think about that?

JB: That sounds strange. I've never seen one or heard of one.

RB: Would you try one?

JB: Yeah. It would be neat to own a little electronic device like that and have it all to myself.

RB: Do you know what a card catalog is?

JB: No.

RB: Do you know what an encyclopedia is?

JB: Yep. A long book, sort of like a dictionary, with different topics.

RB: If you needed to find out a phone number, how would you do it?

JB: By asking the person.

RB: I mean, if they weren't there with you.

JB: I'd e-mail them.

RB: If you didn't know their e-mail address?

JB: I'd mail them a letter. And I already know what you're going to say next. If I didn't know their address, I'd wait until the next time I saw them.

RB: What about getting directions somewhere? How would you do that?

JB: GPS.

RB: Do you know how that works?

JB: Yes. It's another little electronic device. It sits in your hand or in your car, and tells you where to go.

RB: Yes, but how does it work?

JB: It's just smart like that.

RB: GPS works because it talks to the satellites in space. They know where you are, and they know where you are trying to go.

JB: Oh. Sweet.

RB: Do you have any idea how much a stamp costs?

JB: No. A dollar?

RB: Forty-four cents.

JB: *shrugs, unimpressed*

RB: I'm always after you to try new foods. If I would stop nagging you about any particular food, which would you choose?

JB: Well, which one do you cook the most? I guess corn or carrots.

RB: Moms are embarrassing sometimes. How am I embarrassing to you?

JB: At the Christmas parties, sometimes you kiss me.

RB: If you had to explain to a little kid why reading is important, what would you say?

JB: It's good for your brain so it doesn't turn into mush. That's your line.

RB: I'm glad you remember my line.

JB: You say it enough.

RB: What message do you have for the people who will read our blog?

JB: Wait. People are going to read this?

Around the Interweb

I'm feeling very spoiled this week because Marshal Zeringue has been kind to host me at a couple of interesting blogs, including The Page 69 Test, which is less perverse than it sounds, but no less fun, and Writers Read, in which I disclose what books I am currently courting.

Today I was flattered to be invited to speak at an upcoming writer's workshop. I can't think of anything more enjoyable than that. Writers. Books. TALKING?! Sign me up.

And, there were brownies and ice cream at my office.

The day was good.

Rachel Brady, Master Trickster

I'm up to bat at the Stiletto Gang, talking about the head games I play with myself to get stuff done. Please stop by and chime in, but only if you're a slacker. Super heroes are banned today.

Wonderful news from Left Coast Crime

Dead Lift has been nominated for a Watson, Left Coast Crime's award for the best sidekick in a mystery novel. Thanks to everyone who nominated it! Jeannie wants to buy you a round. :) I'm humbled by the company in the nominee list.

At the conference in March, I'll moderate a panel called "Detectives Without Badges." Panelists are Laurie R. King, Annette Mahon, and Lawrence Light. This should be a fantastic time!