We're Always Learning

Ask yourself, have you ever gone one day without asking a question?  If you think about it, we’re always asking questions for the purpose of learning something, or to find out what others might think of our decisions or opinions.  Really, the main purpose of asking questions is to gain insight, and to grow.

That’s the key right there.  If we never asked questions, we wouldn’t grow.  Our knowledge would be stifled.  As children, we go through a stage where the question is always why.  As adults, isn’t it true that we ask the same question often enough.  Of course, the question doesn’t come out in a constant stream, but you get my point.  We grow every day, and some of this comes as a direct result of asking questions, and getting the answers.

How can we apply this to our writing?

Think character development.  As a plot advances, different twists and turns may have our characters out of their “comfort zone”.  Maybe they don’t understand why another character is acting a certain way.  Or if your character is a detective or investigator, they’re asking questions all the time – who, what, where, why, when, and how (maybe not in that order, but you get my point).

You could also play on the contrast in human nature.  While most of us might not hesitate to ask questions when we don’t understand something, I assure you there’s another portion of the population that would rather try and figure something out themselves before admitting “they don’t know”.  Maybe you can have a stubborn, "know-it-all-type" character.

These are just a couple ways we can put the use of questions, and the concept that we’re always growing to good use in our writing.  What about you?  How have you used it?

The 26 Stages of Death

So for those of you who may have missed my Forensic Friday post this past week, I found an interesting webpage that you might find interesting.

The 26 Stages of Death

Check it out.

When Your Characters Go Silent

So you have the perfect idea for a novel, you know where it's headed, you've brainstormed different curves to reach those results, and then ---- silence.  Your main character isn't co-operating.  For someone who had been "yapping" to have their story told now they've turned mute.  Have you ever had this happen?  I have before, and it's not a fun experience.

For me, it went on for days.  I kept re-thinking the story-line, and the characters tweaking different aspects.  It actually got to the point where I got upset with the main character, and said "why aren't you talking to me?"  Their response was "I'm not who you think I am."  (It's a good thing my audience is writers or I'd be considered a schizophrenic.)

But, maybe this silence hasn't come during the brainstorming phase, but in the middle of the book.  Either way, when a "roadblock" hits we can panic:  There goes the book.  What am I supposed to do now?

Most important thing to remember is nothing is solved by panicking.  If fact, if we let it fester, it can paralyze us from forward momentum.

On the flipside to this, don't feel guilty if you need to step back from the book for a few days.  Remember, there's always a reason if our characters aren't "talking" to us - either we have the story wrong, or we have them wrong.  For me, it was my character.  I had him pegged as an innocent, whereas it turned out, he wasn't.

So what can we do to move beyond this, and get our characters speaking again?

1) Step back, think things through.
2) Interview your characters.  Let them tell you who they are.  Don't tell them who they are.
3) Think through the direction of your story.  Is it progressing logically in accord with the personalities of our characters?
3) And if they're still not talking, do something completely non-related to writing.  Talk a walk, read a book (not yours), watch a movie, go out with friends.  You get it - just let your mind relax.

Or, when all else fails you could always try the direct approach, like I did. lol

What about you?  What do you do to get your characters speaking again?

Guest Post

If you haven't checked out Elizabeth Marshall's gorgeous website, I urge you to do so.  I was honored to be invited to join as a member which allows me to post my thoughts.

Please be sure to check out my first post: "I'm Published".

Editing is Writing

Sometimes we are so caught up in the excitement of making that first draft that when it comes time to edit, that necessary aspect of writing pales by comparison.  It's not to say there are not multiple uh huh  moments when you bask in the glory of well-arranged words, a perfected piece of dialogue, a rearranged scene, but for some reason (at least for me), the editing-phase isn't a favorite one.  Of course, I pull myself through, pass the changes onto to trusted beta readers for feedback and critique.  But as an earlier post on this blog (The Lagging Middle) disclosed, there's certain points along the way, I have to dig inside to keep moving forward.

Maybe part of it is the simple truth that a writer, writes.  And we've all heard it said that we only improve by continuing to write.  Edits, well, don't make you feel like you're writing.  That is a delusion!

Just think about it.  Yes, you may slash out scenes, take out words, but how many new sequences do you interject?  In how many sections have you inserted revised phrasing, written entirely new scenes, improved on the original?  That's right.  Repeat after me:  Editing is writing.

What does that mean?  You're growing as a writer, even as you edit.

I had this "little talk" with myself actually.  New characters speak to me, eager to pull me into their world, and for the last four years, I have listened, and written their stories.  I'm proud to say that out of that hard work, I have written seven novels that I am extremely proud of, but ask me how many of them are refined enough at this exact moment to share with you?  One.  (Ties that Bind, available in electronic format here. Don't forget coupon code: H737L $3.99 USD)

Now, I'm not ashamed about that fact.  Especially, now that I've chosen the self-published route, I appreciate the aspect of editing even more.  But as I think ahead, I want to continue making my novels available for my readers.  So, it's actually great that I have six more to pull from, to revise, refine, and make shine, but when I look forward, I see a lot more editing than new books being written.  (Trust me, I have lots of characters who still try to pull me in, but I've just told them sssh for the moment.)

But realizing that editing is writing too, I'll push through.  Knowing that at the end of it, people will be able to read my books, and hopefully be drawn in and enjoy my hard work, that is priceless.  It's terrific knowing that I'm working toward an ultimate goal now that is within my reach.  I promise my readers a release this Fall, Winter, Spring, and next summer.

And, of course in there, I intend to write.  I'd love to participate in Nanowri at least.  It was great fun last year!

In the meantime, how else will I feed my need to get new words down?  This blog, and guest posts on other blogs, of course.

So have you experienced the editing blues?  Based on comments from "The Lagging Middle", I know some of you out there do?  How do you combat the negative energy and continue forward?  What else do you while you're in the editing phase to keep fueled?

Ties That Bind is Available at Introductory Rate

I'm pleased to announced the release of my first mystery in the Detective Madison Knight series, TIES THAT BIND.  You can buy it here. (Special savings for blog followers, and viewers, see below.)

Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident.  But when another woman’s body is found in a park killed by the same line of neckties, she realizes they’re dealing with something more serious.

Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.

What to read more?

Smashwords also allows you to read sample pages for FREE!

Better yet, buy the book!   Buy here.

Until May 31st, 2011, viewers, followers and subscribers of this blog get $2.00 off the retail price.  So instead of $5.99 USD, it's only $3.99

To take advantage of this offer, enter coupon code:   HZ37L 

And you don’t have an electronic reader?  No Problem!  

Smashwords allows you to download in multiple formats so you can pick the one that best suits you.  Choose from files for your Kindle, Sony E-reader, PDF, HTML, and so much more.

Also did you know?  You don’t need to own a Kindle to read a Kindle edition book?  Download a Kindle reader FREE to your PC here.

Another Friend, Another Plug

Don't worry my blog hasn't transformed into an ad agency, but I'm just wanting to support those that I've become good friends with over the last year online.  Next plug will be my novel TIES THAT BIND which should be available shortly on Smashwords.com

This second plug of the day is in honor of my friend TODD BUSH, author of RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE.

For Kindle-edition, click here .99 cents
For Nook, click here .99 cents
To order in paperback, click here $8.99

Check out this book by friend...

A good friend of mine, Kenneth Hoss, published his first book this week.  You may recognize his name from this blog before, as he did a guest post “A Look Behind the Badge”.

But, please be sure to support him.  His book, STORM RISING a police procedural mystery, came out on May 24^th.  It’s available on Smashwords.com.

Here’s what it is about:

When a murder investigation turns Detective Kelli Storm’s attention to a drug kingpin, the last thing she expected was to find a link to her father’s killer from twenty years earlier.
Detectives Kelli Storm and Bill Hayes are investigating multiple homicides in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. 

When a young woman is murdered, Kelli tracks the killer to a Gentleman’s Club in Manhattan. There she locates an unwilling witness. When the woman is assaulted and left dying, the investigation takes a new twist. The DEA steps in and takes over, forcing Kelli off the case. 

She decides to take a different approach. Working behind the scenes, she pulls out one of her father’s old case files and finds a connection between the killer and her fathers murder. 

What to read more?

Smashwords also allows you to read sample pages for FREE!

Better yet, buy the book at the good price of $5.99 USD.

And you don’t have an electronic reader?  No Problem!  

Smashwords allows you to download in multiple formats so you can pick the one that best suits you.  Choose from files for your Kindle, Sony E-reader, PDF, HTML, and so much more.

Also did you know?  You don’t need to own a Kindle to read a Kindle edition book?  Download a Kindle reader FREE to your PC here.

The Power of Memories

Memories have the power to alter our mood, and change our perception.  They can be triggered by a smell, a statement, something you see, or feel.  These can be either positive or negative experiences from our past -heartbreak caused from a severed relationship, the loss of a loved one, a decision we made that set us on a bad path, a time we spent holding a baby, or playing with a puppy, our wedding. 

And the best part about memories is they can be brief even though they're monumental in meaning.  Some memories are vivid while others are hazy and conjure more feelings than images.  But, for you to "file" these moments away, it tells you that particular event impacted you.  These events had a part in shaping who you are today.  You've learned from them.  For example, if someone broke your heart, you're likely less trusting in your next relationship.  If you ate something you enjoyed, you’ll have it again.

So how can we use this in our writing?

Backstory.  Memories give us the perfect springboard to infuse smaller snippets throughout the manuscript.  Our characters had a past before we “met” them.  Flesh them out.

Have our characters be affected when a current event triggers these memories.  Maybe their mood can change.  For example, they were defensive, and suddenly back away from a fight, or maybe the other way around.

What about you?  How have you used memories in your work?

A Big Decision...

For those of you who know me, and follow me on Twitter, you may be aware that I’ve been debating whether to pursue publishing traditionally, or take the plunge and self-publish.  With all the “buzz” on the internet, and after great consideration, I have decided to go ahead and self-publish.

I had asked myself, does this mean I’m giving up?  And, the answer is irrevocably no.  Self-publishing used to carry a type of stigma that somehow labelled the work as adhering to a lower standard, but things have changed.  Authors are taking pride in their work like never before, and just because of the increasing ease to self-publishing, they’re not allowing this to affect the quality.

In making my decision, I also considered the fact that just because a book is published traditionally it doesn’t mean that it will meet with success.  Many self-published books have received awards, honourable mentions, and have met with even more-than-modest sales.  In fact, there’s no real limitations on the success that can be experienced.  It only takes a solid-written book, and of course you, the readers to make that happen.

And am I scared?  Of course I am.  But I’m tired of letting it hold me back.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say once you get to read my novels.

Thank for all support and encouragement thus far.

I will keep you updated on the release date for my first mystery TIES THAT BIND, the first in a stand-alone series featuring Detective Madison Knight.  I hope to make it available on Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, and print-on-demand. 

Meet Detective Madison Knight:

Madison never set out to be a Major Crimes Detective.  In fact, a childhood trauma that left her with a distaste for blood made that career an unlikely fit.  But inspired by a grandfather killed in the line of duty, and a grandmother who believed in her, Madison continues to work through this fear.  And, even though her mother would have preferred Madison married with a mini-van full of children, Madison is only married to one thing - her career.  She will stop at nothing to hold the guilty accountable, and find justice for their victims.

Here’s a peek into TIES THAT BIND:

Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident.  But when another woman’s body is found in a park killed by the same line of neckties, she realizes they’re dealing with something more serious.

Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.

~~

To read the first chapter, click here.

The Lagging Middle

And no, I didn’t mean to say “sagging” middle, and I’m not referring to what some experience while writing the first draft.  I’m talking about edits here, and the “lagging” middle where, even though you love the book you’re working on, it’s hard to get fired up and disciplined enough to hurry up and finish already.

Quick, someone please place a stick of lit dynamite under me!

If you know me, you know that edits are something I’ve always struggled with despite knowing they are a necessity.  Even though, I have come to appreciate the final result, it’s still one of those areas of writing that requires true self-discipline.  And I know it’s worth it when I read one I’ve stuck it out with.  The MS is all polished like a shinning gem.

Then, there’s always the flipside to editing.  How much is too much?  How do you know when you’re finished?  I believe my OCD nature, and perfectionism would allow me to rehash, rehash, rehash.  Will it ever be good enough? 

Anyone else out there feel the same way about edits - sometimes it’s hard to get through them, while it’s also hard to stop and tell yourself your book is finished?

What to Reveal / What to Withhold

Last week we discussed Incorporating Backstory, and today I’m wanting to discuss something similar.  Now when I say what to reveal, or what to withhold, I’m obviously not talking in specifics.  Everyone’s story is different , nor is there any exact “formula”.   As noted last week, though, a good barometer is whether what you’re sharing carries pertinence to the story.  Is it needed?  Are you actually going to build from it?

But, here’s another question for you: have you hooked your reader to your character in the first chapter?

That might not be a question that’s easy to answer, or maybe right away you’re nodding your head like one of those ‘bobble-head’ dolls.  If you’re that confident that you made your main character come across, may I suggest another look at your manuscript.  You may have revealed just the necessary amount of information to attach and pull in a reader, but keep this in mind:  you know our characters better than anyone.

Maybe you wonder:  how is that a bad thing.  Here’s the answer:  you risk having loop holes.  Because you know the character so well, after all you spent the course of an entire novel with them, you know how they think, act, and what their backgrounds are, that sometimes we believe this all comes across clearly when it does not.  This is where having a trusted beta reader look at your work is such a benefit.  This provides another set of eyes, a fresh perspective.  They don’t know your character as you do.  It’s up to you to reach out of your novel, with your words, and yank them in by the collar of their shirt!

Reading a novel should be a pleasurable past time,
not a laborious mining expedition.

Maybe there’s is a higher risk of withholding pertinent character information for those of us who write in the mystery, thriller or suspense genres?  We’re use to filtering in elements, and clues for the story line.  But, if we’re not careful, this can cross over to our characters resulting in unnecessary allusiveness.  We could think this will pull the reader in to get to know more about them.  This is far from the truth.  Reading a novel should be a pleasurable past time, not a laborious mining expedition.  And if you don’t lay out the necessary character details upfront in the first chapter, you risk losing “the-what’s-at-risk” factor.

Maybe it’s not even something that we’re aware we’re doing.  But I suggest stepping back from your novel for a while before re-approaching it with a fresh set of eyes.  Try to analyze what you’ve conveyed.  Your character is tired, why?  Your character is afraid of the other character in the scene why?  Now, I’m not saying dump info in here, but again sprinkle in the necessary spice to hook your reader.

How do we ensure that we’ve included enough without overdoing it?

Don’t take my words as meaning that we should expose our character in gross detail, laying out streams of data on their personalities, and backgrounds.  That’s not what I’m suggesting, not even close.  But if we didn’t know them intimately would we find ourselves pulled to them, and caring about them?

For example, none of us want to see other people get hurt, even if we’ve never met them.  But do we carry on in our life anxious about their welfare?  Not usually.  We worry and think about are those we’ve come to know – friends, family, co-workers.

The same is true with our writing.  We have to make our reader love our characters enough they want to come back to find out their story.  We want them torn over what’s happening to them.  We want them flipping pages late at night to reach the ending.

So what about you?  How have you harnessed the balance of knowing what to reveal and what to withhold?

Reconstruction of a Crime: Aided by Blood Patterns

Blood has the ability to reveal much to investigators.  They can conclude angle, height, and even the type of struggle that occurred.  They can determine the source, what happened, and how many people were at the crime scene.  They can even determine how long the blood’s been there.

First off, let’s look at blood itself.  It is a complex substance consisting of both plasma (liquid) and cellular (solid) components.  It has the ability to spread over a surface and conform its shape to fit in a place, but it also possesses a measure of thickness and “surface tension” properties.  Surface tension is an “elastic-like property”.  It is the reason blood drops in a spherical shape. 

Blood can leave the body in several ways such as dripping, oozing, flowing, gushing or spurting, and each of these leave a distinctive pattern.  As blood flows from the body, it will pool and clot within three to fifteen minutes.  Of course depending on certain diseases and/or medications it can vary.

When blood begins to clot it first forms a “dark, shiny, jelly-like mass”.  With time it separates from a yellowish serum.  Due to this, investigators can gauge a rough estimate as to when the blood left the victim’s body.

Passive stains are caused when the blood hasn’t been forced or ejected from the body, but rather it moves “passively” under the influence of gravity.  For example, blood may drip from a wound, a bloody weapon, a tabletop.

“When a blood drop falls and strikes a flat surface it splashes in all directions, creating a circle of spatter around the point of impact.  The diameter and shape of this spatter pattern depend on the size, and speed of the drop, the angle of impact, and the nature of the surface it strikes.”

Determining angle of impact

By measuring the dimensions (width and length) of the blood stain, investigators can reconstruct the sequence of events.

Projected blood spatters result from force such as internal force, the breathing of the victim, or external force such as a gunshot or blunt-force trauma.  Another thing that investigators can figure out is the source of the blood, what caused the spatter patterns, and where the impact happened in the room.  They do this  using three-dimensional geometry by following the angle of the spatter and triangulating the point of convergence (the blood source) and the point of origin.

Void pattern can help investigators reconstruct the crime scene.  It could result in blood being on the assailant, or an object that had been removed.

Spatter Classification

There are 3 types:

Impact:  beatings, stabbings, gunshots, or any other circumstance where victim was impacted by foreign object

Projection:  Arterial bleeding, castoff blood, expiated blood

Combination:  can occur with a wooden bat used to beat the victim (for example) blood spatter shows from impact but also drops of blood falling from the bat

Spatter Velocity

A gunshot is an example of what causes
High Velocity blood spatter.
Blood pattern at the entrance is termed
 "Blowback or "back spatter"
Misting at the exit is termed forward spatter

Low velocity:  object moving less than 5’ per second; usually the result of dripping blood

Medium Velocity:  object moving between 5’-100’ per second; come from impact with blunt and sharp objects and expirated blood

High Velocity:  object strikes at speed above 100’ ft per second; example gunshot

Transfer Patterns:

This can be things such as bloody fingerprints, or objects that were touched by blood.  It could be the assailant kneeling in blood, shoeprints, blood-soaked fabric.

–

Information for this post (along with some direct quotes) taken from Howdunit Forensics A Guide for Writers

Write What You Love

We've all heard the advice, write what you know.  There's been a lot of debate over this piece of advice.  Some see it as valid direction while others argue that there wouldn't be any books if we just wrote what we know.  For example, how many mystery novels are written by real-life detectives?  And, I guess that advice is null when it comes to fantasy genres, and historical fictional works.  No fairy from Neverland wrote a book, and no one from over a hundred years ago can write a book currently.  But, this doesn't mean that we can get sloppy, in fact more work is involved, and this is why writing what we love supersedes all, in my opinion.  How else would we get motivated, and stay motivated to see a novel through to the end?

In fact isn't it love for what we’re writing what pushes us through to the conclusion even when we may find the interest in our book weaning, or through the rough middles?  Isn't it the love for what we're writing that forces us to get our facts right?  It's been touched on many times, on this bog and other sites, but if you fail to put the time in to ensure accuracy, you risk losing your reader for life.  This involves research, sometimes hours, sometimes days.  But if you didn't love what you were writing, why would you bother?

I understand the concept of self-discipline, of pushing yourself to write when you're tempted to make excuses not to.  But, I need to love what I'm writing.  I need to see and feel the characters.  They have to draw me in to tell their story.

What about you?  How do you work?  Do you agree that love of what you're writing is key?

I was Found Worthy

Another award *Dancing! :D*

I was honored to have received this award before, but this time it came from Karen DeLabar.  She is a talented and professional writer I met at the imaginary bar of #pubwrite.  She also introduced me to the meaning of shouting “GABRIEL”.  Thank you, Karen :)

Side plug:  If you’re not yet on Twitter, and/or haven’t taken part in socializing with other writers (especially #pubwrite), I urge you – what are you waiting for?  And I promise we’ll let you know what shouting “GABRIEL” means.

Now, like most rewards, this one also comes with stipulations *rolls up sleeves* and they are as follows:

1.  Thank and link to the person who nominated you.

2.  Share seven random facts about yourself.

3.  Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.

4.  Contact the winners to notify them.

Seven random facts about me...huh...

1)  Apparently, I’m a biter...*bows head in embarrassment* but get your mind out of the gutter!  I just bit my little sister once when we were little.  Then, I don’t know how many years later, she then includes this advice for my hubby during wedding speeches: Watch out for the teeth cause they bite.

2)  I can read Forensic books before bed, and sleep fine (well, most of the time except for last night when I was reading about blood spatter).  (Is something wrong with me?)

3)  I’ve actually made someone laugh so hard they’ve peed themselves.  (and don’t ask me what it was cause I don’t remember what it was now...or maybe it's just not included in this random reveal lol)

4)  The top of my hit-list for summer vacation?  The gun range.  You might want to take cover, cause I’ll likely go a little crazy.

5)  I have two beagles who are my “children”.  Their names are Max and Chelsea, and they turned two years this month.  

Aren't they cute?
[insert aaawwww here]

6)  Sometimes, I love to play Mario Kart Worldwide races.  Yep, watch your **** cause that red shell’s coming at you! 

7)  ...okay, can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but I have a thing with light switches on floor lamps (especially when I’m stressed).  But I can stand there and flick them off and on, the switch around and around until my husband says “enough” ...I promise I’m not crazy.  Maybe a tad OCD....but otherwise fine lol

So, drum-roll please...

...Here are the talented writers, and winners for the Versatile Blogger Award that I have selected:

Kimberly Krey @KimberlyKrey

L. Dean Pace-Frech @Deanpacefrech

K.M. Wieland @KMWeiland

Jessie @corpusbookworm

Sara Burr @Sarafurlong 

And add a bonus:  Tara Tyler I know you have this award but you deserve it again.  You’ve been a terrific support from the start of my blog :)

The Apology

Ever say you're sorry when you didn't mean it?  If you’re like most of us, I'm sure you have.  There are times we’re asked for an apology, and we don't even know what for.

The stereotype dictates Canadians as saying I'm sorry more than most, and I testify to the fact that I may be inclined to say it about minor things that don't even matter, even about things that are not my fault.  You didn’t hear what I said?  Oh, I'm sorry.  You didn’t get the email I sent you?  Oh, I’m sorry.  (You get it…we're sorry for everything, even when it’s not necessary! Lol)

But, in all seriousness sometimes as the human race we apologize to get out of an awkward situation.  Sometimes apologies make us negate our pride.  And just because we speak the words I'm sorry, it doesn't mean we're forgiven.  Then there are people who rarely apologize.

See, apologies are complicated, and not only for the person speaking the words, but the person receiving the apology.  We are complex.  We rarely ever experience just one feeling at once, normally we’re a tangle of them, and this transfers to the speaking of and accepting two little words:  I’m sorry.

How can we use this in our writing?

Have a character demand an apology from another who may have insulted them in some way.  Make it so the character doesn’t know what for, or want to.

Maybe you have a “Canadian-type character” who apologizes a lot.

Have a character who never says the words “I’m sorry” and provide a reason for it whether it’s due to pride or indifference, or something larger.  Maybe they don’t really see what difference an apology makes.

Maybe have a relationship hinge on one character needing an apology, and the one who owes it is too proud to speak the words.  It can be a conflict that drives them apart until things happen in the book that convinces the one to apologize.


Possibly a character offers a sincere apology to another but it's not accepted. 

What about you?  Have you been able to incorporate the aspect of an apology into your writing? 

A Big Thank You!

The entire purpose of this post is to tell you, my blog followers and those who check it out - thank you!

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read what I have to say.  Thank you for your comments.  Thank you for the follows.  Thank you for your email subscriptions to my posts.  Your continued support, encouragement and inspiration are priceless to me.  I do hope that you continue to find my blog informative, encouraging, and inspiring as well.

I believe us writers are so much better when we unite together, and I wish all of you much success with your goals whether they be finishing your first novel, querying for an agent, or high sales for a book already available to the public.

Incorporating Backstory

"Bring the past only if you're going to build from it." - Doménico Cieri Estrada

When I heard the above quote on a recent Criminal Minds episode the idea for this post struck me.  How else better to sum up not only the importance of backstory in a novel, but also its purpose?

In the writing community the term backstory can conjure up a negative connotation, and bring to mind endless paragraphs of “filler”.  But backstory isn’t a bad thing – when used correctly.  In fact, infusing a MS with sprinkles of backstory is essential to helping the reader draw closer to your characters.  Without any background, your characters wouldn’t be realistic.  It would as if you tore them from another dimension and dropped them into the world you created.  They would move as shadows on the page without any depth.  (See series on this blog “Developing Characters You Can Pinch”)

So why does backstory get a bad reputation?  When it isn’t done correctly, and weaved into your MS with the skill of a craftsman, it can read as perfunctionary, as an “info dump”.  Some writers, especially ones just starting out, tend to think the more they tell you the better – not the case.  Share just enough to keep your reader interested, and relating to your characters.

As in the quote above, focus on the reason you’re sharing that element of a character’s background.  If you’re going to build on it, if it’s relevant to your story, then it has a place in your novel.  Instead of distracting a reader, slowing the pace, or ripping your reader right out of the book, it will draw them in.  Be cautious of keeping the background information you share limited in quantity.  Sometimes, it may be necessary to give a recount of a past event, but keep it as interesting and succinct as possible to keep the flow of the book moving forward.  Avoid getting weighed down with the past.  Your readers have come to see what "adventure" lies for your character now.

Be sure to come back next week as I expand on this topic in a post called “What to Reveal and What to Withhold”.

So what are your thoughts on backstory?  How do you go about weaving the necessary details into your manuscript?

Caught by a Bullet

Most of us are familiar with the term striations, and their association with ballistics analysis.  But how much to you really know?  Do you know exactly what’s involved with matching a bullet to a weapon, or where investigators start?

First of all Ballistics, or “Ballistics Fingerprinting refers to a set of forensic techniques that rely on marks that firearms leave on bullets to match a bullet to the gun it was fired with” (as quoted from Wikipedia).

The first thing that is determined is the caliber and type of bullet. It’s weighed, and even if it’s deformed, this can eliminate some calibers. They will also look at the type of jacketing to help identify the type of weapon used.  Rifles typically fire a fully jacketed bullet, whereas a small-caliber handgun fires a simple lead bullet.

Spiral groves are machined into the barrel of a gun to cause the bullet to spin and ensure an accurate projection.  As these tools are used and worn, the impressions made in the barrels of the guns vary.  The flat surfaces between these grooves are called "lands".  It's because of these factory-made impressions that investigators can determine which type of gun the bullet was fired from (this is considered class evidence).

As taken from “Howdunit Forensics A Guide for Writers”:

Colt type:  six broad grooves, narrow lands, and a left-hand twist

Browning type:  six broad grooves, narrow lands, and a right-hand twist

Smith & Wesson type:  five lands and grooves of equal width, and a right-hand twist

Webley type: seven broad grooves, narrow lands, and a right-hand twist

Marlin type:  Marlin rifles use a technique known as microgrooving, which leaves between eight and twenty-four narrow grooves inside the barrel.

While an investigator can tell the type of gun, it's not these impressions that individualize the fired bullet to the gun.  As the gun is used, the grooves and lands are affected.  They wear and get damaged as more bullets are fired through the barrel.  Soot and grit are left behind after the firing of a bullet, and this also alters the imprint left on the next bullet.

When the suspect weapon (class evidence) is determined, bullets are fired into a test-firing chamber.  This is then compared with the crime scene bullet.  Due to factors noted in the above paragraph, no two bullets (even fired by the same gun) are identical.  For there to be a match, there has to be identical patterns found on at least three consecutive striations on each bullet.

Interesting point:  If a silencer was used, and unavailable to the investigator, the bullet striations fired from the suspect’s gun (even if the guilty party's) will not match up.

Shotguns don't leave striations because they fire a wad of pellets (shot) rather than a single bullet.  The size of the shot can give information as to the ammunition used.

Shell Casings

Shell casings left at the scene can tell investigators a lot.  They can lead investigators to conclude the type of gun used to fire the gun.  If they have a suspect’s weapon for comparison they may even be able to match this to the gun.  When the firing pin strikes the bullet, the pressure drives the case against the breech block (which is the back wall of the firing chamber).  Because of the fact it’s hardened steel, the softer metal of the cartridge becomes imprinted with any imperfection.  Also, the firing pin leaves the shape of its own print on the cap, as does the ejector mechanism.

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Some resources: 

Howdunit Forensics A Guide for Writers

Ballistic Fingerprinting

Strengthen Your Novel by Distancing Yourself

We've heard the advice:  let your first draft sit so you can be objective when you come back to it.  Trust me when I say that's wise advice.  Maybe we think we can prove it wrong - I know I did.

Looking at your work soon after the first
draft is like critiquing it under a blurred
magnifying glass - you're going to miss something

For example, we might think that we'll know what to leave in the manuscript from subtle clues to personality characteristics if we look at it right after finishing the first draft.  But, that's not the truth (at least in my experience).  What we end up missing are the important things such as redundancies, phrasing, scenes that we could lose but are attached to.

I more recently started major edits on my first thriller Assassination of a Dignitary, and found this to be true.  I've since crossed out supporting scenes that really didn't advance the story, and found areas that had me going what did I mean there?  These things never even stuck out to me the first time through which was a pass I made a couple weeks after writing it.

Another way to distance yourself from your novel...

Ask yourself, who are your characters modeled after?

More advice comes in the form of:  if you recognize yourself in your characters root it out.  Again, practical advice.  To allow yourself to be one of the characters, you jeopardize becoming lazy, and your character coming across flat.

You might ask:  how can it flatten a character when I know myself better than anyone else?  That question is rhetorical because within it lies the answer - you know yourself.  Other people don't.  If you model your characters after yourself, you may overlook key pieces of background information because they may seem too obvious.  But they're only "obvious" to you.  Due to this, character-fleshing can be overlooked.

My suggestion is that if you decide to base a character upon yourself, base it loosely.  On top of this make sure that your character differentiates enough to stand out as unique.  Conduct a character interview to get to know them as individuals.

So what about you?  What advice have you come across that applies to the topic of distancing yourself from your novel to benefit it?

Dealing with Death

We all face death.  It’s an unfortunate fact of life.  Along the way, we lose many people we love.  Maybe it should make us cherish life more, be nicer to other people, but for some reason when we’re grieving, it has the opposite effect.  We become moody, and distant from other people around us.  It’s not intentional, but for some reason this is how it works.  (For an expanded discussion on human emotions, you can see “Conflicting Emotions”)

Being faced with death can also make us appreciate what we have more.  It sets us into a deeper line of thinking.  We analyze purpose more than normal.  We look at our life and see where we can make it more meaningful.  Maybe we’ve held an ongoing grudge against someone?  Being faced with the frailty of life may move us to make amends.

At memorials for the lost one, people are brought together that might otherwise never cross paths.  The person who has died touched people we may not even know.  But, it doesn’t matter because everyone is there for the purpose of remembering a friend, or loved one they lost.  Everyone there is assembled due to a shared interest.

So how can we apply the above to our writing?

Keep it realistic.  If your character has lost someone dear to them, don’t make them come across balanced, and unaffected.  Infuse them with fire, and conflict.  Make a person who normally had patience, and self-control, lose their temper.

People “come together” for a certain interest.  It doesn’t just have to be in the above scenario, that of a memorial or funeral.  Maybe it’s witnesses in a case.  A street person, and a rich man both witness a shooting.  Even though their worlds would never otherwise cross paths, a common goal brings them to the same side.

Death makes people think.  Maybe your character is moved to make amends with someone, possibly an estranged relative.

These are just a few things I could think of.  How have you used any of these elements in your writing?  Or do you have any more brainstorming ideas to put them to use?  Please share them.

It's All About Me(me)

Okay, so does ask me what the second (me) stands for...Maybe like a song "meee....meee....meee"?  lol  

Dana (@raineerose on Twitter) from the Daily Dose, a great supporter, and blogger tagged me for this meme.  So now all of you get to know me better.... *bites nails* lol

If you could go back in time and relive one moment, what would it be?
Wow, for me that’s a tough question.  One moment?  I’d say my wedding, but then I wouldn’t be as in love with my husband as I am now.  I would, however, have been more fussy when it came to alternations on my wedding dress...

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
This really is a personal questionnaire...but that one thing would be going back to when I was a teenager and decided I didn’t want to live by my parents’s rules.  I moved out, and gave my baby sister a necklace (from a friend) to “remember” me by.  Sigh...there, I bared it all.  At the time, I didn’t realize how insensitive something like this was, I was a teenager, my vision blurred by selfish agenda.  As an adult, I realize just how insensitive this was, and really hate how much I had hurt my sister at the time.  If I could go back and change this one moment, I would.

What movie/TV character do you most resemble in personality?
Listen, I’m unique lol...but if I’m going to play along Carrie Huffernan from King of Queens.  I can be tough, and untrusting, but it's only because I have an underlying vulnerable streak that doesn't want to be taken advantage of.  At the end of the day, I want nothing more than a beer, great take-in for dinner, and snuggling with my hubby on the couch.

If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would it be?
Okay, if we’re talking figuratively, and not really talking about bodily harm, I’d have to say my older sister, but not to hurt her, just to let her realize how much impact she has on me.

As far as someone to literally hurt them?  As if I’d say on a public website LMAO!

Name one habit you want to change in yourself.
Procrastination.  It’s not only when it comes to writing, or editing, it affects my getting to the gym, my housework, etc, etc....If I can do it tomorrow, then yeah!

Describe yourself in one word.
Deep.

Describe the person who named you in this meme in one word.
Supportive.

Why do you blog? Answer in one sentence.
To reach out to other writers not only to share what I’ve learned along the way, but also to grow from them.

Name at least 3 people to send this meme to, and then inform them.

@Scott_Niven

@nicholasdenmon

@PeggyBechko

The First Two Sentences

You've written an entire novel, possibly the length of over 100,000 words, yet those first two sentences can provide the most anguish.  They are what can hook a glancing reader, or make them close the book.  No pressure - right?

If you're like me, you're rarely satisfied with the first two sentences.  You revise, and re-work, and "rinse and repeat" so many times that it becomes an obsession.  You wake up in the night with the perfect wording, the ideal epiphany.  You force your eyes open, scribble it on a piece of paper, and in the morning (if it's legible) sometimes it results in a "huh".  And back to the revisions, and the search for perfect words.

So what hooks a reader?  Maybe it's best to start by asking ourselves.  When you pick up a novel what makes you take it to check-out or return it to the shelf?

Personally, I love something that shows conflict - whether it be imminent danger, or just simply a character's internal conflict. It has to be something I can relate to.  I want to feel a connection.

How important on those first two sentences to you?  What hooks you? Do you have any advice on a "formula" for making the perfect start?  How do you turn off the editor's voice, and obsession?  Do you just accept what you have written and move on?

Serial Killer Statistics

The world seems to be sickly fascinated and captivated by the mystery of serial killers – what motivates them to kill, and why?  As fiction writers, we need to harness that but be very careful not to allow our work to relay a clichéd character.  That feat in itself can be a tough one, but it can be done.  And, as it has been said before, most stories have already been written, but it’s up to you to write it with a unique slant and superb story-telling.

But there’s more to writing about a serial killer than just coming up with a unique motivation.  You have to know how your investigator is going to look at the case.  You want to portray your lead, for example a FBI agent working through the investigative process, as thinking through the case the way one would in real life.  If not, you risk losing your reader, not only for that book, but possibly for future ones too.

So, where to begin?  First of all, what is a serial killer?  It’s been defined in the past as someone who has killed between two to ten victims, but according to the FBI this is not necessarily the case.  The main difference between a serial killer and a mass murderer is whether there is a “cooling off” period between victims.  Also a mass murderer normally takes multiple victims at one time, or involving one incident.  However, with all this said the basic definition of serial killings involve a series of three or more killings, which due to characteristics (such as MO) that can be attributed to one individual.

What motivates serial killers?

Statistically serial killers are insecure.  Generally, they kill because this empowers them, transferring any rejection they’ve received elsewhere in their life.  Based on this statistic, serial killers fear rejection, power and perfection.  Most of them don’t believe they’ll ever be caught.

Others kill just because they are addicted to the feelings it produces in them.  They are able to rationalize what they’re doing so they don’t feel the need to stop.

From a psychological standpoint...

Most serial killers are psychopaths.  Basically they know what they’re doing is wrong, but don’t feel compassion for their victims or remorse.  They “blend” into society, and are while they don’t experience sympathetic characteristics, they can mimic it from watching others.  Most serials are charming and persuasive.

Organized or Disorganized

An investigator will look at the murder, and the crime scene, and try to discern what it tells them about the killer.  One of their first assessments is whether the killer they’re looking for is organized or disorganized.

If the murder was carried out “clean” with planned execution, then the killer is organized, and likely highly intelligent and may even have a stable social network.

The disorganized killer leaves a mess behind him, including possibly even the murder weapon.  He does little to cover his tracks.  This tells investigators he’s likely unemployed and possibly a loner.

Of course, these are based on statistics.  It doesn’t mean we can’t throw investigators off by making our killer operate outside of the statistics.

For a more comprehensive list on the differences between an Organized and Disorganized serial killer, see below.  (The information in the chart was taken from Twisted Minds Serial Killers Defined.)

ORGANIZED

DISORGANIZED

IQ above average, 105-120 range socially adequate lives with partner or dates frequently stable father figure family physical abuse, harsh geographically/occupationally mobile follows the news media may be college educated good hygiene/housekeeping skills does not usually keep a hiding place diurnal (daytime) habits drives a flashy car needs to return to crime scene to see what police have done usually contacts police to play games a police groupie or wanabee doesn’t experiment with self-help kills at one site, disposes at another may dismember body attacks using seduction into restraints keeps personal, holds a conversation leaves a controlled crime scene leaves little physical evidence responds best to direct interview

IQ below average, 80-95 range socially inadequate lives alone, usually does not date absent or unstable father family emotional abuse, inconsistent lives and/or works near crime scene minimal interest in news media usually a high school dropout poor hygiene/housekeeping skills keeps a secret hiding place in the home nocturnal (nighttime) habits drives a clunky car or pickup truck needs to return to crime scene for reliving memories may contact victim’s family to play games no interest in police work experiments with self-help programs kills at one site, considers mission over usually leaves body intact attacks in a “blitz” pattern depersonalizes victim to a thing or it leaves a chaotic crime scene leaves physical evidence responds best to counseling interview

According to statistics

- Many are young adults in their twenties or thirties

- They don’t cross racial lines (for example, white killers tend to kill white victims)

- Many kill close to home first, and then move further out

- Often they’re highly mobile (access to money and a vehicle)

- They take “souvenirs” from their victims

How to catch a serial killer (a few ways):

- Developing a psychological profile helps focus the investigation (see Organized vs Disorganized above)

- Victimology, or the study of the victims does a lot in helping investigators to  track down a serial killer. 

- Locality of the crimes allows them to conclude a geographical profile

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Sources:

Check this out (if nothing else): FBI Serial Murder Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives For Investigators

What Motivates Serial Killers to Kill

Serial Killers Defined

Serial Killers