5
Apr
When you mention “organized crime,” most people think of such well-known names as Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, or Lucky Luciano. Or maybe “organized crime” calls to mind such iconic films as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino. But what about pirates? Smuggling rings? Outlaw motorcycle gangs? In his book, Organized Crime: An Inside Guide to the World’s Most Successful Industry, Paul Lunde touches on all of these groups and then some.
If you’re curious at all about the history of organized crime, this is a great overview that hits on crime organizations all over the world, from ancient times to the present. I found it fascinating and something of an eye-opener when it comes to the complicated culture often involved in crime organizations. Whether you’re considering writing about the Triads or La Cosa Nostra, the Yakuza or Tammany Hall, this is a great little book to help you get started.
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
16
Jan
A few months back, I offered a couple of suggestions to another author for ways she could ramp up the action in her novel by sharing a few techniques that tend to work well for me. But I figured I’d fall back to my home turf to go into more detail because, I mean, really — is there anything tackier than going on and on about a topic on someone else’s blog? So, below are a few tips I’ve gathered along the way (some through trial and error and others from feedback received from other authors) that I use when I need to crank things up a bit.
Tip 1: Keep it tight.
I blame my literary background for my struggle with this one. Seeing as how I spent the vast majority of my two degrees in literature focusing on the Neoclassic, Romantic, and Victorian eras, it would have been surprising to come out of it without a penchant for complex sentences loaded with clauses. So it was no surprise when the first feedback I received suggested I cut out unnecessary adverbs and break up lengthy sentences to liven things up. Although the advice was very kindly worded, the message was clear: Save the flowery crap for the love scenes.
Point taken.
Sometimes just replacing a wordy description of physical action with a single powerful verb can really ramp up the energy of a sentence. One approach that seems to work pretty well for me is to write the scene then go back the next day with “fresh eyes” and cut the word count by around 10-20%. This exercise forces me to tighten up the narration and dialogue so that the scene has a lot more punch.
Tip 2: Set it up.
Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of a fight scene to launch into a detailed description of the setting. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to get in the middle of writing a scene and suddenly realize you need a massive boulder for your hero to dive behind for cover. However, if you’ve set the scene adequately before the action breaks out, your readers will make informed assumptions about what’s in the room/street/desert, etc., and you won’t bog down the action with too much description.
Tip 3: Shut up and fight.
Monologuing has its place, but if it’s only there because you don’t know how else to fill the page, ditch it. STAT. Ditto for prolonged internal ruminations. If there’s a big reveal of some sort during the scene, let the character have an initial reaction–a short exclamation or burst of internal dialogue, maybe, that lets the reader know something big just happened–but leave the musing for later. It makes sense that your heroine would pick up on something crucial in the thick of things, so she should react in some way, but she probably wouldn’t be waxing philosophical while she’s trying to take out the bad guy.
Tip 4: Step back and regroup.
Sometimes the words just won’t come. When I have moments like these, I get the creative juices flowing again by trying to find a visual representation of the kind of scene I want to write so that I can get a feel for the physical action I need to describe. For me, this usually involves putting on a movie, but it could be watching a boxing match, a cage fight, a martial arts competition, etc. Whatever works. For example, if I need to get a feel for a kick-ass sword fight, I’ll put on Rob Roy with Liam Neeson or Equilibrium with Christian Bale. Having a visual helps me get a feel for the heft of the weapon, the way a person’s muscles bunch with each movement, the distinctive sound of clashing swords, the glint of light on polished steel… You get the idea.
Tip 5: Learn from the Masters.
One of the best ways to figure out how to write successful action scenes is to read examples of successful action scenes. We all have authors whose work we admire — pick one or two of these folks and read/reread some of their most rockin’ action scenes to get a feel for how it’s done. When I need to recharge my action batteries, I grab a copy of something by Lara Adrian, J.R. Ward, Lisa Jackson, or Jim Butcher. Each of these authors gets my pulse racing!
Well, there you have it–the top five techniques that work for me. If you were to ask another writer, she’d no doubt offer you a few tips of her own. There are a few standard rules to live by, like keeping sentences tight and hard-hitting, but the rest is about finding your action groove and figuring out what works best for your own creative process. Most importantly, have fun with it! Action scenes can be a blast once you really get going. 
4
Jan
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of ads for workshops and webinars on building suspense and creating tension in a scene. I can certainly understand why this topic would be in such high demand–creating suspense isn’t easy! And although I’m still honing my skill in this area as well, I thought I’d share a couple of tricks I’ve learned that work pretty well for me.
Whenever I’m struggling with a suspense scene, I think back to the film class I took as an undergrad. In order to illustrate how a successful scene is more than just the action on screen, we had to watch several suspenseful scenes from such iconic films as Psycho, Jaws, and Friday the 13th, and then watch them again without the sound. And let me tell you, the infamous shower scene in Psycho isn’t nearly as chilling without the music and sound effects.
The same thing can be said about a written scene. The action itself might be flawlessly written, but if there’s nothing else to give it texture, it’s going to fall flat.
When I have a scene that just isn’t working for me, I refer back to the silent shower scene assignment and ask myself what’s missing in my own scene. Obviously, I can’t add a musical score to manipulate my readers’ responses, but I can describe the sound of the floorboards creaking behind the protagonist, the sudden chill that causes the hair on the back of her neck to rise, the heaviness in the air when she suddenly realizes she’s not alone, the bitter taste in her mouth as she tries to swallow her panic, the shadowy movement she sees out of the corner of her eye, the thundering of her pulse in her own ears.
Just like creating suspense on film, it’s all about incorporating the senses and capturing what your character sees, hears, smells, tastes. When this is done well, your readers are no longer just casual observers. Suddenly, they can relate to what your character is experiencing. Odds are good they’ve never crept through the dark, dank halls of a deserted insane asylum with something evil lurking deep within the shadows, but I guarantee they’ve been afraid and know how it feels. Remind them of that as they’re reading, and their hearts will start pounding just as hard and fast as your protagonist’s.
Now, all that being said, here’s an assignment for you (if you’re up to it):
1) Pick a particularly suspenseful scene from one of your favorite novels–just make sure it’s a book you own and not the library’s copy!
2) Underline, highlight, and scribble in the margins, marking all the words and phrases that elicit strong responses. (If you don’t want to mark up a book, jot everything down on a separate piece of paper. Your call.) Essentially, the point is to dissect the scene and get a good look at its guts.
3) When you’re satisfied that you’ve identified everything that got your blood pumping, read the scene again omitting everything you’ve marked. I guarantee you’ll feel the difference.
4) Now, take what you’ve learned and apply it to your own work.
I hope you find this exercise useful! If any of you give it a try, let me know how it works out for you. And check back soon for another tip. In the meantime–happy writing!
25
Sep
I’m not a grammar snob. I’m really not. We all slip up now and then. Hey, I admit to having to grab my copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style from time to time. But I am on the verge of losing my mind when it comes to the recent upsurge in the misuse of reflexive pronouns! When did Americans suddenly decide it was perfectly acceptable to use myself instead of I or me?
I know this technically isn’t a new phenomenon, but lately I’m hearing it everywhere–at my office, in the grocery story (courtesy of loud-talking, self-important cell phone addicts), on TV shows…I even heard it happen on a news program the other day during an interview with a public official.
I completely understand why it’s happening–the grammar police have scared the masses into self-conscious hyper-correcting. I get it. But I’d so much rather hear, “The headless ghost scared the hell out of Joe and I” than “The headless ghost scared the hell out of Joe and myself.” At least the confusion between subject and object makes sense to me. This whole reflexive pronoun thing? Not so much.
Nails on the chalkboard, people. Nails on the chalkboard.
2
Sep
Writers beware: the minute a hip, trendy word or phrase appears in a commercial for a child’s toy, it’s no longer cool to use (e.g. “That’s how we roll”). When you witness this horrifying phenomenon, immediately go through your manuscript and replace said formerly-cool word/phrase with a more recent entry to the urban lexicon. STAT.
Attempts to stay current aside, what would possess advertising execs to borrow a word or phrase from passe gangsta rap to shill kids’ toys? Sorry, to break the news to you, Major Advertising Firm Executives, but instead of thinking, “Oh, wow–I must buy this toy for my tot,” I immediately pictured a dorky, out-of-touch dude in a boardroom pretending to be cutting edge by falling back on hackneyed colloquialisms well past their expiration date.
*Sigh.*
Or maybe I was just bummed that I’m old enough to remember when some of these words and phrases really were kinda cool to say…
13
Aug
Now that I’m actively shopping Red, I’ve begun developing Book 2 in the series. For me, the first step in beginning any new project is fleshing out my characters. I spend a lot of time mulling over not just each character’s personal appearance (which, honestly, could change anyway) but also his/her personality traits, quirks, nervous habits, taste in clothes and music, favorite movies, and so on–even if none of these things will even come into play in the novel.
Unfortunately, even after all the time I spend developing my characters before I start writing, I sometimes end up in the middle of the manuscript and realize I need to add more depth. In such cases, it’s nice to have a few resources on hand to help generate some ideas.
One book I’ve come across that’s been a great reference for character development is Writer’s Guide to Character Traits, by Linda N. Edelstein, PhD.
Topics covered include personality traits, psychological disorders, criminal types, career traits, and communication styles just to name a few. Need to figure out which character traits correspond to a particular virtue? Covered in Chapter 2. Trying to determine which variety of stalker is preying on your protagonist? Chapter 5.
Bottom line–if you’re trying to come up with believable characters who pop off the page, Writer’s Guide to Character Traits could definitely give you some pointers.
Give it a try!
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
7
Aug
To say that the days leading up to the Midwest Writers Workshop were filled with drama would be an understatement. I ended up missing the events that first evening as a result of a family emergency. But after making sure my family was safe and sound, I was once more on the road again by Friday morning and heading to what I hoped would be a fantastic experience.
Fortunately, I was not disappointed. The workshop was wonderful! I had the chance to listen to some incredible presentations by several successful authors, including Marcus Sakey and John Gilstrap–two incredibly talented writers who were not only knowledgeable and helpful but also freaking hilarious! The session they did together had me in stitches.
In addition, several agents were there and gave attendees insight into the DO’s and DONT’s of dealing with those in their industry. Definitely a plus! Meeting a few agents in person also helped to demystify them a bit. I think we all tend to see these folks as titans who hold our entire writing future in their hands, but they’re really not as unapproachable as you might think. I certainly feel a lot more comfortable about the querying process now.
Which is a good thing because it’s time to hit the querying hard on behalf of Red. I’ve put together my list of agents I want to approach in this first round and will be sending out query letters to five or six individuals next week. I’ll keep you posted!
In the meantime, I have some very exciting new to report already! If you’ve read my previous few posts, you’ll recall that I was scheduled to make my first face-to-face pitch to an agent at the Workshop. I was nervous as hell about it, but the pitch went great! The agent loved my pitch and requested a partial of the manuscript. I sent that to her a couple of days later and was then asked to submit the full manuscript for consideration! “Elated” doesn’t even cover it.
This was my first ever request for a full, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I remember driving up to the Workshop that Friday morning, my chest aching from bronchitis, my head pounding from a sinus infection, my nerves on edge with worry for my family, and wondering if I should just pack it in and head back home. But, as the great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” And, man, am I ever glad I took this shot.
It could be a couple of months before I hear back from the agent — hey, these things take time (and really, do you want an agent rushing through your manuscript? I certainly don’t!) — and she could still pass on it, but at least she asked to see the full in the first place. And, regardless of the outcome, my friends, that’s wicked cool.
7
Jul
I’m currently reading Writer’s Market Guide to Getting Published, by the Editors of Writers Digest Books.
Writer’s Market Guide to Getting Published is a fabulous resource on writing query letters and synopses, working well with editors and agents, marketing and promoting your work, etc., and offers practical advice anyone can employ.
This was a particularly timely find for me as I prepare for the Midwest Writers Workshop at the end of the month. There I’ll be making my very first pitch to an agent! I’m incredibly excited and nervous as hell at the same time. Having a great resource like this one to help me prepare is keeping my anxiety to a manageable level (so far…). 
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
23
May
I just finished reading Dead Beat, a novel from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, and I have to say, Butcher’s books just keep getting better and better. I didn’t think he could top Blood Rites (which had been my favorite thus far), but I dare say, he outdid himself again!
I discovered the Dresden Files books after the TV series came and went far too soon. Hoping to stop my bitching over the cancellation of the series, my HH bought the first several books for me the following year for my birthday. He then proceeded to bogart them, so I didn’t get around to reading the novels until around a year or so ago. And I was hooked.
Unfortunately, my reading time is rather limited, so it’s taking me a while to work my way through the series and catch up to the newest release, but it’s definitely time well-spent! If you’re a fan of mysteries, fantasies, paranormals and/or thrillers, you’d probably enjoy Butcher’s novels. At some point, he hits on all of these genres–sometimes all at once!
In addition to proclaiming my admiration as I reader, I also have to offer my thanks as a writer.
When I began writing Red, it was immediately clear to me that the protagonist’s story had to be in her own voice with no filtration from the narrator. This was a huge deviation from my normal writing M.O. and was both liberating and terrifying at the same time.
Fortunately, I started writing Red right around the time I started reading the Dresden Files series, which couldn’t have been more serendipitous. Butcher does such a fabulous job writing in the first-person, I think I would have been a lot more timid while writing had I not been exposed to such a fantastic example of how to carry it off. Butcher’s voice is, quite simply, fearless, and, as such, authentic–which, in turn, makes the stories much more engaging and enjoyable.
Aside from sharing the same genre(s), my manuscript has almost nothing in common with Butcher’s work, but inspiration can come from just about anywhere and in any form. And I was definitely inspired and have learned a lot about the more subtle nuances of telling a story from this point of view. I’m sure I still have a long way to go until I’ve mastered the craft, but that’s all part of the fun!
And so, as I continue to edit and refine Red in hopes of one day bringing the story to print, I offer a grateful nod to Jim Butcher for showing all us hopefuls how it’s done.
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
19
Apr
My sister is expecting her first child in a few weeks and still hasn’t settled on a middle name. Debate over the perfect middle name has been waging for months between the expectant mama and papa — with those of us on the outside lobbying for our favorites. My sister has her preference, of course, but she has yet to find the name that really clicks for both her and her husband. Luckily, she still has a little time…
Just like with naming a baby, choosing a name for a character can make all the difference in how readers accept her as part of the reality you’ve created. I mean, really — can you imagine Scarlett O’Hara by any other name? Would she have become the iconic Southern belle we all hate to love if she’d been named something less flamboyant and dramatic? Okay, maybe — but she wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun!
Before I even begin to write a story, I spend a considerable amount of time coming up with the names of my characters. Typically, this process involves a lot of research on origins, meanings, pronunciations, and popularity at given points in history. I know, I know. I use the word research and people cringe, but the process of researching names doesn’t have to be onerous or boring — I promise!
Although there are oodles of books and websites that list the standard baby names and their meanings, don’t be afraid to shake things up and try an unusual source. Sometimes a character demands a name that’s a little out of the ordinary. In that spirit, here are just a few of my favorite resources for finding the perfect moniker when Tom and Jane just won’t do:
Irish Names from Ancient to Modern
www.namenerds.com/irish
I’m a total etymology nerd and will happily admit that I own a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary expressly for looking up word origins — for fun! Irish Names from Ancient to Modern is a perfect one for getting my nerd on. Incidentally, Moose’s real name appears on the list of Traditional Irish Names — I’ll let you guess which one it might be.
And the best part? Backtrack to the root website (www.namenerds.com) and you’ll find links to sister sites: Welsh Names from Mythic to Modern, Scottish First Names, and Unusual, Unique & Creative Names.
Name that Goth!
http://home.comcast.net/~jeniphir/babynames.html
If you’re looking for names that deviate from perennial favorites Jacob and Emma, give Name that Goth! a go. I actually stumbled upon this one when I was looking for a suitable name for an angel and immediately fell in love with the various lists grouped together by theme. Sadly, it doesn’t look like Penny Dreadful has updated the site in quite a while. Some of the links are broken, but the remaining categories still offer some fabulous choices.
How do I say…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?a
This website is hosted by BBC Wales and is very handy if you have a character whose name should call to mind faeries and elves and dragons and… well, you get the picture. And, true to its title, you can click on the names to hear the actual Welsh pronunciation (trust me, you’ll need it).
These are just a few of my favorites, but I’m always looking for fun sources to try and will post updates as I come across new ones. If you have others you’d like to share, feel free! Who knows — perhaps my niece will benefit from your suggestions.
