writing a novel – Read First Chapter.com

WRITING EXERCISE – Analyzing a Murder Mystery TV Show

BRITISH MYSTERY SHOW WHERE EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT

I've started watching several British Midsomer Murder Mysteries during the last two weeks while I proofread my latest novel, Where is Lucia.  I love the British mysteries as they are famous for having several suspects in the story, all of whom seem guilty.  And the real murderer is always a shocking surprise.

I decided to analyze one or two of the stories to see how the script writer handled the suspects and hid clues of the real culprit.

I watched this on YouTube where it's free.  I'll have the show below where you can access it on YouTube if you want to watch it too.

MY PROCEDURE FOR THIS IN CASE ANYONE WANTS TO TAKE A SHOT AT DOING THE SAME WITH ANOTHER SHOW:

I chose a murder mystery that I had already seen.  I knew how it ended and I was then able to focus only my author mind on watching for clues, subtext and foreshadowing while I watched the show.

The name of the show I chose was DEATH AND DREAMS.  I used my cellphone and an app called "One Note".  It has a dictation feature on it. I also had a small notebook that I jotted down a few notes on so I wouldn't forget to mention in my dictation review.  I paused the show and dictated my notes.   When I opened my laptop, I copied and pasted them into this blog post and cleaned it up.

Many British script writers specialize in murders where everyone is a suspect and there are more than two or three suspects in each drama.  And the real culprit is always a surprise.

Below is the analysis I did after watching a Midsomer Murder Show on YouTube.  It's free with ads.  I'll post the video below in case you want to read my analysis and see what you think.



THE OPENING SCENE VS. THE SHOW OPENING:

This show opened with the camera walking through a common middle-income family home.  A radio was playing a call in show.  The woman speaking was referring to her kids being downstairs and probably laughing at her for calling the show.  The announcer had the usual fake enthusiastic voice talking with her.

The camera moved slowly during two minutes of this show talk and then you saw a man sitting in a chair with his head back.  His eyes were closed but it was not possible to determine if he was sleeping or dead.  The camera then showed an elaborate knotting system of fish wire that was strung around to a shotgun on the other side of the room.  Then you heard the explosion and the camera showed you a grizzly scene of a man blown down into a bloody mess against his stove.

The next scene was the usual opening of the Midsomer show, which is an introduction of very sweet music showing various scenes from English village life.  Each scene is beautiful, cottages, ducks waddling around, beautiful weather, long windy roads, lots of trees.  This opening made the last scene seem even more ghastly.

As an author, I think following up a ghastly scene with a scene of domestic life would have the same effect.

INITIAL CLUES - SUICIDE:

The next scene shows Det. Barnaby and Sgt. Troy show up and discuss what they see.  Troy draws a conclusion that it has to be suicide.  Det. Barnaby is not so sure.  He wonders why the guy didn't just go outside and shoot himself; why the elaborate fish-wire setup.

Barnaby notices a silver trophy that is present on the table.  He smells what's inside and he also sees a bottle of wine present in the kitchen.  They mention that the housekeeper is the one who found him.



INTERVIEW WITH THE HOUSEKEEPER:

The housekeeper, Mary May, confirms she found him when she showed up at 8:30.   Her affect is off, however.  This is one way the writer cast some doubt about her.  She was too contained, too reserved in her reaction with the cops.

She goes on to say that she and others may have seen this coming.  Mr. Martin Roth was a mean man.  He hadn't paid her for 4 weeks before he died.  She went on to say he owed a lot of people money.  She also said a lot of people didn't like him.  This too creates the possibility that maybe someone else wanted to murder Mr. Roth.

NOTIFICATION OF THE ESTRANGED WIFE:

Barnaby and Troy go to notify his next of kin which is his estranged wife, Sarah Roth.  She says he was a miserable drunk, gambler and cheater and also physically abused her.  She is shocked however when they say her husband killed himself.  She is now living with another guy, Gordon, who is a part time chemist/pharmacist and local musician who leads a small town marching band.  They have a small baby that she is taking care of.

The wife does show some guilt when she says she hopes it wasn't over her.  It comes out that her husband wanted her back and he kept coming over when he was drunk and shouting things at her from outside.  When Barnaby is there, he sees similar trophies to what he found at the murder scene.  Silver cups.  This casts suspicion on the wife or her new boyfriend.  Her ex made all kinds of trouble for her and her new husband who were set to be married as soon as the divorce went through.  This, of course, could be a motive as well.

Somewhere in the beginning Barnaby gets a report that Mr. Roth was on a large amount of Tenzine and this is an antidepressant but it would have rendered him incapable of pulling the trigger.  He was killed first and then blown apart.  The cops know it's murder not suicide.



THE CHEMIST FINDS OUT:

In the next scene, Mary May, the housecleaner, runs into the pharmacy and tells Gordon -- Sarah's Baby Daddy -- that she found Martin Roth shot dead.  He almost rudely escorts her out of his shop without explanation.  It makes you wonder if she is just a gossiping troublemaker.

BARNABY'S OLD COLLEAGUE FROM MERCY PARK ENTERS THE STORY:

Next we find out that Martin Roth was receiving psychological treatment at a local psych hospital that was run by his old pal, Dr. Jane Moore.  Jane runs the institution and is widowed now.  Her husband died on a climbing expedition a few months earlier.  She is now taking care of her three step children, two of whom witnessed their father's death, but they all appear to be a happy family.

Dr. Moore is referred to as a psychological profiler and she worked a case with Barnaby in the past.  He has great respect for her, but Troy resents a chumminess that exists between them -- probably because Barnaby is a married man.

Dr. Moore is shocked to hear her ex-patient killed himself.  She admits she used to go there and check in on him.  You get the impression it may have been friendship or she is just being a good doctor.

 

THE DOCTOR'S FIRST PARTY - THE ANNIVERSARY:

Dr. Moore has a party to celebrate her hospital being open for a year.  Barnaby brings his wife and Toby comes with Barnaby's daughter, I think her name is Cilly.  This is where the young resident says he would do anything for the doctor and the two daughters are standing next to him.  They roll their eyes at him and the younger one giggles at him.  They think he's a fool.

Troy still doesn't like the closeness between his boss and Dr. Moore.  He decides to leave with Cilly and he wants to go to the obstacle course at the hospital and climb the elaborate rope climbing.

Cilly sees movement in the bushes, but she dismisses it because it was only a second.  The viewers know there's someone in the bushes.  Troy tries to climb but he's a little tipsy from drinking and he falls down onto the ground and laughs.  Cilly says, I'll show you how it's done.  She climbs up with no trouble and as she comes to the top, she looks up and the young resident is dead and hanging from a hangman's rope.   Cilly tells her father the next day at lunch about seeing the bushes move and thinking someone else was there but she can't be sure.

The medical examiner says that this victim was drowned in the creek behind the climbing equipment and dead first before he was strung up.  They also found Tetrine in his pocket, the same pills that Martin Roth had taken.   It's starting to look like maybe it was the resident who was the murderer.

THE DRUM MAJORETTE OUTFIT HAS ARRIVED:

Now, in the next scene, the chemist is on the phone and he's whispering to someone that a little something has come in the mail and maybe you'd like to come and see me sometime.  You hear his baby in the background which makes him seem even more sleezy.

DR. MOORE STICKS UP FOR HER RESIDENT:

The two cops are in the hospital looking through a bunch of stuff.  Troy tells the doctor that the resident had Tetrine pills in his pocket and she replied that he probably had them to give to the patients.  Troy asked here, why did he bring them to the party.  You can tell there's a little tension between the doctor and Troy.

Then the older cop shows the doctor that there's a letter he found.  He's holding a letter about Dean Honeysette, stating that in light of his recent behavior, he recommends that all of his privileges are suspended.  Being a gardener off premises is a big privilege.  It was signed by the resident.  This makes the viewer believe that this would be a reason for Dean to kill the resident, to protect his privileges.



THE COPS TALK TO DEAN AT THE HOSPITAL:

The cops find Dean in the hospital and he's very guarded and  uncooperative -- also still pretty weird too.  And they asked him where he was last night when the resident was killed and he claims he has an alibi.  He was in the wing of the hospital and there are 4 people who saw him.  It was lights out at 9:30 and he claims he was in bed.

They ask him about his criminal record and it comes out that he was a car thief but he did resort to strangling someone then.

Dean tells the cops that he didn't kill the first guy and he said he didn't kill the second guy (the resident), but he thinks the second guy who died was weak.  He said this place needs strong people like him and Dr. Moore.  He claims that people look up to him and feel that he has been through everything and is still okay.

Dean also tells them that he told the doctor not to put the obstacle/exercise course along the river creek in the back, but the rope guy insisted that's where it should go.  He knew it was going to be trouble.

THE COPS GO SEE THE ROPE GUY:

As the cops pull up to see the Rope guy, he is acting weird and says that he loves rope, the feel of it.  He asks the cop to smell the rope and reveals it's the best rope in the world.  It's from the middle east somewhere.

He goes on to tell them that his family before him were Rope Guys.  He had a distant relative who was a hangman.  He says this with pride.  He comes off like a nutball and he could easily be the culprit.  It also comes out that Martin Roth also owed him money.  They were supposed to go into business together.  He shows the cops a stand that has a few handmade toys or some kind on it.  That was the money Roth never gave him.

THE CLOTHESLINES BEGIN TO DISAPPEAR:

Then in the next scene, with no explanation to the viewer, you see a woman taking clothing off of a clothesline, an innocent domestic scene.  She has her children in the yard with her.  After she leaves, someone off camera comes up and cuts the clothesline at both ends and takes the rope away.  No explanation.

MEET THE BABYSITTER:

The cops both go to talk to Gordon the chemist and Sarah his wife but they are out.  The Doctor's daughter, Hannah, is babysitting.  She gives him a cup of tea and they make pleasant conversation.  She tells him she's nervous about what's happening all around them in the village.  He tells her not to worry, they are on the case.  She tells him she wishes they could all move away from there and go someplace where they could all take care of their mother.  She asks Barnaby if he will be going to her mother's second event -- the second party.  I can't remember what the occasion is, but it's the second party the doctor has at her place.  Barnaby says, oh yes.  Barnaby asks Hannah if she likes the marching band music.  She says, oh, no, it's so silly with those outfits they wear.  She rolls her eyes.  She has no interest in it.



DR. MOORE'S SECOND PARTY:

They go tot he party but this one is set up like a little town bizarre or carnival.  Gordon and his band are all dressed up in their uniforms and they are playing music at the affair.

In the background, the rope guy is present and acting generally weird, but nothing relevant, just weirdo stuff, looking mean and dastardly as he was playing one of the carnival games.

Dean is also there and he is wearing his Nazi look and demeanor.  He's eating something and just pushing it into his mouth like a complete nut ball.

Mary Mays husband is a referee and he is organizing them into a tug of war.  On one side is Dean the weirdo and his bunch of other guys.  On the other side is The Rope Guy and his bunch of other guys.  As Mary's husband counts down, the guys begin to pull before he says go and they all wind up falling down.  The ref begins to scold them and Dean comes up and starts strangling him.  The cops come and wrestle them apart.

Just at that moment, Mary Mays shows up and says what's going on here?  And she reports on a terrible crime that just occurred at her house.  They go and her clothesline has been put down.  Hers and her neighbors.  She left the crime scene alone, in other words, the clothing was still on the ground.  Troy is about ready to roll his eyes when she refers to it as a crime scene.

Troy also tells Barnaby that he should arrest Dean because he's dangerous and he had the motive and means to be the killer of all of of them.  Barnaby doesn't want to act yet.  Troy thinks he is allowing his feeling for the doctor to get in the way.

THE CHEMIST GOES ON HIS SECRET RONDEVOUS:

The camera shows Gordon put son a new uniform he bought, adjusts his hat, opens the door and says, "I'm glad you were able to come".  Viewer can't see who is at the door.  Scene ends.



ANOTHER ROPE CUTTING:

Mary May's husband throws the garbage out from his business on Main Street.  He looks across the street and someone has cut the rope that was holding his English flag up and it's now laying on the ground.  He's outraged and like his wife, he considers this a serious crime and call the cops.

As Troy is dealing with Mary's husband, he looks over and sees Sarah with her baby in a carriage knocking on the pharmacy door calling out her husband's name.  Troy goes over and finds out Gordon never came home last night.

Two musicians show up to the music room for practice and knock, but no one answers.  They think it's odd, but wait.  Then they go in and see Gordon has been hung from the back of the door in the music room.  He's dead.

When Barnaby and Troy show up, they see scuffle marks and they believe that he too was killed first, and then strung up.  It's all about the rope.  His wallet and valuables were still present.  It wasn't a robbery.  They notice a package wrapping that is left on a couch.  They trace it and find out it was for a majorette's outfit.

MORE CLOTHESLINES:

There is another inexplicable scene where you see a farmer riding on his tractor.  Off to the side he sees something.  The camera shows rows and rows of clotheslines that are holding some kind of brownish muslim sacks.  There's no explanation.  In the midst of these sack is a the new Major music jacket Gordon bought for himself.  The scene ends without any real explanation.

DR. MOORE IS AGAIN HORRIFIED:

The cops go and tell Dr. Moore and she says it's horrible.  She comments that he was harmless. She can't fathom why anyone would kill him.  She tells them she has to show them something.  She brings them into the back of the hospital and all the ropes have been removed from the obstacle/exercise course.

THE COPS VISIT THE ROPE GUY AGAIN:

The two cops go to visit the rope guy and when they arrive, he is walking out of his business.  He tells them he was about to come and see them.  He shows them that he has been  cleaned out.  Every rope he owned is gone.  All of it.   He only left to get something to eat, he couldn't have been gone fore more than an hour or so.

BARNABY MEETS WITH SARAH:

Troy still thinks the killer is Dean.  Barnaby is still investigating.  He goes to see Sarah Roth, the Chemists grieving girlfriend.  She is upset about losing Gordon.  Barnaby asks her if she ever noticed the trophy missing.  She said, no, she didn't.  He asks if her husband every told her it was missing.  She said no.  Barnaby asks if maybe Hannah the babysitter could have taken it.  Sarah scoffs and says, no, she would never do anything like that.

Barnaby asks her if she knows anything about her husband getting a drum majorette's outfit.  She said, no, he didn't mention it, but she knew he wanted to get majorettes for his band, but she told him she thought the village was too conservative for that.  She wasn't alarmed at all by his behavior.  Sarah tells Barnaby that Gordon thought her ex-husband took the trophy and that could be because he was always hanging around, watching them, and starting trouble.



BARNABY CHECKS OUT THE FARM WITH ALL THE CLOTHESLINES:

Next scene is Barnaby going to talk to the farmer and there is a cricket game or some other English sport going on with the doctor's step son.  The two girls, Hannah and her younger sister are sitting on a blanket with food and tea.  They give Barnaby a tea.

The younger sister gets weird and asks Barnaby if he's ever been on a picnic with their mom.  He says no, and she says, I bet you would like to.  Her sister tells her to be quiet.  Barnaby takes it all in.  He takes the musician's coat that was hanging on the clothes line and he goes into his car.  He puts his head back and closes his eyes like he wanted to take a nap.

When he wakes up, it's dark outside.  He looks around and he sees some kind of movement over by the clotheslines.  He gets out and goes over to see what is going on.  Someone throws a rope around his  neck and begins to strangle him.

Just in the nick of time, Troy pulls up and beeps his horn.  Whoever was strangling Barnaby is thrown to the ground.  He is taken to Dr. Moore's house and given some whiskey or something to settle him down.  Her kids are all there with her.   Barnaby is nursed back into shape by Dr. Moore and her kids.

THE COPS GO LOOKING FOR DEAN:

After this, the two cops go looking for Dean. He hasn't returned to the hospital. They find all kinds of rope in his closet.  Then they go back on the grounds to another area that he used to work in.  They open up a shed and there's more rope inside there too.

Dean shows up and tells them that he saw Troy and his girlfriend in the yard that night.  He was ready to cut the doctor down, but they showed up.  (This resolves who was in the bushes when Cilly saw them moving).

He then says that he had to remove all the ropes so the killing would stop.  It was the only thing that would stop the killing.  Barnaby asks him how many are we talking about?  He doesn't answer.  He then refuses to talk.

BARNABY FIGURES IT OUT ON HIS OWN:

In the next scene, a white van pulls up and the school kids get off.  Dr. Moore's kids are on the bus.  They are then taken into custody and separated for questioning.   Barnaby starts with the older sister.

She is snotty and scoffing and basically unresponsive for awhile until she figures out they have evidence on her.  She finally comes clean and admits that they killed everyone and she ends by saying "no one will ever take our mother from us."

THEN THE REAL PSYCHO ENTERS THE SCENE:

The next scene is when the younger girl comes in for questioning.  She asks where her mother is.  There is a guardian there for her but not her mother.  At first she just looks nervous.

Barnaby asks her a few preliminary questions and she is a little more cooperative than the sister.  He asks her if she loved her dad and she said yes but goes on to admit she loves her mother more.  Barnaby asks her if her brother and sister witnessed their father's death.  She giggles and whispers to him that he didn't fall from the cliff, her brother and sister pushed him.  She giggles and giggles.  She's weirder than all three previous weirdos in the show.  The actress playing the sister had spaces between her teeth and this made her seem crazier and more psycho when she giggled.



THE LAST SCENE - BARNABY IS REALLY A GOOD HUSBAND:

In the last scene, the older cops wife pulls up in her car and she seems like she doesn't know what's going on.  She asks him why have you asked me to come here?  He tells her I may need you for this.  They stand together as a couple as Dr. Moore meets them.

The show ends by Barnaby putting his arm around Dr. Moore's shoulder and walking with her and his wife into her hospital.  He is telling her that her kids are all psychos and they were the ones who killed all the people.

The only thing that was left out of this narration, to the best of my knowledge, is that when Hannah and Barnaby were talking, it showed Hannah pulling the fish wire to fire the gun.  It also showed all three kids holding the Resident underwater to drown him.  They also showed the brother strangling Gordon while the two girls taunted him by mimicking drum majorettes.

WHAT I LEARNED AS AN AUTHOR:

I found it surprising that they had about three scenes where nothing happens except characters act mean and crazy.  Like other viewers, I didn't think twice about it as I watched the show the first time.  I just thought these guys looked guilty or crazy and could be a suspect.

Secondly I learned that there was very little if any foreshadowing about the sisters during the entire show.  Aside from their connection to the head of the hospital, there was no real connection to them until almost the end when it was time to wrap up the 1.5 hour murder show.  I didn't think anything of this when I watched the first time which means the author got away with it!

Thirdly, I learned that bookending grewsome scenes in between two sweet domestic scenes makes the horror worse somehow.  This is an important takeaway.

Fourthly, I learned that you don't always have to offer a reason right away for a character acting weirdly.  It's okay to have some scenes where something strange happens with no explanation until later on.

Next I learned that there was no mention of the absurdity of having this serial killer on the loose in a small village in England and there's no press around and people seem to just take it in their stride.  In the same way that a person agrees to suspend belief in a horror or science fiction movie, they will also suspend belief about the level of murder for the sake of a good murder mystery.

I also noted that the two sisters were not weird at all during the entire show, but in the last scene, for the sake of a little horror, the writer made the girls quite ruthless and horrible.  To me, this also relies on the reader/viewer agreeing to suspend belief for the sake of a good mystery.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

If you would like to discuss this show, email me at rshannon at readfirstchapter dot com.

 

How to Brainstorm A New Story

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO WRITE A STORY AND YOU’RE STUCK:

Mastering the art of writing captivating mysteries. Unleash your creativity and weave intricate tales of crime and suspense.

Create an illustration of a writer sitting at a desk trying to think of something.

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

This worksheet is geared for those who want to write a mystery or crime novel.  It helps with writer’s block too.  It breaks down the process into small bite-sized pieces and it will get your motor going without any effort. 

Just follow the suggestions, summed up easily below, and you will have at least the start of something within minutes.   There is a link below to download the three-page instructional and checklist.  

If you are an intermediate novel writer, here is a graphic of the overall process without the instructional questions:  

THIS WORKSHEET HAS MULTIPLE PURPOSES: 

writers-block-at-nightIf you are stumped for a main story, or if you are stumped for what happens now, or even if you have written yourself into a bit of a corner, this instructional will help, along with your own creativity and thinking, to bring about new possibilities. 

Jump into the series of steps wherever you are in the writing process and it will help you restart your engine. Once you go through the process a time or two, I’m sure it will become your go-to procedure.  

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

Below is a closer look at Page 3 of the Worksheet where it will give you a wide birth of choices for mysteries and/or crimes.  It’s hard for one mind to think of all the possibilities without some kind of aid no matter how creative one is.  

START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

Let’s talk about how to use this work sheet.  Choose a crime or mystery from the list below and make up a potential perpetrator.  Don’t waste time on what he or she looks like.  Then start asking the following questions:

  • Why would this person want to commit this crime?
  • What could be going on in his/her life that would make him/her feel they needed to commit this crime?
  • How would he want to cover his tracks?
  • What specific knowledge would a character need to pull off a crime or swindle like this? In other words, is he/she an accountant and that makes it easier to commit a financial crime?
  • Then ask: Who would need to help him or give him/her cover? Add necessary characters and think about a connection.  Is it a family connection?  Is it a romantic connection?

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Design-a-plotlineOnce you have a perpetrator and the cast of necessary characters, then it’s time to answer the following questions:

  • What could go wrong in the commission of this crime that would create tension or mystery? (He drops a glove or a drop of blood.)
  • How will these clues ultimately lead to his/her exposure? (How will this clue be found?)
  • How can this end in a way that would let justice prevail? (How and who will find the clue?)
  • How will the culprit ultimately be caught? (Is he cornered by an accuser? Is he arrested?  Does he confess?)
  • What is one clue that can be minimized in the beginning of the story but will turn out to be the one who catches the bad guy?

building-suspense

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

  • List the things that could go right for the perpetrator — like a second, more-likely suspect pops up and suddenly all eyes are not on the real culprit anymore?
  • Could there be other likely suspects that would also have motivation to commit the crime?
  • As the story grows, add whatever crucial characters are needed (witnesses, husbands, wives, bosses, helpers, etc.) who you will need to make the crime and solving of the story happen.
  • If you get this far, it means that you have a viable storyline.

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

skeleton of a crimeBefore you exert too much energy fleshing out any character or story details, be sure to check to make sure you can design a three-prong storyline out of this budding storyline.  One prong will be a red herring storyline, someone who may look guilty, but is exonerated in the middle or end of the story.  The second prong is a second suspect or a wrong suspect who will look guilty for a large segment of the storyline.  And the final prong will be for the real culprit.  In order to have a story that works, you will need a believable crime that can meld these three prongs into one suspenseful story.

Create an illustration of a writer sitting at a desk trying to think of something.As you use this worksheet and these techniques, a crime skeleton will emerge.  Some attempts at this will go flat in the early stages for any number of reasons.  But some storylines will begin to almost shape themselves.

I always make four believable storylines and then choose the best one.  Then I know I have the best of my ability at that time in my life.  Once you know you have a storyline and a lineup of stick figures and character roles that can technically pull off the mystery, so to speak, then you can begin to build real characters and an actual story.

THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

Once you know what will be needed for the three-pronged storyline and what traits the lead characters will need to play out their parts, the characters will start building themselves into two-dimensional characters.  You can take the characters up to deeper, three-dimensional characters as you flesh out your main story and subplots.

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

I hope this is helpful.  Once you know you have a workable storyline, then it’s time to take a look at my Ultimate Character Development Worksheet.  This will help you bring the stick figures to three-dimensional with a full character arc. 

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING FOR BEGINNERS

THE BEST TIP I CAN PASS ON TO BEGINNER WRITERS:

bite-sized piecesWriting a novel is a huge undertaking.  There are many things that go into the writing of a fiction story.  The best tip I can pass on is this:  Break everything down into little bite-sized pieces.  By doing this, you can reduce a huge project down to do-able portions that can be done whether you have 2 hours a week to write or two full days!  It only requires a little planning and organization.

ALL NOVELS REQUIRE SOME SUSPENSE:

Regardless of what type of novel you choose to write, all stories require at least a semblance of suspense.  Suspense is what hooks the reader into the story, and it is what pulls the reader along the story and keeps them reading.  Suspense creates a question the reader desires an answer to.  The greater the suspense, the more hooked the reader will be.  

READING OTHER AUTHORS:

bite-sized piecesIt’s important to keep reading as your own journey as a writer continues.  Each author has a different style and uses different storytelling techniques.  The stories don’t even have to be great.  You can learn from the good, the bad and the bland.  Just analyzing what made a book bland is a great lesson in itself.  Did the story need more action?  Did the story get stuck somewhere? 

When I read novels now,  I can usually tell whether the author is a pantser or a plotter.  If the story sags in the third section, I can tell the author got caught in part two of the three-act structure. 

The books I read now are twice as enjoyable because I experience them as a reader but as an author too.  I get to enjoy the story itself but also watch and learn the author’s storytelling techniques too.  

WATCHING MOVIES FOR INSPIRATION:

When I am in the process of writing my own novels, I tend to read less because I’m reading and proofreading my own pages.  During these times, I like to vegetate by getting lost in a movie.  I watch movies specifically to learn from them.  Believe me, you can learn a lot about the actual storytelling craft from watching movies.  They can also be a source of inspiration for your own stories.  

It took me almost a year to come up with my first story for a novel.  One full year.  I didn’t know where to start.  I had ideas, but didn’t know how to brainstorm them into a potential story.  

WHERE CAN DO YOU GET IDEAS FOR A FICTION STORY FROM?

Ideas for stories in the beginning will come from TV movies, Cinema movies film list of the 1940sor other books you read.  Reading other authors is crucial no matter where you are on the writing spectrum.  However, when you’re new, you can learn a lot from watching mystery or crime noir movies.  I like movies from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.  The movies in these decades didn’t have CGI and the directors had to use the stage to tell the story.  They used wider shots and props to assist the storytelling.  By watching these older movies, you can learn a lot regarding writing.  

The movies of today show the location scenes once and then do close up shots of one character talking and then follow it up with another close-up shot of a character talking.  There’s not that much to learn about storytelling from these movies.  It’s a shame because the sets are absolutely gorgeous, especially in the fantasy movies.  

To the left (or above) is a screenshot of the Wikipedia page that comes up when you search “1940 in film”.  This will give you all of the films and a tiny synopsis of what the films are about.  You can pick whatever decade appeals to you.

READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THE MOVIE FIRST:

read-the-synopsisIt’s a good idea to read the synopsis before you view the movie.  Knowing at least a basic outline of the story will allow you to absorb more as an author.  If you go into the movie  blindly, you will be “experiencing the movie” as a viewer only.  By knowing ahead of time what story will be unfolding, it will allow you to watch specifically for certain scenes to unfold.  You can watch what tools are used to move the story along.   

For example:  Notice in the scenes how much information is passing to the viewer by the setting.  Besides the timeline of when the story is taking place, it often will give you shots of recognizable icons from certain cities.  There are so many techniques you can learn from watching these older movies about all of the tools used to lay out the facts of the story and how suspense is created.  Below is a list of things to watch for in stories:

  1.  How does the movie show the location of the story?  Do they use icons, or text on the screen?  Do they use snippets of dialogue?  Each movie you will learn different tricks for showing time and location.  
  2. How does the story show either poverty or opulence?
  3. How does the movie present the premise?  There will be at least dialogue about what the main character wants or needs.  Notice how this is done. 
  4. Notice where the suspense of the story starts.  Even in non-mystery stories, there will be at least a thread of suspense.  It might be suggested by a vision that one character and the viewer see and no one else does.  Or it may be a little gossip that passes in a short conversation.  
  5. Notice how the passage of time is handled.  Is the passage of a few years spoken in dialogue or is it projected in some other way?
  6. Notice how the writers show the character’s weakness or fallen nature.  
  7. Notice the change in locations in the story.  This is often how the story is kept moving forward.
  8. Notice when the suspense gets stronger.  
  9. Watch for how the writers will use lies to create a sense of worry or dread.
  10. For any twists in the story, notice how abrupt it happens.  Also take the time to notice if this was foreshadowed in the beginning of the story.  Readers love foreshadowing.  

MY SUGGESTION FOR A MOVIE:

Rebecca-movie-posterIf you are looking for a suggestion, I would suggest Rebecca for the first movie.  This movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and it has a lot of gothic atmosphere.  There is also a psychological plotline in this story so it is a goldmine for learning storytelling tools.  

Most of the synopses on Wikipedia give you an outline of the story but they don’t have spoilers in them.  Sometimes I only read about six paragraphs on the really long ones because the purpose is only to know a little bit about what the story will be about so you can watch for how things are handled on film.  You can easily translate any of these tools to novel writing.  

GOTHIC MOVIES:  Gothic movies are great at showing how to introduce fear and suspense into a story.  They are also a great place to learn how to use the atmosphere and the location and backdrops to add to the suspense.

FILM NOIR:  These movies are great to learn character development.  Film Noir is usually about all fallen characters.  In other words, they are all sinners, but some characters are bigger sinners than others.  This is a great way to learn how to craft a fallen

LONG SERIES:  These are great to learn about how the location and things in the room or backdrop help to relay the story.  You can learn a lot about the passage of time, how flashbacks are handled, how to introduce new characters in preparation to take the story in a new direction.  Miniseries like Downton Abbey and other miniseries are a great place to learn about what is going on.  

MELODRAMA:  Melodrama has fallen out of favor in recent times, but I personally think it needs a comeback.  You can learn about melodrama from old world soap operas.  I think the only one I can think of is Dallas.  It’s on either Amazon Prime or somewhere else you can watch it.  These types of shows are good for showing how to blend romance, cheating, and other emotional scenes into the story. 

You don’t have to commit to watching the entire soap opera.  You can learn a lot about storytelling tools by watching only a few shows.  

Blow is a copy of the entire Brainwashing Sheet I referred to above.  You can read the blog post about how to use it here.  

And you can sign in to download your copy of the sheets below:

Writing Fiction or Memoirs With a Purpose

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO WRITE.

EWords-Writing-with-a-Purposeveryone writes for a reason.  Knowing why you write is important, especially as a beginner writer.  Writing a book is not hard, but it can be a long process.   If your purpose for writing is clear, this will give you the energy and inspiration to spur you on if and/or when the going gets a little tough.

Are you writing for pleasure?  Are you an avid reader and you want to write the books you never found?  Do you want to write around some social commentary you have a desire to share?  Writing is a form of sharing.  What is it that you want to share?  Your wit?  Maybe Satire? Have you always been told that you're funny?   Do you have a unique take on society that you think people would like?

I love stories and movies that have a backdrop of Catholicism in them, like The Godfather saga, or The Supranos, or even Ray Donovan.  The Catholicism in these stories felt familiar to me and I believe it gave the story a layer of depth as it tapped into religion and culture which tends to anchor a group or family.  So I write novels that have either a backdrop of Catholicism or a ribbon of Catholic sensibility passing through it.  Of course, I leave out the blasphemy that Hollywood loves to toss in there on occasion!

I also write as part of my legacy.  I began to write in 2018 when I moved to Central Florida, which I considered my pre-retirement.  Now I have retired and I write full time.  I feel that my books will be part of my legacy.  I'm clear on my purpose for writing.

ARE STORIES JUST BURSTING TO COME OUT OF YOUR HEAD?

Some people are what I call natural-born writers.  They do have stories bursting out of their hearts and heads.  Often, these people fell in love with reading as children.  Reading was an adventure.  It took them up, up and away.  Some people have always had a desire to author their own stories.  If this sounds like you, you are a natural-born author.

This is usually a sign that you have been given the gift of authoring.  These gifts are Heaven-sent, and predate schooling and other influences in your life.  If this is the case, embracing your fate is probably the next best step to take.

Words-You-Are-Your-Legacy

DO YOU WANT TO WRITE AS PART OF YOUR LEGACY?

There are trades and arts that seem to fall by the wayside in each generation.  But often, how to do certain things is lost to history.  Do you know how to do something that you feel you need to leave behind?  Do you want to write about how you did something that is now fading from the world?

There are young people who don't know how to write a check anymore.  They don't know how to address an envelope for the mail.  Some don't even read cursive writing anymore.

Listening to a lecture by the learned intellectual and researcher Thomas Sowell, he stated that when Rome fell, the western world lost the art of making bricks.  Then when the western world got back on its feet, they had to import brings from England because the art of making bricks died with the civilization.  Cement was invented in Rome.  They made all of those brick arches -- but the art was lost.  What is it that you know how to do that you feel compelled to record for prosperity's sake?

I'm old enough to remember 'phone guys' that worked for Bell South or whatever the phone company was called back then.  These men -- they didn't have phone women back then -- would show up with big toolbelts and gaffs or lineworker boots on.  These boots had cleats or little metal spikes in them that was a safety feature.  These men know everything about the phone system.  They would climb the wooden telephone poles and they could fix phones outside on the pole or inside in the houses.  They were familiar with the entire system.   That is one group of technical workers that have fallen away.

Is there something about an art form or a job that you knew that you want to pass on for prosperity sake?  You can write a novel around it and it will serve two purposes:  It will be a way for you to tell the story of your industry or job and you will be documenting how life was at a certain time in history.



DO YOU HAVE A BURNING DESIRE TO SHARE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE?

Author signing autograph in own book at wooden table on white planks backgroundVery often life dishes out some hard times to some of us.  Did you experience, survive and prosper through some difficult times that you feel compelled to write a memoir about?  You don't have to have been a famous celebrity or someone with a Moses-like mission.  You may have fell on hard times and you want to share your experience, strength or faith that kept you going.  People love inspirational stories.

Writing a memoir can also be part of your legacy.  Someone three generations down the road may be curious about how the family was back in your times.  By having a published memoir, you can share your perspective on things during the times you lived.

Today people no longer write letters.  Most photos live on phones that may be lost or stolen.  Even photos in the cloud could easily be lost to history without the right username and password.  By writing a memoir, you may be someone who is documenting the present in a way that historians in the future may be very grateful for.

SO WHY DO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK?

What do you think?  Do any of these reasons resonate with you?  Make your first writing assignment to list the reason or reasons why you choose to write.

Here is a video where I had a few more words to say about finding your reason to write!



MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

This worksheet is geared for those who want to write a mystery or crime novel.  Even those wanting to write literary fiction, you will need some level of mystery or suspense to keep readers hooked into your story.  Literary fiction is about character studies and life studies than technical mysteries, but every book needs at least some level of suspense or surprise every so often to keep a reader’s interest.  Even in a slice-of-life novel or a family saga, there needs to be something that is mysterious about the plotline.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHEET:

cop examining ballistic reportWhen I first decided to write a novel, it took me one full year (I’m not kidding!) to even come up with a crime.  Today, using these methods I’m about to reveal, it only takes me two to three days to think up three or four mystery scenarios.

My wish is that this worksheet will help those beginners who don’t know where to start and are still trying to think of a good crime.

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

Below I have lists of crimes and also mystery genres.  This list is meant to jog your memory and get your creative juices flowing.  All of the crimes can be swapped into any genre.  The list at the bottom is of multiple genres, but this is not an exhaustive list by any means.  Just look at the categories on Amazon to get a feel for how many book genres there are today.

 



START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

mystery-novel-brainstorming-worksheet-pg1 Let’s talk about how to use this work sheet.  Choose a crime or mystery from the list below and make up a potential perpetrator.  Don’t waste time on what he or she looks like.  Then start asking the following questions:

  • Why would this person want to commit this crime?
  • What could be going on in his/her life that would make him/her feel they needed to commit this crime?
  • How would he want to cover his tracks?
  • What specific knowledge would a character need to pull off a crime or swindle like this? In other words, is he/she an accountant and that makes it easier to commit a financial crime?
  • Then ask: Who would need to help him or give him/her cover? Add necessary characters and think about a connection.  Is it a family connection?  Is it a romantic connection?

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Once you have a perpetrator and the cast of necessary characters, then it’s time to answer the following questions:

  • What could go wrong in the commission of this crime that would create tension or mystery? (He drops a glove or a drop of blood.)
  • How will these clues ultimately lead to his/her exposure? (How will this clue be found?)
  • How can this end in a way that would let justice prevail? (How and who will find the clue?)
  • How will the culprit ultimately be caught? (Is he cornered by an accuser? Is he arrested?  Does he confess?)
  • What is one clue that can be minimized in the beginning of the story but will turn out to be the one who catches the bad guy?

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

  • List the things that could go right for the perpetrator -- like a second, more-likely suspect pops up and suddenly all eyes are not on the real culprit anymore?
  • Could there be other likely suspects that would also have motivation to commit the crime?
  • As the story grows, add whatever crucial characters are needed (witnesses, husbands, wives, bosses, helpers, etc.) who you will need to make the crime and solving of the story happen.
  • If you get this far, it means that you have a viable storyline.

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

skeleton of a crimeBefore you exert too much energy fleshing out any character or story details, be sure to check to make sure you can design a three-prong storyline out of this budding storyline.  One prong will be a red herring storyline, someone who may look guilty, but is exonerated in the middle or end of the story.  The second prong is a second suspect or a wrong suspect who will look guilty for a large segment of the storyline.  And the final prong will be for the real culprit.  In order to have a story that works, you will need a believable crime that can meld these three prongs into one suspenseful story.

As you use this worksheet and these techniques, a crime skeleton will emerge.  Some attempts at this will go flat in the early stages for any number of reasons.  But some storylines will begin to almost shape themselves.I always make four believable storylines and then choose the best one.  Then I know I have the best of my ability at that time in my life.  Once you know you have a storyline and a lineup of stick figures and character roles that can technically pull off the mystery, so to speak, then you can begin to build real characters and an actual story.



THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

Once you know what will be needed for the three-pronged storyline and what traits the lead characters will need to play out their parts, the characters will start building themselves into two-dimensional characters.  You can take the characters up to deeper, three-dimensional characters as you flesh out your main story and subplots.

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

I hope this is helpful.  Once you know you have a workable storyline, then it’s time to take a look at my Ultimate Character Development Worksheet.  This will help you bring the stick figures to three-dimensional with a full character arc.

Sign Up Below to Download the Brainstorming Form

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?  WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER?

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 8

QUICK REFRESHER OF WHAT I DID IN LAYER 7:

Just as a refresher, in Layer 7, this was a long and tedious proofread.  Using my list of troublesome words, I searched out all of them all throughout the manuscript and made corrections, deletions or additions.

This technique breaks up the proofread into different formats.  By doing this, it prevents me from just "reading over" all of my mistakes, which is too easy to do as the author.

WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 8:

Writing-layer-8-reading-with-microsoft-wordIn Layer 8, I do a read-back.  In Microsoft Word, I use the Read-Aloud feature that is contained on the Review Tab.  By listening to the book read aloud by someone else, it doesn't skip over mistakes like I do as the author.  By the time I'm finished with Layer 7, I've read and reread this book too many times to trust my eyes to spot every error.

The Readback:

I listen to every word during the readback.  In this layer, I not only catch whatever misuse of words escaped my view in the last layers, but I also choose to change a sentence or two based on how it sounds.  Many readers repeat every word in their heads, so if a sentence is back-to-back with one that makes it hard to say or understand, I rewrite it to correct that problem.

After Layer 7, I always feel that the book is picture perfect -- but I find at least several words or areas that I choose to change.  I read-aloud the entire book.

 



word table of contents

word table of contents

SCREEN SHOTS ARE FROM MICROSOFT WORD

SCREEN SHOTS ARE FROM MICROSOFT WORD

CREATING THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

The last thing I do is create the Table of Contents which I will explain here, but you can see done live in the video below.

While the manuscript is open in Microsoft Word, click on the References Tab.  Select Table of Contents.  Choose Custom Table of Contents.  (Picture on left above)

Once the next dialogue box opens (Picture on right above), uncheck both boxes under show page numbers.  I reduce the headings number from the default of 3 to 1.  This is because I only use Heading 1 for my Chapter Headings.

This is all you need to do before clicking OK, which will produce the Table of Contents for an eBook.

IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE OR MODIFY THE FONTS OR SPACING, ETC:

The picture above is where you change any or all of the settings.  The dialogue box in the middle comes up when you click on modify in the first dialogue box.  This is where you can change the font family and/or the font size.

This would be useful if you have a short TOC and want to fill the page; you can increase the font.  Likewise, if you have only one or two lines of the TOC that spill over to the next page and you want to fit it onto one page, you can reduce the font size or change the spacing on the third dialogue box (that opens if you click on modify in the second dialogue box).  You can alter the spaces before and after the paragraphs and this will help you add or subtract space.

IMPORTANT:  Be aware, that once you click on the first modify choice in the first dialogue box (on the left), when you click out of this, Microsoft word will -- on its own -- recheck the boxes asking for page numbers.  So if you modify anything, you will need to uncheck the page number boxes again!  This can reek havoc with beginners!   I'm talking from experience.

Once you "Okay" to close all of the dialogue boxes, the last okay will set off Word to create your Table of Contents.

THE EBOOK IS OFF TO THE EDITOR:

At this point, the eBook is now ready to go off to the line-editor.  Because I have taken the time and made the effort to give my book a thorough proofreading, the editor won't be spending time on correcting silly mistakes I should have found on my own.  She will be focused on my prose and how things look and sound.  That's what I want her focused on.

If you take the attitude that "why bother with all the proofreading, it's going off to the editor?" -- you may wind up with a book that comes back merely proofread with very little line editing.  At the end of the day, you are paying for an editor's time as well as their expertise.  So my advice to beginners is to do all of the proofreading so you get more line-editing, which is what you want.

HERE'S A VIDEO ON THIS SAME MATERIAL:

 

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 7

WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN LAYER 6:

We compiled the novel into a Word document and named it "Manuscript from Scrivener".   That's where we now pick up with Layer 7.

This layer is another proofreading layer, but there is a little formatting we will do in this layer that I will go over below.  There is also a video at the end if you want to see me talk about it in a little more detail.

LAYER 7 - STEP ONE

  • Copy and paste the chapters into my eBook template. The purpose of this is so that I don't have to redo all of my styles. It's easier to just do a copy and paste.

LAYER 7 - STEP TWO:

  • Using the find feature, I go over all of the troublesome words in my list. I do this before I begin to proofread the story.
  • I read only the sentence with each of the words and change them if needed.

LAYER 7 -  STEP THREE:

  • Change the Heading 1 formatting,  if needed
  • I fix the normal and no-indent normal formatting throughout the entire book.
  • I add in simple page breaks between chapters


LAYER 7 - STEP FOUR:

  • I stylize any chapter headings or chapter timings.
  • Using the find and replace feature (Control H), I replace *** with ❖❖❖❖.

LAYER 7 - STEP SIX (OPTIONAL)

  • Filled in my Main Character and Minor Character Lists

LAYER 7 - STEP SEVEN:

Proofread the novel fully.  This time I focus on style and prose.  I do polishing in this layer of proofreading.

LAYER 7 - A QUICK VIDEO:

The Top 10 Obstacles to Finishing a Novel

PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL

I'm in the weeds!

scrivener-peek-behind-the-novelI am knee-deep in Level 4 of writing the next book in the Jack Nolan Detective Series.  I thought this would be a good time for me to take a break and reflect on what happens when I'm 'in the weeds' writing a novel.

Even though all writers have a different writing routine, I would venture a guess that most of us feel some of the same fears and face some of the same obstacles.

STARTING A NOVEL IS EASY:

DP-drawing-woman-and-computerWhen you first sit down to write a novel, everyone is filled with enthusiasm and creative energy.  It's exciting.  It's new.  But as the manuscript begins to grow, before it feels finished -- or even ready to be polished, it feels cumbersome, heavy, and overwhelming.  At least for me it does.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

Even though the story and plotline felt great at the beginning, there comes a point where a fear of failure sets in.  Am I going to be able to finish this?  Does this plotline even make sense?  What happens if this storyline is not that great?  Maybe this mystery isn't enough.  Maybe the dots are not going to all connect.

woman-fearfulIt's possible to get paralyzed by a fear of failure at any point during the writing of a novel.  It's not a one-and-done operation.  No one sits down, starts writing, finishes writing and ta-da, there's a book.   Writing a novel doesn't work that way.  It's a long process.  It's a multi-layer process.

When these fears pop up, and they will, it's important to remember that many writers feel these doubts and fears.  It's important to remember that everyone of us fails at something at some point in our lives.  The good news is any novel can be redone, re-written, revamped, added to, or massaged in any number to go from mediocre to great.  It's a work of art in progress until it's handed over to the publisher.  Knowing this is empowering.



WRITERS BLOCK:

DP-writers-block-womanWriters block is another common problem among authors.  This often sets in after that initial period of excitement about the novel wears off.  At some point the writing of the novel shifts into a project requiring some heavy lifting.  There's always a phase or two where the author has to tough it out.  We have to keep at it.

It's important to know ahead of time that writer's block may set in at any time while you're writing.  I find that deciding to just sit down and go over what I've written 'to get my place' or to 'get into the flow of it' is enough to get over any writer's block.  Just by sitting down and starting to read through it, the project recaptures me.  Even on days I feel I have nothing in me, I can suddenly be pulled into writing before I even know it's happening.  If you can commit to look at your project for fifteen minutes, this can be enough to recapture your enthusiasm.

LACK OF TIME:

Many wannabe authors have busy lives and don't have a lot of time to devote to writing.  There are certain years -- especially in a parents' lives --where raising kids is more than a full-time job.  But where there is a will, there is a way.

There are ways to steal away an hour or two in any given day.  It does, however, always require some level of planning.  Don't be afraid to plan writing time into your day and give it a higher priority than 'the back burner'.   Even if you are a parent or a caretaker, pursuing your own dreams is important.  It keeps you engaged in life.  It makes you a better parent.  It can even make you a better day worker.  Think of your writing as your own personal mission in life.

PERFECTIONISM:

Perfectionism can be another stumbling block for authors.  Everyone wants to write a masterpiece.  But at some point, you need to also know that nothing in life is perfect.  Don't let your ideas of perfect get all wired into your ideas of excellence.  They are two different things..  If you looked close enough, you could find a few imperfect brush strokes in the Mona Lisa.  If you read Harry Potter enough times, you may catch a plot hole or two.  It's important to know the difference between excellence and perfection.  One is doable and one is not doable by human beings.

FEAR OF REJECTION:

tension in story graphicWill my readers like the book?  Will the book be good enough to get a literary agent?  What happens if my book gets bad reviews?  There are any number of fears of rejection that can cause us to stop writing.  Decide ahead of time you won't allow these fears to stop you.  Like I said earlier, think of your writing as a mission God has given you.   This is your life's work, along with your other worldly responsibilities.  Your writing could be an opportunity to pass on things you have come to learn in your life.  That's a purpose.  Or maybe writing is a way for you to share the gift of storytelling that you know you were born with.  That's a God-given purpose.  Whatever the reason, it's important to not allow fear of rejection to get in the way.



SELF-DOUBT:

Self-doubt is a tool of the devil.  It's easy for any human to start thinking they aren't perfect, so maybe they aren't good enough to pull off writing a novel.  And the reason I call it a tool of the devil is because it can start with just a tiny little insignificant thought of self-doubt.  But it can snowball and get bigger and bigger and bigger.

During these times when I feel self-doubt, I think of my writing as therapeutic for myself.  It's something I'm doing for me, not for anyone else.  Any fear of rejection that occurs, thinking I'm doing it for myself, it takes away any sting self-doubt may have.  It removes any power it has over me.  It turns the tables on this.

DISTRACTIONS:

woman-multitasking-distractionsDistractions are one of the biggest obstacles to completing a novel.  One reason is because life does serve up constant small and big emergencies that have to take first priorities in our lives.  So an emergency distraction can throw a whole well-planned writing schedule up into the air in a heartbeat.

One of the weapons against distractions is get clear on what a real emergency is verses a situation that can take its place in your daily routine.  You don't always have to sacrifice your writing time just because someone else doesn't have to wait or suffer a small inconvenience.  Always ask yourself whether you have the right to protect your free time or whether you are dealing with a true emergency, a situation that requires you to replan in that moment.

Parents with kids can fall into a trap of giving up all their free time based on a constant stream of kid demands.  Giving in to every child whim is not the definition of a good parent.  Protecting your free time and expecting your child to work within your schedule is not bad parenting.  It's the sign of someone who is good at balancing their lives.

I learned a long time ago that I have to protect my free time as there are armies of people in the world who would harness me as a free resource in their lives.  They would demand and expect that I do all the things they don't want to do if I allowed it.  We're responsible to set our own boundaries with people, and that includes kids.

RESEARCH:

too-much-researchMost novels require at least some research.   The internet can be a blessing with research but it can also be a curse.  It's a blessing because the days of having to travel to a public library are over.  It can be a curse because the research can suck you in and you can use up all your valuable writing time doing too much research.

The tip I would pass on to any new writer would be to not do the research until you have already laid down your plotline.  This will avoid research for things that wind up on the editing floor, so to speak.  Subjects or issues you you think may come up in the story may get cut as you firm up a plotline to fit within the space of a novel.  There's nothing more frustrating than looking back and seeing hours and hours of wasted research time.

Too much research can also lead to another problem and that is 'information dumping'.  That means that many authors can't resist the opportunity to write into the story things they learned from their research that are not really relevant to the plotline.  This may be fascinating to us as authors but it's boring to readers if it doesn't move the story line along.

EDITING THE BOOK TO DEATH:

editing-a-novel-to-deathAnother trap to finishing a novel is to get caught up in a never-ending edit of the book.  This usually hooks in with perfectionism problem in some way.

I break up my editing into stages so that each time I go through the book, I focus on only one thing.  For example:  The first edit is to check to make sure I have put my descriptions of locations and people in.  The second time I go through it, I look at sentence structure and make sure the chapters flow without any time gaps.  The third time I pass through, I look for verb tenses.  The next level is looking for the words I like to use too much like okay and just.

By having a solo focus, it prevents you as the author from getting caught in changing everything all at once.  This prevents you from being able to focus on anything.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP OF FINISHING THE NOVEL:

finishing-a-novelOnce you complete a novel, there is a little sadness that sets in.  This book is no longer your baby.  It's no longer your little pet project.  Once you hand it off to an editor, it becomes a shared work, so to speak.

Very often, authors who have abandonment issues or fears of depression, they don't like to end anything and that includes writing a book.  When I hear people saying they took seven or ten years to finish a book, I'm astounded at what could have taken them so long.  They kept the book as their little baby for an entire childhood.

My Peek Behind the Novel series is about writing in layers.  I feel that writing in layers is a way filled with techniques that keep me writing, keep me on track, keep me on schedule, and allow me to complete the novel, no matter how much research it requires.

These are just a few of the obstacles that we, as writers, face when undertaking the writing and completion of a novel.  If your goal is to write a novel, don't give up on your dream.  Keep writing, keep pushing yourself, and eventually you will complete your novel.



A Peek Behind the Novel Series – Writing in Layers – Chronology of a Crime

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

In the first installment of the Peek Behind the Novel Series, I wrote about working four different plotlines before choosing one.  By working on four of them, it helps me 'improve' on some storylines and when I have four to choose from, I am able to go into the project knowing that I have chosen the best one.  It's a technique that I use to build my author confidence.

THE FIRST LAYER OF WRITING A NOVEL - THE CHRONOLOGY OF A CRIME

In the first layer of writing, I focus only on the crime or mystery.  I make a list of the chronology of the crime.  How it happens, who it happens to, how the detectives are assigned to the case.  I focus only on the crime.  I don't think of subplots, or dialogue or even the outcome.  Only on the crime itself, almost like a Forensic Files show.

This layer of writing is only a chronological list of the crime or mystery and how it plays out.  Mine looks like a list with small paragraphs and one line clues.  It could even look like a printout from Google maps!

DIVIDE AND CONQUER:

Once I have the chronology of the crime, I begin to break the chronology into four parts.  Nothing fancy; just Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.  By breaking the crime up into four sections, I'm preparing it to be plugged into the 'four-act play' format.  I never took to the three-act play because the center section is too unstructured and it's twice as long as the other sections.  It's called one part, but it's really two parts in one.  It was too asymmetrical for me.   So rather than using a three act structure, I break Act 2 into two separate parts.

PART 1 - Introduction to the Detectives and Normal Life:

In Part 1, the detectives hear about the crime or mystery and are somehow assigned to it.  That assignment is different in each case.  I start in their normal working lives and have them pulled into the crime.

This part also entails the scene of the crime and whatever clues may or may not be present.  One or maybe two suspects will arise at the scene or shortly thereafter.



Part 1 - The Inciting Incident:

In a police procedural, being assigned to the case is the inciting incident.  They are called into this crime investigation whether they want to be or not.  Part 1 will end with the inciting incident.  They have seen the scene of the crime and have gathered their first clue or clues.  They are now off on a quest to solve the crime.

Part 2 - The Investigation Begins:

murder-in-the-sanctuary-book-coverThe Jack Nolan Detective Series is about two detectives, Jack and Fiona, who have personal lives that are also in flux.  Part 2 introduces the subplots about the detectives and the early investigations they go off on.

The facts as well as clues begin to trickle into the storyline so that the reader can start trying to10 guess who committed the mystery or crime.

The end of Part 2 is the midpoint of the story, so I try to have a twist or a revelation that changes the direction of the investigation in some way.

Part 3 - The Truth Begins to Seep Out:

Early in Part 3, the last suspect will appear and the detectives will be trying to figure out who has the greater motivation.  Or which of the suspects had the time and opportunity to commit the crime.  Also in part 3, the masks on the suspects begin to fall and their secrets are exposed and a couple even are caught in a lie or two.

The end of Part 3 is the equivalent of a Dark Night of the Soul.  This is a place where maybe the detectives can't figure out who did it, or they know but can't find proof, or there is a chance the bag guy or girl will get away with it for one reason or another.  It is a low point.  This could also coincide with a low point in one of the detective's personal lives.

Part 3 ends on this darker moment.  I want the reader to be worried that the detectives won't solve it in time, or the bad guy will get away with something.

PART 4 - The Big Reveal

The beginning of Part 4 is the big reveal.  There is one clue or one revelation that confirms the guilt of whatever the real bad guy is.  This sets up a situation where the bad guy is going to get away, or the detectives have to trap him or her -- however you choose to 'solve' the case.

The second part of Part 4 is where I as the author, very quickly, wrap up the whole crime.  I like to do this in case my readers are reading with one eye open.  People are busy today and often they may miss something.  So I like to spell it out very quickly -- because I don't want to bore the readers who were paying attention -- how the crime occurred and how the evidence was there all along.

Next you wrap up the subplots and resolve and reveal anything that is hanging in the air, like the red herring, or how other suspects couldn't have done it.  You also want to wrap up the subplots on a satisfying note.

IF YOU ARE WRITING A SERIES:

My series are four or more books, so the personal lives are written a bit like a soap opera.  The characters do have a full character arc in each novel.  They learn something in that book that I reflect on in the end, but I also drop a clue at the end of the mystery/crime that the story will continue in the next book.

I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF:

I've just given you a bird's eye view of how the book will proceed when marrying all four parts of it together.  But this first layer is only the chronology of the crime.

I also end this layer with a section I call "How it will end".  It never ends the way I think it will, but committing to an end this early at least gives me a direction and a destination.  It's easy enough to change the chronology when the story takes a natural turn or changes within the creative process.