Over at Crime Fiction Dossier, there is a discussion of literary heroes. I posted my reply, which I am reposting here:
My favs, living and dead, are these (in no particular order):
George Pelecanos (for Hard Revolution and Derek Strange trilogy)*
Dennis Lehane (for Mystic River and Darkness, Take My Hand)*
Richard Aleas (for Little Girl Lost and Songs of Innocence)
Ernest Hemingway (for For Whom the Bells Toll and short fiction)
Hammett (for The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man)
Chandler (for Philip Marlowe)
Elmore Leonard (for westerns, Out of Sight, and the Carl Webster stories)
J. D. Robb (for Eve Dallas' saga)
Ken Bruen (for The Guards and The Dramatist)
David McCullough (for Truman, John Adams, 1776)
Michael Chabon (for Yiddish Policeman's Union and his love for great stories)
J. K. Rowling (for Harry Potter; bonus to )
Stephen King (for Green Mile, The Stand, Salem's Lot, Bag of Bones)
Orson Scott Card (for Ender's Game)
Max Collins and Charles Ardai (for Hard Case Crime)
Ted Chiang (for literate SF)
C. S. Lewis (for Narnia)
J. R. R. Tolkien (for The Lord of the Rings)
Timothy Zahn (for his Star Wars "Thrawn" trilogy)
Carlos Ruiz Zafon (for The Shadow of the Wind)
Jim Dale (for his audiobook readings of the Harry Potter stories)
Scott Brick and Jonathan Davis (for their audiobook readings that bring books to life)
Ian Fleming (for James Bond...the books)
Doris Kearns Goodwin (for her history books and on-screen insights)
David Brooks (for his social books and his NY Time columns)
Peggy Noonan (for her graceful eloquence with words every Friday at WSJ)
Jonathan Franzen (for The Corrections and How to Be Alone)
*Bonus points for writing on HBO's "The Wire," arguably the best-written show on television. Ever.
What are yours?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Page 123 Meme
I read The Rap Sheet everyday and, for once, I'm actually going to participate. Here are the rules, as posted by The Rap Sheet:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
Here are my answers.
1. Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie (Hard Case Crime)
2-4. The chain rattle and the door clunked open. Tina's face was extremely pale. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, vulnerable without their usual protective layer of blue mascara.
(Odd, it actually reads like a horror story when, in fact, it's a crime story. What you do get, however, is a taste, albeit a small one, of the delicate treat it is to read an Allan Guthrie book with the wit he infuses his characters. This is my first Guthrie book...but it won't be my last.)
5. Since I read a lot of blogs but don't necessary have relationships with any but a few bloggers, I'm limiting my tags to three. You can see my other favorite bloggers on the right. Doug Warren, Victoria Graydale, L. L. Park,
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
Here are my answers.
1. Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie (Hard Case Crime)
2-4. The chain rattle and the door clunked open. Tina's face was extremely pale. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, vulnerable without their usual protective layer of blue mascara.
(Odd, it actually reads like a horror story when, in fact, it's a crime story. What you do get, however, is a taste, albeit a small one, of the delicate treat it is to read an Allan Guthrie book with the wit he infuses his characters. This is my first Guthrie book...but it won't be my last.)
5. Since I read a lot of blogs but don't necessary have relationships with any but a few bloggers, I'm limiting my tags to three. You can see my other favorite bloggers on the right. Doug Warren, Victoria Graydale, L. L. Park,
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Writing Process: Critique Groups
Critique groups are the reason I am writing novels today. That's how important I think they are in shaping my writing and your writing.
Back in 2005, my friend, Doug Warren, was writing his first novel. Up to that point, he and I had talked about writing but that was about it. Little did I know he was writing his first book. I had a few ideas but they were just the amorphous ones all wannabe writers have.
One day, Doug asks me the question all writers eventually have to ask: will you read my novel and tell me what you think? There it was. The Moment. Unless you are a diarist who only writes to get things out of your head but no one else will read, all writers want to be read. You *have* to put yourself out there and face the world. I call it Great Motivator #1: Find a Critique Group. My response was pretty quick: Sure...if you read my novel.
Rapidly, we established a routine of meeting for lunch every Wednesday to talk about our chapters. We submitted completed chapters by Tuesday and we'd have a night to critique each other's chapters. This was the Great Motivator #2: Set Deadlines and Meet Them. You have to establish a deadline for something, anything, to be read by someone else.
Motivators #1 and #2 are essential. If you don't give yourself a deadline and stick to it (NO excuses), you won't find the discipline within yourself to stick to it. It's really simple to say; extremely difficult to execute.
I have continued that practice with my current critique group. They are all members of the Ft. Bend Writer's Guild We meet every Wednesday night. It's a group of about 5-7 core folks. We meet at the house of the president of the guild. It's a good group because we each have different type books. We provide hard copies and take turns reading aloud and receiving criticism. I'll admit: it can be tough. There could be a chapter I worked all week on and think it's brilliant in my own head. I read it aloud and find out if that's the case. My group is kind but firm. It is absolutely essential to have non-family members read your stuff.
I'll post more Great Motivators as they come to me.
Back in 2005, my friend, Doug Warren, was writing his first novel. Up to that point, he and I had talked about writing but that was about it. Little did I know he was writing his first book. I had a few ideas but they were just the amorphous ones all wannabe writers have.
One day, Doug asks me the question all writers eventually have to ask: will you read my novel and tell me what you think? There it was. The Moment. Unless you are a diarist who only writes to get things out of your head but no one else will read, all writers want to be read. You *have* to put yourself out there and face the world. I call it Great Motivator #1: Find a Critique Group. My response was pretty quick: Sure...if you read my novel.
Rapidly, we established a routine of meeting for lunch every Wednesday to talk about our chapters. We submitted completed chapters by Tuesday and we'd have a night to critique each other's chapters. This was the Great Motivator #2: Set Deadlines and Meet Them. You have to establish a deadline for something, anything, to be read by someone else.
Motivators #1 and #2 are essential. If you don't give yourself a deadline and stick to it (NO excuses), you won't find the discipline within yourself to stick to it. It's really simple to say; extremely difficult to execute.
I have continued that practice with my current critique group. They are all members of the Ft. Bend Writer's Guild We meet every Wednesday night. It's a group of about 5-7 core folks. We meet at the house of the president of the guild. It's a good group because we each have different type books. We provide hard copies and take turns reading aloud and receiving criticism. I'll admit: it can be tough. There could be a chapter I worked all week on and think it's brilliant in my own head. I read it aloud and find out if that's the case. My group is kind but firm. It is absolutely essential to have non-family members read your stuff.
I'll post more Great Motivators as they come to me.
Fantastic Podcast, Crime or Otherwise
I added a new link today: www.noircast.net. It is the one podcast (actually two) I set aside time to listen to every month. Shannon Clute and Richard Edwards are devoted fans of both film noir and crime fiction...and they have a podcast for each. Out of the Past investigates film noir, both from the glory days as well as more recent entries. Behind the Black Mask investigates crime fiction with in-depth author interviews. I have learned quite a bit about the crime field with these podcasts and this new information has shaped my writing.
If you need further proof of their importance, they were recently the official podcasters for Noircon 2008.
(Pssst. One of my goals in my professional life is to be interviewed by these guys. I just hope I have some answers to the deep questions they ask.)
If you need further proof of their importance, they were recently the official podcasters for Noircon 2008.
(Pssst. One of my goals in my professional life is to be interviewed by these guys. I just hope I have some answers to the deep questions they ask.)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Springsteen in Houston
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked Houston last night. It was my fourth Springsteen concert and my first time at the Toyota Center. Man, I have to tell you: this senior citizen can rock!
Backstreets.com has a complete rundown of last night's setlist. A quick perusal will reveal something: Except for two songs from 1980 and 1982, every song was from the 70s or the 00s. Interesting. I'm a late comer to the Boss's discography. As late as 1987, I didn't like him. At all. I thought Born in the USA was horrible, especially since the video was of liver performances while the music was the studio and the sync was off. But then "Tunnel of Love" came out and "Brilliant Disguise" was the lead single. Hey, I thought. Not bad. And I was given the cassette of ToL to listen to...and I liked it. Around that time, I first discovered Stephen King (yes, another late bloomer, me) and he referenced a lot of Springsteen. I liked King's novels and then I listened to more Springsteen. Slowly, a deep love for both things emerged.
So, I missed all the hoopla back in the day with Springsteen. I have since stocked up on, ahem, alternative recordings, and I marvel at the sheer power of a Springsteen concert back in the day when he did 4-hour concerts. But the thing is: he still puts on a fantastic show. Sure, it took an hour to start (grumble) and the show was just shy of 3 hours, but, hey, the guy is 58.
There's a theme that is evident is Bruce's later work, starting, ironically, around Tunnel of Love. It's a redemptive quality. He went through a public marriage/divorce/marriage and wrote about it. That's where I started so, not coincidentally, the late 80s/early 90s material is my favorite. There's a man, aging, seeing how the world really is, and coping with it as best he can.
It's not surprising that his first CD of new material with the E Streeters was 2002's The Rising. Many of the firefighters who died on 9/11 loved Springsteen. And he payed homage to their sacrifice. That's what he does: he mirrors our time. Cut to his 2007 CD, "Magic," and you see the same thing. I'll challenge anyone to sum up this first decade of the 2000s more succinctly than Springsteen in this verse from "Long Walk Home":
My father said "Son, we're lucky in this town
It's a beautiful place to be born
It just wraps its arms around you
Nobody crowds you, nobody goes it alone.
That you know flag flying over the courthouse
Means certain things are set in stone
Who we are, what we'll do and what we won't."
Back to the show, Bruce is a showman and, more than thirty years on, he still knows to whom he owes his success. The best part of the show was when he talked to a kid standing in the front row. We couldn't see him but I'm guessing he was a teen. He had a neon pink piece of paper with a song request. Bruce walked over, talked to him, got his name, and took the paper. He read it and then walked, back to the audience, and told the band the song. Slowly, he turned toward the audience and the cameras and opened the paper. It read "E Street Shuffle Please!!" We all cheered, the band killed, and Bruce returned the paper to the boy.
It's the intimate moments like that, amid 16,000 family members, that reminds us that there are more things that bring us together than tear us apart. It was nice. It was genuine. It was a thank you by Bruce to that boy and to the legions of fans who have supported him throughout the years.
Thanks, Bruce.
Backstreets.com has a complete rundown of last night's setlist. A quick perusal will reveal something: Except for two songs from 1980 and 1982, every song was from the 70s or the 00s. Interesting. I'm a late comer to the Boss's discography. As late as 1987, I didn't like him. At all. I thought Born in the USA was horrible, especially since the video was of liver performances while the music was the studio and the sync was off. But then "Tunnel of Love" came out and "Brilliant Disguise" was the lead single. Hey, I thought. Not bad. And I was given the cassette of ToL to listen to...and I liked it. Around that time, I first discovered Stephen King (yes, another late bloomer, me) and he referenced a lot of Springsteen. I liked King's novels and then I listened to more Springsteen. Slowly, a deep love for both things emerged.
So, I missed all the hoopla back in the day with Springsteen. I have since stocked up on, ahem, alternative recordings, and I marvel at the sheer power of a Springsteen concert back in the day when he did 4-hour concerts. But the thing is: he still puts on a fantastic show. Sure, it took an hour to start (grumble) and the show was just shy of 3 hours, but, hey, the guy is 58.
There's a theme that is evident is Bruce's later work, starting, ironically, around Tunnel of Love. It's a redemptive quality. He went through a public marriage/divorce/marriage and wrote about it. That's where I started so, not coincidentally, the late 80s/early 90s material is my favorite. There's a man, aging, seeing how the world really is, and coping with it as best he can.
It's not surprising that his first CD of new material with the E Streeters was 2002's The Rising. Many of the firefighters who died on 9/11 loved Springsteen. And he payed homage to their sacrifice. That's what he does: he mirrors our time. Cut to his 2007 CD, "Magic," and you see the same thing. I'll challenge anyone to sum up this first decade of the 2000s more succinctly than Springsteen in this verse from "Long Walk Home":
My father said "Son, we're lucky in this town
It's a beautiful place to be born
It just wraps its arms around you
Nobody crowds you, nobody goes it alone.
That you know flag flying over the courthouse
Means certain things are set in stone
Who we are, what we'll do and what we won't."
Back to the show, Bruce is a showman and, more than thirty years on, he still knows to whom he owes his success. The best part of the show was when he talked to a kid standing in the front row. We couldn't see him but I'm guessing he was a teen. He had a neon pink piece of paper with a song request. Bruce walked over, talked to him, got his name, and took the paper. He read it and then walked, back to the audience, and told the band the song. Slowly, he turned toward the audience and the cameras and opened the paper. It read "E Street Shuffle Please!!" We all cheered, the band killed, and Bruce returned the paper to the boy.
It's the intimate moments like that, amid 16,000 family members, that reminds us that there are more things that bring us together than tear us apart. It was nice. It was genuine. It was a thank you by Bruce to that boy and to the legions of fans who have supported him throughout the years.
Thanks, Bruce.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Readability Level for My Blog
I just checked the readability level of this blog using the tools at this site. The results: High School. Now, there's a part of me (the graduate school graduate) who finds this irritating. But, then, there's the other part of me, the main part, the more-than-90% part of me that says "That's all right." It's about the stories. It's about my writing. It's not an ego thing. So, enjoy, everyone.
My Writing Process
Over at Murderati, Pari Noskin Taichert writes about her new Eee PC. She sums up the reason why she bought the mini PC: "In short, I want it to strip me of excuses."
We writers have tons of reasons why NOT to write when we know, intellectually, we need to do so. I treat my writing as the thing it really is: A Job. Sure, I have a day job (technical writer) but I want my storytelling to be my day job one day. As such, I'm getting myself in the habit of writing my stories on a regular basis. Many published authors make the point that if you always wait for the muse, you'll never be a writer. A writer is someone who sets aside time, writes, and works at it. That's what I try to do every day. I don't always succeed because, at this point, my storytelling is not paying the bills.
Ms. Taichert poses the following questions:
What writing tools do you use: big computer, laptop, pen & paper, charcoal & papyrus?
How do you relate to them?
Have you ever bought an instrument that opened your mind, eased the process?
Have you ever experienced the opposite effect?
Here is my response:
Two manuscripts into my storytelling career (I'm currently a tech writer), I am comfortable writing on the laptop as well as pen-and-ink. My main method of writing is my MacBook Pro 15-in. laptop. I use a USB key and keep my books and stories on it. This way, I can go from my office laptop (writing at lunch) to my home Mac and work anywhere. On vacations, I do *not* take my laptop. I take a comp book and pens. I find the scratch of the pen on paper and the slower pace to be calming. Yes, there are times when the ideas are flowing and I long for the speed of typing. However, when I'm stuck, I'll turn off the laptop, pick up the pen, and write longhand. It's quite conducive to getting around a roadblock. I also have MacSpeech Dictate, a speech recognition program. It's about 92% accurate. I enjoy sitting at my laptop, eyes closed, and dictating into the machine. Yes, I have to say words like "Comma, Period, Open Quotes" but it's nice to save my fingers and wrists. What's also nice is that I can dictate my longhand writing into the machine without having to type it in. I am hopeful that Dictate will allow me to increase the speed of my writing.
Now, to y'all, how about it? How do y'all write?
We writers have tons of reasons why NOT to write when we know, intellectually, we need to do so. I treat my writing as the thing it really is: A Job. Sure, I have a day job (technical writer) but I want my storytelling to be my day job one day. As such, I'm getting myself in the habit of writing my stories on a regular basis. Many published authors make the point that if you always wait for the muse, you'll never be a writer. A writer is someone who sets aside time, writes, and works at it. That's what I try to do every day. I don't always succeed because, at this point, my storytelling is not paying the bills.
Ms. Taichert poses the following questions:
What writing tools do you use: big computer, laptop, pen & paper, charcoal & papyrus?
How do you relate to them?
Have you ever bought an instrument that opened your mind, eased the process?
Have you ever experienced the opposite effect?
Here is my response:
Two manuscripts into my storytelling career (I'm currently a tech writer), I am comfortable writing on the laptop as well as pen-and-ink. My main method of writing is my MacBook Pro 15-in. laptop. I use a USB key and keep my books and stories on it. This way, I can go from my office laptop (writing at lunch) to my home Mac and work anywhere. On vacations, I do *not* take my laptop. I take a comp book and pens. I find the scratch of the pen on paper and the slower pace to be calming. Yes, there are times when the ideas are flowing and I long for the speed of typing. However, when I'm stuck, I'll turn off the laptop, pick up the pen, and write longhand. It's quite conducive to getting around a roadblock. I also have MacSpeech Dictate, a speech recognition program. It's about 92% accurate. I enjoy sitting at my laptop, eyes closed, and dictating into the machine. Yes, I have to say words like "Comma, Period, Open Quotes" but it's nice to save my fingers and wrists. What's also nice is that I can dictate my longhand writing into the machine without having to type it in. I am hopeful that Dictate will allow me to increase the speed of my writing.
Now, to y'all, how about it? How do y'all write?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Writing Process: To Hold or To Chuck?
Over at Murderati , the blog about crime fiction and the business of crime fiction, Brett Battles posted an interesting entry entitled "Faraway, So Close." He laments the following:
As inevitably happens every time, I’m in the final push to finish my next novel and I’m questioning the ending I had in mind.
I can relate. I mapped out my first book, Treason at Hanford, religiously, allowing little nuances to appear within scenes but sticking to the script. Period. The good thing was that I was able to write that book in eight months. For my second, it's been an exercise in change. Initially, my hero was a black, ex-con seeking redemption. Now, using the same characters and setting, it's a story about a female HPD detective seeking justice. And it's been nearly two years since I first had the idea. NOT good.
I have found myself throwing out cherished (in my head) scenes that I *thought* were important. Oddly, though, once I chucked some of these ideas overboard, the story started flowing. And the pathway of the story revealed itself.
When I wrote my Truman book, there was a scene I had in my head, fully realized. I decided not to write that scene out of order (that is, write it as soon as I 'saw' it in my head). I wanted to get there with my characters. And it was a joy when I finally did get there, six months after envisioning it. And the scene was 99% intact.
Now, I have an ending in mind for my new story. It's an ending I have had since I first conceived of these characters. I'm curious now as to whether or not that ending will actually be *the* ending. And, since I have given myself a deadline of 1 June, I'll know within two months if it stays in the story...or if I chuck it for something better.
As inevitably happens every time, I’m in the final push to finish my next novel and I’m questioning the ending I had in mind.
I can relate. I mapped out my first book, Treason at Hanford, religiously, allowing little nuances to appear within scenes but sticking to the script. Period. The good thing was that I was able to write that book in eight months. For my second, it's been an exercise in change. Initially, my hero was a black, ex-con seeking redemption. Now, using the same characters and setting, it's a story about a female HPD detective seeking justice. And it's been nearly two years since I first had the idea. NOT good.
I have found myself throwing out cherished (in my head) scenes that I *thought* were important. Oddly, though, once I chucked some of these ideas overboard, the story started flowing. And the pathway of the story revealed itself.
When I wrote my Truman book, there was a scene I had in my head, fully realized. I decided not to write that scene out of order (that is, write it as soon as I 'saw' it in my head). I wanted to get there with my characters. And it was a joy when I finally did get there, six months after envisioning it. And the scene was 99% intact.
Now, I have an ending in mind for my new story. It's an ending I have had since I first conceived of these characters. I'm curious now as to whether or not that ending will actually be *the* ending. And, since I have given myself a deadline of 1 June, I'll know within two months if it stays in the story...or if I chuck it for something better.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Scott Sigler Coming to Houston
I'm jazzed about this one. Murder by the Book is hosting Scott Sigler on Friday, 11 April. What makes this appearance special? Two things. One, Sigler is a pioneer. He was the first author to podcast his own novel. If you don't know what that is, check out Podiobooks. Two, Houston actually won the Sigler Stank Contest to see where Sigler would go on his tour. Way to go Houston!
I'm looking forward to hearing Sigler talk about his trials and tribulations getting published. As a storyteller and future author, I want to walk through the minefield that Sigler has helped clear.
I'm looking forward to hearing Sigler talk about his trials and tribulations getting published. As a storyteller and future author, I want to walk through the minefield that Sigler has helped clear.
Monday, April 7, 2008
A Possible Future? Darn Good Writing
Politics is not the focus of this blog. However, a friend of mine pointed me to this story today. In this piece of excellent, exciting writing, Lawrence O’Donnell Jr., former writer for the TV show, "The West Wing," describes a possible scenario for the Democratic convention this summer. Regardless of your political persuasion, take a read. It's gripping. It's exciting. It's plausible.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Another Contest - Another Win
Over the weekend, I attended the spring workshop for the Ft. Bend Writer's Guild. The speaker was Ron Rozelle. And it was great. I highly recommend that you go hear Ron speak if you get a chance. My wife sometimes asks why I attend conferences and workshops when all I need to write is either pen/paper or a computer. I do learn things, even if it is reinforcements of things I already know.
The good news about this workshop is that I won Third Place for *both* of my novels in the Novel Contest. This is the second win (also third) for Treason at Hanford: A Harry Truman Mystery. But it marks the first time my second novel, Justice in H-Town, has won. And the second book isn't even finished yet. Like I did last August when Treason won its first award, I stopped by Michael's on the way home and picked up a frame for my JiHT certificate. Awesome!
Oh, and this marks the first time that I've won money. It was modest. But it was monetary. The win was much more important. Like a business man who frames his first dollar, there's a certain part of me that wants to frame this check. But I think I'll hold off and frame my first advance check instead.
The good news about this workshop is that I won Third Place for *both* of my novels in the Novel Contest. This is the second win (also third) for Treason at Hanford: A Harry Truman Mystery. But it marks the first time my second novel, Justice in H-Town, has won.
Oh, and this marks the first time that I've won money. It was modest. But it was monetary. The win was much more important. Like a business man who frames his first dollar, there's a certain part of me that wants to frame this check. But I think I'll hold off and frame my first advance check instead.
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