The LadyKillers

Cop Talk

I’m just not aware that the four main characters in my two series of mysteries have favorite expressions.  I’m trying and trying to think. You as readers will have to tell me. 

I have favorite words that creep into my writing because I write as I talk.  I say “just” a lot, and “very” and “little.”  I’ll bet you do too if you think about it.  These are the unnecessary words I savagely delete in the editing process.

If you ask anybody a question in daily life they don’t answer, “Yes.” Full stop. They say, “Yeah, right. Like I said…So…yeah…like I mean, you know.” And they may rattle on about what the clerk at the DMV said and the cellphone plan they chose.

But you can’t do that when you’re writing crime fiction. The author can’t let any character prattle on about the perplexing dying patch of grass on the lawn, or the new receipt for broccoli cheese casserole they’ve got to try. Unless it matters to the plot. Or reveals something about their character, their motivations, or diabolical agenda. Or something particular about their speech pattern like an accent or a stammer.

The watchword in crime fiction—of the sort I write—gritty, psychological police procedurals is to write tight. No wasted words.

Cops have their own salty jargon the way any closed society does. So I’m going to use a colorful phrase I’ve picked up in my research and avoid the leached out, desiccated language of police report prose.

For example, “Back to the barn” – heading back to the police station. Or: “Cue ball” – a bad guy, especially a gang member, with a shaved head.

It’s fun pretending to be a hard-nosed cop. I also write for entertainment--my own as well.

Say it Again Favorites

Idioms and phrases are fun to use. "A Penny for your thoughts," or "actions speak louder than words, and don’t bite off more than you can chew" are common idioms I grew up hearing from my grandmother. How about “You can’t judge a book by its cover?" Well, a book cover often influences my decision when looking for a new book to buy.

My husband and I love old movies. Gone with the Wind (1932) is my all-time favorite. Who can forget Rhett Butler’s line, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Or Scarlett’s “I'll think of it tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”  Mae West’s line “It’s not the men in your life that counts, it’s the life in the men,” is from I’m No Angel (1933). Who could forget Sean Connery’s line “. . .Bond. James Bond,” from Dr. No (1962).

Phrases coined by Shakespeare, and still in use today, include:

“All our yesterdays”— (Macbeth)

“As good luck would have it” — (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“As merry as the day is long” — (Much Ado About Nothing / King John)

“Bated breath” — (The Merchant of Venice)

“Dead as a doornail” — (Henry VI Part II)

 “Eaten me out of house and home” — (Henry IV Part II)

“Faint hearted” — (Henry VI Part I)

“Fancy-free” — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“For goodness’ sake” — (Henry VIII)

“Foregone conclusion” — (Othello) “Heart of gold” — (Henry V)

“In my mind’s eye” — (Hamlet)

“Wild-goose chase” — (Romeo and Juliet)

How could I have overlooked adding any of the following Shakespeare idioms in my books?

Lie low - To hide so you will not be caught by someone.
Good riddance - To be happy when someone or something is gone.
Green-eyed monster - Jealousy.
Night owl - A person who stays up and is active late into the night.
As dead as a doornail - Dead beyond any doubt.
A charmed life - A life that seems to have been protected by a charm, magic or spell.
Mum's the word - Keep this a secret; don't tell anybody.
Send him packing - To tell someone to go away, usually because you are annoyed with them.

Shakespeare died over 400 years ago, but his words live on in everyday English conversations.

 

Timely turns of phrase: let's talk idioms

I love idioms. Even the definition is fun:

a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light ).

I turn to idioms often in my writing, but have stumbled now and again over the timeframe of one expression or another. For instance, in an early draft of one novel, I wrote "We've been framed!" only to find out that this use of the word "frame" didn't come into being until 1920–25. It seems that many of the idioms (or slang) that pop to mind originated in the '20s. Since my parents were born during that decade, this makes me think I must have heard them from my parents and perhaps grandparents, and they stuck in my mind as "old-time talk."

The problem with true 19th century idioms is that they are from another time, and often don't make sense to a modern audience. So, when I use them, I either engage a little fancy tapdancing to make clear what's being said.

You can find an entertaining list of 19th-century idioms on Wikipedia, here. I picked out a couple (with their definitions) below:

hectic fever – a fever connected with tuberculosis, and showing itself by a bright-pink flush on the cheeks

pot-wallopers – a class of electors in a borough who claimed the right to vote on the ground of boiling a pot within its limits for six months

Here is some more fun stuff, "manly slang" from the 19th Century, courtesy of the The Art of Manliness:

Cupboard love – Pretended love to the cook, or any other person, for the sake of a meal

Gentleman of four outs – When a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, “Yes, a gentleman of four outs,” that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners

Draw the long bow – To tell extravagant stories, to exaggerate overmuch; same as “throw the hatchet”

Sneeze-lurker – A thief who throws snuff in a person’s face, and then robs him

I absolutely love that last one and mustmustmust find a place for it in my current work-in-progress! So, you are forewarned: be on the lookout for a "sneeze-lurker" in my sixth book, in which it will also be raining cats and dogs.

And if you want to know more about that particular meteorologically-related idiom, see this great page from the Library of Congress.

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Say It Again, Sam -- Favorite Phrases and Idioms by Michael A. Black

Favorite phrases and idioms… Say it again, Sam... Well, let’s see… Who can forget Bogey’s immortal line from Casablanca, “Play it again, Sam?” The trouble is, he never said that in the movie.

What he said was: “Play it, Sam,” Bogie says. “If she can stand it, so can I.” to which Dooley Wilson says, “But, Mr. Richard—“ Subsequently, playing the song, he does… Man, nobody could knock out that tune better than Dooley.

Ah, the sight of Bogey standing in the dimly lit bar of Rick’s Café Americain wearing his white tux, the smoldering cigarette between his finger, holding the glass of booze in his hand, the bottle standing by, ready to provide more liquid consolation… It’s so good that we tend to forget that sadly, Bogie died of lung cancer at 57. Of course, this was before the Surgeon General advised everybody that not only could smoking cost you an arm and a leg, but a pair of lungs as well.

But on to the idioms. The rephrasing, “Play it again, Sam,” of Bogie’s classic line has become an idiom of sorts for facing up to some unpleasantness.

An idiom is a word or group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, seeing the light).

Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this matter. What are some other idioms?

When the tough detective demands that the suspect “Spill the guts,” we know he’s urging the man to confess. If it’s “raining cats and dogs,” or the victim “kicked the bucket, and is now pushing up the daisies,” he expired. Let’s hope they rolled out the red carpet for him at the pearly gates. More recent idioms include “What’s on your bucket list?” “She’s pretty salty,” and “Elvis has left the building.” I can remember back in the 1990’s hearing an officer say that the husband “Did an OJ on his wife.” That one kind of fell out of style after OJ got off the first time, being replaced by the crime scene processors “doing an OJ” and messing things up. A more appropriate idiom should be how a defense attorney can “pull the wool over the eyes” of a jury. Yeah, idioms can be disturbing. Why, for instance, do we refer to a sleeveless T-shirt as a “wife beater?” What do we cite the heinous act of domestic violence with an idiomatic expression indicating a garment? Let’s hope that that one soon joins the list of those used once in a blue moon. It would be even better if the phrase bought the farm.

English isn’t the only language that has idioms. We can say, “Mas o menos” (“Okay”) in Spanish when someone asks us how we’re doing, or “Toma el pelo,” take the leg, when we’re pulling someone’s leg, or fooling them. Reading those, are you “Quedarse de piedra?” or “Amazed?” Literally, that last Spanish phrase means to “stay like a stone.”

Still, as I’ve said before, language is fluid and constantly evolving. So, to make a long story short, let’s just even things out and say, “Play it again, Sam. If you can stand it, so can I.”

Say it again, Sam: our favorite phrases and idioms

NEWS

Mar Preston was overwhelmed to receive 3 awards granted by the judges of the Public Safety Writers Association, 1st Place for her current police procedural The Most Dangerous Species, 2nd place for a flash fiction story previously published in Shotgun Honey, and a special award for her EBook series on Writing Your First Mystery. She will never have another day like that again..

Michael A. Black was a guest panelist at the Comic Con due to his novel, Missile Intercept, being a finalist for the Best Original Novel Scribe Award. He didn't win, but did receive a finalist's plaque. He also got an idea for Mysti to write a sequel to her short story of last year's Comic Con. This one can be about a serial killer who specializes in knocking off obnoxious fan boys. The trouble is, no jury would convict him.

Ellen Kirschman will be interviewed about her new book, The Fifth Reflection, next Sunday on Bay Area Focus- KBCW tv Channel 44, cable 12 at 11:00 a.m. If you miss it, you can find it on YouTube.com.

Camille Minichino’s 25th novel, Addressed to Kill, third in the Postmistress series by Jean Flowers, will be out on Tuesday 7/25. No need to send silver. 

Admin Mysti chiming in. 25 Novels! Congrats on this fantastic achievement, Camille!

Say it again, Sam

Every person and character has at least one favorite expression. Whether it's the President tweeting "Sad" or a teenager sighing "Whatevs," our personal catch-phrases can tell a lot about us.

Join us next week as we explore the go-to expressions we and our characters just can't live without.

My path to publishing: Taking the middle way

I have no experience with big publishing houses. They're not interested in my books. At the risk of sounding like sour grapes, after  hearing the way other writers have been treated, I'm not sure I'm interested in them.

My first published books were non-fiction. My publisher, Guilford Press, is a moderate sized New York house specializing in psychology, psychiatry, the behavioral sciences, education, and geography. The first time I visited them  I knew I was in the right place. It was a thrill to be published by the same people who published famous psychologists, some of whom were my heroes. The two owners, Bob and Seymour, had offices facing each other across a small seating area. Seymour had a bottle of Makers Mark on his desk and Bob had a large dog lying under his. Dogs and booze, my kind of guys. Twenty years and three (maybe five if you count one revised and one second edition) books later, we're still together. The staff is essentially the same, people still answer the phone, and the royalty checks arrive on time. Such stability in a fast moving industry is both rare and admirable.    

My experience with fiction publishers was radically different. My first offer came from a tiny press. Make no mistake, there are wonderful tiny publishing houses for whom supporting writers whose work has little mass market appeal is a labor of love. Like many beginning writers, I was so eager to be published I would have signed anything with anyone. But when the contract arrived, it had multiple problems, especially concerning rights. When I asked for changes, the door slammed in my face. That kind of rigid response was so ominous I kept looking. 

I'll call publisher #2, the Sudden Departure Press, because I'm a nice person and I don't want to be sued. I was referred by one of their authors, a successful writer who admired my work. I'll call him the Very-Kind-Stand-Up-Author. There were warning signs from the get-go, although  I vetted Sudden Departure's other authors thoroughly, all of whom seemed happy. Problems arose early on. The Sudden Departure partners communicated by email only, proposed cover designs were terrible, and the book formatting looked amateurish. And then the unthinkable happened. The Very-Kind-Stand-Up-Author left  Sudden Departure for a bigger press, and the entire operation, apparently overly dependent on his sales, folded with two weeks notice. Fortunately for me and the other authors, the Very-Kind-Stand-Up-Author stepped in and acted as publisher, keeping our orphaned books alive until we found other homes.

I found Oceanview Press, my current fiction publisher, in the traditional way. Dozens of queries and dozens of rejections. They have now published two Dot Meyerhoff mysteries and adopted the first. Oceanview, like Guilford, specializes in  publishing only mysteries, thrillers and suspense. The owners, Bob and Pat, travel a lot and like good wine. We've had dinner together. They answer the telephone and return email. The staff has remained essentially the same since I signed on with them and their stable of authors feel like family. 

Like Goldilocks, some publishing porridge was too cold, some I never got to taste although it looked too hot.  The one in the middle was just right. 

So Many Paths to Publication

The publishing world has changed quite a bit from when I first started writing. Back then, if you didn’t first land an agent and then get accepted at one of the big publishing houses, some people would consider your writing career more of a hobby than a profession. It was as if only the main houses could determine who was a writer and who wasn’t, at least in the eyes of some readers. At the time, there were only a handful of small presses in existence, and self-publishing wasn’t even on the horizon.

But all that has changed. While the big publishing houses still hold a lot of clout, small presses are flourishing and self-publishing has gone mainstream.

In my own writing group, we’ve all had different experiences when it comes to publishing. Some have been with the major houses, others are with long-established smaller presses, and still others of us are with newer small presses. Two of us are actually with the same publisher, but the other writer is with a separate imprint of the company. We have the same editor, but our books are published in different formats and the marketing techniques used to promote our books are different.

While one member of the group has tried self-publishing, I haven’t given it much consideration myself because of the extra behind-the-scenes work. I would have to find an editor that I felt comfortable with to review my manuscript, hire a graphic artist to create a cover that somewhat matches my own ideas, and perform one hundred percent of the marketing, unless I hire a publicist of some kind. These are all upfront costs that I would need to pay out of pocket, whereas publishers normally cover these costs for their writers. That being said, I’ve heard many people talk about the joys of self-publishing and how much they like it, so this method clearly works for some.

I guess my point with all this is that there are many ways to get published nowadays, and one way isn’t necessarily better than the other. The trick is to pick the method that works best for each individual writer.

Small, Medium, or Large...

I'm not sure it matters much anymore, whether you're published by a New York house, small press, or an indie. More than a million books were released in 2016, and there will be a greater number this year.

Maybe what really matters is that you can find a publisher in that sea of ink.

I've had books published by TOR, TSR, Wizards of the Coast, and my new mysteries have come out under Imajin, a small press based in Canada. Good experiences with all of them. Though I've noticed that the larger the publisher, the less time is spent helping to promote your book.

On the right hand: The larger the publisher, the greater the chance for a sizeable advance. There's also broader distribution, more opportunities for reviews, prestige, and easier foreign-rights sales.

On the left hand: The smaller the publisher, the greater the chance for personal attention; a quicker release date...which is a big deal when you're tired of the long lead time of the larger houses; and more liklihood you have a say on cover design and other aspects.

It's a pick-your-path world, including the wholly do-it-yourself-publishing venture.

Honestly, I'm not sure any given path is better...not in today's publishing climate. Each is different. Different, not better. But that's just my humble opinion.

Publishers Global website says there are 2,767 publishing houses in America. Here's the link.

Considering going the small press avenue? Jane Friedman discusses how to evaluate them HERE.

Here's a link to a Publishers Weekly article on the 52 largest publishers.

The Atlantic ran a great article last summer on why indie publishers are needed. Check it out here.

Book Statistics says 1.3 million books have been published this year. It has numbers, years, and countries. Interesting.

I think what matters is publicity. Find your publisher, then promote.

In the vast sea of books, the trick is to stay above the waves...no matter your publishing direction.

I learned more about the art of publicity from the small press...great resources, awesome advice, the stable of authors comparing what advertising venues yield the best results for the money spent. It taught me about blog tours and Facebook launches. Small press feels comfortable right now.

So...small, medium, or large? What size publisher fits you best?

I have a newsletter filled with tidbits about weird news items, pics of my dogs, discussions of upcoming books, reviews of things I’m reading, and writing advice. You can subscribe here.

 

 

Small Press vs Traditional vs Indie

Since I’ve never been published by the traditional big guys, and was happily nesting with Poisoned Pen Press when indie publishing exploded, I can’t address anything but small press. But for me, it turned out to be the perfect fit.

Before publication, we don’t think a lot about what we really want out of writing, or at least I didn’t. Is it the clout behind being a (name your biggie) published author? Maybe a collegial atmosphere or greater security on book deals? Easy access to bookstores and reviews? The chance to be a best-seller? A greater control over content or cover art? These are legitimate and important questions.

After thirty plus years working in a huge bureaucracy, much akin to big business, I was bone weary of the impersonal atmosphere. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I needed a smaller place with a more personal atmosphere where I was a writer and not just The Product. I found that in a small press.

Of course, there are disadvantages to not being published by the big guys. Bookstores don’t always carry the books, and advances remain small. Many small presses fold and getting royalties due from a vanished company can be ugly. Small presses also tend to be specialized (mysteries, international venues, LGBTQ, reprints) so the number available for submission is less than it might look. Some small presses may not get the reviews needed to get their authors known or taken seriously. Not having an agent to run protection on contracts and rights can be dangerous unless the press is reputable.

But the advantages of getting picked up by a reputable small press for someone like me were incalculable. Poisoned Pen does get reviews (I have been mentioned twice by Marilyn Stasio in the New York Times, one of which was a review). They have a distributor that gets books into bookstores, and someone who works on foreign rights. The writers have banded together as a “Posse” to help newbie writers with questions. The Press understands that a series needs nurturing so mid-listers are welcome. I write medievals. Not the In Thing. Never going to make the best-seller lists, despite having a devoted readership. Yet they have kept me on through thirteen (hope for fourteen soon) books.

So, yes, if you are happy to trade bigger advances for the chance to develop your series beyond two or three books, a reputable small press is a good fit. If you like the familial feeling of chatting online with fellow press authors, you may find a happier home with a small press.

In any case, read what other LadyKillers have to say and pose questions to us. We love them! Even if you have gone one route, you can always try another for work that isn’t acceptable or suitable to your main path.

Small/traditional/ or Indie?

Small/traditional/ or Indie?

Thanks for asking. I've tried them all, and have a crazy history of publishing, so anyone looking for a model path to follow, please hang up and call 9-1-1.

SMALL PRESS

The first book in my first series, 1997

 My first 2 books were with a small press, Avalon Books.

At the time, I would have taken any offer from anyone. I was already old, and wasn't about to wait around for a better deal. This small press, recently bought by amazon, got me started. My first editor was so great, she'd send me boxes of Macintosh apples when I complained that the ones we got on the west coast were awful.

• Pros: personal attention
• Cons: limited distribution, mostly by subscription; smaller than standard hardbacks, giving them a YA look (not that there's anything wrong with that).

REALLY BIG PRESS

# 3, with a really big press

 Based on the first 2 books, I was able to get an agent, who put the next 2 books in the Periodic Table Mysteries up for auction, and got me a 'uge contract with William Morrow for standard hardbacks..

• Pros: big company, big distribution, lots of reviews, Mystery Book of the Month Editor's Choice
• Cons: really big company bought by really, really big company; editor and staff lost. Series dumped; back on the street.

 

 BIG PRESS #1

Big Press #1 (but not Really Big); #5 in the Periodic Table Mysteries

• My agent got me a new contract with my Avalon editor, who had moved to St. Martin's. Four hardbacks added to Periodic Table Mysteries, now up to Oxygen.
• Pros: more apples, great working relationship
• Con: edge of seat, one-at-a-time contracts; no publicity support. Series dumped; back on the street.

 

BIG PRESS #2

#5 in the Miniature Mysteries, Monster in Miniature

My agent placed 3 new series (not all at once), with 3 new pen names, with Berkley Prime Crime, big in the cozy world. I've done 12 PBO's with them; future uncertain.

• Pros: good distribution, yet another good editor
• Cons: they favor really-big sellers; otherwise useless "publicists"

 

VERY SMALL PRESS

The 9th and last in the Miniature Mysteries

Perseverance Press, based in California, picked up one of my dropped Berkley series: the Miniature Mysteries. Four books with them, all trade paperback.

I was now at a total of 24 books in 4 series and 4 sizes.

Time to try something else.

 INDIE PRESS/SELF-PUBLISHING

Self-pub novel of a nun in the sixties

I know it's not always acceptable to think of these as synonymous, but for all practical purposes they are to me.

In between all of the above, I've self-published 1 novel, 1 nonfiction book, and several short stories.

• Pros: no deadlines, no pesky tropes, no long lead time from finished ms to on sale
• Cons: responsible for all publicity, but not that different from traditional route (see above)

Is this a recommended journey to publishing success? NAH. There's no way to know what new technology will emerge from one year to the next, and how that will affect our publishing lives. This story spans 20 years, with all the changes in technology of two decades.