The LadyKillers

LadyKillers contest: Clue #13

Clue #13. Find the following image on Priscilla Royal's website (http://www.priscillaroyal.com)

"A 1250 goblet"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

Making an End

There are many things this topic brings to mind, but the sun is out, my aging bones are warm, and I don’t feel like channeling my inner Kafka. Instead, I’ll concentrate on fictional ends, in specific the series. However sad that can be, it still isn’t the end of the world.

There are series that come naturally to an end. A series is really just a very long book, with many chapters, but certainly possessing a storytelling arc. At the end, the reader should feel like the major character developments have been completed, and the primary issues have been resolved. Since readers are part of the creative process, there may be some areas we each wish would go on or be resolved, but, overall, readers should agree that the author has little left to say.

As much as I resisted the idea that John Rebus retired and I would not have his gloomy presence to look forward to again, I agreed with Rankin that Rebus had had his run. Occasionally, a series may have an open-ended feel, but, even then, the reader should be able to imagine a conclusion either fun or satisfying. That said, I still want Rankin to try a series with Siobhan…

And then there are the series that should have ended, say five books ago. I’ll ignore these. We’ve all read them. We’ve all given up on them. Enough said.

The series I grieve over are the ones slaughtered before their time. Caroline Roe had a wonderful medieval Spanish series going with Isaac of Girona. I loved the Bak Egyptians by Lauren Haney. Too many beloved mystery series disappear without apology or explanation by the publisher. I deem this literary murder.

There is a special problem with the abrupt dropping of series when the author is still eager to continue, one that isn’t discussed too often. When readers have been jilted too many times, we grow slower to embrace new books when there is reason to fear that a series may be quickly dropped. This is not an encouraging trend.

It is hard on writers as well, although we’ll flex to put food on the table. But how can we fully invest in the slow and complex development of character if our creation may well face composting after a few books? Even when we force ourselves to find love again with another set of characters, we are still faced with an increasingly hard time convincing readers to buy our books when we cannot promise them an interesting and satisfying run.

There may be a growing number of solutions to this developing problem. This is the digital age which presents a potential upside to the slaughter of innocent series. With the advent of e-readers, self-publishing, independent presses and even downloads from independent bookseller websites, we may see the continuation of well-loved series by mid-list authors. Promotion becomes an even greater burden on the author but informed planning might cut that down. Independent bookstores are growing creative and savvy about downloads to e-readers.

Do I sense a hint of promise for the survival of favorite authors? Independent and smaller presses already pick some series up or tolerate long ones that may be profitable but won’t buy anyone a small ski resort on the profits. Dare I, as a reader, feel some optimism about ending the death penalty on favorite series?

-------Be sure to forget to check out today's clue for The LadyKillers contest! You could be the lucky winner of a $100 gift certificate from the indie bookstore of your choice, or a Kindle! Just keep scrolling down a little further, and you'll see it: the next post down.---------------

LadyKillers contest: Clue #12

Clue #12. Find the following image on Mary Anna Evans' website (http://www.maryannaevans.com)

 
"Author in red"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

LadyKillers contest: Clue #11

Clue #11. Find the following image on Mysti Berry's website (http://mysti.us/)

   
"Mysti's Mona Lisa imitation"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

LadyKillers contest: Clue #10

Clue #10. Find the following image on Margaret Lucke's website (http://www.margaretlucke.com)

  
"San Francisco skyline"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

LadyKillers contest: Clue #9

Clue #9. Find the following image on Diana Orgain's website (http://dianaorgain.com)

 
"Yarn in a bowl"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

That's what she said by Penny Warner

Bryan: Who killed Thursby?

Sam Spade: I don't know.

Bryan: Perhaps you don't, but you could make an excellent guess.

Sam Spade: My guess might be excellent or it might be crummy, but Mrs. Spade didn't raise any children dippy enough to make guesses in front of a district attorney, and an assistant district attorney and a stenographer.

Bryan: Why shouldn't you, if you have nothing to conceal?

Sam Spade: Everybody has something to conceal.

Now that's dialogue, taken from one of my favorite films of all time, The Maltese Falcon. I learned a lot about writing dialogue by watching--and listening--to that movie, and reading the book by Dashiell Hammett. Here are some of the best tips I took away...

The purpose of dialogue is:

    To move story along
    To increase pace and create drama
    To reveal characters and make them come alive
    To capture the reader
    To identify location and set mood
    To add reality
    To show, instead of telling

When writing a tag line:

    Use it to denote who’s speaking
    Keep it simple or it’s distracting
    Use it as attribution – “I love you,” he said.
    Use it for action – “I love you.” He kissed her.
    Avoid altogether – “I love you.”
    Avoid “Swifties” – adv. Mod. Ie. He said hotly.
    Use props, body language, facial expression

And in general:

    Listen to conversations, then edit and tighten.
    Read your dialogue aloud.
    Avoid overuse of exclamation points!!
    Keep dialogue brief. Break up long sections of dialogue.
    Make sure the dialogue contributes to the story.
    Good dialogue doesn’t need embellishment - “You’re not serious!” she said, astonished.
    Avoid adverbs - Ie. “You can’t be serious!” she said impatiently.
    Use dialogue to keep the scene lively and active.

Try these exercises to improve your dialogue:

1.    Write down how each of the following characters would express the feeling of being tired, without using the word "tired."
        Grandmother, teenager, southerner, teacher, child, non-English speaker.

Kasper Gutman: You're a close-mouthed man?

Sam Spade: Nah, I like to talk.

Kasper Gutman: Better and better. I distrust a close-mouthed man. He generally picks the wrong time to talk and says the wrong things. Talking's something you can't do judiciously, unless you keep in practice. Now, sir. We'll talk, if you like. I'll tell you right out, I am a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.

Enough said.

-------Be sure to check out today's clue for The LadyKillers contest! You could be the lucky winner of a $100 gift certificate from the indie bookstore of your choice, or a Kindle! Just keep scrolling down a little further, and you'll see it: the next post down.---------------

LadyKillers contest: Clue #8

Clue #8. Find the following image on Penny Warner's website (http://www.pennywarner.com)

"Half-eaten chocolate in a pink bakery box"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

Contest runs from June 1-14.

LadyKillers contest: Clue #7

Clue #7. Find the following image on Susan Shea's website (http://www.susancshea.com)

 
"Do Not Enter sign"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

Contest runs from June 1-14.

LadyKillers contest: Clue #6

Clue #6. Find the following image on Michael A. Black's website (http://www.michaelablack.com)

 

"Mirrored sunglasses: Think frozen Elvis"

When you find the page with the image, enter your information on the LadyKillers contest form, here.

Thirteen clues in all! Every clue you report on the online form increases your chances to win a Kindle or a $100 gift certificate from your favorite indy bookstore!

Contest runs from June 1-14.