The LadyKillers

Annoying Trends in Punctuation

Punctuation is more streamlined today. In informal, general writing, writers are using less commas and fewer semi-colons. As with all things, writing has trends. Semicolons tend to generate longer sentences and have a more formal tone. In a year or more, the semi-colon will probably be a relic from the past, like the dinosaur, although it will still be used in business writing. This follows the general trend to more informal, conversational writing in which writers use shorter sentences. Editors have their own thoughts on punctuation, which makes it difficult for writers. Being from old school, I tend to use the punctuation I am familiar with and leave the rest to the editors to change at their discretion. That said, it is important for writers to stay in touch with current trends. The modern tendency is to omit the comma in many instances where previously it would have been used. When reading, I still add a comma for clarity; otherwise everything seems to run together while my brain rushes to catch up. Oh my. Did I just use a semicolon?

Another form of punctuation being used more is the dash. Dashes signal an abrupt change in thought. Because they help visually create breaks in thoughts, dashes help readers comprehend today’s writing faster and easier. Personally, I like how they look on the page by adding a bit of drama to their appearance. I also like the ellipsis when there’s a brief break in conversation or thought.

Today, hyphenation is on the rise. Much to my chagrin, I never seem to get the right hyphenation, and it sometimes brings on a friendly discussion among my critique group. Writers are using more hyphenated words. Unfortunately, too many can cause a break in comprehension for the reader, particularly if they appear at the end of a line. As a reader, I’ve found myself looking back to see what came before. In my own writing, I try to fix it so that doesn’t happen and annoy the reader. As writers, we have to accept that punctuation is a tool of our trade, but every editor has his or her own thoughts on when and where to use it.

Breaking editorial rules when doing so serves the story, is my new motto. Offbeat punctuation or grammar can lead to delightful phrases or rhythms as long as there is clarity in their meaning. If I read a phrase I wrote out loud and it rings clear, I’ll use it as long as it’s in keeping with the character’s voice.

Time Management by Carole Price

Effective time management is about structuring tasks, email messages, and social media posts. Sound easy? (smile) Sometimes I need to come at my writing sideways. Not to bore you, but for me effective time management is about everything but sitting in a chair and working on my book. Here’s what that usually looks like:

1. Physical therapy exercises to flex my muscles (after my fall) and my brain.
2. Spend time in the garden. Limp stems and crunchy leaves a writer does not inspire.
3. Alphabetize my library of books on writing and tuck the ones on time management in a closet.
4. Check my email in case a publisher wants to offer me a book contract or Hollywood is interested in film rights for my Shakespeare in the Vineyard series.
   
5. Make important phone calls. “Um, yes. I’d like to order a large thin crust pepperoni and cheese pizza, please.”
6. Is it lunch time yet?
7. Check my to-do list, eat pizza. Okay, good. I’m doing great today
8. Finish critiquing papers from the gals in my critique group.
9. Reread my Work in Progress while I study a photo of Tom Selleck. Yep, he’ll do for my next book.
10. And when I’m really struggling, I do a Google search for time management tips and apps and see a photo of a cute dog and then think to myself, “My dog Shilo needs a bath! I’ll go bathe her now.”

Really, I spend most of my time thinking about writing, and when an entire day goes by with nothing but a blank screen, I close down the laptop, make a cup of tea, turn on the television, and watch Murder, She Wrote.

At least someone’s writing a murder mystery.

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.

 

Backstory by Carole Price

Backstory is necessary for readers to understand why the characters react the way they do. Their reactions may be revealed by various means, including dialogue, recollection where a character recalls something to mind, or flashback. It’s a set of events leading up to the plot and reveals story elements that underlie the situation at the start of the book. Backstory helps to establish the setting and makes the reader care about what happens to the characters. But we need to be careful or too much will stop forward action and annoy our readers.

A character binder is important to refer to and understand our characters behavior. What goes in the binder? An extensive character sketch on almost everyone, a smaller one on minor characters. I know their family, their hurts and desires, education, church affiliations, and how and why they react the way they do. Thorough knowledge of your characters makes writing easier, particularly in a series, and if you write by the seat of your pants (pantsers) like I do. I also sketch a few of the rooms so I don’t forget where the piano sits, etc. Here’s an example when you can’t relate to your characters:

I started a new series, a cozy in a fictitious town. I had reached Chapter 17 when I stopped. Admittedly, a personal incident had occurred at that time but I hadn’t felt the connection to my characters that I needed, even though I had copious tablets filled with their backgrounds, not yet organized into a binder. So why did I stop writing this book when the art of stained glass is something I know about? My protagonist opens a glass studio where she and her co-partner teach classes on working with stained glass. They also make windows upon request. Had I lost interest in writing? I didn’t think so because my characters continued to bounce around in my head waiting for their creator (me) to get on with it. That must have meant something so I reread my chapter log for a quick look at what had happened in each chapter, all my notes, and then what I had written. Whoa . . . an awakening! I found the answer to my dilemma. The book lacked warmth and charm, not very reader friendly. It took time away from this project to clearly see what was wrong. If you don’t empathize with your characters, no one else will. What it needed was a tender touch and that meant looking deeper into their psyche. You will begin to feel their pain and it will show in your story as you learn/create more about them. A current binder is a valuable tool.

Gadgets and Gizmos by Carole Price

Despite the technological advances of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, which have transformed our homes, many houses retain historical features and reflect ancient practices. While living in Ohio, I went through many Decorators’ Showcase houses. One in particular was a Mediterranean-style home built around an atrium with a reflecting pool and an expansive Tiffany glass ceiling. The 6,500 square-foot house was designed and completed in 1907. I mention this house because my friend and I were lucky enough to rent the caretakers cottage in the rear. Many of the original features in the house included marble and ceramic-tile floors, marble benches, wooden beams, and iron light fixtures with Tiffany glass.

The Origins of Everyday Things is a book that’s been on my shelf for years but seldom used. One topic that’s always interested me, Lamps and Candles, shows the Rush light and holder from the 1700s to the electric table lamp in 1902. Now you’re wondering what all this has to do with gadgets and gizmos. I thought it would be fun to share examples of how far we’ve come. For instance, my mother used a wringer washing machine and a washboard and then hung wet clothes on a line to dry. Not too many years ago, I saw one of those old washers in the basement of an open house but didn’t have the nerve to ask if it still worked and I didn’t see a newer one. I assumed they were collectors of antiques.

When our girls were growing up, Cliff bought them toolboxes. Today, both of them are mechanically inclined. They can fix many problems, unlike their mother. I love gadgets for the kitchen, even though cooking is not a highlight of my day. I have a bread machine tucked away because it takes up too much counter space and I only use it at Christmas. I also have gadgets that can do everything but dance.

Here are a few fun gadgets from my office:

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'Tis the Season for Murder?

Maybe this theme should be all seasons for murder, but it does seem worse at Christmas when spirits run high with excitement and everything looks festive with lights while sugar plum fairies dance in our heads. While I mulled over this theme, it dawned on me how little I knew about what caused a person to inflict harm on another (except in the books I write), or how much the season mattered. So I turned to the Internet.

The happiest season can be the deadliest. Violence involving weapons tended to be higher in the summer than during the winter and spring. Unintentional shootings spike during the holidays and are more likely to occur than at any other time of the year, mainly Christmas Eve through New Years. Half of the shootings are self-inflicted and occur at home. Some victims kill themselves while playing with a gun, which I think is a good case against having guns in the home where children are present. Sometimes it’s innocent fun and the victim was clowning around when the gun went off. Guns are not toys. I once had a friend who lost a relative in a holiday shooting, and the season was never again the same for her.

During the holidays, most people are thinking of baking cookies and entertaining. Yet, this time of year can be devastating for a lot of people. It’s lonely for those who have few friends or family members. The hustle and bustle on the streets and in the malls is at its peak in December, but if you have no money to purchase gifts or to travel, it will soon become a bleak season. The Livermore, California police department volunteers put up a Christmas tree in the lobby and tie nametags for low-income families and seniors to the branches. One thing I do as a police volunteer is to help wrap and distribute gifts to seniors. The first time I did this, the bleakness and loneliness of some of those homes was sad to see, but we were always greeted at the door with smiles on their faces. I didn't know their frame of mind, but just  knowing we were coming and the interaction with others is enough to lift depression.

If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as work.

-William Shakespeare, King Henry IV

Favorite Book of 2016 by Carole Price

I read a lot, and always with breakfast and lunch. Almost all are mysteries, but my 2017 resolution is to broaden my interests and try a book in each genre. Well, probably not fantasies. One problem with reading as many books as I do is they sometimes blend into each other, making it difficult for me to pick that one favorite over all the rest. I don’t buy as many books as I used to because my bookshelves are already overflowing, but I do have TBR ebooks waiting for me to enjoy. The problem is I prefer a book-in-hand over reading from my laptop or Nook. My Nook appears disabled.

I can’t say which book was my 2016 favorite. I return books to the library as soon as I’ve read them . . . or in some instances too bored to finish them . . . and check out another one or two. Therefore, I don’t remember every one I read but here are a few that stayed with me because of the story line, the character, or word play:

Pirate by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell. Love how two of my favorite authors paired up to write this powerful book.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Glow of Death and Lethal Treasure by Jane Cleland

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

The Bone Labyrinth by James Rollins

On my library TBR list,

The Obsidian Chamber by Preston & Child (any book by them is a winner)

End of Watch by Stephen King

The Seventh Plague by James Rollins (all his books are winners)

I now vow to keep a running list of 2017 books I’ve read and to star those that make a lasting impression on me.

NEWS, and our favorite reads of 2016, coming up!

NEWS

 Well, the only news to report right now is what we've been up to as the old year rolls out and the new year rolls in...

Carole Price's New Year's plans are a wash. Her stove has been pulled out and the new glass top is sitting in the middle of the kitchen. A mix-up on whether Home Depot or her husband will install it. Obviously, no one has, so it's lunch/dinner out.

Camille Minichino is trying to decide which of two new books to read first: The Women Who Made New York or Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History.

On New Year's Eve Michael Black did what he always does on the holiday: tried to stay out of trouble.

Priscilla Royal welcomed the new year while sound asleep. The Great Bathroom Demolition Project has been stalled by subcontractors, but at least she will have all but shower, mirror, and countertop by the end of next week. It is lovely to have walls and a ceiling again! 

Ann Parker is making tons of resolutions (get organized! walk five times a week! clean off the desk! update the passwords! clean the closets! write a synopsis and then write 2500 words a week!)... We'll see how long they last.

 Margaret Lucke spent New Year's Eve on a plane from Washington DC to San Francisco after a great holiday visit with family and friends. She arrived home just in time to pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly, offer a toast for good things for all of us in 2017, and fall into bed.

 

Ellen Kirschman and her husband Steve met on New Year's Eve 1996 in the very same room of the very same house in which they now live. They throw a small dinner party most every year to celebrate. The menu for this year was cold cracked crab, salad, Steve's home-baked bread and duck confit tostadas for starters. With lots of bubbly stuff to wash it down. Our best to everyone in the New Year.

 

SHARING OUR FAVORITE READS

 

Over the next two weeks, each LadyKiller will have the chance to chime in with their favorite book(s) of 2016. So come on back and see what everyone has to say... and be prepared to add to your TBR (to be read) stacks!

We'd love to hear what YOU have to say as well... so if you read any books that knocked your socks off, be sure and let us know...

 

We all wish you the very best in the coming year!

 

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Endings by Carole Price

Writing a story ending that will satisfy readers is hard. You don’t want a story ending that’s too good to be true, where everything is peaches and cream and everyone gets what they want. And you don’t want a story ending to go on . . . and on . . . and on. Here’s a note I have propped up on my desk: Build up to the story climax, write the final powerful scene, and then get out of there. Scenes that follow the story resolution should be short so they don't detract from the ending. Part of a writer's craft lies in understanding how to tie up various plot threads ahead of time, so they are not faced with having to explain it all right at the end.

Reading time is precious. No one wants to waste it on a book without a satisfying ending. Last year I read a book by one of my favorite authors, who will remain nameless, and my disappointment ran deep. It is not a satisfying ending when a character appears out of the blue. I flipped back through the chapters searching for the culprit or even hints that this person existed. Time wasted. The author was not playing fair with his readers. I closed the book with a sense of displeasure—no I did not toss the book across the room. It was a library book and I had to return it.

What is the main conflict in your story? If you're not sure of the answer to this question, you need to work on that before you worry about your story’s ending. The right ending depends on what comes before it. I don’t outline, but I do have a vague ending in mind, although not always who the killer is. I can always go back and plant hints here and there for the reader so that when she/he reaches the ending it will feel logical—even inevitable. Whatever started the story rolling should always be reflected in the ending (the character has achieved his goal or the killer has been apprehended).

Short stories use a subtler approach. There might not be time to wrap everything up in a tidy package, but it might not be necessary. So the author gives the reader a hint of how things are likely to go. I love the classics that dazzle my senses and touch my heart, and where the hero/heroine is happy at the end, not dead or heartbroken. This Christmas I pulled Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen from my shelf.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and tons of good books to read.

News and Holiday FOOD!

News

Ellen Kirschman and her husband exchange experiences, not presents, during the holidays. This year they are taking advantage of a "deal" to spend two days in San Francisco eating, museum hopping and window shopping among holiday lights in Union Square.

 

Ann Parker is getting ready for a quick visit from out-of-towners early in the week, before sinking into a (hopefully) quiet holiday weekend. She is looking forward to perhaps getting in a little writing time, once the hubbub dies down.

 

 

 Coming Up: A Mouth-Watering Week...

We'll be talking about our character's favorite holidays food!

And now, here's a "holiday bonus" for Sunday: The LadyKillers offer up their personal holiday favorites in the comestibles department...

 LadyKiller Food Faves for the Holiday, Past and Present

• Ann Parker - Almond Roca (my mom's favorite) and that old-fashioned ribbon hard-candy (anyone remember that stuff?). These days, my personal faves tilt toward See's chocolate and homemade fudge.
• Priscilla Royal - My mother, who hated any form of cooking or baking, made a killer egg nog. It was completely non-alcoholic, and only she and I drank it, but it was made from scratch with vanilla and cinnamon. 
• Mar Preston - I loved my mother’s meat pies, the Canadian version of Cornish pasties.  Christmas crackers were also part of our holiday table.  You never see them now, colorful paper tubes with twist ends that exploded with a snap. I still love Rice Krispies treats made with marshmallow. Sigh.
• Camille Minichino - A recipe for my favorite will be up on Monday, BUT I feel compelled to confess that I love fruitcake! And I always make enough cranberry chutney for sandwiches for a week or so.
• Carole Price - I bake Kolachi Bread every Christmas. It makes ten long logs, enough to share with family and neighbors. I also make scalloped corn, my mother's recipe. Another favorite of mine is Asparagus Canapes.
• Jean Rabe - My favorite holiday foods. That's easy: Cherry Jell-O fruit salad, Roast chicken and rice, Green beans with almonds, desert...cherry pie...warm cherry pie. When I was a kid, it was all about the cut-out sugar cookies.
  
• Staci McLaughlin - When I was a kid, my favorite holiday treat was my mom's fudge (after I picked out all the walnuts, of course).
• Ellen Kirchman's one traditional holiday recipe is for cranberry relish. (She hates the slimy stuff that comes in a can) -  Takes less than five minutes to make and stays fresh in the fridge for days. Best made a day ahead. Ingredients: One bag of cranberries, washed with the soft berries discarded; one unpeeled orange,  cut into quarters; a large handful of walnuts. Put all ingredients  in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Place in a bowl and add one half cup of granulated sugar. Taste again the next day to adjust to  the desired level of sweetness.
• Michael A. Black - I always enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on a cold Christmas morning. 
• Peggy Lucke - A regular item on my family's holiday table is my Uncle Hank's Sweet Potato Casserole. The secret ingredients are bourbon and orange liqueur. Could that be why it's a favorite? And then there's my mom's chocolate icebox cake. Rich and delicious. One year my aunt decided to eat nothing but stuffing and chocolate icebox cake for her holiday dinner, because those were her favorite dishes and why waste the calories on things she enjoyed less?

And that's the icing on the cake from us!

 

 

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