Look Up, Look Down

When my husband was in the police academy, something they emphasized was, “Look up, look down, look all around.” That’s good advice for anyone investigating a crime, real or fictional.

Have you ever played one of those Search & Find games on the computer? Some of the objects you’re told to find will turn up in the most unlikely places. That’s true in life, too. I recently lost my car keys. Thankfully, I had an extra set of keys. I looked everywhere for those missing keys, including emptying out my purse (which would frighten a mere mortal) and all of my pockets. I’d had an appointment that day and finally decided I must have dropped them in the parking lot without realizing it.

I missed those keys because there were other things on the keychain besides my car and house key. The house key is another story. Whoever lived here before had different locks put on every door. Lots of keys for lots of doors. But I digress.

About two weeks later I put on a jacket to wear to the store, stuck my hand in the pocket and, surprise, surprise, there were the lost keys. I could have sworn I wore a different jacket the day of my appointment.

In Old Murders Never Die – A Sandi Webster Mystery, Sandi and Pete are stranded in a ghost town. To the best of their knowledge, no one had set foot in Wolf Creek for over a hundred years. Without much else to do, the two detectives started looking things over and they discovered unsolved murders from around 1880. Thus began their desire to solve the old murders. As the pair began searching houses in the town, they looked for clues, and Pete (an ex-police officer) offered Sandi the advice my husband offered me. She looked up, down and all around, and a few clues came to light after all those years. 

 This looks like a good hiding place.

Between my daughter and me, we have three dogs. Things disappear all the time. The little angels just love to walk off with whatever is within their reach. Very frustrating. The same advice works when looking for a lost slipper or sock. However in the case of the dogs, it’s also advisable to look under rocks or where it appears fresh digging has taken place.

Readers, including me, love secret rooms or passages. These things add to the suspense. So when our protagonists see something that doesn’t look quite right, they take a second look and generally, in a mystery, they’ll discover something unexpected. How about a secret room that houses a mummy? (Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery)

When writing a mystery, have a little fun. Close your eyes and picture the last place someone might look for a clue, information, or a body. Of course, there are times these places need to fall short of offering help. Don’t forget red herrings. Also, don’t forget that not all mysteries include a death. The mystery might include a missing person, or as in my case, lost keys.

Speaking of keys, my grandfather had a key collection. Some of them were pretty old. I had a very old trunk that was locked and no one could figure out where the key might be. What’s the fun in calling a locksmith? I dug out Grandpa’s key collection and after trying several of them, I found one that opened the trunk. The case of the missing key? Solved, although I have a feeling that this might have been a skeleton key that would open many things.

So, whether we’re talking about fiction or real life, remember to look up, look down and look all around. If that doesn’t work, start checking pockets.

Have you ever lost something important and found it in a very unusual spot?

Until next time, take in your surroundings and look for the unusual or unexpected.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

A New Year's Reminder (Think Yellow Stickies)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 

from our house to yours!

 (If you'd like to read about Christmas, check out last week's post.)

With the New Year around the corner, I thought I’d post a reminder.

Have you ever been driving down the street and suddenly thought of a line you want to use in a book? Have you ever been insulted and two hours later you realize how you should have responded? (I had to throw that one in.) Do you ever wish you had a better memory? Yes, that’s me and a lot of other people I know.

I try to write down the pearls of wisdom that come to me if paper and pen are close by. I have a small card index file and every once in a while I go through my notes to see what I might have forgotten. Some lines are perfect for specific books. Others actually inspire a story.

Memorable titles are also something I tend to forget, so I write those down, too. Generally, I try to take the title from a line in the book, but that’s not always the case. I’m working on a book right now that has to do with record breaking summer heat and some homeless people who are disappearing. The working title is “People Lookin’ Half Dead.” Extreme heat can have that effect.

One of my favorite titles is “I Never Met a Chocolate I Didn’t Like.” It’s from one of those small books you find in pharmacies or gift shops and, of course, it’s about chocolate. I wish I’d thought of it first and I’d have used it as a line in a Sandi Webster story. Oh, well, you can’t think of everything. Some of you might have noticed in other posts that I’m an admitted chocoholic.

 Loved this chocolate!

Research is another area requiring copious notes. The smallest details in a story can make a world of difference, and if you’re including fact in your fictional story, you’d better get it right. If you don’t, someone who knows the facts will pick up on it. I have a friend who writes historical romance and she learned this the hard way.

I heard someone give a talk at a conference about writing short notes on yellow stickies and attaching them to a board in chronological order. I’d have so many notes I’d confuse myself. I’m just not that organized, even with written notes. I envy those who are. I do, however, type short reminder notes at the bottom of the manuscript I’m working on and delete them as I use the ideas. Works for me.

I’ve tried to be organized but, somehow, for me it takes the fun out of writing. We each have our own system. Mine would drive most people to drink. (I don’t drink, so it’s not an issue for me.)

Lists can be a big help, too. There’s not a whole lot I can add to that comment. When you think of a new book title, add it to a list. If you think of a new blog topic, add it to a list. I have a blog list but, unfortunately, I forget to look at it and when I do I tend to forget to cross out a subject after I’ve written about it. Forgive me if I repeat my blog topic from time to time, or you might think of it as recycling. Hmm. Yes, recycling is a good excuse for repeating myself.

I believe what I’m posting about today is something you already know, but it never hurts to have a reminder.

Of course, notes and lists apply to everyday life, too, not just books. I have a grocery list, a list of errands to be run, a list of birthdays (which I often forget to check), and notes about things I don’t want to forget. Sometimes we simply have too many things on our minds to remember all that we should.

Anyway, if these comments help even one person to remember something important, then I’ve done my job. Writing this post reminded me of something important, so I guess I have to pat myself on the back and say, “Job well done.”

Until next time, have a great week, a Happy New Year next week, and figure out what works best for you so you remember everything you need to do. I’ve noticed cars that have yellow stickies stuck to the steering wheel or rearview mirror. Oh! That’s my car, and it works.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

I Never Met a Chocolate I Didn't Like

Most people, both real and fictional, have something they’re addicted to, or maybe they consider it a habit. In the case of one of my characters, Sandi Webster, it’s a chocolate addiction. Sandi finds herself in a situation where she’s stranded in a ghost town and, horror of horrors, she’s out of chocolate. When her partner asks her what the deal is with chocolate, she says:

** “I can’t explain it,” I replied. “If I’m in a bad mood, chocolate will perk me up. One time when I was frightened, I ate a whole box of Bordeauxs, a specialty candy. They kept me going. There’s a type of chocolate called ganache. It’s chocolate mixed with heavy cream, and it’s… It’s a taste that can’t be described. Chocolate is sweet, but not like other sugary candy. As it melts in your mouth, it leaves its own unique flavor bouncing off the tongue and back again. I’ve read that dark chocolate has some healthy attributes, but unfortunately I prefer the light chocolate. It’s kind of like a nerve tonic for me.” I put my hand to my mouth, checking to be sure there wasn’t a trail of drool on my chin.

Does this, by any chance, sound like I understand Sandi’s addiction? Well, yes, I do. I wrote from experience and actually downplayed it.

 My Hero

Writers can give their characters all kinds of addictions or habits. As you can tell, candy can be one of them. However, a fictional character might also be fighting against an addiction to cigarettes or alcohol, or any number of other things. Some characters may be addicted to using certain words in their dialogue. It happens.

In all honesty, I believe having things they have to battle makes them more real to the reader, and maybe more relatable.

Before describing what she feels chocolate does for her, Sandi runs into a wall, figuratively speaking.

**I reached for my chocolate. There was no more chocolate. I searched through my backpack, but it was all gone. My heart thumped a couple of extra beats and I wondered if this was the way a smoker might feel if they ran out of cigarettes and there were no more. Anywhere. Well, I’m a bigger person that that. I could live without chocolate. Piece of cake.

When her partner, Pete, realizes she’s out of chocolate, he reacts.

** He took a step back. He knew. If he had any chocolate, he’d probably run out the front door and toss it to me as he ran by, and I doubted he’d be back until I’d eaten every last bite.

When we give our characters idiosyncrasies or addictions, the other characters have room to react and emphasize the problem. Many times the characters play off of each other. Chocolate may be a small thing to many, but it can help keep the story moving, as can other habits or addictions.

Unfortunately, when I write about Sandi and her chocolate, I find myself developing a craving. Consequently? I keep a candy dish on my desk with goodies in it.

Now that I think about it, I don’t recall giving Pete an addiction, other than he likes to keep busy. The same can be said about many men and women. I think some women react differently to things that keep them motivated. Curiosity will keep women motivated and, whether they’ll admit it or not, many men are the same way.

The point is, think about keeping your characters real. Maybe a specific color will play a part in their lives. It doesn’t always have to be an addiction to a specific thing. Can you become addicted to a color? (I’m shrugging my shoulders.) I love yellow. It’s cheerful. There’s a lot of yellow in my life. I even have a yellow trench coat.

Watch the people around you and pay attention to your own habits. You’ll begin to see things that fit a character in your book, even if it’s a character who only plays a part in one book.

Think about it. What addiction or habit might make your characters memorable? Peanut butter? Ice cream? Jelly beans? A particular car? A song? Maybe a cranky attitude. What might endear your character to readers?

Until next time, try to give something up and see how well you do. Of course, in my case chocolate will be the exception.

** Excerpts from Old Murders Never Die – A Sandi Webster Mystery

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website (Sorely in need of updating)

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Is Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery about an addiction? Probably not, but you might give the book a try.

 Yes, that is a mummy sitting in the chair

The Invisible Author

I was listening to a saleswoman talking about being invisible to customers the other day and it suddenly struck me what a good point she had. Authors can be invisible while writing and it can be quite helpful.

 I tried to make myself invisible, but I ended up looking like a vampire.

Write a scene and then stop to observe for a moment. Step inside the story and take note of each point you or your character has made.

Let’s say you’ve written a scenario where your character is going to have a confrontation with someone. You’ve described where this is going to take place, but have you mentioned what might be giving your character the feeling that something is wrong before the confrontation?

While your character might be watching out the window, trying to decide what to do next, put her/him in “Freeze” mode. In your mind, you step into the scene. Look around. See what your character sees that you might not have mentioned yet. Does she see a shadow under the tree in her yard? Does she see a pile of cigarette butts outside her door? Is there a muddy footprint  on her porch?

There’s always the possibility none of this will work. Let your character, with you on her heels, take a walk in the park late at night, or through an empty warehouse. Put her/him in “freeze” mode again.

While she or he is standing quietly, you (the Invisible Author) can go anywhere you want to and you can plant some clues. On the other hand, you can decide to let your character be taken completely by surprise. You’ll probably still want to look around and see what will show up in the scene though. It won’t be just two people confronting each other. The surroundings are part of the scene.

The fact that you can put everything on Hold while you snoop around and search for things to make the scene unique can be interesting. I did it in Old Murders Never Die. There was a ghost town called Wolf Creek in the story and I had the opportunity to survey the entire place in my mind while I wrote the book. I even drew myself a map so I‘d know where every building and house sat. I was able to figuratively walk through deserted buildings and streets and see what people had left behind over a hundred years earlier. It was fun being the invisible observer, and it made writing the book more interesting, too.

Taking this a step farther, if you’re a reader you might enjoy being an invisible observer, too. You can mentally yell, “Look out!” at a character and, although you’re standing right behind them, they won’t hear you. It’s one more way to be interactive with the story you’re reading.

Another way you, as the Invisible Author, can add to your story is to watch what people are doing, often unintentionally. Maybe your character is in a restaurant asking someone prying questions and the person is nervous. Watch as they fold and unfold their napkin, or tap their fingers on the table top. They could be chewing on their lip, or their eyes could be darting nervously around the room. Maybe this person spills their iced tea when, with shaking hands, they set it on the table. Small actions can be very important.

These are simple things, but as the Invisible Author there’s a whole vista of things or mannerisms open to you. If this isn’t something you already do, then give it a try. As the Invisible Author you might even kick the bad guy in the shins, although he won’t feel a thing. Scratch that and let a dog bite him on the ankle and run away.

Have you been unconsciously snooping in your own book? Are you finding or planting clues your character may have missed? Are you boldly walking around the setting for a scene? Rub your hands together and get busy.

Until next time, enjoy the world of fiction and figure out what you can add to it to make it more memorable.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Love a good ghost town story? Try Old Murders Never Die – A Sandi Webster Mystery. It’s an oldie but a goodie.