There are Words, and Then Again, There are Words

In 2011 I wrote a post about words. Reading it again made me realize how today it’s even truer than it was then. I’m reposting it this week.

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I was going to blog about Bookstore Divas this week, but after listening to TV and news stories I’ve decided it’s time to write about words – words and figures of speech.

Several years ago, before “going postal” became a catch phrase, I was at work and talking to one of the maintenance men. I was mildly annoyed about something someone did (I can’t recall what or who) and I said, “Oh, I could just shoot him.” This maintenance man was horrified, and I was quite surprised. I hadn’t said it with venom, or even anger. I had to explain that it was only a figure of speech. He didn’t know what that meant so I had to explain it to him. By the time I walked away, I could have throttled the maintenance man, figuratively speaking.

As a writer, it breaks my heart to hear people trying to clip figures of speech out of the American dialogue. For crying out loud, not everything is meant to be taken seriously and not everything has a hidden or double meaning. A cliché is a cliché, and a figure of speech is just that – a figure of speech. There’s a time for political correctness (PC); however, I tend to think of PC as using common courtesy and common sense speech. Unfortunately, translation has gone way beyond accepting courtesy and common sense.

If I overheard someone plotting a murder and they said, “I could just shoot him,” that’s one thing. However, if I heard a friend say the same thing about the husband she was frustrated with, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. She would have been venting, letting go of some of her frustration, and that would probably be a good thing.

I was at the airport and someone asked me what I do for a living. I almost told her I write murder mysteries, but I caught myself and simply told her I’m a writer. Good grief! I didn’t want the TSA calling me aside because someone overheard me utter the word murder. I also didn’t want to be a diva and look down my nose at her and say, “I’m an author. (sniff)” I’m just a simple writer with simple ways, but I do write darned good mysteries that aren’t simple. I should be able to be proud of that and sing out the words, “I write murder mysteries! I think you’d like them,” without looking over my shoulder.

So, okay, as a writer I think people are getting carried away with the hidden meaning of words and phrases. I think the Word Police need to take a step back and think about the context in which these figures of speech are being used. Frankly, I think everyone should take a step back and hopefully realize they’re frequently making a big deal out of nothing. (Yes, I realize sometimes things are a big deal.)

I know we live in some trying and scary times and there’s more violence in the world than there should be. However, lighten up a little. There’s enough drama with what’s really going on today without worrying about catch phrases and clichés, especially in books. These are tools a writers uses from time to time and they’re also words that people use every single day, somewhere and in some way. It doesn’t mean everything they say should be taken literally.

This is at least the second time I’ve climbed up on my soap box, so it’s probably time to step down. I should get back to the mind-boggling idea of taking more comments with a grain of salt and letting others roll off my back. The only killing that goes on in my world is in books, and I’d like to keep it that way. Don’t take offense if one of my characters says something that’s not politically correct. They’re just fictional people, after all.

Until next time, have a great week and stop looking over your shoulder for the Word Police. Enjoy life at least a little.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

A Well-Kept Family Secret will soon be available in AUDIO format. Watch for it. In the meantime, What Are the Odds? is available in both ebook and paperback format.

Secrets and Treasures

When I was a child there was a game we made up and played once in a while. We called it Treasure Hunt.  I’m sure many others played this game, too. One of us would hide a “treasure” which usually consisted of a cookie wrapped in waxed paper or something like that. I think once we were brave enough to hide a quarter. The person hiding the treasure would write out clues and the other kids followed them to find their reward. (Maybe that’s one of the reasons I enjoy mysteries so much.)

Recently my husband commented that it seemed like most of my books contained hidden passages or compartments. Was he right? Had I gotten into a theme I didn’t particularly want? I sat down and thought about it. No, there was one book with hidden passages, and one with hidden compartments. However, that old Treasure Hunt came to mind. There are two books that include hidden treasures. Make that three books. Treasure can be something valuable that’s not made of gold or silver.

In the back of my mind I guess I figure if I like the idea of hidden places or things, other people might, too. Will I include more hidden things in future books? Probably. It’s fun to put together the puzzles.

I’ve read books by other authors that entranced me while I followed their clues to hidden anythings. It’s all a part of the mystery, and it’s generally a fun part.

 

I asked myself if I’ve ever found a hidden treasure – for real. Yes, but not in the same sense as in the books. I’ve discovered that when people pass away they often leave something tucked in a drawer or high on a shelf that was special to them, whether it was a treasure to anyone else or not.

My grandmother told me about a hidey hole where she’d put a few things away and when we lost her I found a vintage woman’s watch. She married in 1918, and when I looked at her wedding picture I realized she was wearing that very same watch the day she was wed. The watch might not be a treasure to anyone else, but it is to me. It was interesting, too, because as far as I know there was something new (from that time) about it. It had a little thingy on it where you could attach a chain to wear it around your neck. But it also had little thingies where you could attach the two ends of a band to wear it on your wrist. It was my grandmother’s, it was unique, and it’s a treasure to her granddaughter – me.

How do authors come up with things like hidden passages and compartments? It takes a little work. You have to decide how these passages would fit into a house and still remain secret. You have to decide where a hidden compartment would be located. I usually draw sketches to make it more clear to myself. And, of course, there’s research to see where others have placed these things.

Here’s the thing. When you write fiction, some part of it has to be realistic. You can’t just stick a hidden passage anywhere you want to and hope it makes sense. Also, there should be excuses why they’re not obvious to the characters.

When I was a child my grandparents (other side of the family) moved to a different house, and it was an old two-story home. As kids we wanted to explore the basement. Would you believe, one of us saw something that looked unusual and pushed on the wall.  A secret compartment popped open. It was long and narrow, and the only thing inside was a very old cane. I kept that cane for years and then it just disappeared. I have no idea what happened to it.

Now that you’ve read this far, here’s one of the surprising points of this post. It’s really all about figuring out what readers enjoy reading about. Secret passages? Secret compartments? Spooky old houses? Dark and stormy nights? Basements and attics are usually great places to find unusual clues – like an old cane. Why would someone hide a cane?

Some readers prefer suspense and some prefer horror. Some enjoy an old-fashioned mystery.

What “makes” a book for you?

Until next time, I hope you find a fun hidden treasure where you least expect it.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website.

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Hidden Passages: Mysteries of Holt House – A Sandi Webster Mystery

Hidden Compartments and Unexpected Treasure: They Call Me Ace – A Bogey Man Mystery

Treasure: A Well-Kept Family Secret – A Sandi Webster Mystery

                Awkward Moments – A Bogey Man Mystery

What Good is a Dog?

In honor of National Dog day, on Tuesday only (August 26, 2014), Bubba’s Ghost – A Sandi Webster Mystery, and Awkward Moments – A Bogey Man Mystery, are being offered for free in ebook format. CLICK HERE to take advantage of the free books.

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I’ve written about including animals in books in other posts, and some things are worth repeating. In my case, dogs take the lead. Bubba takes top billing in the Sandi Webster mysteries. Sherlock and Watson (male and female) inhabit the Bogey Man mysteries. Sometimes they play a peripheral role, and other times they’re up front and in the thick of things. It happens.

Dogs can be alert to things people miss. Their senses can take over where ours leave off. They can sniff out trouble or danger while we sit quietly hoping it’s going to be a quiet day.

There are working dogs who help the disabled, search and rescue dogs, and cadaver dogs. There are dogs used to locate drugs. They do all kinds of things. Did you know that dogs can become depressed over the jobs they do? And yet they keep coming back for more.

I could go on and on, but honestly? I’m not an expert. There are many authors who know a lot more than I do, but I enjoy including canines in my stories. 

 Bubba Smiling

Bubba (half wolf/half Golden retriever) has been protective of Sandi and will always be there for her. He has a very toothy dog smile that can set the bad guy’s teeth on edge, and strangers don’t know what to make of him.

Sherlock and Watson (yellow Labrador retrievers)… Well, Sherlock can be kind of a dufus sometimes. Watson watches him with interest, and if she were a person she’d probably shake her head and tell him what a dufus he is. When the need arises, they’ll be just as protective as Bubba.

In all honestly, they provide more comic relief than drama. We have two rather large dogs. To see them you’d think they’re brave, courageous and a threat to anyone who gets in their way. I have to laugh at that description. They’re so friendly the only injury you might receive would be from being knocked over as they greet you. And, get this, they’re afraid of the dark. A tarantula could crawl through the house and they’d try to play with it, but when the sun goes down? Oh, they have some interesting personality traits, to be sure.

One day my husband was out for a walk with the dogs and a coyote walked across the street from them, pacing them. Interestingly, the dogs wouldn’t look at him, and he responded in turn. He wouldn’t look at them. I don’t know if it was their size or the fact that there were two of them and a human. And they’ve been terrified of little barking ankle biters (small dogs). 

 Murphy & Sugar - Both have grown since this photo, but they still enjoy looking under the garage door

They love lying on the floor of the garage and watching the world go by from under the garage door. I guess they feel like if they can’t get out, nothing can get in. Such bravery should be rewarded. Uh huh.

They’ve learned a few things, like Leave It and Take It. If I put a treat on the floor, they have to leave it there until I tell them they can take it. It’s humorous to watch them because the female won’t look at the treat. She puts her head in the air and looks everywhere else but at the floor. The male? He tips his head down and won’t take his eyes off the floor. An earthquake could hit and his eyes would never waver. Of course, when I say Take It, he tries to grab hers, too.

Anyway, on National Dog Day I think we should take stock of our pets and maybe give them an extra treat for the day. Enjoy them. Give them some extra love and more pats.

Do you have a dog who deserves the best? Or do you have a funny story about your goofy dog? Like I said, I have one about being afraid of the dark, but I’ll probably wait and put it in a book. That comic relief comes in pretty handy sometimes.

Until next week, make the most out of life with a canine (or a cat). I hope one of them makes your day by making you laugh.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Old Cases, Cold Cases

Many people are fascinated by old murders. Think of Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, The Black Dahlia, and think about the Lindbergh Kidnapping. You can look back on them and wonder if things were really as they seemed. It’s been said there’s new evidence in the Lizzie Borden case that indicates someone else killed her parents. Jack the Ripper? Do we really know, without a doubt, who he was?

                          

What is it about old, cold cases that fascinates people? From a writer’s point of view, I think they’re somewhat easier to write about. I took stock of my own books and realized that five of my books involve murders that took place in the past. It wasn’t something I did intentionally, but after thinking about it I realized, in their own way, cold cases are easier to write about – especially fictional old murders that for some reason must be solved today.

I try to include some humor in my books, too, and it’s more difficult when writing about current crimes. There’s nothing funny about death, but you can find humor in the people solving the case and circumstances surrounding the event, especially if they’re working on something from the past.

Does it seem too coincidental when a protagonist finds old letters or clues that have been hidden away for a century? It’s not, and I’ll tell you why.

My family has always loved taking photographs. My grandmother, thankfully, never threw any photos away. They date back into the 1800s. I have family photos galore.

I have a relative who was in the Navy from 1904-1907. He took pictures of all kinds of things from the officers on his ship to the Great Wall of China.

Something unexpected happened. I was going through the family photos, they fill a large trunk, and something caught my eye. In the midst of the family photos was an unusual and disturbing one my relative took while overseas. It was a picture of a firing squad shooting people – not the kind of thing you expect to find in among family photos. I can’t even imagine how he was able to take it. There was an officer on horseback with troops standing nearby. You could actually see the smoke coming out of the guns, and… Well, I don’t want to get too graphic. My point is, you never know what you might find mixed in with family things. If I’d put that in a book, and the photo had significance in a case, no one would believe it. By the way, I had an expert look at the photo and according to him it was a foreign situation, not Americans doing the deed.

Cold cases are different from current cases because you don’t necessarily think of them in the same way. Old crimes are almost more like a legend, and in some cases, that’s what they are.

When writing about old cases the author has to do research, too. The reader needs to know what things were like in the “old days” to understand what those in the past were dealing with to solve a crime. 

With today’s technology we can do a lot more with clues than they could back in the day. Imagine trying to solve a murder back in 1880, or even 1926. You’d have to rely on circumstances much more than you would today. It could become very sticky. Today you can look at DNA, fingerprints, videos and so much more. The technology is mind-boggling.

So, again, what is the pull to cold cases? They involve looking back in time instead of looking over your shoulder. They involve more imagination. They involve a lot of “what ifs”. Things weren’t laid out in an A-B-C easy-to-read format.

Do you enjoy old cases? Do they stimulate your imagination more than current crimes? What case, solved or unsolved, has kept your interest over the years?

Until next time, look ahead, but look back, too. See if you can figure out some of the answers about Lizzie Borden or Jack the Ripper, or any other cold case. Think about what you based your conclusions on, even if you’re not sure you’re right.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

If you’d like to email Marja: hello@marjamcgraw.com

NEW AND FUN: What Are the Odds? – A Sandi Webster Mystery

OLD AND FUN:  Old Murders Never Die – A Sandi Webster Mystery

TRIED AND TRUE:  Awkward Moments – A Bogey Man Mystery