Monday, August 27, 2018

The Pigeons and the Owl


Sometimes the darnedest memories raise their little heads and say, “Pick me! Pick me! I’d like to be in a post.” In this case it was the memory of pigeons.

 I once heard that if you put an owl in your yard the pigeons will stay away because the owl is a natural predator. It doesn’t have to be a live owl, just a good imitation will do. When I lived in Arizona, we had a pigeon problem. They came in by the dozen and the left their own personal little yard art signature on everything. Ick.

My husband and I went to a local auction one Saturday and there was a lovely, large fake owl, front and center. The eyes looked so realistic. I had to have it. Thankfully, there was only one other person who wanted it but they didn’t want it as much as I did. The owl had a new home, in our backyard.

We had a pond which is where the pigeons loved to congregate. They’d do everything but put their fingers (if they had any) in their ears and give us the raspberry. Pppffffffttt. Even the dogs didn’t scare them because there was a fence around the pond and the dogs couldn’t get to them. I’ll give you one guess where we put the owl. Uh huh. We set him in the rocks by the pond.

The next day I saw three pigeons sitting on the block wall. I swear, they sat there and stared at the owl. Within moments they flew away. Later in the day, the same thing happened again.

I sighed in relief. Our pigeon problem had been solved and all it took was a fake owl. Just in case, I watched again the next day. Same thing. The pigeons watched the owl, probably shivering in fear, and flew away.

Then I learned a sad lesson. Birds aren’t as dumb as you might think. A couple of days later I went outside and there were pigeons lounging around the pond. Two of them were actually sitting next to the owl, staring at it as though say, “Come on, pal. Make my day. Just try to get me.”

You might wonder what this story has to do with writing. You never know where a story idea might come from. I learned a few things from this experience, and they can be applied to pretty much any mystery. I learned that pigeons are afraid of owls. I learned that if the owl never moves, the birds begin to catch on that it’s probably not coming after them. I learned that even pigeons can flex their muscles. There were practically taunting the owl.

When you’re writing a book you have to come up with a situation and causation. You have to decide what motivates characters, whether it’s a good guy or a bad guy. Many times you need a believable confrontation. How will the confrontation be resolved?

I’m what’s called a “pantser.” Basically, that means I write the book without an outline. I sit down and start writing, figuring things out as I go along. I know how I want the story to begin, and I know how I want it to end. Filling in everything in the middle can sometimes be an issue. Sometimes the stories take off in an unplanned direction, kind of like when I realized the pigeons weren’t fooled by the owl. Sometimes my good intentions get in the way and I have to come up with a different ending than I’d planned.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta go with the flow. You’ve got to be flexible, ready to make changes. I’ve read books where the ending was forced because the author couldn’t let go of an idea. It didn’t work and the book suffered for it. Thankfully, revisions are forgiving. Pigeons? I’m not so sure. I’d swear they were trying to give us dirty looks, and I don’t think they felt very forgiving.

So how did we resolve the pigeon problem? It was simple. We started moving the owl around when the pigeons weren’t in the yard. The fake owl suddenly turned into an owl with feet and the ability to move, at least in the eyes of the pigeons.

Have you ever had to take a left turn in a book when you had your heart set on a right turn? It happens. Go with it. Be flexible and ready to write what’s going to work the best in your story. Be ready to move that owl.

Until next time, don’t take any wooden owls, uh, nickels, and if pigeons are invading your space, watch where you step. It could get ugly. Find yourself an owl.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Just out: One Adventure Too Many – A Sandi Webster Mystery. Need a few laughs? This book might provide those.



Monday, August 20, 2018

One Adventure Too Many


(There was a little confusion regarding last week’s blog. I don’t really want to be famous. “Famous Like Dolly” was a just-for-fun post. I don’t have the energy to be rich and/or famous.)

~*~

This week I’m announcing the release of One Adventure Too Many – A Sandi Webster Mystery.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marja+mcgraw&sprefix=Marja+Mc%2Caps%2C418&crid=205ZIKB5C7IVA
I once wrote a post about things that can inspire a story. It might be a photo, a figurine sitting on a shelf, something you overheard at an auction, history, or even something you saw someone do at a mall. The oddest thing that’s inspired me? A black butterfly that showed up in my yard and hung around for a while. He even let me take pictures of him – or her. I looked it up and it’s actually called a Red Admiral. The point is, almost anything can inspire a story.

One Adventure Too Many was inspired by a photo I took of an abandoned house, although I didn’t use the picture for my book cover. The house is surrounded by so many trees and so much growth that it didn’t show up clearly. However, it made me think about finding someone in the house, which would be odd since it was supposed to be deserted. Okay, maybe not so odd. There are squatters out there looking for shelter and I hope they find it, but this was a different situation. Plus, the house only plays a small part in the story and yet it was the inspiration. Go figure.

One thing led to another, and before long a story took shape. I felt like it practically wrote itself. It seemed to have a mind of its own. The ideas kept coming, and the quirky characters (Sandi Webster’s mother and aunt) kept me motivated.

I tried to think of the one thing in this story that first came to mind, but in this case it was the entire story. Sandi’s mother and aunt were foremost in my thoughts simply because they have such an interesting relationship and they view everything as an adventure.

A crime takes place in a forest area near some abandoned railroad tracks. There’s one witness, although he isn’t sure what he witnessed – he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time, thanks to his job. When he’s attacked and left for dead, the story takes off. Like the house, the witness plays a very small part in the story.

That’s the short version. Following is a second short version.

Overview:

Taking a vacation can lead to an unexpected case for private eye Sandi Webster-Goldberg. Taking a vacation with your menopausal mother, an eccentric aunt, a pregnant friend and her husband, and a flustered husband can lead to total chaos.

Pete Goldberg and Stanley Hawks take a leisurely walk in the country, only to discover an abandoned house. When Sandi, her mother, Livvie, and her Aunt Martha decide to explore, they discover that the house isn’t quite as abandoned as previously thought.

A young woman and her baby are hiding out from unknown danger. She needs help, and the three women are more than happy to oblige her.

Until next time, I’m curious. What’s the oddest thing that ever inspired a story you wrote or, if you’re a reader, what’s the oddest thing you can think of that could inspire a story?

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website (Recently updated)
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com


Monday, August 13, 2018

Famous Like Dolly


A long time ago I saw Dolly Parton interviewed and I’ve never forgotten it. She said that way back when, she went to a recording company and told them she was going to be famous. She asked if they were with her or not. They were, and she is – famous, that is. Of course, I’m paraphrasing, but Ms. Parton’s enthusiasm is catching.


So right here, right now, I’m saying that I’m going to be famous one day. I hope. I sure can’t sing, and I’m no Mary Higgins Clark, but I definitely have my own style. Whew! Delusions of grandeur? I’m laughing at myself. No delusions, but a lot of hope and spirit. (Read to the end to find out what lesson I learned.)

Still paraphrasing, Ms. Parton said something to the effect that quirky people are many times the most creative. There ya go. I’m quirky, sometimes, although I prefer to call myself eccentric. Well, I probably just have some odd habits, especially when it comes to food. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy chocolate. I also like nuts. However, I don’t like chocolate and nuts mixed together. My closet is color coordinated; all the blues together, yellows together, greens… Well, you get the idea. Maybe that’s not quirky. Maybe it’s compulsive?

Ms. Parton also said that she prays every day. We’re together on that one. So do I. There’s nothing more fulfilling than spending time with God.

Hmmm. Thanks to Dolly Parton, you’re learning more about me than I ever wanted anyone to know. I think she has a lot more self-confidence than I do though and she’s so down to earth. She’s an inspirational woman, whether she realizes it or not.

So I’m gonna be famous someday. I just hope it’s not for doing something ridiculous – like tripping in the grocery store and taking out an old lady in a wheelchair. Or being mistaken for a bank robber and going to jail until I can prove it’s a case of mistaken identity. Honestly, I don’t steal. I’m probably one of the most honest people you’d ever meet, except for those teeny tiny white lies many of us tell when we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. “Oh, yes, Edna. Yellow is definitely your color.” Yellow makes Edna look like an overripe banana, and a real friend would probably tell her, but I can’t stand hurting someone’s feelings.

How did I go from Dolly Parton to being famous one day to Edna looking like a banana? Maybe it’s part of the eccentricity; you know, the mind wanders. I’d prefer to believe that it’s just my brilliant mind leaping from subject to subject because I have so much to ponder and offer.

Back to Dolly. I admire this woman not only for her achievements, but also because she reminds me of someone with whom I could sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or a dessert, and with whom I could have a belly laugh. Doesn’t she have the sweetest laugh you’ve ever heard?

So, again, someday I’m going to be famous. And someday my wrinkles will miraculously disappear. Oh, I’m off topic again.

I’ll say this. I’ve never had more fun than when I’m writing a mystery, and that’s got to count for something. There’s nothing funny about murder, so obviously there’s some drama in my books. However, you’ll also find some humor between the book covers. I’d rather offer you a chuckle than add to your daily angst, and there's been plenty of that lately.

Well, Dolly made it and she’s famous, and she’s adorable, and she makes me smile. Maybe there’s still hope for me. I may not be adorable, but I do make a few people smile. There’s hope.

Until next time, do something adorable that makes people smile, and maybe one day you’ll be famous. If nothing else, at least you’ll be well-liked, and after all is said and done, that’s more important than being famous. (I may have just gotten my priorities straight - lesson learned.)


CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Taking a vacation can lead to an unexpected case for private eye Sandi Webster-Goldberg.
Taking a vacation with your menopausal mother, an eccentric aunt, a pregnant friend and her husband, and a flustered husband can lead to total chaos.

Pete Goldberg and Stanley Hawks take a leisurely walk in the country, only to discover an abandoned house. When Sandi, her mother, Livvie, and her Aunt Martha decide to explore, they discover that the house isn’t quite as abandoned as previously thought.

A young woman and her baby are hiding out from unknown danger. She needs help, and the three women are more than happy to oblige her.