Trying Times

Hi everyone! I haven’t written a post in a long time, and with our stay-at-home days, now felt like the right time. I sincerely hope you’re all well and that you’ve found things to fill your time.

I stocked up on chocolate, so I’m happy. Too bad I didn’t stock up on toilet paper and tissues. Has anyone noticed, in the middle of all the talk about hoarding toilet paper, that the facial tissues have disappeared, too? Cleaning products? Forget it.

I know that people are having a difficult time during the Covid19 pandemic. Some people are feeling fear and panic. Wasn’t it Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, in his 1933 Inaugural Address, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself?” Be cautious, use your common sense, and live your life, even if it’s within the confines of your own home. Read a book, watch television, play games or do whatever holds your interest. I hear a neighbor outside mowing his lawn. I live in the far northwest corner of the United States. It’s still cold here and I wouldn’t be out mowing my lawn, but to each his own.

Because of a few health issues, I’ve made my last trip to the grocery store for a while. I’m not willing to take chances so I’m using my common sense and staying at home, looking for things to keep me busy. My writing keeps me busy. My housecleaning keeps me busy, too, but there’s only so much you can do. So here I am, writing a post after a very long time.

I’m a firm believer in humor keeping us going. My daughter has found several jokes online. Some of them are dark humor, but I have to admit that they can still make me laugh.

One of my all-time favorite movies is 1947’s “The Egg and I,” with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It’s entertaining and based on the humorous memoir by Betty MacDonald. As a newlywed, her husband wanted to start a chicken farm in Washington State. When she visited her family in Seattle, she related stories of her adventures, or misadventures, on the farm. Her sisters talked her into writing the book.

Once, when visiting my grandmother, I saw the book sitting on her shelf and she gave it to me. I’m afraid it’s been sitting on my own bookshelf since the late 1980s. On a whim, I picked it up this morning and started to read it. I’m only a few pages into the memoir and I can already see the humor in it. I have a feeling when I sit down this evening, with the book, that I won’t be able to put it down.

I believe she wrote the book in 1945. In those days no one had ever heard of political correctness. She’s honest in her feelings, and she’s funny. Set aside the PC attitude and enjoy a good story.

So instead of watching a drama on TV, or reading a horror story, try picking up something with humor. Look for the humor around you.

One of my dogs, Sugar, has a “thing” on her neck. It looks awful. I called the veterinarian yesterday and they had me send photos of this “thing.” It seems she probably scratched or cut her neck and it’s turned into a bacterial infection. I drove to the vet’s office (and it felt so good to get out of the house) , parked, and called them on my cell phone. They have a little table outside, by the front door. A young woman stepped outside, set Sugar’s medications on the table, and scurried back inside. I then left the car and picked up the package. Nothing funny about this so far, right?

I brought home antibiotics and a spray for her neck. After I sprayed her neck, my other dog, Murphy, was so excited and wanted to sniff what I’d sprayed on her. Knowing him, he probably thought I did it just for him. One sniff and he made a fast U-turn and ran out of the room. Oh, yes, the spray has a pungent odor. Murphy’s reaction was one of those things you had to see to recognize the humor in it. Sugar is probably thinking, “Spray me again so he’ll leave me alone.” He does act a little pushy from time to time. By the way, Murphy is a very large Yellow Lab trying to run on a hardwood floor. His exit was not graceful.

My whole point is, try to stay busy, use your common sense and look for something that will make you laugh. At the very least, you want something that will put a smile on your face.

My thoughts are with you all and I pray for all of us every day. God bless you and I wish you good health!

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

(Sorry, but my website is a thing of the past. If I ever work up the courage, I may build a new one in the future.)

The latest Sandi Webster mystery is titled, “No One Will Find Me” and you might find a touch of humor as you get into the story. How do you combine a serial killer, suspense and humor? It can be done.

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

Making Characters Memorable

Think about your friends and relatives, and even the people you don’t care for – maybe even someone you saw on the evening news. Now picture them sitting on chairs in a circle, as a group. Is one of them tapping a foot? Maybe one is looking off into space, bored to tears. Is there a woman sitting up straight, knees held primly together, appearing expectant? Is one of them a killer? (Of course one of them is a killer because I write mysteries.)

Everyone has traits that make them memorable, whether the memories are good or bad. The same goes for fictional characters. Writing them so they’ll be remembered is half the battle. A good storyline is made even better by the individuals who carry the story.

I write two series. In the Sandi Webster Mysteries, Sandi sighs frequently, almost taking it to competitive levels. Her partner, Pete, is overly protective sometimes, and he shrugs things off (literally) a lot, but other than that I haven’t figured out his “tells” yet.

Who can forget Stanley Hawks and Felicity DuBois-Hawks, a couple whose clumsiness endears them to the other characters, and readers. Sandi’s mother, Livvie Brewster is menopausal and has all kinds of quirks.

Are these memorable traits? Readers asked for more of Livvie because they enjoy her menopausal antics and some say they can relate to what she’s going through. Felicity’s little “accidents” are humorous and readers asked to see more. I obliged the requests.

In The Bogey Man Mysteries, Pamela Cross rolls her eyes even though her mother once told her they might get stuck that way. Well, to be honest, Sandi rolls her eyes a lot, too. Chris Cross, The Bogey Man, bears a strong resemblance to Humphrey Bogart. He rolls his upper lip under, tugs on his ear and rolls back on his heels.

What about other peripheral characters? How do people react under stressful circumstances? Their traits will tell you whether they’re nervous or not. Someone picking at a napkin in a restaurant, a twitching eye, or even that tapping foot can tell you how a character is handling a given situation. A woman rapidly tapper her fingernails on a table can be annoying, and yet telling.

Remember the people you had sitting in a circle? Let’s take a look at them. Watch Aunt Ivy. She’s looking everywhere except at the other people. She’s drumming her fingernails on her knee. She puffs air into her cheeks until she looks like a chipmunk, and then releases it slowly. Her right knee begins to bounce. She keeps glancing at the exit. Does she have something better to do than sit with this group of people? Is she annoyed? Or is she avoiding looking at the others because she has a secret? Or maybe she knows a secret. Maybe she wants to leave so there’s no chance she’ll spill the beans.

Fred, the man who lives down the street, keeps swallowing like his mouth is too dry. Is he nervous? He’s pulling on his shirt collar, too. Maybe he just doesn’t interact well in a group. He could be self-conscious. Then he says, “Hey! When are we gonna get this show on the road? I’ve got a football game to watch.” Oh, football. I get it.

Frieda keeps rubbing her arms, like she’s cold. When she’s not rubbing her arms, her fingertips pat a rhythm on her chest. Her eyes dart from fact to face. What’s her story?

Sam is staring at his hands. He’ll look up when someone speaks, but then his attention goes back to his hands. He keeps sniffling, and his eye twitches. Or is he winking at Frieda?

So when writing characters, give them habits and mannerisms. What they do is as important as what they say and where they are. It makes them come to life for the reader. Let them be clumsy or nervous or snooty or funny, or even a little eccentric. Any trait or mannerism you give them can make them memorable.

Uh oh, look out! Fred just made a break for it. He’s out the door and gone. He’s got a football game to watch and nobody’d better get in his way. I sure hope he wasn’t the killer.

Until next time, watch the people around you, but not to the point where they think you’re a little weird. Study their mannerisms. Even if you don’t write books, it can be very entertaining.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website (recently updated)

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

COMING SOON: One Adventure Too Many – A Sandi Webster Mystery (More on this soon)

Me and My Shadow

             

     The Shadow and The Me

In this case, Sandi Webster (of the Sandi Webster Mysteries) is the “Me” and I’m the “Shadow”, depending on your point of view. We’ll work with my point of view.

I’m sure readers often wonder if the writer of a series is part of the protagonist.  To some extent, it’s very possible. It’s often been said to write about what you know about.

I’ve also heard that readers want to know a little bit more about the author.

I shadow Sandi around during her escapades and add things I know about, such as being a chocoholic. I try to downplay it a bit, but I’ve always got chocolate within reach. She’s run out on occasion and since it’s her “comfort food,” that can turn into an issue.

Sandi is 5’3” and I’m 5’2”. While I don’t know much about being tall (unless I’m standing on a ladder), I do know something about being relatively short. If you’re a shorty, when’s the last time you tried to reach a product you needed that was placed on the top shelf at the store? I frequently have to ask another customer to reach things for me.

Sandi and her husband Pete drive a Jeep. So do I. Sandi has an imagination. So do I. Sandi’s a bit naïve. So am I.

She sighs and rolls her eyes frequently. I didn’t realize I do those things until my husband (God rest his soul) read one of my books and called it to my attention. “Why are you always sighing and rolling your eyes?” He knew I’d done those things long before Sandi did them.

That’s probably about where Sandi and I part ways. She’s a private eye and I’m not, although I probably would have enjoyed that type of work. She frequently deals with death. Thankfully, I don’t. She also has friends (Felicity and Stanley) whom she adores. I have friends whom I also adore, but Felicity and Stanley aren’t knockoffs of the people I care about. Sandi takes more chances than I probably would under the same circumstances. However, you never know what one will do when faced with a particular situation.

Sandi goes places and does things that I’ll never be able to do. I’d love to be stranded in a ghost town like she was in Old Murders Never Die and solve a mystery in the process.

Have I ever purposely included personality traits of someone I know in characters in a book? You bet. In Choosing One Moment – A Time Travel Mystery, I included traits of someone I know in three of the characters, and they were all good qualities.

After having said all of the above, I have to admit there’s a difference in the book I’m working on now. I needed to do a lot of research for the new book and found myself frequently running into a brick wall. Consequently, Sandi is having the same issues. There’s plenty of action, but she’s working on another old crime(s). With old murders comes research. In real life, if Sandi was real, she’d probably be standing next to me banging her head against the wall about now. Of course, stories need a resolution, and I’m sure she’ll prevail.

So when you read a Sandi Webster book, mentally look behind her and I’ll bet you’ll see a 5’2” shadow following her. Maybe, depending on the time of day, her shadow will have morphed into someone tall.

As a reader, do you enjoy learning tidbits about writers you enjoy? As a writer, do you include some of your traits and habits in your protagonist? The curious want to know. Or in this case, The Shadow wants to know.

Until next week, don’t be a shadow. Be the “Me” in your life, and have a great week.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Check out the book trailer for Old Murders Never Die at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBOpzq-wDM