I attended a program at my local library today with Quraysh Ali Lansana Quraysh Ali Lansana – Wikipedia, poet and author of 20 books. He was born in my hometown of Enid, OK and graduated from Enid High School in 1982.
The Friends of the Library provided a light breakfast followed by a reading of his latest children’s book of poetry, A Gift from Greensboro. Through a grant, he was able to give the book away and made sure there were enough for every child in the Enid school system. The message was loud and clear, love your neighbor.
Thank you for coming, Quraysh, and welcome back to Enid.
Jimmy Buffett died this week. Someone said, he died perfectly on the last long weekend of the summer, Labor Day, so people could celebrate accordingly. I had a margarita at dinner last night.
I loved his music, being a beach bum myself, but mostly I just loved the lifestyle. The official cause of death (other than being old) was lymphoma caused from skin cancer. I don’t know if that is true, but skin cancer seems like a likely candidate since he lived his life in the sun.
My sisters and I hung out at the local pool all summer when we were kids unless we were at the lake with our family. I am a lover of the water, an Aquarius by birth, so I loved the lifestyle even more than the music. And I created two kids who mimic those thoughts.
I’m not so young myself. I had a colonoscopy this week (yeah!) and I found another classmate from high school died this morning. I didn’t know her well, but with a class of approximately 675 people, I missed a few. I am living my life to the best of my ability because I know we don’t get to stay here forever.
So, raise a glass, or fishing pole, or bikini top (and lather on the sunscreen), and find that lost shaker of salt, for another month, because old man winter is on the way.
“Waistin’ away again in Margaritaville.” What are you reading/writing/learning this week?
It’s almost the end of August—almost the end of summer—the beginning of the end. As a kid I could hardly wait until summer; lazy days of swimming pools and libraries, going to the lake and playing with friends. Now, I can’t wait for the heat to be over. I constantly water my plants to keep them alive and battle mosquitos while doing it. Now I can’t wait for fall.
We have some cousins who we travel with now and then, and we’ve made a pact, an old person pact, we only travel when the weather is nice. We make trips in spring and fall and hunker down in the winter and summer. My joints ache in the winter and I don’t handle the heat like I used to. Old age.
The neighbors have given us tomatoes and peppers from their garden, the kids have gone back to school, and the basil is chest high. I need to make pesto. This morning the temperatures were down to the 70s today. I plan to walk the dog and pull some weeds that are taking over the garden. It’s been too hot (108°!) to do anything but stay inside, close the blinds, and hope the AC continues to hum. But I’ve written every day. My lazy daze of summer have changed substantially over the years.
I ordered a fall sweater the other day in preparation for the season. I don’t really think summer is over, the weather is just a brief reprieve, but I am looking forward to pumpkin spice and sweatshirts. I recently made plans for a day trip to Norman in mid-November and wondered if there would be ice and snow. I live in Oklahoma and know how quickly the weather can change. You need to be prepared.
Enjoy the end of another season and this week of cooler temperatures, but don’t get too comfy. It’s not really the end.
Yesterday I attended the annual Metropolitan Library’s Lit Fest. It is held in Oklahoma City at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. I had not been to this beautiful facility, and I had so much fun. I traveled with a friend from the Enid library and ran into authors from all over the state. Some I knew, some I got to know.
I was with the Sisters in Crime Tornado Alley author group that I recently joined. We spoke about mystery writing on an author panel and it was possible it snowed in that auditorium. We were freezing to death! And it was 108 degrees outside.
There may or may not have been some shoe shopping on the way home from Oklahoma City. It was a fun day.
The library is four stories and is a beautiful modern building. I looked over the balcony at the dizzying heights and took a picture.
There was a sandwich shop in the library and participants had access to bagels, cookies and many pots of coffee. We were welcomed and showed off our wares to the public. I only had time for one presentation, but it was a good one. There were many speakers throughout the day.
I highly recommend attending this festival next year if you have not. It is free to the public, authors are selling their books, software companies are showing you the latest and greatest in software to assist you with your writing, speakers are teaching you things you need to know, and mostly you will have a great time.
Thank you Metropolitan Library’s Lit Fest for making us all feel so welcome. I’ll see you again next year.
Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. is offering 7 free writing workshops, one per month, throughout the year starting in September. They are through Zoom and geared toward 9-12th grade but any age is welcome. You will need to sign up for them at this link OWFI’s Writing Workshops — Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI)
There will be 7 workshops with 7 different instructors and 7 different subject matters (lucky No 7!) If you or anyone you know is interested, give them this information. We will be putting this out to the schools and libraries as well.
Just because you aren’t a kid anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t learn! When you sign up, you will receive emails reminding you of the workshop and giving you a Zoom link. Join us and encourage someone under the age of 18 to come too. We want to encourage a whole new generation of writers.
Amazon has put my murder mystery, Blooming Greed, on sale for $3.51 in Kindle or paperback version. It is a great time to pick up a copy!
Erim Shipley is a young lawyer with a nose for mystery. In Blooming Justice, she was just blooming into that role as a college student and a protégé to her aunt. Now she’s back in the next mystery once again set on Keystone Lake. Blooming Greed is the second in the Keystone Lake series.
Erin Shipley grew up on Keystone Lake before moving to Tulsa and becoming an associate attorney. Now, she’s back, representing a client who is concerned about the flooding and property values around the lake. Properties underwater are being bought and sold for pennies on the dollar by someone called T & H Realty. When her friend’s uncle, Jeff, dies mysteriously on the lake, Erin wonders if it has anything to do with the real estate scam and launches an investigation. The dam is old and zebra mussels are clogging it, not allowing enough water to flow out. If the dam breaks, it will flood downtown Tulsa and areas around it. But that’s not the only danger…whoever killed Jeff isn’t finished with their diabolical plan, and Erin and those she loves are at risk from more than just a dam break.
Will the aging dam break from the tremendous rains of the season? Will Erin find out who killed Uncle Jeff before he strikes again? Her lake is in danger and so are all the people who live around it. Grab a copy while it’s on sale and leave a review. I think you will like it.
Last fall, I introduced you to the members in my writing club. Most of them agreed to an interview at that time. But Cathy Thomas is BUSY!!! She teaches band at a local school and finally with summer break she had time to answer my questions.
Cathy Thomas is a member of the Enid Writers Club. Her piece in our anthology, Prose Colored Glasses, Amazon.com : prose colored glasses book enid writers club is wonderful reading. Check it out. But first, here’s a little bit about Cathy, the person.
1. What drives you to write?I got tired of holding conversations with myself in my head, so I decided to write them down as characters in a story. Additionally, I’ve been writing since I was in high school. I wrote a column for our weekly county paper in Pennsylvania about our local high school happenings. Every morning at school I was the student who read the announcements over the loudspeaker, and so I pretty much know what was going on at the school. That was when I got hooked on writing. I also found that I write the way I think I talk.
2. What genre do you write, and why?That’s a tough one. I write all kinds of things. My consistent writing is non-fiction magazine, technical writing, and newsletter articles. I have a monthly byline in a local magazine, and for the last couple of months have been the writer and editor of a weekly newsletter for a summer reading camp. I write about gardening, so I do lots of research. I like learning new information about subjects that I like – such as gardening, biology, ecology and sciences in general.
3. Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction?For reading I prefer fiction, usually political murder mystery, cozy mysteries, or sci-fi – but not fantasy. I don’t care for unicorns, elves or vampires. I also like a good novel with no mystery. One of my favorite series was the novels by Jean Auel – Clan of the Cave Bear and others. Recently, I really enjoyed reading the historical novels about the pack mule librarians of Kentucky. For writing I like the thrill of sci-fi – using viruses, or historical settings, some time travel, or just plain novels of everyday historical life in America- usually the northeast, where I’m from. (ugh, terrible grammar)
4. What’s your writing schedule?Do you write every day?I don’t write every day. I SHOULD write every day, but I don’t. Writing is still a whimsy for me, even writing my articles. If I have to schedule it, I would say my schedule is “Oh shoot! I have an article due tomorrow!” schedule, so at least twice a month. Knowing that I have articles due or that I am working on “the next great chapter” I spend more time doing research and editing than I do writing.
5. What is your favorite song and why?Unfair question. I’m a music teacher and so that is a loaded one, for me. I prefer listening to classical music – whether orchestral or classical guitar or Gregorian chant, I like most music. More contemporary songs I’d say I have 2 favorite. I am a very spiritual person, with great faith. Not necessarily religious, although I do attend a church fairly regularly. “Precious Lord” is a favorite hymn as it reminds me that I’m not always in control, but at the same time, I am never totally alone. My other favorite is “Longer Than” by Dan Fogelberg. Not only is it romantic, which I am a hopeless romantic, but it also shows that love is timeless. It is not necessarily romantic love but can also be the love of a parent for a child. I used to sing these to both my girls when they were little and occasionally they still ask me to sing to them.
6. If you could hang out with any literary character from any book penned at any timeline,who would it be, why, and what would you do together?Ayla from the Clan of the Cavebear series. She was such a strong character and quick to learn. She was a creative problem solver. She had a knack of seeing both striking and subtle beauty. I love that even when situations were difficult, she always had time to help and heal others. She made it through difficult times in her life and came out stronger for it. One of her talents in the stories was weaving baskets. I would like to sit and make reed baskets and just listen to her stories.
Cathy Thomas is a classical musician who plays the bassoon, teaches band and fine art at a local high school. She has been writing for newspapers, magazines and children’s books since high school. Writing is still more a hobby than an income as she enjoys writing to educate and entertain her readers. Along with music and art, Cathy is a third-generation puppeteer. Her grandfather was a part of the WPA as a schoolteacher and was charged with keeping puppetry alive as a form of public theatre. This historical antecedent is why one of her favorite genres to write is historical fiction. She loves doing research into different historical periods of time in American history. Cathy’s attitude of feet on the ground and head in the clouds developed growing up as the youngest of three girls of a college art professor father and home economics teacher mother. Creativity, education, individuality and happiness are core values taught to her from a young age which have spanned her life.
This week I wanted to let you know about an upcoming podcast interview on Rendezvous With a Writer that will take place this Thursday evening. I met Bobbi Jean and Jim Bell a few years ago when I was interviewed on The Writers Block, part of LA Talk RadioRendezvous With A Writer | LA Talk Radio. Jim Christina, the host, made me feel so welcome and invited me back. So I took him up on his offer. Since Jim’s passing, Bobbi Jean and Jim have taken over the online radio show/podcast that is now also available on video https://www.facebook.com/WritersOutWest/
Now, I love coming back and talking with the hosts and sometimes bringing someone with me. This Thursday, I will be guest hosting on the podcast with the Rev. Dr. John Toles, Amazon.com: John F Toles: books, biography, latest update author of The Father Savel mysteries. John has some wonderful characters in his books and I love interacting with them. His mysteries keep you guessing until the end. He is a member of my writing club and I have enjoyed his friendship as well as his writing.
Be sure to join us on Rendezvous With a Writer Thursday night at 8:00 CST. You can listen in on the LA Talk Radio site or watch us on Facebook at the link above. We’d love to have you join us. John and his characters are a lot of fun, and so are Bobbi Jean and Jim.
Last week we talked about clues in mystery writing. This week we will talk about evidence. It is the facts or information indicating whether a belief is true or valid. We think we know who the murderer is, but how did we come to that conclusion.
Evidence
Evidence and logic go hand in hand. These are the facts or pieces of information that can prove a proposition. In the world of crime, evidence comprises facts and physical details that can be used in court. Evidence can be examined, hearsay can’t.
In the realm of the mystery writer, evidence is part of the physical clues the detective can use to determine the killer.
In the modern world of forensic science, evidence can be scientific and very detailed. Before using physical evidence as clues, you’ll need to do research to understand how evidence is observed, collected, and used.
If you use evidence as clues in your mystery, be sure to get the science details right. You will lose readers if you guess.
Evidence in mystery movies or novels can include:
Discovery and elimination of suspects (in which creating false suspects is often part of the killer’s plan)
Evaluation of clues (sifting the true from the untrue)
Identification and apprehension of the killer.
Physical clues: objects or material traces, usually found at the crime scene or among the suspects’ possessions.
Biological clues: organic traces left behind.
Sherlock Holmes never met a piece of evidence he didn’t love. He placed them in order and examined them carefully. Your reader will do the same. Many readers of mystery read them to try to outwit the detective. “I knew it was him!” So don’t disappoint them.
Evidence gives us something to prove that the belief is true. Examine your evidence and be sure not to disappoint your readership.
I write mysteries and suspense novels. And I’ve spoken on the idea of how to structure them. I thought we might talk about structuring mysteries/suspense novels on this blog over the next few weeks. I did a little research and found a few things that I thought were helpful. To draft a good story, you must surprise and keep your readership. Mystery/suspense is the perfect place.
Here are some ideas for structuring your story:
Keep your reader guessing:
When you write a mystery, you set up a trail for the detective to follow until they discover the killer. The process is similar no matter what sub-genre you write—traditional mystery, cozy, crime, police procedural, private investigator, etc. That trail leads your readers into the mystery and keeps them turning pages.
Along the trail, your detective protagonist discovers clues that eventually lead him, and the reader, to the perpetrator. As a writer, your job is to plant these clues successfully.
Clues
In order to do so, it’s important to understand the difference between clues, evidence, and red herrings. Today we’ll talk about clues. You’ll be tucking these items in among the scenes in your storyline. Sometimes you want them to be evident to the detective and other times you want to hide them from your protagonist. Understanding what they are and how they work helps you construct a tight story that keeps readers guessing.
In a mystery story, a clue is anything that points the detective to the killer.
Clue is a variant of the Late Middle English clew, a ball of thread. If you remember your Greek mythology, such things can be very handy when guiding people out of labyrinths – much as a detective unravels a mystery to solve a crime.
As a writer constructing your story, you have endless possibilities to plant and hide clues along your storyline. As you outline your plot, brainstorm ideas for what clues will lead your detective toward solving the puzzle.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Physical items the victim left behind – letters, notes, notebooks, a keepsake, tickets, ticket stubs, emails, text messages, etc.
Dialogue with suspects – voicemail recordings, conversations with the detective, overheard conversations, dialogue with the detective’s opponent or love interest. Even hearsay and gossip can hide grains of truth that are clues.
Background – cultural paradigms in the victim’s world that make sense within that world. When a victim is part of a specialized world, your detective may need to know about the world in order for pieces to make sense. It could be anything from the gambling underworld to flower shows, or dog breeding, or deep-water diving, or spiritual cults, or… you get the idea.
Clues are anything the detective learns that point him toward resolving the mystery.
In the next few weeks, we’ll talk about evidence and red herrings, how to use them and where to place them in your story to keep your readership turning the page.
Join me next week for evidence. What are you reading/writing this week?
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
Peggy Chambers "Views from the Hammock" site 