Catching UP!

Artist Karen Phillips created this cover for Virginia Winters's newest addition to her Dangerous Journeys genealogical series. Isn't it nice?
 

Books that went to press this week:

DEADLY RECEPTION, by C.M. Albrecht
RAIN SONG, by Bobbi Sinha-Morey  (e-book only)


Galleys that went out, or went out again, this week:

CONSORTIUM, by Steven Clark Bradley

Work began or continued on the following:

NO MOTIVE FOR MURDER: A DANGEROUS JOURNEYS MYSTERY, by Virginia Winters
A DESIRE PATH, by Jan Shapin


Galleys still out with the authors:

COMFORT OF THE SHEPHERD, by Barbara Garro
DEATH SHADOWS, by Sharon Jordan
WHEN DEAD CATS BOUNCE, by Newton Love
NIGHT SHIFT, by Lisa Marie Brennan
BEER CART GIRLS SAVE THE WORLD, by John Piccarreto

Scene structure -- writing tip

 We went to press yesterday, with another new book by C.M. Albrecht. And now for a question from my e-mail.

Question:  A writer in my group just throws in a scene break any time she wants to change viewpoint. And yes, I agree with her that you DO need one if you are going to change the viewpoint character. But sometimes there are three "scene breaks" within ONE conversation. Isn't a scene supposed to have structure, too? Shouldn't there be more reason  for a change of scene than just because you want another character to react by thinking something?

Answer:  Yes, dramatic scenes should be structured and they should have a dramatic dynamic. Having too many very short scene breaks  can make a manuscript feel "choppy" to the reader and cause him or her to lose interest in the action.

Every dramatic scene has the same structure.  Here it is:

    1. Transition, preferably with hook

    2. Rising action and dialogue

    3. Turning point of the scene (the place where something changes forever)
        (if nothing changes, the scene goes, no matter how well written)

    4. End/resolution of the scene, preferably with another hook. Usually when we come to the end of a scene,

    * * *


we indicate it with the double line break, at least two extra lines of "white space" and most people use the three stars, a line, or some other indication, if someone will use their manuscript to typeset a book one day. Many typesetting programs close up all blank lines. Small publishers, and even big ones, usually use the electronic manuscript file the author sends to typeset the manuscript. This is why it has become so important to send  in pristine manuscripts.

Once the turning point is reached, then a final hook for that scene is set, and the scene ends.  The Scene Ends Right There! Yes, as soon as the point is made, STOP and end with a question, regardless of what else might have happened in real time.

If you are in one character's viewpoint, and want to show what another character is thinking, there are other ways than saying "she thought."

One way to get emotion across for a character, when we're in another character's viewpoint, is to use body language to express their inner feelings. We all read body language all the time. It does no good for someone to tell us, "I'm not upset at all," if their face is red, and their arms are crossed firmly on their chest, while one foot jerks from the knee.

There is almost no difference between the reader's reaction to the following in a scene where Mary is lying to Colin and you want to indicate that he thinks she's lying. The first way uses the example of  a switch to his viewpoint.

 Example 1:

Mary tried her best to convince Colin that she had  not be unfaithful.

* * *

Colin thought she was lying.

* * *

Mary stared at him, wondering how she could make him believe her.

* * *

She wasn't going to get away with this, Colin thought, as he slammed the door.


Example 2:

Mary tried her best to convince Colin that she had not been unfaithfil. No matter how many times she told him so, he just stood there and stared with a look of disbelief on his face.

"You have to believe me. John means nothing to me! It's you I love."  She wept as Colin turned, walked out, and slammed the door.


Example one shows us Colin's thoughts from inside his head.  But in example two, we have no doubt as to what Colin is thinking, do we?

Scalloped Veal cutlets -recipe

Robert Legleitner’s Scalloped Veal cutlets

1     lb veal cutlets sliced thin.
½     cup flour
6     tbsp. butter
1/4     cup sherry (the good stuff too)
2     tbsp. chopped parsley
4     ounces or so of sliced mushrooms
     salt and pepper to taste

Dredge  the veal in flour and sauté in butter for 3 or 4 minutes each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add sherry, parsley, and mushrooms.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Should serve 4.

Contributed by Robert L. Legleitner, author of The Golden Legend...Gay, German-born archaeologist Kydon Schmidt has a secret that would ruin him.... in the homophobic atmosphere of the 1940s. So when the U.S. Government recruits him for a mission against Nazi artifact collectors, he is not in a position to refuse. Great action and adventure. You won't be disappointed!

Too improbable? - writing tip

Question: You always advised your students to join writers' groups as if they could give no other good advice they would, at least, ask "What have you written this week?"  But I'm starting to think I ought to search for a new group. They all agree that my work is, "Too hard to believe" and all my plot twists are either "impossible" or "improbable." Okay, my stuff "pushes the envelope." But I have avidly read books with weirder plots than mine...any ideas?

Answer: Thinking back to my own writer's group days (with many thanks to the critique sessions at IWWG) my best Guess is that it's either a lack of foreshadowing, or a failure to write the action convincingly. Knowing your work from your student days, my guess is foreshadowing.

It is important to foreshadow and many writers fear to do it, in case they give too much away. FORESHADOWING is a technique that leads the reader smoothly along, hinting at what is coming next. Foreshadowing makes future action more believable. Most of us don't notice it, but when it's not there, crises seem too precipitate, changes too sudden, surprises are -- well, too much of a shock not to overcome some readers', "Willing suspension of disbelief."

For instance if your crisis is going to be the landing of a space ship from Mars, you want to have some character see a few UFOs before it happens. Then use a writer's best tool, Denial, to sell their existence. It's not enough, either, just to let the reader see them when they happen. After they do see the UFOs,  (and talk about) them, the other characters should tell them how impossible their experience was. The More they say there ARE NO UFOs, the more the reader will sub-consciously believe they're there. This will NOT give away the landing of the Martians, but it will foreshadow that UFOs exist and the reader will be prepared to believe in therm when the Martians land. Just ask H.G. Wells -- or Orson Wells -- or even Richard Dreyfuss.

One way to convince a reader improbable action is possible, is to juxtapose it with everyday things. Barbara Michaels always has her characters discuss their ghosts, satanic possessions, and hauntings while eating hamburgers or pizza. The reader believes in the pizza and "swallows" the ghosts along with it. Don't laugh. She grounds the experience in something every reader has experienced....

Remember, the reader is on the hero or heroine's side. And on your side. By picking up the book, they gave you that gift of a "willing suspension of disbelief."   Anna, I think this may just be the foreshadowing, but I AM guessing. If I'm wrong, let me know.

All fiction writers are liars, but it's important to tell a good and convincing lie. That's the fiction writer's job -- to spin the dream, so it continues, without any wake-up calls.

Please KNOW, the spam is NOT from us!

Ever since my first ISP went out of business, I have kept the email address

arline@mail.com active and had it forwarded to whatever my current ISP is.  In the last 14 years, that has changed six times, but my goal, in having arline@mail.com in use is so that anyone who has that address can always reach me

CURRENTLY, Someone is sending a great deal of spam (judging  from the number of undeliverable messages I'm receiving) purporting to be from arline@mail.com. At least that is what is on the Return address line.



ANYONE CAN TYPE ANYTHING IN THAT LINE. And when folks do business on the Internet some people take delight in appropriating their e-mail to send less-than-appropriate messages.

This message appears to say:

"good day, how do you think you remember me now, I ve dug up on the
 Internet, will be very interesting"  

It's barely English and probably contains a trojan to rip off still more e-mail addresses from your addressbook. Never answer such a message or click on any contact links in one.

If you receive anything like that and it says "From: arline@mail.com PLEASE KNOW THAT I DID NOT send these messages. Nor are any of the bogus messages I've had returned to anyone in MY addressbook.  BUT SOMEONE SENDING SPAM IS USING MY RETURN ADDRESS.

If you get any of it, I am sorry

Catching UP!

Books that went to press, or went back to press this week:

TERROR REIGNS, by Eleanor Cross

DRAGON SPEAKER, by Ray Morand

Galleys that went out, or went out again this week:

WHEN DEAD CATS BOUNCE, by Newton Love

RAIN SONG, by Bobbi Sinha-Morey

 

Work began or continued on the following:

A DESIRE PATH, by Jan Shapin

DEATH SHADOWS, by Sharon Jordan

CONSORTIUM, by Steven Clark Bradley
Galleys that are still with the authors:


Galleys still out with the authors;


THE COMFORT OF THE SHEPHERD, by Barbara Garro

NIGHT SHIFT, by Lisa Marie Brennan

Koftas -- recipe

Bobbi Sinha-Morey’s Koftas

1     lb. ground pork              1     tsp. ginger
1/4     tsp. red chilli powder          1     Tbsp. paprika
1/2     tsp. garam masala             1/4     tsp. ground cloves
1/4     tsp. cinnamon                1     tsp. salt
3     Tbsps. yogurt             3     Tbsps. sultanas
   
Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Using your hands,
make sixteen 1 inch meatballs and set them aside on waxed paper.

Spray a frying pan with Pam cooking spray and fry the koftas to a golden brown.
Let them drain on a paper towel.

1     tsp. cumin                           1/4     tsp. pepper
1     big onion, chopped              1     cup water
6     cloves garlic, chopped         1     cup frozen peas
1    inch ginger, grated                 1     Tbsp. flaked coconut
1     tsp. green chilli, chopped       1     Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1    tsp. paprika

Roast the cumin seeds in a skillet until they turn a lovely brown color and grind them to a fine powder. Mix this with the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, paprika, pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. Pour this into a frying pan and cook on low heat for five minutes. Gradually stir in the rest of the water and peas. Add the koftas, coating them with the sauce.

Cover and simmer for half an hour. Frequently turn the koftas to make sure they get throughly cooked. Garnish with the flaked coconut and sesame seeds.

Contributed by poet, Bobbi Sinha-Morey, whose latest title is RAIN SONG.