Centering and Focusing

by Paula Gail Benson

Lately, I’ve been facing days with a lot of tasks coming to me at once. I’ve had to clarify the order and set priorities. Unfortunately, I’ve often been told all matters are urgent and do the best I can. So, I do, and hope for the best.

After a flurry of activity, writing is a much stiller, calmer course. Its quietness in fact can be disconcerting and make me wonder, am I able to do this? Can I be alone with my thoughts and create when no one is imposing requirements upon me?

The empty page becomes a frightening thing because it makes no demands upon me. It simply reflects the demands I make upon myself: to produce, and hopefully to do so brilliantly.

When I dispel the feeling of possible failure and convince myself to write, I begin to recognize what a gift it gives me. The time and words are mine to explore. I can center myself on the topic I select and then focus on the elements as I uncover them.

Thanks to the Internet, I can stop briefly to look up definitions; historical, mechanical, or scientific facts; or verify that I’m remembering something correctly. Then I push myself back to my waiting page and develop what I’ve determined to create.

At this moment, I don’t let the pressure of finishing or summarizing make me frantic or turn to AI. These will be my words carefully considered, my discovery new and fresh.

I may be able to visit a place I’ve never seen or return to a familiar spot. Like an actor, I can walk around in a character’s shoes, focusing on what I might fail to notice in the hustle and bustle of everyday existence—maybe even regretting that I might not ordinarily see it.

With pen in hand, I feel the flow of the creative process through my body. I guess I feel it also when my fingers are poised over a keyboard, just in a different way.

I am centered. I am focused. I pursue the creative process alone, but hopefully I will share the results of that process with others.

How is it for you when you come to write after being involved in another experience?

The Truth About . . . Lisa Scottoline

by Paula Gail Benson

Lisa Scottoline

Quite a number of years ago, when her publication list was under a dozen (it now is thirty plus), I began reading Lisa Scottoline’s novels and could not put them down. I admired her drive in finishing law school, clerking for judges, and becoming a litigator; her courage for raising her daughter as a single parent and following her dream of writing fiction; and, when she made a trip to visit Columbia and benefit its library, her charm as a delightful human being.

It has been a while since I read one of Scottoline’s books, so when I saw her novel The Truth about the Devlins had been nominated by the International Thriller Writers for a Thiller Award for Best Standalone Thriller Novel, I had to check it out. Almost immediately, I was reminded why I previously had found her novels so captivating.

Scottoline knows how to start in the middle of the action. The opening lines set up the dilemma. One brother confesses to another that he thinks he has killed someone. The twist? It’s the favored son of the family turning to the black sheep, ex-con for help. The opening chapter is mostly dialogue with just enough narrative to let readers know who these men are and a bit about their relationship.

Scottoline knows how to keep the twists coming. The black sheep always has admired the favored son. He considers it a privilege to be called upon to help. When they reach the place where the murder occurred, no body is there. The black sheep keeps digging. But, when the brothers have to explain their absence from their father’s birthday party, the favored son throws the black sheep under the bus, making the family believe the black sheep has returned to his former addiction. The black sheep keeps his brother’s secret, even though it reflects badly upon him and makes his family question him. Still, the black sheep continues to investigate and unavoidably has an encounter with the police. Finally, he thinks the truth will come out. Instead, he finds the favored son has covered his tracks with lies that make the black sheep look all the more culpable.

Scottoline knows how to keep heaping difficulties on the hero’s life. The black sheep brother can’t catch a break. His family thinks he’s returned to addiction. He misses an arranged date due to complications from the investigation. His AA sponsor tells him he needs to grow up. He keeps remembering failures from the past and feels himself slipping.

Scottoline knows how to bring in the back story when its needed and not before. Readers are not even certain of the details of the black sheep’s arrest and incarceration until the middle of the book. Similarly, details about his relationship with his brother and with a former girlfriend are introduced gradually, usually when they can make the black sheep feel worse about his current situation.

Scottoline knows how to create compelling characters. The black sheep, who narrates the story, admits he’s not admirable like his family members. He takes readers along to an AA meeting and a time when he has to appeal to his sponsor for support. Readers also learn he has devoted himself to a new course. When, to assist his brother, he faces untrue accusations and cannot protest, he gains readers’ sympathy. When he misses the date because he’s helping his brother, but the date angrily decides he’s just ditched her, his guilt increases. Then, when his brother continues to turn the tables on him, making the entire family doubt him, readers wonder how much more he’ll have to endure. Gradually, readers begin to care about this guy. The way he’s being treated is heart wrenching. Lisa told Woman’s World, “My goal was to write a lovable but flawed character who has to rebuild his life after a life-changing mistake.”

I think my enjoyment of Scottoline’s work is two-fold: (1) she tells a great story, and (2) her work is a fabulous demonstration of skill and craft. If you haven’t already discovered her books, here’s a link to a list from her website. By the way, her new psychological thriller, The Unraveling of Julia, will be released July 15, 2025.

Do you look to a particular author’s work to analyze the craft? 

There’s a Trope for That by Kait Carson

 A few months ago, I was stuck on a storyline. It was okay but it needed more conflict, and I was dry. Like any writer, I turned to the Internet for help. That’s when I discovered The Trope Thesaurus by Jennifer Hilt. I’ve heard the term trope my entire writing life, but I’ve never been exactly sure what it means. Taking the word in context, I assumed it was a theme, or maybe an expected storyline. It is, but it’s also a viable means to create conflict.

 

Readers expect certain things to happen in different genres. Mystery readers expect twists and turns that result in a satisfying and traceable resolution. Romance readers expect sparks to fly between mismatched couples on the way to happily ever after. Fantasy readers expect missteps and mayhem on the road to a brave new world. There’s a million ways to write these stories, but what happens when the story is…flat?

 

Turns out there’s a trope for that. The Trope Thesaurus provides lists of common person, place, and object tropes by genre. Character traits, settings, and storylines that readers expect and accept—secret baby, hidden identity, return to hometown. Sound familiar? These are not new ideas, but having a list all in one place is golden when you’re looking for that one idea to add something to your story or character.

 

The book gives examples by “tropesecting” popular novels, and it also uses genre specific tropes as plotting aids and develops storylines composed exclusively of tropes. These examples serve more to illuminate the place of tropes in fiction than as a template, and they get the point across. The last section of the book defines all the tropes discussed. All in all, the book is an entertaining read. I recommend it as a reference source.

 

Readers, what tropes do you expect in the books you read? Writers, do you use tropes in plotting your work?

 

Rules to Remember When Naming Your (Fictional) Children by Susan Van Kirk

As a former teacher, I know the old joke about the pregnant teacher who could not think of a good name for her impending baby because each name she thought of had some darker association with a former student. “I can’t name him ‘Ben’ because of that teenager I had in class named Ben who always whispered obscene things under his breath to the girls who sat around him.” When it comes to determining fictional character names, it is not a problem—probably because they are not my real, non-fiction children.

When I write mysteries, I keep a notebook full of the names of people in my three series, each set in small towns. The list helps me choose names for new characters and keeps me from repeating names I have used in the past. Since I’m currently on my sixth mystery with three different towns, I have peopled a rather good slice of my fictional universe, and I need to be careful about how I name new characters. With that in mind, here are seven ideas I follow when naming my fictional children.

First, I need to make sure I do not use a name and location of a real person I’ve known. I found myself subconsciously doing this with a minor character who had the first name of a long-ago college roommate and lived in her hometown. Obviously, my brain had connected the two. A week later, I realized what I had done and changed the name.

Second, the main character must have a name I love because I will use it a great deal in more than one book. It needs to sound perfect. Grace Kimball, my main character in my Endurance Mysteries, has such a name. I love the concept of “grace under pressure” from Hemingway’s novels. “Grace” is also the middle name of one of my grandchildren. “Kimball” was simply a last name that came into my head when I was not thinking about names at all. But it works well with Grace.

Elizabeth Russell, or Beth, is the protagonist in my Sweet Iron Series. I love the name “Beth” because it is short, practical, and is a single syllable. My Beth is practical and no nonsense. It seems to me a single syllable for a main character’s first name is easier to say and remember. Then I have Jill Madison in my current manuscript. Again, a single syllable first name is followed by a last name that simply sounds right to me when I combine it with Jill.

Third, I never introduce too many names of characters at once. I bring in characters gradually so readers won’t get mixed up. When I began my third Endurance mystery, I planned to write about the Endurance school board. Eventually, I changed the plot concept because it was too confusing to introduce seven or eight board members at once. I try to introduce characters in unique ways with different names and not too close together.

Fourth, I make names memorable so the reader won’t have to page back to figure out who this character is thirty pages later. For example, my detective in the Endurance Mysteries is TJ Sweeney, a decidedly detective-sounding name. Not until much later in the book does the reader learn the “TJ”

stands for Teresa Johanna.

Fifth, in a series with history, I try to make connections between names in a family. In A Death at Tippitt Pond, Beth Russell’s uncle is named Jeff Tippitt. When Beth checks her genealogy records, his full name is Jefferson Webster Tippitt. In the second book of that series, I will introduce an ancestor named William Webster Tippitt, a newspaper publisher during the time of the Civil War. Jeff, in the present, has a middle name based on this publisher from the past, his 3^rd great-grandfather.

Sixth, I make sure my main characters have names with different vowel combinations and different first letters. This makes it easier for the reader to remember which character is which. I don’t have a Sharon, Susan, Sandy, and Shauna in the same story.

Seventh, I believe a great way to introduce humor is to use a name to indicate what a character is or is not. In my small town of Endurance, the mayor’s name is Mayor Blandford. And, yes, he is bland. I also include a character with a slobbering, pet dog like the Bordeaux bulldog in the movie, “Turner and Hooch.” The dog’s owner named him “Adonis,” a name from mythology symbolizing a handsome male. This dribble-mouthed dog is anything but.

Eighth, I use different names for characters only if I am sure the reader will understand. Otherwise, confusion reigns. Grace would call her friend “TJ,” but others would call her “Detective” or “Detective Sweeney.” Her boss, Stephen Lomas, might yell, “Sweeney.” And to vary descriptions, “TJ” can sometimes be referred to as “the detective.”

            

When I first began to write books, I assumed character names could simply be anything I wanted. Not so. Have you read a book where you couldn’t keep the characters straight?

                       

Strategizing Story

This Friday, I am looking forward to teaching a 90-minute workshop about writing and submitting short stories (concentrating on mystery, fantasy, romance, and other genres) at the South Carolina Book Festival. I plan to start out by focusing on craft, then provide attendees with marketing information and strategies.

In preparation, I’ve been thinking about the short story writing process. What organization is required before you write? Where do you physically write? How do you begin a story? Who do you write about? When do you know you are finished? Why should you submit a short story to a publisher for consideration?

What do you need to begin? Paper, writing instrument, computer, idea? You definitely want to have the tools and the writing space that make you feel comfortable and ready to write. But, you must start with the desire to tell a story.

You may or may not know the story itself, but you have certainty that you want to convey a story to others. This is your motivator, or why you keep returning to write. The reason may be as simple as “because I want to and it needs to be told.” It may be to preserve history; help your child get to sleep; explain something important to the world; respond to a call for submissions; or prove after having read so many [mysteries, romances, fantasies — you fill in the blank] that you can write one, too. The motive or justification is important because it keeps you writing. Some day you may share it with your readers or literary biographer, but that’s a different story from the one you want to tell.

What is your purpose for telling a particular story? What “spark” convinces you that a story must be told? Maybe it’s an idea, a character, a situation, or a place. Perhaps it starts with means (a way to hurt someone) or motive (an emotion such as greed or revenge).

Columbia Pictures, City Slickers, 1991

Like Curly explains the secret of life Mitch in City Slickers, “It’s one thing, and you have to figure out what it is.”

I’ve heard writers discuss whether they start with character or plot. Both are important, but after much consideration, I decided that in my own writing I needed to answer the “when” and “where” questions in order to figure out the “who” (character) and “why” (plot).

Think about it: knowing the time period and setting in which a story takes place are crucial components for determining the characters’ backgrounds and the challenges they will face. Whether it’s “once upon a time in a dark forest” or “on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,” the time and setting give a writer the conventions and limitations he must follow in developing a character who can live in, or a plot that can occur during, that period in that location.

When you know the spark of what the story is about, how do you organize what happens? Some people (“plotters”) require an outline or a basic idea of the beginning, middle, and end to begin the writing process. Others (“pantsers”) say that the action flows naturally from the characters’ inclinations and the author simply chronicles the characters’ journey as it happens.

In either process, a writer needs a strategy in order to encourage writing momentum. By definition, to “strategize” is to work out, devise, or chart a course of action to achieve a specific goal.

What is that goal? To produce a story, or a short factual or fictional narrative that has a plot. Plot involves a storyline, sequence, pattern, or series of related incidents that explain why a character starts out in one place and ends in another. Some writers contend that a plot works best if it reflects certain images throughout the story and has an unexpected twist at the end.

Art Taylor (Photo by Catriona McPherson)

My friend, award winning short story writer and Assistant Professor at George Mason University, Art Taylor told me that he had his students write a story in five sentences based on story structure. Each sentence described the following: (1) a character, (2) who wants something desperately, (3) but faces an obstacle in obtaining it, (4) and struggles to overcome the challenge, (5) then finally either succeeds or fails.

Ursula K. Le Guin says what makes a story is wanting “to find out what happens next.” See: http://www.ursulakleguin.com/WhatMakesAStory.html. She compares constructing a story with taking a tour through a house. The entrance should be inviting. The reader must be lured inside and shown a unique environment. Because it’s just a visit, the reader can’t stay forever, so the writer must provide an exit. A beginning, middle, and end — each significant and none more important than the others. What is necessary is that the overall experience be memorable.

Ursula K. Le Guin (Photo by Marion Wood Kolisch)

Why should a writer submit a story for publication? Finding the appropriate home for a story is as much a part of the strategy as writing the story. To become a published author, you need to understand not only story craft, but also the expectations and requirements of the market, an editor, and your audience. By completing and submitting a short story, you have: (1) accomplished a valuable personal achievement, and (2) learned something about what it takes to be a professional writer.

And, if the story is accepted, you have a writing credit.

Have I covered everything I should teach my students? What would you tell them, and what information and advice would you want to hear if you took the workshop?

Many thanks!

WRITING THE MYSTERY SHORT STORY: GUIDES FOR LEARNING THE CRAFT

With the luxury of the Internet, learning the craft of writing a short story is just a few key strokes and a click away. I was amazed when I began searching how many resources were available online, in many price ranges (from no charge to $$$) and for variable lengths of time. In compiling this list, I concentrated primarily on information about short story writing -- particularly on writing mystery short stories -- and currency of the materials or course offerings. Please feel free to add to this listing through your comments.

ONLINE OVERVIEWS:

According to Wikipedia,  eHow is an online guide written by contracted freelancers and offering step-by-step instructions on a variety of topics. WikiHow began as an extension of eHow and relies on volunteer contributors with the mission of building “the world’s largest and highest quality how-to manual.”

The following eHow and wikiHow articles offer basic outline overviews of the elements and skills needed for developing mystery short stories:

How to Write a Good Mystery Story

by Joe Turner

http://www.ehow.com/how_7165010_write-good-mystery-story.html

How to Write a Mystery Puzzle Story

by Ginger Voight

http://www.ehow.com/how_7727212_write-mystery-puzzle-story.html

How to Write a Mystery Short Story

http://www.ehow.com/how_2155797_write-mystery-short-story.html

How to Write a Mystery Short Story

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Mystery-Short-Story

How to Write a Mystery Story (with examples)

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Mystery-Story

ONLINE TEACHING GUIDES:

I grew up in a family of teachers so I really appreciate the value of good lesson plans. The quality of materials for teaching young people how to write is truly valuable, no matter the age of the student. I found two excellent guides written by extraordinary teachers and writers. The first was prepared by Joan Lowery Nixon (1927-2003), an American journalist and author for children and young adults. The second is the work of Penny Warner, this year’s Agatha winner for best children’s mystery and previous winner of the Macavity Award for best first mystery.

Writing with Writers: Mystery Writing

with Joan Lowery Nixon

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mystery/read.htm

How to Write a Mini-Mystery

by Penny Warner

http://www.fictionteachers.com/fictionclass/mystery.html

ONLINE ARTICLES:

The following articles are concise and comprehensive descriptions of the process of creating a mystery short story. What John Floyd packs into 4 and 1/2 pages is an amazing amount of information. All these articles provide excellent explanations and examples of how to craft a mystery short story. And, the only cost is looking them up on the Internet.  

What is a Mystery Short Story? And How Do You Write One?

by John Floyd

http://www.writing-world.com/mystery/floyd.shtml

Writing for Publication: How to Write a Murder Mystery Story

http://paradise7.hubpages.com/hub/Writing-for-Publication-How-to-Write-a-Mystery-Story

Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers

By Kathy Kennedy and Dennis G. Jerz

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/shortstory/

How to Write Mystery, Crime Stories and Detective Fiction

by Marilisa Sachteleben (Nov. 1, 2008)

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-write-mystery-crime-stories-detective-fiction-2143206.html?cat=38

How To Write Detective Stories: Story Writing and Plot

Write a Story and a Great Mystery

By Marilisa Sachteleben

http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/a4281-how-to-write-a-detective-story.html

E-BOOKS:

The following are recent texts available in e-book and other formats. The prices are reasonable and the material is good quality. Bunting and Hoff offer online groups with follow up materials and support.

Allen, Michael. How to Write a Short Story that Works. (Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2009) (121 pages).

Bunting, Joe. Let’s Write a Short Story: How to Write and Submit a Short Story! (The Write Practice, 2013) (110 pages).

DuBois, Brendan. Breaking Into The Mystery Short Story Market: It’s No Crime! (Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2011) (15 pages).

Frazier, Rick. WriteCraft: Short Stories and Flash Fiction. (Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2012) (40 pages).

Hoff, Geoff. You Can Write a Short Story! (Geoff Hoff Online, 2012) (49 pages).

Parker Williams, Katrina. How to Write a Great Short Story: A Beginner’s Guide. (StepArt Designs, 2012) (51 pages).

ONLINE COURSES:

The following course descriptions (including  the sponsor, course name, instructor, dates of the course, brief summary, and cost) are listed in the order in which they will be offered. The courses at the end of the list are self paced and may be undertaken at any time. Please check the links to the sponsors and the instructors to obtain further information about additional offerings.  

LOWCOUNTRY ROMANCE WRITERS

http://lowcountryrwa.com/workshops/

http://lowcountryrwa.com/workshops/all-workshops/

http://lowcountryrwa.com/workshops/workshops-registration-form/

Writing Short Stories to Promote Your Novels
Instructor: Rayne Hall

http://raynehall.brandyourself.com/
Dates: September 1 to 29, 2013

This course, including 12 lessons with assignments and feedback, provides instruction about how to write a story as a free promotion for your novel. By the end of the course, students should have a completed short story.

Cost: $16

WRITER’S DIGEST UNIVERSITY

http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/online-writing-workshops/how-to-write-short-stories/

Focus on the Short Story

Instructor: Mark Spencer

http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/InstructorBio?InstructorId=67

Dates: September 5 to December 12, 2013

This 14 week course, providing weekly reading and writing assignments, provides instruction about how to write short stories that will delight and entertain readers. By the end of the course, students should have improved their skills and have written two short stories.

Text: Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills.

Cost: $435

Class size limited.

SISTERS IN CRIME GUPPY CHAPTER

http://sinc-guppies.org

Writing (and Selling) the Mystery Short Story

Instructor: Stephen D. Rogers

http://stephendrogers.com/learn.html
Dates: October 1 to 31, 2013
This month long course offers the tools to help writers master the short story form. By the end of the course, students should have completed a mystery short story.

Subsidized cost: $30

[NOTE: Because the Guppy Chapter subsidizes the course cost, this class is available only for chapter members. Please check for other classes that are listed at Stephen D. Rogers’ website.]

UNIVERSAL CLASS

http://www.universalclass.com/i/crn/7550055.htm

How to Write a Short Story 101

This self-paced, 11-lesson, online course detailing the fundamentals of short story writing and providing tips for authors may be taken over a period of 6 months with or without a continuing education certificate.

Cost with CEU Certificate: $60

Cost without certificate: $35

DEAN WESLEY SMITH

http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?page_id=8597

Under the tab Lecture Series

Lecture #3

How to Write a Short Story: The Basics.

7 long videos by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, award-winning writer and editor.

http://kriswrites.com/biography/

Cost: $50.00