A Sister in Crime… Murder She Writes- Author Sylvia Dickey Smith

Before I forget, Joan, I want to let your readers know about a new internet radio talk show called Murder, She Writes. I will be hosting the program every Monday evening from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. Central time. The program is open to everyone.

The website address is at Blog Talk Radio:
Murder She Writes

Thanks Syl for reminding us.

I was so excited about your blogtalkradio program that I went ahead and posted the time and date. Good Luck, you will be marvelous.

Murder, She Writes focuses on women crime writers. Each week I will host a different, best-selling mystery/suspense/thriller author. We will be discussing her books, her life and her writing, and what makes her keep going in this competitive genre. I invite your readers to make our program a mainstay of your listening week. Our first guest, on May 4th, is Glynn Marsh Alam talking about her fabulous book Moon Water Madness, available at bookstores and online. I am reading it now and have fallen in love with her characters.


1) Are you anxious? Apprehensive maybe?

Are you kidding? Of course I’m anxious and more than a little apprehensive. I’m nervous as all get out! I have the gift of gab, inherited from my father. I can talk to practically anyone about practically anything—but on the air is another whole medium. I’m sure I’ll stutter and stammer for a while. But hopefully folks will be patient with me until I get my wings. My training and experience as a licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist should give me an edge and help me keep the conversation going—at least for a while! Also, I am open to receive requests to be a guest on the program from any published woman crime writer.

2) About your experience in Persist and Publish writers group? What advice do you give the aspiring author?

Persist & Publish! What a neat critique group, and that includes our hostess. I don’t know if I would have ever gotten my first book finished without them. They virtually held my hand and taught me how to write! I owe them so much. My advice to the aspiring author is to find such a group. Don’t settle for feedback that flatters. Keep looking until you find a group who tells you the difficult stuff. When that ‘stuff’ stings, don’t get defensive. Don’t defend, don’t explain, just receive. Then go home and consider their advice. If only one person dislikes something you write you can take it or leave it, but if more than one person says the same thing, REALLY pay attention. And by all means, find a strong supportive group that will help hold your feet to the proverbial fire. A good group is not there to make you feel good, but there to show tough love and let you know what works, and what doesn’t. Learn to trust them, but don’t throw away your own writing voice in the process.

3) What tips or pointers can you give us on revision of your work?

Well, for one thing, revise, revise and then revise again. One of the best tools I have is my own voice when I read my text out loud. When I do, the awkward parts really show up because I trip over them. If I find that I read it differently, changing a word here and there, words different than those on the page, then I know I need to revise that sentence. A great tool is Read Please, at www.readplease.com. This is simple to use, text to speech software that will read your text back to you. They have a free version of the program that you can download without obligation and use as long as you wish, or there is another one you can purchase. I use the free one and find it works just fine, doing all I want it to do.

I think one of the biggest mistakes a new writer can do is to not revise their manuscript well enough and frequently enough. Write your first draft, revise, present to your critique group, revise again, submit to another critique group or writing partner, revise again, and again. Then you might be ready to do the copyediting for punctuation and grammatical errors. Don’t settle until it is perfect.

4) Writing a sequel?

Planning to! Spending two or three months launching book three, DEAD WRECKONING, while doing a lot of thinking about book four. I am also running a cookbook contest, accepting recipes from Sidra Smart fans, which will be compiled in a cookbook later this year. The deadline for submission is July 3o, 2009. The first, second and third place winners will receive a free copy of the book. Recipes can be emailed to me at sylvia@sylviadickeysmith.com. I hope to launch the cookbook along with the fourth in the series near the same time.

5) Do you have anyone read your manuscript before submission, now?

Absolutely! Lots of people. I am in three critique groups who read and give me
feedback. Plus, I paid to have this last book edited by a professional editor, and will
use her again for any and all I write. Mistakes in books drive me crazy, and I know
my editor/publisher can’t find them all. So this is what I do to make my work as
seamless as possible. Besides, commas and their proper usage drive me crazy! If a
sentence looks like it doesn’t have enough commas, I put some in. If it looks like it
has too many, I take out a few!

6) What advice and tips would you like to share with the aspiring author on marketing books?

Be prepared to market like crazy. If you are not willing to go the extra miles (and
expense) to do what it takes to make your book a success, hang it up—give it up—
don’t even bother. Go do something else. I love the whole marketing aspect of
writing. I find it great fun. I love talking to people, period. I especially love talking to
people who want to talk about my books!

New authors, always be on the lookout for new, creative ways to get your book out
there. I just came from events in east Texas where I dressed as a pirate (one is on the
cover of my third book), opened a treasure chest and threw out gold-wrapped
Snickers candy bars to the audience while brandishing a sword. I gave out door
prizes that I bought and wrapped in advance.

There are so many fun ways to market. And if it isn’t fun, turn it into fun!
Challenge yourself, watch and listen to ideas from others, brainstorm your own and
put them into action. Play with it.

Rule number one—have no shame! Put yourself out there (as long as it’s legal and
moral!) Ask for what you want—and you just might get it!

7) Does it get any easier writing a story after the first one?

NO!
It took me longer to write the third than it did the second. And if I am not careful, I
will still tell myself the whole thing is a fluke—that I really can’t write, can’t really
finish a book, can’t really get a book published! Often we are our own worst enemy. But I keep plugging away. Why? Because I can do no other!


8) Writing a mystery novel, do you outline? Would you recommend outlining?

No, I don’t outline. When I sit down to try my poor brain takes a vacation! I’ve had to accept the fact that my story wants to unfold for me just as it does for my reader. The disadvantage is I probably do a lot more rewrites than do those who outline. Then again, I’ve heard where some authors spend a year developing a 50 page outline. I don’t have that discipline. My advice is to do what works for you.


9) Do you prepare before you begin writing a novel?

I try to come up with at least an inspirational idea. In my first book, Dance On His
Grave, that story was inspired by true events. Book two, Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets,
was inspired by a true Civil War heroine I learned of while researching the first book.

10) Where do you get your ideas?


Everywhere! Our world is so full of stories we will never reach the end of the
resource. For instance, I got the idea for Dead Wreckoning from a tale my brother
told me over the phone one day. His father in law recounted how he had gone into
the swamp behind his house hunting squirrel and saw a resurrected brass-bowed
pirate schooner sticking up out of the water. Wa-la!


11) What inspired you to write? Does Sidra Smart remind you of yourself?

Yes, Sidra Smart reminds me of myself. For many years I felt like I had at least one
book inside me. When I sat to write, Sidra Smart came to life. Of course a lot of my
experiences and life lessons reflect hers. However, the characters in the books are
fictional composites of many people I have met, and some I’ve just heard about.

12) Have you thought of writing a literary novel or short story?

Actually I am now revising a literary—no, probably more mainstream historical novel set during WWII called A War of Her Own.

I have a non-fiction short story published in True Tales of Transformation: The Story That Must Be Told, by Loving Healing Press. My story in the anthology is Divorcing God.

Then , I have a short story published in the mystery anthology, A Death In Texas, published by L & L Dreamspell. My short story, Growing Up Dead, introduces Warren Chadwick, Sidra’s brother who willed her The Third Eye detective agency. The story occurs before his death and gives Sidra Smart fans a glimpse of her brother.

13) Am I still learning?

Oh my gosh yes! Every day. That is the exciting thing about this world of writing! Always something new to learn, to do, to try, to retry!

Thanks for letting me visit your blog. I invite any and all who might have a question or comment to ask it.

Thank you Syl for taking the time to comment and answer any question's the aspiring authors may have. I look forward to listening to you on Blog Talk Radio it really sounds exciting.

Sensory Memory, by Raven

Raven a member of “Sweet Hearts of The Rodeo” and a friend has graciously given me an interview on the subject of Sensory Memory that we’ve been studying this last week from Robert Olen Butler’s book “From Where You Dream.” Raven’s blog can be found at: The Raven’s Eye This week, we will be doing the exercise from chapter 9 of his book.

I want to thank Raven for taking the time to do this interview; she is an excellent student of the craft of fiction and a wonderful writer. Read what Raven has to say as she answers the questions I posed, as she talks about a story she is in the mist of writing.

I've been asked by my Sweetheart's colleague, JB, about my view on Robert O. Butler's sensory memory. Recently, I posted my feature story on the Sweetheart's board over at the Writer's Village University. Within the story is a scene in which the main character comes across a dead foal. JB has asked me:

1)Did you draw back in your mind, as you experienced writing the scene visually?


I found that when approaching this scene, my inner eye focused on visual details more than anything else. Smell came into play, but only in a limited way. Most of what my character felt was suspended, in favor of the initial visual impact. In order to record the details, I found it necessary to draw back and view the scene as a camera. The position of the foal, the minute details became the focus of what I intended to be a snapshot of the foal. The moment of discovery, became an objective view in which my character, Evie, acted like a lens, not a filter. From that point, I unraveled the story, allowing Evie to slowly begin the process of filtering how she felt about the dead foal. The result feels intellectual, but the intent is emotional. The gradual unpeeling of Evie's feelings is low key, as opposed to dramatic. In this, I feel the process reflects a version of reality, though not the commonly depicted one. It is more common to see everything stuffed into one paragraph or to find metaphor and simile acting like the filter. Theses are adequate ways to filter scenes and reveal the yearning, but I feel as though these are also temptations that can lead to generalization and abstraction.

The scene, as I have written it, is supposed to rely on what comes shortly before and long after the moment, creating an overall feeling for Evie's situation. It remains to be seen whether it succeeds. The process demands many sessions in which the words, images and descriptions must be continuously stroked. The filter needs to be present in imagery in order to avoid stepping into the "she felt" or "she thought" mode.

Please understand that I am not dismissing the use of the pov filter nor am I saying it isn't a vital tool in writing, I am simply saying that the way in which we utilize the filter can vary according to the conditions created by the story. I think it is a good thing to experiment in order to learn the particulars of this technique.

With my story undergoing its third, serious revision, it remains to be seen whether this approach will satisfy the sensory specifications Mr. Butler calls for in his teachings.


2)What details do you think you could have added that would increase the reader's mind visually to what Grace saw and felt as she viewed the remains?

Visually, I think I've offered enough support. My concern is whether I ought to allow Evie's filter in. I'm reluctant to do so because, after several experiments in which I allowed her to speculate, or "translate" the scene, I felt the intensity of the scene was diluted by what essentially felt like an invasion of Evie's psyche. I believe this may be where the students in chapter eight foundered and lost direction. Sometimes, using the pov filter invites speculation; speculation opens the door to generalization and abstraction. Used carelessly, the filter can be detrimental to a work. On the other hand, I think mastering the combination of the filter and lens is something worth pursuing, so I am returning, yet again, to the scene of the crime to study it and hopefully come up with a combination that meets Mr. Butler's standard.

3) Butler says in Chapter 9 of "From Where You Dream" that sometimes the narrative voice is allowed abstraction and generalization. What do you think that means?

I think this refers to filtering in the reflective sense. To thoroughly know the character, is to understand her/his concept of any word. Characterization takes some of the weight of this form of abstraction/generalization as can dialogue and inner monologue. The words "it hurts." Can be abstract, until the reader knows the main character is sitting under a tree, thinking about her dead father. Then what is general has become specific, though it is voiced as a nonspecific concept. So, then, if proper placement or setting is provided, in addition to good characterization (which would include dialogue, description, etc and character action (which I define as the actual things said and done in the story) I think abstraction and generalization work well enough. I am willing to investigate this further. It is my goal to "soften" Evie in the story. I'm not satisfied that I've accomplished this at this point in the revision.

Author of Afraid - J.A.Konrath shares his view on writing.

It is my pleasure and delight to introduce guest blogger J.A. Konrath to The Writer's Group. You can find Joe's blog at, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing there is a wealth of information for the wanna-be author. Currently Joe is appearing on different blogs to promote his book,"Afraid" and sharing with the group his thoughts on belonging to a writer's group, and what he did prior to being a published author.

Considering the group "Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo"is at point of revising their novels, and Joe being a published author, and having been down this road, I want to share an interview link he did with The Leaf Blower on the subject of Rejection.

As an aspiring author of the macabre, I ventured over to Joe’s website featuring his novel “Afraid” and read an excerpt of his book to be released on March 31. The cover of the book asks you, Are you Afraid of the Dark? Then clearly says, “You Will Be.”

Any writer/wanna-be that studies the craft of fiction, knows the beginning paragraph of a story that first sentence is what draws the reader in, and I must say J.A. Konrath fulfills that promise. Sitting alone with Sal Morton in his boat, beneath a hunter's moon, a chill begins to creep over my skin and the hair on the back of my neck prickles-an innocent fishing trip-no, there is so much more that waits this protagonist--read the excerpt and you will see what I mean.

Afraid excerpt

Joe responds with his thoughts on belonging to A Writer's Group.

Have you ever belonged to a writer's group?

No. And I should have. Maybe I wouldn't have racked up 500 rejections before my first sale if I had a group of writers telling me what I was going wrong.

That said, I do sort of belong to a writer's group now. I'm friends with many published authors, some of them bestsellers, and we trade manuscripts for critique before our agents get them. It's invaluable.

Do you advise a beginning writer to join a writers group?

Yes. You learn two ways--from other people's critiques, and by critiquing other people. It also forces you to write, so every meeting you have more pages to pass out.

What revision method did you use in revising your novel, "Afraid?"

After the first draft, I do what I call "pruning." That's trimming the unnecessary stuff, and adding to the aesthetics and overall impact of the story.


Then it's a question of responding to editorial comments, and rewriting where necessary.

What tips would you give a beginning novelist to take on revising their novel?

Get feedback. Put it away for a while and read it with fresh eyes. And take off your writing hat---you need your editing hat for revision, and the person who wears that hat is critical, not creative.

Getting down to a personal side, I asked Joe, what he did prior to being a published author, and what he is working on next.

What did you do before you became a writer, is that still your current profession?

I'm now a fulltime writer.


Prior to that, I was a male stripper, an international spy, a world class chef, and a big fat liar.

Tell to me about your current book?

AFRAID is a horror novel, written under my pen name, Jack Kilborn. It's scary. In fact, it's so scary, that I don't recommend anyone reading it.

When did you begin writing it?

I began a few years ago, in between writing my Jack Daniels books. From first word to finished manuscript took maybe three years.

Are you in the stage of writing another novel?

I'm working on the rewrites to TRAPPED, another horror novel that is too scary to be read by anyone.

What short stories have you written?

I've published over sixty. There's a semi-complete list on Wikipedia. J.A. Konrath

What else would you like share?

I'd like to share this beer, but it's gone already. There's nothing sadder than an empty beer.


Wait! I found another one! But that's my last one, and I couldn't possibly share that.


Especially now that it's gone, too.


But I can share my books. There are a bunch of free ebooks and stories on my website, www.jakonrath.com. There is also a scary excerpt from AFRAID that you probably shouldn't read.

I'm delighted that Joe granted me this interview, and I do hope he will come back soon. Thank You Joe, we are looking forward to your next novel Trapped, and I'm certain it will be as intense and frightening as Afraid.

Happy Writing!