Category Archives: Writing

Inspired by Vicki Delany

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Fifteen years ago, Vicki Delany started writing on Sunday afternoons. Living in Oakville, she was working full-time as a computer programmer and raising three daughters on her own. In spite of those challenges, she managed to write three suspense novels that were published to critical acclaim by Poisoned Pen Press of Scottsdale, Arizona.

In 2007, she took advantage of early retirement, sold her house and travelled around North America for an entire year. Afterward, she settled in rural Prince Edward County. Somehow, this prolific writer found the time to write twelve more books during the past five years. Her latest in the Klondike gold Rush Series, A Cold White Sun is forthcoming in 2013 and Gold Web in 2014.

Last evening, she led an informative and entertaining workshop on “Creating Realistic Characters” at  the Waterloo Community Arts Centre.

Some of her tips…

A good mystery novel isn’t really about the crime. It should be chock full of psychology.

Separate yourself from the character. If she resembles you too much, you will find it difficult to make her face conflict.

Always ask…What is the worst thing that can happen to the protagonist?

Make the conflict personal for all your characters.

Sidekicks work well if they’re opposite to the protagonist.

When creating a villain/antagonist, ask…What sort of person believes the solution to their problems lies in killing someone?

The villain must be believable. Avoid falling into melodrama and stereotypes.

A good villain could be a flawed hero.

Don’t provide too many details about secondary characters who appear only once.

Every suspect must have a reason to lie. In order to know why they are lying and what they are lying about, you have to know a lot about their background and personality.

Send your completed manuscripts to publishers in Canada and the United States.

The Next Big Thing–Patricia Anderson

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Last week, I tagged good friend and fellow writer, Patricia Anderson, in  The Next Big Thing post. The idea comes from She Writes and is meant to help female authors promote their WIPs (Works in Progress). As per the rules, what follows are her answers to ten interview questions about her WIP.

What is the working title of your book?

Potholes in Paradise

Where did the idea come from for the book?

While house hunting,  people seem to be more concerned with crown mouldings and counter tops, rather than who’s living in the house next door. Remodelling and renovating are easy fixes, but an inconsiderate or obnoxious neighbour can be an immovable source of misery. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. And I’m saddened by the loss of  ‘neighbourhoods’. How many people actually know  who their neighbours are, or even care? I realize that we can’t all live on Sesame Street, but I find modern subdivisions frightening.

What genre does your book fall under?

I’m not sure what shelf I would put it on. Spoiler alert: There are no dead bodies. That eliminates most of the genres. “Amusing Family Drama” sounds more like a TV sitcom. How about a four-day experiment with “Social Realism”?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

The protagonist is an average 42-year old, hard-working wife and mother (me, only younger). And then there are half a dozen rebellious and troublesome teenagers, and add to that a sizable group of rebellious and troublesome senior citizens. There are no fancy costumes or even makeup, just a lot of dust, mud, sunburns, bug bites and hangovers. I’d cast the movie with unknowns, and they’d all be Canadian. Well, there might be small part for William Shatner.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Potholes in Paradise follows the antics of a dysfunctional group of seasonal residents in a trailer park in south-central Ontario.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Still sitting on that fence.


How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Three long years of part-time binge writing.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I haven’t yet come across such a thing. I’m flying over unfamiliar territory.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I’ve spent the last five summers in a similar place: a scenic paradise riddled with enormous potholes (intentional speed traps) and an infinite supply of problems. It has been an invaluable and rich source of inspiration for story lines and character studies.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It deals with common themes and issues, like raising teenagers, family secrets, communities, addiction, and essentially, the meaning of life.

Now, it’s Patricia’s  turn to tag some follow authors:

Cindy Carroll | Linda Johnston | Erica Williams

Mes­sage for the tagged authors and inter­ested others

Rules of The Next Big Thing

Use this for­mat for your post.

Answer the ten ques­tions about your cur­rent WIP (Work In Progress).

Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Inter­view Ques­tions for The Next Big Thing

What is the work­ing title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

Which actors would you choose to play your char­ac­ters in a movie rendition?

What is the one-sentence syn­op­sis of your book?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

What other books would you com­pare this story to within your genre?

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Include the link of who tagged you and this expla­na­tion for the peo­ple you have tagged.

The Next Big Thing

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

lifpaty

Author Jenny Herrera tagged me in her The Next Big Thing post. The idea comes from She Writes and is meant to help female authors promote their WIPs (Works in Progress). As per the rules, what follows are my answers to ten interview questions about my WIP. At the end, I’ll tag five other writers to carry the banner.

What is the working title of your book?

A Season for Killing Blondes

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. While receiving my treatments, I started reading murder mysteries. I must have read at least two a week for the entire ten months.  I started to think about writing a murder mystery based in my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario. I considered the following scenario: What if a 50something woman wins a nineteen million dollar lottery and returns to her hometown. While reinventing herself as a career counselor for boomers,  the woman encounters a number of obstacles, among them four dead blondes neatly arranged in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a cozy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Since most of the characters are boomers, I would prefer to use actors in that particular age group. Lorraine Bracco would make a great Gilda Greco, the protagonist of the novel. For her love interest, I would go with Pierce Brosnan.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

It is a season for killing blondes and a brunette lottery winner never has an alibi when dead bodies turn up in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I would prefer the traditional route but am open to all options.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I started the novel eight years ago and took almost a year to finish it. This past January, I revisited the manuscript and rewrote it in first person. I added another sub-plot and more characters.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Cozies written by Denise Swanson (Murder of a Small Town Honey, Murder of a Sleeping Beauty, Murder of a Smart Cookie) and Mary Jane Maffini (Organize Your Corpses, The Cluttered Corpse, Death has a Messy Desk).

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As I was going through my own difficult season, I started thinking about other people’s rough patches. I combined that with my new interest in reading murder mysteries and came up with a plot for A Season for Killing Blondes.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Not too many cozies are based in Northern Ontario. Also, the combination of fiftysomething Italian women, their mothers, their men, food and four dead blondes is an interesting one. I have included eight dessert recipes.

Now, it’s my turn to tag some follow authors:

Cindy Carroll | Linda Johnston | Jordanna East | Beth Verde | Patricia Anderson

Writing On The Nose

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

When I first heard the expression “writing on the nose,” I thought it was a good practice for all writers to follow. 

Why shouldn’t characters speak their mind?

Isn’t that what we should all be doing in real life?

While this would make for more honest relationships, it is rare to find people saying exactly what they are feeling. Instead, they use sarcasm, drop hints, clam up or use a variety of passive-aggressive tactics to mask their true feelings. So, it makes sense for writers to use subtext, body language and tone of voice in their works of fiction. Adding those extra layers ensures that the characters are believable while fully engaging the reader.

Consider the following excerpt from the opening chapter of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Author Rachel Joyce effectively uses subtext to convey volumes about the relationship between recently retired Harold and his wife Maureen.

“Well?” said Maureen again.

“Good lord. It’s from Queenie Hennessy.”

Maureen speared a nugget of butter with her knife and flattened it the length of her toast. “Queenie who?

“She worked in the brewery. Years ago. Don’t you remember?

Maureen shrugged. “I don’t see why I should. I don’t know why I’d remember someone from years ago. Could you pass the jam?”

“She was in finances. She was very good.”

“That’s the marmalade, Harold. Jam is red. If you look at things before you pick them up, you’ll find it helps.”

Harold passed her what she needed and returned to his letter. Beautifully set out, of course; nothing like the muddled writing on the envelope. Then he smiled, remembering this was how it always was with Queenie: everything she did so precise you couldn’t fault it. “She remembers you. She sends her regards.”

Maureen’s mouth pinched into a bead. “A chap on the radio was saying the French want our bread. They can’t get it sliced in France. They come over here and they buy it up. The chap said there might be a shortage by summer.” She paused. “Harold? Is something the matter?”

He said nothing. He drew up tall with his lips parted, his face bleached. His voice, when at least it came, was small and far away. “It’s—cancer. Queenie is writing to say goodbye.” He fumbled for more words but there weren’t any. Tugging a handkerchief from his trouser pocket, Harold blew his nose. “I um. Gosh.” Tears crammed his eyes.

Moments passed; maybe minutes. Maureen gave a swallow that smacked the silence. “I’m sorry,” she said.

He nodded. He ought to look up, but he couldn’t.

“It’s a nice morning,” she began again. “Why don’t you fetch out the patio chairs?” But he sat, not moving, not speaking, until she lifted the dirty plates. Moments later the vacuum cleaner took up from the hall.

Margaret Atwood at Stratford

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

At yesterday’s Celebrated Writer Series in Stratford, Margaret Atwood entertained us with her readings and her special brand of humour.

As I listened to her read excerpts from Gertrude Talks Back and Oryx and Cake, I could feel her passion for the written word. The feisty septuagenarian is definitely a force in English literature, having written more than fifty volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction and non-fiction.

When asked about her reading preferences, Atwood told us that she reads everything she can get her hands on, even In-flight Magazine. And she enjoys watching a wide range of movies, among them Kung Fu Panda and Mirror Mirror.

While growing up, Margaret Atwood was never told what to read.  She knew that certain books were not appropriate, but that didn’t stop her. She recalls climbing up on the garage roof to read Peyton Place.

Other interesting tidbits…

She never throws out books. Instead, she inserts name plates with the message—This book is yours—and leaves the books on park benches throughout the city.

The only books she did not enjoy writing were those she did not finish.

She has her own attitude about semi-colons.

While she prefers print books, she has tried e-readers and believes they have their place.

She has read every trashy book about Mary Queen of Scots.

She encourages everyone to visit Wattpad for information about a digital poetry award called “The Attys.”

Michael Ondaatje at Stratford

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

It was a triple treat for those of us who attended yesterday’s Celebrated Writer Series at the Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford.

In addition to hearing Michael Ondaatje discuss The Cat’s Table,  Stratford actors Cynthia Dale and Tom McManus read two separate passages of the acclaimed novel. When asked why those particular selections had been chosen, Ondaatje admitted that he found it difficult to read from that part of the novel. In previous readings, he stuck to the first section which follows the early lives of three feral boys on a ship bound for England.

Ondaatje is definitely a pantser–he writes by the seats of his pants and does not create lengthy outlines. In this case, he had only an idea  in mind: a young boy is traveling by himself on a ship bound for England. In an earlier interview, he admitted: “Some authors know what the last sentence is going to be before they begin–I don’t even know what the second sentence is going to be.”

Another audience member asked if The Cat’s Table  is a personal one. Ondaatje hedged and stated that all novels are personal. He made a similar journey during his youth, but he doesn’t recall too many details about it.  While writing, he discovers different aspects of his life and often creates more interesting adventures, especially when writing about childhood.

Nominated for last year’s Giller Award, The Cat’s Table is one of five novels written by the author who started out as a poet. Michael Ondaatje is best know for The English Patient which was later adapted into an Academy Award winning movie.

Is Your Writing Muse in a Snit?

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

When Guelph writer Linda Johnston informed everyone on her Twitter feed that she had written 17,000 words in three weeks, we all congratulated her and wanted to know the secret of her success. I enjoyed following her tweets regarding this sudden burst of creativity.

June 26

My writing muse has returned from her snit and is in full swing. She has fused me to the computer.

July 13

My muse dictates how much I write. I just do her bidding.

I imagined one of the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne visiting Linda each morning, taking her hand and guiding her to the computer. There, she remains offering words of encouragement until Linda produces her daily quota. Later, I discovered that Linda received inspiration from a more concrete source: Sarah Domet’s book, 90 Days to Your Novel.

Patricia Anderson, another Guelph writer, found a muse that enables her to write prolifically and enjoy a vacation at the same time. At the end of June, she sets off for her trailer in Algonquin Park where she spends the summer working on her novel (without distractions).

While researching several famous writers, I discovered some unusual muses.

Alexander Dumas color coordinated his paper. He used blue paper for novels, yellow paper for poetry and rose-colored pages for nonfiction.

Mark Twain and Truman Capote write lying down.

Ernest Hemingway sharpened dozens of pencils before starting to write.

Willa Cather read the Bible before writing each day.

Before picking up his pen, John Donne liked to lie in an open coffin. (I wonder about this one!)

In my case, I like to stick to my morning ritual of easing into the writing. After breakfast, I linger over coffee as I check my emails, Twitter and other social media. Once I finish drinking  two cups of coffee, I start writing. When I hit a writer’s block, I follow Julia Cameron‘s advice from her inspirational books—The Artist’s Way, Walking In the Wind, The Prosperous Heart—and get myself back on track. I  enjoy the morning pages, twenty-minute walks and artist’s dates.

Any other muses out there? I’d love to hear about the eccentric ones.

How Much Dialogue is Too Much?

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

When I first heard the expression, “You can go blind listening to that story,” I took a second look at the prose in question.  I quickly agreed that the long stretches of unbroken dialogue were tiresome and cut off all senses with the exception of hearing.

And then I revisited my own writing.

I love dialogue and often fear that I overuse it.

While dialogue serves many important functions, it is only one element of fiction. It definitely has its place, but it shouldn’t take over the story.

How much dialogue is too much?

At a recent dinner meeting of Guelph Writers Ink, Cindy Carroll suggested that thirty percent of the novel should be dialogue. Elsewhere, I read that the percentage should be closer to fifty.

Truthfully, I don’t think there is a magic number out there. Instead, I try to keep in mind that characters who talk too much can be just as annoying as real people who dominate conversations.

In their upcoming thriller, Some Kind of Peace, Scandinavian authors Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff skillfully weave dialogue and narrative to create tension. This is especially apparent in the therapy sessions where psychologist Siri Bergman interacts with her patients.

If I focus only on the dialogue, I would probably stop reading the book.

Dialogue Only Excerpt

“I’m happy for your sake, Sara. Truly. How long have you known this man?”

“Oh, a few weeks. But we’ve been seeing each other a lot. He gave me this bag.” She held up a Gucci bag. “He takes me out to dinner. He’s nice to me.”

Sara looks at me, waiting for validation.

“Sara, you’re a grown-up and hardly need my approval before you start a relationship.”

Actual Excerpt

“I’m happy for your sake, Sara. Truly. How long have you known this…man?”

Sara looks down at the carpet, resting her upper body against her knees and rocking slowly back and forth.

“Oh, a few weeks. But we’ve seen each other a lot. He gave me this bag,” she adds, and as if to prove the legitimacy of the relationship, she holds up an oversized, monogram-patterned Gucci bag.

“He takes me out for dinner.”

I say nothing.

“He’s nice to me.”

Sara shrugs and looks questioningly at me, waiting for validation.

“Sara, you’re a grown-up and hardly need my approval before you start a relationship,” I say, but my tone of voice reveals how worried I really am.

It doesn’t seem right. A middle-aged, successful man courts a young girl with bright green nail polish, a charming borderline personality, and arms and legs zebra-striped with scars from razor blades and knives. I realize to my own surprise that I’m afraid he will exploit Sara.

Any thoughts out there?

What’s in a Name?

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Last week, the topic of pseudonyms came up on the Sisters in Crime discussion board. Several members expressed an interest in using pen names and wanted more information about the legalities involved.

I was surprised to see so much interest in the topic. I have always associated pseudonyms with female writers such as Mary Anne Evans/George Eliot who used a male name to ensure that her work would be accepted by publishers and the public.

While researching the topic, I discovered more reasons for using pen names:

Authors who regularly write in more than one genre use different pen names. Romance writer Nora Roberts writes erotic thrillers under the pen name J.D. Robb.

A pen name may be used if the author believes that his/her name does not suite the genre. Western novelist Pearl Gray dropped his first name and changed the spelling of his last name to become Zane Grey.

In some countries, authors use pen names to write about controversial topics that could be politically unsafe.

Writers of romance novels are often advised to use pen names to protect themselves against stalkers.

In the past, prolific authors were asked to use pen names to prevent flooding the market with too many books in one year. Stephen King published four novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. After critics commented on style similarities, the books were reprinted with Stephen King’s name.  One of his books, Thinner, sold twenty times more copies after the changes were made.

Some writers wish to keep their writing career separate from their everyday life. Comic book writer Stan Lee was born Stanley Lieber. He used the pen name Stan Lee because he intended to save his real name for more serious literature. His career as a novelist never materialized so he changed his name legally to Stan Lee.

A collective name or house name is used with series fiction such as the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins series. The first book in each series was written by one writer, but subsequent books were written by ghost writers.

Collaborative authors like to have their books published under one name. Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini write their Coffeehouse Mystery series using the pseudonym Cleo Coyle.

Regarding the legalities…

You don’t have to file any forms or hire a lawyer.  Simply put the phrase “writing as” on your manuscript and let the publisher know your real name to ensure that you receive payment for your work.

Any other interesting pseudonyms out there?