Adventures in Bedlam

California Crime Writers Conference

Next month, I'll be doing something I haven't done in a very long time: travel to a business conference. Specifically, the California Crime Writers Conference in Pasadena, June 13-14.

I'll be honest. It feels weird to call this a business trip. Writing is a hobby, not a business, right?

Nope. Writing is my business and almost since the beginning I've tried to treat it that way. Rather than take the "art" out of writing, this mentality keeps me on track and reminds me to take it seriously. Frankly, it's been an integral part of getting me this far.

How far is "this far?" Over the weekend I finished the first draft of the novel. Now I'm doing my first pass, which basically means I'm re-reading it and polishing it up so I can send it off to readers for a critique. That should give you an idea of how rough the first draft is--I won't let it out of my sight until I get it shaped up, at least a little.

With two weeks to go, I'm in the process of defining my goals for the conference. The main goal is to listen and learn. With this schedule of topics, there will be plenty to choose from. I'll probably be concentrating the most on the "Learning the Craft" and "Getting Published" tracks, but I might sneak into the NRA gun demonstration or "Confessions of a Mafia Insider."

My second goal is to meet people and make contacts. This will be a challenge for me since I am very shy with strangers. But challenges are good, aren't they? (Whimper whimper--not looking forward to the "I'm all by myself in the big city" aspect of this conference).

I also need to come up with a rock solid elevator pitch. My bio has an unofficial version of the pitch, but I need something snappier. Here's what I have now:

"Diary of Bedlam is a mystery based on the real-life unsolved murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey.  Set in 1678 London, it faithfully describes one of the darkest periods of political turmoil to occur during the reign of Charles II:  the popish plot."

Any ideas? One thing that's missing is a reference to my heroine, Isabel Wilde.

My final goal is to polish enough of my first draft to take advantage of a paid 5-page manuscript critique. Although now I see it's limited to the first 30 registrants, so I might not be able to do that. Oh well, I still need to be polishing!

So that's the state of writing affairs. Finished first draft? I almost can't believe it myself.

Three Favorite Books "Of All Time"

I often find it impossible to pick my favorites "of all time" in any category. And with books? Forget about it. There's too many to choose from that should be on the list.

And yet, when Donald Maass, author of Writing the Breakout Novel, asked me (in the book) to pick my top three novels, I took some time to think about it.

These are the three books I came up with:

Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

Three Without Fear by Robert C. Du Soe

I've read all three of these books so many times I've lost count. Indeed, I have whole passages practically memorized. And Marjorie Morningstar sits at the top of the list because no matter how many times I read it, I always cry at the end.

Having picked the top three, the next question Maass asks is "What do they have in common?"

I'll start with what all three have in common: A fantastic sense of location. In Marjorie Morningstar, Wouk creates a Manhattan so compelling that as a teenager (when I first read it) I couldn't wait to visit the city. Winsor does the same for 17th century London in Forever Amber. And finally, Du Soe creates not a city, but a region--Baja California, and the adventures that lay in wait for three children travelling to San Diego on their own. Each of these books evokes a time and place that are magical, and utterly takes readers out of their own worlds and thrusts them into new and exciting places.

Marjorie Morningstar and Forever Amber are very similar in their themes, if not in their times and locations. Both novels feature beautiful young females with strong senses of themselves and no real concept of defeat or failure. It's not that they don't experience setbacks, it's that they confront every situation with a degree of confidence that makes their failures bittersweet and their triumphs all the more satisfying. I first read both of these novels when I was around 13 or 14, a time in my life when self confidence was a commodity I had little of. I wanted to be these women, it didn't matter if they made mistakes--I wanted to take life by the horns and experience it. Hard to do in the little California town I grew up in.

The final question Maass asks is (I'm paraphrasing) "What do you bring into your own novel from your top three favorites?"

One of the things I'm bringing to my own novel is obvious--it's set in 17th century London, just like my beloved Forever Amber. Mine is set about 15 years later though, which does make a major difference in some ways (think about a more modern story set in 1980 versus 2005).

The second thing I'm taking is a female lead with a strong sense of self. My heroine is the 17th century version of an amateur sleuth and she's about 12 years older, but she shares some of the same characteristics of Amber St. Clare (Forever Amber) and Marjorie Morgenstern (Marjorie Morningstar) that I found so compelling.

So I leave you with this question:
What are your top three novels of all time?

Just Write - Three Steps to Get Started

This is my first attempt at doing a "how to write" video:

I know. The first step is fairly obvious. But it's the only way you'll ever become a writer.

Also, please forgive the lapses in grammar and the awkward cuts. I am so busy writing these days, I didn't have time for much in the way of fancy transitions.

Lastly, please remember that the camera adds 75 pounds.

Spring Reading Challenge Update

I have now finished six of the 10 books I hoped to read by June 20:

1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

2) The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

3) Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak

4) Murder in the Latin Quarter by Cara Black

5) Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye

6) The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow

Okay, if you're paying attention, this list bears only a slight resemblence to the list I posted back on March 20. I'm not too bothered by that though. The reading challenge was about reading more and enjoying the process, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

I might not be posting reviews of every book, but I will try to as I think this is good practice for writing the synopsis and query for my own book.

Happy reading, everyone!

Review: Murder in the Latin Quarter

This afternoon I finished book four of the Spring Reading Challenge, Murder in the Latin Quarter by Cara Black:

Murder in the Latin Quarter is about detective Aimee Leduc, who lives and works in Paris. In this ninth book of the series, a mysterious woman comes to Aimee claiming to be her Haitian half-sister. Aimee, who has no real family, cannot resist believing it might be true. As a result, she is quickly drawn into the investigation of the murder of a Haitian professor in her attempt to acquaint herself with her half-sister.

Black skillfully brings Paris to life in a way that I find admirable. I hope I am able to bring 17th century London alive in the way she does with Paris. Aimee is a charming character who I look forward to reading about again. I've already ordered the first book in the series Murder in the Marais, if only to re-visit Leduc's Paris.

As for the story, the mystery itself is a bit convoluted and I had trouble following it in places. The plot is somewhat formulaic and the structure is a bit clumsy. There were parts where I almost felt I had access to the rough outline of the story--INTRODUCE VILLAIN HERE or INSERT PLOT TWIST HERE--I felt that these types of elements, so important to the mystery genre, could've been introduced more smoothly. That said, I will read at least on more in the series in the hope that starting at the beginning will help solidify the main characters and Aimee's business for me. Whilst this book stands on its own, I feel that starting at the beginning will allow me to better judge the series.

GRADE: C+

Curb Appeal Santa Monica Style

Lately I've been bringing my iPhone when I walk my dog so I can take pictures if I see anything interesting along the way. It does happen--a couple of weeks ago I saw a woman walking her cat on a leash and last week I saw a very large man get out of his car wearing nothing but black skirted bikini bottoms and a pink bikini top.

On yesterday's walk I decided to take pictures of the curb-side gardens I see every day. Some of them are quite lovely. Keep in mind that the photos were taken with my iPhone--not necessarily the best way to take garden photos!

Every time I walk by this house I am impressed by the landscaping in the yard. It's tiered and the variety of plants and textures created by the choices are just lovely together. It reminds me of women who are able to create wonderfully layered outfits with the perfect accessories. I do not possess this talent (in gardening or fashion), so I admire it!

 

The house below is another one of my favorites, but in order to get the full effect you have to view it from a distance. This photo doesn't do it justice, but it does give you some idea of what the landscape designer intended. The plantings highlight the house perfectly.

 

This apartment building's front is plainer than the first two photos, but it's more along the lines of what I could achieve if I put my mind to it (well, I think I could). I love all the colors, but I especially love the callalillies they've included.

Finally, I love the color combinations they've used for this side-garden between apartment buildings. They compliment the architecture of the buildings and give a sort of Asian feel. I also took a photo of the front part of this garden but for some reason all I got was a photo of the wall in front. I'll save that one for next time!