Pen, Spoon & Dagger

Today, July 18 th , is National Caviar Day.   Who knew?    June is also National Candy Month, National Dairy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, National Iced Tea Month, and National Papaya Month.   Who knew? Or cares? Personally I think caviar is vile – probably a result of my brother telling me, in vivid detail, what it was when I had a large mouthful at age 7.   Mother was not amused when I spit it out. And, I’ve never touched the stuff again.   This is a bit of information none you are interested in, with good reason.   But what about the other sound bites we snatch every day? As a writer, I love sites that list trivia, and that includes the “today in history” pages.    How else would I know that on July 18 th , 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere , or that on this day in 1991, the remains of President Zachary Taylor were briefly exhumed to test a theory that Taylor had d...

Today I'm indulging in a flight of fancy - anything to escape the heat and humidity which have suddenly descended on Connecticut. A couple of days ago, a Jungle Red blogger posted about St. Hilda's Crime and Mystery Conference . held every August in Oxford, England. As I sit fanning myself with a paperback, my thoughts wander into the realm of "what if," as in what if I won the lottery or a rich relative (of which I have none) left me a large legacy. Normally, I only attend two conferences each year, more for financial reasons than anything else. One is Murder 203 , a Connecticut-based event heavily attended by readers as well as writers, and, of course, Crimebake . But, what if ? Just sit back and fantasize with me. St Hilda’s  is one of the longest running events in the United kingdom -- the first event having been held in 1994.  The annual themes have been as diverse as the presenters: “The Queen’s of Crime” (1994); “The Golden Age – There and Now” (1995);“...

May 4 th marks Audrey Hepburn’s birthday.   Obviously Hepburn is famous for her work in films and with Unicef, but in my mind, she will eternally be associated with the LBD – the Little Black Dress. Hepburn wore iconic LBDs in both Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's . The "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's , designed by Givenchy, was sold at a Christie's auction on 5 December 2006 for £467,200 (approximately $920,000 at that time). Every woman needs at least one LBD. Personally, I have one for each season.   It’s an absolute essential in any woman's wardrobe. But that's not really the point. As a writer, I look at an empty page in my WIP in much the same way as I contemplate my LBD: a blank slate to accessorize, up or down as necessary, for the occasion.   I might add dialog or a red herring to the page, just as I’d add a scarf or a string of pearls.   Then it’s time to stand back, examine the result and judge the effect. Does it work...

Most of us can't write our mysteries without the inevitable research.  Since a living/breathing expert is not always handy, I often (most of the time) turn to the Internet for facts and figures. It may be a flaw in my character, but I can't seem to stop researching once I get started. I jump from page to page, using those handy little hyperlinks the "experts" so thoughtfully provide.  And I swear I'm developing a new disease: Research ADD . The other day I was researching Swedish towns, looking for a likely name to use in my current manuscript.  I found a site listing town names and from there, it was all down hill, at least in terms of writing productivity. My navigation went something like this: town names -> country information -> things to do-> cultural festivals -> regional foods -> recipes -> gravlax.  Once I'd landed on recipes for this delectable treat, I felt compelled to discover gravlax's origins.  It wasn't a total...

How long does it take to discover if you're no good at something?  Three days into the 30-day NaNoWriMo challenge I discovered an interesting fact about myself:  I'm not cut out to be a speed writer.Twenty-two days have done nothing except substantiate that fact. This should come as no surprise to those who know me.  I'm your typical, garden variety Virgo:  shy. reliable, practical, intelligent and analytical.  Oh, and did I mention fussy, overcritical, perfectionist and a worrier?  These are not the traits of a successful NaNo marathon writer. I understand the principles of the NaNo. Obviously you have to get something down on the page -- anything -- before you can try and revise it into something polished and publishable. As a journalist I learned to just put a piece of paper in the typewriter (yes, I'm that old) and start typing.  Eventually the "good" stuff would start flowing and you could strike out the bad beginning.   But the wh...

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow so don't expect to hear from me for a while. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, National Novel Writing Month is a writing challenge -- a seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Over 120,000 world-wide will participate this year. But how many will finish? And let's be honest, the aim here is quantity not quality. Since I generally write between 500 and 1,000 words per day, the 1,667 words/per average is going to be more than slightly challenging. Thankfully I have a plot in mind, mixing a Victorian Inn with psychics, food, and, of course, murder.  Stay tuned to see how it all turns out. In the meantime, I won't have time for much cooking, so I'm sharing the world's easiest soup recipe. It's delicious and makes a huge amount! A mug of this will keep you typing all afternoon. Pumpkin Soup     3  10-...

There are days when I just want to turn off my computer and never turn it on again.  Days I wonder why I ever thought I could be a writer.  Days I wonder why I didn't learn a nice trade -- like blacksmithing. The process of writing is far harder than I imagined when I started out, several years ago, to write the next great mystery.  I had time, an idea, and the reassurance of friends that I had a knack with words.  What more did I need? I can hear the groans, sniggers, and laughter out there.  Like anything else worthwhile, good writing is a lot harder than it sounds. A lot, lot harder. Writing is not for the weak, the faint of heart, the quitters. About the same time I took up writing, I started yoga - for relaxation.  I started with the usual Om Shanti , repeating it over and over.  Now I have a new mantra:  Never give up . I'd like to take credit for this brilliant philosophy, but like most plots, it's been said before: “ Never, nev...

Last weekend was Murder 203, Connecticut's own Mystery festival.  Held on Saturday at the Easton Library and on Sunday at the Westport library, it's a wonderful way to re-energize your spirit and your writing.  The two-day event is packed with panel discussions, book signings, raffles and a silent auction at Saturday night's cocktail party. This year's guest of honour was Mary Jane Clark, author of the Eliza Blake and Sunrise Suspense Society series.  Hank Phillippi Ryan, put on her reporter "hat" and interviewed Mary Jane.  The hour flew by, filled with amusing anecdotes and useful insights. Mystery 203 draws not only published authors, and the hopeful (like yours truly), but also avid fans who come to meet and mingle with their favourite mystery writers.  I was surprised by the number of non-writers, many of whom had driven long distances to be there.   There were lots of great sessions to choose.  Topics included: Research: balancing facts and fi...

Earlier today I was sitting in the dentist's chair. On his ceiling was a pseudo newspaper with witty items and games, presumably to keep you amused while you're waiting for the real show to start. After I figured out the mathematical quiz (about 3rd grade level), one item caught my eye, a quote by Will Rogers: "Even if you're on the right track,  you'll get run over if you just sit there." That made me think about my writing career. My stalled writing career. Some two years ago, having sold my software consulting company, I decided to fulfill my dream of writing a book -- a mystery. Had I known at the time the amount of sweat and tears (no blood so far) it would take, I probably would have taken up painting instead. I didn't just decide to become a writer one day -- I'd worked as a reporter for several years before going back to school for an MBA -- but I was blissfully ignorant of what it took to write a book .  So, I started writing. And I pl...