Monday is start of National Novel Writing Month

OKAY, ADMIT IT! You’ve always wanted to write a novel. Of course you have, who doesn’t think they have the Great American Novel inside them? Well, if you are one of the 90+ percent who think they have a book, next month is for you. It is National Novel Writing Month – NaNoWriMo, for short. Here is a short summary from the NaNoWriMo website to give you an idea about what this is all about:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, 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.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2009, we had over 165,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

*****

So what are you waiting for? Me? Well, I’ve got a column due Friday and an 80,000 word mystery to finish. But then maybe this might be a good time to start that vampire novel…hummm? Let me know if you are taking part; and good luck to those who do!

Mondays With Mike: Crafting plot and characters

FOR THE PAST several weeks I’ve been speaking at libraries and schools on the “craft” of writing. So I thought it would be a good time to re-print a column on crafting characters I did for another blog several months ago. This is reproduced from a guest column on the blog “Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers” the blog of Anastasia Pollack, craft editor and reluctant amateur sleuth. It appeared on Friday August 6, 2010:

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR MIKE MANNO

Today’s guest author for Book Club Friday is Mike Manno. Mike is an attorney in Central Iowa where he also teaches law and political science at Upper Iowa University. He lives in West Des Moines with two dogs, a turtle, and a wife. Mike’s newest murder mystery, End of the Line, was just published by Five Star and is available through most book stores and online outlets. His first book, Murder Most Holy was published by Five Star in 2006 and was re-printed in paperback by WorldWide Mystery in 2008. -- AP

Thank you, Anastasia, for the invitation to visit with your fans.

The first thing I noted after accepting the invitation to write for Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers was that I am not a crafter. Now my wife, on the other hand, is a crafter. I need only to take a trip around the house to see her handiwork everywhere. When we met she was a florist, and although she has ventured into the business world of banking and mortgages, she likes to keep her artistic side in practice.

Thus we have needlepoint and plant arrangements throughout the house and in my office, and she often crafts her own gifts for birthdays, holidays and showers. I once saw one of her friends break down and cry when she opened one of Luanne’s gifts to find a miniature replica of her organization’s banner; and if that wasn’t enough, she also has volunteered to decorate our church each holiday.

All of this, of course, makes me feel inadequate to pen a column for a craft blog. Then she (the wiser of the two of us) suggested that I also do crafts: I craft people. And she is right; my craft is creating characters that serve a particular function, just as her decorative arrangements serve to brighten our household. And the more I thought about it, the more I could see the similarities between crafting things and crafting people.

Luanne always starts with a plan and an idea of how her finished project will look. A mystery writer is no different, I always start with a plan (plot) and an idea of how the story will end (whodunit). Now as any crafter knows, things don’t always go right; a color is off or a cut is too short. The crafter then has to either re-do or re-design; same with me. Crafters have patterns; I have an outline. Crafters make adjustments; writers develop new sub-plots. It’s all very similar.

But the most important part of the writers craft is the creation of characters. The best plot cannot overcome cardboard characters just as the best quilt structure pales without the proper accents.

So how do I (or any writer for that matter) go about creating characters that will fetch the attention of the average mystery reader? Simple, the same way crafters get ideas for new projects: we observe. It is almost as simple as that, we become people-watchers!

Fictional characters, like real people, are many facetted. Good people watchers know that. A villain, for example, cannot be all bad. There is no depth there. Even the most evil person needs a good side and your hero needs human foibles. The challenge for the writer is how to integrate the good with the bad and balance the conflicting nature within each character, much the same as a florist will accent her arrangement with baby’s breath, bows and greenery.

Then, just as the florist needs to balance the color and size of the flowers chosen, the writer needs to balance the personalities of the characters he or she creates. Does the florist want a bold arrangement designed as an attention-getter, or a simpler one that will complement the event décor? Does our character interact with other characters more or less like himself? It is in that relationship among the characters that will create a harmonious blending of personalities or a tension that titillates the reader. Either way, just as the florist sees the arrangement as part of the event, the writer must look at each character as part of a whole and develop it accordingly.

And the best way to develop the character is through action and words. What the character does and says is more important than anything the narrator can say about him. A good writer, then, will allow his character to reveal himself by his own words and deeds.

Deeds are fairly easy. Words are more difficult. Therefore it is important to allow your character to speak as real people speak which is usually not in complete sentences. If you notice the people around you, you will soon see that most speak in a kind of shorthand that conveys their point while remaining grammatically incorrect. Ask a lawyer friend someday how his witnesses sound when testifying in court. If his are like mine, they sound okay. Then ask how they “sound” from the written transcript of the trial. They’ll tell you that most, even the experts, will sound like uneducated boobs at times.

But that is the way people talk, and a writer must be able to capture that in a way that sounds realistic without adding so many “ohs” and “ahs” that the reader becomes confused. Thus, as many writers do, I spend a considerable amount of time on developing realistic, yet easy to follow, dialogue. Obviously, like anything else, dialogue can be overdone, but just like a good needlepoint, with the proper balance the correct effect can be achieved and your characters will become your readers’ new friends.

Then, if you put this all together correctly you will have a beautiful bouquet and not simply a bunch of flowers.

Happy crafting, from one crafter to another.

From the blog:

http://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2010/08/book-club-friday-guest-author-mike.html

Congratulations to book winners!

CONGRATULATIONS to Jeff from Somerset, Kentucky and Jill from Parkton, Maryland who were the winners of my first book, Murder Most Holy, on Lois Winston’s blog last week. Jeff and Jill, your books are on the way. If you missed my guest blog you can still check it out here (scroll down to the Friday August 6 column). Next Monday prolific mystery author Julie Hyzy will be my interview guest. Julie has just introduced a new mystery series that she will discuss, so make sure you check back next week. And don't forget to click on one of the links on the right to check out my new mystery, End of the Line.  Amazon has some pretty great reviews you should read.

Local Writing Groups of Interest

For those interested, here are the meeting times of several of the writing groups that meet in the Des Moines area:

Borders Books and Music: Every Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., 4100 University Ave., West Des Moines.

West Des Moines Writers: 10 a.m. the second and fourth Saturdays at the West Des Moines Public Library, 4000 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines.

Beaverdale Books: The first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m., 2629 Beaver Ave. Suite 1, Des Moines.

If anyone has information on any others, please forward them to me. As you know, a writing group is a great way to not only get feedback on your writing, but to get you into a writing routine. Try one out!

The ARCs are in . . . now what do I do with them?

THIS WEEK MY PUBLISHER delivered about 30 ARCs to me. For those wondering, an ARC is an “advance reading copy” of a novel. The purpose of an ARC is two-fold: first, it gives the author (me) an opportunity to review the book and look for any unintentional errors made when the book was transformed from a copy-edited manuscript to galley form; and second, it is sent to reviewers in advance of the book’s actual publication date. The scheduled publication date is June 16; the date the book will be supplied to wholesalers and distributors is July 7.

So what do I do with 30 ARCS? Well, right now I’m looking for mystery reviewers to send them to. I’ve already received a list of reviewers that the publisher has sent copies to, so I’m looking for other reviewers who may not be on the “A” list, but do have a following and review mysteries.

Sometimes writing is the easy part of this job. Marketing is where the headaches begin. What to do with 30 ARCs? Hummmmm . . .

That was quick: New senator heads for book deal

PUBLISHERS LUNCH is reporting that newly elected Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass) has retained Robert Barnett at Williams & Connolly to help him secure a book deal. The senator’s communications director Gail Gitcho says Brown is "honored and humbled to be approached by many people who want him to tell his inspirational personal story.... He will tell his story in a book in hopes of providing insight and encouragement to others and also to ensure that the record is complete and accurate." He'll work with a collaborator so that he has some time to serve as a senator, and will donate "part" of the proceeds to charity. Maybe I can jump start the advance sales for End of the Line if I run for office. You apparently don’t even have to win, just look at the sales numbers for Sarah Palin’s book. Humm…is the dog catcher job open this year?

2010 Calendar of Crime

HERE IS THE 2010 Calendar of Crime from the Mystery Writers of America:

February 25-28
Sleuthfest, Boca Raton, Florida
www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

March 11-14
20th Annual Left Coast Crime: Booked in L.A., Los Angeles
www.leftcoastcrime.org/2010/index.htm

April 30-May 2
Malice Domestic 22, Arlington, Virginia
http://malicedomestic.org/

May 20-23
Crimefest, Bristol, England, UK
www.crimefest.com

May 25-27
Book Expo America, New York
www.bookexpoamerica.com

May 27-29
Mayhem in the Midlands, Omaha, Nebraska
www.omahapubliclibrary.org/mayhem/

July 7-10
Thrillfest, New York
www.thrillerwriters.org/thrillfest/

July 22-25
Theakston’s Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Festival, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK
www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/

August 20-22
Killer Nashville Mystery & Thriller Conference, Franklin, Tennessee
www.killernashville.com

September 24-26
Writers’ Police Academy, Jamestown, NC
www.writerspoliceacedemy.com/

October 14-17
Bouchercon by the Bay, San Francisco, California
www.bcon2010.com/

November 4-7
NoirCon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.noircon.com/

November 12-14
New England Crime Bake, Dedham, Massachusetts
www.crimebake.org/index.htm

A good way to become a published author is to attend one or more conferences. Plan to attend one during the upcoming year.

Beware of writing scams, check before you sign!

ONE OF THE THINGS budding writers need to guard against is people who prey on their desire to publish. There are numerous examples of hucksters who try to make a quick buck by playing on the dreams of writers. One great site to bookmark that will help you avoid problems is Preditors and Editors. Recently, Mystery Writers of America writers received the following notice, which I’m copying here as a word of warning:

Dear MWA Members:

Recently, Harlequin Enterprises launched two new business ventures aimed at aspiring writers, the Harlequin Horizons self-publishing program and the eHarlequin Manuscript Critique service (aka "Learn to Write"), both of which are widely promoted on its website and embedded in the manuscript submission guidelines for all of its imprints.

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is deeply concerned about the troubling conflict-of-interest issues created by these ventures, particularly the potentially misleading way they are marketed to aspiring writers on the Harlequin website.

It is common for disreputable publishers to try to profit from aspiring writers by steering them to their own for-pay editorial, marketing, and publishing services. The implication is that by paying for those services, the writer is more likely to sell his manuscript to the publisher. Harlequin recommends the "eHarlequin Manuscript Critique Service" in the text of its manuscript submission guidelines for all of its imprints and include a link to "Harlequin Horizons," its new self-publishing arm, without any indication that these are advertisements.

That, coupled with the fact that these businesses share the Harlequin name, may mislead writers into believing they can enhance their chances of being published by Harlequin by paying for these services. Offering these services violates long-standing MWA rules for inclusion on our Approved Publishers List.

On November 9, Mystery Writers of America sent a letter to Harlequin about the "eHarlequin Manuscript Critique Service," notifying Harlequin that it is in violation of our rules and suggesting steps that Harlequin could take to remain on our Approved Publishers list. The steps outlined at that time included removing mention of this for-pay service entirely from its manuscript submission guidelines, clearly identifying any mention of this program as paid advertisement, and, adding prominent disclaimers that this venture was totally unaffiliated with the editorial side of Harlequin, and that paying for this service is not a factor in the consideration of manuscripts. Since that letter went out, Harlequin has launched "Harlequin Horizons," a self-publishing program.

MWA's November 9 letter asks that Harlequin respond to our concerns and recommendations by December 15. We look forward to receiving their response and working with them to protect the interests of aspiring writers. If MWA and Harlequin are unable to reach an agreement, MWA will take appropriate action which may include removing Harlequin from the list of MWA approved publishers, declining future membership applications from authors published by Harlequin and declaring that books published by Harlequin will not be eligible for the Edgar Awards.

We are taking this action because we believe it is vitally important to alert our members of unethical and predatory publishing practices that take advantage of their desire to be published. We respect Harlequin and its authors and hope the company will take the appropriate corrective measures.

This e-bulletin was prepared by Margery Flax on behalf of MWA's National Board of Directors.

November is National Novel Writing Month

IN CASE YOU NEED an excuse to start your Great All American Novel, this is National Novel Writing Month. In fact, to get you going there is a nation-wide effort to get would-be authors to turn out a 50,000 word manuscript by the 30th of the month. It is called NaNoWriMo and can be found by following this link. There are no fees for entering and there are no prizes for finishing, except the satisfaction of having completed that novel you’ve always known you can do. And who knows, perhaps – just perhaps, it could lead to a real live book contract. Remember, we all started somewhere nowhere near the top!

And if you want some writers tips, scroll down a few entries where you can read about Joe Konrath’s free downloadable book on getting published. Joe’s website is jakonrath.com.

Good luck, and let’s see if you can’t make this a month to remember.

New local author with a two book deal

ONE OF MY FRIENDS from an old writers’ group, Stephen Brayton, called the other day to let me know he had received a two e-book deal from Echelon Press. Echelon, if you don’t know, is one of the leading up and coming book and e-book publishers in the United States. In the short time it has been in existence it has developed a great reputation as a discoverer and developer of new talent. Echelon publishes some of my good author friends, Luisa Buehler, Michael Black, Mary Welk, Mrlis Day, and Carl Bookins.

Both of Stephen’s books sound like winners: Beta: Private Investigator Mallory Petersen, a fourth degree black belt with her own taekwondo school in Des Moines, Iowa, splits her time between teaching martial arts and her often inane cases. When she accepts a case to find Cheryl McGee’s kidnapped eight year old daughter, Mallory is pulled into the dark underworld of child pornography.

Night Shadows: Harry Reznik, a cynical hardworking homicide detective with a newly pregnant wife reluctantly partners with federal agent Lori Campisi to solve a string of gruesome murders. Campisi is a stolid, almost emotionless member of a special FBI department dedicated to pursuing cases outside the mainstream. She convinces Harry that the murders are being committed by Shadow Creatures: malevolent beings let loose in our dimension through the powerful magic of an ancient book.

He’ll send me a link to his new website when he gets it up and going. While I’m at it, don’t forget Tim Gilbert and his website where you can download his free thriller.

Now, bring on the Yankees; go Phillies!

Brief outline of criminal procedure for the writer

DO YOU REMEMBER the old Perry Mason television programs? Some of the most vivid memories of those shows were the courtroom scenes where Perry would artfully get the real culprit to confess on the witness stand. Pretty exciting courtroom action, but did you know that none of those scenes were at a trial? They were actually at what is known as a preliminary hearing.

Let me give you a short primer or how a criminal case is handled by the courts:

After the arrest and booking, the suspect is given an initial appearance where the judge formally informs the defendant of the charges against him and his rights. The defendant does not plea to the charge at this time. The judge will then set bail or release the defendant on his promise to appear for further court dates.

That is followed later by a preliminary hearing where the prosecutor must present enough evidence so that a judge can determine if there is probable cause to send the defendant to trial. Sometimes the preliminary hearing is replaced by a grand jury where the grand jury determines if there is probable cause for a trial. If the grand jury determines there is enough evidence to try the defendant it will issue an indictment which is a written document formally charging the defendant with a crime. If a preliminary hearing is used in place of the grand jury, the formal charges will be prepared by the prosecutor in a document called an information.

Once the indictment or information is filed, the defendant is brought before the court for an arraignment where he is again informed of the charges and now asked to enter a plea. If the plea is guilty, there is no trial and the court can proceed to sentencing. If the plea is not guilty a trial date is set. If the defendant refuses to enter a plea the court will enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.

With a not guilty plea and no disposition of the case through plea bargaining, the case will proceed to the actual trial where the defendant will have the option of being tried by the court (a judge only) or by a jury.

I hope this clears up some of the procedural questions writers have when writing about criminal court activities. There is obviously more detail, but this should suffice for most writing situations.

Getting facts straight: The Dying Declaration

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH is a mantra that writers hear all the time but sometimes ignore. I was at a conference the other day when one of the speakers was commenting on the pope’s environmental statement. At a papal Mass, Benedict gave a homily extolling the virtues of the environment. The reporter covering it noted that the pontiff so wanted to underscore his position that he even wore green vestments!

Well, as any Catholic would tell you, the color of the vestments worn at Mass are dictated by the liturgical season (Christmas, Lent, etc.) or the specific feast day, not the particular message the priest wants to give. Green is the most often used color which denotes “Ordinary Time,” in other words, nothing special that day on the Church calendar.

I’m also reminded of the film Kramer v. Kramer where Dustin Hoffman played the role of a father trying to win custody of his son. He was insistent that his son, Billy, not be involved in any of the court hearings. After the judge granted custody to the mother, dad wanted to appeal. The response by his lawyer was something to the effect that if he appeals it will be necessary to call Billy as a witness. Now as anyone who has taken business law knows, there are no witnesses in an appellate court, those courts rule on a written record and oral arguments by lawyers.

And, of course, we have all heard the stories of authors who get razzed by readers because they have a car traveling the wrong way on a one-way street, or is a four-door model when the company only produced a two-door.

So I am not surprised when I see writers missing the point concerning rules of evidence, especially that rule known as the “dying declaration.”

There is much confusion about what this means, so here is a small primer. The rule is actually one of the exceptions of the rule on hearsay. Hearsay, itself, is not well understood but suffice it to say that it is a statement made out of court that is being repeated in court to prove the content of the statement. Let me give you a quick example:

If a Bob says in court, “John called me and told me that Tom was coming over to beat me up,” that would be hearsay if it was offered to prove that Tom wanted to beat Bob up. On the other hand, it would not be hearsay if Bob was using it to explain why he threw the first punch at Tom; because then it would be offered, not to prove Tom’s intent, but to show what motivated Bob to act as he did. Got it? Well, it’s hard and I admit it.

The dying declaration then is a statement by a person dying – now dead – repeated in court to prove that what was being said was truthful, classic hearsay. However, the dying declaration is an exception to the hearsay rule (get out your books, it’s rule 804(b)(2) in the federal rules) but only a limited one. Under the rule it is only applicable to show what the dying person believed to have caused his impending death – nothing more. So it does not relate to property rights or any other matter. It is used primarily prosecutions for homicide or civil actions in which the liability for the death is at issue.

Some states may have slightly different versions of the rule, but if you are writing about it keep in mind what it is and what it is not. It will not dispose of the family farm, trip up a crooked accountant or expose fraud in the boardroom – not in court anyway. And if you have a question or two, there are a few good lawyers around who might answer your questions if you’ll name a character after them, perhaps a distinguished judge.

And, least I forget, Happy Columbus Day!

Newbie Guide to Getting Published

ANYONE THINKING about writing a book would be wise to check out Author J. A. Konrath’s website: jakonrath.com. In addition to the usual self-serving material authors put on their web pages, Joe has included information and links that will be helpful to any budding or established author.

The highlight of the site is a 700+ page downloadable (free) book: The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing Book. It’s an easy book to peruse while on-line and easier still to print off only those pages needed.

Some of his tips include the six things you should never put in a query letter, the 19 mistakes new writers make, what agents want, and five ways to look like a pro. One example of a no-no is using a fancy font for you query letter. He wrote, “I tried sending a query once using an exotic, calligraphy font, because I thought it made me stand out and appear intelligent. The agent returned it asking, ‘Next time, submit in English.’”

Check out his website. Even if you don’t find his tips helpful, you might want to pick up one of his books. I’ve read several and enjoyed each one.

Tips for writers

ONE OF THE LAST THINGS NEWBIE WRITERS learn is that there are really rules for writing that agents and editors look to see if you have followed in your submission. There are numerous sites on the web that you can consult that will assist you in developing your story and the preparation of your manuscript. I’ve found a few sites listed here that might be a point from which to start a journey or refresh your knowledge. No promises, but you might want to check them out.

The Writers Site
The art and business of writing
http://www.thewriterssite.com/

Fiction Writer’s Connection
Novel writing tips
http://www.fictionwriters.com/tips-novel-writing.html

Getting Published:
Getting Started
Writing Tips
Lecture Notes
Fun With Words
Tracking Submissions
http://www.marisamontes.com/getting_published.htm

Whodunnit, Howdunit, and Whydunnit: 10 tips for writing your mystery novel
http://www.poewar.com/mystery/

How do you get a novel published?
By Terry Whalin, Whalin Literary Agency, LLC
http://www.right-writing.com/published-novel.html

Some writers' sites of interest

A COUPLE OF RESOURCE LINKS for those wanting to get published:

First is Preditors and Editors. All too often newbie authors seeking publication fall victim to unscrupulous editors, publishers or agents, whose only talent is taking money from wanta-be writers. Before you submit your work, or sign a contract, check out this site to see if there are any recommendations or cautions about the person with whom you are planning to deal.

The second is for mystery writers. My friend Jerry Hooten hosts a resource site for mystery writers. He also publishes a monthly newsletter which is free via e-mail specifically for mystery writers which covers topics such as guns and legal news. Jerry has advised several well-known mystery authors, including Max Allan Collins and Michael Connelly, and a few minor writers like me.

These and other helpful links are included at my website.