Chapter 9 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

Somehow, I never posted the fact that I wrote Chapter 8. Be assured that I did... I did not magically skip from 7 to 9!.

In fact, I wrote Chapter 9 twice. Somehow when I was backing it up I managed to lose the whole thing. Still have no real idea how that happened, but it did.

So, instead of taking Chapter 9 to my writers' group for feedback, I stayed home and wrote it all again. The final word count was within 100 words of the original, so I think I managed to recreate most of it. I don't think the second try was as good as the first, but hopefully editing will improve that.

This chapter is more about character development than direct plot movement.

An excerpt from Chapter 9:

    “How about that rowboat?”
    I laughed. “It’s too rotten to be any use in the water. But I like the atmosphere.” The overturned boat’s faded and peeling red paint contrasted nicely with the green leaves, and blue-gray water.
    Chad started a fire, and after a few minutes we had threaded hot dogs on peeled sticks and were holding them over the crackling flames. The river gurgled quietly against its banks as it flowed from our right to left. Sparrows twittered amongst the maple leaves which were shivering in the slight breeze. The earth smelled warm and damp, and the hardwood smoke tickled our nostrils.

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

Chapter 7 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

For some reason, I had a hard time writing this chapter. It didn't feel smooth to me, and because it's a different pace from the opening (this book opens with more of a bang than the others), it was hard to see if it fit well.

I took it to my writers' group expecting to have it torn to shreds. Instead, they pretty much thought it worked well. They pointed out some tweaks that would help, but it was not the crashing disaster I thought it might be, requiring an extensive re-write. I sure hope they are right! Usually, these folks are not afraid to be honest, so I trust them to tell me if something isn't working.

Some important pieces of information are revealed, and hopefully in a natural way. That's always a bit tricky when a story is told in first person.

An excerpt from Chapter 7:

    The yellow plastic tape was completely blocking the public access to the river. I was willing to bet that wasn’t making the [canoe] livery owners happy in August. We pulled slowly past the access, and as we crept by I had a glimpse of two divers wading from the water. I also caught site of a solid man with short grizzled hair and a scowl on his face, Detective Milford. He wore a tie, but no suit coat, and his sleeves were rolled part way up his arms. He looked hot and frustrated.

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

Cover for Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

It's possible there might be some tweaks, but here is the prototype cover for Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp.



Is it mysterious? Boring? Does it make you want to buy this book?

Four Mistakes Mystery Writers Make

at the Blood and Tea mystery writers' conference, L-R D.E. Johnson, Aaron Stander, Elizabeth Buzzelli, Lev Raphael (photo by jhy)

There was lots to take in and think about at the recent Blood and Tea mystery writers' conference in Ludington. Four Michigan mystery writers led workshops, and participated in two panel discussions.

The writers were D.E. Johnson, Aaron Stander, Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli, and Lev Raphael, seen left to right in the picture.

The conference was nearly over by the time this discussion was held, and we'd all become friends, so there was a fair amount of joking and teasing going on.

But, when things settled down, here are the mistakes these successful mystery writers noted:

D.E. Johnson- If you want to make money (as opposed to writing for yourself out of a need to do so), you have to pay attention to the market, and know what is selling.

Aaron Stander- Not being careful about details. If there is too much suspension of disbelief it will stop the reader cold. Make sure that you haven't said something totally ridiculous.

Elizabeth Buzzelli- Not having the courage to confront a major dramatic scene. Don't avoid including a good conflict where one naturally seems to fit.

Lev Raphael- In mysteries, deaths often don't have enough emotional impact on the protagonist or other characters, or just expressing the impact in cliches (they throw up).

Over the next few days, I'll try to share some of the other things from workshops that had an impact on me. It won't be comprehensive. Most of my notes are focused on things that caught my attention, rather than an overview or class-notes as if there were going to be a test.

Chapter 6 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

Sometimes more complex is just that: complicated. This book is the most tangled I've ever tried to write, and sometimes I'm not sure which piece should come next.

One night earlier this week I had trouble getting to sleep, so I pondered "what next" for Bury the Hatchet. I realized quite quickly that I didn't really need any continuing description of the events that began in Chapter 5.

Sometimes writing a story is just as much about what to leave out, as what to put in. Sure, I could have spun out those events, but it wasn't necessary, and one sentence covering the outcome was fine, less boring, and moved things along.

Instead, Chapter 6 goes in a completely different direction. In fact, the reader might think the plot isn't being advanced, but that it only serves to develop characters. Hopefully, it does some of each.

An excerpt from Chapter 6:

    My brain was seriously foggy, and I might have dozed off because I jumped at the sound of a knock at the door. I hadn’t heard anyone drive in.
    The knocking was repeated, more insistently, and I hurried to the door. Whoever was out there was standing to the side, out of sight. I couldn’t see anyone through the old wavy glass door panels, and no vehicle was within view.
    “Who’s there?” I called.
    There was no answer, but a squareish shoulder eased into sight and the person knocked again.

Keeping Web Sites Up to Date

One of the biggest killers of interest in your work is having a web site with wrong information on it- usually because it's out of date.

I'm guilty of falling behind sometimes, too. But it does hurt. I just did some updating on my publishing site Books Leaving Footprints, and I've added two ways to get to know me better to the sidebar here. I've also added them to this blog post.

Here's an author interview with me on "A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book," an excellent show by Jennifer Walker.

Listen to internet radio with Jennifer Walker on Blog Talk Radio

And here's a news video created by the Petoskey News-Review of the day I completed my 4400-mile hike on the North Country Trail.

Chapter 5- Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

This chapter was fun to write in one way. I've always admired authors like Ngaio Marsh and some others who can handle a whole room full of characters, keep them straight, make something important happen, and befuddle the reader enough that a major clue is slipped in right under their noses.

Well, I certainly didn't take on that big of a challenge. All I tried for was to have a room full of people, and have the scene make sense. Since I personally have trouble dealing with more than one or two people at a time, it's hard for me to write about crowds.

Tomorrow night, my writers' group will help me decide if I succeeded! Meanwhile, here's a sample:

An excerpt from Chapter 5:

    “Caulfield’s...” she began tentatively, but was cut off by Adele who swept toward us.
    “This is one sad day for our community,” she announced loudly, shaking her head.
    From a couple of tables away, a man yelled, “Where’s the Sheriff? It’s 6:58.”
    “Damn mysterious, if you ask me,” said a woman I only knew as a one of the Lutherans.
    People had continued to drift in, and now the room was packed. I saw Cora and her son Tom, but they sat down on the far side of the room, and didn’t even see me wave.

I wasn't sure when I began where this chapter should end. But when I got there, today, it was obvious!