The Writing Life--and Life

 DEBORAH CROMBIE: Earlier this week I read an essay by John Zeratsky, former Google designer and author of Make Time and Sprint, on how to use your calendar to design your ideal day. Having never experienced an ideal day, but still optimistic enough to think it possible, I was interested. He talks about the writing life, and about how essential it is to make time in your day for creative work, and he quotes as his inspiration Annie Dillard. In her book The Writing Life, Dillard says, "A schedule... is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.” Zeratsky goes on to explain in detail how he schedules his own time, which was both useful (I hope) and interesting.

But what really struck me in his essay was his reference to Annie Dillard's book and its effect on him. Now, I'm sure I read The Writing Life, along with with Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, and Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, all in those years when I was first putting my toe in the writing waters, thinking that I might, just maybe, be a writer someday. It was none of those books, however, that pushed me off the diving board into the deep end.

 In 1986, a writer named Natalie Goldberg published a book, her first, called Writing Down the Bones.

Her premise was that we all have it in us to write, to tell meaningful stories, if we can just unlock what is latent in our minds and memories. Her method for doing this she called Writing Practice. You sit down with the least expectations of yourself, put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write without stopping for a designated amount of time, say, fifteen minutes.You may have sessions where all you can find to say is, "I have nothing to say," but, eventually, if you keep at it, something will surface.Writing practice is the warm-up for anything else you might want to write--it allows you to find your voice, to unlock your neural pathways.

So, I took Natalie's advice to heart. I did writing practice, and I wrote, and eventually my scribbles turned into a book, and then into more books. 

All these years later, I still do sprints when I'm writing a novel. Often, it's the only way to get unstuck, to set a timer and just sit down and write something, anything, and see where it takes you. But I'd forgotten my original inspiration--and I discovered that somewhere over the years my original copy of Writing Down the Bones had disappeared as well. I ordered myself a new copy, the 30th Anniversary edition! And I'm determined to go back to the core, to set myself writing practice every day--even if I don't manage an entire Ideal Day! (I'll let you know how that thing works out!)

REDs, are there books that inspired you in the writing life? I don't mean how-tos, as in plot or structure, etc., but books about what it is to be a writer, to live a creative life. 

And Readers, what books have inspired you, perhaps not to write, but books that have given you a blueprint for a way to live your life?

RHYS NEEDS HELP FROM REDS AND READERS

RHYS BOWEN: As you probably know, I'm going to be writer-in-residence at a workshop in Tuscany this summer (and there is still one place to be filled if you get a sudden urge for the Tuscan sun). I'm starting to prepare my pre-workshop handouts and this includes a reading list. So I thought I'd get imput from the Jungle Reds and readers who between us are the most mystery-literate group on the planet.

These are my categories for books suggestions: (and as you'll see, I need help here. I'm sure there are so many great books I'm missing. I'm brain dead having just finished a book.)

BOOKS ON WRITING, ESPECIALLY MYSTERY WRITING.
I'd choose Hallie's book on mystery writing,
Stephen King on writing.
Maybe Anne Lamott's Bird on Bird.

MYSTERIES THAT ARE CHARACTER DRIVEN, WRITERS WHO SHOW EXPERTISE IN CREATING CHARACTER.
I have: Deborah Crombie, Louise Penny as great examples of rich, full-bodied characters.
Mystic River.
In the Bleak Midwinter
On Beulah Height by Reginald Hill

MYSTERIES THAT SHOW SKILL IN PLOT
All of the above (so maybe I just need a category called GOOD MYSTERY NOVELS)
Michael Connelly's Bloodwork
Hank's books.
Hallie's There Was an Old Woman

MYSTERIES THAT HAVE GOOD, REALISTIC DIALOGUE
Hank's books.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Well, if you need another instructor in Tuscany at the last minute, I'm your gal....
( RHYS.. I wish I could take all my Jungle Red sisters along with me)

BOOKS ON WRITING, ESPECIALLY MYSTERY WRITING.
The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron
On Writing, Stephen King
Bird by Bird, Anne LaMott
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Christopher Vogler

MYSTERIES THAT ARE CHARACTER DRIVEN, WRITERS WHO SHOW EXPERTISE IN CREATING CHARACTER.
Anything by Alan Bradley
Anything by Laurie R. King
Anything by Alice Hoffman (her books aren't usually shelved with mysteries, but usually contain a crime/murder/mystery anyway)

MYSTERIES THAT SHOW SKILL IN PLOT
The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson (RHYS: oh yes, good one. Perfect.)
The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters
The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown

MYSTERIES THAT HAVE GOOD, REALISTIC DIALOG
Anything by Raymond Chandler
Anything by Harlan Cobern
Anything by Louise Penny


SETTING/SENSE OF PLACE/TIME
Anything by Rhys Bowen
Anything by Jane Thynne
Anything by Kerry Greenwood
Anything by Charles Todd

HALLIE EPHRON: Oh Rhys, seriously thank you SO MUCH for the vote of confidence on my WRITING AND SELLING YOUR MYSTERY NOVEL! And seriously I’d kill to be going with you.

My recommendations:
BOOKS ON WRITING, ESPECIALLY MYSTERY WRITING.
I'd happily recommend Jane Cleland’s book coming out in April, Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats from Writer’s Digest Books
Also Paula Munier’s Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene

MYSTERIES THAT ARE CHARACTER DRIVEN, WRITERS WHO SHOW EXPERTISE IN CREATING CHARACTER.
Lucy’s Key West Food Critic series
The End of Everything by Megan Abbott
Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk
Rhys’s Her Royal Spyness

MYSTERIES THAT SHOW SKILL IN PLOT
The Town (aka Prince of Thieves) by Chuck Hogan
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connely
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

MYSTERIES THAT HAVE GOOD, REALISTIC DIALOG
Anything by Elmore Leonard of course
Anything by Robert B. Parker
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George HIggins

SETTING: SENSE OF TIME/PLACE
Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series
Any of Susan's Maggie Hope books
Any of William Tapply's books, especially Bitch Creek
Tony Hillerman's books

LUCY BURDETTE: That sounds like such fun Rhys! I won't pile on to the super suggestions that have already been made, but I thought of 3 additional writers who are amazing with both setting and character: CJ BOX'S Joe Pickett series, W KENT KRUEGER'S Cork O'Connell series, and ARNALDUR INDRIDASON for his gloomy detective and the Icelandic setting that feeds his mood.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Rhys! I am floating. Thank you. Thank you.  ( I am very proud of my plots and dialogue. Thank you.) And your students are SO lucky!

So just some additions--I agree with the writing books. I cannot live without Stephen King's On Writing.  Hallie's and Paula's and Jane's, too . Stellar.

SKILL IN PLOT: Linwood Barclay's TRUST YOUR EYES  (amazing, truly, a master class)
Peter Abrahams NERVE DAMAGE  (breaks every rule! so original)

CHARACTER: Spencer Quinn's Chet in the Chet and Bernie series...Chet is a DOG! How does he do that?
Sue Grafton's Kinsey--a classic. reliable, but always new
Maggie Hope--start with Susan's Mr Churchill's Secretary
Rachel Howzell Hall's Elouise Norton


SENSE OF TIME AND PLACE
Charles and Caroline Todd's  Inspector Rutledge books--start with TEST OF WILLS
Lady Georgie!
Dennis Lehane's Mystic River

Oh, now I'm really thinking about this. There are SO many more. And I'll remember them as soon as I hit send.

DEBORAH CROMBIE:

Thank you, Rhys, I'm very flattered!

A couple of writing books suggestions:

For creative impetus: Writing Done the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
For the best how-to: Writing: A User Manual by David Hewson
For character: The Art of Character

Skill in Character:

All the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher (not sure if these actually count as mysteries, but one of my favorite characters in fiction, period.)
Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch
Bryant and May novels, Christopher Fowler

Skill in Plot:

Already mentioned, but one of the most cleverly plotted books I've ever read is On Beaulah Height by Reginald Hill
The Verdict by Nick Stone

Skill in Dialog:

Anything by Julia Spenser-Fleming
Anything by Hank


Setting, Sense of Time and Place:

Rhys's Molly and Georgie books
Susan's Maggie Hope books
Billy Boyle novels by James Benn
Charles Todd
Laurie R. King
Jacqueline Winspear

RHYS: Thank you all so much for these. As I read down the list I kept saying out loud, "Of course. Why didn't I think of him/her?"
So I now have a stellar list but I don't think I can expect my students to bring this many books in their carry-ons. And now it's your turn: who have we left out of this list?

Hallie Ephron remembers Sandra Dee in ME, MY HAIR, AND I

HALLIE EPHRON: When I started seriously writing, I took a class in essay writing. One of our first assignments was “The History of My Hair.” So when my pal, the wonderful writer Elizabeth Benedict, asked if I’d like like to contribute an essay to an anthology about our obsessions with our hair, I enthusiastically signed up.

I took that early-early piece, along with other musings I’ve written since on the subject of my hair, and worked them into an essay I call “Remembering Sandra Dee.” It’s about how I used to cut out photos from movie magazines and beg the hairdresser to cut my hair like that. And how my aspirations for my hair probably short-circuited my accomplishments as an athlete.

 

My new essay is in stellar company in Elizabeth Benedict’s extraordinary anthology, Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession (Algonquin), which was just named PEOPLE Magazine’s pick of the week.

Here are just a few quotes from the essays in it;

Jane Smiley: All I knew was, the hairstyle that I chose from the styling book was called Femme Fatale. Or maybe it was Harlot.

Siri Hustvedt: We are the only mammals who braid, knot, powder, pile up, oil, spray, tease, perm, color, curl, straighten, augment, shave off, and clip our hair.

Deborah Feldman: Eventually I threw away my wigs. I abandoned the community that had forced me to wear them.

Suleika Joauad: Chemotherapy is a take-no-prisoners stylist.

Marita Golden: Black women’s hair is knotted and gnarled by issues of race, politics, history, and pride.

Anne Lamott: Dreadlocks make people wonder if you’re trying to be rebellious. It’s not as garbling and stapled as a tongue stud, say, or as snaky as tattoos.

Emma Gilbey Keller: “Your hair is so thick,” my grandmother used to tell me with a curled-lip emphasis that immediately turned the statement into an insult.

Deborah Tannen: Another woman told me that after she appeared on television standing behind the president of the United States in a bill-signing ceremony, her mother’s comment was, “I could see you didn’t have time to cut your bangs.”

Maria Hinojosa: …when I was asked to anchor my own show, I was told to tie my hair back and make its distinctiveness disappear. I think they wanted me to be a Latina Talbots model.

My essay begins:

It's 1958 and I'm ten years old, a skinny kid, all elbows and knees, a long face with big eyes under furry caterpillar eyebrows, sitting on a stack of telephone books in the chair at Mr. Latour's Beauty Salon, where my mother gets her hair done once a week. I've come here often with her, but this is the first time Mr. Latour is cutting my hair. …

“Can you cut it like this?” I ask. I show Mr. Latour a picture of June Allyson that I've cut from a magazine. She's a fresh-faced blond with short, curly bangs and a perfect pageboy.

Here’s me and the stars whose looks I aspired to imitate.

So fess up, when you were growing up, whose picture did you bring to the hairdresser, and did it ever come out the way you wanted it? Men, did you aspire to Elvis’s forelock? Warren Beatty’s mutton chops.

ME, MY HAIR, AND I: TWENTY-SEVEN WOMEN UNTANGLE AN OBSESSION goes on sale today, an original paperback and an ebook! Events in NYC this week, Cambridge MA on Oct. 5 and Wash DC Oct. 13. Check out Elizabeth Benedict's blog for more information. the sched. on my blog: http://ElizabethBenedict.blogspot. #LoveYourHair

Jungle Reds' Favorite Books on Writing

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Hank and I were recently at Sleuthfest in Orlando. Not only was it wonderful fun to be on and attend panels, but it was great to mingle with fellow writers, both published and unpublished.

One of the things I was asked was, "How do you learn to write a novel?" The real answer, of course, is that you learn to write a novel by actually writing a novel — there's no shortcut to that, or guideline, or blueprint.

But books can help.

I personally can't say enough good things about Stephen King's ON WRITING: A Memoir of the Craft. Not only is it Mr. King's story of how he became, and stayed, a novelist, but it has excellent chapters on ideas, writing, editing, and critiques. It has what I think of as a bootcamp-like approach. King is tough on aspiring writers, because he wants you to get over the idea of "being a writer" to someone who shows up everyday and writes.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

I also love Anne LaMotte's Bird by Bird, John Gardner's The Art of Fiction and On Moral Fiction.

Reds, what books on writing have shaped, challenged, infuriated you?

HALLIE EPHRON: I have quite a collection of writing books - with my own WRITING AND SELLING YOUR MYSTERY NOVEL taking pride of place as my favorite 'how to' basics book. 

And of course I love ON WRITING and BIRD BY BIRD and Lawrence Block's TELLING LIES FOR FUN & PROFIT, all classics. Also Elizabeth Lyon's MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER and an oldie, Orson Scott Card's CHARACTER & VIEWPOINT. 


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Gosh, can't do better than the Stephen King book. I was--awash with

inspiration. I mean--it was life-changing. I'm a big Save The Cat fan, the Blake Snyder book on screenwriting. And David Morrell has a terrific one, as does Chris Roerden. (Hallie's, of course! Which is dog-eared and pencil-marked and yellow highlighted.)  I love Donald Maass's Fire in Fiction.  My big confession is that except for ON WRITING and BIRD BY BIRD, which I devoured and read over and over, I never really sit down and read the whole thing I just--have them, and open them to a random page when I need inspiration. It's really a valuable thing to do!  I know I have left out many of these...I am in the airport and trying to remember titles!  But my question--what do we use these books FOR?


DEBORAH CROMBIE: Susan, I LOVED John Gardner's On Moral Fiction (still have my

treasured copy.) I think it was the first book I ever read on writing, and it made a huge impression. But somehow I missed his The Art of Fiction! Love Stephen King's of the same title. Although I don't agree with all his advice, it's a fascinating story, and a great start. Two other faves--Lamott's Bird by Bird, and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. These are not so much books about structure as books that help you free up the writer within.

Hallie, I wish I'd had your books when I was starting to write!!! 

Oh, and David Corbett's The Art of Character is fabulous.


LUCY BURDETTE: The two I loved the most have already been mentioned--Annie Lamott's BIRD

BY BIRD (boy does she know writers' neuroses!) and the Stephen King. But I also found Elizabeth Lyon's MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER to be enormously helpful, especially after a first draft is on the table. And Hallie's book is an excellent primer on writing a mystery. In fact, now I'm prompted to go back and reread all of those--I bet I'd learn some new things or learn some old things over again:).


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I went to my craft and reference bookcase to pull out my favorite writing books, and realized I don't have many of them - I keep giving them away! I suppose that's the sign of a really useful tome. I echo many of the great books the rest of you have mentioned here, especially my perennial favorite, TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT. 

Let me try to add to the discussion with an "If you like" list. If you've already read Stephen King's ON WRITING, try Pulitzer-prize winner Richard Rhodes' HOW TO WRITE. If you've read John Gardner's ON MORAL FICTION, try his earlier THE ART OF FICTION. If you find BIRD BY BIRD inspiring, try Monica Wood's THE POCKET MUSE: IDEAS AND INSPIRATIONS FOR WRITING (I've given away three copies of this over the years. I have to buy a new one!) And an excellent craft book that has become the foundation for much of my teaching: TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight V. Swain. It's not about marketing yourself on the internet - it was first published in 1981 - but it has some of the clearest explanations of scene and structure around. Swain taught at Oklahoma when it was the predominate writing program in the country. Many of the authors of how-to-books today were taught by his students or his students' students.

RHYS BOWEN: Many of my favorites have been mentioned: Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and David Corbett's Art of Character in

particular. I'm not really keen on reading books on writing because I always end up feeling depressed that I'm doing everything wrong... but when I've had to teach classes it's great to be reassured about what is important. Oh, and Kathy Lynn Emerson did a good book on Writing the Historical Mystery. 



SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Readers, what books have helped you? 

Are you like me, who reads cover-to-cover and takes notes? Are you like Hank, who dips in when she needs inspiration? Or like Rhys, who "ends up feeling depressed"? 

What books did we miss? 

Please tell us in the comments!

Killer Show, America's Deadliest Rock Concert

JAN BROGAN -  More than one hundred concertgoers lost their lives in 2003 when the band Great White set off pyrotechnics inside the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. It was a tragedy of epic proportions that didn't have to happen. 

John Barylick, the lead attorney representing the victims had an inside look at all the disturbing evidence and has written a non-fiction narrative account that Publisher's Weekly praised for its storytelling and called: "An exploration of the perils of greed and corruption as well as testament to the strength of the human spirit.: And added "Barylick has created a modern cautionary tale that will take your breath away." 

We are extremely lucky to have John as our guest today and even luckier to have three copies of Killer Show, America's Deadliest Rock Concert (University Press of New England) to give away to names chosen at random from our comments page, so get your comments and questions for John ready. 

 

 Drinking From a Fire Hose 

by John Barylick

My need to write Killer Show  arose when both the criminal and civil actions resulting from The Station nightclub fire resolved (by plea bargains or settlements) without trials.  There was a pervasive sense in Rhode Island of questions remaining unanswered, and frustration that facts suggesting culpability of many persons (some of whom did not face criminal charges) would never come to light.  

There would be no “Perry Mason moments;” no public accounting.
Also, when I’d tell friends about some of the back stories I learned about the Station Nightclub Fire, their reaction would be, “You couldn’t make this stuff up!  You’ve got to write a book about it.” They encouraged me to try to write a book that would, hopefully, become the definitive account of the tragedy.

I figured that’d be easy enough. Lawyers write stuff, right?  Lots of “whereas,” “heretofore,” and “party of the first part”.  Nothing to it.  A friend gave me Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and I started right in.

Lamott helpfully instructs fledgling writers to just “get that Shitty First Draft on paper.” An initial draft in my house was called an “SFD.”   My first cut at chapter 1 put the “S” in “SFD.”  Heavy on facts, light on description, it read like the introduction to a legal brief.  “More show, less tell,” advised my researcher friend.  I’d show her.

The second draft of chapter 1 was ALL show.  A forced metaphor here, a strained simile there….  Hmm, this writing a book might not be so easy.  Subsequent attempts eventually struck some kind of balance, and I was off and running for three years.

The problem wasn’t a lack of material for KILLER SHOW.  The problem was an overabundance of evidence and stories.  Thousands of pages of witness statements and grand jury testimony had become available to the public in response to a public records request made by several newspapers.  To use an unfortunate analogy in the context of the case, making sense of it all was like trying to drink from a fire hose.

The eventual solution was to record bits of story arcs on small strips of paper and put them into thirty separate manila chapter envelopes.  When approaching a chapter, I’d lay out all the strips in its envelope, arrange and rearrange them, then begin writing.   I’m sure that there exist software packages designed to computerize this task, but I just can’t imagine doing it without having physical story chunks to manipulate.  It at least gave me the illusion of control.
From a writer’s standpoint, my challenge was to present all this information while maintaining a fast-paced narrative – and without exhausting the reader.  One of the devices chosen to accomplish this was insertion of “lesson chapters” amidst “action chapters.”  The lesson chapters address subjects such as fire science, crowd behavior, sprinkler systems, burn medicine and tort law.  Hopefully, these breaks from the action not only provide richer context for the story, but also provide the reader a short breather, particularly from the actual fire chapters, which can be emotionally exhausting to read.



I’m wondering what level of technical background JRW bloggers prefer in their non-fiction narratives?  What are their favorites in the genre, and how did those authors handle the delicate balance between “action” and “lessons”?  (Personally, A Perfect Storm, Into Thin Air, and Devil in the White City are some of my favorites for striking this balance between research and narrative. I don’t think I’m the only reader in whose brain Sebastian Junger’s detailed description of drowning is forever imprinted!)

The Epilogue was added at the urging of my editor at University Press of New England, who felt that readers would like to “catch up with” characters they met in earlier chapters.  I’m very glad for that suggestion, because the Epilogue provided an opportunity to relate a final poignant vignette about one of the fire’s heroes.

Do JRW readers tend to establish an emotional connection to characters, even in non-fiction, and do they want to learn more recent history about them?  (Or, is that what Google’s best suited for?)


 Or more info, check out www.KillerShowBook.com and on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/KillerShowBook.

JAN BROGAN - First I want to thank John for a terrific post; next I want to remind you all that we have three copies of Killer Show to give away, and lastly, I want second at least two of John's choices for my favorite narrative non-fiction books, A Perfect Storm and the Devil In the White City.   I'll  add one of my own,  The Big Short by Michael Lewis, and ask, how about you? What are your favorites?


LISA ALBER won yesterday's copy of The Art Forger. Lisa, please email me at www.janbroganbooks.com