Second Houston/Bouchard Novel (THE FISHERMAN) Under Contract

On April 22, 2014, I signed a contract with Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. to publish the second novel in my series featuring Mike Houston and Anne Bouchard. The novel, entitled THE FISHERMAN, follows Anne and Mike as they assist an elderly couple in the search for their missing grand daughter. The investigation leads them into Boston's dark world of prostitution and white slavery.

As in SNIPER, they enlist the assistance of crime lord Jimmy O and his organization. The chase takes them from the remnants of Boston's fames Combat Zone to the rocky coast of Maine, and ultimately into the seemingly endless acres of northern Maine woodlands.

I feel fortunate to be able to work with the same great team at Skyhorse Publishing. I am certain that were it not for the invaluable assistance of my editor, Constance Renfro, (she knew when to back off and let me have my way and when to stand her ground and make me see the light) the book would not have been as good as it turned out. That is my feelings based on the feedback I get from readers. It made me the second most famous person in Stockholm, Maine (population 270), Russell Currier made the U. S. Olympic Biathlon Team and for much of the winter held first place. Now that the 2014 Winter Olympics are history, I'm making a bit of a comeback.

It is a nice feeling knowing that the publication of THE FISHERMAN will remove the fear of being a one book wonder, although it didn't hurt Harper Lee. I'll be letting everyone know the particulars as we go through the editorial and prepublication process. Now that I think of it, blogging on that process may be of interest to some people.

More On Lizzie Borden

In a previous blog, I wrote about my 5th cousin, two times removed, Lizzie Borden. Lizzie's case has mystified people for over one hundred years and there are still questions about her guilt or innocence. I wrote an article on Lizzie for the New England Chapter of the MWA web site and another article was written by Sandra Lee for the same web site. Sandra, who graciously granted me permission to reprint her article here, takes an interesting look at how the use (or misuse) of crime scene evidence may have impacted The Trial of Lizzie Borden... By the way, for those of you who may have read my previous post on Lizzie, I made a mistake...she died in 1927, not 1947.

A Nineteenth Century Scene of a Crime – A Look Back in Time

by Sandra Lee

Crime scene evidence is that which serves to provide clues about the series of events surrounding the commission of a crime. While evidence recovered at crime scenes varies in nature, amounts and probative value, it is all essential to the practice of solving the mysteries at hand. Time has no bearing on the vitality of crime scene evidence, and it is that vitality which commands the use of great care during evidence identification, documentation, collection, analysis and preservation.

During the nineteenth century these functions were all performed locally, and crime scene evidence consisted of whatever the responding authorities decided it should.

Great advancements in sciences and technology during this era granted much efficiency to the processing of crime scenes and even expanded the scope of acceptable forms of evidence. While investigators and scientists in some states fully embraced these innovations, such as the new and evolving arts of fingerprinting and ABO blood-typing, others presented barriers of prejudice and bias, and continued practicing with methods “tried and true”.

Investigators and scientists throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts fell into the latter category, due in part to the state’s conservative nature. Other contributing factors toward the resistance of these individuals to be forward-thinking, open-minded and highly-motivated were found on local levels and included low-paying salaries and deficiencies in education and training.

All things considered, one might best define the methods of identifying and collecting crime scene evidence in Massachusetts cities and towns during the nineteenth century as primitive. The 1892 gruesome crime scene at the Borden home in Fall River might best exemplify how the application of aged practices might generate unfavorable results.

In the Borden case a skeleton crew of underpaid, poorly-skilled sleuths failed to immediately secure the scene and a head-to-toe search of the premises wasn’t conducted for days to follow. This ineptitude left much room for the contamination, destruction and/or removal of any evidence not yet collected.

Body temperatures, levels of food digestion and stages of blood drying and coagulation were used to determine the times of death of the victims. This data was gathered with the use of nothing more than human hands and the findings were applied to an ancient suggested set of standards. Clearly, a clinical thermometer would have provided more accurate readings of the body temperatures while the knowledge of, or willingness to recognize new literature available at the time would have altered other findings. The latest studies showed that each of these postmortem events would occur on different levels depending upon human individuality and upon circumstances. Also based on the results of these studies were newly introduced numbers proven to be the standard.

Performances in the lab at a local medical school demonstrated an even broader scope of deficiency in crime scene investigating. Among the evidence ultimately collected were the stomachs of the victims and a hatchet. The stomach linings were searched for scar tissue caused by poisoning because the victims were allegedly ill prior to the murders. Because the hatchet was believed to have caused the fractures in the victims’ skulls, it was studied for the presence of blood. The single instrument used to perform these searches, a magnifying glass, detected no scar tissue, nor did it determine whether a substance found on the hatchet was rust or blood. Some innovative technological and scientific alternatives might have provided more certainty about the evidentiary findings. The spectroscope would have offered significantly more magnification while the introduction of certain metals and minerals to the stomach contents may have detected the presence of poison. Similarly, the simple act of infusing water or fire with the matter on the hatchet would have proven the nature of the substance.

The discounted evidence in the Borden case arguably contained the most probative value. It consisted of the prime suspect, Lizzie’s own damning words. Spoken to a rookie investigator who failed to inform Lizzie of her rights before tuning in, the evidence was deemed inadmissible by the court based on constitutional grounds. Had a more seasoned, forward-thinking investigator interviewed Lizzie, she might have been informed of her rights.

Additionally, the court excluded a local druggist’s statement that Lizzie attempted to buy poison in his store on the day before the murders occurred. Lizzie’s counsel argued that the idea of poisoning was unrelated to the nature of the crimes actually committed. Had the scientist at the lab possessed the knowledge of and willingness to rely upon modern techniques, the druggist’s statement may have been utilized, and Lizzie’s intentions revealed.

Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother in June of 1893 after just over an hour of deliberation by a twelve-man jury.

Lizzie was exonerated of the crimes based on the evidence both presented and not presented at trial. All evidence in this case was a product of contemporary practices which consisted of widely varying and inconsistent crime scene investigation methods. Many believe a lack of application of common standards based on the best of accepted practices at the time in the gathering and processing of crime scene evidence may have contributed to a guilty person getting away with murder.

 

One of My Famous Ancesters: Lizzie Borden

Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one

The poem, however inaccurate (she was found not guilty, only nineteen blows were counted, the nature of the murder weapon—thought to be a hatchet; not an axe—and the fact that Abby Borden was her step-mother) has kept Lizzie Borden (my 5^th cousin, twice removed) a part of Americana since the murders of her father and her step-mother, Abby Durfee Gray Borden, on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. But few know little more than the poem. So who was Lizzie Borden and why she was considered the prime suspect in a crime for which she was found not guilty on June 20, 1893.

Lizzie Andrew Borden (1860 – 1927) was the youngest of three daughters of Andrew Jackson Borden and Sarah Anthony Morse. Her mother died shortly after Lizzie’s birth and Andrew married Abby Durfee Gray, who took over the task of raising his two daughters (Lizzie had an older sister Emma Lenora Borden and there was a middle sister who died at the age of two) and running the household. The Bordens were solid upper-middle class and nowhere near the richest family in Fall River as is generally thought. Lizzie grew up in an atmosphere of idle, not gentile living. She was never to hold a job, although she did volunteer work for church missions, temperance unions and various charities.

Andrew Borden was known to be stingy with a Scrooge-like attitude toward his customers, tenants, and those who borrowed money from him. During her trial, the prosecution attempted to depict Lizzie as a person who would not only kill for an inheritance, but would do so the avenge years of deprivation (both material and psychological) she had endured in her father’s household. There was evidence of friction between the sisters and their father over the way he catered to Abby’s relatives (or so the girls believed). It was during this time that Lizzie stopped calling Abby mother and began calling her “Mrs. Borden”.

Lizzie was considered a suspect in the killings by a number of police officers from the moment they were notified. At the time of the killings only Lizzie, Bridget Sullivan (the Borden’s domestic servant) and the victims were home. It has been thought that Lizzie murdered her step-mother while Bridget was outside the house washing windows. She later told her father that Abby had received a note about a sick friend and she was out of the house. She then encouraged her father to take a nap. Bridget, finished with her chores, went to her room to take a nap. Lizzie said that she then went out to the barn on an errand. According to Lizzie, she returned to the house after hearing a groan, a scraping noise or a call of distress (she related several contradictory stories to the police). Eventually she settled on the story that she went to check on her father and found him slain, his head mutilated.

On August 11^th after appearing before an inquest she was arrested for the murders. In December a Grand Jury handed down three indictments against Lizzie Borden: one for the murder of her father, one for the murder of her step-mother, and one for the murder of both. She was removed to a Taunton jail where she remained until her trial in June 1893.

A jury of twelve, mostly Republican men, average age fifty-three, found her not guilty on all counts.

At first public opinion about the verdict was favorable—possibly because it was generally believed that Lizzie would leave Fall River and live someplace where she was less known. She did not, she returned to her home and remained in the city. The absence of closure about the murders caused Lizzie’s and Emma’s position in society to fall. The sisters had become wealthy women because Abby died before Andrew, the step-mother’s family was deprived of her estate and, as a legal matter, it fell into the sisters’s possession. The final blow to her status came when Lizzie (who had a history of stealing) was accused of shoplifting two paintings from a Providence, Rhode Island company. A warrant was never served and the matter was settled privately and Lizzie’s reputation was diminished and she became more isolated.

In 1905, Emma moved out with no public explanation. There is speculation that Emma learned something about the 1892 murders. The sisters never saw nor spoke with each other again.

Lizzie Andrew Borden spent the last twenty-two years of her life an aging spinster surrounded by faithful servants who have never broken their silence. She was quite generous with their salaries and even purchased a house as a residence for some of them.

Lizzie died on June 1, 1927, after suffering complications after a gall bladder operation. Emma died nine days later in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Neither had begotten children so the Andrew Borden branch of the family (the Borden family includes such well-know people as Sir Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe) came to an end.

Lizzie’s infamous name has endured and become iconic, spawning numerous books and at least one movie, starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie. Whether or not she committed the murders the unanswered questions continue to fascinate mystery lovers throughout the world.

In a subsequent blog, I'll look closely at Lizzie's trial and why it is still considered to be of great importance.

For more information about Lizzie visit http://www.thelizziebordencollection.com

eBook Publishing

If I can believe all I've read and heard this past year, ebooks are the hottest form of publishing, supposedly 70% of all books published last year (2010) were ebooks. The keynote speaker in the first writer conference I ever attended, Jeremiah Healy, said, "The personal computer has made it very easy for people to write. Unfortunately, it also made it very easy for them to write badly." The same thing can be said for the burgeoning number of ebooks available through any number of outlets.

I have published a number of ebooks via smashwords and Kindle Direct Publishing (for some reason Barnes and Nobles and a number of ebook sites will accept books from Smashwords whereas Amazon does not, preferring that the author use their Kindle Direct Publishing) and receive an RSS feed from Smashwords each time I access my email with Outlook. Scrolling through the uploads can be quite eye-opening. The number of amateurish books makes one believe that ebook publishers have become the vanity press of the 21st century.

I find it quite easy to identify some of the lesser experienced writers by checking the price they put on their work. I doubt any accomplished writer would publish a book for free or for as small a price as $0.99 (Barnes and Noble and several other outlets will not list a book unless they meet a certain pricing standard).
Of late, I have seen more and more books by established authors for the Nook and the Kindle so I can't arbitrarily dismiss the platform...I am seeing more an more readers carrying ereaders of one type or another.

One of the reasons it is so easy to publish an ebook is that no special software is required. In fact, Smashwords and KDP prefer that the manuscript be written using Microsoft Word. There are some things to be aware of when preparing your manuscript for submission and the easiest way to ensure that your work will look its best on an ereader is to download the publisher's style guide. It has been my experience that if your book complies with Smashwords Style Guide (available for download at http://www.smashwords.com) most other publishers will accept it with no reservations.

It can, however, be very frustrating when your Smashwords version keeps generating format errors. EReaders do not like tabs, or a sequence of more than 3 spaces used to separate text (I recently had the wonderful experience of preparing a manuscript which contained poetry where the author had used spaces to align sentences to create a visual. For example in one poem entitled PINE, the author spent a lot of time making the lines appear to form a pine tree. It did not work as an ebook--ebooks ignore things such as page breaks and, on my Nook, the pine tree was presented across two screens.) and font can be an issue. EReaders allow the reader to increase the font size for easier reading and therefore most publishers restrict font size to 12 pitch for normal print and no more than 16 for titles etc. Most publishers also require a cover for their higher levels of service. In the case of Smashwords to be included in their Premium Catalog requires you meet certain standards.

Why is inclusion in the Premium Catalog important? To quote Smashwords: "The Premium Catalog includes Smashwords titles that meet certain mechanical requirements for distribution into major online retailers such as Smashwords partners, Barnes & Noble or Apple. Smashwords books that achieve Premium Catalog status receive the greatest possible distribution across Smashwords' growing distribution network. If you're a serious writer and you want to reach the greatest number of readers, you want inclusion in the Premium Catalog. It's free."

In summary, eBook publishing is easy (although it usually takes me 3 to 6 hours to redesign a manuscript to meet Smashwords Guidelines) and virtually instantaneous--in a matter of hours you can see your book or short story in an ePublisher's catalog.

Why I Dread The Holidays

Connie Opening a Christmas Gift From Her Sister, Shirley

Once again the holidays are upon us and I've been hit with bad news. Before I tell you the bad news, I'd like to fill you in on some history. I had a turbulent childhood, so much so that I left home at the age of 17 riding in an eighteen wheeler bound for Boston to pick up a load of beer. I had five dollars, some record albums and a change of clothes with me. During the ensuing year I bounced around like a racquet ball going from Massachusetts to Connecticut to New Jersey until I finally enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps in June of 1966. I turned nineteen in Parris Island (my birthday had passed by three days before I realized it).

Throughout my service, I did not go home for the holidays, choosing instead to spend time with friends (especially one particular friend in Memphis) or to stay at the base. During the years I was married to my now deceased wife, Connie, I went along with the flow, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas was her favorite time of year. All I can say about those years is that for the most part I was able to get through the season without ruining it for her and our daughter. Then came 2006.

On October 16, I lost my beloved Connie, which of itself was enough to dampen any semblance of holiday spirit I had. Then on December 20 my older brother, Norman, lost his battle with diabetes and kidney failure. I attended his funeral on Christmas Eve and returned to my home in New Hampshire, where I spent the holidays in seclusion. I have not put up a single holiday decoration since my last Christmas with Connie in 2005. My dislike of the holidays was, if anything, strengthened (while I think of her everyday, I find myself reminiscing of her and our holidays more and more during the season).

Now we jump forward to 2011. Last month I learned that an old childhood friend, Bob Cyr, was hospitalized with stage four intestinal cancer. I visited with him on Thanksgiving afternoon and again the following week. During the Thanksgiving visit he was lucid and we joked about some of the crazy things we did as kids, several of which I had forgotten. The second visit was not so nice. The cancer had spread and he was unable to carry on a conversation or maintain a consistent thought. About once every five minutes I had to tell him who I was. It was earth-shaking for me...a flashback to my wife's last days. I am still haunted by the last words she ever spoke: "Vaughn, help me." All I could say was, "Connie, I don't know what to do..." Looking at Bob and remembering Connie made me think about how helpless we truly are when our loved ones need us the most.

Bob passed away yesterday, December 14, 2011, at the age of 65.

It always hurts to lose a loved one, but to lose someone at this time of year seems to hit harder. For most of us (this writer excluded) the holidays are a time for family and for giving. To have to remove a loved one's presents from under a Christmas tree has to be devastating. It's bad enough to try and fill the void they left behind... I don't think I can handle too many more holidays.

In Memory of Connie

During our courtship 1970

Yesterday (8:30 P.M. last night to be more exact) marked the fifth year since I lost my best friend, my most avid fan and my wife of over 35 years. As I sat in the dark listening to old rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s, I let my thoughts drift and found myself recalling many of the high points in our life together.

Connie and I first met when she was 5 and I was 9. How can you recall that you may ask. Well, she was the aunt of one of my best friends. The very thought of anyone having an aunt younger than them was unique enough to linger in my memory for years. After a brief encounter at my friend's house, I did not think about the little blond again. (She however, went to school with my younger brother and over the ensuing years heard many of my crazier escapades--although I'll never truly know how much embellishment my brother added.) Connie and I met again when she was 19 and I was 23, recently discharged from the U. S. Marine Corps and still half crazy from my time in VietNam.

Once again, my friend and her nephew was the catalyst in the meeting. She was looking for him and found him with me at my mother's home, where he and I were pondering what we should do that evening. As soon as he introduced us, she said, "I've heard about you..." At that moment I thought she and I would never get together. I was wrong...

Two nights later I asked her out and she and I spent every day and evening together after that. We married five months after that fateful second meeting and the next year we were the parents of our one and only child.

Muir Woods, California 1999

Last night, my thoughts were a mish-mash of what we did right and what we did wrong; of all the times we unknowingly hurt each other and how much we grew up together. There were good times and, of course the bad times, still throughout all of it she stayed by me. When I was carousing and drinking, she was there when I returned to my senses; when I battled a severe case of PTSD in the late 1980s, she weathered the storm with me. More than anyone I've ever known, Connie had an immense capacity to forgive (something that I lack, especially when it comes to forgiving myself). She was truly one of God's special people.

Connie was weak in many ways and oh so strong in others (I am still astonished how this woman, who was terrified by the smallest bird, kept her sense of humor throughout her final battle against cancer and faced death with a strength that I can only hope to have myself). She always had the ability to keep me balanced and was the one constant bond that kept our family together on those times when my insanity threatened to tear it apart. Since her passing our family has become scattered and disjointed--something that I know she is not pleased with as she watches over us. Throughout her six month battle against an aggressive form of cancer, she did her crying in private and hid her fear from her family, sparing us as much anguish as possible.

Over the course of our marriage, she many times expressed to me that I was her source of courage and confidence...she had no idea that she was also my font of strength (truthfully, neither did I). If not for her continual support, I'd have spent my life at menial, low-paying jobs. Her presence spurred me to obtain three degrees and a career in hi-tech. When I mentioned to her in passing that I was thinking of writing a book, she encouraged me; the result was Elephant Valley (available as an ebook through Barnes & Noble and Smashwords). When I was discouraged by the rejections from agents and publishers, she again urged me keep submitting and work on something new; the result was The War Within, which was awarded second prize in a major literary contest (soon to be released as an eBook).

Connie's passing rocked me like nothing else ever has and has made me come to grips with one fact about myself...I don't appreciate anything until I lose it. I was once told by a therapist that I walk around with a hole in my chest that I believe only a woman can fill. Well, I now walk around with a canyon in my chest that will never be filled until she and I are reunited again.

Darling Connie, I love you, I miss you and I'm being good so I can join you in the afterlife...

Getting Back On Track

As anyone who follows my blog knows, I've been away for a while, almost six months to be exact. There are a number of reasons why I haven't blogged since last March...but they are all really excuses and we all know that excuses always sound good to the person making them. Let's suffice to say, it's darned hard to come up with things to blog about on a continual basis.

During my Blogging Sabbatical, I did however, publish my novel Elephant Valley as an eBook. Available through Barnes and Noble as well as Smashwords.com . It's a novel loosely based on my experiences as a helicopter machine-gunner in Vietnam. Although it's not yet available through Amazon, Smashwords does have a Kindle-friendly version in .mobi format as well as the popular Adobe Epub format used by many e-readers.

I have also published several short stories during this period. Among them are Net Profit (co-authored with a long-time friend, Paulette Littlefield Clark) in The Storyteller Magazine (January/February/March 2011 issue) and several others in Breathe; Volume II an anthology of short stories and poetry by northern Maine writers.
The New England CrimeBake is coming up on November 11 through 13. If you haven't registered, it may be too late. The conference limits registration to about 250 attendees and those slots filled withing three weeks of registration opening. There are however, always cancellations so you may want to get on the Waiting List.

I'm also closing in on the completion of The Black Orchid, the second Ed Traynor novel (the first, My Brother's Keeper is available in eBook format from Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and Amazon .

Guns In Fiction Part 1

If you are a writer of mysteries, suspense or thrillers, sooner or later you will have to bring firearms into your story. Over the years I have read more mystery and suspense fiction than I could ever recall. I have, however found one thing that writers continually confuse and that is the uses and capabilities of firearms, both hand and long guns. So, I've decided to do a few posts on the various types of weapons, their operational characteristics. In this post I'd like to discuss the differences between various handguns and some of what I consider to be common misconceptions that I've seen writers have.

This posting will deal with handguns, specifically revolvers.

First, let's discuss some common terms.

Revolver: a weapon, usually a handgun, in which the ammunition (cartridge) is loaded into a cylinder. The cylinder revolves aligning the cartridge with the chamber and the firing pin.

Single Action: A type of handgun in which the shooter must manually pull back or cock the hammer to place another cartridge in the firing position. Single Action handguns can usually be identified by one of two loading mechanisms. On many there is a gate on the right side of the cylinder through which cartridges are loaded and spent casings ejected.

Double Action: A handgun in which the hammer is cocked and the cylinder rotates with each pull of the trigger. Double Action revolvers can usually be identified by the fact that the entire cylinder rolls out so the handgun can be easily loaded.

Break Action: A pistol in which the barrel and cylinder are released as a unit to allow loading.

Cartridge: Commonly misidentified as being a bullet or a shell. It is a single round of ammunition.

Bullet: Projectile portion of a cartridge.

Shell: A shotgun cartridge.

Chamber: The portion of the barrel into which an unfired cartridge (round) is either aligned (revolvers) or inserted (pistols).

There are a couple of characteristics of revolvers that movies and television seem to routinely ignore and it drives me crazy! Silencers DO NOT work on revolvers--there are too many openings through which sound can escape! Another pet peeve of mine is the absolute misconception that six-shooters have more than six cartridges in them. We all remember the B westerns and crime movies we saw as kids where the hero and the villain seem to shoot forever without having to reload. If you have a gunfight in your story count the times your characters discharge their weapons and ensure that the rounds fired do not exceed the capacity of the weapon.

For a detailed description of various types of weapons consult the ATF Guidebook - Importation & Verification of Firearms.

Ammunition, and Implements of War
In the next post I'll talk about revolvers in more detail.

FORMATTING YOUR SYNOPSIS

In my last post we discussed what a synopsis is and what it should and should not include. Now lets discuss the format of a synopsis.

A synopsis should usually be formatted like a regular manuscript. There is however some latitude here. If the agent/publisher has requested a one or three page manuscript, using double spacing will not allow you to cover a lot. I prefer to single space my synopsis, after all we are not expecting the reader to make editorial comments so a lot of white space is not needed. I have seen authors use a separate cover page for the title, author's name and contact information and the word count. Again I put this info at the top left of a single-spaced synopsis.

How long should the synopsis be? Again, refer to the agent/publisher's submission guidelines. A single page synopsis restricts you to between two hundred and five hundred words (depending on line spacing), if there are no page limitations stated in either the response to your query or in the guidelines, a general rule is to allow one page for every ten thousand words of your novel. Under no circumstances should a synopsis exceed ten pages. Remember the golden rule of writing "Say as much as possible in as few words as possible" Shorter is better. This is the place to dazzle the reader with your brilliance, not baffle them with BS.

A synopsis should always be written in present tense: "Mike and Anne investigate a series of sniper shootings in Boston." Keep paragraphs short, avoid long blocks of narrative and text.

The first time a character name appears use either ALL CAPS or boldface.  While we're on the subject of characters, do not list every character who appears in your novel, restrict your self to the main characters. No one wants to read a Dr. Zhivago type synopsis, by this I mean you have to keep a list of character names to understand who's who.

I know that by now you are probably saying "So what's the big deal?" The big deal is this, after the query letter, the synopsis may be the first thing the agent/publisher reads. Therefore keep it a marketing tool, the only difference is that instead of a large market all you have to sell to is a single person.

I would have a synopsis written and ready to go before you mail out that query...in fact many agents/publishers ask for it in the initial query package.

THE DREADED Synopsis

Many literary agents and publishers in the United States require that a synopsis (usually one page) accompany a query letter. I cannot think of anything that will make a writer shudder and curse more than being required to write a synopsis. In fact, many with whom I have spoken with don’t really know what a synopsis should be and what one should not be. So with that in mind, let’s discuss the synopsis.


If requested (I recommend you never send a literary agent or an editor more than they ask for. Unless you are very, very confident in your abilities, each additional item you include with the query letter may give the agent/editor another source of information to reject you.) include a one page synopsis of your book. Unlike the query letter, whose purpose is to peak the agent/editor’s interest, the object of the synopsis is to provide a short overview of the book’s plot and major themes. Don’t make the mistake I made several years ago of trying to summarize the entire novel in two paragraphs; this is a pitch, not an outline. Therefore you should concentrate on those elements that are most likely to attract the attention of a reader/agent/editor. Some of these are: The primary characters, the basic plot, the setting, the primary source of conflict, and the theme. Let’s briefly look at each of these.

The Primary Characters. In the query you may only have room to introduce two or three major characters. The synopsis is where you should introduce all the major players (The first time I introduce a character I always type the name in CAPs).

The Basic Plot. Identify the basic what if? Keep in mind that plot is more than the sequence of events—it’s also the reason for them.

The Setting. When and where does the story take place? If the setting is crucial to the plot, say so. However, if the setting is merely background, don’t spend a lot of time describing it. There is nothing that will turn me off quicker than a travelogue that does nothing to move the plot along.

The Primary Source of Conflict. What are the key obstacles your protagonist must overcome? From where does the conflict originate? Is it external or internal or both. Is it with another character, society or nature? Focus on the conflict that is central to the plot.

The Theme. Is there an underlying message to the story? If there is what is it that is beyond the basic plot. Are any important issues revealed as a consequence of the theme? Be careful that you don’t sound as if you’re in a pulpit; you can raise questions or ideas without giving the reader a sermon.

Remember that the synopsis is supposed to illustrate that your novel is coherent, logical, carefully thought out and well written.

In the next post I will discuss synopsis format.

Character Building

This post features a guest blogger, Wendy Koenig. Wendy is a writer, poet, editor and quilter extrordinaire. When not busy pursuing the aforementioned, she operates a used bookstore from her home in Drummond, New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Wendy, checkout her website at http://wlkoenig.com/ where you will also find links to her books.

Character Building

Wendy L. Koenig

People are multi-faceted. They all have hopes and fears, hates, likes and failures. Yet, when we think of their personalities, we tend to key on one or two dominant traits. We describe someone we know to another person as, "He's the pushy one." Or "She's so sweet, but a bit ditsy." It's what, in our minds, makes these people individuals to us.

So, too, the characters we write are multi-faceted. When we write them as such, they all blend one into another, with no personality distinctions. Their physical attributes are different, but you could probably swap around and notice little difference. The most recent rejection letter says, "Your characters are cookie cutter." Of course, in your mind, you (as the writer) see all these "people" as distinct.

Remember the way we describe people? Define your characters the same way. Give your hero two or three traits. That's all. Give him two good and one bad (or two bad and one good, if your character is evil). Lesser characters get fewer traits.

I'm currently working on a piece where my protagonist is gentle (good) and long-suffering in patience (good), but when he's had enough, he's brutal (bad). My antagonist, by necessity is almost the opposite: arrogant (bad) and insecure (bad), which makes him a bully. However, he's eventually willing to admit that he needs the protagonist's help (good).

Most of my stories are character driven, so even though there's a "bad guy" in my story, he's not necessarily the antagonist. In this story, he's a supporting character (they get only two traits, both consistent with which side of the moral question they're on): angry and consuming. I have another supporting character who is friendly and focused.

Two more characters round out my cast. Since they're both minor characters, they only get one trait. One is trusting and the other is in-love.

It's important to remember that sometimes stories change as we write them. A minor character could suddenly become important and move into a supporting character role. If this happens, give that character one more trait. But only one; you don't want to interfere with the importance of the primary characters.

Likewise, a supporting character may fall back to supporting status. In that case, focus on just one of his chosen traits.

The most important thing to remember: the place your character plays in the hierarchy. If you lose that, then your characters will begin to show too many traits and once again, they'll become cookie cutter people with different haircuts.

There Is Hope For Thin Ice

In my last post I wrote that Level Best Books has notified those of us who have either been published in or submitted stories for their anthologies that they will no longer be publishing. The correspondence also stated that if anyone wanted to take on the project they would assist by sharing their design templates and information.

I've seen discussion on several Yahoo groups about the demise of Level Best so to end all confusion I've pasted the email I received:

Dear Writer:
Level Best Books grew out of a belief in the importance of giving voice to local writers and offering opportunities that might not otherwise be available. For seven years, we have sought out and supported New England writers of crime fiction through our annual anthologies, publicity sent to bookstores and libraries, and signing events throughout the region. Thanks to you and other writers, we have accomplished a great deal.

As we began work this year, we knew we were facing even greater challenges, and when we looked realistically at our current circumstances, we realized that we could not complete another anthology.
We are grateful to the many writers who have sent us their best work, set up their own readings and book signings, and by word of mouth spread news of our anthologies. As editors we have enjoyed working with every writer we have published. It has been a privilege to publish the work of some of the region’s best established writers. Our special joy has been discovering new writers, and encouraging beginning writers building their careers.

We regret bringing you discouraging news. This has been a gratifying experience for all of us, and we wish you well in continuing your career in crime fiction.

Finally, we would like the mystery community to know that if a group of writers is interested in continuing the project we have begun, we would be willing to share our design templates and other information, and pass the Level Best name on.

Sincerely,
Kate Flora,
for the editors

Now, the good news. All is not lost yet. I have been in contact with a publisher who is very interested in publishing the anthology and stated that if I can get him the manuscript by late September, THIN ICE can be published on time. Based upon his interest, I have assembled a team of writers to assist me in the editorial process. The problem at this time is that I have been unable to reach either Kate or Susan to discuss this and make arrangements for them to provide me with this years submissions. I'm assuming they are on vacation and incommunicado. We are still trying to reach them. Should this occur it is the intent of myself and my team to keep everything as Level Best designed it, including publishing the Al Blanchard winning story.

Stand by. I'll be posting further developments as they occur.

LEVEL BEST BOOKS CEASING PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY

New England writers of mystery and crime fiction have just suffered a major loss. I have been notified by Kate Flora, one of Level Best Books editors, that they will not be publishing their 8th anthology Thin Ice. Kate did not go into specifics, but they aren't needed. What is important is that yet another short story market has bit the dust.

Level Best published its 1st anthology, Undertow, in 2003. Since then they have published a number of new New England writers and many who have been published. I was fortunate to have my story, Bagging The Trophy, included in the 6th, DEADFALL, available either from Level Best Books or my website.

If you are interested in ordering copies of the anthologies they are available via Level Best's web site: http://levelbestbooks.com.

I am particularly affected by this because I know the editors of this terrific anthology and consider them to be friends. Kate Flora, Susan Oleksiw, and Ruth McCarty (Skye Alexander co-edited the 1st three anthologies) have all been instrumental in my endeavors to be a writer. Susan and Skye were members of my very 1st writer group and (although I left many meetings limping) were the first professional editors (along with Paula Munier of Adams Media) to critique my writing...as much as it hurt--I learned more in the first two months than I had in the previous ten years! Kate and I served on the planning committee for four New England CrimeBake writer/reader conferences. I will miss working with her.