Marilyn's Musings

SEX AND VIOLENCE (Because we had some people who were missing, subs were put on panels and I didn't always write their names down. And of course I dodn't remember.) Moderator: Dave Cropp Panelists: Dave Knop, Dave Freedland, Thonie Hevron, Janet Greger   One person said if the sex and violence is too explicit or crude, he won't finish reading the book. If it's too brutal, tone it down. How much depends on the story. Show the violence to reveal how the character feels. It's sort of disrespectful if the murder is treated frivously. How much violence depends on the genre. Depends on your personal standards--how much they affect what you write. One panelist doesn't want to show the murder as it happens. Reality vs. wanting people to read your story. WRITING NON-FICTION Moderator: Scott Decker Panelists: Marilyn Wooley, Buz Williams, Bob Hair, Gloria Casale 1. Enjoyed writing the non-fiction 2. Helping the reader is the reward. 3. Writing fiction totally based on fac...

One of my favorite presentations about writing at the PSWA conference was on Self-Editing. I've given similar talks at various places and heard others too. This was by far the best on Self-Editing I've ever heard. I'll cover a few things Susan Tuttle reminded us about over the next couple of days. Her first reminder was that all manuscripts should be professionally edited before being sent to an agent/publisher--and of course, if you're going to publish it yoursefl. Once you've written The End, put the first draft away for a week or more. When you get back to it you'll see it with fresh eyes. Lookfor errors in the ways words are used and strung together, and their meanings in the sentence. Check of spelling, grammar and punctuation. Watch for passive voice--using the verb to be and combined with words ending in "ing." Rewrite as many sentences with the word "was' as possible. Get rid of too many adverbs--use strong verbs ...

At the Public Safety Writers Association's Conference we learned all about poisons from J.L.Greger (Janet to me), a university professor and toxicologist, and Gloria Casale, a physician and death scene investigator. The medical examiner and/or forensic person have to looking for a poison. Some over the counter medications might not be traceable or thought of as a poison. Here is a list of poisons: Arsenic Mustard gas Cyanide Strychnine Ricin (Castor bean) Sarin VX Arrow poison/Carare' Polonium Botulism toxin Some others: Mushrooms Anthrax Oleander Hemlock (every part of the plant) Nightshade Buttercup Monk's head Nicotine Carbon Monoxide Overdose of medications Victims: May not be an autopsy  A dead person in India Elderly  Someone with a chronic disease Renal failure, heart disease, alcoholics, drug addict, gardeners 20% of death by poison not solved. Poisoners: Male, medical person, car...

This will be an overview. This was a fantastic conference all the way around. It began with a pre-conference workshop. These are always small so we can really spend some time with folks, especially those who sent in page from work in progress to be critiqued. We had presentations on description (my topic), plotting etc.,by Mike Black, and more on writing by Mar Preston. Registration began at 3 and I like to be there and greet all those who come. So fun to meet new people and see old friends. The reception followed. Friday began with an excellent presentation by Mike Brandt who spoke about developing your character. A panel on weapons followed with experts who use them and collect them. Romancing the scene came next, a panel of authors. J.L. Greger and Gloria Casale did an excellent job telling us about poisons. A panel of those who write nonfiction gave some tips on exploring the non-fiction marketplace.  And a panel everyone loves about Cops--Mi...

A friend and fellow writer asked me this recently. I know that he teaches writing at a college, and of course has a degree in writing. I think my answer surprised him. I didn't take writing in college--I have an AA degree in Early Childhood Education--but this is what I told him: I have always read a lot( and still do) and that's where my learning began.  When I wrote my first book, my sister took chapters to a critique group (I couldn't find on in my area), and they taught me a lot, especially about point of view. An agent, who didn't sell my book, gave me a lot of feedback on how to make my first book better. I subscribed to and read Writer's Digest faithfully for years. And I read books on various topics about writing. Attending writing conferences always taught me something new. (I'm talking about conferences not conventions.) I've been to so many some strictly about general writing, others aimed at the mystery genre.  And prob...

Mysti Berry provided those of us who attended the PSWA conference some great tips about writing effective dialogue--here are a few: You can make dialogue stronger. Dialogue should move the story forward, reveal character and underscore the theme. People don't necessarily say what they mean. Dialogue isn't 100% the same as human speech. Find the core of the conflict. Differences in the perception of power. More power says less--who has the power in the conversation? Play with power in the dialogue. Everyone lies. When two people are speaking, there should be a back-and-forth rhythm.  Characters shouldn't address one another by name.  And I'll add something about dialogue tags: Though said and asked are better than any fancy attributes--better still have the character do something,make an action the dialogue tags. No one sits perfectly still while talking. During a conversation, people seldom give a long speech--if they tr...

Simply, it was great! One of the best! For the first time we had a pre-conference writers' workshop which went well. After the registration, many attended the opening reception where old-friends chatted and met new attendees. This year Joe Haggerty and Steve Scarborough shared the job of master-of-ceremony and they did a great job. Our first presenter was Mysti Berry who gave some excellent tips on writing effective dialogue. Next, a terrific panel, comprised of police, CSI, a fireman, and a doctor, was on murder and the difference between real life and how it's depicted in books, TV and movies. An eye-opening presentation on the 2001 Anthrax Attacks and investigation was given by Retired FBI Agent, Scott Decker.  A panel on promotion with several mystery authors who shared lots of ideas for marketing and promoting books. On writing true crime came next and gave some insights about dealing with individuals and agencies as well as writing compelli...

A popular panel at the recent PSWA Conference was about publishing. Those on the panel were: Billie Johnson, Geno Munari, Mysti Berry, Thonie Hevron, Bob Doer, Kathy Ryan. Michelle Perin moderated. How to get a publisher was discussed. Panelist also talked about their own paths to publishing. Munari said he'd print a book at a competive price and do it quickly.  He is also becoming more selective about what he's publishing, would like more unusual topics. But the author needs to do his own marketing. Kathleen Ryan told about writing stories of 20 words or less led to a New York City booksigning. Billie Johnson, publisher of Oak Tree Books, said you need to know your market and to look for a publisher who has good distribution. Bob Doer reminded authors that they need to have their book edited before looking for a publisher. You need to understand the publisher's contract. You need a marketing plan ahead of time. (Many publishers ask for this when you submit...

This came from my notes taken at the PSWA conference. This was an excellent presentation. Ron's stated goal was to improve our presentation skills and grab the attention of the audience. Start and stop on time.  Difficult times for presentations: Right before lunch. Last time slot of the day. Last day of the conference. Emotions/Connected to Topic Environment Your Dress Your Attitude Audience Needs to be Able to Understand you (Don't say ah) Audience Participation Set guidelines for audience questions. Walk toward the person and make eye-contact. Walk backward, respond to the audience. Control Stage Fright Know your target audience Prepare Practice  Make eye contact. Use Humor Use Training Aids Whteboard Flip charts Handouts Overhead projector Video Equipment Powerpoint Actual Objects Be prepared for problems Summarize what you said. Questions and answers

It was interesting to find out some of the people at the PSWA conference had not idea what being a pantser meant. In case you don't know, it comes from the phrase, flying by the seat of your pants. In other words, writing without having an outline of your plot already figured out. The panelists who discussed the subject were: Thonie Hevron, Eileen Magill, Mike Brandt, Joe addiego, Janet Greger, and Barbara Hodges. Some plotted, some were pantsers, and a couple were a combination of both. They felt the pantsers might have to do more rewriting. One panelist didn't like not knowing what to write. Another felt that the author should have the arc of the story pretty much in mind. Which is easier? Mixed feelings. And one reported tha outlines are not perfect and will probably have to be changed as the writing moved along. What about you? If you're a writer, do you plan ahead, making an outline to follow as you write? Or do you just start wit...

The simple answer is the one being interviewed can leave at any time, when being interrogated, can't leave. The moderator of this panel was: Pete Klismet. Panelists: Joe Haggerty, Frank Hickey, Dave Cropp, George Cramer, John Schembra D. C. The techniques are similar. You interview witnesses. When you focus on a person or a subject, he/she is a person of interest. J.S. You interrogate a suspect and interview people who can offer information. P.K. In interview can be done anywhere, and interrogations is usually an effort to get a confession. An interrogation is raised to higher level of intesity. J.H. Write the person's name done even if they say they saw nothing. When you interview someone on the street it is a conversation with a purpose. J. S. When taking a statement, record everything in details so what the person said can be brought up in court. Be a good listener, be attentive. Listen to how things are said. Knowing when to clarify. G.C. You need good s...

One of the most dramatic presentations at the PSWA conference was David Cropp giving an in-depth insider's view of what it's like to work undercover in the war on drugs. Cropp is a 32 year veteran of the Sacramento Police Department, holding many positions. He retired in 2008 as a detective sergeant. He correlates the high crime rate to heroin addiction. To be undercover, the person needs to build his character as a bad guy. He has to be flexible in order to be safe. He needs to understand the client and have a Plan BE, knowing when to call it off. He needs to appreciate different perspectives without accepting them. Everyone needs food and shelter. Maladaptive environments create maladaptive behaviors. If you're undercover, must have a cognitive filter. When undercover, you must always be looking for rip-offs and weapons without looking like you are. Listen to how the other person communicates. You must understand the person you are dealing with. Must...

Mike Angley, a retired UAF Colonel and career Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigation (the USAF version of NCIS of TV and Mark Harmon fame). He is the author of the Child Finder trilogy. http://www.mikeangley.com/ He gave a great presentation on all the various investigative organizations within the Department of Defense--what they do and what they don't do.  They respond to all felonies, murders, rape, etc. under their jurisidiction and do some counter intelligence. Their are special operatives such as Navy Seals, Green Berets, and civilian special agents who can arrest both military and civilians. They have concealed carry authority. NCIS is all civilian. None of them have a mortuary or crime lab. The Army runs the crime lab for all services. (This means there is no Abbie or Duckie.) They all do have forensic agents. They all work together much better than they used to. Of course there was a lot more--but if you...

This was one of the panels at the PSWA conference. Moderator: Mike Black Participants: Frank Hickey, Thonie Hevron, Ilene Schneider, Janet Greger, Barbara Hodges Set the tone in dialogue Eavesdrop to see how people talk Try to put as much of the story into dialogue as possible.Give your characters tics and tells. Use a light touch with dialects Read the dialogue out loud Must move the plot forward or reveal character Leave out the mundane things we say. (They talked about setting too, but I didn't take any notes on it. Have no idea why, possibly because someone was talking to me about something.) Marilyn P.S. There also was a panel on point-of-view which I've discussed several times on this blog. Another topic was working with an editor and here's a few tips from that one: Everyone needs an editor.  Belong to a critique group and use a content editor. An editor can make you a better writer.

After earning degrees in sociology and law, Mark Bouton joined the FBI and nabbed killer, kidnappers, and bank robbers across America for 30 years. Now he writes mystery and suspense novels and is willing to share his expertise with fellow members of PSWA, Here are a few of his tips about writing your novel. Characters: Need to know more than the physical description, also important are their upbringing, needs and goals, education, habits, gestures, ticks, personality, how they dress, posture, and their moral character. Begin you novel with conflict. Show tensions, action, disbelief, wonder, fear. Remember a plot may be man against nature, man against evil, and/or man against himself. Grab the reader with fascinating sentence, idea, question, situation. Make the reader wonder what will happen next. Dialogue is an excellent way to show character--and remember, the dialogue may include lies. Scenes are the building blocks of the novel--followed by the sequel or reaction to ...

These tips are from notes I took at the PSWA conference and the panel on realism. For setting: Buy postcards of places you are visiting for research for books and use them to evoke memories to use in your writing. Use Google maps. Make your own map if using a fictional setting. There is no substitute for actually visiting a real site you are using for a setting. One panelist writes about places she's worked in. Dialogue: Dialogue in a book needs to be more interesting than real dialogue. If you hear someone say something that you'd like to use one day, be sure and write it down. General: Write what you like to read. Pick up on news stories. Science Characters: You need to be invested in your characters Draw some elements and characteristics from actual people. Use an astrological birthdate and use some of the descriptions. Take pieces of those whom you know and put them togehter. Interview people about how they do things. Ask people questi...

It's almost time for the PSWA Conference to begin. As usual, there have been a few blips. The biggest one this year was having one of my keynote speakers having to cancel. Certainly not his fault, family emergencies happen to all of us. Fortunately, one of our members was willing to step in and fill his spot. We have more people coming than ever before--57 as of today. Some signed up at the last minute. Not a problem unless they'd like to be on a panel which took some juggling. This was the last day for anyone to send their information and pictures in to be in the program book. Anyone else is out of luck. Of course we've sent out reminders. What I've learned is that not everyone checks/reads their email in a timely manner. This ought to be a priority for anyone who is in the business of selling their own books. This is my last year to be in charge of the program for the PSWA conference. My own choice because I think I am getting too old and it's time for...

Only 8 more days for the Early Bird Registration Fee for the Public Safety Writers Association's Conference. http://policewriter.com/wordpress/ We have some dynamite speakers this year and here's a brief look at what we'll be going on. Learn about the Ten Best Promotion Ideas for Every Author given my renowned writer and speaker, Patricia Fry. Patricia is the Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) Killer Talks Rick Reed will examine serial murder through an analysis of the lives of known serial killers in the US and abroad. He will also discuss victimology (both victim, victim's family and serial killer and killer's family as a victim.) He is a retired detective and now a full time-writer. Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem: It's All About Sex Honora Finkelstein and Susan Smiley will prove our sexual drives and deprivations are at the center of nearly every tale of murder mystery and mayhem. The Prostitut...

THE PROSTITUTION CULTURE   Joseph B. Haggerty Sr.’s presentation is about the different types of prostitution, how pimps work, the pimp law and the best ways to investigate them. Joseph B. Haggerty Sr. was a Metropolitan Police Officer in Washington, D.C. for 35 years.   From 1973 until 1996, he worked as a vice detective, primarily doing prostitution cases.    He also worked with the homicide squad and homicide detectives from Arlington and the Virginia State Police in a series of homicides that took place in 1989-90.   He was the co-founder of a grassroots organization initially dedicated to rescuing kids from the prostitution streets and was chosen by Children of the Night in California as one of the top ten police officers in the country in rescuing child victims of prostitution from the street.   He retired last year. His novel Shame: The Story of a Pimp   tells the story of a pimp from birth to death The 2013 confere...

The Mystery of DNA DNA has exploded into the forensic world.    The FBI laboratory was the first to test evidence in forensic cases in 1988.    Most regional crime laboratories were unable to do DNA analysis prior to 1995 and the CODIS database of DNA profiles only started in 1998.    Now DNA analysis is so wide spread it is expected on almost every felony case.   But how does DNA analysis work?   How do you identify someone to the exclusion of all others? This presentation will discuss what evidence is used for DNA analysis, how the analysis is done and various ways it can be used in an investigation.    Although some science will be discussed, it is a presentation that a non-scientist can easily follow and understand. Susan Connell Vondrak is a 27 year veteran of the Illinois State Police working in the Forensic Sciences Command as a forensic scientist, a training coordinator, a laboratory director and the head of resea...