If you are a fan of short stories, and those that deliver a punch at the end, I recommend SINE NOMINE at the Susurrus Press. It grabbed my attention and kept it to the very last word! R. Thomas Hogg is quite a skilled writer. I'd love to read more from this young man.
http://www.susurrusmagazine.com/1vol4/sinenomine.html
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Sleepless Nights & Teenagers
An early morning report from the Granninator. Remember when your children where newborns and you wondered how they could stay awake and cry for so long during the middle of the night, and then sleep all the next day?
Well, I am in a house full (4) teenagers, and I finally got them to stop making noise and go to sleep (I think!) at 4:00 AM this morning!!
Heavens to Betsey--now they will sleep all day--or not--and get up early to bug the hell out of me again! :-).
I heard the microwave going off, with much conversations along with it, until the wee hours of the morning. They weren't fighting. Instead they were doing that sibling-bonding stuff--but an old woman needs her sleep!!! :-)
Of course, just as I dozed off--finally--the five year old woke up having wet the bed and the dog was desperate to get outside before he wet his!
Of the life of the Granninator! 2 more days!!
But they are all neat kids, and we're having a blast!
Well, I am in a house full (4) teenagers, and I finally got them to stop making noise and go to sleep (I think!) at 4:00 AM this morning!!
Heavens to Betsey--now they will sleep all day--or not--and get up early to bug the hell out of me again! :-).
I heard the microwave going off, with much conversations along with it, until the wee hours of the morning. They weren't fighting. Instead they were doing that sibling-bonding stuff--but an old woman needs her sleep!!! :-)
Of course, just as I dozed off--finally--the five year old woke up having wet the bed and the dog was desperate to get outside before he wet his!
Of the life of the Granninator! 2 more days!!
But they are all neat kids, and we're having a blast!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Life of the Granninator
I am babysitting this week at the home of my daughter and son-in-law, who, between the two of them have seven, I repeat, SEVEN children. So if I start ranting and raving on my blog, you will understand. With the overload my daughter carries, when I babysit, I'm been known to get up on my high horse and insist the kids help clean house or do laundry. As a result, I have been "lovingly" dubbed, The Granninator!
I take great pride in that title--for life has taught me to be tougher than I had been, before. So now, when I walk in the door, after they hug me, they all run and hide. There's something to be said about that--especially when there are seven of them! Makes my job a lot easier!
Of course I don't get much time to write--but I keep alive my bad reputation! (Oh I could tell you some stories--about the time hubby and I babysat the gang and potty-trained two of them who were both well above the age of being so! What a hoot! We kept a diary, and one day hope to put it in a screen play.)
I take great pride in that title--for life has taught me to be tougher than I had been, before. So now, when I walk in the door, after they hug me, they all run and hide. There's something to be said about that--especially when there are seven of them! Makes my job a lot easier!
Of course I don't get much time to write--but I keep alive my bad reputation! (Oh I could tell you some stories--about the time hubby and I babysat the gang and potty-trained two of them who were both well above the age of being so! What a hoot! We kept a diary, and one day hope to put it in a screen play.)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Armchair Interviews
The great folks at Armchair Interviews interviewed me for their web site. For more information about me than you ever wanted to know, check out the site. Click on the title of this blog and you should be taken to the correct page, or copy and paste this link into your browser.
http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/pages/q-a-with-sylvia-dickey-smith-author-of-_deadly-si
http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/pages/q-a-with-sylvia-dickey-smith-author-of-_deadly-si
Friday, June 20, 2008
Read a great interview! (blush, blush)
http://whywritersshouldblog.blogspot.com/
My good friend, and the only person who ever calls me Sly, has posted an interview with me on her blog. We'd love for you to go check it out, and feel free to comment.
My good friend, and the only person who ever calls me Sly, has posted an interview with me on her blog. We'd love for you to go check it out, and feel free to comment.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Setting: Capturing the Flavor
Setting is not just important to a novel. It is the backbone of the work. It encapsulates both character and plot. Unless we capture the flavor of the setting, it becomes a bland, watered down imitation of a story.
A setting done well puts the reader into the time and place of the story as nothing else can. It makes the difference between telling a story and taking your reader on an exciting journey.
Some (probably most!) writers start with a plot or with characters in mind, and then they decide on the setting. Let me propose a different way to approach this. Try picking out your setting first, and then develop your characters and plot. Or begin with the setting and the characters, and then develop the plot. There is no one “right way” to begin. Develop your story in a way that works for you. The key ingredient is that you are in love with your setting whether it is a real place, or it is one you create in your mind, or a mixture of both.
If you can’t fall in love (or hate) with your chosen location and time period, don’t cheat your reader by settling—go back to the drawing board.
Capture the flavor of a setting by tapping into the senses and then some. But remember, less is more. These snippets must be interwoven judiciously throughout the story in such a manner that the reader isn’t even aware that is what you have done. Too much too quickly, and you create an “info” dump that ends up boring them and they skip over it. Keep it brief and well thought-out.
If possible, go to the town and dig around. Do what your protagonist does, within reason of course. Taste what they taste, hear what they hear, and touch what they touch. Become a sponge and soak in as much of the setting as you can until you become the setting and the characters. Fictitious locations can be quite effective, but they are a little more difficult to do because you have to start from scratch and create, rather than simply describe.
What is the climate and weather like? Weather is a big scene setter. (Imagine Indiana Jones at the ancient cemetery on a bright sunshiny day instead of a dark, stormy night with thunder and lightning.)
What are the various values/beliefs/politics/religions (or the lack thereof)?
What is my character physically doing when she/he is in dialogue, both external and internal?
Are there animals, and if so, what kind. Who cares for them?
Are there eating establishments nearby? Who frequents them? What do they serve?
What are the methods of cooking and utensils?(Especially in historical or futuristic mysteries)
Is your setting a small town with conservative values, or small and liberal? Is it a big city, or a rural area?
Are your characters poor, middle class, wealthy? (Show, don’t tell)
What relationships are important to the characters?
How can you show the setting by tapping into your character’s emotions about the events or situation?
What impact does the clothing worn, fabrics, fashion impact or reflect setting?
What are the surroundings, streets or significant buildings that reveal setting?
What is the dialogue and cadence of the spoken word?
What are the local superstitions, fears, prejudices, loyalties, local stories? Listen to how they talk, the words they use, their grammar, their speech patterns.
Are homeless people allowed to gather under bridges or hidden away?
What is the area’s history?
Did your characters grow up there or did they move from somewhere else?
Get a map or create one of your own.
Read the local newspaper. If you can’t visit the area, use the library and the internet.
Use Setting To:
Advance Plot - Weather, for example. In Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets weather not only intensifies the conflict but it also serves as metaphor. An unexpected ice storm leads Sidra Smart, the protagonist, to rescue a half-frozen dog that becomes an important character in the series. She names him Slider because he keeps sliding on the ice.
Or say you want to build romantic tension between your protagonist and a secondary character. What do you do? You always have something happen that keeps them apart just when the reader thinks “this is it!” Weather can serve to finally get them together. Perhaps a storm comes up and they are stranded in an old abandoned house, or snowed in and freezing to death without electricity or a fire. We now have plenty of time for the relationship to develop.
Create Consistency/Unity - Our plot should have enough conflict and suspense to hold the readers' interest from cover to cover. In addition to the main plot, novels have one or more subplots which can deal with a number of themes and issues throughout the work.
Increase Tension/Set Mood – Use your setting to “kick it up a notch.” For instance, an electrical storm is a subtle way to build tension. Or say a hurricane approaches, and the protagonist has no way to escape. In Dance On His Grave, Sidra Smart heads out into the swamp to see a Voodoo woman. Not only is she tense about talking to someone who talks to dead people, but the ride through alligator-infested swamp where she sees her first Le Feu Follet heightens the tension and further sets the mood.
Illustrate Character - The time and place of your novel will affect how your characters behave, speak, and dress. It may also affect their level of education, occupation, and/or goals. Setting is more than where people live. It is a way of life. Certain places and time periods evoke certain expectations and stereotypes. Capitalize on these stereotypes, or destroy them. If you are going to do this, you must know your characters inside and out—the cadence of their speech, the food they eat, how they dress, what they do in their spare time, what religion, what occupation, what they like to eat, personal quirks, and what they smell like.
Develop Setting - Where the story is set determines the personality of your characters. Are they sophisticated or innocent? Are they "big city" (New York) or "small town" (Mayberry)? Is there a big-time, experienced detective or a rural sheriff working on the case?
The setting does not necessarily have to be comfortable for your protagonist. It can also be used for contrast. Maybe she went to care for her ailing father in a small peanut-farming community and stumbles on a decade-old unsolved murder. That would allow for unlimited plot twists and subplots.
The time period of your novel is of vital importance. Is your protagonist from the Victorian Era, a modern-day sleuth, or from a time somewhere in the future? Know your time period. How did they cook, clean house, bath, dress, treat illness and injury? What were their values, politics, and types of relationships? What was/is the method of transportation?
Once you select the perfect setting, completed your research, and organized your information, you need to focus on the individual locations within the setting. Up to this point, we've used the wide angle lens to capture the bigger, overall setting. Now, we need to zoom in and look at it piece by piece, item by item. For example, take the house where your protagonist lives. Is it a condo, house, apartment, tent? How big is the home? Does it fit her income, why doesn’t it? How many rooms does it have? Does it have a yard and if so, what does it look like. How is the house furnished? Which newspapers and magazines are delivered? What pictures are on the wall? Are they framed? Are color and type are the sheets in the master bedroom? If you open the dresser drawer what would you find inside? Does the house have front porch, a swing? Give your characters natural props for the setting. For example, if you are in a rural community how many pairs of cowboy boots are in the
Remember, you want to make your readers feel as if they were right there with your characters, not give them a geography lesson. Use your setting to establish a sense of place and strengthen your characters and plot. Do not make it the main focus. And if you can’t fall in love with your setting, give it up and start over until you do. ©
*Le Feu Follet once played a prominent role in the superstition and folklore of Cajuns from southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
A setting done well puts the reader into the time and place of the story as nothing else can. It makes the difference between telling a story and taking your reader on an exciting journey.
Some (probably most!) writers start with a plot or with characters in mind, and then they decide on the setting. Let me propose a different way to approach this. Try picking out your setting first, and then develop your characters and plot. Or begin with the setting and the characters, and then develop the plot. There is no one “right way” to begin. Develop your story in a way that works for you. The key ingredient is that you are in love with your setting whether it is a real place, or it is one you create in your mind, or a mixture of both.
If you can’t fall in love (or hate) with your chosen location and time period, don’t cheat your reader by settling—go back to the drawing board.
Capture the flavor of a setting by tapping into the senses and then some. But remember, less is more. These snippets must be interwoven judiciously throughout the story in such a manner that the reader isn’t even aware that is what you have done. Too much too quickly, and you create an “info” dump that ends up boring them and they skip over it. Keep it brief and well thought-out.
If possible, go to the town and dig around. Do what your protagonist does, within reason of course. Taste what they taste, hear what they hear, and touch what they touch. Become a sponge and soak in as much of the setting as you can until you become the setting and the characters. Fictitious locations can be quite effective, but they are a little more difficult to do because you have to start from scratch and create, rather than simply describe.
What is the climate and weather like? Weather is a big scene setter. (Imagine Indiana Jones at the ancient cemetery on a bright sunshiny day instead of a dark, stormy night with thunder and lightning.)
What are the various values/beliefs/politics/religions (or the lack thereof)?
What is my character physically doing when she/he is in dialogue, both external and internal?
Are there animals, and if so, what kind. Who cares for them?
Are there eating establishments nearby? Who frequents them? What do they serve?
What are the methods of cooking and utensils?(Especially in historical or futuristic mysteries)
Is your setting a small town with conservative values, or small and liberal? Is it a big city, or a rural area?
Are your characters poor, middle class, wealthy? (Show, don’t tell)
What relationships are important to the characters?
How can you show the setting by tapping into your character’s emotions about the events or situation?
What impact does the clothing worn, fabrics, fashion impact or reflect setting?
What are the surroundings, streets or significant buildings that reveal setting?
What is the dialogue and cadence of the spoken word?
What are the local superstitions, fears, prejudices, loyalties, local stories? Listen to how they talk, the words they use, their grammar, their speech patterns.
Are homeless people allowed to gather under bridges or hidden away?
What is the area’s history?
Did your characters grow up there or did they move from somewhere else?
Get a map or create one of your own.
Read the local newspaper. If you can’t visit the area, use the library and the internet.
Use Setting To:
Advance Plot - Weather, for example. In Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets weather not only intensifies the conflict but it also serves as metaphor. An unexpected ice storm leads Sidra Smart, the protagonist, to rescue a half-frozen dog that becomes an important character in the series. She names him Slider because he keeps sliding on the ice.
Or say you want to build romantic tension between your protagonist and a secondary character. What do you do? You always have something happen that keeps them apart just when the reader thinks “this is it!” Weather can serve to finally get them together. Perhaps a storm comes up and they are stranded in an old abandoned house, or snowed in and freezing to death without electricity or a fire. We now have plenty of time for the relationship to develop.
Create Consistency/Unity - Our plot should have enough conflict and suspense to hold the readers' interest from cover to cover. In addition to the main plot, novels have one or more subplots which can deal with a number of themes and issues throughout the work.
Increase Tension/Set Mood – Use your setting to “kick it up a notch.” For instance, an electrical storm is a subtle way to build tension. Or say a hurricane approaches, and the protagonist has no way to escape. In Dance On His Grave, Sidra Smart heads out into the swamp to see a Voodoo woman. Not only is she tense about talking to someone who talks to dead people, but the ride through alligator-infested swamp where she sees her first Le Feu Follet heightens the tension and further sets the mood.
Illustrate Character - The time and place of your novel will affect how your characters behave, speak, and dress. It may also affect their level of education, occupation, and/or goals. Setting is more than where people live. It is a way of life. Certain places and time periods evoke certain expectations and stereotypes. Capitalize on these stereotypes, or destroy them. If you are going to do this, you must know your characters inside and out—the cadence of their speech, the food they eat, how they dress, what they do in their spare time, what religion, what occupation, what they like to eat, personal quirks, and what they smell like.
Develop Setting - Where the story is set determines the personality of your characters. Are they sophisticated or innocent? Are they "big city" (New York) or "small town" (Mayberry)? Is there a big-time, experienced detective or a rural sheriff working on the case?
The setting does not necessarily have to be comfortable for your protagonist. It can also be used for contrast. Maybe she went to care for her ailing father in a small peanut-farming community and stumbles on a decade-old unsolved murder. That would allow for unlimited plot twists and subplots.
The time period of your novel is of vital importance. Is your protagonist from the Victorian Era, a modern-day sleuth, or from a time somewhere in the future? Know your time period. How did they cook, clean house, bath, dress, treat illness and injury? What were their values, politics, and types of relationships? What was/is the method of transportation?
Once you select the perfect setting, completed your research, and organized your information, you need to focus on the individual locations within the setting. Up to this point, we've used the wide angle lens to capture the bigger, overall setting. Now, we need to zoom in and look at it piece by piece, item by item. For example, take the house where your protagonist lives. Is it a condo, house, apartment, tent? How big is the home? Does it fit her income, why doesn’t it? How many rooms does it have? Does it have a yard and if so, what does it look like. How is the house furnished? Which newspapers and magazines are delivered? What pictures are on the wall? Are they framed? Are color and type are the sheets in the master bedroom? If you open the dresser drawer what would you find inside? Does the house have front porch, a swing? Give your characters natural props for the setting. For example, if you are in a rural community how many pairs of cowboy boots are in the
Remember, you want to make your readers feel as if they were right there with your characters, not give them a geography lesson. Use your setting to establish a sense of place and strengthen your characters and plot. Do not make it the main focus. And if you can’t fall in love with your setting, give it up and start over until you do. ©
*Le Feu Follet once played a prominent role in the superstition and folklore of Cajuns from southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Questions from Sidra Smart Fans
I love hearing from Sidra Smart fans, and received this email today. Thought it might also answer some of your questions. If it doesn't, be sure and let me know, and I will in the next post. Syl
(Used with permission)
FAN: "Sorry to bother you again so soon, but I couldn't help myself!!! Yesterday was an outstanding day for me. Suzie and her husband Dennis took me to the Sabine Pass so that I could see the Sabine Pass Lighthouse!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful that was to look at the place where Ella was held captive. The book was over the top and while I'm here in Orange I am trying to find all of the places you mention. Sue and I are going to lunch at the Old Orange Cafe' and yesterday we drove by Gary's Coffee Shop on I-10. I have two important questions for you. First, is there a real location for Sid's office (before it burned of course)? and Second, did they really move the Catfish Hotel to Orange and if they did is it located on Front Street and where???
I feel such a part of your book and it is a wonderful feeling. The characters have become my friends and I hope that the third book will not be the last for Sid and the gang!! Thanx for sharing them with me and have a wonderful day. Pam :)"
SYL: No bother at all! I'm always glad to hear from another Sid Smart fan!! You made my day! It is such a wonderful letter with great questions.
I am sorry to say that the Catfish Hotel burned down many years ago. But I just had to keep it alive in for Kate and for Sid, so I "moved" it to Orange. However, a man in Orange says he "knows" the house in Orange, and it is indeed haunted! The way the world works, there may indeed be a haunted house there.
The Third Eye is actually located where a law office sits right now. They just don't know that behind those walls--perhaps in another dimension--sits the Third Eye, Sid's PI office! :-)
Now you know why I feel in love with the lighthouse, and it had to be a place in the book. What a marvelous structure.
The characters live for me too! They end up telling me what they want to say and do, and what they will not!! :-)
Thanks so much for the pictures. If you and Sue don't mind, I will use the one of you two on my blog, along with the questions. Let me, and it's a done deal!
Keep in touch!
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