Marilyn's Musings

FOLLOWING MRS. MAGELLAN'S INSTRUCTIONS

2009-07-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

We put shortest distance in the Magellan tofind our way to Santa Maria. We wandered through farm roads we've never been cown before, finally ended up in Taft (Meteor the TV show is in Taft a lot) then up and over the coastal mtns> forever and ever. when we finally reached the 101 Hwt the GPS quit working. We had to look for the address the old fashioned way.

Used little computer to find out how to fix problem. got the answer and fixed it.

Little computer is hard for me to use, too touchy and keyboard is not quite the same as big one. taking it with me to the fair tomorrow.

Marilyn

More Photos from the PSWA Conference

2009-07-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Since I'm traveling today, thought it would be fun to show you some more pictures from the PSWA conference:

I'm not very good at placing photos, so these are kind of backwards. AJ Farrar are most competent MC is at the far left then we have Holli Castillo, Mike Orenduff,Me, Michael Black, and Marilyn Olsen. This was a panel about the importance of setting.

The one that kept everyone's interest here was the Publisher, Editor panel, with Billie Johnson, Oak Tree Press, Marilyn Olsen, and Joyce Spizer Foy.

This one should have been first since it is of our first get-together, at the time the photo was taken, this table had the largest group, however, people kept shifting places. We had registration from 3 p.m. on. When people started registering, they just sort of hung around until our party at 6.

It was a great conference, loved every minute of it.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Planning for the Next PSWA Conference

2009-07-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not really ready to start--need a for sure date and place first. However, I am thinking about what we should do this next year and have some ideas.

Think we'll once again do the let every author give an elevator pitch about one book they have out or are writing. That's a good way to break the ice.

Also have had two people offer to talk about quite exciting topics.

I'd like to find a blood spatter expert. Of course I'm always looking for people who have an expertise in writing or law enforcement. And I'd love to have a fire person come talk about arson and fighting fires.

A literary agent would be nice too.

The drawback is the speakers are not paid, they have to pay to come to the conference and all their expenses. However, that didn't keep Sheila Lowe, the forensic handwriting expert, or the most wonderful mystery author, Betty Webb, from coming--and besides being great assets to the conference, they had a good time too.

I'm thinking and planning. Anyone want to volunteer? Check out the PSWA website: http://publicsafetywriter.com

PS, the photo is of Sunny Frazier giving advice to Keith Bettinger at the conference--lots and lots of networking goes on at this conference.

Marilyn
a.k.a. F. M. Meredith
javascript:void(0)

Libraries

2009-07-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the library in Bakersfield. This was the main branch and the biggest library I've been to in years. It seemed to me like there was quite a bit of activity for a Saturday afternoon.

I'd been invited to give a talk about my books and in particular the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. I brought the last three, Calling the Dead, Judgment Fire and Kindred Spirits. Plus, I had copies of Deadly Omen to give to anyone who came.

We were directed upstairs to a small meeting room. (Never a good sign, though I understand why, the air conditioning had to be turned on and it took a shorter time to cool a small room.)

As it turned out, we could've been in an even smaller room. Two women and a young man arrived and along with the librarian and my husband (who periodically nodded off, poor thing has to listen to my talks all the time).

Despite the fact it was small, the people seemed very interested, especially the librarian. Lots of questions were asked, and they seemed reluctant to go home.

Afterward, I had an opportunity to talk to the librarian and she told me that the library system is in trouble just like everything else in California. Librarians have been let go along with other staff. She told me that library usage is also down.
She didn't think people were reading much anymore.

How sad.

As for the reason there was such a small crowd, I have no idea. I know the library had flyers about my event and I certainly publicized it a lot myself to the people I know in Bakersfield.

One talk that does bring in lots of people always is, "How to Get Published Today." Maybe I should stick to that one. I'll just not tell them what the librarian said about people not reading much.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

What I'll Be Talking About at the Library Today

2009-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

The librarian asked me to speak about how I came to write my books--and in particular Kindred Spirits, the latest in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series.

Of course it all began like it does for most writers, I was an avid reader. At least ten books a week when I was a kid growing up--that's all the library would let me take home at a time.

Writing began as soon as I could write. I rewrote my favorite stories like some of the Little House on the Prairie tales. Wasn't long before I came up with my own ideas. From there I wrote short stories and plays.

Though after I graduated, I married and had a large family I continued to write--not very interesting things, PTA newsletters, some pieces of the newspaper. But I did write two novels that were immediately rejected and I threw them away. (Wish I had them today.)

My first books that were published were historical family sagas. Because I was reading so many mysteries decided to take a turn with them. We had a lot of friends who were police officers--and later my son-in-law became an officer. As I've said before, I've done ride-alongs with him and later a female police officer who more or less bared her soul to me as the night went on.

An article I wrote about a female resident deputy influenced me a lot, as well as a lovely Indian woman I met who told me about growing up on the reservation.

I wrote two mysteries about Tempe but she didn't develop into the Tempe in future novels. No, I didn't throw those away, instead I changed the locations and the names and descriptions of the major characters and turned them into stand-alones.

As Tempe became a "real" person, I began doing a lot of research about our local Indians and the reservation. Much of what I learned has gone into the mysteries.

I'll tell about some of that research, I've written about it here before. I'll also talk about the research I did for Kindred Spirits, and the Tolowa woman who was the inspiration for two characters in the book.

For me, it's fun to talk about my writing and my books, I hope the people who come to the Beale Memorial Library today at 2 will have as much fun listening to me. I'm looking forward to questions.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Researching for Your Novel

2009-07-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

On one of the lists I'm on they are discussing research--how much and watching out not to dump what you've learned into one spot in your novel.

When I wrote my two historical family sagas I did lots of research, I wanted to know what the places the families lived in were like at the time they were there, what kind of food they ate, what they took with them when they traveled, what they saw along the way. I hoped that I could tell a story that the reader could actually see what the characters experienced. I learned far more than I could have ever put into the book.

Now that I'm writing mysteries with a certain degree of law enforcement in them, of course I've done quite a bit of research. With the law enforcement part, I do stretch things a bit, and as I remind my friends in law enforcement, I am writing fiction.

With the Native American tidbits in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, though I call the Indians Yanduchi, the real tribal name is Yaundanchi and they are a part of the Yokuts. Bear Creek Reservation in the book is very similar to the real Tule River Indian Reservation. I borrow a lot from the Indians who live there. But again, I'm writing fiction.

For my next book, Dispel the Mist,the legendary Hairy Man plays a big part. I researched the legend, saw the pictographs, heard stories of sightings, and I think the Hairy Man is every bit as real as Big Foot.

My desire is to put enough of my research into my books to make them seem real even though I am telling stories.

If you want to know more about either of my series do visit my website at http://fictionforyou.com

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Phone Calls

2009-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am not a phone person. I seldom call anyone to chat. I love my Blackberry but I use it mostly for emergency calls and to read my e-mail when I'm on the road.

Yesterday while I was writing my blog, my cousin, Barbara, called me. She is exactly 11 months younger than I am and we grew up one block away from each other. We played together a lot when we were kids, our mothers told us about the Birds and Bees at exactly the same time, told us not to tell anyone, and we cousins immediately met to discuss our new knowledge.

We both were married young, but I started my family right away, she went to work as a dental assistant and put her husband through college, including his doctorate. With the exception of her eldest grandson, I have great-grandchildren the ages of her grandkids.

We don't get to see each other a whole lot since she lives in L.A. and I'm about 3 1/2 hours away, but we have spent one week many summers together with our families or parts of our families at church camp, and of course there have been family weddings and funerals--including her husband, my eldest son, and her younger sister.

She called to tell me she'd moved, actually traded houses with her eldest son and his family--about two blocks apart. She brought me up on all the news of her family and the next trip she's going on to Tunisia. She just returned from Russia. She's been everywhere and is determined to continue world traveling until she can't walk. I think that's a great ambition.

My traveling will be confined to things I do for my books and within the United States--but like Barbara, I'll do it until I can't anymore.

The phone call lasted an hour and I loved every minute of it, and I think that's why I didn't finish yesterday's blog--though it is now.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Reminiscing About the Old Days

2009-07-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

On another blog I told about my childhood during World War II. Actually it was a great childhood. You can read about it at http://thestilettogang.com.

But that made me start thinking about my husband and my first home we owned. Hubby was a career Seabee and didn't make much money. The home was in housing development called Rose Park, down payment $100 which we didn't have an easy time scraping up. Our neighbor on one side was an older retired couple (probably the age hubby and I are now) and the woman became a surrogate grandparent to my kids, and on the other side a young couple who had just got married. Across and down the street were two cops, one the corner a fireman. Other Seabess, cops, firemen were scattered here and there.

When we moved there we had three kids, two young girls and a baby boy.

The house itself was three bedrooms, two baths, living room and kitchen. Every house in the tract was the same, the only difference was which direction it was laid out and where the garage was. As time moved on, and our family grew, we added on a family room and screened in patio.

We had a great time in that house. We had lots of parties, in the backyard, in our big family room, parties for adults, parties for all the kids.

Of course hubby was gone some of the time because of the Vietnam War. Every time he went overseas things weren't quite so fun or easy. But I can remember the officers' wives on the base would call me to find out what I knew--which was kind of dumb since they were right there where they could hear all the scuttlebutt and I only knew what I heard on the news.

We did have some friends who did some secret stuff that they kind of hinted at, but nothing I passed on to anyone.

We lived in that house for 12 more years after my husband retired from the service. We had wedding receptions for three of the kids in the family room.

Our youngest daughter and her husband bought the house from us when we moved. They lived in it long enough to have three boys, then they sold it and moved.

It was a great house. Of course we've gone by and looked at it when we've been back in Oxnard--it's gone through lots of changes but still brings back great memories.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

What's Important to Me

2009-07-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

Not Michael Jackson or all the tributes. Though the man's music was wonderful, his life left a lot to be desired.

Watched a Captain Sullenberg tribute--a real hero who actually lives a life to emulate.

But bringing it even closer to home, what's most important to me is my belief in God and the Bible is His word. Next comes my family with my husband at the top of the list. He is a true hero. He served over 20 years in the Seabees, with four tours of duty in Vietnam. He's managed to put up with me for nearly 59 years and believe me it hasn't always been easy. He's been my lover and my true friend all these many years.

He's the father of our five children and was a disciplinarian, just ask them. He's a grandfather of 18 and great-grandfather of 11. (Because new ones keep being added we have trouble keeping track of the actual number.)He has been there for everyone when they needed him, whether it was a helping hand with something, or just a lap to sit on and cry.

All of those children are important to me. I want them to have good lives and to contribute to the community they live in. Some have already done that.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love my friends and I have some wonderful ones. I love being a published writer, I've certainly enjoyed all that comes with the writing, holding the finished book in my hand, and the promoting.

I'm proud of all the things I've managed to accomplish in my life and the different tasks I've taken on being a Camp Fire Leader for 10 years, from beginning college when my youngest started kindergarten, teaching in a pre-school for developmentally disabled kids for 10 years, teaching in day cares for disadvantaged kids, then having my own care home for six developmentally disabled women for over twenty years, and much much more.

But most of all I'm proud of my husband and my family and they are what's most important to me.

Marilyn

Plan for the Day

2009-07-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Since I felt lousy most of yesterday, due to my heat exposure from the day before, today I plan to tote up the money I made at the book sale on the 4th and organize books for my next event at the Beale Memorial Library in Bakersfield this coming Saturday, the 11th at 2p.m. This one's inside, hooray, hooray!

Once that's done, I hope to finish the book I'm working on. I've made it to the last chapter. When I type THE END, then it's time to start all over again and do some major rewriting. Actually, I like doing that.

This is when I can check what phrases I used over and over, if there are inconsistencies, things that need to be added or taken out, watching out for clunky dialogue--all those important things.

Of course I'll also be doing the laundry and what other household chores really need to be done.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Fourth of July Review

2009-07-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

We spent the fourth setting up our tent and selling my books in the City Park in Exeter. It got to be 108 degrees, or some such horrible temperatures.

We'd planned for a hot day, brought lots of cold water and misters.

Around two I began feeling bad and told my husband we should pack up. The whole thing was over at 3.

We hadn't done badly, we made back the money we paid for our spot on the grass and then some. I love talking to people about my books, but as it got hotter and hotter I knew I should get out of there.

By the time we drove home, I was really sick. Hot and cold, sick to my stomach, bad headache.

That continued most of the evening and night, didn't even watch the fireworks on TV.

Not much of a way to celebrate. One thing I know though, I won't be doing anymore outdoor events in the middle of summer. Give me a nice air conditioned library or bookstore from now own.

Happy Fourth a day late.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Juggling--an important part of being a writer

2009-07-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm juggling. Yes, juggling.

I have all these things that I have to do every single day. I'm not going to include all that it takes just to live, be married, and run a household.

At the moment, I'm finishing up my latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel. No, it's not the one that will be out in January. That one is already with the publisher. Once I've finished, I have some things I need to plug in, then I'll do an edit. After I think it's in pretty good shape, I'll have someone else take a look at it.

In the meantime, I'm thinking about ideas for my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. And again, not the one that will come out in September, that one is being edited by the publisher right now, but the one that I will ultimately begin once I'm through with the Rocky Bluff novel. (Haven't got a title for that one yet, so something else I have to do.)

Oh, and I do have another Tempe ready to send to the publisher. I'll take one final look at it and get it off.

While all that's going on, I need to plan my book launch and promo activities for Dispel the Mist.

And as anyone who has been following my activities knows, I'm still in full promotion mode for my last two books. I try to blog nearly every day, I'm active on Facebook and Twitter, I blog on two other blogs regularly, and physically, this month, I'll have a booth on the Fourth in the Exeter Park, I'm going to be speaking at the Bakersfield Beale Memorial Library on July 11th at 2 p.m., and I'm spending three days in Santa Maria at the county fair, July 15, 16, 17 from 11 to 4. I'll be in the Fine Arts Building.

Whew! Makes me tired just writing it all.

Now you see what I mean about juggling.

Time I got moving on some of my other jobs.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Keep Most of it To Themselves Authors vs Tell All Authors

2009-07-02T04:15:00.000-07:00

Ever so often I visit websites and blogs of big name authors. Some of them have very little about their private lives for readers to peruse. I might be the same way if I were a famous author.

I follow some of my favorites on Twitter and Facebook--but again there are those who tell all--or at least a lot--and those who keep private things close to the chest.

Some spout off their political views about global warming, what politicians we should love and who we should hate, what we should do about whatever war we happen to be involved in and what our spiritual beliefs should be, and yet don't tell one thing about their lives, who they care about, what they love to do, eat, listen to, watch on TV or movies, visit, plan for.

I tend to be one who keeps to myself my political feelings--I know I'll never change anyone over to what I think and might make them mad trying--and though I've probably said enough that most people know how I believe, I'm not going to rant and rave about my spirituality though it is a very important part of my life.

What I do like to write about is all the people I love, those I really enjoy being around.

In the photo is a family that I enjoy being around: Kate Anderson, her daughter Kim and granddaughter Ashley. They like me and I like them. I met them through Sisters in Crime and they were at the Public Safety Writers Association conference--Kate as an attendee, Kim and Ashley just enjoying what the hotel had to offer.

So I suppose I fall in-between those how keep most of it to themselves and those who tell all.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Why Did I Choose to Go With a Small Publisher?

2009-07-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

My very first book, an historical family saga was published by Dorchester Press, not the biggest New York Publisher, but right up there. It actually did pretty well--and might've done better if I'd had a clue about promotion back then. This was before everyone had a computer and no one knew anything about the Internet.

Right after the book was published, my editor left and that was the end of my association with Dorchester. I had another saga published by an outfit that the owner and son turned out to be crooks--yes, crooks, they gambled away all the royalty money in Vegas and ended up going to jail.

Oh, and my time with crooks wasn't over, my first mystery, The Astral Gift, was published by a co-op publishers who did well at first, then absconded with everyone's money. In my case, only 50 books were printed and ordered by a bookstore where I had my first signing. The 50 books were sold and no more could be purchased because the publishers had disappeared.

Golden Eagle Press, small pub in Bakersfield, republished the book. She also went on to publish four of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries.

Sadly, this publisher passed away unexpectedly. We'd become good friends, so this was doubly sad.

In the meantime, I found an e-publisher for my Rocky Bluff P.D. series who also published in trade paperback. This publisher also redid The Astral Gift. I left this publisher.

Another e-publisher published the first book in the Tempe Crabtree series, Deadly Trail, and also published a couple of others of my books, Kachima Spirit and Wishing Makes It So--these are also available from me in trade paperback.

I wrote three Christian horror novels which got great comments from both Christian and regular publishers, except they were too scary for the Christian market and too Christian for the regular market. I published one myself, The Choice, and still have some copies. Treble Heart Books published Deeds of Darkness and Cup of Demons as e-books and trade paper and are still available.

Mundania Press is now publishing my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries and I'm looking forward to the next one coming out sometime in September, Dispel the Mist, which has Tempe learning about The Hairy Man, the Bear Creek Indians version of Big Foot.

Oak Tree Press is now publishing my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, with No Sanctuary being the latest.

Of course I have to do lots of promoting--but guess what? So do authors with the New York publishers, unless they are really big name.

With all my small, independent publishers I've had input in the covers, been able to e-mail all my questions and get answers back, been edited, and I've met all my publishers in person.

Hard Shell Word Factory has recently been purchased by Mundania Press, a good alliance for me.

If anyone wants to know anything about working with e-publishers or small presses, ask away. I've probably had every experience possible.

And remember, this all happened beginning with the first book being published in 1982. No matter what obstacles I met, I kept on writing the next book, and the next one--something I'm still doing.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Going Off On a Totally Different Subject

2009-06-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

Last week I helped out at Vacation Bible School. My great-grandson Aaron, who is only 13, was filling in for his grandpa who was sick, teaching the Bible Story class. He did great with the little kids, but he's really short--the same size or smaller that the two oldest classes--that's why he needed my help. We worked well together.

At the end of one of the stories--you can find it at the end of the book of John--there was a passage that really struck me. I'm sure I've read it before, but I certainly didn't remember it, probably because I was younger at the time.

What it says is when you're a young person you dress yourself and go where you please, but when you get old you must hold out your arms for someone else to dress you and go wherever anyone takes you.

How true is that? It immediately made me think of Aaron's other great-grandma who lives at his house. Once a vibrant lady, who worked in a factory for years, then cleaned houses for professional people well into her 80s, now 90 plus is suffering from dementia and must go wherever my granddaughter takes her. Sunday, before church, her daughter came to take her for two weeks and I don't think she had any idea what was going on.

Aaron and I talked about it and he asked who was going to take care of me when the time came. I told him I hoped that I could take care of myself until I died. I probably have a 50/50 chance. My mom was very independent until she reached her late 80's. She lived in the little house next door to us for several years, then moved in with my sis and lived there until she died--she dressed herself, but was no longer independent. Her sister, my aunt, is now 97 and still living alone. She no longer drives, but did until she was 95, but she has lots of friends who take her where she wants to go when she wants to go.

I took care of developmentally disabled women in my home (it was a licensed facility at the time) for 23 years, they ranged in age from 19 to 60, and though I only had to dress one young lady, I did a lot of supervising as far as what to wear. When it was time to go anywhere, no one wanted to stay home.

Because I'm in my mid-70's, that Bible passage really made me think. Hubby is approaching 80, but we still love to go. He can't climb on the roof anymore, would if I let him, but he can fix about anything--he's just a bit slower doing it.

We love to go to the movies and watch them at home. He's so supportive of my writing and likes to go help me at any selling event and gets a kick out of mystery cons and conferences.

I'm praying for many more years where I can dress myself and go where I want to go.

Marilyn

Betty Webb Gave Us Some Wonderful Tips

2009-06-29T04:29:00.000-07:00

The most wonderful Betty Webb added so much to the PSWA conference. She gave a dynamite keynote speech about the creation of both of her series, the darker Lean Jones series and her new, lighter Gunn Zoo mysteries.

She gave us a wonderful handout which I am not going to put here as it is hers and if you're lucky, you might hear her give the same presentation one day.

What I am going to do is give a few extra tips that I wrote in the margins of the hand out.

The first page of your novel is a promise to your reader.

The first page should have action, action, action--a crisis not of the main characters own making, and he or she should solve the problem him or herself. The first page better be the best possible.

There are two elements to a story: style and structure.

Don't make the mistake of having the female sleeping with the bad guy unless there's a good reason for her to do so.

She suggested having a dead body on the first page and another in the middle.

Always a good idea to have the detective or sleuth be the one to discover the body.

Tension should build on every page.

Strong arc of action is what sells books.

Only use one or two sentences for back story.

Good books are not written, they are rewritten.

Circle all the "was" or "ing" words and replace with active verbs.

Betty told us that she writes every day from 8 to 5.

To learn more about her and her books, go to:

http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com or http://www.bettywebb-zoomystery.com

More Notes from PSWA Conference

2009-06-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Editors and Publisher Panel:

Query letter must be free of typos.

Must have a marketing plan, many publishers want to know what you plan to do to promote your book ahead of time.

Must have your book edited before you submit. Get recommendations for an editor from someone you know and trust.

Beware of agents who take you on then recommend an editor.

Character Panel:

The main character should have flaws and reasons for not wanting to do what he will have to do.

Ask questions of your character so you know it all and will be able to know why the character acts as he or she does.

Characters do make mistakes and character makes the book.

Side-kick character should be off to the side.

The characters should be surprising.

Must make the person become real, including the physical reaction to things around them.

In plays or script everything happens through dialogue.

You can build characters on people you know--though there was some disagreement about this.

In my own experience, when I have based a fictional character on a real person they didn't recognize themself.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Steve Scarborough's Tips on Getting Forensics Right

2009-06-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

Steve was wonderful. He's been an expert forensic witness on all kind of crimes. I'm just going to mention a few of the things he told us.

Forensic Evidence can narrow the leads and eliminate suspects.
Forensic facts can make your story come alive, but you need to be careful.

You should know the direction your story is going before you do the research.

Fingerprints are the most conclusive form of forensic evidence though Fingerprints and DNA should get equal billing.

It's hard to get fingerprints off of towels, the sofa, etc. metal and glass works better.

Ballistics evidence depends upon certain conditions of the bullet.

Other types of evidence are hair, fiber, glass fragments, ABO blood type, shoe prints.

Everything is circumstantial evidence except an eye witness.

What you must have is Means, Motive and Opportunity.

It's a myth that anything can be done--nothing is proven quickly, and some of the science seen on TV is make-believe.

You can't tell race or sex from fingerprints.

There is no such thing as a three point or four point match in fingerprints.

Detectives don't follow the evidence to the lab.

And the labs don't have everything they need in forensics. The smaller the place, the less they will have in the way of crime labs.

Steve was fantastic, worth the price of the conference.

In my books, the police officers use old-fashioned detective work--I never use much in the way of forensics, found it easier that way.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Joyce Spizer-Foy on Screen Writing

2009-06-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Joyce's suggestion was when writing a screen play have the actor(s) in mind who you envision as playing the parts.

Don't put in any sound effects. Get rid of the word "up".

110 to 115 pages. One page equals one minute.

Dialogue nor more than four lines long.

Hero must be on the first page.

No typos or the script will go in the trash.

Use Final Draft or Movie Magic to learn how to format a screen play.

Don't date it, ET was shopped for 22 years!

Don't put any copy write information on the page.

Don't give the director or the actor stage directions.

Pump up the tension!

Scripts are hard to sell.

(I'm not interested in writing scripts, if you are, I suggest you take a class and get the software Joyce mentioned. I wouldn't mind having one of my books optioned though.)

Marilyn
a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Mistakes That Make Us Cringe

2009-06-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is my first report on the PSWA Conference. This is from the panel with police officers and a prosecuting attorney and it was about what really bothered them that was wrong with what happened on TV and in movies and books.

Procedural problems like using lights and sirens when going to the scene of an ongoing crime, like a bank robbery. Not knowing the difference between the police and sheriff's departments, parole and probation. The fact that lieutenants don't go to the crime scene or do the leg work, they take care of the paperwork and procedure.

Not portraying Crime Stoppers correctly. CSI people do not walk all over the crime scene or go into the evidence room. Ties with short sleeved shirts. Police continuing to question after the attorney gets there--once the attorney arrives, questioning is over. Female cops with long flowing hair and no bullet-proof vest.

Lack of research by the author especially with the use of guns: a magazine is put into the gun, not a clip, .38 has no safety. No one in police work has an empty chamber in his/her gun.

Every state has different laws--but constitutional law is always the same. A non-officer gathering evidence is against the law like what happens on The Mentalist.

In the '70s and '80s, cops didn't wear bullet-proof vests. Have to be half psycho to be undercover, no one knows what you're doing or where you're going, often the other cops don't even know who you are.

Most of the people on the panel said they lost interest when the book was wrong.

An author needs to use the correct jargon for the area. Big difference between the words used, on East Coast cops make a collar, West Coast cops make an arrest. Number codes are different within jurisdictions too.

Because suspects talk different depending upon the time period, don't use too many slang words.

One of the funniest comments was when a cop was asked if he used his flashlight to check out an indoor crime scene at night. The answer was, "No, I turn on the lights."
How many times have we watched the CSI team on TV doing their entire crime scene investigation using only flashlights?

What I learned most from this panel was to make sure to check out anything that I wasn't sure about and never ever depend upon TV or movies for your research.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

I'm Back!

2009-06-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Because the hotel charged so much for the WiFi, I didn't bother to do anymore blogging.

The PSWA Conference was outstanding! I'm so pleased with how everything went.

At the moment, I'm exhausted and haven't unpacked all the goodies from the conference. I intend to put much of the information I learned into my blog as time goes on.

We had such wonderful people in attendance and the experts who share with us were so generous of their time.

I promise tomorrow I'll have much more to share.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

We're Here!

2009-06-17T21:21:00.001-07:00

Yes,we're in Vegas. not at the hotel until tomorrow. having fun visiting with my sis. surprised I got wifi here, got to go yo bed now. Marilyn

Two More Days and We Leave Again

2009-06-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

It's truly countdown for the Public Safety Writers Conference--and yes, I am mightily excited!

This is my second year of planning the conference program and I thought last years was good--but we have so many outstanding speakers and people coming this year, I can hardly wait!

Now if we can just get through everything without too many gliches, I'll be happy.

Though there are quite a few people coming that I know--and I've had the good fortune of meeting two already that I hadn't met before--there are some new folks that are coming for the first time. I'm not only anxious to meet them, but hoping they have an outstanding experience.

Wonderful author, Betty Webb is not only giving the keynote speech at Saturday's lunch, but she also offered to teach a class--and I never turn anyone down who volunteers. I've already seen her handouts and this will be a great class for both unpublished and published writers.

I hope I can get my camera on my Blackberry to work so I can send photos back to my email so I can display them on this blog. (I'm notoriously obtuse when it comes to using all of my electronic toys--and can do some things well and others not at all.)

I've had what I need for the conference program and registration packed for awhile, my clothes are out that I'm planning to take, suitcase almost packed and I'll be ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning.

Not looking forward to the long drive to Las Vegas, but am looking forward to visiting with my sister, our first stop.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

California Crime Writers Conference

2009-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

We traveled down to Pasadena on Saturday without incident, arriving at the hotel around 1 p.m. Hubby took a nap and I wandered around. Right off, I ran into Madeline Gorning, a new author friend who I will also see at the Public Safety Writers Conference. I was able to get my name tag and program book and ran into Naomi Hirahara, a wonderful writer and one of the coordinators of the event.

In the book room, I met a darling sixteen-year-old named Jade who had already bought Kindred Spirits. Yes, wonder of wonders, the book store had both that book and No Sanctuary.

I also ran into Gary Phillips and told him about buying and reading his latest book on Kindle.

There was a buffet that evening which hubby and I enjoyed. We sat with Madeline and Shelia Lowe--a forensic handwriting expert--who is going to be one of our speakers at the Public Safety Writers Association's conference this week.

Gayle Lynds, the thriller write, sat with us for awhile too. We reminisced about one of the first mystery cons held at a mountain retreat in the Soquel/Aptos area that we'd both gone too a couple of times--over 20 years ago.

My panel on e-publishing was the next morning at 9 a.m. Gary Phillips was the moderator--a very good one--and Marci Baum, an e-publisher and one of the acquisitions editors from Poisoned Pen Press was the other panelist. It was a lively panel and I think the audience learned a lot. My new young friend, Jade, was in the audience. The room was full.

We had a signing right afterward and I got to catch up with another old friend, Tom Griffith.

We left after the signing because we had to be home for an important church meeting by 4--and we just made it. I'm the church clerk and the one who takes minutes.

And once again we thank Mrs. Magellan for helping us find the freeway entrance.

I'm enjoying my Kindle, but it's much too easy to buy books. I have enough on there now to read for the next couple of months. And I know I'll be buying books at the PSWA conference.

Marilyn

Traveling Once Again and Taking My Gadgets

2009-06-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday we head off to Pasadena. We're going to the California Crime Writers Conference though I do not expect to go to much at the conference. I was asked to be on a panel about e-publishing on Sunday morning and could attend anything I wanted that day and pay for the day before. Since I'm going to the Public Safety Writers Conference the next week, I didn't feel the need or desire to spend that much time conferencing. Plus Sunday afternoon we have an important council meeting at church and being the church clerk I should get back for it.

I'm not even putting my books in the bookstore. What I will do is hand out postcards with ordering information about my books. I'll be showing off my Kindle too.

We'll use our Magellan to take us there stress free. Hubby listens to Mrs. Magellan as he calls the voice on the GPS device--never listens to my directions, so I appreciate having her tell us what to do and where to turn.

I'll be getting my email via my Blackberry and maybe reading some on my Kindle on the way down.

I suspect we'll see people we know roaming around the hotel and I'm hoping to meet with Sheila Lowe, the plan is to have dinner with her, a forensic handwriting expert, author, and one of the speakers at the Public Safety Writers Conference. I met her briefly at the Sisters in Crime Booth at the L.A. Times Book Festival but we didn't really get a chance to talk as we were kind of back-to-back, plus at one of those things you don't chat with other authors, you're too busy talking to potential book buyers.

I'm also hoping to run into my dear friend and former roommate for the Edgar Awards and a couple of other mystery related venues, Gay Kinman, one of the most well-educated women I know.

And if there's time, and wi-fi, I'll use my mini-laptop to do some blog posting.

What on earth did we do before they came up with all these electronic gadgets? Do they make our life easier or more complicated?

I hate learning how to use everything, but probably it's good for me to have to do it.

Figuring out what I'm going to wear is another problem. But that's a topic for another post.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com