ROAD TRIP - THE FUN PART OF WRITING

 

LAKE MICHIGAN - much colder than Waikiki Beach

I always enjoyed the on-scene part of researching a novel.

 

Rocky trails to caves at Maribel in Manitowoc County in Wisconsin. Talk about eerie! Fit right in with my story.

 

 

 

 

For three weeks, in Wisconsin and Massachusetts, I spent many hours visiting sites, talking to people, gathering information, and taking photographs that would support the story in my latest writing project.

 

 

Boiling brats in beer before grilling.

 

 

Food was an important part of my research,

especially the bohemian kolatches.

 

It is debatable whether my research has gotten a bit out of hand. I ended up gathering details for three separate projects. Still, even if not everything pans out, the visits with relatives and friends, discussions over fabulous meals, and colorful photographs made all the hours well-spent.

 

Clouds on the Water - Shoto Lake



For me, Wisconsin and Massachusetts were all about water and food. My research also included such diverse topics as gun cartridges, fishing bait, environmental issues, and taste-testing Friday perch plates at every possible venue.  

I believe my road trip was a success. Now I have to knuckle down and flesh out the story for my fourth Pepper Bibeau mystery novel. The excitement never ends!

 

You are welcome to check out my other Pepper Bibeau mysteries in print and ebook format at Amazon.com and reviews are always welcome.

http://www.amazon.com/Gail-M-Baugniet/e/B004QYTEGC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

 



SUPER CONFIDENT -VS- INDECISIVE Tongue-in-Cheek

 

It’s time for another edition of

 The Insecure Writer’s Support Group,

hosted by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

It is often tempting to slip into the role of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, to pretend I am the master of my universe, capable of accomplishing anything from bungee cord somersaults and helicopter jeep-drops to Samurai stick-fighting and barefoot Alaskan dog-sledding. Then I hit a brick wall of reality that sets me back on my heels, creating indecision and uncertainty. 

As I struggle with my latest WIP, searching not for a 5000-year-old key to time management but for simple direction, my confidence wavers and insecurity tunnels ever deeper. Of course, all doubt needs fuel for sustenance, and self-pity is a consistent, ever-replenishing supply source.

 

Soon, rather than continuing to wallow, I realize a reward is in order for all that I have already accomplished. I apply a quick swipe of make-up, slip into a "non-writerly"' (i.e.: clean and unwrinkled) set of clothes, and head for the monthly Honolulu ‘EAT THE STREET’ food wagon round-up down on South Street. This month’s theme is Chocolate, and I plan to indulge!

 

Everyone knows chocolate is a much better source of fuel than self-pity for sustaining a healthy mind and body, and that is why I plan to reward myself . . .

 

raw cacao beans;
cacao beans whipped into a paste;
extreme - chocolate on beef sandwich;
ultimate - truffles

 

wait for it . . .

 

 

until the cacaos come home.

 

 

Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of



The other day someone asked me how I liked retirement. In 2009, I decided to retire a bit early and enjoy life. That didn’t mean lounging on Waikiki Beach in the shadow of Diamond Head every day reading my fill of mystery novels; it meant researching, writing, and publishing mystery novels. It also meant paying closer attention to my blogs and participating in writers’ groups. But I do enjoy plenty of leisure time because I do just what I want . . . sort of. 

 

That means that although my goals are set and my projects outlined, deadlines are not carved in stone. If there is a deadline, I can begin the project far in advance so as not to be rushed. This year my goals include completing and publishing a novel; posting interviews with the 13 authors involved in the mystery anthology MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense; and participating in Arlee Bird’s April 2014 A to Z Blog Challenge

by writing and posting twenty-six articles with topics ranging from A to Z.

 

Marketing is an area where I need to improve, another goal. My focus for 2014 includes the novel WITH FIERY VENGEANCE published in December 2013. As the third book in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, and set in Hawaii, I am having fun discussing the settings featured in the story. 

Yesterday I spent time at Paˋina Café for the monthly local NaNoWriMo group gathering. I had been in a quandary about my WIP because of indecision over the story line. Scenarios had been swimming around in my mind since I completed the first draft last November. As I typed out my thoughts at the cafe, everything fell into place. Doing just what I want, letting my thoughts simmer until the time was right for a solution to develop, worked better than trying to force a decision. 

That’s what I like about my retirement state-of-mind: Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of. While I must still take the steps necessary to move a project toward its goal, I have the freedom to do just what I want at any given time. This is my idea of stress-free time management, an enviable luxury. 

How do you manage your time?

Week #7 of The Next Big Thing and Triple 7 Challenge

Possible e-Book Cover

Welcome! Here’s the plan:

***Answer the ten questions (below) about your current WIP (Work In Progress).

     (I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with the best intentions of publishing my second novel by the time I post the final question.)

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple. When you post, please tweet me @GailMBaugniet so I can follow you!     

My friend, Ken (Author Kenneth Hoss, http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/) also invited me to join in a Triple 7 Challenge. Since this is Week #7, it fits in well here so I will answer the question and follow the rules for Triple 7: Share 7 lines from page 7 of your current novel or 77 words from a WIP.

Here is Question #7 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: How long did it take you to write the first full draft of your novel?

GAIL: I have the Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series loosely laid out with settings and story lines. When I get an idea for a story, I write a three-thousand to eight-thousand word shell of the story. For my WIP, Different In Degree, I wrote outline chapters a couple of years ago. After self-publishing my first novel, For Every Action, I dug out my notes in June, 2011, and started working on Different In Degree. I completed the first draft in January, 2012.

For the Triple 7 challenge, I am sharing 77 words from my WIP:
Different in Degree:

The temperature dropped . . .

Typical of Lake Michigan, the storm had built in a matter of minutes. As the ferry approached the entrance to Death’s Door, heavy gusts rocked the vessel. The corridor between the tip of the Peninsula and Plum Island’s coastline captured the howling winds. Each time the ferry lurched, more water sprayed the deck. My stranglehold on the rail slipped as I struggled for purchase, staring out at the open water and waiting for rescue.

AND NOW, a total of seven awesome writers/blog sites to visit:

1. Judy Harper http://www.acreativewriterinprogress.blogspot.com/

2. Morgan Bailey http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/baileys-writing-tips-short-stories-ep-014/

3. Eric (SpitToonsSaloon) http://spittoonssaloon.blogspot.com/

4. The Indie Exchange http://theindieexchange.com/

5.Virginia Lee https://dagonsblood.wordpress.com/

6. The Independent Author Network http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/index.html

7. Adam Sydney http://adamsydney.wordpress.com/

Full set of questions for The Next Big Thing Interview:

(Judy Harper suggested that for those writing The First Big Thing, unpublished authors modify the questions accordingly. I look forward to following her posts!)

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

How long did it take you to write the first full draft of your manuscript?

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The Next Big Thing

Laurie Hanan, author of the Louise Golden mystery series, has invited me to participate in a blog event: The Next Big Thing (TNBT). ). Laurie was invited to TNBT by Toby Neal, author of Blood Orchid (The Lei Crime Series). The event consists of 10 questions about your current WIP (Work in Progress.) Here’s the plan:

A. Answer the ten TNBT questions listed below about your current WIP (Work In Progress)

B. Tag five other writers and link their blogs so we can all hop over and read their answers.

It’s that simple. 

The handbook, Writing Mysteries, edited by Sue Grafton, lists the rules of mystery writing and which ones can be bent. The only one I actually break is having more than two characters in a scene. For the rules of The Next Big Thing, I will definitely tag five other writers and link to their blogs so you can hop over and check out their sites. I am tweeking the other rule by dividing up the questions. I will answer one question per week, tag five more writers, and include links to their sites. My goal is to transform my WIP into a published work between now and week 10.

Here is Question #1 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: What is the title of your book/WIP? 

GAIL: The short title of the second novel in my Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series is Different in Degree. Laurie Hanan said in her TNBT interview, “All the titles in the Louise Golden mystery series come from songs, and refer to Paradise or Heaven.” The titles of my novels are best described as ‘axiom paraphrases’. My first novel is FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences. The full title of my second novel is Identical in Nature, DIFFERENT IN DEGREE. 

This is my personal rendering of a book cover for Different in Degree. My first novel has a stark white background with a black silhouette of Chicago’s skyline and blood dripping down to form the skyline’s shadow. I decided to stick with the same color scheme. The book cover for Different in Degree represents several facets of the novel: 

1. Similarities and Contrasts of Characters

2. Change of seasons within the story

3. Family tree and Genealogy plot influence

4. The Protagonist’s home states - Hawaii and Wisconsin 

Though I want to use this cover, that step of the publishing process is in the future. Editing the completed manuscript for Different in Degree is the current step! 

And now, five awesome writers whose work you want to watch:

http://westoftheequator.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/the-next-big-thing/ Laurie Hanan (Traditional Mystery)

http://www.tobyneal.net/2012/06/23/the-next-big-thing/ Toby Neal (Crime Suspense)

http://www.virtual-zen.com/liz_logic  Elizabeth Egerton Wilder(Historical Novel)

http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/ Kenneth Hoss (Police Procedural)

http://www.karin-kaufman.blogspot.com/ Karen Kaufman (Mystery) 

Here is the full list of The Next Big Thing questions for you to copy and paste to your blog along with your answers. Just tag five awesome writers and add their links so we can all follow along.

1.  What is the title of your book/WIP?

2.  Where did the idea for the book come from?

3.  What genre would your book fall under?

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

6.  Is your book published or represented?

7.  How long did it take you to write?

8.  What other books within your genre would you compare it to?

9.  Which authors inspired you to write this book?

10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.

Photo Ops and Toasts

Today is the official start of my "Ravens With Writing Desks" critque group, a subgroup of Guppies, which is a subgroup of the National Sisters In Crime. Five of us writers have manuscript WIPs (Works In Progress) that we will  submit, chapter by chapter, for critiques, suggestions, and comments. Given a choice, I'd select this as one of the most beneficial forms of improving my writing.

It is next to impossible to spot all of ones own errors:

*repetitive use of favorite words

*redundant phrases

*neglected subplot lines

Could you make it through a complete novel if the main character's sidekick started every sentence with, "Well, like, you know ..." or if everytime the bad guy came on scene, his actions were described in narrative and then with flowing dialogue: Lenny tripped on the sidewalk as he stealthily moved toward the house. He almost fell, but after a moment of windmilling his arms, he caught himself. "Gees," Lenny thought, as he grabbed onto the porch rail, "I almost fell when I tripped over that sidewalk."  

How often have you finished reading a book only to sit back and wonder what. ever. happened. to Miss James after she left the coffee shop with the protagonist's favorite pair of red shoes? Or why. did. that. neighbor choose to turn on his lawn sprinklers at midnight, conveniently allowing him to witness a break-in next door?

Neglected subplot lines don't always mean the death of a novel. But if a reader hones in on a colorful bit of information and spends the balance of the novel looking for its purpose, when she reaches the denouement with nothing to satisfy her curiosity, you can bet disappointment will follow. Can you afford to alienate even one reader? I'd rather take my licks with a harsh critique.

So, what is the purpose of my opening picture?

It is a chuck of Alaskan glacier resting on an ice cooler, and I thought it would make one heck of an "On The Rocks" to toast whatever deserves toasting today!

Okole Maluna (Hawaiian/Bottoms Up)

Kanpai (Japanese/Good Health)

Prost  (German) http://german.about.com/cs/vocabulary/a/toasts.htm

Teaching has ruined more American novelists than drink.
-Gore Vidal

"It takes only one drink to get me drunk.

The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth."

-George Burns



Got this scenic shot with my little digital

My Perfect Glacier 'Photo Op' at Prince William Sound