Regular Joe, Not G.I. Joe

This is a picture of the Terra-cotta Warriors being unearthed in Xian, China--the closest I could come on short notice. It does show the "multitudes" and no individuality. Sort of what this post is about.

Not to take one iota away from Veterans Day and the special recognition it brings to every American, there's something I want to share with you. My writing buddy, Wanda Dyson, recently posted this article on Keep Me In Suspense. She has generously agreed to let me reprint it here.

Heroes: To FBI or Not to FBI

Go to any bookstore. Any one. Your choice. Pull any 25 suspense/mystery titles down off the shelf and find out what the hero does for a living. How many do you think will NOT fall into the category of: Cop, FBI, Detective, Seal, Special Forces, Mercenary, or Elite something-or-other? That’s right. Not many. One or two… maybe.

And editors are tired of seeing the same-old thing coming across their desks.

When editors ask to see something different…they really do mean DIFFERENT. They want to see everyday people become heroes, not heroes doing another heroic thing. They want to see the guy next door get in over his head and make it out by the skin of his teeth.

I had the opportunity to chit-chat with several editors in Dallas at the ACFW conference. They were talking about being snowed under with the same old stuff. If it’s a legal thriller, ya gotta have a lawyer. If it’s a medical thriller, there’s going to be a doctor. But if it’s a suspense novel, why does it HAVE to be a cop, a detective, or some other law enforcement/military trained hero taking the lead?

I almost asked them how they would take to having the ex-mercenary hero break his leg in the first chapter and his geek brother have to take over… but I restrained myself. The editors were serious. They’re looking for something different. They want to see something OTHER THAN a cop, a detective, a soldier, a SEAL, a mercenary go up against impossible odds and walk away a better person for it. They want to see a regular guy (or gal) quake in his tasseled loafers at the prospect of defeating the force that is coming against him. Then they want to see him win in spite of himself.

Now, I say all this and I’m in the middle of writing a three-book series for Waterbrook about…. drumroll please…bounty hunters. But at least it’s a little bit different. And trust me…these bounty hunters are no “Dog the Bounty Hunter” types.

But next time you sit down and put together a suspense novel proposal with the beautiful girl, the evil villain, and the cop, scratch through the cop and write in “Phil Smith, car mechanic by day, bowling fanatic by night”… or “Tommy Harris, Starbucks Manager.” You might just get a request for the entire manuscript…

Wanda Dyson (www.wandadyson.com)

What's On Your Nightstand?

I'm forever wanting to know what everyone is reading. My husband says I'm nosey. I say I simply love books--and readers of books.

Okay, yeah . . . that's not my nightstand. Just one of our many bookcases. (That's a picture of George and I with Desmond Tutu--a keeper.)

Every book in this case I've read. Our bedroom is the realm of TBR (To Be Read) books. Now that I review books from time to time, there's always something to read. I remember going through withdrawal if I didn't have at least five books waiting for me. It's a sickness.

New authors I've found . . . Robert Liparulo, Brandt Dodson, John Sandford (yeah, I came late).

Old faves: Mary Higgins-Clark, Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, Wanda Dyson, Michael Connelly, Stephen King, Frank Peretti, and on and on and on.

What's triggering your late night reading sessions these days? And why? (I truly am an old snoop--but a genuinely interested snoop.)

It's all better with friends.

CONFLICT!!!

This is a picture of my husband standing in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 2004. Certainly not filled with conflict on our visit, but very few people (who are old enough anyway) have forgotten what happened in that place in 1989.

To me, the Tiananmen Square Massacre was an external conflict directly resulting from internal conflict.

Huh?

It's very clear what the external conflict was in 1989. Threat of death will do it every time. But what about the guy who stood up in front of all of those guns and tanks? Do you think he didn't have any internal conflict going on? Zowie. He had to have struggled (at least a little human-bit) between staying safe and doing what he knew in his heart was the right thing. Could there be any greater internal conflict?

Every novelist needs to make sure there's struggle. Otherwise, what reader will be interested?

There's an old writer's adage of picturing the gorilla in the phone booth to understand the idea of conflict. I would add to that. The gorilla in the phone booth is supposed to be picking up his daughter from daycare at that very moment, and his wife doesn't respect him anymore because he did "x", and he's not sure he's got the moxy to fix it.

We were in Russia a few years before we went to China. The people of Russia are amazing, and both their internal and external struggles are easy to figure out, at least superficially. Make sure your conflict can, at some point, be easily understood by your reader. Make sure it matters to them, and that they can identify on some level.

What are the internal and external conflicts in the story you're writing? The one you're reading? Thinking about these things can only add depth to the experience to both you as the writer, and the person you're engaged to entertain.

Just remember . . . if you're writing a story, until you put the words to the paper, the conflict doesn't exist.

It's all better with friends.

Book Review: THE LOST SHEEP by Brandt Dodson

Colton Parker is an ex-cop, ex-FBI guy, who is trying to put his life back together after the death of his wife. His faith is, shall we say, less than stable. And a solid faith is what he's going to need if he wants to save the life of someone he loves--his daughter.

Callie has run away from home. More than that, Callie has been lured to Las Vegas, into a world where darkness rules and lies abound. From prostitution to the occult, this is a story that will keep you absorbed.

According to the publicist piece that came with the book, "Readers of the first three Colton Parker Mysteries will devour this latest entry in the fast-paced and highly recommended series."

I beg to differ.

This was the FIRST Colton Parker Mystery I've ever read and I loved it! Although this is the fourth (duh), it's also a stand-alone and you can enjoy this without knowing all the details of what came before.

Don't let this one get away. It's a fast read because it's compelling and well written. I'm off to find the rest of the series . . .

Highly recommended.

It's all better with friends.

Economy of Words

This picture has nothing to do with the topic--I just like it. And by letting it sit a bit I've managed to convince myself it works. Oy. The imagination of a writer . . .

I belong to an online group called Booked for Breakfast. Suzanne Beecher provides snippets of soon to be released books from one publisher, Monday through Friday.

This week we've been peeking in on the new Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year, available November 30th.

There's one line that made me drop my donut. It's only eight words, but those eight words paint a whole picture. Here they are:

"His face was a snarl of knotted threats."

Man, oh man. I would love to be able to string together a few words that speak volumes.

Wouldn't you? Do you have a favorite?

It's all better with friends.

Not Exactly a Walk in the Park

I love living near a groomed city park and a wilder state park. I take frequent walks and enjoy myself, playing with dogs in one, and watching deer in the other.

But some parts of writing are not exactly a walk in the park.

What's the hardest part for you? Is it coming up with an idea? Strong characterization? Dialogue? Staying in a consistent POV or resisting spilling backstory on every page?

Mine is the first draft. Accomplishing that is like giving a long, agonizing and emotional birth. And at the end? Well, for me, what I end up with is not much more than a fat outline. One that needs diapering, and feeding, and nurturing.

What comes next is filling in the scenes, shifting the plot where it needs to be shifted, and creating something that works and is exciting. Way easier said than done. But way easier--for me--than the first draft.

What's a suspense novel without pacing? That means I end up with a lot of Nobel-prize winning words on the cutting room floor. (You'll have to trust me on that one.) Even with just a fat outline, I can overdo what should be underdone. I live for the day when I can write pretty much straight through with very little leftover.

In the meantime, I think I'll go for a walk.

It's all better with friends.

Book Review: COMES A HORSEMAN by Robert Liparulo

FBI Agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner are seasoned investigators. While Brady prefers to apply his expertise behind a desk, Alicia hungers for the action of the hunt. Too bad for Brady--they're in the middle of one of the most complicated--and deadly--hunts of their lives.

Convinced a serial killer is acting out some bizarre drama, Moore and Wagner search for anything to link the victims beyond their manner of death. The trail they follow takes them on an international hunt and pulls them into a web of a secret society dating back a thousand years.

From Colorado, to Virginia, to New York, to Italy and the Vatican, to Israel and ancient Jerusalem, the agents find themselves drawn into labyrinths of conspiracy and murder, becoming targets of the evil they seek to destroy.

If you're squeamish, consider passing on this thriller. But if you like Dekker, Peretti, Alcorn, King, or simply feel like taking a walk somewhere on the wild side, get your hands on Comes A Horseman by Robert Liparulo.

This one is big screen material from the get-go, with diabolical plot twists that make sense, non-stop action, and a visual ride that doesn't slow down.

Highly recommended.

It's all better with friends.