Grammar: How to remember Affect and Effect

First of all, if you're a writer and don't have this book, go buy it. I think most writers have it. It's small (pocketable) but full of great advice.

Currently, I've been revising my mystery novel and because I'm forgetful, had to keep looking up certain words.

For example, I've had a time remembering when to use the word EFFECT and AFFECT. It's difficult to remember because they are so close in meaning.

EFFECT means something that is produced (noun) by an agency or cause; result; consequence: Exposure to the sun had the effect of toughening his skin.
EFFECT means meaning or sense; purpose or intention: She disapproved of the proposal and wrote to that effect.

AFFECT means to influence, to act on; produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.

AFFECT means to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.

How can we remember it?

The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun.

The arrows Affected Aardvark. The Effect was Eye-popping.

Source: Grammar Girl 

Dictionary.com

Some Great Writing Tips

Over the week, I have been following some great blogs. I thought I would share what I liked...

Beth discusses how to engineer a mystery. She takes you step by step through the makings of a mystery: the detective, the victims, the motives, the alibis, the clues, and the red herrings.  I love how she discusses how to plan suspects and red herrings. As a mystery writer, it's a good reminder to make sure all of these essential elements are included.

Oh, this one was a treat. Margot Kinberg from Confessions of a Mystery Novelist guest blogged and gave her twelve picks for the best novels to fit certain genres. The Dartmoor Dozen Challenge. I didn't know there were that many genres to begin with. I loved her picks and she introduced us to many novels I've not read before. If you want to learn more about mysteries and the classics that  match, check it out.

Alan had guest blogger, Cricket McRae, who talked about Eleven Tips for Increasing Pace. They are a really handy reminder of how to make the pace of your mystery novel (or any novel for that matter) faster. I loved the one "Use description to add to the story, not just the setting. Who cares if the grass is green? But if the lawn if brown, the garbage stinks, and the curtains are drawn across the front windows of a house then the reader receives setting details that also serve as questions and add tension." Really good advice. I just received a copy of Cricket's book - Something Borrowed, Something Bleu - and can't wait to read and review it. I hope Cricket will allow me to interview her as well.

Claire talks about the Meat vs. Potatoes (Plot vs. Story) on her Wednesday blog. I love how she explains the difference. I also loves an example she gives: 

PLOT: Ships land on a foreign shore, and the people who came take resources from the new land. Boy from ships falls in love with native. Stands up to his people...

Now, if your STORY is that the Invaded People are blue and 8 feet tall, and Boy is in a wheel chair, then you've got AVATAR. 

But if you're STORY is that the Invaded People are Native Americans, and Boy is a blond Londoner, you get POCAHONTAS.

She also adds ways to fix problems you may have with you plot and story. Check it out!

And last but not least, WIP IT talked about Character Relatability. Something I'm sure I need help with on a continual basis. She discusses ways to make characters more real. I liked this point: No one is 100% bad. As mystery writers, it can be easy to make the murderer evil and the victim good. But not even serial killers are 100% evil and if we can make our readers relate, even to the murderer, it can add another dimension to the story. Check it out.

Writer's Guide to Reading People - What does men's hair reveal?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be discussing what different traits of a character can have on a reader. Especially with first impressions. If a writer is aware of the impressions a certain trait can have, it can work for their advantage.

For example, a man with long hair pulled back into a pony tail holding a paintbrush creates a different impression than a man with the same hairstyle holding up evidence in court as a lawyer. The second seems out of norm and can work well for a writer.

So what does the style and length of men's hair normally mean? Now, keep in mind, these are generalization. This is what we generally think of people when they look a certain way. I love it when writers take generalizations and  throw them on their heads.

Long hair 

• radical nature
• artistic nature
• doesn't want to conform
• lazy

Short hair

• was in the military
• works for an organization that requires short hair
• conservative
• perhaps he prefers easier to care-for hair

Shaved head

• trendy
• artistic
• rebellious
• part of a gang
• undergoing medical treatment
• involved in sports where wind factors in

Hair loss (or rather what one does with hair loss)
Comb-overs

• vanity
• poor judgement  or unawareness of others' perception

Hair plugs

• vanity
• wants to keep their use
• insecurity
• obsession with appearance (people have to save up money for this type of surgery so that means he's got a health income)

Baseball caps, ponytails, hats on bald men

• resistance to grow up or older
• if they wear the hat indoors it could mean self-conciousness or insecurity
• if they wear it outdoors, they could be worried about sunburns or warmth

Coiffed (overly styled) or dyed hair (done at a salon) on a regular basis

• if the attire matches the hair, it could be a "power" image
• vanity
• ego
• concerned with impressing others

Take what you learn the norm means and put it on characters that don't fit the norm.

For example, could a bum collecting garbage have coiffed hair? Why does he have coiffed hair, what is his background? Perhaps he was a model turned schizophrenic?

Could the CEO of a company die his hair purple? Why would he do it? Perhaps we find out he's supporting a cause - in the protection of purple monkeys. A bit off the wall, I admit.

What are your favorite off the wall characters - where the hair doesn't match the personality... at first?

Source: reading people

Injecting Dialogue with Suspense and Tension

We are often told, we should show and not tell. Does that apply to dialogue? Do we often tell too much in our dialogue?

I think so.

Take this example:

"Would you tell me your name, please?"
"My name is Eric."

Okay, we learn his name is Eric but really not much else.

What about this example:

"Would you tell me your name, please?"
"Why are you asking?"

We may not know the person's name but we do know a lot more about his personality. And, we've injected the dialogue with tension.

Often in our conversation we don't answer questions directly. Why? Because were busy thinking about what we're going to say next. That's probably why I get strange looks. We may pick up mood or gist but we often just want to hear our own words. Our characters are the same and that works to a writer's advantage.

We need to give consideration to what our characters are REALLY thinking about.

For example:

"It's bitterly cold out tonight."
"My fingers are tingling."

An appropriate response to the remark.

However, if someone ever said that to me, I'd probably reply:

"We'll never get into the restaurant if we don't hurry and be forced to stand outside and wait."

This reply injects tension.

Use dialogue as ways to inject suspense as well.

Example:

"I wish you'd watch where you're walking."
"God, these cobwebs are gross."

We get a lot from the second line, we get suspense, we get conflict, we get setting. Five words that say a lot.

Here are some more way to use dialogue to create suspense and tension:

• Answer a question with a question
• Don't answer the question for a while.
• Interrupt the speaker.
• Mimic the speaker.
• Don't explain what happened but explain why something happened.

Source: Writersdigest.com

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Arsenic

Arsenic is an irritant poison. It attacks the cells and in post mortem, you will find traces of arsenic in almost all parts of the body including the hair, bones, and fingernails. This method of killing has been used in many mysteries.

Symptoms of arsenic poisoning:
1) It will begin with irritation and burning in the throat, faintness, nausea and depression.
2) It will be followed by vomiting (food then mucus with blood)
3) Abdominal pain (like red-coals on the stomach)
4) Tongue covered in white fur and then constriction in the throat
5) After 12-18 hours, there will be diarrhoea and pain. Cramps will set in to the legs and the pulse will be weak and irregular.
6) Collapse and death soon occur.
7) Externally, the skin will appear blue due to lack of oxygen in the bloodstream (cyanosis)

Treatment:
Chemical and synthetic methods are now used to treat arsenic poisoning. Dimercaprol and dimercaptosuccinic acid are chelating agents which sequester the arsenic away from blood proteins and are used in treating acute arsenic poisoning.

Testings for arsenic:
There are tests available to diagnose poisoning by measuring arsenic in blood, urine, hair, and fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Urine testing needs to be done within 24–48 hours for an accurate analysis of an acute exposure. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over the past 6–12 months. These tests can determine if one has been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic.

Marsh Test
The Marsh test is a highly sensitive method in the detection of arsenic, especially useful in the field of forensic toxicology when arsenic was used as a poison. It was developed by the chemist James Marsh and first published 1836.

Interesting facts about arsenic
1) Found in most human bodies
2) Smells like garlic when roasting the metallic ore

What are your favorite stories with arsenic poisoning?

Sources: here

Sherlock is Yummy Now!

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will like SHERLOCK - a new series by BBC. It's a MODERN DAY version of the classic detective story... and it's very well done. I'm always weary about new takes on classics because we always have our preconceived notion on how things should be. This show did not disappointed.

Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson

I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan of Martin Freeman (of The Office UK fame). Although, watching him as Dr. Watson was a treat.

I've seen the old Sherlock Holmes TV series and it's based very closely on the books. This is far enough from the stories that although you feel like you're watching the characters, you also know you can let yourself relax and let the characters take you on a ride.

Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

The actor who plays Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch, is wonderful. He's everything I would imagine Holmes living today would be like. He's full of energy and as he states in the show, he's a "high-functioning sociopath, do your research". He uses a cellphone and a computer. I think if Sherlock lived today, he would take advantage of the technology and resources at his fingertips. He would have to compete against the criminals of our day. In the first episode he moves in with Dr. Watson at 221B Bakers Street. They have a pleasant but funny landlady and they also work with DI Lestrade and we meet Sherlock's brother Mycroft.

Steven Moffat, creator and writer of the series, says, "Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes - and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters."

The first episode in the series is based (though loosely) on The Study in Scarlett. The episode is titled: A Study in Pink. I was wondering how they would feature Holmes drug addiction into the show but do it nicely with nicotine patches.

A Pause in my Blogging Life

I have to press the pause button.

My father is sick and I have to make sure he recovers fully before my life can get back to normal. I just can't make the kind of thoughtful posts that I want so I thought instead of halfhearted ones, I would just pause for a few days. I should be back soon.

I promise to get back to your posts too.

Book Review: Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

Genre: Mystery
How I read it: I bought the book

What attracted me to the book: I love mysteries that are part of a series. I started this series at book three. I have also bought the next two in the series and will read those soon.

Summary (from amazon): Crombie's Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant Gemma Jones make a welcome return, after All Shall Be Well, to investigate a suspicious drowning in the countryside outside London. The seemingly placid domestic life of distinguished conductor Sir Gerald Asherton and his wife, Dame Caroline Stowe, a renowned soprano, is disturbed when their son-in-law's body slips through the local lock and is dragged up to reveal suspicious bruises around the neck. The Ashertons' daughter Julia had recently left Connor, who was "on good terms with pints and ponies." While her parents continued to lunch weekly with the victim in their stately home, Julia, who 20 years earlier had witnessed her little brother's death by drowning, has had nothing to do with him. The youthful, slightly rumpled Kincaid, his pleasant manner masking a keen intelligence, and the equally insightful, appealing Jones make little pretense that police work is objective, detached business. Occasionally Crombie lets their personal feelings-Kincaid's for the widow, Jones's for opera, and both for each other-outweigh the story. Nonetheless, the passages of the first drowning are haunting, the mystery is intriguing, the characters are well developed and the solution satisfies.

My thoughts: I wasn't sure how I felt about a American writing based in London. I don't know why because she did a wonderful job researching for this novel.

I loved Crombie's simple way of writing. She's not wordy. Her plots let the reader solve the crime as the detectives to.

Bottom Line on this Book: I will probably read the rest in the series. She writes simple and clear and the characters are heartwarming.

You can buy the book in Paperback.
Visit the author's website.

Grammar Guide: Misplaced Modifier Words

Misplaced Modifiers

Place words, phrases, or clauses that describe nouns and pronouns as closely as possible to the words they describe. Failure to do this often results in a misplaced modifier—and a sentence that means something other than what was intended.

Words

For example, the words only, almost, and just should be placed as closely as possible to the word described. The best place is right before the words they describe. The placement of the word affects the meaning of the sentence.

The customers only looked at two samples.

The customers looked at only two samples.

In the first sentence above, the customers ''only looked" at the samples; they didn't touch them. In the second sentence, the customers looked at "only two," not three or four, samples. The placement of only changes the meaning.

Here's an example with almost:

Chad almost scored three touchdowns.

Chad scored almost three touchdowns.

In the first version, Chad "almost scored" three times—he must have come close to the goal line three times without actually crossing. In the second version, Chad scored "almost three" touchdowns—maybe 2.2 touchdowns. How many points are awarded for that?

Here's how placing just can affect the meaning of a sentence:

The Hill family just leases a car.

The Hill family leases just a car.

In the first version, the Hill family "just leases" a car, so they don't own or buy a car. In the second, they lease "just a car," not a truck or a van or any other vehicle.

Source: Writing Skills Success In 20 Minutes a Day by Judith F. Olson

Friday's Writing Journal

Short post today...

Oh how I miss my blogging world! I've been crazy busy because my father's in the hospital and I have to spend nights with him. The voices keep yelling at me to continue my edits and the stories are so exciting again but I just can't get to them.

This is how I know I could never give up my writing, just a few days away and I feel compelled to get back to it. I have however been reading... a lot. But, reading makes me want to write more. Oh, the conundrum!

Well, I should be back next week barring any other catastrophes. Miss you all! Take care. I will read all your comments soon and read all the posts I've missed.

Writer's Guide to Reading People - Character's Elective and Non-elective traits

Elective traits:

• clothing
• tattoos
• make-up 
• accessories

Non-Elective traits:

• height
• race
• body proportion
• complexion
• handicaps
• voice

Our character's perspective is often shaped by the way their bodies look and function. A person in a wheelchair may look at the world a bit different than a seven-foot man.

We, as readers, will look at a character differently by how they handle their non-elective traits. For instance, a blind person that has a person do everything for them will be view differently than one who reads braille and cleans his/her own house. So as writers we need to be careful how they come accross to our readers. Have we done enough research? Do we really know what our characters are going through?

I used to work with deaf people. Before I did, I used to pity their situation but when I got to know them, I found out that most of them are proud to be deaf. Deaf power! I view a deaf person who tries to get implants differently than one who is skilled in sign language. It says a lot about that person. I also view parents of deaf children differently if they know sign language or not.

I'm not saying writers need a degree in psychology but research is vital.

Not all Mexicans who come to the US will be illegal immigrants. Not all Japanese people like sushi. Especially because there are some extremely rich and extremely poor Mexicans, we can't view them all the same.

I'm Canadian. So, if I was a character in your book, how would I greet you? Would you write that I say hello and shake your hand? Would it surprise you to know that I'd probably lean in to give you a kiss on the cheek? I'm not joking. Why would I do this? Because I've lived in Mexico for a few years. I've picked up the habit of kissing other women, and sometimes men, on the cheek. I actually have a difficult time when I visit my friends in Canada, they keep drawing away from me in horror. I try not to take it personally...

So, the point? Do research. REALLY know your character. Know how your character will appear to others. Have fun writing.

What do you think? Do you think this makes a big deal? Does it really matter? I want to hear your thoughts.

Elevate Awareness to Elevate Description Skills

E.yeball
L.isten
E.mbellish
V.isualize
A.bsorb
T.ake Notes
E.xplore Possibilities

The picture is by: Escher (one of my favorites)

If you take notice of your surroundings, you will become a better writer. This sounds obvious. SO how do we go about doing this?

Use the 7 principles listed above:

1. E.yeball - Open your eyes, we may see a setting hundreds of times but now, try and find three things in those settings you've not noticed before. Touch. Taste. Listen. Tone your awareness muscles by exercising them.
2. L.isten - Be a better listener. You may be sitting in a quiet room but is it really? Listen for even the smallest noise. Is your computer fan running? Tap dripping? Dog breathing? Clock ticking? If you're in a loud room, try to distinguish sounds. Loud music - what instruments are playing? Tune in to specific voices and conversations.
3. E.mbellish - Turn your mundane surroundings into prize-winning novels. Don't accept what happens around us as random and unmotivated. For instance, if you encounter a noise or occurrence that is not easily explained, don't dismiss it, try to find an explanation or create one. Noise in the attic? Perhaps a homeless person in the neighborhood has made the attic his home.
4. V.isualize - Shut your eyes to see better. How cold is the air? How hard is the ground? What places on your body aches or itches? Try to locate them.
5. A.bsorb - Look for shapes and patterns in everything. What do the clouds look like? Patterns in he stars, do you see them? Patterns in houses and pages and fields. Deviate from your routine for five minutes. Walk to the store instead of drive. Read a book in the rain. Eat breakfast for dinner.
6. T.ake Notes - Write these ideas down.
   
7. E.xplore Possibilities - Make the above actions a habit. Try it for three weeks. 

Exercises:
1) When watching television, look everywhere on the screen except where the director wants you to look. What do you notice? Do you notice furniture in the backgrounds? What books do they read? What time is it on their clock? How do commercials get you to focus on the products?
2) Keep an awareness journal for a week. Write your observations down.
3) Practice looking. How many tulips did you count this month? Roses? Red colored cars?
4) Make it your goal to be creative all day long.

Source: Brainstormer

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Can someone stabbed in the neck speak?

Depends.

If the larynx (voice box) or vocal cords or the trachea is severed below the larynx or vocal cords -  NO.

Notice the photo. The knife entered the below the vocal cords so the air would escape, not out the mouth but out of the hole where the knife entered. It wouldn't pass the vocal cords where sound is created.

If however the trachea and vocal cords remain intact, they could speak. It would sound: bubbly, wet, and/or raspy. Either way, the victim is not likely to utter many words before death.

Source: Murder and Mayhem by D.P Lyle, M.D.

Book Review: The Serpent Pool by Martin Edwards

Genre: Mystery
How I read it: I bought the book on amazon.

What attracted me to the book: I've read the book he wrote before this (The Cipher Garden) and loved it so much I had to pick up the next in the series.

Summary (from amazon): The musty, sedate world of old books provides the backdrop for a series of gruesome murders in Edwards's absorbing fourth Lake District mystery (after 2007's The Arsenic Labyrinth). Rare book dealers prove an unexpectedly randy lot as they are swept under by sexual undercurrents of obsession, infidelity, and jealousy. Inevitably, desire proves the undoing of one victim after another, as the sociopath responsible, obsessed by Thomas De Quincey's tract On Murder, fulfills his destiny... to make nightmares come true. Leave it to Det. Chief Insp. Hannah Scarlett to find the link between a cold case, the murder of 25-year-old aspiring writer Bethany Friend (or was it suicide?), found drowned in a shallow pool six years earlier, and two active investigations, though not before letting her own conflicted desires get the better of her when her current lover, a secondhand bookseller, falls under suspicion. Hannah's odd failure to pursue a line of questioning with another suspect also spells trouble.

My thoughts: *squeal* I'm glad I didn't have to wait for the next book after reading the Cipher Garden because I became so attached to Daniel and Hannah. Those who have been following the series know what I'm talking about and boy oh boy, I wasn't disappointed.

The book started with a gruesome murder, as do most mysteries. This one was quite disturbing... not that I minded. As with all Martin Edward novels I've read, I had no idea who the killer was until near the end (which in part frustrated me...) However, I was so happy with other story lines, I quietly let the story unfold before me without over-analyzing everything. 

The book had a psychological aspect to it, I liked that. It delved into human behavior that I wanted to research more. I like my books not only to entertain but enlighten and this book did just that.

The big question is: Would I recommend this book to others and would I pick up the next in the series? Yes to both. I need to find out where Hannah and Daniel are headed and I'm coming to realize that I'm a huge sap.

Bottom Line on this Book: For those eager to read the next installment of the Hannah/Daniel saga, you won't be disappointed.

You can buy the book in Paperback.
Visit the author's blog and website.

Blogging Tips: How to insert HTML into a Blogger Post

It's really easy...

1. Copy the code into your NOTEPAD!
2. Use Edit->Replace (or Ctrl+H) and in find all the < and replace them with & l t ; (delete the spaces between the characters, without spaces you would just see another < here) 
3. Use Edit->Replace (or Ctrl+H) and in find all the > and replace them with & g t ; (delete the spaces between the characters, without spaces you would just see another > here)
4. Copy the code from NOTEPAD into the Blogger post
5. And you are done

What have you done? The & l t ; is another way of telling the browser to shov a <.

Source: How To: Nokia, Joomla, SEO...

My Lvoe of Wrods and Misplaced Modifiers

Have you ever looked at words and found them intriguing to look at? I love the look of words. For instance, the word 'assassin' is beautiful. (Not in meaning but in form... ass-ass-in. Hmm, now that I think about it, it's a bit odd.) I also like the word 'remember'. It's a long word with only the vowel e.

I did some research into how we read and it's fascinating (another word I think is interesting). People typically recognize words as a whole; we don't look at individual letters in each word.

Can you read this?

Airdoccng to a rsrechecah at Cadmrbige Ustvieriny, it deson't matetr in waht oedrr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny iemorptnt tinhg is that the fsrit and last letter msut be at the rgiht palce. The rest can be a ttoal mses and you can siltl read it wtuhoit ploberm. Tihs is bseauce the hmuan mnid does not read evrey letetr by itlsef, but the word as a wlhoe.

According to psycholinguist Keith Rayner of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, eyes do not move smoothly across the text as we read. Instead, the typical reader behavior is to look at a word or several words in a group, and pause our eyes there briefly. This is called a "fixation," and it takes about 0.25 seconds on average.

After a fixation, we move our eyes to the next word or group of words; this movement is called a "saccade" and takes only 0.1 seconds. (People often skip over short or predictable words such as "of," "in," "a," etc.) After this pattern is repeated once or twice, we pause to comprehend the phrase just viewed (which on average takes 0.3 to 0.5 seconds).

What words do you find intriguing?

---

Phrases and Clauses

Phrases and Clauses that describe nouns or pronouns must also be placed as closely as possible to the words they describe. The following sentences contain misplaced modifiers. Pay close attention to how they are rewritten to clarify the meaning.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS Wrong Correct The veterinarian explained how to vaccinate hogs in the community center basement. [Why would you want hogs in the community center?] In the community center basement, the veterinarian explained how to vaccinate hogs. The veterinarian in the community center basement explained how to vaccinate hogs. A big dog followed the old man that was barking loudly. [Why was the man barking?] A big dog that was barking loudly followed the old man. Barking loudly, a big dog followed the old man.

Source: Writing Skills Success In 20 Minutes a Day by Judith F. Olson

How our mind reads words.
How we read.

Friday's Writing Journal - Blog Series and an Award!

I want to mention a very interesting blog series out there.
Tessa from Tessa's Blurb has had a five part series entitled:

Worldbuilding Series! 

Part 1, in which she discusses How to get a Clue

HERE

Part 2, where you learn to Rule Your World

HERE

Part 3, in which you'll decide What Happened Before

HERE

Part 4, where you learn to Speak Your Own Language

HERE

Part 5, where it all comes together

HERE

Alexandra Crocodile from Friends and Crocodiles gave me the Versitile Blogger award. Thank you! However, I just received that award so when she said I could take the Awesome Award, I took it instead.

I don't know what I'm suppose to do with it but I know it's going to look great on my side bar. Now, who do I pass it on to?

The winner is: Ashley from Beyond Passing Time

Writer's Guide to Reading People - Character Extremes

I love OCD characters. They are both fun to write and to read about. They drive you crazy and intrigue you at the same time. Now, I'm not saying each of your novels should have an OCD character but character extremes are fun to write - and more importantly, should be written about.

What do I mean?

Well, the characters that leave the longest impression are ones that stand out. For example, I love the James Bond movies, especially any with Sean Connery... yummy! Ahem, I digress... Anyway, how many Bond movie villains do you remember? For me, it's difficult. But, I remember one - Oddjob. Why? Well, first, the guy used his hat to kill people and he painted someone with gold. This guy could skillfully kill people with his hat! Come on, that's cool! And memorable.

Do you want readers to remember your characters from chapter to chapter? Then, start by describing your characters unusual traits, their extreme behavior first.

Perhaps a character wakes up at three every morning and for a half hour watches infomercials on TV. That's strange, until we find out his wife works for the station. But, it caught our attention.

Or, maybe our character changes his toothbrush everyday or gets a haircut everyday.

If your character is normal and you don't want to change that, spice it up with some derivations from the norm on occasion. As long as you explain why. Don't just do it as a gimmick.

Writing: Accents and Voices

I thought I would blog on a couple of complicated voices often found in dialog.

Stutterers / Lisps -Currently, I'm writing a mystery where one of the suspects stutters. In fact, I'm reading a mystery where one of the suspects stutters. So, I guess it's common to add stutterers to novels. However, do not get carried away. A person in real life may stutter over almost every word but your dialog doesn't need to.
What can you do?

Perhaps write one or two words in the speech as stuttered. Or, write correctly and add a tag: he stuttered.


People with accents/dialects - Have you ever read 'The Grapes of Wrath'? (See below) After reading that book in high school, for a month I spoke with a Southern accent.

Often writers tend to get carried away with writing in dialect. Can you imagine reading this for a whole novel? "Ah reckon ah don' haff ta go dowan tuh th' rivuh tuhday, 'cawse we gots awl th' feeush we gwine need." Yikes!
What can writers do? Well, if you're insistent on writing in the dialect, only use select and common words such as 'ya' for 'you' or 'an' for 'and'. Or, write in proper English but add 'she said in a strong Russian accent' somewhere. Most people know what a British or Russian or Southern accent sounds like, they don't need phonetic spelling.

Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science - Pneumothorax (The Colapsed Lung)

There are two types of pneumothorax: Tension and Simple.

Simple pneumothorax

• In a simple pneumothorax, there is usually only partial collapse of a lung. The pressure built up in the lung cavity is not enough to cause cardiovascular dysfunction.
  
  
• The collapsed lung may be severe enough to lead to decreased amounts of oxygen in the blood, causing the patient to feel short of breath.
  
  
• This type of pneumothorax can be small and "stable", and not require emergency treatment. However, the pneumothorax may slowly or rapidly progress to cause more severe cardiovascular impairment and may often need to be monitored. 

Tension pneumothorax

• This refers to a condition in which air builds up under pressure and usually totally collapses one or both of the lungs. This causes severe dysfunction of the cardiovascular system.
  
  
• The pressure built up in the lung cavity slows or stops the return of blood to the heart from the veins. Because the heart has less blood available to pump into the main arteries, blood pressure drops, and other vital organs are rapidly affected.
  
  
• In an affected person does not receive emergency treatment, death may result.

Signs and Symptoms:

• Decreased or absent breath sounds on the affected side
• Unequal chest rise
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Hypoxia (deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues)
• Pale, cool, clammy skin
• Subcutaneous emphysema (air trapped beneath the skin)
• Bluish skin
• Jugular venous distension (enlarged jugular veins; late sign)

With Tension Pneumothorax, air gets trapped between the lung and chest cavity. Although the lung can expel air into the chest cavity, it can NOT go back into the lung. So, the pressure begins to build causing further collapse of the affected lung, good lung, and pressure upon the heart. Every breath taken only furthers the problem. This is often when you see on TV the hero jabs a large needle into the chest (between the ribs) and a gush of air signals success. Miraculously, the patient recovers from near death to near normal health in a matter of seconds!

Sources: emedicine.com, wikipedia, Trauma.org

Book Review: Careless in Red by Elizabeth George

Genre: Mystery
How I read it: Kindle for PC

What attracted me to the book: I love books by Elizabeth George. I have read many of her books before.

Summary (from amazon): At the start of bestseller George's stellar new suspense novel, the grieving Thomas Lynley, a Scotland Yard detective who left the force after the murder of his pregnant wife, Helen, in With No One as Witness (2005), is filling his days with a long trek in his native Cornwall. During his ramble, Lynley stumbles on the body of teenager Santo Kerne, who apparently fell from a cliff onto some rocks, though it soon becomes evident that someone tampered with Kerne's climbing gear. As the first on the scene, Lynley himself comes under suspicion, despite his lack of history with the victim, by the investigating officer, the capable but crusty Det. Insp. Bea Hannaford. Lynley fittingly plays a secondary role in the homicide inquiry as he continues to struggle to find a reason for living after his devastating loss.

My thoughts: For me, Havers is my favorite character. She was hardly in the book! I like Lynley but I hate people who mope. And I felt like this was another one of his moping books. *spoiler* Now, I understand that the guy lost his family but please, it's been a few books already. Get on with life already!

Also, a whole bunch of new characters were brought in. Why!? I read series because I like the characters. It's like reading a Harry Potter novel and all the other characters but Harry are changed. I have no connection with them. I didn't feel chemistry between them... enough said.

I've recently started reading Deborah Crombie and her books are shorter. If you're going to just add filler... well, don't! Readers know filler when they see it. If the plot makes causes the book to be longer than so be it but if description adds 60,000 words... nope, not interesting.

Anyone who has read anything I have written knows I keep needless description to a minimum. I like to leave somethings up to the readers imagination. I wish she had done that too. However, if you love endless description and this is your first Lynley novel and you have no attachment to the characters, you might just get through all 9000 pages give or take...

Bottom Line on this Book: I think you may be disappointed with this one.

You can buy the book on Kindle and in Paperback.

Blogging Tips: Creating a Blog Signature

Before you try this, realize that you need to go into your blog's HTML template and adjust the code. If you don't know what that is, do not try this. Seriously -- if you don't know what HTML is, if you don't know how to change things in your template already, don't play with this because you can screw your entire blog up very easily if you make a small mistake.

First of all, have your signature ready and in a photo format (preferably .jpg). You could (a) write your own signature, scan it into your computer and save as a photo (b) use a fancy font. That's what I did. I went to this site and downloaded a font. You may need some computer skills to move the downloaded font into your font folder for use.

Then, upload your signature on the internet. I do this with my Picasa Web Album, but you might have another method.

Now, as far as changing the code:

Step 1: Access your HTML template from your dashboard under 'Design'. (I'm not explaining how to get there, as those of you familiar with it will already know how to do it.)

Step 2. Find this code:

Step 3: Insert your image code (see bold) as follows: (you only add ONE line to the code... just the IMG code)

<div class='post-body entry-content'> <data:post.body/> <div style='clear: both;'/> <!-- clear for photos floats --> </div> <img src='http://photobucket.com/signature.jpg'/> <div class='post-footer'>

Step 4: Preview and Save if you're happy with it.

Source: here

10 things I learned from living through a hurricane... and Grammar Guide: Dangling Modifiers

1) Weird winged hornet-like creatures may fall from the sky dead... in droves. 2) Just because you have tons of water fall from the sky doesn't mean you'll have water come out of your tap... for days. 3) If you don't build a road properly the first time, you have to build it again. 4) It's okay to drive down the wrong side of the road facing oncoming traffic if your highway lane is closed. 5) If your roads look like they've been through an earthquake, garbage men don't come. 6) Everyone eats out and only a quarter of the restaurants are open. 7) You can't buy milk or bottled water... or anything really. 8) Without water, your bathroom WILL smell like an outhouse... then the rest of your house. 9) Live electrical wires WILL weld themselves to the road... and kill you. 10) You remember that the only truly important thing is family. Okay now,  Grammar Guide: Dangling Modifiers Words, phrases, or clauses that begin a sentence and are set off by commas sometimes mistakenly modify the wrong noun or pronoun. These are called dangling modifiers. The following sentences contain dangling modifiers. Pay close attention to how the sentences are rewritten to avoid the problem.

DANGLING MODIFIERS Wrong Correct Flat and useless, Jason removed the bicycle tire. [Why was Jason flat?] Jason removed the flat and useless bicycle tire. Flat and useless, the bicycle tire was removed by Jason. Attached to an old stump, Janette saw a No Fishing sign. [Why was Janette attached to an old stump?] Janette saw a No Fishing sign attached to an old stump. The No Fishing sign attached to an old stump caught Janette's attention. While cleaning up after dinner, the phone rang. [Don't you wish you had a phone that cleaned up after dinner?] While I was cleaning up after dinner, the phone rang. While cleaning up after dinner, I heard the phone ring. The phone rang while I was cleaning up after dinner.

Source: Writing Skills Success In 20 Minutes a Day by Judith F. Olson

Friday's Writing Journal - An Award

Well, the month of June has been insane and I hope that July is much better. We're starting with a hurricane so I'm not sure.

Anyway, got another award. It's a cute one. It comes from Carol from Under the Tiki Hut. She has got a wonderful blog.

I want to pass it on to supportative commenters so here's some of my regulars:

1) Mary at Giggles and Guns
2) Margot from Confessions of a Mystery Writer
3) Raquel Byrnes from Edge of Your Seat Romance
4) Alex Cavanaugh

5) Talli Roland
6) Nicole from Damsel in a dirty dress
7) Cruella from The Giraffability of Digressions
8) Mason from Thoughts in Progress
9) Patricia Stoltey
10) Aubrie at Flutey Words
11) Corra  at The Victorian Heroine
12) Carol at Carol's Corner
13) Jessica from The Alliterative Allomorph
14) Jennifer from unedited
15) Modo from Motor Doll Behind the Lens
16) Michele from Southern City Mysteries

I know some of you already have it so you don't have to repost...but you deserve it anyway.

Writer's Guide to Reading People - Character & Setting

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143

Last week we discussed first impressions and how the reader makes judgments based on outward appearance and/or mannerisms.

Today, we're going to look at setting and how that can change a reader's opinion of a character.

Take this sentence from a novel: "Did you see Phil? He was wearing a dress!"
What opinion would the reader draw about Phil? Perhaps, he's a cross-dresser.
What if the next line says:
(a)"He's brave to take on the assignment. There's no way the Chief Inspector could convince me to go undercover at that bar."
or (b)"It was the best costume at that Halloween party!"

Setting makes a difference! And it demonstrates the power SHOWING has over TELLING.

Remember: There are many interpretations of almost every aspect of a character's appearance, body language, environment, vocal intonations, words, and actions. Unless you consider them in light of all the available information, your reader's effort to interpret them will be little more than a shot in the dark.

Source: Reading People