Miss Demeanors

I’m not a philosopher, so I’m not going to attempt some deep and thoughtful analysis about the written word. What I do know is that finding your routine–whether it’s daily word count or a certain time of day spent writing–helps. I have a word-count that I meet before I do anything else but go to the gym and brush my teeth five days a week. One day on the week-end I write a little something, but it doesn’t have to be the story I’m working on, it just has to be something.  I’m a firm believer that what works for some may not work for others.We’re all so different it would be bizarre and unnerving if there were only one right way to do anything. I’m also a big fan of trying things out, seeing what does or doesn’t feel right, and making adjustments. As my Mom (and avid mystery reader) always told me when I had a big decision to make “If it starts not working, you can always do something else.” I try to not pre-judge an idea until I give it a chance. Last summer I went to a panel at ThrillerFest with the DIY MFA Guru Gabriela Pereira. She said she kept a jar on her desk to write down anything that got in the way when she was writing. She would write down the annoying thought on a little piece of paper, fold it up and put it in the jar. Okay, I was skeptical, but the next day when I was working on my on word count and one of those nagging thoughts that had absolutely nothing to do with my story kept circling my head, I decided to give it a try. It worked . . . for me. The act of writing down my distraction, foldingit into a tiny square and setting it in a glass jar allowed me to get back to the work I wanted to be doing. (Yes, I have identical jars: one here in the city and another up in the attic room in the country. No, I’m never going to tell anybody what I write on those little pieces of paper!) I guess the point is: do whatever it is you need to that allows you to access the story. Maybe it’s a certain cup of coffee, music, time of day. You might need to light a candle or find a particularly quiet room. Whatever your thing is, do it so that when you hit your word count/page count/minute or hour goal, you look back and find at least something (even if it’s only one word) that makes your heart beat just a little faster. Do that. And then do it again.       

 I asked my fellow Miss Demeanors, what are your five favorite writing tools and why do you love them? Pens, pencils, spiral notebooks, erasers, spreadsheets, index cards, Post-its, bottles of wine or whiskey, etc. Feel free to send some photos and have some fun while doing it. Well, I guess they did. I’ll start by saying when I’m traveling all I need is a spiral notebook, pens and pencils, stickies of different shapes and sizes, pens and pencils, and a flash drive for my laptop. I can forget to pack clothes, toiletries, or shoes, but not these essential items.   Tracee:  Index cards (can I list them twice?), wine and Perfect Manhattans (judiciously), and the all important outlines in multiple forms. For that – big white pieces of paper, tape, colored markers and highlighters. And then I’ll need my Apple computer because my hand cramps when I write long hand for too long…. a final necessity is my small cow, Vacherin. Always willing to lend an ear and offer encouragement.    Cate:  You have a cow? Was this after the rabbits? Does it make cheese?I need my apple computer with Word, for writing, and Excel, for my outlines. I also need The Google, especially Google maps.   Alexia:    Sharpie pen. Spiral notebook. Bar/pub/lounge (whiskey/cocktail optional–they’re just to justify taking up space at the bar). Laptop (because my publisher won’t take handwritten drafts). Cat (since I don’t have a writing totem. Or writing cow).   Robin:     Mmmmmm Kit Kats….I love Post-Its. I used them to jot down plot ideas and character traits. The notes will clutter my desk or be stuck in a notebook until I use them or decide to stash them for another book. So, Post-Its are #1. Thinking about the answer to this question made me realize that I use a different “favorite” pen for notes and longhand drafts of each book I’ve written, so the pen is #2. I hadn’t noticed that penchant til now. Less unusual is a dedicated notebook, #3. Maybe a little unusual is a Snoopy calendar. The date isn’t important, it’s the subliminal message to not take myself too seriously and have fun with what I write. That’s #4. And, of course, my laptop. Susan:   I wish I had a cow! All I have are two cockapoos. I love to write in small notebooks. It gives me the feeling of pages building up. I also love color-coded post-it notes. I heard Jeffrey Deaver speak at an MWA event and he talked about the value of post-it notes and I thought, if it works for him…. So I’ve now got them all over my wall. I write on a computer that has no internet access, which cuts down on distractions, but I have my phone with me for research, or Candy Crush. There’s also a stack of books by my desk and I look through them often, usually for ideas about how chapters should begin or pacing. And then I have lots of inspirational stuff all over the walls. Nice notes people have written or awards or pictures of people I love. I also have a stash of Kit Kat bars, for when inspiration fails. Tracee:  A small stuffed cow who came to life on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. She’s been everywhere with me for over 20 years. If Michele includes my photo you will meet her on Friday :)She actually has a bit of an attitude problem.  (Vacherin, the cow, not Michele) (Ed. note: Could be true about Michele, too, says Michele.) Alison: My laptop (Word for my editor and Scrivener for first drafts). I start my mornings reading and write down sentences I particularly love in my light blue Semikolon notebook. I’ve never gone back to read what I’ve written, but I like the act of writing down something by hand. I have three fountain pens: a brown and black Waterman that my husband gave me for our first anniversary, a heavy black Waterman my parents gave my husband when he got his Ph.D., but he writes in pencil, so I inherited it, and a purple one I found in the most wonderful paper store in Paris. The store sold sealing wax. How can you not love a store that sells sealing wax? If I’m stuck in my writing, I light a candle if I can. I don’t know why. Paula:  You all know the tools and rituals I use in the sanctity of my office at home: The index cards on which I jot scene ideas, the Waterman of Paris pen with which I write first drafts, the pretty box in which I throw maps, notes, postcards, and other esoterica related to my WIP. But when I’m on the road, I have to find a way to recreate the peace and solitude of my little lakeside cottage. So I read the interviews with writers The Paris Review posts on Twitter (I’m a subscriber) and poetry (I downloaded A Year with Rumi for this trip) to remind me why I write. Then I put in my headphones and listen to Gregorian chant and kirtan, open a notebook, and write. This centers me, so I can work anywhere, like right here at the Geneva Airport.   What are your five essential writing tools?     

 It’s award season, not only for books, but also music, movies, and plays. A lot of the time, I’ve never heard the names of people nominated, although that shouldn’t diminish the recognition that they deserve. But I’ve been thinking, well, maybe I ought to give out a few awards of my own. (DISCLAIMER: The awards made in this blog entry are solely attributable to the blog post writer, me, C. Michele Dorsey. No blame should be placed on the shoulders of my fabulous blog mates, the Miss Demeanors. ) Now that we have that out of the way, I am announcing the SASSIES, Still Awesome Sustainable Series I Enjoy Savoring.             I read a ton of books, lots of them are marvelous, but the SASSIES are about books I wait for, as in I usually know the pub date and anticipate it eagerly. The SASSIES have characters I consider longtime companions if not friends. Their authors are writers whom I admire and frankly have a literary crush on. I write sentences from their books in a notebook reserved for “Sentences I Wish I Had Written.”            Some of these writers have been writing the same series since the 1980’s. While I confess I may find an occasional entry in the series a little less perfect than the others, the character evolution and plot development always are at a level I seek to emulate. The writing never fails. Never.             And so please roll out the red carpet for Dorsey’s SASSIES:  1.        Elizabeth George for her Inspector Lynley series. George combines intricacy of plot, fallible characters, and bucolic settings in England to deliver time after time. Her vocabulary has challenged me more than once in each book to head for the dictionary, a trip I thoroughly enjoy. The books can be a tad long, but when they are this good, who cares? The best in the series was“Playing for the Ashes.” 2.        Peter Robinson for his Inspector Banks series. Alan Banks and I are growing old together, but I haven’t minded because Robinson is able to humanize his police procedurals, also set in England. Like in George’s series, the reoccurring cast of characters live lives almost as messy as those of the criminals they pursue, but Robinson never lets that get in the way of the story. My favorite in the series was “In A Dry Season.’ I do wish Inspector Banks hadn’t changed his taste from opera and classical music to rock.  3.        Tana French for the Dublin Murder Squad series. Stunning writing, brutal storytelling, and characters that stay with you make this newer series one of my favorites. I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite, but I can tell you “Broken Harbor” was spellbinding and haunts me to this day. French’s books keep me up at night and often have me switching from audio to print versions so I don’t have to put them down.   4        Louise Penny for the Inspector Gamache series. I came late to this party, reading the tenth book, “The Long Way Home” first.  By the third chapter, I wanted to move to Three Pines where Penny has created a village of imperfect characters who all care about each other even as bodies fall around them. I was so taken with Penny’s writing and ability to create characters you truly feel you know, that I vowed to read the all in order. A year ago I ventured back to Three Pines and read each book in the series in succession. When I was done, I felt a void. I tried the if-you-like-Louise-Penny-try this author without success, which is a true tribute to the cast of characters she has brought alive for readers. My favorite is “The Beautiful Mystery” set in a cloister of monks in the wilderness of Quebec, a brave endeavor skillfully executed.  5.        Robert Galbraith (J.K.Rowling’s pseudonym) for the Cormoran Srike series. I hadn’t followed the Harry Potter series closely, so was surprised at how well the characters captured me and had me waiting for the next in the series.  Strike is former military police and an amputee who has begun his own private investigation business. The tension between Strike and his assistant, Robin, rivals Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting.  6.        Sue Grafton for her Kinsey Milhone series. I went through the alphabet with this series, never imagining it would be cut short at “Y” by Grafton’s recent death. Kinsey’s quirkiness coupled with a truly sad childhood not born of cliché made me bond with her early. Grafton’s ability to use small details to flesh out her characters inspired me to write. My favorite was “M is for Malice,” in which she portrayed the murder victim with such melancholy, I felt the need to mourn him, much as I do now this gifted author. I will miss Kinsey Milhone.  7        William Tapply for his Brady Coyne series. Tapply died nine years ago, but I gave him a SASSIES award because every year, I miss having a new Brady Coyne mystery to ready. A wonderful writer, Tapply created an irreverent lawyer who preferred to be fishing on a river than in a courtroom. All of his books are good, so if you’re looking for a series to devour, consider this one.So there you have it. The 2018 SASSIES are now history. I am grateful to each of these authors for consistently giving me something to look forward to each year. Keep on writing!Who would you give a SASSIES award to?

 By definition, writers love words. They are the building blocks for our tales. We obsess over them. We debate about their use and how they should be punctuated. We even become animated each year when several new words are entered, if not universally welcomed into the dictionary.            I love words. Any author that sends me to a dictionary has won a fan. I used to keep a notebook to list the words I didn’t know in a book so I could look them up. Now when reading on my Kindle I need only highlight and press.            I wouldn’t have thought I took words for granted, but now that I am traveling extensively, I must confess to exactly that.            In Greece, I was grateful to have a tour guide who saw her role more as a professor. She helped our group understand key words we needed to use. I was grateful that she was so generous, but frustrated that I couldn’t find my words on my own. I learned firsthand where the phrase, “It’s all Greek to me,” originated.            When I went to Italy for the third time, I decided it was time to take a course in advance of our trip. Just an adult ed. class, which was supposed to be fun. It turned out to be not what I expected, but I did learn enough Italian to order food and wine competently.              Provence during lavender season had been on my bucket list since before we talked about bucket lists. Since my Italian class had disappointed, I decided I would learn on my own through an audio book/course. I loved studying languages in high school. I took French, Spanish, and Latin. Why I remember the lyrics to “The Red Rubber Ball” better than any word I learned in those classes escapes me.              Still, I was enthusiastic as I sat in traffic repeating, “Il n’y pas de quoi,” like a fool. I learned how useless much of what I learned was when we had a suitcase stolen off the bus in Provence and ended up in the Aix police station.            Now I am in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for eight weeks, what locals are calling, “The Fun Side of the Wall”, a fairly long time to spend in a country whose language you don’t speak. While I am fortunate to have a dear friend, who is both a Mexican and U.S. citizen, spending the same time here, I am reminded about how important words are for even the most basic needs. Victor’s generosity in teaching the culture and language of this beautiful country inspire me to forge on and learn.            I thought I had bathrooms (“banos”) down, knowing “Damas” signaled the ladies room. But then I went somewhere that didn’t use it on either bathroom door. In the grocery store, the sugar and the salt looked the same, both packaged in plastic bags. “Sel” struck a bell with me, a small victory I carried over to buying butter (“mantequilla”) with (“con”) or without (“sin”) sel.            I am humbled by my ignorance, challenged to overcome it, because I know not only do I love my words, I need them. I want to embrace the cultures and stories of the places I visit from the tongues of the people who live there.            Victor promises me I will learn by listening and opening my heart to the experience available to me while I am in Mexico. I keep trying because now I know, words are not only the building blocks of stories, they are the nexus between one human being to another. I have mastered another sentence to that end. Me gustaria aprender un poco de su lengua (indigena). I’d like to learn some of your (indigenous) language. The sign over the door reads “Yo Los Contre,” “I found them.” I like to think it means I found my words.   

Miss Demeanors is proud to host author Catherine Maiorisi today and join her in the celebration of the launch of “A Matter of Blood.” Welcome, Catherine! Can an author love their protagonist too much?  I recently read a review of Thomas Keneally’s book, Crimes of the Father, and this  comment by the reviewer set me thinking about writers and their protagonists. “For obvious reasons, Keneally admires his protagonist. As such, Docherty is not especially interesting, for he rarely seems genuinely unsure of himself….You can be damned sure, mate, that tough-and-tender ol’ Docherty’s going to do the difficult thing no matter the odds.” Does admiring your protagonist make her boring? Isn’t tough-and-tender what we want in a protagonist? Don’t we want someone who always does the right thing? One of the first things a writer learns is that unless her protagonist has flaws and faces internal and/or external conflict, she will have a hard time holding the reader’s interest. But sometimes finding the right balance is difficult. For example, I’ve loved a series with a detective who enjoys a drink and a profiler with some personal issues, who work together to solve crimes. But in the last few books they turned into a full-blown alcoholic and a psychological mess—and I’m having difficulty reading the latest book. It seems to me that the author made these characters flawed to increase their humanity but by pushing those flaws too far they’ve become repulsive. To this reader at least. So what makes a character appealing? In the Cain Casey Series by author Ali Vali, the female protagonist, Cain Casey, is the head of a New Orleans crime family. When her family, which includes her employees and her friends, is threatened she can be extraordinarily violent, cruelly and painfully killing those responsible. But her violence is never gratuitous. In business, Cain is principled and won’t deal in drugs or prostitution. Personally, Cain is loyal, brave, brilliant, loving, tender, giving, and fair. I find her irresistible. And then there’s Lieutenant Eve Dallas, the detective in JD Robb’s Death series. In pursuit of justice for her victims, she can be violent, but here too, never without provocation. She’s tough and brave and driven. She’s honest. And the main criminal in her life is her husband Roarke, one of the richest men on the planet. Before Eve, Roarke’s businesses were mostly illegal but since their marriage he’s straightened out. If necessary, Eve will bend the law to nail the bad guys. Yet, there’s an innocence about Eve. She was raised in foster homes and is clueless about things, like buying gifts, hugging people, chit chat, expensive clothes, and confused by her loyal and loving friends caring for her. The fact that I’ve read every single one of the thirty something Eve Dallas books indicates how I feel about Eve. While I was writing my recently released mystery, A Matter of Blood, I gave an enormous amount of thought to my protagonist, NYPD Detective Chiara Corelli.And, in the early drafts of the book, Corelli was much like Docherty, too good to be true. Or, maybe too good to be interesting. In later drafts, and there were many, Corelli slowly morphed into what I hope is an interesting, frustrating, and fascinating character. Corelli has lots of baggage. She just aborted her undercover operation to expose a ring of dirty cops, and is being ostracized by her brothers and sisters in blue. And threatened. In addition, Corelli is definitely flawed. And angry. Detective P.J. Parker, who’s assigned to ensure Corelli doesn’t have an accident on the job, would probably tell you that at best she has PTSD and at worst she’s crazy. In fact, Parker only accepted the assignment because she wanted to work homicides and Corelli only accepted her so she wouldn’t have to be tied to a desk. But neither wants to work with the other. But even Parker will admit Corelli is brave. After a tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, she returned home and immediately volunteered for the undercover assignment from hell. Corelli says it was the right thing to do. Parker thinks maybe Corelli is the dirty one. Corelli fights for what she believes in. She will protect her family or die trying. And though she’s honest and believes in the system, she learns an important lesson in A Matter of Blood. The system doesn’t always work for good people. I have to admit I love Corelli. Is she too good? Too bad? Likeable? Unlikeable? Memorable? You’ll have to tell me.  Catherine Maiorisi lives in New York City and often writes under the watchful eye of Edgar Allan Poe in Edgar’s Café near the apartment. A Matter of Blood, Catherine’s first full-length mystery, features NYPD Detective Chiara Corelli and her reluctant partner, Detective P.J. Parker. In this book, the first in the series, the two tough women come out fighting—each other—and join forces to solve a brutal murder and protect Corelli’s family. Three of Catherine’s mystery short stories have been published in the Murder New York Style anthologies—“Love, Secrets, and Lies” in Where Crime Never Sleeps, “Murder Italian Style” in Family Matters and “Justice for All” in Fresh Slices. Catherine has also published two full-length romances with Bella Books – Matters of the Heart and No One But You. Her romance short stories include a standalone ebook, Come as You Want to Be, and stories in two anthologies: “All’s Well that Ends Well” in Conference Call and “You Will See a Stranger” in Happily Ever After. Catherine is active in the New York Chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She is also a member of The Golden Crown Literary Society, Romance Writers of America, the New York Chapter of Romance Writers of America and the Authors Guild.Visit Catherine at www.catherinemaiorisi.com.