Marja's Mystery Blog

The View from This Writer's Desk

Marja McGraw — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:04:00 GMT

I’m an avid reader (time and life permitting) and spend most of my time engrossed in either reading or writing mysteries. I’ve discovered that at this stage of my life I enjoy reading books that are lighter with some humor. I’ve said it before, and forgive me for repeating myself, but there’s just too much drama in real life. I want to be entertained, not grossed out. That’s why I write two series with some humor in the stories.

Realistically, if there’s been a murder then drama has to be part of the story. There’s certainly nothing funny about murder, and I treat the crimes with compassion and honesty. The characters solving the crimes and their circumstances can be humorous though, and I play that up as much as possible.

One of the most difficult tasks about writing, at least for me, is moving from drama to humor. Each new scene presents a challenge. Do I continue with the drama to the point where not only I’m down in the dumps, but the reader is, too? No, I have to turn a corner and create some distance from the intensity. That’s something I need to do because I don’t want to leave a reader feeling depressed or like they were just thrown off a cliff.

Another part of this is getting inside all of the characters’ minds and trying to figure out their motivations. In real life, sometimes there is no viable motivation. However, if you put that in a book, no one will believe it and it takes all the fun out of it. Our minds need the outcome to make sense in a world where so many things don’t make any sense. Writing mysteries gives me a little control. Actually, that’s part of the fun of writing – controlling the outcome.

I like creating the characters, although sometimes they wander off on tangents of their own. I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. Ask any author. When writing a scene, sometimes I want a character to do something specific, but personalities and circumstances dictate a totally different scenario. So I have to backtrack and let my characters be true to themselves. After all, they aren’t based on me (thank goodness), and they have to be accountable for all of their actions, just like real life people.

I enjoy everything from the research to using my imagination, and I like being able to be the one creating the puzzle. There’s that controlling part of me again. Most of all, I like it when I’ve entertained someone. That makes every word, every sentence, and every chapter worth all the hard work.

I’ve asked myself what’s difficult about writing mysteries, and my answer is everything and nothing. Timelines get by me sometimes and I have to back up and figure out what day of the week it should be for certain scenes. Finding new and unique characters is a challenge over and above creating a mystery.

Sometimes writers have to take a chance if they’re going to come up with something unique. In Bogey’s Ace in the Hole I included some Church Ladies who drive the Bogey Man to distraction. Do they do things like pray? Of course. After all, they are Church Ladies. Is it a religious book? No. It’s a mystery, and the Ladies are colorful, funny and honest. Even Christian women would like to solve a mystery. And the best part is, they’re entertaining.

Old Murders Never Die takes a leap into a ghost town where Sandi Webster and her partner, Pete, look for clues to a series of murders which took place around 1880. Solving old murders isn’t impossible, but it is entertaining.

For me, it’s all about entertainment.

Until next time, take a chance and try one of the books I mentioned above. I promise that I’ve done my best to entertain you, the readers. Here's a tip, too. Many times if you buy your book directly from the publisher, you'll get a better price.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com, or CLICK HERE to visit Barnes & Noble

CLICK HERE to view the book trailer for Old Murders Never Die

CLICK HERE to view the book trailer for Bogey’s Ace in the Hole

... -- -- - Morse Code? Not!

Marja McGraw — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:04:00 GMT

If you'd like to learn a little more about me, please check out the interview on Patricia Gligor's site at pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/ . I think you might enjoy it. Now, please read on and learn a little about -- ... .

~ * ~

Advisor or Know-It-All?

Fun’s over and it’s back to business this week, so I’d like to talk a bit about overused punctuation and punctuation that can be confusing. We seem to have quotation marks, question marks and apostrophes figured out, but what are some of the other punctuation marks?

What about overused punctuation? How about the exclamation point? Don’t use this particular punctuation unless it’s absolutely necessary!! Got that? I know there are times we’d like to emphasis something, and it seems the best way to do that is to throw in an exclamation point or two, but please don’t. Overuse makes it lose its punch. Sometimes italicizing a word, group of words or sentence holds much more impact. Other times, if you think about it, it really isn’t necessary to emphasize a word or thought at all. There are times the words themselves hold the most impact, and nothing you do will make the thought stronger.

Moving on, what about the use of ellipsis points (three periods) vs. the em dash (double dash or long dash)? These types of punctuation can be confusing, at least they were for me.

Using ellipsis points indicates there’s an omission, whether you use it in the middle of a quote or at the end of a sentence. If you’re quoting someone or something you might want to get right to the meat of what they said and leave some of the information out.

While Marja might think she knows it all, and believe me she doesn’t, once in a while she actually hits the mark. (Full sentence)

You want to quote her? Try this: While Marja might think she knows it all … once in a while she actually hits the mark. In this case I got rid of the part I didn’t want quoted.

While Marja might think she knows it all, and… Oh, the heck with what Marja thinks. Here the first part of the sentence, or thought, isn’t completed.

I like that particular example, even if I really don’t know it all.

In general, an em dash indicates a sudden break (or interruption), or an abrupt change. You can use it to insert a thought in the middle of a sentence. It consists of two dashes (--) or one long dash ( – ). Three examples follow:

Inserting a thought:

While Marja may think she knows it all -- someone may know it all, but it’s certainly not her – once in a while she actually hits the mark. Okay, that’s a clumsy sentence, but it gives you the idea. Also, if you look at the first comment made by Marja you’ll see that sometimes you can use commas instead of the em dash.

The dreaded interruption:

Marja stepped forward. “I know all about – ”

“Be quiet, Marja. You don’t know everything,” Al interrupted. My husband, Al, is going to love this example.

Al, Jill and Murphy all know the truth about Marja – she’s a know-it-all. We’ll call that an abrupt change.

Lastly, there’s the en dash, but basically that’s just a single hyphen used to separate things. For instance, you might refer someone to pages 33-58, or maybe you have an out-of-town guest coming.

Has this blog been a never-to-be-forgotten moment for you? Good grief, I hope not – although I hope you’re taking away a little more knowledge. Believe me when I say I've made plenty of mistakes using these forms of punctuation. For much more information on this subject, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style. Strunk and White – The Elements of Style is a good resource, too, and certainly there are others.

Until next time, have a great week! And please wander outside for a few minutes every day to enjoy -- hopefully, depending on where you live -- fresh air and sunshine.

If anyone would like to contact me without leaving a comment here, you can email me at hello@marjamcgraw.com .

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a trip to Amazon.com, or CLICK HERE to visit Barnes & Noble

CLICK HERE to view the book trailer for Bogey’s Ace in the Hole

Famous Like Dolly

Marja McGraw — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:03:00 GMT

I recently saw an interview with Dolly Parton on the Huckbee show. She said that way back when, she went to a recording company and told them she was going to be famous. She asked if they were with her or not. They were, and she is – famous, that is. Of course, I’m paraphrasing and there's a lot more to the story, but Ms. Parton’s enthusiasm is catching.

So right here, right now, I’m saying that I’m going to be famous one day -- I hope. I sure can’t sing, and I’m no Mary Higgins Clark or Janet Evanovich, but I definitely have my own style. Whew! Delusions of grandeur? I’m laughing at myself. No delusions, but a lot of hope and spirit.

Still paraphrasing, Ms. Parton said something to the effect that quirky people are many times the most creative. There ya go. I’m quirky, sometimes, although I prefer to call it eccentric. Well, I probably just have some odd habits, especially when it comes to food. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy chocolate. I also like nuts. However, I don’t like chocolate and nuts mixed together. My closet is color coordinated; all the blues together, yellows together, greens… Well, you get the idea. Maybe that’s not quirky. Maybe it’s compulsive?

Ms. Parton also said that she prays every day. We’re together on that one. So do I. There’s nothing more fulfilling than spending time with God.

Hmmm. Thanks to Dolly Parton, you’re learning more about me than I ever wanted anyone to know. I think she has a lot more self-confidence than I do though, and she’s so down to earth. She’s an inspirational woman, whether she realizes it or not.

So I’m gonna be famous some day. I just hope it’s not for doing something ridiculous – like tripping in the grocery store and taking out an old lady in a wheelchair. Or being mistaken for a bank robber and going to jail until I can prove it’s a case of mistaken identity. Honestly, I don’t steal. I’m probably one of the most honest people you’ll ever meet, except for those teeny tiny white lies many of us tell when we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. “Oh, yes, Edna! Yellow is definitely your color.” Yellow makes Edna look like an overripe banana, and a real friend would probably tell her, but I can’t stand to hurt anyone’s feelings.

How did I go from Dolly Parton to being famous one day to Edna looking terrible in yellow? Maybe it’s part of the eccentricity; you know, the mind wanders. I’d prefer to believe that it’s just my sharp mind leaping from subject to subject because I have so much to ponder and offer.

Back to Dolly. I admire this woman not only for her achievements, but also because she reminds me of someone with whom I could sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or a dessert, and with whom I could have a belly laugh. Doesn’t she have the sweetest laugh you’ve ever heard?

So, again, someday I’m going to be famous. Someday I’m going to lose weight, too, and my wrinkles will disappear. Oh, I’m off subject again.

I’ll say this. I’ve never had more fun than when I’m writing a mystery, and that’s got to count for something. There’s nothing funny about murder, so obviously there’s some drama in my books. However, you’ll also find some humor between the book covers. I’d rather offer you a chuckle than add to your daily angst, and there’s plenty of that lately.

Well, Dolly made it and she’s famous – and she’s adorable – and she makes me smile. Maybe there’s still hope for me. I may not be adorable, but I do make a few people smile. There’s hope.

Until next time, do something adorable that makes people smile, and maybe one day you’ll be famous. If nothing else, at least you’ll be well-liked, and after all is said and done, that’s more important than being famous.

Hmm. It seems I just put my priorities in order.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon or CLICK HERE to visit Barnes & Noble

CLICK HERE to view the book trailer for Bogey’s Ace in the Hole

Marilyn Levinson, Guest Blogger

Marja McGraw — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:04:00 GMT

This week my guest author is Marilyn Levinson. Marilyn is a multi-talented author and a once upon a time Spanish teacher, but I’ll let her tell you about her accomplishments.

Marja: Marilyn, please tell us a bit about your background.

Marilyn: For the first 14 ½ years of my life I lived in Brooklyn, NY. Then we moved to Long Island. I went to Syracuse University and majored in Spanish. I spent a summer studying in Mexico City, and a few years later, spent another summer in Valencia, Spain. I taught Spanish in a Long Island high school until I left to have my two sons.

I'd started writing as a child, and turned to it again when I was home raising the boys. I tried my hand at writing short stories and poetry, and then I wrote novels for kids.

I'm still living on Long Island--always moving further east. I wonder if one day I'll end up living in Greenport or a Hampton.<g>

Marja: Moving east translates to cold weather in my mind. You’re a braver soul than I am. So you started out as a children’s author. What made you decide to turn to mysteries for adults?

Marilyn: The first book I ever wrote (and never sold) was a romantic suspense. Mysteries have always intrigued me. I suppose it's being a Gemini: I'm comfortable writing from the point of view of a child and a grown-up sleuth.

Marja: You call yourself a “hybrid” because you’ve taken multiple paths to being published. Please tell us a little about the journey. I know that many of the roads to being published are hiding speed bumps.

Marilyn: My children's books were published traditionally: in hard cover and then in paperback. I started writing mysteries some years ago. I had very little success getting an agent or an editor. Finally, I decided to send manuscripts to two e-publishers, and both were accepted. I wasn't happy with one of my e-book publishers, so I decided to self-publish a mystery. I discovered it's a good deal of work, but that you have much more control over matters. I've also updated and made available two of my out-of-print children's books. Every step has a learning curve.

Marja: I see you found some of those speed bumps I was talking about. Please tell us a little about your latest book.

Marilyn: This month my mystery, Giving Up the Ghost, has its debut. Like all my mysteries, it takes place on Long Island. In the dead of winter, Gabbie Meyerson, comes to a village on the Long Island Sound to teach English at the local high school. Gabbie discovers she's sharing her rented cottage with Cameron Leeds, a sexy ghost who wants her to find his murderer.

Marja: It sounds like a fun book. Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

Marilyn: I suppose my favorite book is always the one I'm writing. But I do love Giving Up the Ghost. Cam, my sexy ghost, is such a good-hearted rogue.

Marja: You’ve mentioned your “Bad Cat, Sammy”. I had to chuckle over your description. Tell us a little about Sammy.

Marilyn: Sammy, who's now dozing two feet from me, is quite a character. He's red, gorgeous, and tends to bite. But he does love his mommy. He's inspired me to write a short novel called Brat Cat. I don't know if this book is for kids or adults, but I plan to put it up on Amazon very soon.

Marja: What’s next for you, Marilyn?

Marilyn: I have started writing a sequel to Rufus and Magic Run Amok. It's called Rufus and the Witch’s Slave and takes place on the Cote d'Azur--a place I loved to visit. And I hope to start a new mystery series.

Thank you so much for dropping in today, Marilyn. I wish you the best and hope you’ll return one day.

Visit Marilyn Levinson’s website at: www.marilynlevinson.com

Marilyn’s Blog can be found at: http://www.marilynlevinson.com/blog/

CLICK HERE to go to Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com or CLICK HERE for Barnes & Noble

CLICK HERE to view the book trailer for Bogey’s Ace in the Hole

The Winners Are...

Marja McGraw — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:53:00 GMT

The Mystery We Write Blog Tour has come to an end, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted. Thank you to Mary Martinez, Marilyn Meredith, Anne K. Albert, M.M. Gornell, Jean Henry Mead, Lou Allin and Earl Staggs for making it so enjoyable.

Free books will be flying across the miles to winners who left comments, and in my case there are two books to be given away.

LD Masterson and Caroline Clemmons, I hope you enjoy reading about the Bogey Man as much as I enjoyed writing about him, because you're the winners of Bogey's Ace in the Hole. Thank you so much for leaving comments.

Please join me on Monday, April 30th when Marilyn Levinson drops in for a visit. After that, well, you're stuck with me and my blogs again. Stuck is a bad word. I think you might enjoy what I have to say.

See you soon, and congratulations to LD Masterson and Caroline Clemmons!