Good Writing is Music to the Eyes

Once a week, I have a conference call with a handful of other writers.  We confer, commiserate, and otherwise encourage each other in the pursuit of our passion for words and the possibility of eking out a living by stringing them together in new and interesting ways. This week, while discussing beta-readers, critique groups and editors, a comparison to music was made. That got me thinking about the parallels between an excellent musical arrangement and superior writing.

Just like orchestral composers, writers have a lot of instruments at their disposal. In addition to different characters with diverse voices, we can call on location, weather, historical timeframe, and a host of other factors to breathe life into a narrative.

Environmental factors are the foundation of the performance. Location is like the percussion section, setting things in motion. Weather is the brass and strings, painting the mood and giving things color. And the woodwinds? Those are the secondary characters we use to fill the empty spaces and tell the full story. They also play pieces of the melody, moving the story along.

That brings us to the soloists—the main protagonists and antagonists. Sometimes they play in harmony, other times they fight for the spotlight, creating conflict and tension. In the end, only one can be the star.

Then there’s always that one guy who’s a little out of tune and out of time. He’s the plot twist—the one that throws a monkey wrench into the gears. Everyone else in the band has to figure out how to work together to recover from his missed beats and bring the score back into balance.

The whole arrangement is brought together by the conductor—the narrator. He’s the one standing between the players and audience, signaling each movement of the group and dictating the pace. When we write in the first person, the conductor might be one of the soloists. Then again, he could be the reporter sitting the wings watching the whole concert unfold.

My point is, why just sit and strum the same three cords on the guitar when we have so many instruments at our disposal? By carefully combining all of these elements in just the right mix, we as writers can take our stories from a single voice in the dark to the full throttle symphony of a crowded city street.

Well it’s taken a week to process the information overload, but I think my brain has finally recovered from the Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference in Los Angles last weekend. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel was an amazing venue and the amount of information available was overwhelming! Getting to meet other authors and hear their stories of suffering and triumph gave me new inspiration to continue down my chosen path.

Since returning, I’ve managed to complete two more chapters in Catching Karma, the continuing saga of James McCarthy and the clan from Dugan’s Public House. Just a couple more chapters to go! I can’t wait to go back through the manuscript and apply some of the knowledge I gained from this experience.

#EldredBird #KillingKarma #JamesMcCarthy #CatchingKarma #WDNWC16

The Mischievous Missy Franklin

They say opposites attract, right? Well, you can't get much more opposite than James McCarthy and Missy Franklin. They come from two very different worlds, yet somehow the relationship works. Just how different are they? Take a sneak peek inside Catching Karma to find out.

*******

She slipped the phone back in her pocket and picked her keys up off the table. Before going out the door, she stopped and doubled back toward the desk.

“Maybe I should leave him a note.”

Missy pulled out the top drawer and shook her head. James had all of the writing instruments neatly arranged by color, size and function. Even the highlighters were lined up side by side, forming a perfect spectrum with no color out of place. As she picked up a pen and note pad, an irresistible urge came over her. She quickly swapped the red and orange markers, throwing the rainbow out of balance. With a mischievous smile on her face, she slid the drawer back in.

“That ought to drive him crazy!”

What are Will and James doing in the Bradshaw Mountains?

What are Will and James doing in the Bradshaw Mountains? Here's another peek inside Catching Karma, the new James McCarthy adventure.

******
Will sighed and didn’t say another word. He sat quietly watching the fire die as he sipped his coffee and ate breakfast. James brushed his teeth and freshened up with a couple of wet-wipes before putting on a clean shirt. After Will finished his coffee, they went about the business of breaking down camp and repacking their gear. As James tightened the final strap securing the top flap of his pack, something caught his eye.
“Hey!” James pointed to the west. “Someone’s coming.”
Will jumped and spun 180 degrees as his hand landed on the gun strapped to his belt. He relaxed his stance immediately when he saw the sun glint off the gold star pinned to the man’s chest. The officer’s brown and tan uniform blended into the landscape. Had it not been for the movement of his steady gait, James might never have seen him until he was right on top them.

******

How did you come up with that?

“How did you come up with that?”

This is a question I’m often asked by friends and family. Everyone wants to know where the dialogue, characters and situations in my writing come from. I have to be honest: sometimes I ask myself the same question after reading a particular passage or exchange between characters.

 There’s no simple answer to the question. Sometimes I do research on a specific subject, other times the spark may come from someone I saw walking around a store. I’ve even been known to have conversations with my characters to figure out what they would do or say in a certain situation.

 One place I draw on occasionally is my own memories. When I’m trying to convey a particular emotion, I search my past for a time when I felt the same way. I can then use that framework to build a more realistic situation for the characters involved and evoke a more realistic emotional reaction.

I don’t usually describe my actual memory, but in one case I made an exception. In “Killing Karma” I gifted James McCarthy with one of the earliest and most precious images I carry in my mind and heart. James’ treasured memory of his father is actually the only memory I have of my Uncle Charlie Pierson.

I described it just as I remembered, changing only the names:

He recalled his earliest memory in the small, bright living room; it was a memory of his father. James could see a picture in his mind; just a snapshot frozen in time.

He pictured a large, dark haired man reaching down to pick him up. He appeared so big and imposing, but his warm smile disarmed James and melted away any fears. He remembered the feeling clearer than the face . . . a feeling of warmth, and of love.

A few weeks ago one of my cousins posted a picture of Uncle Charlie, her father. When I saw the photo, the same warm feeling I had all those years ago came over me like a wave. Before I even read the accompanying text, I knew exactly who it was.

This was the first time I had ever seen a clear image of his face. Growing up, we had very few pictures from that side of the family. I would like to thank my cousin Pat for giving me back the gift I handed over to James. I would also like to thank her son Greg for enhancing the image and letting me see that smiling face again.

Available in paperback and for Kindle at Amazon. 

Available for Nook at Barnes & Noble.

Available for all devices at Smashwords and Kobo.

Also available in the iBook store on iTunes.

 

Get to Know Me!

I’m always curious about other writers and what inspires them. Why do they write and where do their ideas come from? If you’re curious about my process and the inspiration for “Killing Karma,” check out my author interview on Smashwords.  Many of your questions may be answered there, but if you want to know more, just ask.

Available in paperback and for Kindle at Amazon. 

Available for Nook at Barnes & Noble.

Available for all devices at Smashwords and Kobo.

Also available in the iBook store on iTunes.

Local Flavor!

When you tell a story, the location is just as important as the characters involved. The setting can become a character itself. One of the challenges of basing a novel in a real city or town is choosing locations for your action. When do you use a real business or locale as opposed to a fictional one? It’s a tough call, but if you want readers to connect with your story keeping one foot in the real world can help.

One of the real locations included in “Killing Karma” is Macayo’s on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix.  An institution in Phoenix for almost 70 years, Woody and Victoria Johnson opened their first restaurant in the downtown area in 1946. Macayo’s is still family owned and operated to this day, making it a perfect setting for a story about someone discovering what a real family is all about.

When you’re in the area, be sure to stop in and enjoy the same experience as Missy and James!

 Available in paperback and for Kindle at Amazon. 

Available for Nook at Barnes & Noble.

Available for all devices at Smashwords.