Livening up this board

Good Word

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I want to make this board a happening place. Any suggestions?
What would you like to see here that can support your writing?

Lisa
 

Maryn

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Hmm, what would help me?

What would I like to see (since it's all about me, of course!)?

I find that writing in this genre requires research and connections I don't have. Many times I find I need a quick answer that any professional would know for my thriller to proceed--but I don't know those professionals. Sometimes after some searching, you can find one online, but wouldn't it be terrific to have those URLs collected here for our use?

I would make use of websites or emails where writers are welcome to ask questions of:

coroners/medical examiners
emergency room doctors and/or nurses
EMTs or other ambulance personnel
doctors
attorneys, particularly criminal attorneys and DAs
police detectives
private detectives
gun experts (hi, katdad!)
historians
forensics scientists
forensic anthropologists

...and that's just off the top of my head!

I've pestered the few nurses I know enough that they probably dread my calls, but when I needed to know some ailment that might be mistaken for a heart attack, I got my answer in minutes. Wouldn't it be great if all my quick questions could be dealt with so quickly?

I'd love to assemble a list of professionals willing to give short answers to our short questions.

Maryn, who's been asking a lot of physics questions for her WIP
 

maestrowork

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I think we should use this space to practice killing people... after all, it's an important skill for writing mystery/suspense/thriller.

Who wants to kill whom first?
 
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Good Word

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C'mere, Maestro...and help me sharpen my scissors...mwaahahahahhaaa
 

Maryn

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"Who wants to kill whom first?" Gee, I've killed the same small handful of people so many times in my writing that it no longer brings me the satisfaction it once did.

Anybody done anything hateful? I'm not out of ideas by a long shot...

Maryn, who may stop killing Jeff and Esther eventually
 

katdad

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Can we post our excerpts here?

I'm okay with this section much as it is. We mystery writers seem to find some good help here, and we have our feedback.

Here is one suggestion -- I'd like to post a few excerpts of my writing (and others post them here) that are specific to mystery writing (or thrillers, etc.)

If we post in the "share" section they may get swamped by other stuff. In this section they are specific to the genre.
 

Maryn

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Excerpts

I'd be fine with genre-specific excerpts here. I'm barely qualified to give meaningful input to a great deal of what's posted at Share Your Work, but mystery, suspense, and thrillers I know.

Maryn
 

Good Word

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Katdad's question

...about posting work here.

I can totally see why you'd want to, but I don't want to set a precedent for people to start posting work in all the threads, which is one of the reasons I think SYW was set up in the first place.

It certainly would liven up the board a bit.

So I'm checking on it, will let you know soon.

Lisa
 

Maryn

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Genre-Specific Sharing of Work

Just a quickie FYI--Joe at Screenwriting has a poll going where, so far, the screenwriters would also like to share their work with their peers rather than use Share Your Work, where feedback comes from writers of every stripe, including many who don't know the genre's requirements.

Makes me wonder if such a discussion is going on in every genre!

Maryn
 

three seven

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Would it not be adequate to place an anouncement here that you'd posted work in SYW? That way those who, like me, don't tend to browse the genres will still get a chance to see it. There seem to be a lot of people who make their home in one area of the board and don't stray too far from it, so it makes sense IMO to let as many people as possible know that the work's there if they want to read it.

idea2.gif


Speaking of which, I've got some stuff up in SYW. Just in case you're one of those genre browsers and haven't been over to check it out yet...
thumbsup.gif
 
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maestrowork

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Personally I think creating a sub-SYW for each genre could be too much, but if it's helpful, it should be considered.

Meanwhile, you can still post your work in SYW, then post a link here to point people to it. Also, in SYW, you should probably put the genre in the subject line (next to the rating) so people would have an easier time looking for them. Something like:


EMERALD KING (Fantasy, PG13) Chapter 1
DIE YESTERDAY (Mystery, R) Prologue

or

Fantasy: EMERALD KING Chap 1 - PG13
Mystery: DIE YESTERDAY Prologue - R
 

Good Word

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The poll you saw in screenwriting came out of the question about posting work in the different forums. It sparked a pretty good discussion between the mods.

So, for now, anyway, the consensus is to continue to post in SYW, in the manner that Ray mentioned above, but announce it here (and post a link to it if you 'd like).

That way folks won't have their work slip through the cracks, like three seven.
 

Maryn

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That seems like a perfectly reasonable approach, Good Word.

Remember, I'm missing the tech gene (give generously at the next telethon)--to post a link I just copy and paste it into my request on this board for mystery people to visit my excerpt at Share Your Work?

(How do people make the links that say something else, not just the URL, like an underlined [active link] "here's my story"?)

Maryn
 

MacAllister

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come play

Okay--I've put up a piece to tinker with word choice, tone and pacing, as an experiment for the horror room (they've expressed an interest in that sort of thing)

Since horror and mystery share a lot in common, in terms of creating tension and shivers--I thought I'd invite ya'll to come play.

The piece we're going to take apart is here.
 

Maryn

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Thanks, maestrowork. Even I can understand that.

Maryn
 

Maryn

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Macallister, I've dutifully copied it to fuss with this evening, when the internet will have been wrested from me.

If I do it now, I won't get any WIP work done today!

Maryn, who really should be shoveling snow. Again.
 

Good Word

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one more thing

for sharing your work:

It's perfectly acceptable (and perhaps preferable) to post your work in SYW, then come back here (to the thread you started, announcing your work) and place your comments here.

That way, you get the genre-specific comments, and also comments from folks who may otherwise not have seen your work, had we only decided to post on this board.

This an experiment and we can tweak things as we go, as long as it works for the greater whole as well.
 
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Betty W01

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Hey, Maryn

One place you can start finding some of what you were looking for is a really-dry-but-information-filled book called Making Crime Pay: The Writer's Guide to Criminal Law, Evidence, and Procedure, by Andrea Campbell.
 

Maryn

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Thank You, Betty

Betty W01 said:
One place you can start finding some of what you were looking for is a really-dry-but-information-filled book called Making Crime Pay: The Writer's Guide to Criminal Law, Evidence, and Procedure, by Andrea Campbell.
My birthday list is going to be long this year!

Maryn, feeling her age today
 

Good Word

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FYI Posting your work for crit

There are sub-categories now in SYW for posting, including the mystery category. SO if you are interested, you can post there and announce here so folks can have a look-see. There are a couple of posts there now...
 

Julie Worth

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maestrowork said:
I think we should use this space to practice killing people... after all, it's an important skills for writing mystery/suspense/thriller.

Who wants to kill whom first?

I kill off a literary agent in my latest book. Her name will be the name of a real agent--the one who sends me the most asinine rejection.
 

preyer

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oo, JW, i'd really refrain from doing that. using a real agent's name might have some repurcussions. a reader is smart: if they know a victim is a real person, they'll connect the dots there. maybe the agent deserves it, but it makes the author seem vindictive. were i an agent and someone used my name for a victim, i'd not likely be flattered. indeed, having no way to make a counterpoint, i might even find some legal recourse. personally, i think something like that is very, very risky: you invite trouble. on the surface it's pretty cool, but then you should realize you're toying with a person's livelihood and people tend to take that rather personal like. i just don't want to see anyone get black-balled. i mean, were i an agent knowing that you used another agent's name in a negative manner in a book, how much of an incentive is that for me to invite you into my professional world? not much, lol. especially in a setting where reputations mean so much (i assume), i'd just tread lightly. i doubt you'd be dodging any bullets using a pen name, either.

that's just me. i like killing off a literary agent, but just not using their real name unless you get their permission first. :)