If we can hew closer to the topic I think fewer ruffles will be feathered, and that will be a good thing.
Comments need to be fewer than 100 words.
If you're regularly typing more, time to go have a drink and a read.
In case you want to do both:
I'm a devoted fan of Tracy Kiely's books, and if you love Nick and Nora movies and books, you will be too.
Plus, there's a fabulous dog!
44 comments:
More than 3 comments, more than 100 words? Just because we can doesn't mean we should.
How about:
Death by Daiquiri
Mojito Murder
Cosmopolitan Killer
I have no idea what Nick and Nora movies are, but any cozy-esque book with a pooch will win me over =)
AJ
The Thin Man (books and movies) featured Nick and Nora Charles and their pooch Asta.
Ooh, a fabulous dog is a good way to draw me in!
Elizabeth Taylor: “Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.”
You lost me at "housekeeping."
You got me back with mention of the dog.
Well played, Janet. Well played. :)
Every now and then we need a little helpful reminder...
Wow, I have been put into a holding pattern on books. It's a necessity unless we want to move into a bigger house. BUT. I might have to check out that one with the fabulous dog! Can't help myself!
This is exactly why I've sat out a lot of conversation here in recent months. I ask myself whether I have anything to say to the topic at hands. I'm not always successful in shutting up, but I do try to think about my comments. As for Sunday, I stayed right out of that and didn't even read so as to avoid temptation/conflagration. Thank you, Janet.
The current RIP (reading in progress) is The Choiring of the Trees, by Donald Harington. I read it originally maybe twenty years ago, and loved it; reading it now that in my mind I am a "real" author myself (and having corresponded with Harington briefly before he died), it is a great piece of suspense and a literal study in stakes and historical novel writing. His sense of place (fleshed out in this and fourteen other novels taking place in the fictional town of Stay More, Arkansas) is perfection, and his ability to cross time is meticulous - you're never lost, and yet he nests story-within-story and moves across years and continents.
This isn't precisely the sort of work I've been WIPping myself, but I will say that my own writing has been going spectacularly well of late. Reading a murder scene out loud to my brother Friday night, we both kind of came away reeling. Boy, did it work.
My latest m/s is a play on their characters, but mixed with George and Martha. (ala Edward Albee.) I also loved the series, and Topper as well. Nice to see the guideline reviewed, it gets time consuming sometimes.
Cheers Hank.
Message received, Your Royal Sharkiness! :) My wife and I both enjoy the Thin Man movies, so I'll add these books to the list.
Those book covers give an obvious clue as to who her agent is! I've read Murder with a Twist [the 2015 book from this post] and I enjoyed it, especially the dog [BIG dog]! I hope the dog has a larger [pun intended] role in the second book and I'll go check it out now.
I just clicked on Tracy's site linked in this post. Someone should mention to her that the book featured prominently on her home page is Murder with a Twist, and I don't see mention of either of the other two in the series. Time for a phone call to her IT pro to update her site =)
I'm a failure at keeping things short. I'm sorry. Sometimes my brain refuses to be reined in. I'll try to do better.
Off topic (sorry, already) From yesterday's:
Julie: See if you can ask Kim Foster about your falling bodies. She's a medical doctor who said she's happy to help writers with medical type questions. (I had a friend ask her a question at her signing at Surrey a couple years ago. They got into a very enthusiastic discussion about what a 3-day-dead eyeball would feel like.) There's a contact page on her site, or you can contact her via Twitter to see if she'll help you. Very nice lady.
...and my TBR pile grows. Which happens regardless of word or comment count in this blog. *sigh*
Speaking of word count, I have a question but not sure I can explain in 100 words or less :/. More coffee and to the rodent wheel I go.
The problem, Janet, is that your blog attracts writers. If they could say it all in one hundred words and had such deficient imaginations to stay on topic, then they could not write novels.
A wordy, wondering mind is necessary and, sadly, not sufficient.
I'm "astanished" I've never heard of these books! Can't wait to drink them in!!
I'm more of a Tommy & Tuppence kind of gal.
Hmmm...limiting comments to fewer than 100 words. What does this remind me of? Could it be the 100th contest? ;)
It's commmon knowledge: never get cornered by a writer at a cocktail party unless you're ready to become engrossed/glazed over.
I just have got to ask.
Novelists are indeed in the business of lotsa words, but isn't discipline with them a part of what we're here to learn? As much as output matters, so does honing.
Hundred words. Yes. Remember Janet has to read them all. I have Tracy Kiely's name written down, and would try her books based on the titles alone. Loved the Thin Man movies, even though Jimmy Stewart was sooo creepy.
Busted on the playground for using more than a hundred words!
They're gonna need a few extra chairs in the principal's office.
Based on Janet's recommendation, I've started The Secret of Chimneys which is one of the few Christies I haven't read.
I don't always comment here because I don't always have anything to add to the conversation.
I'm still up for loading a forum where everyone here can write as many words as they need to as well as critiquing, research, whatever anyone would need. Just waiting for some interest...
nightsmusic - the forum exists, it's Absolute Write.
My those books have gorgeous covers. I am all about the mid-century modern.
I didn't even (and now see wisely) open the comments on Sunday's column.
I'll probably violate the 100 words from time to time, but I promise it will be on-topic.
Glad you had a great time. I followed Loretta's photo journal of Malice. It is on my list of must-dos.
Terri
Terri, you must have missed the original discussion.
What DLM said. I'd rather say, Mister Furkles, that it is strength, not length, that makes the writer. Novel writing has less to do with the inability to contain words and more to do with the volume of story demanding a larger canvas...
As for me, when I saw over 100 comments on Sunday's post, I thought, "Wow. Nope. Let's read Monday's instead."
Books look great! I'm adding to my list. They're mysteries, so I think this question is on topic: do you think readers feel cheated if the MC is not the detective? That's normally the formula...
I love these covers! They make me feel smart & classy just looking at them.
Cozy mystery with a fabulous dog?! Adding to my list...
BJ,
Thank you.
I don't know what the topic is today but AJ Blythe, here's an introduction to Nick and Nora Charles, king and queen of the comedy detective movies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1h2XxnoC68
and their dog Asta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKLCAHVKb0w
Your Royal Highness,
The queen never needs to assune blame. The queen can do no wrong is the way I see it.
Especially if she is the blog owner.
I hope your experience at Malicious Domestics is going well.
Thanks, Janet, and Joseph Snoe. I'll check out your links, Joe. Although I'm wondering about Her Grace's comment, as I love Tommy and Tuppence, but I'll track down a book from the library and give it a go.
Following from yesterday's chat, I've just stumbled across this article in Writers Digest from March on the difference between Crime, Mystery and Thriller Novels which I thought might be of interest:
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/differences-crime-novel-mystery-novel-thriller-novel
But... but... feathered ruffles are so elegant.
Point taken. Thanks for being so patient with us, Janet.
nightsmusic, Susan created a closed/private facebook group for writerly support and conversation and several of us (blog commenters) are members. If that sort of thing appeals to you, you're more than welcome to join.
Thanks KD but I hate Facebook. There's no organization, it's just one long post after another and half the time, the search this group function doesn't even work. Thank you though.
Thanks for the link AJ. Looks like I'm back to having a fiction novel ;)
10-4 on reining it in... Time for a yummy dark beer. Cheers! (And I love our Susan-created FB group).
kathyjoice I sent you an email but it wouldn't go through...
BTW, it's all my fault. I'm sure it is, somehow... ☺
NM, I can't exactly disagree with your assessment of FB (I often find it challenging), but I'm sorry to hear that. It would be fun to have you participate.
Wouldn't it be great if the comment box had a word countdown like twitter's character countdown?
I type out comments on my phone and the box is so small that I don't realise how long my rant is until it's published. Sorry about that.
Wilco.
Even if I can't actually have the proposed drink.
Kathy, I think you missed it full comment:
A wordy, wondering mind is necessary and, sadly, not sufficient.
KathyJoyce, I'm not sure I've read a mystery where the MC isn't the detective, or at least the person who solves the crime. I love layman detectives, like Miss Marple. I don't think I'd enjoy a story where I couldn't encounter the clues along with the MC.
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