Is It Okay to Break Writing Rules?

 

Jackie--obeying the rules

by Jackie King

I try to be a good citizen and rule-breaking goes against my nature. However, the older I become, the less sure I am that writing rules and regulations shouldn’t be broken...sometimes.

Learn the rules before you break one.

When I write something contrary to general writing rules, my first impulse is to delete the scene. This is because another writer once said that it was wrong. Lately, however, I've paused over the delete button, now aware that I might be making an error. I've learned to hesitate before making something disappear from my screen forever. I've become cautious about pushing that delete button. I leave the words for the moment and make the judgment later during editing. (Unless you’re on deadline, when you do whatever is necessary to finish on time.)

When I wake up with a scene in my head that breaks all of the rules and my old writing teacher’s voice shouts inside my head, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” I do it anyway.

 

I can't do what?

I key in whatever words fill my mind, and try to put my heart on the paper. If this sounds messy, it’s because it is. Very. And hard. And exhausting. I’ve mentioned to other writers how exhausted I am after writing. Most agree. The average person, husbands, wives, etc., don’t get this, and there’s no reason they should, unless they also write.

One rule you should follow:

Back when I taught fiction classes I told my beginning students to commit themselves to writing 30 minutes a day. The important thing was to write every day, I assured them.

Several hands always went up. “But, I love writing and want to write for hours and hours,” students would say and most of the class would agree.

“Just make sure you clock 30 minutes. It’s harder than you think,” would be my answer.

The next week at roll call, I’d ask, “Did you write every day?” Few could answer, “Yes.”

No one knows how hard it is to put your heart’s blood on paper except those who write every day.

In each class there would always be one or two who ‘got’ what I was saying. Those were the students who became selling authors. You just have to stay with it. You have to plod through the days you wonder what on earth ever made you think that you could write.

But sometimes…

Usually I follow the rules. Today I may break one.

My Grace Cassidy Mysteries:

      

#1 in series

#2 in series

www.jacqking.com

No. 3 in series is now a work-in-progress

Working title: THE CORPSE AND THE GEEZER BRIGADE

A Weird Kind of Storyboarding

by Jackie King

 

The amount of time it took me to write my second Grace Cassidy mystery, THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR, was downright embarrassing. To avoid this on my third in the series, I researched storyboarding and plotting. Then I told anyone who would listen that I would block out each and every scene before I typed one word in my third Grace Cassidy mystery.

2nd Grace Cassidy Mystery

Well, I lied!

Sorry about that.

My intentions, as always, were pristine. (And, yes. I do know the name of the road that’s lined with good intentions. My mother explained all of that to me when I was 13.)

But in my own defense, is it my fault that the headlights of my brain only show me a tiny stretch of the road ahead? (You can blame God, if you like, since he created me. But first you should know that He and I have already agreed that He’s always going to be right, no matter how good of an argument I manage to offer.)

I began my storyboard for my 3^rd Grace Cassidy mystery in good faith. I bought a bulletin board at Walmart for ten bucks, came home with my purchase and marked it into four sections with masking tape. Feeling very self-righteous and completely sure of my success in this project, I started making plot points on index cards, as I’d always done.

1st Grace Cassidy Mystery

This grew old in a hurry. My fingers started to cramp. (I am an old girl, after all.) Then it occurred to me that I could type much faster than I could write in longhand. So I finished my notes on Word. Then I changed the margins so I could cut each note in an index card size. These I pinned to the board.

The first section was filled when suddenly the characters came to life and started talking inside my head. The problem was, they said what they wanted to say, not what I had planned. And since I’m sort of a wishy-washy person, I didn’t argue with them, but just followed blindly. (For some weird reason there seems to be a sort of magic connection between my fingers and the story. I’d be a real bust at dictating).

I’m still convinced that storyboarding is the right way to go and might save me a year of rewrites. Therefore my storyboard for my 3rd Grace Cassidy mystery is still in progress. However, my method evolved. (Some writers work with files and some work with piles. I’m a pile person.) I now pin the plot progress on my board as I go. I’m a gal who must write as she goes. I start with a premise, knowing only who has murder in their hearts, and why and who. The rest I learn as I write.

I wish I could be a strict plotter, but it seems I can't. I have to write "by the seat of my pants."

Oh well, it worked for the pilots in the 1920's maybe it will work for me too.

Linda Trout Talks About Writing Romantic Suspense

Thank you, Jackie for having me on Cozy Mysteries and Other Madness. I feel right at home among mystery writers since I also have an infinity for killing off people. On paper at least. {wink} When some of my friends and former co-workers read my first book, Grave Secrets, they couldn't believe I’d written it.

Where did that come from, they’d ask. You’re so sweet and nice so how did you think of such a dark character?

Um….

I think everyone who writes mysteries knows there’s a bit of a dark side to all of us. It’s a matter of tapping into it, then transferring that to paper.

I love putting my hero and heroine through their paces; throwing them into dangerous places, then proceed to make it worse.

Romantic Suspense Novel

 In Last Hope Alaska, my latest release from The Wild Rose Press, I’ve done exactly that. I keep throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them. Oh, wait. I think I even threw the metaphorical sink at them in the end. J  But being the romantic that I am, they had to have their Happy Ever After, even if they are a bit banged up. I suppose that’s why I write romance as opposed to straight mystery, that HEA.

Blurb:

Emily Redfern's ex-fiancé learned to kill on the back streets of New York. Now, she is his target. Broke, exhausted, and a step ahead of the man she once loved, she clings to one last hope: the wilds of Alaska. The quiet safety of her hide-a-way becomes addictive as she grows to care for the man who offers her refuge.

Released from prison after a wrongful conviction, native Alaskan Sam Tarkington is determined to regain his business, repair his reputation, and rebuild his life. But when he meets a desperate and vulnerable woman, guarding secrets of her own, she tugs at his heart. She's a distraction he can't afford. Sam must choose Emily or achieving his dreams.

Like Emily's life, the peacefulness of the wilderness is an illusion as danger lurks in the distance. Does Sam hold the key to her survival or will her past cost them everything?

Thank you again for having me, Jackie. I’ve enjoyed visiting. My book is available everywhere eBooks are sold and the print version is also available. I’d love to hear from your readers and can be reached on my website: http://LindaTrout.com or Like me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/LindaTroutAuthor/

TWRP: http://tinyurl.com/ptbzymx

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lox33e9
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/pvjncn5
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/qbe7o2m
iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/oz5dk5l

September Is Blog Tour Month!

September is blog tour month celebrating my second Grace Cassidy Mystery THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR. Since I’m determined to get book 3 out ASAP, I asked the Partners in Crime Blog Tour group to help with this. They’re wonderful! There are plenty times for readers to sign up for a chance to win a copy of THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR. So follow the tour, leave a comment or sign up as directed, and maybe it will be you!

The first give-away on Words by Webb, will be open for the next 15 days! Other opportunities will be given on most of the participating blogsites.

Book one: THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE IS ALSO AVAILABLE: Both on Kindle at Amazon.com. $3.99 each

1. 9/02 Interview @ Words by Webb

2. 9/03 Review & Giveaway @ Words by Webb

3. 9/04 Guest Post @ Writers and Authors

4. 9/05 Review & Giveaway @ Marys Cup of Tea

5. 9/08 Review @ WV Stitcher

6. 9/09 Revew & Giveaway @ Deal Sharing Aunt

7. 9/10 Review & Showcase @ Undercover Book Reviews

8. 9/10 Review @ Brooke Blogs

9. 9/11 Review @ Buried Under Books

10. 9/12 Interview @ Omnimystery News

11. 9/16 Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

12. 9/17 Review @ Hezzi-Ds Books and Cooks

13. 9/18 Review @ just reviews

14. 9/20 Showcase @ A Blue Million Books

15. 9/22 Guest Post @ Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

16. 9/23 Showcase @ The Reading Frenzy

17. 9/24 Showcase @ X-Mas Dolly

18. 9/25 Review & Giveaway @ Thoughts in Progress

19. 9/26 Showcase @ Books Books and More Books

20. 9/29 Review @ My Devotional Thoughts

What Is Going on with Me!

Killer Nashville August 2014

by Jackie King

Killer Nashville rocks! I highly recommend this mystery con for mystery writers or for any writer who needs an excuse for a fun trip. The conference was scheduled over the weekend, August 22 through 24. T.D. Hart, my traveling buddy, aka Jennifer Adolph, and I left on the Wednesday, August 20. We went early to attend the Sister’s in Crime workshop on Thursday afternoon, which was titled: DOING TIME WITH SinC: GREAT BEGINNINGS. We brought the beginning of our current WIP, up to 200 words.

Hank Phillippi Ryan with T.D. Hart (Jennifer Adolph)

 The presenters were Laura DiSilverio, (president of SinC), Catriona McPherson, Cathy Pickens and Hank Phillipi Ryan.

The president read our copy, which felt a bit like taking your clothes off in public and letting everyone critique your body. In other words, it took courage. But wow! Did we ever get some great tips. As soon as I came home I immediately rewrote my beginning. What I learned was well worth the cost of an extra night at the Omni Hotel (First 5-star hotel I’ve ever stayed in.)

Killer Cozy Panel

I was on the KILLER COZY panel at 10:00 on Friday morning. Panelists: Jennie Bentley/Jenna Bennet, Kay Elam (panel leader), Caroline Fardig and Nancy Parra.

MWA Party-Killer Nashville 2014

Book one in Grace Cassidy Series

Book Two of the Grace Cassidy Series

REVIEW AND GIVE AWAY FOR "THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR"

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Desperately Seeking Discipline

by Jackie King

The most successful authors I know all share one trait. Self-discipline. Discipline is more essential for a writer than creativity. Discipline is to be desired above either talent or creativity.

 

Finally! Book two of my Inn-Keeping Series

A disciplined individual, who decides to write, can learn fiction and nonfiction techniques and master the craft. She/he can learn basic plot types and can use these tools to practice creating stories. Creativity can’t be taught, but a clever person could learn character development, basic plot formation and then learn to apply these techniques to produce an entertaining story. And then another entertaining story.

A creative individual, who writes only when she/he feels inspired, will be lucky to finish even one book, much less enough work to form a career. Inspiration is a fickle work tool. And many editors and publishers tend to agree with me. Mine is included in that group. Regardless of the talent involved, before a work can be edited and published, it first must be completed. That’s where discipline comes in handy. And, oh, how I wish that quality was my long suit. But alas, it is not.

So each day I must strive to put my behind in the chair that sits in front of the computer, my fingers on the keys, and coax pouting characters to come out and play.

 

The first book in my Inn-Sitter Series

These characters, like cats that have been left behind while the family vacations, are angry and refuse to acknowledge my presence. To be honest, I don’t blame them, and must continue paying penance until I am forgiven. Let’s hope that is soon.

J

Hugs,

Jackie

THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR

I wish my dear friend, Peggy Moss Fielding could be here to celebrate this day with me. But she passed to a new life on May 20, 2014. I miss her terribly. But she would expect me to press on and keep writing, so that's what I'm doing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My publisher has verified that my new Grace Cassidy mystery THE CORPSE WHO WALKED IN THE DOOR, will be ready to purchase online by May 30. The trade-paperback will be available later in June.

 

Available in ebook  on May 30, 2014

This book, second in the series, moves a bit slower than the first, but the stakes are higher. Grace fears her son Brand is getting too involved with the ditzy housemaid, Sandy Walker, and she’s not ready to be a grandma.

Our heroine longs for a quiet, orderly life. She yearns for time to become acquainted with the woman she really is, not the cardboard caricature of her former self. No wonder she bored her husband Charlie. She always did everything he expected.

But that was all in the past. Now she’s surprising and delighting herself with this new persona. Being a woman is a lot more interesting than being a perfect-lady. But life interferes with her plans.

The boss-from-hell, Wilbur Wimberly’s identical twin, thought to be long dead, shows up at the family reunion. Her son is accused of attempted murder, and later of rape. Her cat Trouble finds a dead body in the bathroom of her room. And ex-husband Charlie wants to come back.

All of this and Police Sergeant Sam Harper, who wants to move their friendship to a relationship.

Once again, Grace has her hand’s full.

I've Been Gone, but I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!

TD Hart (L) and Rehenna Morgan 

 

Baton Blog Hop

T.D. Hart, a critique buddy who writes cutting edge thrillers, tapped me for what she calls a Baton Blog Hop: basically a game of tag for writers. The idea is to answer four questions about your writing, then tag another author to do the same. But first you need to know about her blogsite, http://tdhart.blogspot.com

T.D. Hart Mysteries and Thrillers

Because Darkness Makes the Light More Beautiful…

This is a must-read, especially if you love thrillers.

TD Hart is currently finishing revisions on a Noir Mystery about a San Diego homicide detective who investigates the murder of a rock star she had a crush on as a teenager. Seventeen years ago my character's sister disappeared from a crowded beach, and the singer's voice was literally ringing through her speakers the moment she realized her sister was gone. The working title is LIFE FOR A LIFE. Does that sound good or what? I can hardly wait for this novel to be published.

~~~~~

Now for the questions that I’m supposed to answer:

What am I working on?

My current work-in-progress, a novella, has the working title DANGER VISITS THE GOLDEN DRILLER. I’m writing this story for Smart Women Writers, an ultra-cool group of first rate writers. I‘m editing the draft now.

The tough decision facing me is which mystery should I write next? Characters from two different plots are vying for my attention. One is Grace Cassidy, my evolving character from her own series. My family brainstormed with me on Thanksgiving day with this plot idea, and the working title is THE DISAPPERING CORPSE. The story will be set in Tulsa, Oklahoma and I’m very excited about the plot twists.

The competing protagonist hasn’t told me her name yet. She’s pitching her story idea, and it’s a good one. Needless to say, she’s fast becoming my Best Pretend Friend. (I fear that Grace is getting a little tired of me. Perhaps we’ve been spending too much time together and we both need a break.) Of course, I could introduce this new person in THE DISAPPEARING CORPSE and let her spin off into her own series, sans Grace.

The third possibility is working on both of these novels at the same time. I’ve never done this, and would love to hear from other writers who have. Give me the pluses and the pitfalls.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

My books are different from other cozies because I wrote them. This sounds like a smart-alecky answer, but I don’t mean it that way. When a writer finds her/his authentic voice, that work is unique from any other. I write from the heart (some call it from the gut), as much as is humanly possible. I try to tell the absolute truth as I see it. Even though the story is made up, I try to put myself in the skin of each view-point character. I let my lead character, Grace Cassidy, evolve with the series. She is a middle-aged woman whose lifestyle ended abruptly. Her determination to rebuild herself from ashes, is something that many women face during their lives.

And then, of course, all of those corpses keep showing up.

Why do I write what I do?

I write the kind of book that I enjoy reading. Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author and role-model. Because of the great pleasure her mysteries gave me, I write cozies. I include women’s problems in my mysteries, because I was blessed to strong women in my life. These real-life heroines never gave up, no matter what fell into their path.

How does my writing process work?

First I turn on my computer and bring up Word. That’s the only constant in my routine. I’ve searched for that magic button, but the only magic I’ve received was a yellow button from a book doctor named Robyn Conley. She handed each person in her class a button and said: “Put your butt on the seat, your fingers on the keys, and type. I lost that yellow button (so typical of me), but I have remembered her words.

Well, that's it. I'm going to tag two of my writer buddies!

Bob Avey, who writes about a tough police detective with a soft underbelly. He will post next Monday, May 19 on his blog, which is attached to his website.

http:bobavey.com

The other writer is Linda Trout, who looks like a fashion model and writes take-your-breath-away thrillers. All of this with a touch of romance.

• 

http://ltrout.wordpress.com/

Do yourself a huge favor and check out these two writers.

Cheers,

Jackie

The Birthing of NO ESCAPE: The Sweetwater Tragedy

Jean Henry Mead's new historical novel, NO ESCAPE, is ready for downloading now! Today, the author tells how this book came about. Read her riveting account of "Cattle Kate's" courage. If you love mysteries, history and strong women, this is the book for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jean Henry Mead

 

No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy

By Jean Henry Mead

I was researching a Wyoming centennial history book during the mid-1980s, by reading old microfilmed newspapers dating from 1888. During that time I read about a young woman named Ellen Watson, who had been hanged by cattlemen along with homesteader James Averell. The cattlemen who hanged them claimed that the pair had been operating a rural bawdy house and taking cattle for Ellen’s services.

After her death, the hangmen labeled Ellen “Cattle Kate” and vilified her by claiming that she was not only a prostitute but a cattle rustler. The Cattlemen’s Association, headquartered in Cheyenne, controlled a local newspaper and reports of the hangings were published worldwide, resulting in considerable condemnation that a woman had been hanged, despite the cattlemen’s claims.

I was curious when I read the 1889 newspaper reports, when the murders took place, and decided to write a novel about them, someday. A number of authors had written about the hangings from the cattlemen’s point of view, and films have been produced, portraying Ellen as a pistol packing outlaw. But that didn’t jibe with news reports from the Casper Weekly Mail, which published James Averell’s “letters to the editor,” complaining that greedy cattlemen were gobbling up all of Sweetwater Valley, so they could graze their cattle on government land, without paying for it.

I researched the story intermittently over the years but pieces of the puzzle were missing until George W. Hufsmith was commissioned to write an opera based on the hangings. He was hooked on the story and spent the next 20 years interviewing residents of Sweetwater Valley, Wyoming, who had knowledge of what had actually happened. Thanks to Hufsmith’s nonfiction book, I was able to write my novel. I dedicated the book to him.

 

I didn’t want to end the novel with the Averells’ deaths so I included a young, single woman homesteader in the plot to tell the majority of the story.  During my research I discovered that some 200,000 single women tried their hands at homesteading: some successful, some not.

Thanks Jean, for the background to your new and exciting novel.
And thanks to our readers for dropping by.
Jackie King

GHOSTS FROM MY PAST

By Jackie King

I was about four when my older cousins started scaring me with ghost stories. These were told in the bright sunshine, but at night I had to creep up creaking stairs to get to my bedroom at Grandma’s house. These monsters lurked along the way to terrify me. I can still remember the dread and the sick empty feeling in my belly.

The Good Old Days

Grandchildren weren’t pampered in those days, at least not by my grandma. She married at 14 so I doubt she ever had a childhood, at least not as we think of it these days. I realize now that she wasn’t a cruel woman, just one who had endured hardships, and in her declining years had received me on her doorstep while my mother trained to be a teacher. She did the best she could.

The Million Mile Stairs

There was no electricity to illuminate the steep stairs, so I was given a lighted candle and told to blow it out after I was in bed.

But what waited at the top?

Was it the murdered man looking for his golden arm? Would he chop off my head with his ax when he learned I didn’t have it, as he had with two dozen other children?

And the candle was sputtering.

Terrified of having no light, I’d put one foot in front of the other, knowing that I had no other choice. And finally I’d reach the landing. The soft glow of the candle lighted only a small circle, and each step into the blackness seemed almost certain death.

Finally, I reached my bed, set the candle on an orange-crate used for a bedside table and climbed in. It was summertime and hot, but I still pulled the dusty smelling bedspread over me. After a quick puff to blow out the candle the room was black as a witch’s hat. The counterpane (as Grandma called it) was the only protection between me and the evil ghost. I’d lie stiff as a board until I finally fell asleep.

The next morning when my cousins came to visit, I’d beg them for another ghost story.

My one and only ghost story.

MARILYN MEREDITH'S MYSTERY CHARACTERS

Want to be a Character in a Mystery? Well, read on! Today Marilyn Meredith, author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series has a contest that gives you such a chance! And as a bonus, she’s also going to share her secrets of naming characters.

But first I’d like to mention her latest mystery, Raging Water from Mundania Press.

 

Raging Water

Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in my next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Meredith also writes as F. M. Meredith, and her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is No Bells, the fourth from Oak Tree Press.

 

Marilyn has taught for Writers Digest School for ten years and serves as a judge in several writing contests. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area.

 

NAMING YOUR CHARACTERS

By Marilyn Meredith

For me, this is one of the most important aspects of the creation of your characters. The name should in some way fit the character’s personality.

An example: If you have a strong, muscular hero you wouldn’t want to give him a weak sounding name like Lauren or Percy. You may know some body-builder types with those names, but for your book pick a name that will evoke the sense of the character for the reader.

Make sure that the characters in your book don’t all have names that begin with the same letter, rhyme, or all the same number of syllables. You never want to confuse your characters.

If you are writing a fantasy or sci-fi and your making up names, be sure they are able to be pronounced easily. If the reader can’t say the name in his/her mind, they’ll have trouble remembering who each person is. I’ve been reading books by Scandanavian authors and I’ve had a hard time keeping track of who is who because of the names that I can’t pronounce.

Having said what I did about made-up names, don’t give everyone simple names like Mary, John, Bill, Joe, Jane. If a name is a bit unusual, the reader will have an easier time remembering it. Of course there are exceptions—Jack Reacher for instance. Jack is a strong name even though it’s simple—but the character is mainly known as Reacher.

When I first started submitting my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, I had an agent tell me Tempe was too unusual of a name and to come up with something else. Obviously, I didn’t follow her advice. Tempe Crabtree was my great-grandmother’s name and I thought it worked for as a Native American. Another prominent Indian character in this series is Nick Two John.

Though some young mothers are using old-fashioned names for their children, others are making up names. One of my granddaughters used syllables from her mother’s and mother-in-law’s first names for an original name for her baby. You might even try that if you can’t come up with the exact name you want.

If you are writing an historical novel, be sure to check and see if the names you want were in use during that time period.

Where to find names? The Internet has a wealth of names. You can find names from any country and popular baby names.

What I like to do is keep graduation programs and use the names I find there—of course I mix up first and last names. Other writers I know use names they’ve found in obituaries.

Keep track of what you’ve named your minor characters so that you don’t give them a different name later on in the book. (Yes, I’ve done that.)

I hope this has will be helpful to you when you start naming the characters that you’ve created. And readers, perhaps this has given you some insight into how difficult the author’s task is when it comes to naming their creations.

Good luck to everyone who enters Marilyn's contest. And a big thank-you to Marilyn for visiting today.

Cheers,
Jacke

Today it’s my pleasure to present F.M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, who is the author of over thirty published novels. Her latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, from Oak Tree Press, is No Bells. Rocky Bluff P.D. is a fictional beach community between Ventura and Santa Barbara and F. M. once lived in a similar beach area.

F. M. (Marilyn) is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves as the program chair for the Public Safety Writers of America’s writing conference. She’s been an instructor at many writing conferences.



F.M. Meredith and Husband Hap at Hanford Bookfest

Tips on Picking Character Names

By F.M. Meredith

When I wrote Final Respects I had no idea it would be the first in a long-running crime series. My goal for that book was to write something that showed what happened during a police officer’s job affected the family, and what was going on with the family affected the job. I also wanted to show that the officers and detectives worked on more than one case at a time. Of course once I was done, I knew I had to find out more about these characters who had become so real to me and I’ve continued with that same goal.

Because when I wrote that first book, I didn’t know nearly as much as I do now, I picked names that I liked for each character—which is okay, but I didn’t pay attention to other rules that I’ve learned along the way.

Unlike some writing rules, these were easy to understand and made sense.

For the main characters, pick names that don’t begin with the same first letter. I goofed right off the bat with this one. One of my ongoing characters is Doug Milligan and as time goes on, he becomes a detective and partners with Frank Marshall. So now I’m stuck with Detectives Milligan and Marshall—which could become confusing to some readers.

When picking names, you want them to fit the characters. Gordon Butler has appeared in several books now, but when I first created him I had no idea how important he would become. The message here, perhaps, is consider each character important when you are thinking up their names.

Where on earth do I find names to choose from? Some authors say they use the obituary columns. Others go online and search names for babies. And of course, the Internet is also the perfect place to find ethnic names. What I like to do best is save graduation and play programs and pick names from them. Of course mixing up first and last names.

If you’re writing a historical piece, be sure and pick names that fit the period.

One of the names of a main character in No Bells is the real name of someone I know, Benay Weiss. Yes that’s her first and last name—of course she’s nothing like the character I named her after. I ran a contest in another blog tour for whoever commented on the most blogs would have a character named after him or her. Benay’s daughter entered the contest for her mom and won. I’m anxious to hear what she thinks about the book and her namesake. And by the way, I love the name.

You can read more about Benay in No Bells.

No Bells Blurb:

Officer Gordon Butler has finally found the love he’s been seeking for a long time, but there’s one big problem, she’s the major suspect in a murder case.

Visit F.M. at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

CONTEST NOTE FROM F.M.: The person who comments on the most blogs on my tour will win three books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series: No Sanctuary, An Axe to Grind, and Angel Lost. Be sure and leave your email too, so I can contact you in the event you are the winner.