9-1-1 by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

Aside from staying home and eating too much, I've been painting my bathrooms and babysitting my five-year old granddaughter whose parents need to work. Every day, my granddaughter gets virtual homework from her kindergarten teacher, which is really cool, but I've also been teaching her other things, among them how or when to call 9-1-1.

She's known for years how to unlock my phone, so I told her there was a special number to call in case of emergency. Then, I made sure she understood what an emergency was:

- Grand-maman dropping a full gallon of paint from the top of her ladder is a catastrophe, but NOT an emergency.

- Grand-maman falling from the top of her ladder and not being able to get up is an emergency.

 So, what's the first question she asked me: why did they pick THAT number, grand-maman?

Good question, I thought. I did some research and stumbled on an article written on February 16, 2017 in the Smithsonian Magazine about a 9-1-1 festival.

 "On this day in 1968, a phone rang in the police station of Haleyville, Alabama. But unlike all the days before, the caller—Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite, who was not in an emergency situation—didn’t dial the local police number.

He dialed 911, a three-digit number that would go down in local and national history.

The idea for a universal emergency phone number didn’t start in Haleyville, a town of fewer than 5,000 inhabitants that was dry until 2010. It started with a 1957 recommendation from the National Association of Fire Chiefs, writes Carla Davis for the Alabama News Center.

Their recommendation was prompted by a serious problem, she writes: before 911, anyone who needed emergency help had to figure out if they needed the fire department, the police, or medical help, and then call the appropriate local number. Not easy to do when someone is bleeding, a baby is being born, or the building’s on fire.

It took more than a decade before the fire chiefs’ recommendation was put into effect, Davis writes. Haleyville came into the picture when the president of the Alabama Telephone Co., an independent telephone company, fought to have his company launch the new system.

The call was picked up at the police station on a special red phone, wrote Hoyt Harwell for the Associated Press on 911’s 25th anniversary in 1993. At the receiving end of the call was Congressman Tom Bevill, Alabama’s longest-serving congressman—who was still in office when Harwell interviewed him 25 years after that first call.

Haleyville still celebrates the event that put it on the map with an annual 911 Festival."

So, why 9-1-1? These are the major reasons why AT&T chose the number 9-1-1 in 1968:

- because it was short & simple
- because it was easy to remember
- because it was quick & easy to dial
- because of the middle 1, which indicated a special number that worked well with the phone systems in place at the time.

That being said, 9-1-1 is an emergency number used mostly in North America (Canada, USA, Mexico). In Europe, you would dial 1-1-2 in case of emergency.  And in Australia, 0-0-0.

Here are some funny and disturbing (and hopefully false) 9-1-1 calls:

Female caller: There are alligators in the river.

9-1-1 operator: Yes ma’am, this is Florida.

Female caller: But my kids play and swim in that river.

9-1-1 operator: Why do you let your kids play and swim in alligator infested waters?

Stay safe. Hugs!
JS

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Catching and holding attention by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

Last weekend, I visited the Police Museum in Calgary. There was an helicopter hanging from the ceiling, a motorcycle, a police cruiser, a jail cell, uniforms, weapons, forensic evidence, the canine unit, and so much more for FREE (https://youthlinkcalgary.com/)

I was chasing a five-year-old who enjoyed locking her uncle, auntie, and grandma in the  jail cell and the police cruiser, so I didn't get to read about the exhibits, programs, and history as much I would have liked, but it was fun. I will go back.

Let me tell you about the bench in the jail cell. It wasn't kind to my bottom. No cushion at all! Sitting in the back of the police cruiser was a big more comfy, but not roomy. There was no legroom, and I'm not a tall woman. It struck me as funny what the police in movies say when they push a beefy 300lbs suspect into the back seat. First, I can't imagine a man that size fitting on the back seat, and second, they should warn him to watch his knees and legs, not his head LOL  They were bars in the windows and the doors didn't open from the inside, so we were at the mercy of a very mischievous little girl.

Before we left, I bought earrings from the museum.  They have a gun attached to a pair of handcuffs. The perfect earrings for a writer who can't help but kill at least one person per book. In all honesty, I'm not sure I will wear them on a daily basis, but I will wear them at my next book signing later in March.


Book signings are interesting events. I get to meet people, but after the initial greeting, something aside from books needs to hold their attention to move the conversation along. At my first book signing, the manager of the book store suggested I mingled with the customers. I thought great idea so I got sticky nametags.

Well, lots of people talked to me...to ask where they could find a certain book. Needless to say, the "nametag" idea didn't work as planned. Most people saw me as another employee.

At the following book signing, I stayed closer to my book display, I still wore a nametag, but I also colored my hair purple and blue. My hair was a great ice breaker, so I've kept coloring it ever since. Now I'm eager to see if these earrings will catch anyone's eyes.

Happy reading...and don't get arrested reading and driving!
JS

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Romantic expressions - part 2 by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

Like I said last month, I'm fascinated by expressions & idioms. In my October blog, I covered some criminal expressions, but since I write romantic suspense, not just suspense, there's also a romantic side to my stories.
So, here are some expressions about love and romance, their meanings, and their origins:

- To fall head over heels in love (late 1700s): to fall deeply and completely in love. "Heels over head" used to describe a bad fall, but then in the late 1700s,  it changed to "Head over heels" to describe falling in love.

- Sugar Daddy (early 1900s): a rich older man who lavishes gifts on a young woman in return for her company or sexual favors. In 1908, Adolph Spreckels, heir to the Spreckel's sugar fortune, married a woman who was 24 years younger than him. She called him "Sugar Daddy".


-  On the rocks (late 1800s): a relationship experiencing problems. It was originally used for ships which ran aground on rocks and broke apart. Since the late 1800s it has been used figuratively for other disasters or problems.

- The course of true love never did run smooth (1598): people in love often have to overcome difficulties in order to be with each other. It was first used by William Shakespeare in his play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
 

people in love often have to overcome difficulties in order to be with each other (Theidioms.com)

- No love lost (1800s): there is a mutual dislike between two people. It originated in the 1500s where it meant extreme love or extreme hate. Then in 1800s, it began to signify hate exclusively.

- Labour of love: a task done for the pleasure of doing it, not for gains or reward. It originated in the Bible.

- Pop the question (1826): ask someone to marry you. It has been used since 1725, but with the meaning of asking something important. The specific sense of proposing marriage has been used since 1826.

- Kiss and make up (mid 1900s): become reconciled. In the mid 1900s, it replaced the expression "kiss and be friends", which had been used since the 1400s.
 




- Wear one's heart on one's sleeve (1604): make one's feelings apparent. It was first recorded in Shakespeare's play "Othello".

- Marry in haste, repent at leisure (1693):  those who rush impetuously into marriage may spend a long time regretting it. First originated in print in "The Old Batchelour" by William Congreve.

 

- Get hitched (1600s): get married. It was initially used in 1500s to describe tying horses to wagons. Then in 1600s, it started being used to describe two people getting married.



- Cupboard love (mid 1700s): affection given in order to gain a reward. It derives from the way a cat shows superficial love for a person who feeds it, or for the cupboard that holds its food.

- Hell has no fury like a woman scorned (1697): a betrayed woman is more furious than anything  hell can devise. The English playwright and poet William Congreve first wrote these words in his play "The Mourning Bride".

Time to go back to writing, and maybe use one or two expressions.

Happy reading!

JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

The confusing world of idioms by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

I love idioms. They can be colorful, sarcastic, and more often than none, impossible to translate in a different language. 

The first idiom I encountered in English was When pigs fly. I was in my twenties slowly learning English when one of my friends said it. I understood the when, the pigs, and the fly, but I couldn't figure out how or when she switched the conversation to pink farm animals. She explained, but then she was also surprised we didn't use that expression to say never in French. I told her we do have a similar expression, which also features a farm animal. In French we say Quand les poules auront des dents, which translate to When hens will have teeth. 
That's when I learned I couldn't translate idioms words for words. At the same time, it was fascinating to discover how two different languages use two different images to convey the same meaning, like:

Love at first sight   is the equivalent to   Coup de foudre (lightning strike) in French.
Once in a blue moon   to   Tous les trente-six du mois (every 36th of the month)
To feel under the weather   to   Ne pas être dans son assiette (not to be in one’s plate)
To mind one’s own business   to   S'occuper de ses oignons (to take care of one’s onions)
To have other fish to fry   to   Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter (to have other cats to whip)
To put in two cents   to   Mettre son grain de sel (to put one’s grain of salt)

It just goes to show that every language is truly unique and meanings can really get lost in the translation.

Happy reading & writing!
JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

Writing Contests: bad or good? by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

During my exciting and scary journey toward publication, I traveled many roads. I first ventured into the submission path from where I sent my manuscript to dozens of publishers, most of them through snail mail. Over the following months I received acknowledgement letters, then rejection letters. Some were the standard "we're sorry to inform you--" printed rejection letters, while others were nice handwritten rejections. Still, the result was the same. Thanks but no thanks.

I'd received responses from about half the publishers when a friend and fellow unpublished author sent me a link to a free contest. A new publishing company was about to open its virtual door and it was looking for authors. My friend hadn't finished her manuscript yet, but she thought I might be interested. There were a few obstacles, the biggest one being the deadline. The contest ended at midnight that evening and it was already 6pm. I read the rules. They wanted an email with my name, and the first three and last three pages of my manuscript. Nothing else. No synopsis. No blurb. No bio. And most importantly, it was open to unpublished authors.
 
Getting a first contract is a lot like getting a first job. In order to get the job, you need experience, but you can't get experience unless someone gives you a job. Likewise, many publishers will only accept submissions from published authors or agents, and agents won't take you as a client unless you're a published author. You gotta love catch-22.

Back to the contest... I didn't have much time to think about it, but I figured there could be no harm sending six pages out of three hundred, so I sent it--and forgot about it. A month later, the publisher emailed me back saying I was one of twenty semi-finalists. She now wanted to read the entire manuscript, and if she liked it she would offer me a three-year contract and publish it in ebook. I only had a few days to answer. Well, all the questions I didn't have time to ask a month earlier flooded my mind. The first one being: is that new publisher real? It's hard to find information on a company that isn't in business yet. A nice website with the words "coming soon" under "books" was the only indication I had the company existed... Not reassuring I know.

If you browse "free writing contests", you'll stumble on a huge list. Many are free legitimate contests with legitimate prizes. So, is entering contests a good idea? First word of advice: do your homework. Make sure this is a legitimate contest. Read the fine prints. Make sure your manuscript meets the requirements. What's the prize? Is it worth your time and effort? Is there any string attached or any hidden cost associated with that contest? Like getting a free score for your manuscript only to learn you have to pay a fee if you also want to read the feedbacks from the judges.

That brings me to paid contests. Is it better to enter a contest for which you pay an entry fee? Does it make the contest more legit? Or is it a creative way to scam writers? Again, do your homework, like for a free contest, but also add the question Is it worth the money? In most cases, I'd be inclined to say No, don't waste your money. That being said, a month ago I did something I had never done before,  I entered a paid contest. Why you may ask? That's a fair question.

I stumbled on it in December. It was a short-story creative contest in which they randomly assign you a genre, a subject, and a character. Once they sent me my categories, I had seven days to write a 2,500-word-or-less original story. If I pass that first round, there is a second round, then a third. So why did I shed that money for a contest in which over 4,000 writers participated and I have zero chances of winning? Had I had any glimpse of hope of winning, it would have vanished the moment I received my categories. Genre: sci-fi. Subject: exotic pet. Character: interior designer.

Let's be honest here. I write romantic suspense. My idea of a short story is 45,000 words. I wrote one sci-fi story in my life. Back then I was in grade 8, it was a fanfic (I'm fairly certain the term fanfic hadn't been coined yet), I typed it on an old-fashioned typewriter (that was before home computer), and I shared it with my friends during math class. The only pet to ever make it in one of my stories was a cute little terrier by the name of Snowflake who got lost in a snowstorm, and I based her character on my granddoggie. That's as exotic as I got. And an interior designer? That wasn't an occupation I had ever considered for any of my characters. My chances to make it to round two? Slim to none.

So, did I enter for a chance to win money, a publishing package, writing software, and get a detailed critique? No, I would have ended up with more money in my wallet had I not entered, I have three great publishers, my laptop has all the software it needs, and my editor provides me with plenty of critics. The thing is, I started a new novel over the summer. I should already have finished it, but in mid-August, big changes happened in my personal life--good changes, great changes--but changes that affected my ability to write. Basically, these changes took away my writing time--until last week.

Last week was also when I was scheduled to write that short sci-fi story. The contest forced me to get that writing time back--and write. And I wrote that short story in 36 hours. Am I happy with the result? It's not bad for a 2,400-word sci-fi with an exotic pet and an interior designer  😂 but most importantly, it got me writing again. After I finished it, I went back to my summer novel and finished another chapter. So why did I pay money to enter that contest? To get that creative juice flowing and to whip me into writing again! For me, at that precise moment in my life, it was worth the money. Granted, a kick where I sit might have been a cheaper alternative, but probably not as productive.

Now you may wonder what happened to that new publisher's contest...

Sending six pages was one thing, but the entire manuscript to a self-proclaimed new publisher I knew nothing about entered a different category. I'd heard stories about writers who shared their manuscripts with a critique group only to see their stories stolen and published under a different title by someone else. I'll admit I was scared and suspicious. After all, that publisher had only read six pages. At the time I didn't fully comprehend the power my few pages  might hold. In the end, I emailed my manuscript (and kept a copy of the email). I figured I had nothing to lose since all I was getting were rejection letters...or worse, no letters at all. A few weeks later, I was offered a contract for my novel and assigned to an awesome editor who took me under her wing. Unfortunately, the publisher closed its door a few years later, but then my editor dragged me with her to a different publisher where I published more books. My gamble in that new publisher had paid off. Thanks to that contest, I became a published author, and from there, doors that might have remained closed began to open.

There are lots of good writing contests out there for published and unpublished authors. Don't shy away from them, but be careful and selective. They are not all created equal.

Happy reading & writing! And good luck!
 JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

Under the Christmas Tree by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

December is my favorite month of the year. I love the decorations, the lights, and mostly the atmosphere. It seems people are friendlier, more helpful. Despite the larger crowds, I enjoy shopping for that perfect gift that will light up someone's eyes.

When my kids were little, I followed my own rule of thumb when it came to Christmas gifts: a pajama, a puzzle, a toy, a stuffy, and a book. They were allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve: the pajama, which they wore that night. Then on Christmas Day, they either started the book or the puzzle. They are grown up now, but that same rule of thumb now applies to my granddaughter. It wasn't something I'd read somewhere or that was passed down from generations, but then a few weeks back I saw that  post on Facebook.

My curiosity was piqued, so I browsed the Internet to see if I could find out more about this delightful Christmas tradition.

"Jólabókaflóð" or "Yule Book Flood" originated during World War II when foreign imports were restricted, but paper was cheap. Iceland’s population was not large enough to support a year-round publishing industry, so book publishers flooded the market with new titles in the final weeks of the year.

Icelanders open their presents on Christmas Eve, so most of them end the evening by settling down with one of their gifted books. According to Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardótti, books remain the number one Christmas present in Iceland and it’s considered a total flop Christmas if you do not get a book.

Fun & interesting facts:

- Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country

- One in ten Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime

- In Iceland, the holiday season officially kicks off with the delivery of the Bokatidindi—a catalogue of every new book published in Iceland

 - In 2011, Reykjavík (Iceland's capital) was designated a UNESCO City of Literature

While giving books is not unique to Iceland, the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve and then spending the evening reading is becoming a cultural phenomenon... a relaxing and charming tradition, even more so when it's cold and snowing outside.

So this Christmas Eve, I'm contemplating getting a new book, a box of chocolate, a cup of hot cocoa, and spending the night reading by the fireplace.

Happy Holidays from Canada!

JS

http://www.readitforward.com/essay/article/jolabokaflod-meet-favorite-new-holiday-tradition/ 

https://www.readitforward.com/essay/article/what-jolabokaflod-means-to-me/

 J. S. Marlo's Website

Writing Styles by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

Planner vs Pantser. These two different types of writers are more than likely familiar to you. A planner is a writer who plans her entire story from start to end—the key plot, the subplots, the characters, the settings, etc—before writing the first word. At the other end of the writing spectrum is the pantser who develops her story as she writes—she flies by the seat of her pants, therefore pantser. I'll admit I started as a true pantser, but after writing myself in a corner on one too many occasions,  I
began thinking ahead. I grew into an hybrid. A Plantser. Before I start writing a new novel, I plan my key plot and major characters, then the magic of writing takes over. These characters introduce me to my minor characters and create their own subplots. I know what you're thinking. They are all figments of my imagination, except they are not. As the story progresses, these characters take a mind of their own.  After 15,000 words or so, they stop dancing to my tune. They will object if I make them do something that is out of character. Very frustrating!

Regardless of how much planning you did, or didn't do, you will eventually start writing. Most writers will write following some sort of chronological order—first scene first, second scene second...last scene last—while others may decide to write farther or random scenes when creativity strikes them. I did that once. I wrote a scene that was stuck in my head but wouldn't occur until two chapters later. Well, by the time I arrive at that part of the story, my characters had taken a left turn and the pre-written scene no longer fitted the story. From then on, I kept things linear, though I found myself going back and adding in-between scenes.

Now, let's get down to writing a scene. Some write by layers. First, they put the skeleton of the scene down on paper (or computer)—basic dialogues and basic descriptions. Once they finish, they go back, extend the dialogue and added more physical details—"I visited my grandmother." becomes "I visited my grandmother Edna. She's eight-five years old but doesn't look a day older than sixty-five".—They  sat in a coffee shop. becomes Seated on plastic yellow chairs at the local coffee shop, they sipped on their latte while catching up. Once they finished writing that second layer, they go back at the beginning again and add a third layer (like what or how the characters feel), and a fourth layer (like what their other senses pick up...a smell, an unusual sound...), until the scene is complete. Some writers extend the layer technique to the story, not just the scene. They write the skeleton of the entire story first. Go back and write the first layer until they reach the end. Go back again and add another layer...They don't waste time trying to pack everything in and everything right at the same time.

Some argue that writing in layers is more efficient than trying to write full sentence packed with all the details on the first attempt. They may have a point, but some writers need the full weight of the previous scenes in order to move to the next one. I'm one of them. I visualize each scene, so everything I see in my mind must be included in my scene before I can write the next one. I need to know the house is red, and not a TBD (To Be Determined) color. It also means I can stay stuck on a single sentence for half an hour if i don't feel I got it right. The advantage of packing everything in one shot is that my first draft will closely resemble my finish product. I will still make some changes as I reread it a second, fourth, and fifth time, but those changes will be minor.
 As you can see, there are no magical formulas when it comes to writing. Every writer has her/his unique way of writing. There are no wrong ways, just many different ways. The trick is to find the one that is right for you.

Happy plotting & writing!

JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

A million words by J.S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

A few weeks back, I was in Calgary for When Words Collide. During the three-day conference, I attended many workshops and chatted with many authors, publishers, and readers. During an interesting conversation with a fellow author, she asked me how I started writing, where I learned the craft, how many books I wrote before I landed my first publishing contract. She had read somewhere that a writer should have written at least a million words before considering herself ready to write a decent book.

A million words? That sounded like a lot of words, so I reflected on the path I followed, the twisted path that led me to become a published author.

I scribbled as a teenager, but my real journey started fourteen years ago when I began writing stories for fun and posted them for free on the Internet for others to enjoy. In four years, I wrote twenty-nine stories. I cringe when I reread some of them. Most of the plots were good, but the writing was...awful, atrocious, brutal, especially in the early stories. By the time I wrote the twenty-ninth, I had improved by giant leaps and bounds. I felt ready to tackle my first "real" novel.

That first novel "Salvaged", which took nine months to write, must not have been too shabby since it won a writing contest and I was offered my first publishing contract. From there I ended up publishing many more novels, but it didn't stop that conversation about a million words from following me home this week. Had I been ready or simply lucky, or maybe a bit of both?

To answer that question, I decided to comb through these twenty-nine free stories. The shortest one was 1,013 words, and the longest 128,982 words. Four of them were above 100,000 words. They average 46,818 words per story for a grand total of...1,357,732 words. I was shocked I'd written way over one million words before I "started" writing for "real".

One of my former editors asked me once why I wasted four years writing stories for free. At the time, I didn't have an answer, except maybe "it was fun". Writing this post today made me realize I didn't waste my time writing these stories. Without knowing it, I was practicing my craft, testing what worked and didn't work, honing my skills, finding my voice...

Thanks to these 1,357,732 words scribbled for no other reason than pure enjoyment, I became an author.

Happy reading!

JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website