New Year, New…Who Am I Kidding? by Diane Bator

 

Buy All That Shines

Happy 2022! New Year, New…Who Am I Kidding?

Every year it’s the same old:

·       “I’m going to get in shape and lose weight.”

·       “I’m going to finally get that new job/career.”

·       “I’m taking my dream vacation.”

·       “I’ll eat healthier.”

·       “This year, I’ll budget and save money.”

·       “January 1^st, I’m writing my book.”

Nothing wrong with that except life gets in the way and derails our plans. Not all the time. But who can resist when your spouse brings home pizza? Or a blizzard hits and the most exercise you get is shoveling the sidewalk and driveway before you collapse on the sofa? Then the car breaks down or the dog gets sick and it’s bye-bye dream vacation and budget.

But that book. Now that’s something you can work with, right?

What’s so hard about writing a couple hundred pages of that epic story you have swirling around in your head? It’s only 70,000 words and you probably speak that many on any given day. It can’t be so hard to write them down.

January 1:  Fresh notebook and a pen Aunt Matilda gave you for Christmas because she didn’t know what else to get you and you could use it for work. Big cup of coffee—the lifeblood of writers—and…GO!

January 2:  That empty page is still staring back at you. It’s so crisp and white why would you want to mess it up?

January 3:  Maybe you’d be best off writing on the computer. That way I can do some research at the same time.

January 4: Did you know it’s National Spaghetti Day?

February 1: Okay, January was a bust. It snowed far too much to write and you spent most of your time shoveling snow and working out the plot. Time to sit down with that notebook and stay off social media.

February 14: If you got caught writing today, the love of your life would disown you! Tomorrow’s the day.

February 15: Today’s the day! You sit at your desk. At work. And get pulled into meetings all day. By the time you get home…zzzzzz…

March 1: You read an article about how to write a book in 15 minutes a day. One you’re done laughing, you read it again. Maybe it could work. What you’ve been doing so far this year hasn’t helped you make any progress. You get home from work, have dinner and…sit in a quiet corner with a timer set for 15 minutes. Lo and behold! You’ve written an entire paragraph by the time your alarm goes off. It may not be as much as you wanted, but it’s a start! You celebrate with a piece of celery then add a cookie chaser.

March 13:  According to the Internet it’s Smart & Sexy Day and you’re feeling it! That 15 minutes a day is going so well that you’ve started taking another 15 minutes during your lunch break. Your story may not be Pulitzer material, but it’s your book coming from your imagination and the whole world will love it!

May 2:  Whose dumb idea was it to write a book?

June 6:  Those 15 minute sessions have expanded to 30 minutes now that you can bring your laptop and/or notepad outside into the sunshine. Fresh air and a little mental exercise never hurt anyone.

July 3:  While the U.S. has Independence Day tomorrow, you’re celebrating your own milestone. 50,000 words! Over halfway there!

August 20-28:  What should’ve been your incredible week at the beach ends up with you in bed with a stomach bug. How could you possibly get so sick in mid-summer? At least you have more time to write—when you’re not running to the bathroom. Back to 15 minutes a day. Better than nothing.

September 4:  The kids are back in school here in Canada and you have a surge of motivation. You spend the long weekend doing a final sprint to finish that book! At 4am Sunday morning, you type THE END. Your heart races, your palms sweat, you have a celebratory glass of wine and pace the house accepting awards and contracts from every publisher you can dream of. Sleep? Who needs it?

September 5:  You excitedly show your masterpiece to the love of your life who tells you not to quit your day job. You debate tossing your manuscript in the trash. Wait. Is that really what it’s called if you’ve a first time writer? It sounds so…Professional! You do a little research about editing and discover it’s harder than it looks. Good thing your friend is a teacher!

October 12:  Still waiting for edits from teacher friend. Maybe asking them to read it at the beginning of the school year wasn’t such a great idea. The teacher suggested you run Spell Check on it before you send it to anyone else. Why didn’t you think of that? How do you find Spell Check?

October 31:  There is nothing scarier this year than that manuscript you stuck in the drawer months ago! You’re about to stick roast it in a bonfire when you find something that makes you realize all may not be lost. A social media ad for a Book Coach. With butterflies in your belly, you do a little digging to see if this is legit or just someone else wanting your hard-earned bucks.

November 1:  Good news. The coach has a link to offer you some free advice on your first chapter. Should you? Shouldn’t you? If you don’t, you’ll burn the book and never speak of it again. If you do…

November 15:  The coach loves your story idea. Gives you some great feedback and gives you a few options regarding working with them. Hesitant to sign up, you take their advice and start rewriting your book from Chapter one to The End.

My editor...and boss.

November 20:  Love of your life gives you the gift of the Book Coach’s services for Christmas before you tear out all you hair.

December 31:  You spend the day polishing your revised book then sit back to put your feet up. Your coach sent you a list of a few editors to research and several publishers and agents to consider. Your eyes ache and your head is spinning but this is the best you’ve felt since you first typed The End.

January 1:  Fresh notebook and the brand new pen Aunt Matilda gave you for Christmas because you drained the old one. Big cup of coffee—the lifeblood of writers—and…GO!

Happy New Year & Happy Writing!

Diane Bator

https://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/

 

Killing Them Softly by Diane Bator

 

Click on the cover to see more! 

The week of May 10 to 13, I had the pleasure of being on a mystery writer panel courtesy of the Crime Writers of Canada and the Ontario Association of Library Technicians. In fact, there were several panels running over four days and great opportunities to virtually meet other authors and hear their stories.

My own schedule didn’t allow me to watch the first four panels, but it was fun to be a part of the Killing Them Softly: Cozy Mysteries panel. 

As a moderator, Lynn McPherson was right on top of everything. The questions, the time, and any questions and comments from the audience of about 40 members. We each answered not only prepared questions, but a few extras, which worked out well since we were missing one of the panelists. Those who were featured were: Lynn McPherson (Izzy Walsh Mystery series), Diane Bator (Glitter Bay Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, etc), Ginger Bolton (Deputy Donut Mystery series), Winona Kent (Jason Davey Mysteries), Peter Kingsmill (our missing author of Awan Lake series).

One of the first questions was: What is a cozy mystery? According to author Ginger Bolton: https://cozy-mystery.com/Definition-of-a-Cozy-Mystery.html

·       Cozy mystery readers are intelligent people looking for a “fun read” that engages the mind, as well as provides entertainment.

·       The crime-solver in a cozy mystery is usually a woman who is an amateur sleuth.

·       The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or village. The small size of the setting makes it believable that all the suspects know each other.

·       Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend, husband, or significant other is.

·       The local police force doesn’t take the amateur sleuth very seriously.

·       More and more, cozy mystery books are being written as parts of a series. The reader becomes emotionally involved and connected with the reoccurring characters.

·       The characters are likeable.

·       Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place “off stage” and death is usually very quick.

·       Sex (if there is any) is always behind closed doors. It is implied…. at most!

·       Cozy mysteries tend to be fast-paced, with several twists and turns throughout each book.

·       The cozy mystery puts an emphasis on plots and character development.

One of the other things we established during the panel was that many cozies have pets, usually cats and dogs, who sometimes help the amateur sleuth to solve the case. (for examples, Audra Clemmings has her dog Drake in my book Drop Dead Cowboy.)

As well, most cozies involve bed and breakfasts; anything to do with food; crafts such as quilting, knitting, and sewing; fashion and small shops (like Vintage Sage in my Glitter Bay Mysteries); and libraries or bookstores. A few, like my Gilda Wright mysteries that feature a martial arts school, have main characters who have jobs in the community such as carpenters, hairdressers, baristas, event planners, real estate agents, and more!

Secondary characters in a cozy are fun to write. They can serve not only as a second set of eyes and ears for the sleuth, but as comic relief when the going gets tense. Sometimes, they can also the one who keeps the amateur sleuth going when they may be ready to give up and have a hand in solving the crime. Or at least be the lookout while the sleuth wraps things up.

The number one thing a good amateur sleuth needs, however, is a solid reason for wanting to solve the crime. Whether it be because the victim was someone they knew, they want to be a police office and figure a little practice is a good thing, or someone they know is suspected of the crime and they are driven to prove their innocence.

We had some very interesting panels that offered an amazing lineup of authors:

Clearly Canadian: All Canadian settings, eh? with Ann Shortell, Dave Butler, Susan Calder, Rosemary McCracken, David Poulsen, Iona Whishaw.

Nuances of Crime: Suspense, Thriller and Noir with Del Chatterson, S.M. Freedman, Hannah Mary McKinnon, C.S. O'Cinneide, Joanna Vander Vlugt.

The Long and the Short of It: Writing short stories and novellas with Judy Penz Sheluk, M.H. Callway, Barbara Joyce-Hawryluk, Merrilee Robson, Melissa Yi.

Law and Order: Police Procedurals with Desmond Ryan, Jen. J. Danna, Ardelle Holden, Jim Napier, Garry Ryan.

Killing Them Softly: Cozy Mysteries with Lynn McPherson (Izzy Walsh Mystery series), Diane Bator (Glitter Bay Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, etc), Ginger Bolton (Deputy Donut Mystery series), Winona Kent (Jason Davey Mysteries), Peter Kingsmill (our missing author of Awan Lake series).

Whodunnit: The Mystery Panel with Cathy Ace, J.J. Dupuis, Ann Lambert, Ross Pennie, Robert Rotenberg.

Make 'Em Laugh: Comic Relief to Comic Caper with Melodie Campbell, Alexis Koetting, Michael Michaud, Caro Soles, Gabrielle St. George.

True Crime…can be stranger than Fiction with Nate Hendley, Norm Boucher, Dean Jobb, Lorna Poplak.

Evening Panel with Gail Bowan, Brenda Chapman, Vicki Delany, Barbara Fradkin, and moderator Melodie Campbell.

Watch for my newest book coming in August 2021...

Gilda Wright is back! This time she needs to catch a killer who nearly murders the man she loves!

What a Day for a Daydream by Diane Bator

 

I used to be an avid reader and a prolific daydreamer. I’m not sure which made me a better writer, but the two did conspire to actually make me a writer. Daydreaming was the way I originally created stories. As a kid, I would go off into the hayfields and pick strawberries on sunny afternoons. It was during those lazy summer days with my fingers and tongue stained red that I would daydream about appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show, starring roles in plays and musicals, and being an author.

By the time I got home, I was ready to pencil those fun, meandering stories onto loose-leaf paper. Sometimes, I’d share them with my friends or my mom. Most of the time, however, I’d tuck them away and keep them to myself. Little treasures that lived in my own mind and in a shoe box under my bed.

As I grew up and went off to college, the daydreams matured and took on longer lives of their own. I longed to be an author, but it was one of those things that people only did for fun. I was actually told that “writing isn’t a career” and to get a real job.

Sadly, I believed it and stopped daydreaming.

I got married and had kids. Then a funny thing happened.

The daydreams came back. I have to say daydreaming with kids can be a lot of fun, especially stomping through the woods on a hike--which became a quest with sticks in place of swords. Or camping in a tent while the rain fell around us. I wrote stories about kids being turned into mice, little blue hippos in the wild, and even stories about bullies in schools. The stories we wrote were just for fun. I’d never even thought to publish them. Those stories and poems were created just for my kids.

One day, I dusted off some of those old stories I’d written in college. I still wasn’t ready to share them. They went back into a drawer. Instead, I went for long walks and discovered new daydreams. More vivid and detailed with more twists and turns. Daydreams that led to stories, which then became books.

This time, I chose to follow my heart – and my daydreams.

And I became a published author. Many times over with no end in sight.

All because of a daydream I had as a kid that one day I’d write books.

I still haven’t been on the Oprah show, though.

Find many of my daydreams at:  

http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Going Off Script (Part 2) by Diane Bator

 

Introducing: 

All That Shines

Book 2 in Glitter Bay Mysteries

Sage Miller is knee deep in fashion designers—whether she wants them in her new vintage boutique or not.

One winds up dead.

Another isn’t what he seems.

A third is treasure hunting.

Sage is stuck in the middle trying to solve a murder before the grand opening of Vintage Sage, which involves a fashion show she’d rather not be part of.

Join in the fun! Buy links are on my BWL Publishing page: http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

More of Going Off Script...

This year has been a busy one for me! Not only do I have a beautiful new novel to add to my list, but I've been taking a playwriting course. The great thing with taking a sidestep from novel writing to playwriting, is that I enjoy writing dialogue to help propel the story along.

My first playwriting class was more of a basic overview of scripts. One thing I learned was that actors and directors don't like to be told what to do, so keep stage direction to a minimum. As part of a play I'm currently working on, I'm reading The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. The stage directions make up nearly half the script! I was surprised.

After the first class, we had to write a 1-2 page scene. I had fun with that and got great feedback. I'd share, but I plan to work on it and create a whole new play from it. Okay, maybe a teeny bit. So far it doesn't have a title:

 

Frank:            Did you hear those kids? For god sake, they’re more worried about some fancy wedding than the fact she isn’t even listening to a word he says.

Carrie:           What did you say, dear?

Frank:            Really? I’m two feet away from you and you didn’t hear a word I said.

Carrie:           That’s not true. I heard you ask if I heard those kids. That’s when I tuned you out.

Frank:            And why did you tune me out?

Carrie:           Because I saw cheesecake on the menu and started to daydream about eating it only I realized I should just end up rubbing it on my stomach and thighs since that’s where it would end up anyway.

Frank:            You’re right. That does sound much better than what I was saying. Please, go on.

I have to admit, it was a bit weird hearing and seeing other people read my words for the first time. It was a fun experience and I was absolutely giddy hearing their feedback. What a great boost for the heart and soul!

While I love writing books, mysteries in particular, writing for stage is a whole different beast. With books, writers can add the details they envision. Each movement or look, the color and placement of the furniture, the things they want the audience to see. Plays are staged at the discretion of the director and performers and can be open to interpretation.

Week two, we were asked to submit 4-5 pages that were the beginning of a play. I took a deep breath and submitted the one I’ve been toying with since January 2020 called Secrets That Haunt Them. A murder mystery complete with a ghost.

Week 3, they read my few pages of my play. I heard lots of great feedback. The only concern was there were a lot of characters. Anything more than 5 or 6 characters becomes an expensive production. Mine has 7. It was fun to hear it brought to life though! At the end of class, we were invited to submit a monologue. I didn't send one. Instead, I started on a whole new play...

After Week 4, my confidence was up there a little. While I haven't received critique from my instructor, I did get feeback from the Artistic Director of the theatre where I work. I have some work to do - after all, it is my first play ever! - but overall he loved it. The concept of having too many characters came up again so the next step is to clean it up and submit it back to him so we can set up a workshop. 

Workshopping a play is lining up some great actors to read the lines while the playwright sits back and makes edits like crazy if they hear lines are too tough to follow or say, take out things that aren't funny, or even add in ideas from the director or actors as the playwright thinks will benefit the performance. We sort of did that in Week 2 & 3 with the lines I wrote above. I have to admit it was both cool and nerve-wracking to hear people read my writing aloud. 

Hopefully, we'll be able to perform it on stage one day. For now, I'm enjoying the launch of All That Shines and will get to my edits for the play soon.

This may be the start of a whole new path along my writing journey!

Have a fabulous day!

Diane Bator 

Going Off Script (Part 1) by Diane Bator

 

I've worked in theatre for over 4 years now and have met some amazing performers. I have also often thought of writing a script. I mean I've written a lot of books so how hard could it be? Last year, I actually started to write two plays but set them aside because of timing. Not many play performances going on.

Enter 2021.

January 4, I attended a virtual Write In and the leader of the group is a playwright. Cool.

January 6, my boss who is the Artistic Director in our theatre, asks if I've done any more with those scripts I started what seems like 10 years ago... We set up a meeting.

January 11, I get an email about a workshop with a playwrite whose work I admire. I sign up instantly. It seems this New Year isn't content with all the edits I'm currently doing. There is more to pile on my plate!

I have one thing going for me in the script department. I've always been better at dialogue than detail. I'm not ashamed to admit it takes several edits to add in a little extra oomph to my novels. Take All That Shines, book 2 in my Glitter Bay Mysteries that I am currently editing. My lovely beta reader asks, "How big is this room? That's a lot of stuff inside. Maybe you need to rethink this."

One thing with writing for stage: you have limited space where you can place your furniture, props, and performers. With novels, you can use the entire world--or even other worlds--to move things around at your leisure and whim.

Something both plays and novels do have in common is the basic 3 Act Layout. They both have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Both need to have more than one storyline going on to keep the audience/reader's interest. Both also need to keep the action moving along. No lulls allowed.

With playwriting and plays in general, one thing to be kept in mind is how superstitous theatre people are. For example:

• Never ever say the work MacBeth in a theatre. It is that Scottish play. If anyone does say it, they should exit the theatre, spin around in a circle three times, and spit. 
• No live flowers on stage.
• Whistling backstage is a jinx.
• Peacock feathers onstage are bad luck.
• Say "break a leg" instead of "good luck.
• Mirrors onstage are bad luck.
• Always turn on a ghostlight before leaving the theatre.

With those things in mind, I've set off to write a play about a ghost haunting a theatre. Yes, there is a ghostlight involved and some superstitions could come into play. (yup, bad pun!) I also have a couple great mentors to help me write and later workshop my play.

My workshop began January 26 and runs until February 16. I'll fill you in on how it all goes!

Have a great month until we meet again!

Diane Bator

https://www.bookswelove.com/bator-diane/