Show and Tell

 

                                            Find my books here

Our stories show and tell. When to use which? As a reader I prefer stories strong on SHOWING. So I try to craft my books that way.

“Telling” states facts or observations. “Showing” invites much deeper understanding.

Showing Prefers the Specific to the General.

WHEN SHOWing....

1. Use dialogue

2. Use sensory language

Readers need to be able to see, hear, taste, smell and touch the world around them. 

3. Be descriptive

Carefully choose the right words and using them sparingly to convey your meaning.

 

But sometimes a nice clean info dump can be more reader-friendly, and take up less time and space... 

Situations where telling might be a better idea. 

1. if you're dropping your readers in, "in media res," and you need to focus your reader's attention as fast as possible.

2. You have too much backstory.

3. You can think of a more entertaining way to tell than to show.

(Telling can be a form of texture in the same way that physical description can. They can both be fun and entertaining, or dreary and tiresome.)

It’s perfectly acceptable to TELL the minor details that add up to the point you want to SHOW. 

Both showing and telling can be done badly, and you have to decide which one gives your story the maximum amount of oomph. 

Happy writing, and reading!

--Eileen

Back to Work

Please click this link for author and book information 

Yesterday I flew home from a trip to Minneapolis. On November 12th I leave for a three-week holiday in Mexico. This gives me a two-month window to write draft # 3 of my novel-in-progress. I have to complete this work to make the deadline for the novel's scheduled release in September 2023. 

It's a challenge for me to think of my writing as work, since I don't come close to making a living from it. But I have to do this in order to finish a long project like a novel. Otherwise I'll let other activities completely consume my time. I wrapped up the first draft of this novel in late May and have given the book little thought since then. A break of almost four months should be good for returning to the story with fresh eyes. I don't regret my travels to Ireland and Ontario and warm summer days spent hiking, biking and hanging out with family and friends, when I could have been writing.        

 

Lake Erie beach with family and friends

While it's hard to drag myself back to the computer, I know from numerous past experiences that once I start I'll soon be into the writing groove again. This helps me avoid procrastination and plunge in, as I would into cold water. Once I'm swimming in the story, I'll need to avoid distractions and limit them to important matters like family, friends, exercise, and volunteer work. Turning off my instant email notification will be essential. I've taken on a commitment to co-chair Calgary's committee to host the Bouchercon mystery convention in 2026. It will be tempting to get sidetracked into concrete organizing tasks that can feel easier than pulling characters out of the air and resolving plot glitches.  

I did use my summer time for some research relevant to the novel. The first draft unexpectedly veered into areas outside my knowledge zone. One of these was the opioid crisis. Drug dealer killings appear frequently in current mystery novels, but I'd thought the subject wouldn't interest me. I prefer to write about ordinary people who kill for personal, social, or psychological reasons; people who might be me or a friend driven by a particular situation. But people like this are the drug dealers in my novel-in-progress. They operate a low-key business out of a bicycle store. During the summer, I read two excellent books on Canada's opioid crisis and now feel capable of handling the topic in a novel.

 

Shopping for e-bikes inspired my novel's storyline

This new book also gets more into police work than the first three novels in my Paula Savard Mystery Series because I made two police officers point of view narrators. This fall I hope to fit in a research visit to Calgary police headquarters and will look for a beta reader or consultant knowledgeable in police work, without letting this research distract me from writing. 

For my last two novels, I discovered a useful trick - those mornings that I wake up early, rather than lie in bed drifting in and out of consciousness, I force myself up, make coffee, turn on my computer, and write while the sun rises outside my window. I'm amazed by how much I can accomplish before the day's usual activities get started.   

In short, I find the key to writing novels is to treat them like work. Don't wait for mood and inspiration. Grab your time at your writing desk, sit down, and do it.  

 

Me not working this summer

      

     

 

NEW RELEASE - What About Me? / by Barbara Baker

 

What About Me is a sequel to Summer of Lies and follows Jillian as she starts grade 10 in Banff a month after the semester begins. Being the new kid is always hard. Being the new kid in a small town, at a small school where everyone knows her business is the worst.

She loves her Opa but moving from Toronto to help Aunt Steph take care of him was not Jillian’s idea. As she navigates unfamiliar hallways and attempts to fit into her new surroundings, Jillian makes choices which impact her relationships and a potential boyfriend. Will the last choice she makes be the right one?

*****

If you’re familiar with Banff, you may recognize the sites Jillian sees. If you’ve hiked in the area, you may have walked the trails she takes. And, if you went to high school there, the formaldehyde smell will lead you right to the biology room.

Whether or not you’ve been to Banff, enjoy the landscapes through Jillian’s eyes.

*****

Banff attracts tourists from all over the world. They browse through the shops, take selfies with the dramatic Rocky Mountain backdrop or simply stroll the streets and take in the sites.

Since COVID, only pedestrian traffic is allowed on Banff Avenue during the summer holiday season. People amble about without dodging cars.

If crowds and shopping are not your thing, go a few streets west and access the wide walking trail which parallels the Bow River. Stroll out to Vermillion Lakes for post card views of Mt. Rundle.

Or go in the opposite direction and view the Bow Falls.

Elk, deer, or coyotes  may keep you company along the way but do not approach them. They’re wild animals. Attempting to get a selfie with an elk could be detrimental. To the elk. If it charges or hurts you, the elk will pay the price. It will be removed. Not you. Admire them from a distance.

If you want a great x-country bike ride, head past the Banff Springs Hotel and follow the Spray Lakes trail – the same road Jillian mountain biked. 

Within minutes, you’ll leave the busyness of town behind. The trail follows the Spray River and winds through the forest valley, flanked by mountain ranges on both sides. But DON’T forget your pepper spray in case you encounter a bear. The canister won’t do any good if you leave it in the car. Jillian is reminded often to be sure she has hers with her.

A couple days after the release of What About Me? I got a picture and text from a reader who went to one of the spots Jillian visits. 

Then another picture came. It makes my day to see people enjoying my story. Thanks to all you readers out there. You’re the reason I keep on writing.

I hope you enjoy What About Me? and if you’re thinking of visiting Banff and want suggestions, follow me on Facebook  Barbara Wackerle Baker | Facebook, Instagram Barbara Wackerle Baker (@bbaker.write) or send me a note bbaker.write@gmail.com.

What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

https://books2read.com/What-About-Me

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

Summer of Lies | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

Brace Yourself, Sweater Weather--and a New Book-- is Coming by Vanessa C. Hawkins

 

 Vanessa Hawkins Author Page

      September! It is offically spooky season! The stores are already stuffed full of Halloween goodies, and I just can't wait to jam them in all corners of my house until it resembles something haunted and is a possible candidate for Hoarders: Horror Edition. Whoot! I always get excited for this time of year, because not only are witches and warlocks about, it's also sweater and leggings season and MAN can I rock a good sweater/legging combo! 

For real tho! Pants are way overrated. I don't need that kinda stress in my life, especially with the holidays fast approaching. And as much as I love summer, I hate being so super hot that I can't go outside without slathering cream all over my face to prevent it from turning into some kind of fruit/veg hybrid! 

So leggings and sweaters! Cozy, yet fashionable enough that when someone comes for a surprise visit, you aren't hiding in the next room hoping they go away because you've been sweltering in your underwear all day. Also support. Leggings are like... the new bra. Especially for us folks who've had a baby or two or like to indulge in an extra slice of ice cream cake every now and then.

But despite sweater weather fast approaching, I can't get over the fact that Christmas decorations are already starting to show up on shelves. Is it just me? Is anyone else out there nauseated by the fact that December is like four months away and already the holly jolly face of Santa Clause is trying to pervert our thoughts with this overwhelming beast of a holiday? FOUR MONTHS! That's a third of the year that our stores are infested with this festive parasite!

It drives me nuts. I mean, I like Christmas, but I like Christmas in December! Leave September, October and November alone, Kris Kringle, we aren't ready for you yet! 

Saying that, I am excited to announce that my co author and I are about to release the second book in the Ballroom Riot series. If you didn't notice that sparkly new book cover up top, go and check it out! It would definitely make a great Christmas gift....

Bunker Blitz is set to release in October. Not sure of the exact date yet, but I can promise that it'll be out before Winds of Winter. That thing is just a lost cause by now. I mean... I really want to go watch House of Dragon but I just can't bring myself to do it until he finishes the Song of Fire and Ice series. So I guess I'll never see it... unless by some miracle he pens the book... or he dies and his publisher gets someone else to do it...

Which mean's he's basically immortal now *shrug*

 But in the meantime! Bunker Blitz! Ya know, in case you were too lazy to scroll up ;)

Resentment is brewing in the streets of Comero. Although local dragon Shad O’Rahin thought his enemies were finally eliminated, the return of an old rival threatens to shake his grip on the city’s illegal liquor trade. While he takes steps to eliminate the danger to his enterprise, Shad’s wife, Scarlet Fortune is caught in the crossfire. 

Scarlet is the last vampire left in the Comero Police Department. When blackmail begins to jeopardize her career, she launches an investigation to take care of the situation on her own. But with their first child on the way and an unexpected visit from reptilian in-laws throwing their peaceful homelife into turmoil, the situation may prove too tough to tackle alone. Especially when a pretty gold dragon starts making eyes at her husband!

Their difficulties only escalate, leading them both into danger as they peek at the rotten underbelly of Comero’s vampire blood trade. With other dragons in town vying to drive a wedge between them, can Scarlet and Shad find a way to face the threat together?

…all while picking out baby names?

Fictional Towns, Lakes, and Rivers by J. S. Marlo

Wounded Hearts

"Love & Sacrifice #2"

is now available  

click here 

 

 

  

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

One of my friends asked why I like to set my stories in Canada? First, I'm Canadian and I've lived in most provinces, so it's familiar territory. Second, the landscape and weather are as diverse as the country is vast. We experience four seasons and extreme temperatures at both ends of the thermometer. Whatever storyline I have in mind, I can find a place (and the right season) in Canada where to set it.

I may send a character shopping or catching a plane in Halifax or Calgary, but the small town where the story takes place is usually fictional. That way I can build the town to suit the needs of the story, but how do I come up with the names of these fictional towns, and lakes, or rivers?

In Seasoned Hearts, my female protagonist lives in Sparrowsnest, a small southern Alberta town. There isn't any Sparrowsnest anywhere in Alberta, but there's a town named Crowsnest. Crows are birds, so I chose of different bird (in this case, a sparrow), then I ran a search to make sure there isn't an obscure town name after Sparrowsnest.

In Rebelled Hearts (to be released winter 2023), the story takes place in Mooseland, Newfoundland. I named it Mooseland because there are lots of moose. Interestingly enough, there's no deer on the island of Newfoundland, but there's a town name Deer Lake.

I try to give my fictional places believable names, though I discovered there are 90,000 anonymous lakes in Canada. That's lots of lakes with no name. So, what about these names?

- Stoner, British Columbia

- Youbou, British Columbia

- Salmon Arm, British Columbia

- Dead Man's Flats, Alberta

- Vulcan, Alberta

- Mirror, Alberta

- Milk River, Alberta

- Happyland, Saskatchewan

- Drinkwater, Saskatchewan

- Love, Saskatchewan

- Climax, Saskatchewan

- Fertile, Saskatchewan

- Forget, Saskatchewan

- Eyebrow, Saskatchewan

- Finger Lake, Manitoba

- Flin Flon, Manitoba

- Crotch Lake, Ontario

- Punkeydoodle's Corners, Ontario

- Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Québec

- Peekaboo Corner, New Brunswick

- Lobster's Claw, New Brunswick

- Sober Island, Nova Scotia

- Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia

- Happy Adventure, Newfoundland

- Come By Chance, Newfoundland

- Toogood Arm, Newfoundland

- Nameless Cove, Newfoundland

- Witless Bay, Newfoundland

- Dildo, Newfoundland

- Heart's Desire, Newfoundland

- Heart's Content, Newfoundland

- Heart's Delight, Newfoundland

- Snafu Lake, Yukon 

- Cuddle, Northwest Territories

- Igloolik, Nunavut

All these places exist in Canada, with the exception of two. Would you like to guess which two I made up?

The answer will be in the comment section tomorrow. 

Happy Reading & Stay Safe!

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website