The Unexpected Pairing

Kate Burns


I'm late!! I'm late!! My apologies for the tardiness of this post. It seems that I e-slept in.

When I was eight years old, my dad was posted to Winnipeg. That meant we were moving, again. We had spent two years in Aylmer, and I had made a lot of friends. But being a military brat, I was used to being uprooted.

What I didn't expect was that my parents would decide to give away our cat, Herman. To the Humane Society. In 1977, it was only too common: the drive across the country was long, and public censure hadn't really formed against the practice of abandoning a pet. I'm sure my parents thought they were doing the right thing. However, regardless of hindsight and recognizing that it was a difficult thing for them to do, it was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my childhood.

To this day, I can close my eyes and I am a child again in the wood-paneled Toyota station wagon, crying and begging, as we dropped my best little buddy off to an uncertain future. My dad, grim-faced and unyielding in the front seat. My mom trying, and failing, to comfort me. My dusty little black Persian cat in my arms, struggling and clueless to his situation. I would never see him again. The song that played on the radio, one I'd never heard before, one I could never forget and that has stayed associated with loss.

The song? The Hustle.

Yes, The Hustle. Famous disco song (Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony). People dance to it. It's a happy song. Full of bright flutey sounds and a aural backdrop of singers going "oooo..."

That is a song which brings me nearly to tears every time I hear it, a reaction in direct contrast to its intent.

So, why am I telling you this? Because that the sort of contrast I want to put into my writing.

There are many common and related techniques (irony, oxymoron, contrast, juxtaposition) to this kind of unexpected pairing. Wiki any one of them, and you will find countless examples and explanations.

It is this contradictory combination that can elevate a scene, or a whole novel, to a riveting read.

This can be a visual, sensory or even temporal juxtaposition. Its use may range from a discordant note in a small scene, designed to slightly discomfort the reader (and believe me, they don't always know what's bothering them, and if it's done right, all they know is they have to keep reading, because something's going to happen, they just know it) all the way up to something as all-encompassing as a predestination paradox, where everything in the story leads inexorably to a conclusion the main character wants most to avoid.

From the visual:
Pink balloons slowly drifting over a scene of carnage.

To the sensory:
The smell of cotton candy mixed with blood.

The tinkling of the calliope (circus music), which continues to play after a fatal gunshot, because no one is left to turn it off.

To character:
Killer clown.

To theme or plot:
A hero or heroine who is deathly afraid of/enamoured of something, only to be saved/done in by that very thing. That's the predestination paradox. (Think Oedipus Rex.)

Tell us some of your favourite ways to introduce tension using justaposition or other techniques!

Research ~ Essential and Time Consuming

Hi everyone,

Sooner or later, every writer needs to do research of some sort, from simple fact checking to more complex investigations of settings or events. In a nutshell, research has become an indispensable part of writing for most authors.

Some writers prefer to do their research after they have completed a first draft while others prefer to do their research before they begin writing. I prefer the latter because often times the information I will garner through my research winds up having an impact on what I write. Either way is fine and each writer needs to find which works best for them. One thing is certain, regardless of which way you choose to proceed; you need to make a list of all the information you will need for your book and then find sources for obtaining it.

Here are some great resources I have used for research purposes:

Library: I know it sounds so simplistic but with the world at our finger tips, sometimes we forget that this building still exists and it is filled with a wealth of information. An added bonus: any librarian will willingly help you in your quest for knowledge. Libraries are a great source for archived copies of newspapers, journals and photos.

Internet: Of course this is a great resource for information but just be careful because it can be difficult to ascertain if the information you are viewing is really fact or fiction.

Professional Interviews: For example, if your book includes a character that is a police officer and you don’t know much about police procedure then interview a police officer. You will be surprised at how many would be thrilled to be interviewed for your book. Make sure you go prepared by getting your questions ready beforehand, bring a tape recorder to tape the interview if you can, and make sure you take goods notes (technology is wonderful unless or until it doesn’t work).

Personal Interviews (Friends, Family, and Colleagues): Have you ever run into someone that doesn’t want to share an experience they’ve been through? Most people are usually happy to talk, at length and in detail, about anything in which they are expert. This seems even truer if you tell them that you intend to use the information in a book you are writing. 

Read other Books in Your Genre: See how other authors view the setting and how they weave fact into the fiction. It's a skill, to weave the setting and background and historical information in without running off the tracks and adding to much information. This tip can be especially useful when you are trying to research a period of time that was long ago (there will be nobody to interview from that time period) and can not only provide you background material but also show you how people talked back then.

Movies: Even though Hollywood is not usually accurate with costumes or architecture, if a movie is well done it can give you a “feel” for the times at the very least.  

Museums: What a great place to see and experience things of the past. If you have an article in your book that you have never seen in your life and there is a gallery at the museum that show cases it; it is more than worth the trip to go and be able to write about what you’ve seen.

City Archives: This is a prime source for historical town / city information that is accurate.

Census Figures: People tend to forget just how many things census surveys keep track of. You can find out what the cost of living was, how many homes were being built, how much money people earned, etc,. A very valuable source of raw data!

Experience: This is the greatest (and probably most fun) research of all! If your character is a professional downhill skier and you have never skied in your life, it may be the best time to give it a try! Note: To all you mystery writers reading this, it is not permission to try and plan the perfect murder!

Don’t just file your valuable research in some old box with all your notes you’re your book. Instead build your own reference library so you can refer to the research in case you need it again. Also, when you find a great source for research, make sure you record the source (book title, author, website, journal, etc.,) so if you need to refer to it again you don’t have to waste a ton of time trying to find it.

Still feeling a little lost as to how to conduct your research? Don’t fret! There is a wonderful handbook that you could add to your “writer’s tool box” written by Ann Hoffman called Research for Writers. Feel free to visit the Mystery Writers Unite Store and pick up your copy today or click on the following link:

Research for Writers

Have a great day everyone and happy researching :-)

Becky

Location, Location, Location ~ Not Just a Business Decision

Happy Wednesday!!

Ottawa

Picture this - you've mapped out the main ideas of your story line, you have work diligently to develop believable characters, you know the type of venues (office setting, park, restaurant, etc.) that need to be included in your story - all that is left is to decide where this story will take place and the location you decide upon will either add to your story or detract from it depending on how accurately you can portray the location. This can be a difficult decision to make and for some reason the real life importance of "location, location, location" often described to face challenges in the business world comes to mind for me. I don't want to ruin the impact / effect of my story by placing it in the entirely wrong place.



There are so many things to consider, such as:

1. Should you choose a place that you are very familiar with (where you grew up or have visited frequently) or a place you've never been or experienced?



New York

2. If you choose a place you've never visited how will you be able to make it seem as if you have?
3. What can you do to become more familiar with the details of landmarks?
4. Does your story line demand a specific climate (e.g. if you have an Olympic skier in your story they wouldn't likely live in Florida)?
5. Can you utilize the location to add to your story line or is this place just going to serve as a backdrop?
6. Will readers be able to relate to this location? 
7. Does your story require that your main character travel to many different places?

Toronto

This list is by no means exhaustive and the good news for all writers is that the decision is completely up to you! In the book that I'm working on, my character travels from one location in Canada to another location and has to be constantly "on the move" for various reasons and, luckily, I have visited these places and can describe landmarks in detail and name streets; making the scene believable. So, for this novel I'm set. However, if this wasn't the case, and there have been times I've considered changing the location to more familiar places located in the United States, how would I prepare myself to be able to "sell" the location to readers? Some tools I could use are:

• Google Maps



Vegas

• Geographical Maps
• Wikipedia
• Internet Searches
• Family / Friends (if they have traveled to the destination)
• Other Authors
• Other Blog Authors

Again, not an exhaustive list but a start.

What tools would you utilize to explore a place you've never been?

Happy writing everyone :-)

Becky