Intensity Scale

I've been working on my "Make a Scene" presentation for the Rappahannock Writers' Conference 2022 that will be held in-person and virtual on Saturday, November 5, 2022. Scenes are the building blocks of a book and have a beginning, middle, and end. Think of a three-act play or even your daily life. Mornings set the action of your day, middle of the day is when you perform those actions, and at night you are wrapping things up. Every scene has to contain new information. Tension is needed in every genre, though it varies by the genre. In the book, "Plot and Structure," by James Scott Bell, he includes an intensity scale for rating the scenes between 0 and 10. I love this idea and have included it in my presentation, giving Mr. Bell full credit. Mr. Bell states that scenes rated as 0 should probably be discarded, and those rated 10 should be few. Ten, he says, is over the top. Tension can be added through dialogue, description, and narrative. Tension is built through conflict. As in any book, pacing is critical. An author has to pace their scenes in lenght throughout the book. Too many short tension scenes will tire the reader. You want to keep the reader turning the pages. In my book, Fatal Dose, the tension rises when Caitlyn learns that illegal drugs are being shipped from New York City to Buffalo through central New York. Knowing how many lives are lost by using these drugs, she takes on the drug lord in charge of the shipments. And the tension rises.

Deciding on a book's setting

A reader asked why I chose the Adirondacks for my latest book, "Deadly Secrets." A great question as it prompted discussion on all my books. I explained that setting can be character, and that I chose settings that I can be passionate about. It boils down to my passion about being near water, and in rural settings. When my Virginia neighbors wanted me to bring Caitlyn's investigation to a Virginia setting, I couldn't get excited about the setting being in the middle of the state, even though every part of Virigina is stunning. Then I thought of the Northern Neck and the Chesapeake Bay. That's where "The Death of Cassie White" is set. "Deadly Secrets," my latest book will make everyone happy. Caitlyn, the protagonist, falls into an investigation in the town of Pont-Aven, New York that is situated on the shores of Lake Champlain. Her partner and mirror character, Ethan Ewing has started his new job with the FBI. He is challenged with a cybercrime case that begins with a stolen artifact from the Library of Congress Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia. Another passion is genealogy, and in "Fatal Dose, I wove in a genealogy subplot along with the water theme. And then there is wine. I seem to feature wineries in my books. And, books can be read anywhere.

Fatal Dose is with First Readers!

Bookmarks made by Suzette Young

There are milestones when writing a book, and getting the manuscript finished enough to share is one of those.

A week ago I mailed a bound copy of the manuscript to each of my three first readers. I should have felt a huge relief, but instead, I was in high anxiety. All that work, a year and a half of trying to piece together a readable, enjoyable story – was now out of my hands. What would my first readers think about what I have written?

It is part of the writing process that is nerve wracking, but I thank God every day for my caring and talented friends who offered to take on the job. It is not one to be taken lightly.

A first reader has to take off their “friend” hat and put on their hard core professional one. This is a job. They have to dissect the story. Are the characters developed enough? Is the setting developed to the point where the reader is drawn into the location? Is the plot interesting? Do the story lines come together at the end? Are the questions answered? Does the protagonist change/grow by the end? Does the theme weave through the book?

And then there is formatting, point of view, typos, repeated information, and on and on.

When all this is done, first readers put on their “friend” hat again, and present their findings to the author in a way that doesn’t hurt or discourage, but instead encourages the author to make the story stronger, better, utilizing their suggestions.

I am blessed with first readers that are experts at doing all of the above, and I’m energized by their comments.

Keep writing and enjoy the journey.

Fatal Dose – The Next Caitlyn Jamison Mystery

I announced during the Island Branch Library presentation in February the title of my second Caitlyn Jamison mystery is Fatal Dose. I had a different working title, but as the story progressed and the characters did their usual thing and changed the story, Fatal Dose was more appropriate.

There is a lot going on in this book and my challenge is to see if I can manage several plot lines, one of which has a genealogy twist. It’s fun to watch how the new secondary characters took over the story line, vying for prime time against the main characters. I remain humbled by the fact that I am only the author; the characters are in control.

Having said that, I think they have done a good job with the story. I applaud my new characters, Steven Sullivan and Verna Adams, who took the story into areas I hoped to avoid. Pushed beyond my comfort level, my writing has grown.

Thank you, Steven and Verna!