Lexicon: Cozy

·         Cozy: a mystery novel generally set in a small town following an amateur sleuth who just happens to get involved with a current police case. 

      Usually not very graphic about the crime/murder and often humorous. 

      Examples: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie, Body Movers by Stephanie Bond, and Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates.

Suggestion: Web Presence is Mandatory

I am very much a follower of "do only what you can maintain" but, at this point in civilization, if you are an author, you must have a website (Jeff Vandermeer's Booklife exemplifies this principle).

This includes four key items:

Author Bio - can be exactly what it says inside your books.

Book Blurbs - can be exactly what it says on the back of your book. Right after the title of your book, make sure to mention if it is part of a series and what number it is.

• If this character has had a major role in a different book, you must put a footnote at the bottom of your blurb. (Ex. If you're character would not be who they are now without the scene you've written in a different character's book - the reader has a right to know that, and read your series in order. If you don't tell the reader, you risk losing them because they didn't have the opportunity to live that moment with your character.)
• This information needs to be upfront for the reader, but not spoil the plots of the books, which is why I very strongly suggest a Book List.

Book List – a published order of your books is sometimes helpful, but the chronological order for your series is more important. Make sure to mention in which books important characters appear.

Upcoming Releases - you want the reader to know you have plans to keep writing. Even if you only know that the next book will be released in Fall of 2017 - put that down. You can always change it later if need be.

You don't have to start blogging or tweaking your page every week. Having a website that displays these four key items will make your writing more accessible and that always leads to more satisfied readers.

With the internet so easily accessible today it is ludicrous to think you don't need your own website. Just because Amazon and Barnes & Noble sell your book, does not mean they are displaying all the information your reader needs.  You can hire someone to make a website, or take a week to make your own through places like Weebly. Who knows, you might even find you like having complete control over your site.

In short: you can make a website because you already know all about these four key items (and have probably already written them).

Books: The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference

The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference
My Verdict: Skim It

If you've ever wondered how to start researching a fantasy novel that you want to set in the medieval ages then The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth And Magic from the editors of Writer's Digest Books is a good place to start. If you are not concerned about politics, clothing, and creatures from the Medieval and Middle Ages, don't bother reading this book. This collection of essays is meant to give you a historical approach to accurate settings for fantasy writers.

This reference book focuses on Europe, but Chapter 2 takes a brief world tour of other cultures that might inspire your own story (one culture per continent). 

Most of the book is bulleted with lists of professions, titles, clothing, anatomy of a castle and much more. If you are planning to use the right names for such details, this will be an indispensable book.

Personally, I feel you can skim or skip Chapters: 3, 4, 6, and 7. 

• Chapters 3 & 4 record the pagan magics in a very dry format. They don't evoke the wonder of using magic, instead they state historically when and where certain cults and societies developed. 
• Chapters 6 & 7 list different races of creatures (ones that obtained societies and civilizations) and monster creatures (horrors to be defeated or understood). If you are unfamiliar with fantasy, the chapters will be helpful. If you've grown up reading fantasy, you will find the lists too short (there are entire dictionaries of fantastical beasts and their origins).

If you'd enjoy a history textbook trimmed down to the essentials for historical world building, this book is for you (and I'd bump the rating up to Read It). It was published in 1998, but is still a good place to start your research because it explains so many terms.

Homework: decide how detailed you want your story to be. Will it be filled with lots of attention to detailing proper names for everything or only a few details sprinkled in to make it faster paced? (Always think back to the audience you are writing for: if you need more than one page to define new terms to the reader you are writing for a smaller more specific audience [perhaps people who have studied or previously enjoyed reading about Ancient Egypt].)


Rating Scale: Keep On Desk, Own it, Read it, Skim it, Don't Bother

Books: How to Write Dazzling Dialogue

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue 
My Verdict: Read It

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript by James Scott Bell is a quick, satisfying read. This book definitely has a few things every writer should know and a number of different exercises that you can try with your current work.

Most of the exercises are editing/review techniques:

• Pick a scene heavy with dialogue and randomly replace one of your lines with a random line from a published book. (Ch 6)

There are also a few which would help in plotting character relations:

• Character Web - bubble map the relationship between all characters [everything from lover, sibling, coworker, to don't know him]. (Ch 6)

And everything has examples, either short crafted sentences or from well known scripts and books. 

Pick up this book if you want a concise review about dialogue and exercises that you can try with your current work.

Homework: start two lists, exercises you have tried that succeeded/were helpful, and exercises that failed.


Rating Scale: Keep On Desk, Own it, Read it, Skim it, Don't Bother

Books: Wired for Story

Wired for Story
My Verdict: Don't Bother

If you want to read about scientific "proof" that just relates common writer advice, then this book is for you. Otherwise, skip it.

Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron attempts to give scientific reasons why you should follow particular story advice. All of the story advice I've heard before, and agreed with, so the scientific proof is unnecessary.

If you do pick up the book, try to:

• Skim through the chapter for the bold print: MYTH vs. REALITY (usually one or two in each chapter). If it makes sense to you, skip ahead to the next bold print.
• Read the checkpoint list at the end of each chapter. If something in one of those doesn't make sense, go back and read through the chapter. These lists could be helpful for reviewing your novel.

Homework: make a list of all the things you should check your novel for during revisions.

(Examples:

• Weather consistency [doesn't change from winter to summer accidentally],
• side characters don't change names or features [do you have too many side characters when one could do the work of all],
• too much/little dialogue in a chapter,
• too much/little scenery [blank room syndrome], etc.)

 Rating Scale: Keep on Desk, Own It, Read It, Skim It, Don’t Bother

Books: The Emotion Thesaurus

The Emotion Thesaurus 
My Verdict: Read It

Have you ever wanted a list of ways a character can express emotion so you can pick out what’s right for your character? The list exists. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi is a catalog of over fifty different emotions. Each emotion is detailed on two pages consisting of: definition, physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, cues of that emotion when acute or long-term (also what the emotion may escalate to), and cues of that emotion when suppressed.

Reading this book cover to cover is not helpful (but it is a little enlightening about which emotions have cues that overlap). You should use this book either:

Before you do the majority of your writing (while you are plotting out your character’s traits)

or

After you write (so you can fix all the clichés you had to leave in your first draft just so you could finish writing the whole story).

I do not suggest using this book while you are writing your first draft because it is more important to get the whole story written down instead of written beautifully (that’s what revision is for).

Maybe you’ve got your three main characters completely mapped out without this book, but what about your side characters? While you’re revising you should decide what motivation each side character has for being on stage. If they aren’t earning their keep, you’ll have to give them the hook. Skim through The Emotion Thesaurus’s Table of Contents as you consider each character. They’re a side character, so they have a life we don’t care about that happens off stage, but how does that affect them while they’re on stage? If your character is in the ER does the Reader care about a boring helpful doctor or one who is angry that his wife just left him? Side characters are an opportunity to up the tension of a scene, not just a means to getting to the next scene.

If you do read this book cover to cover I’d suggest reading one entry a day. Let the ideas for each emotion really sink in. As you read the suggested phrases you might be reminded of the last time you read/heard those words used. Take a moment to note now how you felt about them. Was the phrase used well or did it stick out like asparagus in chocolate pudding? If it was from a book, did you end up enjoying the book as a whole? Reviewing what works for you, and what doesn’t, is a great way to think about what will, and won’t, work for your readers.

As a separate activity set aside some time to flip to the end of each entry and review the Writer’s Tip in the grey box. They’re a good review.

After you try this book out, definitely consider owning it.

Homework: pick a chapter of your novel at random and identify what words or phrases you might be overusing. Spend time figuring out what you really want your character to display and think of alternative ways to say it.

Rating Scale: Keep on Desk, Own It, Read It, Skim It, Don’t Bother

Books: Write Your Novel in a Month

Write Your Novel in a Month
My Verdict: Skim It

In Write Your Novel in a Month: how to complete a first draft in 30 days and what to do next by Jeff Gerke attempts to tackle a lot of information. He purposefully chose to summarize a variety of topics in order to fit everything into one book, because other books have gone in depth on individual themes (some of which he has written). If you want to write a novel or have gotten lost somewhere on your path, this book might be able to point you in the right direction.

Please note that the title says “first draft”. The “thirty days” mentioned throughout the book is meant only for writing your first draft. Not thirty days to conceive your idea, write your novel, and be able to send it to publishers in thirty days. The book is split into three sections: Planning Your Novel (before the thirty days), Writing Your Novel (in thirty days), and Publishing Your Novel (takes place after the thirty days and includes several more revisions of your draft).

Gerke returns to one piece of advice over and over as he covers different topics: “One commandment for fiction…You must engage your reader from beginning to end.” (p. 14-15) As with all writing books you can pick and choose which advice fits for you and what doesn’t.

The most important thing in picking out any writing book is to read the first twenty pages. If the author’s voice, opinion, or structure doesn’t align with what you enjoy – don’t read it. Some people need a casual voice that speaks directly to them. Others want a lecture that’s boiled down to almost no personality. Keep in mind which one you need before spending time trudging through a book you can’t stand.

As a closing note: Gerke states in the introduction, "Film is the highest, most powerful form of storytelling in our culture today, in my opinion, and the principles that make for strong cinema also make for strong fiction." (p. 9).

Take that opinion as you will.

Your homework: spend at least fifteen minutes objectively thinking of your skills as a writer. Pick out the top item you do best, and the worst. Then find a book for each that specializes in that topic. (The best will either confirm or deny your expertise and the worst will help you improve on something you already know is a problem).

Rating Scale: Keep on Desk, Own It, Read It, Skim It, Don’t Bother