Open Book - P.J. MacLayne

It’s A Small, Small, World, But It’s A Big Universe #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 25, 2022 September 25, 2022 Open Book

September 26, 2022

Do you want science to find aliens or find that we are alone in the universe? Does it scare you to think there are likely other beings out there?

Despite hours spent watching the stars, I’ve never seen a UFO or a UAP or whatever you want to call them, but I have friends who claim they have. I don’t take that as proof they exist or they come from another world, because I consider the sightings more likely to be of some unknown military equipment. I am a logical person imbued with a heavy dose of skepticism.

But it’s a big universe we live in, and the world is a speck in the expanse. Logic tells me that the possibility of other forms of life out there is huge, but it’s not something I can prove.

Do I want scientists to prove they exist? (It’s an impossibility to prove they don’t exist.) I’m torn.

I’d like to know if ‘aliens’ exist. The big thing is that I don’t think humans (as a collective entity) have reached a level of maturity that would allow us to interact with a different form of intelligent life. Just look at the world we have. Wars, racism, poverty…you get the concept.

We’ll never be perfect, but I would hope we could become better before making contact with life from another world. I worry that the knowledge that aliens exist would send shockwaves through human society, and we aren’t ready to deal with the changes it would cause. We are, on the whole, resistant to change. Can you imagine how the knowledge would affect religion, politics, and other societal institutions?

Then there would be the debate about whether they are good or bad. Are they looking to destroy the earth (we’re doing pretty good at that already) and enslave us? Or will they be saviors with advanced knowledge to fix all of our problems? Or a bit of both? Are we smart enough to know the difference?

Do I believe there are other civilizations out there? Absolutely. Do I want scientists to prove it? Nope. I’m happy waiting until “we” are better.

We have authors on this hop who write science fiction and fantasy, and I’m really looking forward to what they have to say about this topic. You can find them by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

September 26, 2022

Do you want science to find aliens or find that we are alone in the universe? Does it scare you to think there are likely other beings out there?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

It Takes A Village #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 18, 2022 September 18, 2022 Open Book

September 19, 2022

Share your tips for world-building, even if it’s only a village.

When I started writing The Marquesa’s Necklace, I knew the action would take place in a typical American small town fallen on hard times but clinging to respectability. It would be filled with a mix of grand old Victorian, typical ranch stye homes and everything in between, from brand new to falling apart. The residents reflected that mix, too.

I’d grown up in a town like that, so I didn’t have to research what it would be like. But creating that feeling on paper was a different matter. I didn’t want to spend page after page describing the town I created, so I revealed it in small steps. For example, here’s a description of the lobby of the police station:

Officer Felton left me in the barely furnished lobby. It was a place you don’t want to stay in too long—several hard plastic chairs, a beat-up fake wood end table and a few old magazines scattered about. It smelled like stale cigarettes and appeared not to have been cleaned for weeks. I perched on the edge of a chair and put my hands between my knees to keep from touching anything.

And the information about the battered women’s shelter:

“If I could put you in a safe house, I would, Harmony,” he said softly. “But the town doesn’t have one. Hell, everyone knows where the home for battered women is.”

He’s right. It’s on the corner of Chestnut and Pine. But the angry-looking, black-belt wearing, .45-packing, six foot tall lady who mans the front desk at night is enough of a deterrent to keep most upset exes away.

Or the description of the house that is featured in the series, The Aldridge House

I researched its history when Jake bought the place. The house had been built by Harold, the son of one of the original settlers in Oak Grove, Joseph Aldridge. During the Pennsylvania oil boom, Harold had made big money. When he got married in his mid-forties to a much younger wife, he had the house built as a wedding present for her. Their plans, according to the reports I dredged up, were to fill the house with children. Unfortunately, Harold died in an accident in the oil fields while his wife was pregnant with their first child. She raised the child alone and never remarried, so the big house remained mostly empty. Other families lived in the house after that, but it hadn’t been occupied for years.

Along the way, I learned what really made the town what it is was were the people. Harmony’s overly protective landlords. The smokers huddled outside the back door of her favorite restaurant, and Al, the owner. Freddie, the sometimes-friendly police detective. Harmony’s closest friends. With each book, the list grew. For example, Mrs. Axcel:

Lots of folks in the neighborhood tried to help her keep the place up. She fed me milk and cookies too because she was just happy to have someone to talk to. She told me she wanted to stay in the house as long as possible. It’s the house she and her husband bought when they were newlyweds and they raised all three of their kids in it.

And that’s how I built my world. One person, one building at a time, until the town had become as much of a character in the books as any other. My readers are welcome visitors. Maybe the cousin from out of town, or there for the bird watching festival.

To find out how other authors build their worlds, follow the links below. For now, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

September 19, 2022

Share your tips for world-building, even if it’s only a village.

The Fame! The Glory! The Money! #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 11, 2022 September 11, 2022 Open Book

September 12, 2022

If your book took off tomorrow with enormous worldwide interest and sales, are you prepared for all that entails?

We dream about it, amirite? One of our books skyrocketing into major success. NYT bestseller list, here we come. But are we ready?

I’m not. I just moved onto a new house in a new state and the new experience of being retired from my day job. Shoot, I only got my office pulled together last week. The concept of not having a daily schedule to follow has thrown me for a loop. But, slowly, I’m getting a handle on my changed life. Having it tossed off course so soon would stretch me in ways I’m not prepared to handle.

After all, I am a one-person show. There’s no one else to answer my emails, take phone calls, or keep up my social media pages. Sure, I could rope my husband into helping, but that would take a lot of coaching at first. When would I find time to write?

Then there’s the travel required. Once upon a time, I did a lot of travelling all over the US for my job (that was before I started writing fiction) but I haven’t been on a plane for several years. I could do interviews over the internet, but book signings would require in-person appearances.

I know an author or two who do personal assistant work to help support themselves, so as soon as money started coming in, I could hire them to help. (It takes 60-90 days to get what you’ve earned from Amazon.) There would be other business expenses to plan for, along with a separate bank account to handle them. And taxes. I’d have to restructure my financial setup to cover income taxes.

Could I make the changes needed? Not overnight. Truth is, while it’s a sweet dream, it’s nothing I expect to happen, so I don’t have to worry about it.

Some of the other authors on this hop have had more experience with writing success than me. Find out how they handled it by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

September 12, 2022

If your book took off tomorrow with enormous worldwide interest and sales, are you prepared for all that entails?

Interview With The Detective #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 5, 2022 September 5, 2022 Open Book

September 5, 2022

Interview one of your characters (not your main character.) How do they feel playing second fiddle to your main character?

Note to those folks who have read the entire Harmony Duprie series: Chronologically, I have placed this interview around the time of the Contessa’s Brooch.

I met with Detective Frederick Thomason of the Oak Grove Police Department at Mama D’s, a local restaurant, for lunch. It was the first time he’d ever agreed to be interviewed that wasn’t connected to a case. He ordered spaghetti, and I opted to try the chicken parmigiana.

I expected him to be bigger-than-life based on the stories I’d heard, but in real-life I wouldn’t have picked him out as anything but average, except for the cop haircut. While we waited for our food, we chatted about the weather and the local high school sports teams to break the ice. Once we had settled into our meals, I transitioned to the interview.

Me: “To catch my readers up, I’ll ask a few basic questions, Detective, if you don’t mind.”

Him: (with a grin} “I’m off duty. Call me Freddie.”

Me: “Thank you, Freddie. How long have you been with the Oak Grove Police?”

Him: “Almost fourteen years. I got accepted to the force right out of college. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. A couple of older cops were getting ready to retire, and the chief was looking to hire locally to gain points with the City Council. Shoot, I had a job before I had time to get all my stuff moved out of my parents’ home and into my own apartment.”

Me: “My research suggests you rose through the ranks in record time.”

Him: (taking his time to finish chewing a forkful of spaghetti before answering) “Another case of good timing. Having grown up locally, I knew where all the hangouts were, who I could trust, and people knew they could trust me. As a result, I closed more cases and when a detective position was added, the chief picked me over some other patrolman that had been around longer.”

Me: “It caused some resentment, according to the rumor mill.”

Him: “Sometimes, the rumor mill gets things right. Those officers mostly chose to look for other opportunities once it became clear I knew what I was doing.”

Me: “Was Harmony Duprie around at that time? The rumor mill also suggests she has something to do with your success.”

Him: “Harmony’s contribution to the police is a closely guarded secret, per her request. However, she’s five years younger than I am, and we didn’t go to school together or move in the same social circles. In fact, I believe she was still in college when I made detective.”

Me “But you dated?”

Him: (raising an eyebrow) “You’re a bit of a detective yourself, aren’t you? Yes, we dated. Briefly. With disastrous results. I couldn’t turn my inner cop off when she needed a friend. I made the mistake of searching some of her private papers, trying to solve a case in which she was a victim, and lost her trust. But one good thing came out of that disaster—Harmony introduced me to my girlfriend.”

Me: “Yet she continued to assist the police?”

Him: “That’s privileged information.”

Me: “Do you resent that the rumor mill gives her credit for your success?”

Him: (Putting his fork down midway through loading it with pasta) “Excuse me?”

Me: “She takes away from your success in the eyes of the local citizenry. How does that make you feel?”

Him: (Leaning across the table) “Despite our difficulties, Harmony has proven herself to be a good friend and an asset to this community in more ways than one. Ways that I shouldn’t know about and can’t reveal. Anyone who suggests I resent her has no idea what they are talking about. I can’t speak for other officers on the force, but I know the Chief feels the same way as I do. We would do anything to protect her.”

Me: “I apologize. I also heard she has a way of attracting people’s loyalty. I should have realized it would include you.”

Him: (Chuckling) “That’s not all she attracts. She gets into more trouble than any one person ever should. It’s not that she does anything to attract it, but trouble has a way of finding her. The department Has been able to handle things, but she keeps us on our toes. I’ve never told her about the reputed car thieves we’ve caught eyeing her fancy red Jaguar. She calls it a cop magnet, but doesn’t realize it’s also a bad guy magnet.”

The detective’s phone beeped. He glanced at it, pushed his chair back, and stood. “Sorry, but we’ll have to cut this short. Work calls. At least it has nothing to do with Harmony this time. You can email me if you need additional info for your article.”

Me: “Thank you for your time. Stay safe out there.”

September 5, 2022

Interview one of your characters (not your main character.) How do they feel playing second fiddle to your main character?

Exploring Short Stories #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 28, 2022 August 28, 2022 Open Book

August 29, 2022

Do you ever write short stories? What do you see as the biggest difference in the writing process between a short story and a full-length book?

Novels are my primary form, but I have explored and published a few short stores. I wrote two of them for collections that are no longer available. But for every book I’ve written, I’ve reached a point where I’ve wondered if I’d get enough words to call it a novel. (50,000 words is the figure often used to denote a full-length novel, but that number can vary by genre.) Short stories have the opposite challenge—fitting the plot and characters into few enough words. (Usually between 1,500 and 10,000.) Considering my longest book, the Ranger’s Dog Tags, is about 90,000 words, and the shortest, The Fall of Jake Hennessey, ran 52,000, you can understand the difficulty I have writing something much shorter.

What’s the difference? The writing has to be tighter. Descriptions need to be hints and not long strings of flowery phrases. Same for the characters—there’s no room for lengthy speeches or action scenes to build their personalities. Everything has to be compact.

But creating those short stories helped me become a better writer. They forced me to show, not tell, and made me reach for the thesaurus to find the exact word instead of settling for one that was close enough. Those changes slow down my writing speed, but also translate to less editing. One of the short stories took me almost six months to complete. I’m currently writing at the non-breakneck speed of one book a year. (Compare that to authors who strive to complete a book a month. Every month.) They also forced me to do more plot development before I put words on paper, although I remail a pantser (writing by discovery.)

While I don’t expect to ever adopt the short story as my default writing style, I wouldn’t object to writing another one if the right opportunity presented itself. I enjoyed the experience.

How do the other authors on this hop feel about the short story form? You can find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

August 29, 2022

Do you ever write short stories? What do you see as the biggest difference in the writing process between a short story and a full-length book?

Edit Until You’re Finished #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 21, 2022 August 22, 2022 Open Book

August 22, 2022

How do you know when you’ve done all the editing you can on your story? Or that you’ve gone too far?

Writing can be hard work. Editing is harder, but it’s necessary. There is punctuation to be checked, words that need replaced, plot holes to be closed, sentences and scenes deleted and more. A simple edit can take hours. A more in-depth one can take weeks. Then, a writer has to go back and do it all again. And again.

I did at least five edits on my last book, as well as putting it through a critique group and a professional edit. (I lost count!) By the time I got to the final edit (listening to my book read by a computer voice) I still loved the story but was losing the ability to give it my full attention.

That’s when I knew I was done. If I kept going, I was in danger of breaking things instead of fixing them. Add to that the possibility of changing the plot so much that the story is turned into an entirely different book—which can be very good or very bad.

For fun, here’s a deleted scene from The Fall of Jake Hennessey. It was amusing, but took away from the tension I was building at that point.

“Anything exciting happen the last few days?” Jake asked Marco as they watched a group of young people gather across the street. He’d barely made it to town in time for his Friday night shift and was in need of a shower and coffee. At least he could get the coffee when things were slow.

“Not a thing. How many of those kids have fake IDs?” Marco jerked his chin their direction.

Jake grinned. “If I was a betting man, I’d say half of them. Mostly the girls.”

Marco groaned. “We’ve worked together too long. We’re starting to think alike. So, let’s make it interesting. How much are they going to offer as a bribe to let them go in?”

Jake checked the IDs of a young couple—they were authentic—and answered once they were inside. “The tall blonde is going to offer to show us her tits. The shorter one is going to giggle and blush. The two brunettes are going to roll their eyes and pout. The preppy-looking dude thinks he’s a big man and will offer us ten bucks. Not each, but to split between the two of us.”

Marco quirked one side of his mouth. “I don’t know how you do it, man. That’s as perfect as a prediction as any I’ve heard. I’d be a fool to bet against that. What’s your secret?”
“You’ll never get it out of me,” Jake joked. Only Harmony could do that. He longed to hold her. But he needed to break things off before she got mixed up in his secrets.

Marco’s fingers snapping in front of his face brought him back to the real world.

“Back to earth, Wonder Boy. We’re about to find out how good you are.” Marco chuckled. “Here they come.”

Have I ever gone too far in editing? When I debate changing the same word to another one that means the same thing and then switch it back again,, I know I’ve hit the limit or gone past it. That’s when you have to trust your instincts and let the words speak for themselves.

How do other authors know when they are done editing? Find out by following the links below. And, as always, please stay safe until the next time!

August 22, 2022

How do you know when you’ve done all the editing you can on your story? Or that you’ve gone to far?

Top 5 Gotta-Haves #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 14, 2022 August 15, 2022 Open Book

August 15, 2022

What are 5 must-have things you keep on your desk, and how do you use them?

When it boils down, there are only two things I really need to write. A pen or pencil and paper. But that wouldn’t make for much of a blog post, so I’ll share some other things that make my desk a friendlier writing place. I haven’t settled into a new routine since we moved, and still don’t have my office set up, so I haven’t done much writing and all my answers are subject to change.

A beverage. The choice will vary depending upon the time of day and what mood I am in. Mornings often start with a cup of fruit tea – peach or white pear. The rest of the day, it’s cold water. Now that I’m retired, adult beverages have joined the lineup.
Music of some sort. Often it’s classic rock or John Denver. This evening I’m sitting on our deck, so it’s bird songs and crickets. (I’m not sure what kind of birds.)
A dictionary and a thesaurus. I suppose that should count as two things, but for this list, I’m going to clump them together. I have both physical copies and use what is available on the internet. I prefer my physical thesaurus over a virtual one. Wandering through the nearby listings of related words expands my choices and sends me down related paths to stumble across the perfect word.
A fidget spinner or something else to fiddle with. The older I get, the harder time I have concentrating for any length of time. (Or maybe it’s a symptom of the stress of the last year as I prepared to retire and move.) Having something to toy with as I try to come up with the next sentence keeps me from wandering off to some interesting distraction on the internet.
And my top need? It’s not a thing at all. It’s being alone. All my to-dos done, no one interrupting me, no guilt about taking time for myself. It’s a rare luxury.

There you go. My top 5 must-haves. But other authors may have different needs. You can find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

August 15, 2022

What are 5 must-have things you keep on your desk, and how do you use them?

Through A Child’s Eyes #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 7, 2022 August 7, 2022 Open Book

August 8, 2022

Do you think the child you were would be impressed by the person you’ve become?

It’s been a long time since I was a kid. (Long enough ago that it was impolite to use the word ‘kid’ to describe a young human. Kids were baby goats.) In the last few weeks, I’ve moved onto a new stage in my life—I’ve retired from my day job. Still, I remember many things about how I felt as a child, and I am confident that I would be impressed by how I turned out.

I remember an instance—I think I was 8 at the time—that I tried to figure out how old I would be in the year 2000. I was in the kitchen, probably helping with the dishes after supper, when the idea struck me. Little me couldn’t figure out the math, but I knew I would be old. I might even be dead. And here I am, in 2022, like the Energizer bunny, still going.

Young me would also be impressed that I’ve published 10 books (so far), especially my mysteries. I’d already discovered my love of reading, but writing a book hadn’t entered my mind. My plan to read every book in the school library before I graduated didn’t work out, but I’m good with adding a few stories for someone else to read in another library somewhere.

What else? That me would have been impressed that I ended up working in the tech field, something that was only science fiction back then, although I don’t remember reading science fiction. Biographies and mysteries were more my thing.

The one thing that would have impressed little me the most? The number of people I’ve met and become friends with through writing. I was an introvert—still am—and making friends was tough. It still is, but writing has helped me break through the self-created boundaries. Now I have friends all around the world. Freaks me out.

So, yes. The child I was would be impressed with the person I’ve become. I wonder how the other authors feel? You can find out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

August 8, 2022

Do you think the child you were would be impressed by the person you’ve become?

On Your Mark, Get Set #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 1, 2022 August 1, 2022 Open Book

August 1, 2022

Do you have any tips on controlling pacing in your stories? How do you manage it?

I plead guilty. More than one reader has noted in a review that my story was slow at the start, but once they got into it, they couldn’t put it down. I’ve worked to correct that, but it’s hard to know if I’m been successful. I don’t consider myself a master of technique, but what have I done?

First, I’ve tried making my openings start with a bang. We’ve discussed that on this blog hop previously – getting the beginnings right. It’s hard to do. I’ve rewritten the beginning of my work in progress probably ten times, paring it down from 3000 words to about 250. (I’ll get back to writing the rest of the story soon!)

You’ve all heard the advice about “show, not tell.” No need for me to expand on it. Or about using dialogue when possible. There is truth in both statements, but sometimes a story will demand the rules be broken. Neither will resolve the issue of pacing; making sure the story doesn’t drag in spots.

When I think of pacing, I usually consider the overall ebb and flow. I like to give readers a “breather” after a major scene to allow them to take in what just happened. But how slow or fast an individual moment takes is what keeps the reader involved.

Pacing isn’t only the the way the action flows. I’m not a fan of long sentences and paragraphs. Just seeing a block of text that takes up an entire page can be daunting. It’s also an indicator of slow pacing, in most instances. (Depending on genre. Non-fiction plays by different rules.) But having a lot of short, one sentence paragraphs can also make a reader lose interest. As always, the trick is finding the right balance.

I’ve also worked to improve my word choices. (See show not tell.) This is the area I need to work on the most. A lot of those changes happen in editing, as I try not to let finding the exact word I need slow down my writing flow. I also try to get rid of ‘filler’ words in my editing. (So, but, and similar words.) They will slow down the pace of a scene.

What do the other authors have say about pacing? You can find out by following the links below. As always, please stay safe until next time.

August 1, 2022

Do you have any tips on controlling pacing in your stories? How do you manage it?

When Is It Not Enough Or Too Much? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 24, 2022 July 24, 2022 Open Book

July 25, 2022

How do you avoid giving readers TMI (too much information) about a character? How do you decide what to share about a story’s characters?

I am still getting moved in to our new home. Today we hung three pictures and I put away most of our souvenir mugs.

You don’t care, right? What if I told you if I told you we found the perfect place of honor for a picture that was my mother’s, an aerial view of our hometown, mounting it on the wall above her cedar chest in our new dining room? Are you a bit interested?

Now what if I told you we installed the hangers 18 inches from the ceiling and centered on a 56 inch wide blue-gray wall? Have I lost you again?

Writing is a balancing act, walking a tightrope between not enough detail and too much. The challenge is finding the pivot point. How does an author know when they’ve gone too far?

The answer changes based on genre and target audience. A home decorator will key into different details than a mathematician. Fantasy requires different details than cozy mysteries. Authors need to look at their writing thru their readers’ eyes and decide what is needed. More important questions are – do the details enhance the story? Help develop the plot? Give insight into the character? (Or too much – there may be things a reader should wait to discover.) There’s also the question if the details slow the pace of the story.

A trap that some authors fall into is repeating the same information in the story. Does the main character have brown hair and wear glasses? The reader doesn’t need to be reminded of those facts each time he or she enters the scene. In most cases, once is enough.

So, how much is too much? That’s up to the readers to decide. Do you really care that I unwrapped a mug from Yellowstone and put it in the kitchen cupboard today? And one from Daytona Beach Bike Week 1997? And from Kennedy Space Center? And – okay. I’ll stop now.

But don’t forget to check out what the other authors on this hop have to say about the fine art of not giving too much information. Just follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 25, 2022

How do you avoid giving readers TMI (too much information) about a character? How do you decide what to share about a story’s characters?

Category: Open Book

It’s A Small, Small, World, But It’s A Big Universe #OpenBook Blog Hop

It Takes A Village #OpenBook Blog Hop

The Fame! The Glory! The Money! #OpenBook Blog Hop

Interview With The Detective #OpenBook Blog Hop

Exploring Short Stories #OpenBook Blog Hop

Edit Until You’re Finished #OpenBook Blog Hop

Top 5 Gotta-Haves #OpenBook Blog Hop

Through A Child’s Eyes #OpenBook Blog Hop

On Your Mark, Get Set #OpenBook Blog Hop

When Is It Not Enough Or Too Much? #OpenBook Blog Hop

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