Which way to go?

Photo: Andrea Kalteis

What comes first, the book or the pitch? Put another way, do you develop the larger idea of a book to test out with your agent/publisher, before writing the book? Or do you write the book and then look for the pitch in it? Or?

by Dietrich

I like to start with the easy part, writing the novel. It grows from an idea to a first draft, to a second draft, then to a third. Timelines and facts get checked, then the whole thing gets polished until it’s ready to send out.

Then I write the pitch. And for me, this is the tough part, boiling several hundred pages down to just a few lines. 

I learned to have a pitch ready the hard way when I went to my first Bouchercon. Another author came up and asked me what my debut novel was about, and after stammering out a more fizzle than sizzle answer, I realized I just sounded like I didn’t know what my own story was about.

Since that time, I have the spiel ready as soon as the novel reaches completion. Whether I’m pitching to an agent, publisher, or a reader, and whether it’s written or spoken, it needs to be fresh and compelling if the pitch stands a chance of being followed by a hit.

I avoid writing an unnecessarily long one, the kind of thing nobody’s going to remember. As I said, getting it down to a paragraph is a challenge, and condensing it down further, to just a line or two, is even more so. There’s a lot to be considered here: main characters, desire, conflict, what’s at stake, does it have a hook — something to leave the reader or listener wanting more.

When I think I have it right, I bounce it off my wife and son. They’ll let me know if it’s any good.

And while it’s often good to keep to a formula, making sure the key ingredients are in the pitch, sometimes it pays to think outside the box. I read somewhere that when a young James Cameron was pitching the sequel for Alien, he stepped into the boardroom to sell the project to the studio execs who he knew weren’t excited about it and were set to turn it down. Instead of getting into his spiel, all he did was walk up to the chalkboard, and he wrote the word ALIENS, drawing a vertical line through the S – ALIEN$. Then he turned to the room and grinned. The studio green-lit the project that day.

Since we’re on the topic of pitching, let me give you the long and the short for my latest, Under an Outlaw Moon — it’s coming in early November.

The long: The novel’s based on the true story of depression-era bank robbers, Bennie and Stella Mae Dickson. He’s a few years older and he’s trouble. She’s a teenage outsider longing to fit in. They meet at a local skating rink and the sparks fly. Soon they’re planning their new life together. 

They marry and Stella dreams of a nice house with a swing out back, while Bennie figures out how to get enough money to make it happen. Setting his sights on the good life, he decides to rob a bank. Talking Stella into it, he lays out his plan and teaches her to shoot. The newlyweds celebrate her sixteenth birthday by robbing a local bank. 

They pull it off, but the score is small, and Bennie realizes the money won’t last long, so he plans a bigger robbery. What lays ahead is more than either of them bargained for. After J. Edgar Hoover finds out they crossed state lines, he declares them public enemies number one and two, making Bennie and Stella the most hunted outlaws in the country — wanted dead or alive. So much for the good life. The manhunt is on, and there’s little room for them to run.

The short: Meet depression-era newlyweds Bennie and Stella. He’s reckless, she’s naive. Longing for freedom from tough times, they rob a bank. Soon they top the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ list. So much for the good life.

Go by the gut

Do you think about craft while you are writing? (how to construct good characters, settings, plot) Or do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?”

by Dietrich

I don’t think about craft as I write, I just let it happen. If it feels right, it goes on the page. There’s always the next draft to catch what seems wrong or isn’t worth keeping, and I often chuck things out and add in better parts. The first draft usually runs a hundred pages or so, then by the time the second draft’s done, it’s more than doubled. And it grows with every pass. I never know until I get to the last page whether it needs more work. And I’ve learned when it’s done and not to overwork it.

Craft is the part that got me to the starting point where I felt I could let the creativity loose. I read some books on the subject, two of which I recommended a couple of posts back, and then there was some trial and error, and some instinct. Some of what I gathered seeped in by reading the works of great writers. One part that needed plenty of attention when I started was my rusty grammar. It had slipped from the time I left school to the time I actually started writing. So, I got a stack texts on the subject and studied until my eyes crossed. It was a great exercise and it came in handy. Now my subjects and verbs tend to agree; I know the difference between effect and affect, and I can spot a dangling modifier from a page away. Although the exercise did leave me wondering why the language mavens haven’t come up with a pronoun for when we don’t know if a person is male or female – we can’t just keep calling them ‘they’ or when there’s just one of them, can we?

The funny thing is I often toss the rule book of language right out the window and err on the side of what sounds right for the story; let’s call it style. Sometimes when I reread a page, there’s barely a grammar rule to be found. I let my characters speak in their own words, and I can tell you most of those marginals never studied grammar at all.

On constructing characters: Well, I come up with an idea for a scene or story and drop in the kind of character I’d like to see in the situation. Then over the course of the writing I get to know them, or rather I let them show me who they are. I don’t guide them, I let their nature do that, and that comes out as the story progresses. And by the time I’ve got a first or second draft, the characters seem pretty authentic and real.

The setting comes that way too. I think of a scene and then I come up with the best time and place for the situation, and the story builds by scene to scene.

Plot isn’t plotted, not in my house. I let my instinct take care of that too.

Do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?” Once I gained some confidence, a style or voice developed. I came to know my strengths and weaknesses, like when something isn’t working and has to to taken out, and I’ve come to know when a story is finished, and it’s time to stop polishing it. So, yes, these days I just let ‘er rip.

Living in a bubble

Who, or what, is keeping you relatively sane these days? Are you able to stay motivated? How?

by Dietrich

I live in uninformed bliss, in a bubble you might say. I don’t read or watch the news. Let’s face it, there’s never much that’s uplifting in those headlines, and there’s just not much that I need to know. Besides, there’s always somebody around that’s willing to bring me up to speed on all the doom and gloom. “Hey, did you hear about …”

I stay motivated by keeping my head down and writing more than ever these days. When I do come up for air, I make it fresh air, and it’s amazing how good I feel after going for a long walk through the woods or along the water’s edge.

I read a lot and I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately; great words are such a motivation for a writer. And it doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, as long as I think it’s good. And I love taking in art that feels uplifting. I could spend a week at the McMichael Gallery north of Toronto and just stare at those amazing works by The Group of Seven. And music puts a bounce in my step, like the new albums by Neil Young and Billy Gibbons – stuff that makes the toes start tapping – ever see a writer dance? God, what a sight – cover the mirrors.

I try not to take anything too seriously. I accept that sometimes stuff happens. And I try to roll with it, and not in it. Laughing is a good way to keep sane, and I like to catch shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I grew up laughing along with National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, Monty Python, the Goons, and French and Saunders. And I always love catching some good stand-up. Lately it’s been Brits like Josh Widdicombe, Sarah Millican, Greg Davies, Joe Lycett, Gina Yashere, Alan Carr, James Acaster – God, what do they put in their water over there?

Oh, and I’m pretty thrilled about the new book too, Cradle of the Deep, coming out this fall, November 3rd to be exact. You can check it out here. And the audiobook for it is being recorded this week, and I was given a chance to listen to the auditions, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what Vancouver actor Keith McKecknie does with the telling; he’s got the perfect voice for the story, and he just nails the rhythm of the words. 

With this COVID thing, it doesn’t look like I’ll be traveling down the coast to California this fall, and it looks like most of the promotion for the new book will likely end up on line. But, that’s okay, it’ll give me more time to start working on the next one.

Behind the scenes

Writing is a lonely pursuit but the community is strong and supportive. There are many unsung acts of kindness and generosity going on behind the scenes. Tell us who has mentored you in your writing career or gone above and beyond to help you get a leg up in the business.

by Dietrich

Solo maybe, but never lonely.

I first noticed the generosity of the writing community soon after I signed the contract for my first novel. Months before the book was released I traveled to Albany to my first Bouchercon. My publisher Jack David recommended that I check it out, then arranged for me to catch a ride from Toronto with Canadian author John McFetridge, a guy I hadn’t met, but a crime- fiction author who I’d been reading for years, one of Canada’s best in my opinion. Needless to say, I was thrilled to go on that road trip. We got along really well, had a lot of common interests, and I learned a lot about the industry from John on that drive. At the conference, I met a lot of other authors and folks in the business, along with many avid readers. And right out of the gate, I was taken by the sense of community and the level of support writers had for each other. As a matter of fact, a couple of the writers I met there write or have written on this blog.

Two years after that one, publisher Jack piled a van full of ECW authors, John McFetridge among them, and we drove from Toronto to Bouchercon in North Carolina. Over a dozen hours on the road one way, we arrived in the wee hours. During the next few days, I again noticed the camaraderie and support of the writing community.

After the first book came out, I attended many writing events and book launches and festivals. I met a lot of writers, and I picked up some tips by watching pros like William Deverell and Owen Laukkanen entertain audiences at their book launches.

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” — Ernest Hemingway

After catching the event-bug, I started organizing Noir at the Bar events here in Vancouver. I really didn’t have a clue about what I was doing at first, I just wanted to see it happen, and I was pleased that authors were eager to sign up and even more pleased with the great turnouts that these events have had over the years. And I need to mention the great deal of support from one of my favorite local bookshops, White Dwarf/DeadWrite Books. The owners, Walter and Jill, have been at every event, bringing and selling books for all the authors that have taken part since the first one back in 2014.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

— Richard Bach 

Every great writer I’ve ever read over the years has been a mentor. Their words continue to inspire me and make me want to do better. Then there’s Jack and everybody at ECW Press who have worked on one aspect or another of my stories, and there’s Emily Schultz who’s been my editor through eight novels to date, and she’s so good at what she does – a great author too.

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” — Louis L’Amour

Every writer knows what it takes to put out a finished work, so it’s a good thing writers tend to be supportive of each other – funny way to behave really since we’re all competitors too.

Bring out your read

How do you decide what to read? Word of mouth? Reviews? Browsing in bookstores? Etc. And what’s the most important factor in your decision?

by Dietrich

All of those ways work for me: word of mouth, reviews and browsing the bookstores. When I find an author’s work that engages me, then I check for a backlist. And I keep them in mind for future works. I have a growing list of favorite authors, and I always look forward to what they’ve got coming next. Authors like Don Winslow, George Pelecanos, James Ellroy and James Lee Burke top my list. And there are those authors who aren’t around anymore, and I’m still going through and catching up with their backlists, authors like Donald E. Westlake, Robert B. Parker and George V. Higgins. And there are some authors who I like to reread, like James Crumley, Charles Willeford, and Elmore Leonard.

Sometimes a friend recommends a book because they know the type of book I like. And I also like to stop in at one of my favorite indie bookstores, pick up something that catches my eye and read the first few pages. Often I can pick a winner from the first few paragraphs. If the author’s voice works for me, then that usually does the trick. We’re lucky to have some great indie bookstores in Vancouver, and the folks behind the counters often make some great recommendations too. Most libraries have a ‘librarians picks’ section, and I often browse titles that I might otherwise pass up. Best-seller lists and award winning-books can also get my attention. I also like to listen to author's read their work at events like a Noir at the Bar, book launches and writers festivals.

There are reviewers and bloggers whose opinions I respect. Col’s Criminal Library on the net is a good source. Colman Keane’s tastes run much in the same direction as my own, so when he gives a book four or five stars, I take his word for it. Of course, there are the daily newspapers that feature book reviews, and sites like Goodreads, LibraryThing, Bookish, Kirkus, Book Riot, to name a few. And there are blog sites like this one, and my fellow criminal minds often recommend (as well as write) some great books.

I can also be swayed by a blurb on the back of a book jacket, although, let’s face it, no publisher’s going to put a bad review or blurb on the back cover.

Titles and cover designs often catch my eye. And that can get me picking a book off the shelf too. Of course, from there it’s up to the opening pages.

No regrets

With thousands of new titles being published every day, what do you do to try to raise your new book above the fray and catch the eye of readers?

by Dietrich

Well, aside from coming up with a catchy title, an eye-catching cover and making the best use of the marketing avenues available to authors – minus the limitations brought on by the recent lockdown that all of us have had to deal with, cancelations to reading events and seminars, conventions, and so on – the best thing I can do is to focus on my work in progress and make it the best book I can. Of course, that part comes long before I’m thinking of catching the eye of the reader.

I listen to the marketing and publicity people at my publishing house; they know their stuff. And as far as publicity for the title I’ve got coming up in the fall, we’ll be discussing that soon, and it may mean that more of the promotion will have to be done across the internet. As well as physical book tours and events, I have been doing blog tours and podcasts for the past few years, so I’m okay with that. They’re fun, easy and have been quite effective.

But back to making it the best book I can. Getting into that head space every day and moving the book forward is always key. I try to keep a level of energy going through the various stages of writing. Adding new ideas and building characters, considering what to take out and what to keep in, in general moving it forward. And having fun and being creative with it. Finding that flow. 

There are books I’ve read over the years that have inspired my own writing. And many of those just seem to deserve a spot at the top of any book lover’s list. Timeless classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Catch 22, and A Clockwork Orange, and so many more of that caliber. 

And being in this lockdown mode, I’ve been reading more lately, and finding some really good books across various genres. And I’ve found plenty of inspiration in them. Here are some I’d like to pass on and highly recommend: Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young, The Body by Stephen King, The Comedy is Finished by Donald E. Westlake, Mortherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Letham, Split Image by Robert B. Parker, and Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.

Of course, there are many books making the shelves at bookstores that are well written and don’t get the recognition that they seem to deserve. What would have made the difference for them? That’s a question that can leave a lot of publishing people scratching their heads. But, I think at the end of the day if I’m happy with what I’ve created, then that should be enough. Although I have nothing against knocking one right out of the park.

Inside out

"We're in the strangest time many of us have ever known right now. How do you decide how much of the outside world to include in your work?”

by Dietrich

Strange times indeed, and I could go on about that, but the question is how much of the outside world do I include in my work?

When I stumble on some real-life event that I find interesting and story-worthy, I like to let my imagination run with it and come up with different twists and turns. And sometimes I find a few other real events that fit in as the story progresses. By the time I’m done, there’s not necessarily much that’s recognizable from any of the original real-life inspiration. 

In my novel coming out in the fall, Cradle of the Deep, there are references to news events and happenings from the early 70s, the period the story is set in. Using actual events lent some flavor and credibility, but the story itself is pure fiction. The one coming out after that is also complete, but it follows the real-life happenings of a little known bank-robbing couple who lived in the 30s, making that one more truth than fiction.

There’s obviously more latitude in creating pure fiction than in following actual events, and usually less research is involved in the former than in the latter, but I loved writing both of them. And I like finding challenges and new ways to keep the writing creative and interesting, and sometimes that means trying something different and taking a few chances.    

The whole process of writing a novel normally takes me up to a year, with edits and more edits coming later and tacked on top. So, the initial idea really has to grab me in order for me to want to invest that amount of time in it. And usually the kind of events that interest me most offer some levity. And right now, there’s just not much going on in the world that would make me want to write about it. Maybe it’s all just a little too close to home at the moment.

And how much of the outside world to include – well, that’s a case of balancing. Generally I want enough detail to paint the scene for the reader and still keep the pace moving. I’m usually stingy with the amount of description, and many a darling has been sacrificed along the way. 

In the writing community a lot has changed in recent months. Book stores and libraries have been closed, events and launches have been cancelled, postponed, or driven online. All of it leaving writers, agents and publishers scrambling for new ways to promote their upcoming titles.

As Cathy wrote in a post recently, I too am grateful to just to be able to do what I love to do, and I’ve managed to keep writing in spite of all that’s going on. So, here’s to all of us finding our way through these times, and to things getting back to what we like to call normal.

Up around the bend

The world, and the way we live in it, has changed. These are extraordinary times. How has the business of being an author changed, for you, in this new reality?

by Dietrich

These are extraordinary times, and the world keeps revolving and evolving and many of the events going on around us keep us on the edge of our seats. And in order for me to get any decent writing done, I sometimes feel I need to extract myself from what’s going on in the real world, tune it all out, sit at my desk and get my head into the imaginary world that my characters live in.

As far as the publishing industry goes, in the years that I’ve been an author a lot has happened. Digital print-on-demand has become a great option to traditional offset printing. And we’ve bounced from print books to books-on-tape, to ebooks on disc to ebooks online, and back to print again. And audiobooks have come along, and they continue to be a growing segment of the industry. And self-publishing has evolved and continues to offer another avenue for authors as well as for readers. Platforms like Smashwords and CreateSpace allow indie authors to upload and market their work. 

While there has been a recent decline for the big-box book stores, it seems that many indie bookstores are starting to pick up and thrive once more. And Amazon’s book sales just keep jumping and showing stronger numbers every year. Social media, blogs and podcasts have become popular ways for published authors as well as those who are self-published to get noticed and promote their work online. And more literary festivals, conventions and special events keep popping up. 

Whatever the format, print books, ebooks, audiobooks, traditionally published or self-published, the good news is people continue to read, and they’re not just looking for the latest books, they’re also interested in backlists too.

And there are great blog sites like this one where an author can join in with other authors and be heard, and if they’re crafty, they can sneak in a little self-promotion. For example:

Cradle of the Deep 

Getting into bed with the wrong guy can get you killed.

Wanting to free herself from her boyfriend, aging gangster ‘Maddog’ Palmieri, Bobbi Ricci concocts a misguided plan with Denny, Maddog’s ex-driver, a guy who’s bent on getting even with the gangster for the humiliating way in which he was sacked.

Helping themselves to the gangster’s secret money stash, along with his Cadillac, Bobbi and Denny slip out of town, expecting to lay low for a while before enjoying the spoils.

Realizing he’s been betrayed, an enraged Maddog calls in stone-cold killer Lee Trane. As Trane picks up their trail, plans quickly change for Bobbi and Denny, who now find themselves on a wild chase of misadventure through northern British Columbia and into Alaska.

Time is running out for them once they find out that Trane’s been sent to do away with them, or worse, bring them back – either way, Maddog will make them pay.

It comes out November 3rd, and can be preordered from my publisher ECW Press here.

A hundred balls in the air

What element of the craft is the one you most need to improve?

by Dietrich

My aim is to constantly improve every element of the process. I never want to think I’ve mastered anything, and I never want to stop considering new ways. Not allowing things to evolve means the whole process would become stale.

Right from the jump when I started writing, I made the effort to improve my knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure – like the tools of the trade. And from there, I played with genres and styles and ended up balling up a lot of paper, going for three-pointers in the trash bin. 

I played with plotting tight, tried it loose, tried writing standing, lying, and sitting. I learned to keep detailed sheets on each of my characters. A reliable memory just doesn’t cut it, so I learned to make careful notes and keep timelines to avoid making the kind of slips that are so easy to make, and then miss at the editing stage.

I constantly study how people actually speak to and behave with one another, and I bring a version of that to my make-believe characters, letting each of them come to life by sounding unique and real. I also learned to let them show their worlds through their own points of view, without me stepping all over the scenes and taking over the narrative. And I learned to pepper in dark humor, and not to overdo it – just the right amount. I learned to detail the scenes and settings, and to choose the best angles from which to describe them. Putting in all the needed details without letting the overall pace drag, yet allowing those spots where the action needs to slow – when a scene needs to breathe – before picking it up again. 

Working on voice and style, I got to a point where I felt I could keep everything consistent from the start of a novel to the final page. And I learned to tighten everything up going from a first to a second draft and so on. And I learned to edit; and just as important as that, I learned when to stop editing and call the whole thing done.  

Those are the mechanics that I learned and honed. Then there are the things that come by instinct. Like knowing what to put in, and what to take out, whose POV to tell a scene from, when to ramp up tension, or take a sharp corner and throw in a surprise – something I didn’t plan on – the kind of thing a reader wouldn’t see coming from several pages back. And feeling when something’s the right thing to do. 

Every writer’s going to have a best way that works for them, this is just my way. And for me, the creativity wants to flow freestyle, without too many rules or planning standing in the way. Over the years, I’ve gained confidence and become more efficient working through the process, and I’ve learned to trust my instincts. But, I never want to feel I’ve mastered anything, and I’m always looking for new ways to explore, and hopefully doing it better.

Guess who dropped in?

This time around on Criminal Minds, I asked my friend and CM alumnus, author and founder of Bronzeville Books, Danny Gardner to tackle this week’s question. And having already had a look at his post, I’m sure glad that I did. — Dietrich

by Danny 

My dear friend, the author Susan Shea, drew the February questions for the group, and she reached me on the Bat phone (blackphone? haha.) As my blackness is preinstalled, she asked for access to the Danny Gardner Woke-API. Susan is my gurl, and the answer is always "of course," because I know she wants it done with heart. She sees the need. I included this business question: Discuss diversity in the sense of the market. What do you want to see on bookshelves from black authors in 2020?

Good question, huh? See, it puts the burden of the answer on the writer asking, so I'm safely out of there. So then Dietrich says, "Take my week, Danny." 

I did it to myself. I know.

Former criminal mind that I am—I say former, but my criminal spirit seethes wanting his day of the week back—I went and founded my very own publishing house, led by the illustrious Renee Asher Pickup, and Renee went and did what she does, which is build coalitions and foster great art. And so, whaddya know, from amongst the cries, "Oh, where are the black books??" Bronzeville has a few, and we found them low-key, with love and caution, and determination.

Here are three selections from our 2020 front list which will give you a feel for our sense of blackness. We are stacked with a depth of talent and projects that will help us grow to be a trusted diverse publishing brand. We are distributed by Ingram, and represented by Dana Kaye and Associates for marketing, and PR. Bronzeville lives.

In Love and Other Criminal Behavior, crime fiction powerhouse Nikki Dolson drops thirteen stories exploring the many different ways to love—and just as many ways to end up dead. Love and Other Criminal Behavior will keep your heart pumping fast, right up until it's broken. Nikki is featured currently in Three Rooms Press's follow-up to the Obama Inheritance, The Faking of the President, as am I, but this is about Nikki. We have high hopes for this book starting a new rhythm in short fiction. I've made the Hollywood rounds with ARCs. The buzz here is starting. She's a fine author, in any right, but what she does with the black voice is instructive. Renee saw to the work as her editor and co-conspirator, and I feel we've started something.

Destinee Schriner's debut novel, When Bluebell Blooms, has been acquired for publication in 2020. When Bluebell meets a great guy an unexpected kiss from her best friend compels her to question her sexuality and what happily ever after means to her. She is a fantastic talent, writing from a region and a perspective unique to the American experience. It's the sort of book having diversity in your DNA helps you find. Everyone here is bullish on Destinee's work. Lots of folks wanted that book. She trusts us with it. I'm crazy excited, personally.

Somewhere this year, you'll be able to enjoy The Tales of Elliot Caprice: Ace Boon Coon. Set within the immediate aftermath of A Negro and an Ofay, Elliot is called back into action when a real estate investment scam leads to the murder of a civil rights activist and brings Elliot nose to nose with each faction of Chicago's ethnic underworld, including his old friends and enemies amongst Chitown's black power elite. I put it all on the line with this one, and I hope you find it and make it a part of your bookshelf. 

So, please check for the B, and go beyond these recommendations to find the Black American voices that will help you inform your own personal experience. Thanks for having me back to guest, and keep it criminal, y'all.

Love, 

Danny

You can find out about more about what Danny’s up to and about Bronzeville Books here.

Networking or not working?

by Dietrich

What an appropriate and timely question by Jim as Bouchercon happened this past week in Dallas. Just coming off a book tour for my latest, I’m sorry that I missed the conference this year. From the photos and comments I’ve seen so far it looked like a good one. Guess I’ll have to content myself with having attended Left Coast Crime held here in Vancouver earlier this year. Great panels, a lot of readers and writers, and best of all, the organizers let me put together the Noir at the Bar which turned out to be a total blast. Like all the conferences I’ve attended it was awesome, although I’m still kicking myself for missing out on the Criminal Minds lunch which included eight of our own Criminal Minds as well a few alumnus.

LCC Noir at the Bar Blake Crouch, Hilary Davidson, Rob Hart, Sam Wiebe, Frank Zafiro, SJ Rozan, Thomas Pluck, Kellye Garrett, Vicki Delany, Lisa Brackmann, Robin Burcell and me.

Now, to the question: As far as networking, I admit I never think of going to a conference in those terms. For me, it’s a party, a chance to connect with some old friends and maybe meet some new ones. 

Once checked in, I start running into people wearing those lanyards in the halls, restaurants, cafes, on the street, at the various panel discussions, and at the ever popular watering holes. So, if attending a conference is networking, then I guess, like a lot of other writers and readers attending, I’ve been working and putting in some serious overtime.

Writers, readers, agents, editors and publishers: throw a scotch on the rocks at the conference bar and you’re bound to hit one. So, if you’re new or just introverted and haven’t been yet, but you want to connect with writers and readers or get in front of somebody on the publishing side of things, there’s no better way to do it. And if you’re just there to party, that’s hard to beat, too.

One tip, if you’re new to it and you’ve got a book out, have an elevator pitch ready. There’s nothing worse (personal experience) than being asked what your book’s about, and standing there going “uh, well, uh …” looking like a deer in the headlights.

Sure, there are other ways to network: social media, writer events, reading groups, associations like Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Canada, Thriller Writers of America. And there are writers’ festivals and events available in just about every city.

Okay, so I didn’t get to Bouchercon this year, but as I mentioned, I did just return from what’s turned into an annual book tour down the coast to California, filled with reading events, a Noir at the Bar, and a two-day writers’ workshop. And I guess as well as catching up with old friends and making some new ones, each event was a new opportunity to network. I even got to ride in a police car – in the front seat this time, doing some research for a story I’ve got percolating. 

And now that I’m back on home turf, I should mention the next Noir at the Bar here in Vancouver is tonight at our usual haunt, the Shebeen Whiskey House. If you’re in town, you can see from the poster, we’ve got an excellent line-up of authors eager to network and read from their latest; it’s going to be one you don’t want to miss.

Story or style?

What draws you in as a reader?

by Dietrich

Well, I’ve got to say style before story, but style won’t go very far on its own. I want to keep turning the pages, and for that there has to be a story, a sense of where it’s all going. In fact, along with story and style, all the elements need to be strong. We’ve recently talked about the importance of first lines and openings. Sure, it’s the hook, but a story needs interesting subplots, believable characters and settings, possibly some surprises and unexpected turnabouts for the magic to happen.

Style is the author’s voice, the personality coming through the narrative, and the tone or attitude in the telling. And it’s a writers style that truly sets them apart, and whether it’s good is subjective to the reader’s opinion. Something for everybody. And I’m a little fickle that way, sometimes I’m in the mood for the schemes of lowlifes, other times I might kick back with Proust.

I love the writing styles of James Lee Burke, Patti Smith, Elmore Leonard, J.D. Salinger, Harper Lee, Margaret Atwood, and many other greats. So, regardless of genre, modern or classic, a powerful writing style draws me in. A couple of examples:

“Hallucinations are bad enough. But after a while you learn to cope with things like seeing your dead grandmother crawling up your leg with a knife in her teeth. Most acid fanciers can handle this sort of thing. But nobody can handle that other trip—the possibility that any freak with $1.98 can walk into Circus Circus and suddenly appear in the sky over downtown Las Vegas twelve times the size of God, howling anything that comes into his mind. No, this is not a good town for psychedelic drugs. Reality itself is too twisted. 

– Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

“Baby Suggs didn't even raise her head. From her sickbed she heard them go but that wasn't the reason she lay still. It was a wonder to her that her grandsons had taken so long to realize that every house wasn't like the one on Bluestone Road. Suspended between the nastiness of life and the meanness of the dead, she couldn't get interested in leaving life or living it, let alone the fright of two creeping-off boys. Her past had been like her present--intolerable--and since she knew death was anything but forgetfulness, she used the little energy left her for pondering color.

"Bring a little lavender in, if you got any. Pink, if you don’t." 

– Toni Morrison, Beloved

George V. Higgins wrote entire stories in just dialogue, and as the saying goes character is who we are when no one’s looking. And he could show readers some amazing insights through his characters’ speech. And Cormac McCarthy’s signature style is a rolling rhythm that’s sometimes haunting, sometimes fiery, always confident and stripped down to the bare-bones of punctuation.

For me, reading the works of the greats is not only inspiring, it also influences and helps shape my own work. Plus, not much beats reading a good book.