Sign me up! Ok, maybe not by Eric Beetner

 Do you belong to any writing organizations, for crime writers or general writing—MWA? SinC, International Thriller Writers? If not, why not? If so, what value have they been for you?

I have been in and out of several organizations, even serving in a board position with MWA. Currently, the only group I belong to is ITW.

I’ve never been a joiner. I don’t like bureaucracy. It often leads people to feel like they have power, but that is rarely any real authority. In general, I’m just not someone who likes meetings or forced gatherings.

That said, I was eager to join MWA and SinC early on in my writing for the community, and the possible opportunities to network and get good advice. I signed on to be the treasurer for the SoCal chapter of MWA for a term of 3 years. I went to events, organized others, tried to serve the writing community. 

I’m still not sure what exactly I got out of it other than that sense of community, which I can get without paying dues.

I don’t want to in any way diminish MWA as an organization. They do a whole lot of great stuff. As treasurer, I wasn’t a fan of sitting on so much money. I actively looked for ways to spend that money on our members. As a non-profit, I didn’t feel that we should carry a bank balance north of the 30K mark. Others disagreed. I do think I spent more money in my time than most other treasurers. For the events that I organized, nobody had to pay for their lunch on top of the dues we paid each year. That sort of thing was important to me.

If I join a group, I want to see the maximum return on that investment. I know I never took advantage of all that Sisters In Crime had to offer. Mostly because I was not an aspiring writer, or a brand new writer. I didn’t need help writing queries, or learning to pitch. Certainly didn't need motivation to write or participate in NaNoWriMo or anything (don't get me started on that one) All the events I saw being offered didn’t seem for me.

That’s a personal thing, not a criticism of the organization. I think when you are a new writer is exactly when you need these writing organizations the most.

One thing I definitely found at MWA was a lack of support, or even acknowledgment, of small presses and independent authors. Granted, when MWA was established, most of that world didn’t even exist. But today, there are many small presses, mid-sized publishers and a host of self-published authors who pay their dues, but get looked down on (in my opinion). Thresholds for advances to qualify for awards consideration and limits like that always made me feel lesser than since I hadn't yet made it to a "big 5" publisher. Still haven't. Still unworthy in some people's eyes, despite over 30 books and the respect of my "big 5" peers.

Too often these groups become a platform for an awards banquet that takes up most of the resources, or at least they become what the organization is known for, surpassing the support and assistance to writers.

Not that any of these groups will ever promise to land you an agent or a book deal. Don’t come to them expecting that sort of leg up. It’s just not what they do.

As our household budget has tightened in recent years (scarce work, one child in college and the other on her heels) any kind of yearly dues or subscription makes me reevaluate. Writing groups fell away as an unnecessary expense. I wasn’t seeing a return for my investment. Yes, that is because I wasn’t going out to most of the events. But when they weren’t for me, then why pay for them? If you’ve been in the community for years, my excitement level for attending another panel discussion drops to near zero. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. Let the newcomers get what they need from it.

What it comes down to for me, is that I’m not a “group” person, I guess. I don’t belong to any critique groups. I don’t like having beta readers or anyone to look at things before my agent or publisher sees them. I’m not big on cocktail parties, group gatherings and mixers. I ignore the same opportunities in my day job with all the invites I get to attend events sponsored by the TV academy or the Editor’s Guild, both of which I am a member. I make it out to some, but a small percentage.

I guess I’d rather be home, writing. Or reading. 

Oh, I get out of the house a few times a year. Maybe a Bouchercon, Men of Mystery, Midwest Mystery Conference, Left Coast Crime now and then, Thrillerfest this year. But that’s it for me. This weekend I’m disappointed to miss a reception at AWP I was invited to, sponsored by my college. I would have left the house for that, but I'll be at my sister's wedding instead.

I do think new and aspiring writers should try their hand at joining some of these groups. See what you get out of it. See if it is a good fit for you. And if you are in, if you send in your dues, don’t be like me – take advantage of the gatherings, the workshops, the panels. And explore those websites. It all seems like a lot of work to me, when I have plenty to do without adding that on top. But if you utilize these groups well, you can gain a lot. Even if the need for them falls away the more established you get, there is much to be learned and many great people to meet.

The Resignation Joke

 

Do you belong to any writing organizations for crime writers or general writing groups—MWA? Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers? If not, why not? If so, what value have they been for you? 

 

This question makes me think of Groucho Marx and his famous ‘Resignation Joke.’

 

“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”

 

It’s classic Groucho for self-disparagement, barbed wit, and a clever tactical maneuver to extricate himself from something he disliked. His submission is a Penrose Triangle for logic, in that you’re taken aback, perhaps smile, and wonder why you’re laughing.

 

I’m a Lifetime Member of Sisters in Crime, and I belong to the other two aforementioned groups.

 

I am, by disposition, suspicious of groups. As organizations evolve, they bear certain connotations. Say Teamsters, and what do you think? Declare yourself a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent, and there’s the whole baggage train of class interest, less government interference, blah, blah, and etc. Organizations like country club memberships could be elitist, or they are created in response to an unfulfilled need.

 

Sisters in Crime was formed as a response to the lack of reviews for women writers of crime fiction in the late Eighties. There were also other troubling concerns and trends within the publishing industry, and you can read about it here. The mystery writing organizations experienced several seismic events, and the turbulence is concurrent with the rise of conferences and awards: MWA started the Anthony Awards in 1986, and Malice Domestic awarded its first Agatha Awards in 1989. Left Coast Crime held its first gathering in 1991. You can read about the early days of Malice here and Left Coast Crime here. ITW came into existence in 2004.

 

I came to the writing gig later in life, so I had to educate myself. I saw Sisters in the title but didn’t know Misters were allowed. I looked at what I wrote, and I didn’t think I qualified for ITW. I became aware that SIC had local chapters, but I thought I could only belong to the local chapter. I live in New England but belong to the Chessie Chapter. Last article of evidence as proof of my myopic brain: I had thought Left Coast Crime awarded its Lefties to writers west of the Mississippi.

 

Yeah, I’m about as bright as dull paint.

 

I admit that I have not taken advantage of all the workshops and funding opportunities. I had a horrible experience with a writers group in college, and you couldn’t pay me to attend a workshop or MFA program.

 

I hate to use the word networking because I dislike the inference that interactions are transactional. Belonging to organizations and attending conferences do help. Putting a face to a name does help you, whether it's meeting an agent or another writer at a panel. Connections matter, if not professionally, then consider it as a safe way to leave your comfort cell. Most writers live the equivalent of monastic solitude minus the pesky vows.

 

If I had a wish, it would be to see a writers’ organization that is a true guild, a legal entity that goes beyond the current Author’s Guild, which focuses on free speech and copyright protection. I’d like to see the day when writers could rise above meager subsistence, enjoy a pension, arbitrate as a group for affordable health insurance, and enjoy extensive legal services.

 

I’d belong to that club and be happy to pay those membership dues…if they’d have me.

 

Somewhere I belong

 

 

Do you belong to any writing organizations, for crime writers or general writing­—MWA? SinC, International Thriller Writers? If not, why not? If so, what value have they been to you?

 

My first introduction to any writing organization was Sisters in Crime (SinC) and that was because of the Elanor Taylor Bland scholarship, which I almost won one year. Almost. I didn’t, but some really talented writers that I have come to know and love did, and if for no other reason than that, I would say bravo. But there is so much more that these organizations offer, chief of which is that sense of belonging. We writers tend to be a lonely bunch a lot of the time. Sitting in our writing spaces alone, crafting new worlds, breathing life into characters to launch into the world, with only our whiteboards, our music, and sometimes a favored pet (cats) to keep us tethered to the real world. Writing organizations remind us that though a large percentage of our lives are lived strictly inside of our heads, we actually do have a community behind us waiting to provide us all the support and resources we need. If only we could tear ourselves away from our latest masterpiece to join.

I am currently a part of two writing organizations, SinC, and Crime Writers of Color. Both are fantastic at what they do to support writers, whether it be financially through the scholarships they offer, SinC. Or through that feeling of belongingness that writers sometimes lack, especially writers of color.

I’ll never forget showing up to my first Bouchercon and being asked, if I were a member of SinC. I didn’t even know what that meant. Sure, I had heard of it from other writers who were members and had actually joined at some point, but I had no idea how much they did for the community until I made that first in-person contact.

I’ll admit, I’m still not the most active member, but I hope to change that soon. Still, I love showing up to a conference and knowing that I already have people there. If I ever found myself wandering aimlessly and alone, I know that I can just find a member and instantly be part of a community.

Besides that, they offer wonderful programming, whether you need a write-in to get yourself back on track with your current work in progress, yes please. Or getting to hear your favorite writer on one of their podcasts, or a book club for writers, amazing, there’s something for every writer at every stage.

Crime Writer’s of Color is equally amazing, and probably more important, if you’re a writer of color. This organization changed my writing life as well as so many others, I’m sure. It was here that I actually learned about so many writers that I didn’t know were out there changing the game, which they have done irrevocably and undeniably. Prior to finding this organization, if you asked me to name a writer of mystery or crime, I could only give you, Walter Mosley. After becoming a part of this organization, formed by Walter Moseley, Kellye Garret and Gigi Pandian, I was given a whole new world of greatness that’ll I’ll be forever grateful for.

Because of Crime Writers of Color, I was introduced to so many great writers, to include Shawn A. Cosby, Yasmin Angoe, Amina Akhtar, Tracy Clark, Delia Pitts, and so many more. If you are a crime writer of color, you belong here. If you’re not, you should seek out their members and read all their books.

Finally, my first and favorite writing organization has to be my own writing group, The Literary Llamas. We started writing together way back in 2006 or so. To me they are the editor inside and outside my head. They are my support system when that little voice gets to whispering to just give up. They are my biggest cheerleaders whenever something great happens. I truly can’t imagine writing without them. And whenever any new writer asks if I have any advice, my response is always, get yourself some llamas! Or whatever you want to call it. They are invaluable.

Writing sans deadlines - by Harini Nagendra

How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you insist on doing a certain number of words each day or a certain amount of time? What happens if you don’t meet the goal? Is there punishment? Do you give yourself treats for meeting goals?

Short answer - I'll tell you when I figure it out!

Longer answer - it depends. On the time of the year, what I have going on in terms of work, family, any care responsibilities... 

My non-fiction books are so easy to write (for me). They are based on my research, and I follow a rather straightforward approach. In my proposal, I decide on the outline, number of chapters, chapter titles - and write a 1-2 paragraph outline for each chapter. After that, it's just a question of dividing the chapters up across the number of weeks I have to complete the first draft, and sitting down to write. I set word counts for each day of writing, and that usually goes smoothly.  

With my fiction books, my experience has been so varied. Because I'm not a plotter by instinct, I feel a bit like I'm trying to create a skyscraper building out of tissue and thread when I begin to write - and it can be quite terrifying. 

Some books feel harder than others to write. The Bangalore Detectives Club took me 11 years to send out for submission, because I took many (very long) gaps in between the writing. In all fairness, I did not know how to complete a full-length mystery novel when I embarked on writing this book. I had to rewrite the plot from scratch a couple of times because I boxed myself into corners, with no idea how to emerge from them.

Book 2, Murder Under A Red Moon, was written in a manic frenzy. I had 5 weeks left to turn in the book, and because my mom fell sick for several weeks (fortunately recovering completely), I couldn't get started on it in time. I plunged right in, and perhaps because I didn't give myself any time to think about it, I was able to meet a fairly demanding goal of daily word counts, and completed editing the first version just in time to send to my publisher. 

Book 3 took forever to write, because I was on a visiting professorship in Rome - gorgeous Rome - I had to juggle teaching with my work responsibilities in my parent institution, and a natural desire to explore the city with my family on weekends and evenings (which is normally when I sit down to write my fiction - since I have a day job).

Book 4 felt easier because I plotted it - but also harder, because for a long time the characters refused to do what the plot was asking of them. I had to write about 40% of the book before it suddenly fell into place - and after I finished writing the book, I had to heavily edit the first section again.

I set myself weekly targets, but not deadlines - and drink copious amounts of tea, and eat copious amounts of chocolate, while I write (I'm now trying to cut back on both). Exercise is my challenge - I'm naturally sedentary and need to make sure I set aside enough time to stretch and move, otherwise my body complains.    

No punishments - I do usually enjoy the writing (except at the start, when it gets a bit terrifying). If I had to punish myself to write, I think I would give up - for me, the fiction writing is my mid-life renewal (not crisis), and it brings me such joy. 

Though I do wish we could just do away with deadlines. 

The Robotic Writer, by guest Glenda Carroll

How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you insist on doing a certain number of words each day or a certain amount of time? What happens if you don’t meet the goal? Is there punishment? Do you give yourself treats for meeting goals?

Catriona here: I'm delighted to welcome my Sisters in Crime boss lady (president of the northern California chapter), Glenda Carroll, to the blog today, as she prepares to launch the fourth in her series of Trisha Carson mysteries. Talk about write what you know! Glenda is half teacher half mermaid: that is, she has spent a lifteime sailing, surfing and most of all open-water swimming (No joke in San Fransisco - brrrr!) and Trish's adventures all revolve around the dangers and secrets to be found in the sport - not to mention the lucrative business - of elite open swimming. On the one hand, they are wonderfully cooling stories to read inland, on a hot summer's day. On the other hand, you might never dip into a lake, river or bay again!

And now, Glenda Carroll:

There are times I want to be a self-selected robot. This is what I mean. After I go to the pool at 6am, come back and walk the two little dogs that dominate the house, eat breakfast, I creep into my office. It’s a messy office. Stacks of leftover books from my Trisha Carson mystery series compete for space on the floor, desk and bookcase. Papers that include ideas for future thrillers, notices from the DMV and an out-of-date passport battle for my attention. But my concentrated focus is on the computer monitor. We’re in a stare down, like the lawmen and cattle rustlers ready for a shoot out at the O.K. Corral.

Me: I want to start writing.

Monitor: Not going to happen.

Me: I’m sitting down. (I slowly pull out my chair and take a step closer).

Monitor: You’re doing nothin’.

The computer and monitor know all too well about my weakness for delay and procrastination. And they laugh at me. LOL, LOL, LOL rips across the screen.

Now … right now, is when I want to be a part-time robot. I’d plug the cord into my ankle; program the timer for three hours or 1,500 words, whatever comes first, and then start writing until I’ve met my goal.

But I’m not a robot and when I sit down to write, I almost always get up in a few minutes and wander around the house. But I do come back, sit down and try again. As you can probably tell, I don’t work off of an outline.  My ideas come when I’m typing. That’s a good and bad thing. I’m spontaneous but sometimes lacking in direction. That often means I don’t meet my writing goals. Instead of signing off after 1,500 words, I sign off after three hundred. I don’t sit at the computer for three hours. Maybe only forty-five minutes. But the one thing I do consistently, is write – no matter the amount of words or the time I spend.

It’s determination and the need to finish what I start that keeps me going. I don’t celebrate if I meet my goals because in my mind, I’m supposed to finish. I don’t slap my hands and say ‘bad girl’ when the goals fly out the window.  I’m thinking, “today isn’t the day. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

When I worked on Dead in the Water, the first Trisha Carson mystery, at one point, I struggled moving from sentence to sentence. Summer heated up my office and tempted me to go outside. So, I did. Wanting to be productive, I cut the grass with an old push mower. I wandered back to my office, red-faced, sweating, but with an idea for the next paragraph. By the end of the book, I had the best-looking lawn in the neighborhood and a decent first draft.

Writing the fourth and most recent book in the series, Better Off Dead (BOD), circumstances outside my control took a toll on my work. Months went by before I added the next chapter. At times I wondered if I would ever finish. But eventually, the skies cleared, and I started writing again, this time with more purpose and direction. I didn’t scold myself. I just picked up where I left off and BOD was finished and is now published in paperback, eBook and audiobook.

To those who can sit down and meet their writing goals, I envy you. Keep doing it. For me, I’ve had to follow my own path, even if it means pausing, rethinking and cutting the grass.

Glenda

Click here for more of Glenda's bio, and details and buy links for the Trisha Carson mysteries.

Keep the Ink Flowing

How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you insist on doing a certain number of words each day or a certain amount of time? What happens if you don't meet the goal? Is there punishment? Do you give yourself treats for meeting goals?

by Dietrich

  

I get up early, show up and start writing. It’s that simple and it’s the best way for me to start any day. Getting to it while the world’s still sleeping — hey, I’m in my element! 

There’s no a set word-count. Every day presents something new and I just go with it. Working to a word count and piling up pages seems rigid to me — reminds me of punching a clock. On the flip side, I never sit at my desk staring down an empty page. It’s always about the quality of the words that I get typed, and I’m happy with just a few hundred of them if I still like them the next day.

I’ll take time over word count since for me typing just to keep to a quota of words would likely turn into a bunch of gobbledygook, filler I’d have to edit my way through or put to the torch later. The muse doesn’t care about any quota, she just shows up when I do.

There are those days I only write for a couple of hours, and other days when it’s more. A good stretch might see me cranking out 800 to 2,000 words — enough to get through a scene. I don’t keep track, but when I’m really on my game, I could just keep going all day. Of course, there are those times when life throws a curveball, and I have to miss a day or part of it, but, I don’t let that be a problem. I accept that if I don’t show up, the story won’t get told, but feeling flustered about missing out on some writing time makes for a lousy motivator.

One thing I like to do is aim to leave each day’s writing on a good note, ending at a spot where I give myself a nice starting point for the next morning. It’s the kind of thing that helps me to get back into it.

No treats, no punishment. Writing’s a labor of love and being able to slip back into some imaginary world I’ve created is its own reward. And when it all clicks, that’s the high — and not even chocolate beats that.

Oh, and speaking of keeping the ink’s flowing, my next one, Dirty Little War, dropped yesterday. Here’s the link and the copy off the back cover:

A riveting, fast-paced ride through 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago — the epicenter of crime, corruption and commerce.

Trouble has a way of following Huckabee Waller like a shadow. Tough times force him to make his way bare-knuckle fighting and running booze. Before long, he finds himself entangled in the escalating tension between notorious rival gangs and the city’s deadly taxi wars. Caught up in vice and violence, Huckabee lands in the crosshairs of Al Capone. 

The smart thing to do would be to get out of Chicago — fast — that is if his reckless life doesn’t kill him first.

Motivation and Persistence

 

Terry here with our question of the week: How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you insist on doing a certain number of words each day or a certain amount of time? What happens if you don’t meet the goal? Is there punishment? Do you give yourself treats for meeting goals? 

 I’m highly motivated, and I do have my method. When I’m in full-out first draft writing mode, I insist on writing 2,000 words a day. They don’t have to be “good” words. Just words. Something to move the story along. That’s because for me, as someone who doesn’t outline, I can’t get bogged down in finding the exact word or phrase, and I can’t worry if the story is veering off in a strange direction or I’ll freeze. I have to trust the process. Or at least I pretend to trust the process. There are times during first draft when I think all the different elements of the story can’t possibly come together. The miracle is that they usually do.

It’s surprising how fast I can throw out 2,000 words when I don’t judge what I’m writing. I usually try to do something in the writing world for at least four hours a day, but if I’m done with 2,000 words in two hours, I give myself the choice of doing other things—marketing, reading to supply blurbs, accounting, etc. Or I can leave it for the day. 

 But what happens if life intervenes and I can’t get the 2,000 words? No punishment. If I’m on a hard deadline, I may require myself to make up the words I missed by pushing the number of words I put out, but not always. There’s a reason for that. Writing 2,000 words is exhausting. When I’m done, I find I have to give myself time to go back into the real worlds. I often feel dazed, and unable to make conversation. 

Also, during the time I’m writing, I have learned that it’s best to try not to be interrupted by anything important, because I’m likely to forget whatever it was. If a phone call comes in, I have to jot down what I or the caller says, because I will not remember it. My husband has never recognized my writing time as a time not to interrupt me, so when he walks in, I sometimes feel like I’m looking at a stranger. My mind is completely on my work. Is that good or bad? All I know is that I get into a “zone” and am totally immersed in what I’m doing. 

The part about the treats for meeting goals? I always intend to, but somehow it never happens. That’s because when I’m writing to deadline all kinds of other things pile up that need taking care of. That stack of New Yorkers needs to be whittled down. The books I promised to blurb must be read. Little projects around the house are staring at me. And once those are done, it’s time to start thinking about the next book or short story. 

 But this time, I’m giving myself a big gift—I’m going to Paris! So yeah, a big gift. 

 A CHANGE OF SUBJECT: I just got back from the most amazing Left Coast Crime, ever. It seemed as if most of the attendees were, like me, rattled by the current political climate. And yet many of them spoke eloquently and fiercely about resistance, using our books as platforms for social issues without losing the entertainment value, and renewing our determination to help whomever, and wherever we can. Some of the general speakers like Sara Paretsky were inspiring and heartening. But there was also an element of joy—John Copenhaver insisted that we not lose our sense of joy. I was on panels with some wonderful authors and I’d like to give a shout-out to them. 

 Robyn Gigl Rob Osler John Copenhaver David Weiden Baron Birtcher Ann Parker C.M. Wendelboe Read their books!

Carrot or Stick?

How do you hold yourself accountable? Do you insist on doing a certain number of words each day or a certain amount of time? What happens if you don't meet the goal? Is there punishment? Do you give yourself treats for meeting goals?

Brenda here, confessing about my work habits ... or lack of work habits.

I'm not a strict taskmaster when it comes to writing, preferring the gentle, forgiving approach. Honestly, I'm writing for the fun of it and have always had the mindset that I won't deny myself a social life or time with my family in order to be an author.

Stephen King once said that he writes every single day, come rain or shine, Christmas or vacation. I thought about doing that, then gave my head a shake. Forcing myself to write daily would make me hate it. There'd be no time to recharge my creative juices or to let ideas percolate. 

At one point, I was writing two books a year for two different publishers while working full-time as a senior communications advisor in the federal government. The full-length mystery took me about eight months and the adult literacy novella took another three. Those were busy years, and I'm not quite certain how I managed. I've since retired from the government and write one book a year, which gives me lots of lee-way. That said, I've signed a contract to have a book submitted to the publisher by June 1st and have a new book being released May 1st. I've been writing one book while editing the other, and this has meant being more regimented in my schedule. I am planning to take the summer off from writing once I submit the manuscript - perhaps, this is my 'carrot'.

I don't need outside rewards or punishments to accomplish word counts or to meet a deadline. I've always been highly self-motivated, setting my own goals. If I put off a task, I often wake up in the night, fretting over it and know I have to get it done the next day. One thing I do as a sort of treat when I'm writing is to take breaks to read a chapter from whatever novel I've started reading. This keeps me motivated, oddly enough.

We all find our own rhythm and choose the work habits that work best for us. I'll be interested to read how my fellow Criminal Minds bloggers answer this question :-) 

Website:  www.brendachapman.ca

Instagram & Facebook 7 & Threads: BrendaChapmanAuthor

Bluesky: @brendachapman.bsky.social    

Winning Etiquette by Poppy Gee

Do you try to read the books that are nominated for major awards? Do you second-guess the nominations or do you usually find you agree? 

When I was younger I always tried to read the award winning books. I found them interesting and exciting. Each time a list was released, I scoured it, counting how many I had read, noting which books I wanted to read.

I used to read every winner of the now defunct Australian/Vogel award, a prize for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of 35. These novels were by writers you’d never heard of. Debut fiction is exciting because almost every writer writes their first novel thinking no one will ever read it. Consequently, debuts are often more raw, honest, heartfelt, sometimes flawed, and the imperfection is part of the perfection – it’s pure.

These days I don’t make such a deliberate effort to read award-winning books. I already keep track of the publishing industry, paying close attention to what other writers are writing and consequently my TBR list is extensive and robust. Eric Beetner's ITW shortlisted book The Last Few Miles of Road was already on my list before it was honoured in the Best Series category.

The next question is interesting. Is it rude to second-guess the nominations? I'm going to suggest we should do this, that lists should get dissected and debated, and maybe the judges should be scrutinised too. I want to push back on the idea of any kind of literary authority!

Australia has a notorious and shocking history of bestowing awards on books that have later been exposed as frauds or hoaxes.

In 2022, John Hughes’ novel The Dogs, which made several shortlists, was withdrawn from the prestigious Miles Franklin longlist after he was found to have plagiarised sections of his novel from The Great Gatsby, Anna Karenina and All Quiet on the Western Front among others. The author claimed he was creating a collage, but given there were no citations, this explanation was not accepted as satisfactory.

In 1995, Helen Demidenko won the $60,000 Miles Franklin Award for The Hand That Signed The Paper. The author claimed she had Ukrainian heritage, and that this family history informed her novel about Ukrainian people siding with the Nazis during the holocaust. The literati described her as ‘astonishingly talented’ and ‘searingly truthful’. Astonishing she was, truthful not so much. It was revealed Demidenko’s real name is Helen Darville, she’s British, and her Ukrainian background was made up. Hers was an elaborate masquerade – she even performed a Ukrainian folk dance with her publisher at the award ceremony.

In 1996 a novel called My Own Sweet Time, allegedly written by an Aboriginal woman called Wanda Koolmatrie who was a member of Australia’s stolen generation, won the Nita May Dobbie Literary Award, a cash prize of $5,000 for the best first novel by a female writer. Later it was revealed the book was written by a 47-year-old white taxi driver called Leon Carmen. This shocked the publishing industry, including the publisher who had been duped.

There are plenty more stories…If you’re interested listen to this podcast:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-book-show/fakes-and-frauds/102323578

When it comes to art, we should question decisions, rather than succumb to the dangers of sheep-like conformity like the people in the philosophical fable The Emperor’s New Clothes. In that tale the townsfolk knew the emperor was naked, but feared they would be regarded as stupid, or worse, so they pretended they could see the emperor’s magnificent garments as he paraded around.

Having said that, overall, I think literary prizes are a good idea – for writers, they can be an appreciated cash injection, acknowledgement of hard work, professional validation, and a wonderful, sociable, joyful moment in a fairly solitary pursuit. If you have won one, I’m excited for you! Pop the champagne, I'll have a bubbles with you and toast your hard work and talent. Tonight I'm going to the launch of my good friend Steve MinOn's debut book: First Name Second Name. His novel won an unpublished manuscript award and tonight we will all be celebrating!

Just Read (pronounced REED) from James W. Ziskin

Do you try to read the books that are nominated for major awards? Do you second-guess the nominations or do you usually find you agree? 

SUBBING FOR CATRIONA THIS WEEK.

I don’t usually read the books nominated for major awards. Oh, I might notice a book because of a nomination, but for me to pick it up and read it, the subject would have to appeal to me. The nomination qua nomination wouldn’t convince me to read, but other factors might. Maybe the cover is appealing, or the title, the blurbs, or the synopsis. I never know what might grab me, but it wouldn’t be because it’s on a list of finalists.

Now I’m not suggesting that I dismiss the major awards. Far from it. I know how hard it is to get a book noticed, and award noms are great rewards when they come. So I’m happy for the lucky nominees. But taste is taste. Not everyone shares the same likes and dislikes, so we all must take the nominations with a grain of salt, which does not diminish them in my eyes. I love so many books that have never been shortlisted for awards, and I can respect books that don’t appeal to me personally but have garnered accolades and nominations.

We’ve all heard people complain about the awards. Some say this one is a popularity contest, and others disagree with that one’s shortlist. But let’s be realistic: if the finalists are chosen by attendees at a conference, how can we complain? It’s a fair vote by hundreds of readers, after all. And when a jury of five or six chooses six finalists for the Edgars or the ITW awards, why should we expect the list to match our own preferences? It’s unreasonable. The results are determined by a small group’s personal reactions to the books they’ve read. It may not be a perfect system, but what’s the alternative? Voting by the masses? That takes us back to the so-called popularity contests.

So my feelings are that we should celebrate the nominees, no matter how they’ve been chosen (provided the procedure is transparent and fair). Take the advice of the committees/voters and read the finalists or don’t. It’s okay. Just read.

An honor to be nominated by Eric Beetner

 Do you try to read the books that are nominated for major awards? Do you second-guess the nominations or do you usually find you agree? 

Well, this is prescient timing. It just so happens that I recently learned my novel, The Last Few Miles Of Road, has been nominated for an ITW award for Best Series Novel. It was a complete blindside shock to me and I’m extremely grateful.

It also makes it hard to let my cynical side free and admit that I don’t put a whole lot of weight behind an award nomination in my own choosing of what to read. I think it comes from years of being let down by award-nominated books that have turned out to be simply not for me. I know this is my issue much more than it is the nominated books. I tend to read far outside the mainstream.

I will say that there are certain awards I put more weight behind, ITW being one of them (and no, not because I’ve been nominated twice now) I find myself often at odds with the taste of the Edgar awards. Just not usually my kind of book. 

Another thing I take into consideration is how many times I have acted as a judge for awards, both big and small. Certain awards, like the Anthony’s for example, are open to anyone who is a Bouchercon attendee and therefore maybe more democratic, but at the same time it functions more as a popularity contest.

I’ve served as a judge and head judge for larger scale writing awards where the judge panel is 5-10 people strong and composed of other writers and industry professionals. It’s not fair to say one is more “legitimate” than another, but I do think a peer-voted category is a little more gratifying for the writer. When I saw my little indie press book pop up on a list with best sellers like David Baldacci and Meg Gardiner, I know that judges didn’t need to put a small press book on the list. Nobody owed me anything. My book got there on merit. In the list of 6 nominees in my category, one book has over 22 thousand Amazon reviews. The Last Few Miles Of Road has 42.

ITW isn’t getting any publicity from nominating a book like mine. Nobody is signing up for Thrillerfest to come see if I win or to get a chance to meet me in the signing room. 

So the question of if I “agree” with nominees… I truly think that’s not my business. I’ve been a judge, a head judge in fact, when not a single of my top picks have made it to the nominating stage. The other judges were so far from my choices that nothing I picked made it. We’re all different readers. Any kind of art thrives on different tastes. It’s why I get so annoyed when other lovers of hardboiled or noir fiction ever talk down to cozy writers, or erotica writers. No! There SHOULD be books and stories out there for everyone! I know the books I often seek out are for a small niche audience, of which I am a part. I’m so grateful they exist and I know how hard it is to break through the piles and piles of more conventional books, which then go on to get nominations, which then go on to get the associated publicity and resulting sales boost (though I have not yet seen mine, but I plan on flogging this accolade as far as it will take me)

I like award categories to get a niche as they can. I’ve long advocated for the Anthony awards to expand to many more categories. It doesn’t cost any extra. All it does is give more books a chance to get recognized and fight their way into someone’s vision when they come to the book table. Dig deep and have a Noir category, humorous, cozy, historical, debut, series, hardboiled, traditional, international, audiobook, book cover, and on and on.

So, yes, I like awards in concept. I don’t look to them very often to find what I will read next, but I do take them as an indicator of what the industry is responding to. I like to be aware of them and when I get a chance to read some award winner, I do so with an extra curiosity. Maybe also a little extra scrutiny, which sometimes backfires. I expect it to be great and if I don’t feel it is, I get a little soured on the entity that picked it. 

So it’s a complicated mix of feelings for me.

Right now, though, I’m very pro-awards books. I think you should read them. I think you should look at a category and see the outlier you hadn’t heard of before and seek that one out first. “If it’s good enough to be nominated alongside Ann Cleeves and Iris Johansen, it must be good!” That’s the idea, anyway.

Wish me luck in June. I’ll be there waiting to hear if the underdog can win one for all the little folks out there, or if it was truly just an honor to be nominated. But I don’t think I’ll be writing a speech ahead of time. I’ve lost more awards than most authors will ever be nominated for. Maybe I’m due. Maybe nobody owes me a damn thing. I do know it’s nice to be invited to the party. I treat it like the honor that it is, win or lose.

Books and Prizes, Oh My!

 

Books and Prizes, Oh My!

 

Do you try to read the books that are nominated for major awards? Do you second-guess the nominations or do you usually find you agree?

 

This question forced me to look at my life as a reader from the wrong end of the telescope because I find myself asking how I discover books to read. I’ve been an avid reader for 50 years, and the ways I have learned about books varied from recommendations from friends, family, and teachers to displays at the local library and bookstore before Amazon existed. I realized that after the people and places in my childhood, I found out about books at the theatre. It’s not as odd as you think.

 

I was a child of the Seventies, so these titles shouldn’t surprise you. Books I read after seeing the films include The Exorcist [William Peter Blatty], The Omen [David Selzter], Poseidon Adventure [Paul Gallico], Three Days of the Condor [James Grady], and The Godfather [Mario Puzo]. The reverse to this trend was reading books and then seeing the movies: almost all of Stephen King and Ira Levin’s film adaptations, The Onion Field [Joseph Wambaugh], and All The President’s Men [Woodward & Bernstein]. The 70s was also the decade of sagas to TV screens from novels, such as Lonesome Dove, Roots, and Shogun.

 

The films that stood out to me as better than the books were The Godfather and Blade Runner. I had to do some mental work to connect Apocalypse Now to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I was disappointed seeing The Shining because the topiary animals were so sinister in the novel.

 

I haven’t said a word about nominations and prizes because, other than the National Book Award and Pulitzer, I wasn’t aware of shelf-esteem, such as The Booker, the Edgars, or any other award until later. Much later. In hindsight, I noticed something odd about a spontaneous list of crime fiction I had read when I was younger.

 

Published in the 1970s:

·       The Godfather.

Edgar-nominated.

 

Published in the 1980s:

·       The Name of the Rose [Umberto Eco]

·       The Silence of the Lambs [Thomas Harris]

·       The Black Dahlia [James Ellroy]

·       A Fatal Inversion and The Lying Game [both by Ruth Rendell]

All were Edgar-nominated.

 

Published in the 1990s

·       Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil [John Berendt]

·       The Silence of the Lambs [Thomas Harris]

·       The Alienist [Caleb Carr]

·       A Drink Before the War [Dennis Lehane]

·       The Bone Collector [Jeffrey Deaver]

 All Edgar-nominated.

 

At around the mid-90s, all of my  stumbling and fumbling in the dark stopped because of the modem connection to the internet. Magazines such as Entertainment Weekly featured book reviews and a column from no less than Stephen King himself, and I wasn’t dependent on the stodgy New York Times Book Review and dodgy critics in any of the local newspapers.

 

I understand that nominations and prizes boost sales and provide readers and writers credibility, visibility, and validation, but I was almost 30 years old at the turn of the century, so I trusted my own brain matter. I was, however, not a writer until a decade later. You do read differently as a reader and as a writer. I had enough ‘experience’ and discernment to know what I liked and whether I was reading dreck or quality, and I say that about all genres. I should note that I didn’t have to wake up to diverse authors. I’ve been reading them for decades, too. The problem was that they were often not up for prizes and they lacked the big guns of the Big 5 Publishers. Example: Iceberg Slim.

 

I learned after the fact that many of the novels I enjoyed were nominated or had won an award.  I never consciously sought out Booker Prize authors or Nobel Laureates. I know within 10 or 20 pages if the book is for me. I can’t recall a book that made me wonder how it ever got published (well, maybe certain vampire or ‘sexy and risqué’ books) nor did I find myself asking what all the fuss was about, though I have noticed that publishers these days chase trends and the dollar harder.

 

The truth is they don’t know, and it’s Hit or Miss what agents think will sell. The majority of the books I have listed here are solid, so I’m not one to dictate literary standards; that is subjective.

 

To each their own.