The Graveyard Shift

Archive for the ‘Research’ Category

Saturday, writers from all over the east coast gathered at the High Point Public Library in High Point, N.C. for the May Skill Build Conference presented by the library and the local chapter of Sisters in Crime. International bestselling author Jeffery Deaver was the headliner for the sold out event.

It was as if the skies knew the master of the dark, twisted ending was approaching. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought Deaver wrote his own setting for the day.

Jeffery Deaver taking notes during my presentation of CS I Don’t Think So.

The event opened with my two-hour presentation of CS I Don’t Think So. I talked about which TV shows get it right, and which do a horrible job of portraying police and forensics. Of course, I mentioned cordite, pistol safeties, Miranda, and The Andy Griffith Show.

I went a step further and talked about just how well Jeffery Deaver researches his material before writing the first word. The example I used was when my computer crashed and I feared losing all my material - years and years of material. Well, when I read Deaver’s book, Roadside Crosses, one of the detectives in the story recovered a laptop that had been submerged in salt water. He turned the device over to a computer expert who removed the hard drive, dried it out, and then placed it into a hard drive enclosure where he was able to easily retrieve the data. Well, knowing how accurate Jeff Deaver is when conducting research I immediately Googled “Hard Drive Enclosure.” Long story short - I ordered one and was able to save my data, all for around $40.

Hard drive enclosure

Captivated by Jeffery Deaver’s 1.5 hour lecture—”People Don’t Read to Get to the Middle: Writing a Page-turning Thriller”

Deaver offered excellent advice for writers. Here are a dozen key points from his workshop.

1 - Writer for the reader, not for yourself.

2 - Write what you enjoy reading.

3 - Two most important aspects of writing—plot and character.

4 - Locale - make it interesting and get it right.

5 - Write what comes from your soul.

6 - Know your craft - grammar, syntax, etc.

7 - Grab your reader by the lapels and pull them until they reach the last page.

8 - Keep your reader turning the pages by promising something, but don’t deliver (unresolved anticipation).

9 - Violence - LESS IS MORE.

10 - Villains should be smart, credible, and maybe have more resources than the hero.

11 - Toss your ego out the door.

12 - Resolve all the conflicts.

Chris Roerden rounded out the trio of presentations with her workshop “Showing vs Telling: When to Use and How the Writer’s Voice Affects Publication.”

Chris offered some of her own writing secrets, such as:

1 - Dramatize scenes that are important to the story.

2 - Show conflict and tension.

3 - Show, Don’t Tell. Disguise facts as part of a dramatized scene.

4 - Lower tension to prepare the reader for the next burst of action.

The three of us signed books and answered questions after each presentation.

The last event of the day was a panel discussion where the three of us answered questions that ranged from “How do I get an agent,” to “Mr. Deaver. How do you come up with such interesting characters?”

Jeffery Deaver and I will be at Killer Nashville in August, and at the Writers’ Police Academy in September. Jeffery Deaver is the guest of honor at both events.

Jeffery Deaver is the award-winning author of 25 novels that sell in 150 countries, are translated into 25 languages, and appear on bestseller lists around the world. Two of those novels became films: The Bone Collector, a Universal feature film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie; and A Maiden’s Grave, an HBO movie starring James Garner.

The Main Event

At the 13th Southeast “Writer’s One Day, Low Pay, No Frills Skill Build” in High Point, NC, Saturday, May 1, 2010, Deaver will present a fascinating workshop “People Don’t Read to Get to the Middle: Writing a Page-turning Thriller.” (The Sampson Independent)

The Opening Act

I’ll be kicking off the Saturday program with an all new presentation of CSI Don’t Think So, a fun look at the errors in police procedure and forensics on popular TV shows such as Castle, CSI, and one of my all-time favorites, The Andy Griffith Show. Yes, I will be discussing cordite and three-hour DNA testing.

Act III

Chris Roerden, author of of award-winners Don’t Sabotage Your Submission and Don’t Murder Your Mystery rounds out this mysterious trio with “Showing vs. Telling: When To Use, and How the Writer’s Voice Affects Publication.”

The three of us will end the day with a panel where we’ll answer audience questions.

This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Books will be available for sale and autographing. Doors open at 8:30 AM, close at 6:00 PM. Cost is $28 for the entire day. The program is co-sponsored by the High Point Public Library and the Sisters in Crime Murder We Write Triad Chapter. For details and to receive a registration form, please email skillbuild@aol.com (and put “May 1″ in subject line).

This action-packed event takes place at the High Point N.C. Public Library, 901 N. Main St., where registration forms may also be picked up—but if advance reservations exceed capacity, attendees whose registrations are received before April 26 will be informed of an alternate High Point location. Registration, with the form and a check for $28 payable to Market Savvy Books, may be mailed to P. O. Box 16265, High Point, NC, 27265.