Least Favorite Word

As writers, we love words. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do at my grandmother’s house was break out the dictionary and encyclopedias. In elementary school,, vocabulary quizzes were my jam. To this day, I still just like looking up new words.

However, we all have words that leave an awful taste in our mouths. Words that are either used wrong or just plain gross can ruin our reading or discussion with someone you thought you respected.

I asked several writers what were their least favorite words. Here are some answers:

Kira Jane Buxton (author of Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures ) - chafe or giblets.

Jonathan Maberry (author of the Joe Ledger series) - decimate.”People us it wrong all the time”

Christopher Moore (author of Noir) - “If it’s for misuse, unique”

Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) - Gravy

S A Cosby (author of Razorblade Tears) - mucous

Ok, and mine? Literally. Like Jonathan and Christopher say, people use it incorrectly all of the time. I’m sure that I could come up with more. However, that’s at the top of the list.

Post your least favorite words in the comments.

In the meantime, go out and buy the books mentioned above.

See you next week.

Writer's Companion

It’s said that writing is a lonely craft. We sit and try to pull the images from our mind’s theater and imprint them on the page. We often do this at a quiet desk, away from the intrusive world, alone. Even if we’re forced to walk among the living and write in cafes, libraries, or park benches, we’re still alone. We tune out the noise, the reality.

Yet, for many of us, we lucky few, there are writing companions. Mine sits in my lap as I my fingers brush over my other laptop. His name is Jeeves and he’s pictured above. No matter if I’m working on an edit at my desk, or pecking away at a story on the porch, he’s there by my side. He cocks his head as I try out how sentences sound when they enter the air. But he doesn't criticize.

Stephen King

It seems that most writers prefer dogs or cats. There’s much to be admired about both. For the most part, the cat is a silent partner, content to share a warm spot with you and not be bothered by your pecking at the keyboard or scribbling on a pad. Although, they do have a tendency to think of your computer as their personal heating pad.

Dogs are just content to be around you. They’ll take whatever space that you give them without too much fuss. They’re just happy to be part of the pack. Although, if someone knocks on your door, your concentration might be tested.

Earnest Hemingway

They’re our closest friend. They listen to our confessions without judgement. You can tell them your deepest fears and they’ll keep your secrets. Read them your worst prose and they’ll still stare with adoration. They’re our biggest fan.

Mark Twain

Virginia Woolf

We’ll most likely outlive them. It’s a cruel rule of nature that animal’s lives are short like the seasons. Yet, we’re writers and they are our companions. As such, their memory will live on in our words. Even if their name is not mentioned, their life essence will still permeate our prose. Our knowledge of love and loss will be earned through their passage in our lives.

George R R Martin

If you have a writing companion, please feel free to share how they enrich your life. If you don’t have one, consider heading down to your local animal shelter and adopting a new friend. I guarantee it will help your writing. If it doesn’t, well, you still win.

Take care and be kind.

Jeeves

Happy Labor Day

Enjoy a little short story that features my detective, Fix Larson. While there, feel free to purchase a copy of, "Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives Vol II". It contains my short story, "The Case of the Talking Board". Use coupon code LABOR25 for 25% off.

VIOLENCE OR "LIVE AND LET DIE"

When you write a mystery, the portrayal of violence is a given. How that violence is portrayed determines what kind of mystery you’re writing. Most of my favorite mysteries have fallen more towards the Cozy side. In such, the violence is discrete and easily covered up by the nearest sheet or oriental carpet. Agatha Christie was the Queen of the Cozy. Even modern writers like Louise Penny tend to keep the gore to a minimum.

That’s not to say I don’t like a gritty mystery/thriller. I enjoy Don Winslow, Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard, and even the craziness of Tim Dorsey. I’ve read Thomas Harris and am amazed how he can even make Hannibal Lechter accessible as a human being.

Currently, I’m toeing the line between a Cozy and a Thriller. Since it involves smuggling in modern Florida, there’s bound to be violence of some sort. And yet, I find myself hesitating to step over the killing line. The people involved are seriously corrupt. However, are they corrupt enough to kill? I guess that depends on the motive. At this point, I only see them killing in self defense. Still, at least two of the minor characters are capable of killing without provocation. They’ve already threatened a kid’s life.

There’s a scene coming up where things are about to blow apart. I’m curious to see how each character reacts. They’ve thrown me some surprises so far. There are some hinted at background stories that I am just starting to explore. That’s one of the most pleasurable things about writing for me. I love watching the story play out in the theater of my mind.

I’ll let you know how it turns out later.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on violence in books? Is there such a thing as too much? Where do you draw the line. If you’re a writer, tell me how you handle the subject.

As always, thanks for reading.

SUPPORT AN AUTHOR

So, I finally received copies of the new anthology, Sherlock Holmes AND THE OCCULT DETECTIVES. My short story, THE CASE OF THE TALKING BOARD is a haunting little mystery where Sherlock Holmes teams up with his old friend, C. August Dupin. You might remember Dupin from Edgar Allan Poe’s tale, MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.. They travel to Balmoral Castle to assist Queen Victoria with what might be the ghost of Prince Albert.

To celebrate, I’m offering a special 30% discount for one week (7/10/20-7/17/20. Just use code HOLMES2020. Please visit my page at www.jajensenbooks.com or go direct to the product page at https://www.jajensenbooks.com/new-products/sherlock-holmes-and-the-occult-detectives-vol-ii

Thanks for your support!

EDUCATE YOURSELF

At the advice of a NYT Bestselling friend, I never talk politics on my writing platforms. Oh, I post a hell of a lot on my personal Facebook and Twitter pages. However, I’m a fiction writer. I make stuff up. Granted, many of my characterS have political and social views. But that’s their world.

Yet, I can’t let last week’s craziness go by without any comment. So, here it goes. If you want to make a better world, you need to educate yourself. Don’t let the news and social media dictate your views. Go to your nearest Indie Bookstore (www.warwicks.com) and buy some books on the subject. Don’t post another meme or comment until you study the history of what’s going on.

Ignorance kills. It always has and always will.

To be a good fiction writer, one has to learn to inhabit the hearts and minds of every type of person. The best villains are the ones where the writer understood that the character really did think that he was right in his actions. It’s easy to get into the mind of the hero. After all, we believe that mind is our own. But we’re not heroes to everyone just as we’re not villains to everyone.

So, educate yourself. It will make you a better writer and a better human being.

LIVING IN A STEPHEN KING WORLD

Stephen King comes up with some pretty outlandish stories. At least, on the surface they might seem that way. No, a giant dome isn’t going to suddenly cover an entire town. A teenage girl is not going to use mind power to destroy a prom and kill the kids that bully her. And, a pandemic will not wipe out most of the earth in an epic battle between good and evil.

However, King books are not really about those external things.

When it comes down to it, his books are about how people react to adversity. He sets up some crazy circumstances and tells his characters,”Go for it”. Then, we get to follow the extremes of human nature. While King allows certain stereotypes to populate the story, he’s best when he allows us to be surprised by someone rising above their supposed abilities. Although some pretty crappy things happen in his books, you can tell that he still has hope for human nature to overcome evil.

Which brings me to the pandemic we’re experiencing.

If social media has done one thing, it’s exposed a portion of our society that is mean and selfish. Granted, it’s always been there. Only now, instead of it being hidden in the shadows, it paraded like a badge. Fortunately, it’s still a minority. Social media makes you think that it’s huge. But, the majority of people are living decent lives and don’t have the time to trash other people.

So, when I sit down every day to write, I don’t let the small group of unhappy people to take over my stories. Don’t get me wrong, I still use them. However, I keep them in their place. They will never be allowed to rule my worlds. Because, they’ll never be able to rule the real world.

Stay safe out there. Things are pretty scary. However, there are good people out there. Bad times won’t last. In the meantime, read a good book. Just maybe stay away from The Stand right now.

BEST LAID PLANS

So, It looks like I kind of blew the idea of weekly posts. Well, I was jazzed at selling a bunch of books at the San Diego Festival of Books and feeling the whole “writer’s life” thing. Then, came the excuses. And now, the world is under quarantine as a pandemic rules the planet.

While many writers are using the stay-at-home orders as a kick in the butt for their writing, I’m still working 40+ hours a week at the bookstore, filling orders for other writer’s books. Still, I’ve kept to the commitment of writing every day of 2020. Granted, some of those days are only a paragraph. But hey, that counts.

The good news in my writing world is that the Sherlock Holmes anthology that bought my short story should be hitting the stores either at the end of this month or June. The publisher did a Kickstarter campaign for the book that generated over $10K.

Meanwhile, I’m continuing to work on a new mystery novel, staring my detective, Fix Larson. The story was buggging me to be written. So, I dropped the other novel I was working on so I could capture the excitement. Now, the question is if readers will like a smart ass detective that’s the same size as Peter Dinklage. It’s a modern Southern mystery along the lines of Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen.

And, I’m going to try to get back on track with this weekly post.

Take care and be safe out there.

Masked Writer

LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE

Last month, I attended the 3rd annual San Diego Festival of Books. Although not as big as the LA Book Festival, it’s growing and gaining a good reputation. For one day, over 20,000 book lovers braved the warm Southern California sun to meet over 120 authors and shop at booths from the best bookstores of San Diego.

I was one of those authors.

Although I’ve signed books at traditional bookstore signings, this was the first time I sold books and signed at a festival. Our table represented the San Diego Chapter of the Horror Writers Association (HWA). Ironically, we were positioned just past the kid’s tent. While some older ladies would see our horror banner and cringe as they passed us by, a surprising number of people stopped by and raved about their love of a good scary story.

I only brought seven copies of an anthology that carried my short story, “Kenneth is Drowning”. But, by the end of the day, I had sold and signed all of my copies. Additionally, I signed about another 7-8 copies that a fellow writer had brought.

There’s no feeling quite like people buying your art and signing your name to it. Although, big name authors might get tired of it, I’ll never lose the exhilaration of connecting with the reader on such a personal level. I never expect to get rich writing fiction. However, I’ll never be able to stop. If even just one person is touched by my stories, it will be worth it.

Meanwhile, there’s so many stories to write. I’ve just finished a short mystery about a 4’6” private detective who lives on a boat in Florida. I continue to work my way through a novel based on Edgar Allan Poe’s detective, C. Auguste Dupin.

As I wrote in a previous post, writer’s block does not exist for me. I just need more time to write. Where are the Gertrude Steins of the world.

Have a great week. Read something good.

MY DAY JOB

Very few writers make a living at writing. For every Stephen King, there are thousands of unknowns, plugging away in obscurity. Even those writers who have a few publishing credits still need a day job to pay the bills.

I’ve been in bookselling for about 30 years. I’ve completed the Hat Trick of working for the three major chains (Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Books-A-Million). Granted, Borders has become the retail Dodo bird. Now, I work for an Independent Bookstore.

Working for a bookstore is great training for a writer. Even better, I’m also the Local Author Coordinator. Also, I’ve worked as an assistant buyer when I was with Borders. So, I’ve seen the process that writers go through from the start to finish.

Also, being a bookseller, I’m expected to read more than the average person. I’ve got to at least know a little about every book that we carry in the store. Granted, my actual reading will always be based on what I like to read. Still, I can direct a customer to the latest popular romance title just as easily as my favorite historical mystery.

All this exposure to literature informs my writing, just as everyday life does. I read the other day that natural writers never stop writing. Even when we’re away from the keyboard or pen, we’re still thinking about and planning our stories. Even my daily commute is not wasted. I’m either listening to an audio book or tapping away on my phone. Thank you Scrivener for having an IOS app.

Will I ever be able to quit my “day job” to write full time? Maybe. However, the odds are not in my favor. Still, as a bookseller, I not only see the great books being published, I also see the crap out there as well. So, I have undying hope.

Either way, I’ll never stop writing. I wrote my first short story in elementary school. There’s no stopping now.

Have a great writing week. Please leave a comment or say hello.