Turning on the Light

"... and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky
to give light on the earth." And it was so. (Gen. 1:15, NIV)

At dinner after our Sisters in Crime meeting last night, the comment was made that some blog posts start with, "I really don't have anything to say today, but ..."

That's usually the case with me. But today, I do.

The meeting was enlightening, to say the least. Our guest was Chris Roerden, editor extraordinaire, talking about her book, Don't Murder Your Mystery. Chris pointed out some of the same things I've been reading in Stephen King's On Writing, which I finished this morning. One of the non-writers in our group made the comment that she appreciates books like Roerden's and King's because a lot of people think writing a novel takes no more effort than sitting down at the computer and cranking out a story. These are the kinds of books I think non-writers should read, too - for the exact reason that my chapter member pointed out.

Chris did make one suggestion last night that I'd not heard from a speaker before (that I recall, but you know how my memory is) - that if you find a book you like (or don't like), read it twice. The first time, read it to see whether it works for you. The second time, read it to see why it did or didn't.

There are lessons to be learned.

I will, however, leave those lessons to be taught by those more adept than I - like Steve and Chris - to put into words the do's and don'ts, the guidelines (not rules, for there are no rules other than you start with a blank page and go from there) to the craft. There's a lesson in a word. Writing is a craft. An art form. A passion.

One of the most prevalent points in King's book is that to hone one's craft, one must do two things - read a lot and write a lot.

I'm taking away more than a few things from this book, and I hope that if you haven't read it you'll pick up a copy - writers and non-writers alike, because if you live with or know a writer you must understand how a writer's mind works, which is constantly. I was on the phone with JT the other day and we were talking about the King; the WGH was in the next room and at one comment I made he piped up with the thought that perhaps he should read this when I was finished. I told him he should, so that he would understand why I was crazy.

Tongue in cheek, there is a certain insanity to our lives as writers. There has to be. How else could we come up with the six thousand variations on the seven basic conflicts which are the foundations of every plot? My pal Julia Spencer-Fleming once said, "Conflict is the engine that fuels good fiction." (She tells me that's a quote from someone else, but I heard it from her first.) What could be a better example of conflict than a writer sitting down with an idea that s/he hopes to turn into a story worth telling, wondering all the while whether anyone will want to read it?

I'm diving back into my manuscript today with my Stephen King toolbox stocked and ready. The door is closed, and I'm ready to tell my story. I know that won't make much sense to you if you haven't read the book, but trust me. Between last night and this morning, a lot of lights have been turned on. Humor me, and let me write. Pay no attention as I walk around the house muttering things like "kill my darlings" and "the road to hell is paved with adverbs".

Read a book. And embrace the knowledge that whoever wrote it probably locked themselves in a room for months on end to offer you something that might bring you a few hours of entertainment. Appreciate our dedication to the craft, just as we respect your opinion on the finished product.

=) JB