How to write crime fiction - Sue Grafton

Sep 21, 2015

Tips from Sue Grafton

1. She keeps a journal which has all the ideas and rantings for the book.
2. After a 5-mile walk and breakfast, shower, email, facebook.  Keeps a journal for each novel - about writing of the book to herself. e.g. in W,  660 double spread pages for the book.  1268 single-spaced page journal.


Every sentence is edited before the end of the chapter so that she does not need to do it. She writes every sentence over and over till it is right. If tone or pace is off, goes back to do again. No rough draft as she has fixed it in early chapter. Very slow process. Takes a year to write a novel. Incapable of doing rough draft or work in team. Write everyday. Gives meaning to her life. Now 75 years at X.

Folly to assign meaning to every chance event or synchronicity - odd things happen. Use it as a launching pad ie. lead with it.

e.g. in W,  dead unscrupulous private investigate and dead homeless man.   

3. Mystery noval (Crime fiction) is 3 categories
amateur sleuth, the police procedure, the private eye (Raymond Chandler, Dashell Hammett, Marsha McDonnell).

4. Essentials in writing a mystery novel
 How to structure a story
 How to write a dialogue
 How to get into and out of a scene
 How to do action.
Use enough details to bring a scene to life.
Reader v writer contest.  Reader figures out what happens. Write - magic. Why do we kill each other. What makes people cross the line?  No gore.

Focus on writing, not be distracted. volunteer work etc.
Quit worrying about doing I right. Writing is like play..
Shadow is intuition. unconscious. a bad person. Ego is the good person.

Everybody is in confessional mode nowadays.

Keeps an elaborate chart of what  she's done andwhere  she's been.  

5. Do not repeat stories in a series.
6. Function dictates form.
7. Multiple points of views must be balanced with POV of protagonist.

8. Create suspense. Readers more interested in who will win or get away with the crime, not who does it.

9. Too many characters will not work.  e.g. 14 characters in a TV series.
10. Too many storylines will  not work.   Use one.
  e.g. elderly abuse. 
11. Connect two storylines  e.g. elderly abuse and child abuse (paedophiles).  Same phenomenon as both are predators.

12.  Shadow side and Ego side.
Our impulse dictates life for the layman.

13. Better to do page count. 2pages a day. Page count in 20 minutes is good.

How to build an effective author website

Sep 18, 2015

Writer's Digest Feb 2015

long-term investment
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
1. Buy a domain name.
2. Selecting a Host. Free hosting, fee-based hosting (self-hosting), managed or premium hosting. 
2.1  Free hosting. blogger or WorkPress.
Cannot fully customize site, limited functionality for e-commerce or monetization (advert, paywall areas, membership), not getting in-depth analytics about visitors      

Recommend WordPress as it allows a seamless transfer to a self-hosted WordPress site if needed.

2.2 Fee-based hosting (self-hosting).
best for established authors to monetize the site.
advantages - fully customize site design - fonts etc important for long-term author branding.
- website traffic and what marketing efforts are working
- freedom to add functions to earn money from your site (advert, ecommerce, membership, paywall areas.
-effective integration of email newsletter sign-up tools.

eg. hosting providers, Bluehost, HostGator, DreamHost  - one-click installation of WordPress and 24/7 support  $4-$7/month.
Free 10-min tutorial how to set up a self-hosted WordPress site,  http://bit.ly/WDselfhost.
responsible for your own site security, back up your site, site goes down.

2.3 Managed or premium hosting. up to $30/month for site security, regular backups, superior support. One most popular solution for WordPress sites is WP Engine. |Hier someone to help yo properly set up your site.
web designers or a web programmer. $500-1000 for a basic setup and A$3000 or more

BUILDING THE SITE
Should visitors buy your latest book? sign up for your email newsletter, follow you on facebook?

1. Choosing a WordPress Theme. WordPress is a free, open-source content management systems powers more than 20% of the world's website. Blogging as well as full-fledged website e.g. new York Times has customized version. Hire a designer. think long term. Most themes are free, can buy a premium theme with better support and forums, updates and customization options.

2. 7 essential website elements

2.1 Author name or brand     e.g. CJ Lyons "Thrillers with Heart"
2.2 email newsletter signup e.g MailChimp automate the process for you
2.3 About or bio page - professional author photo
2.4 Information about your books articles or products and links
2.5 social media icons or badges
2.6 Social proof - positive testimonials, media coverage, good review, significant following e.g. Twitter.
2.7 straightforward menu or navigation.  <5-7 menu items.

3. Maximizing your site
3.1 If actively blogging, have calls to action since many visitors will not go to your home page
3.2 not active change  default setting of most word press themes as blog posts front and centre on your home page. Settings to designate a different home (front) page. Or no blog page (SELECT to nullify it on Reading Settings.
3.3 install site analytics tool. Google anaylytics.
3.4 20-30% of site traffic from mobile or tablet devices. Double check though Wordpress is mobile friendly.

Free and easy ways to get a website up

About.me   free splash-page service
e.g about.me/janefriedman  (author of this webpage)
RebelMouse.com

contently.com/journalists