WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Fear

CBC radio recently produced a series of programs on the topic of fear. I didn’t hear all of them but I did hear one about dying. One of the speakers was a palliative care physician who had attended more than 1,000 dying patients. He said that almost everyone who spoke to him said that their first and most overwhelming fear was that they would suffer pain. Once they believed pain would be controlled the second most common fear was that after they died they would be forgotten.

Of course, in time, unless we are famous and even that is no guarantee, we all will be forgotten.

But the things we make may still be here and celebrated.

It occurred to me that subconsciously people create books, paintings or music in the hope that these works will survive and remind future generations that their creators existed even if their names are no longer known. Think of prehistoric wall paintings, of biblical texts and of treasured books and works of art. I have a crazy quilt with someone’s initials and the date, Feb. 1908, a record that the creator lived and was proud of her work.

Of course fear of being forgotten is not the primary reason for creativity but I suspect that, whether or not we acknowledge it, somewhere in our subconscious we feel that way.

This wish to have our creations remain may inhibit our efforts if we fear not being able to meet our own standards, having our work survive and not be as good as it could have been.This can stop the creative process as effectively as a roadblock stops a truck. What if it isn’t good enough? What if I can’t get the effect I want? The questions bubble up to challenge us.

The answer of course is as Franklin Roosevelt said in his inaugural speech, ‘all we have to fear is fear itself.’ Once we cope with that bugaboo we can get on with the job. Writing the story, the chapter, the book - the work that will outlast us.

A member of the Ladies Killing Circle, Joan Boswell co-edited four of their short story anthologies: Fit to Die, Bone Dance, Boomers Go Bad and Going Out With a Bang. Her three mysteries, Cut Off His Tale, Cut to the Quick and, Cut and Run were published in 2005, 2007 and 2007. The latest in the series, Cut to the Bone, will be published by Dundurn in November. In 2000 she won the $10,000 Toronto Star’s short story contest. Joan lives in Toronto with three flat-coated retrievers.

CRIME ON MY MIND

Say it isn't so!

The Fifty Shades of ka-ching has struck again! In an early morning CBC radio interview today, a book columnist from Toronto was discussing the erotification (did I make this word up?) of the classics. Imagine! Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice now presented with eroticism leaping from its pages. I can think of nothing sadder.

Surely there are enough hot historical romances, many x-rated, on the shelves at the moment. Why resort to re-writing the classics? Money, that's why. They're in the public domain; E.L. James of Fifty Shades fame is accumulating royalties as fast as Rowling; and, everyone wants a piece of that pie. In other words, no...nothing is sacred anymore.

One fact that was pointed out, however, was with e-books, trends are exploited much faster. In traditional publishing, anyone writing to take advantage of a trend might find that trend has changed by the time the novel is published.

Not these days. With e-books, riding the trend is just a short formatting away. Is this good or bad? Will we hit the point of over-saturation with each trend? Will we run out of trends at this rate?

Do we care?

I do. If you can't be creative enough to write your own novel then better stick to your day job. Just leave the classics alone!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

Character flaws

I like to listen to music while I'm writing. In fact, I have music on in my house the entire day. I always have done this. If it's not a CD playing, I'll listen to the radio, most often CBC Radio 2 when the classical music program, Tempo is on. It stays there until mid-afternoon, when the songs gradually shift (incidentally, the name of the next program)over to more modern music. I then 'shift' it off.

What I do like about Shift is the announcer, Tom Allen. He's clever, knowledgeable and fills the time between the music with items of interest. Not so good when you're trying to write, I admit.

This past week he's been interviewing the authors in Canada Reads and has asked them to compile a play list of songs they like or having meaning to them. It's been an interesting variety. So, when Canada reads ended, he continued in his literary sojourn, talking about writing devices.

Like, how does a writer create a character? Every fictional character has at least some minute connection to a person the writer knows, has met, or even just spotted on public transit. Often it's an unconscious action on the writer's part. But sometimes, a person is just too tempting to ignore. But, if you want to create a character based on a real person, problems could arise if that person recognizes himself or herself. The solution, according to Tom, is something I'd never heard of but he claimed was well known -- the 'small penis rule'.

The author gives the character something, a characteristic, trait, whatever, that no one would ever admit to having. Hence, they will not end up suing the writer for that appearance in the book. Cute, right?

The problem arises with women and this was his question of the day...and now mine. What characteristic would you give a female character?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Checking out the libraries debate

It's still in full swing...the debate about whether or not to close libraries. The gauntlet was taken up again on The Current this a.m. on CBC Radio One, with the chief librarian from Hamilton Public Library and a Toronto Councillor carrying the 'Pro' banner. If only all those on the Toronto Council were so wise. Especially, those ridiculous Ford brothers.

By the way, there are NOT more library branches than Tim Hortons in Toronto -- we all knew that. The number is 3 Tim Hortons to 1 library. I actually thought it would be more like 30 to 1.

Everyone can understand the need for a city to raise money and cut spending these days. And, since libraries are not allowed to charge fees (only overdue fines), they can be seen as dead weight -- by all those wearing blinders. Those fines and some monies earned from space rentals are admittedly, not large amounts. But there's no way to attach a price tag to the services offered by a library.

Even in these days of the Internet, e-books, and everything that goes with the new media...libraries are right in there providing citizens with free access to these items. There will always be a need for paper books, especially for those who cannot afford to keep buying books in any format. The library has the books, the Internet, the programming, the classes, the gathering space that keep a community vibrant and alive.

I'm always amazed that no matter what time of day or evening I visit my local branch, it's always busy. And it's populated by people of all ages and ethnicities. And, everyone is friendly.

There's often an economy of space that forward-thinking municipalities incorporate when deciding on multi-purpose buildings, such as my local community centre/library branch. Shared structure, shared heat and cooling systems, shared clientele. We could also add a community health centre to that plan and/or a community police centre. The main ingredient being 'community'.

There has always been a library in my memory. Although I can't remember at what age

I started visiting it, I do know it was in a regal, old Carnegie building. When the ultra-modern main branch was built (many, many decades ago), I was a user from day one. During high school, it was close to the bus I'd take home, so often I'd stop in and do my homework, or at least the research aspect, before catching the bus. My first paying job was as a 'Page' at that locale; my future husband asked me out on our first date between those stacks.

Everyone has a library memory, I'm certain. As readers, it's the keeper of our written legacy; as writers, it's a place that connects readers to our books. In this day and age of diminishing numbers of bookstores, we need to keep our libraries alive and flourishing.

That just makes good sense...and cents!


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Music to write by.

I have to have music on all day. I awaken to the radio playing classical music, switch over to CBC Radio One for the local morning show until I start working, and then it's back to music. Fortunately, CBC Radio Two obliges me with 5 1/2 hours more of classical music. Then I usually switch to CDs.

However, when I'm deep into writing, I like something more in keeping with what's happening in my mind. I went through a Baroque period, which lasted quite a long time actually. Now days, since my mysteries are set in Alabama, I've made another switch.

I started by playing, over and over, the soundtrack from The Big Easy. Wrong state but it got me thinking southern, especially on cold northern winter days. I also found Quincy Jones to be a big help.

With this second book, I'm more into Aaron Copland. Today, I have Appalachian Spring in the background and then I'll move on to Rodeo.

Music moves me. It always has. It deeply affects my mood and is great for elevating it when I'm feeling down, consoling me in time of pain or grief, calming me before bedtime after a hyper evening, as well as hugging me in a cherished memory.

It can also be inspiring. I had no idea earlier this morning what I'd write for this blog, until Copland came on. Aha! A blog about music and its many powers. As such, it's one of the many elements in my writing. Along with the research, the plot, the characters, the setting, the dialogue...there's music.

Is it a part of your writing or do you prefer silence?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Book Club Mysteries coming April 2012, from Berkley Prime Crime
Murder By the Book

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Music to write by.

I have to have music on all day. I awaken to the radio playing classical music, switch over to CBC Radio One for the local morning show until I start working, and then it's back to music. Fortunately, CBC Radio Two obliges me with 5 1/2 hours more of classical music. Then I usually switch to CDs.

However, when I'm deep into writing, I like something more in keeping with what's happening in my mind. I went through a Baroque period, which lasted quite a long time actually. Now days, since my mysteries are set in Alabama, I've made another switch.

I started by playing, over and over, the soundtrack from The Big Easy. Wrong state but it got me thinking southern, especially on cold northern winter days. I also found Quincy Jones to be a big help.

With this second book, I'm more into Aaron Copland. Today, I have Appalachian Spring in the background and then I'll move on to Rodeo.

Music moves me. It always has. It deeply affects my mood and is great for elevating it when I'm feeling down, consoling me in time of pain or grief, calming me before bedtime after a hyper evening, as well as hugging me in a cherished memory.

It can also be inspiring. I had no idea earlier this morning what I'd write for this blog, until Copland came on. Aha! A blog about music and its many powers. As such, it's one of the many elements in my writing. Along with the research, the plot, the characters, the setting, the dialogue...there's music.

Is it a part of your writing or do you prefer silence?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
Book Club Mysteries coming April 2012, from Berkley Prime Crime
Murder By the Book