CRIME ON MY MIND

Technology...ugh!

Remind me again why we like technology so much? Why all the new "time-saving" electronics are so important? Why I even pause to ask these questions?

Maybe my computer needs cleaning or an overhauling. Maybe I need more RAM or whatever it is. Maybe I need more patience. It's just that I get so fed up with having to keep re-trying to enter a program; when Facebook tells me my password is not correct; when Twitter is overloaded so 'try again later'.

Who said we need all these gizmos, anyway? I'll admit, when everything works properly, it's pretty nice. It's good to have the world at your fingertips through Google. It's pretty nifty being able to communicate with friends across the country with just a few keystrokes. It's a help being able to edit a manuscript with 'cut' and 'paste' features.

But sometimes I long for the good old days of picking up the telephone, getting a letter or a card in the mailbox, using the old Remington to type up the manuscript along with scissors and a glue stick to 'cut' and 'paste'. It wasn't fast. It wasn't tidy. But it sure didn't raise my internal temperature the way my electronics often do.

Which is not a so great in the midst of our incredible heat wave. It's a good thing I've taken the day off from writing and will spend most of it in an air conditioned church, volunteering at a marvelous Music and Beyond concert. No electronics allowed there!

Hope you're keeping cool...inside and out! Speaking of outside, there's a cardinal calling me.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

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

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

That "T" word again...

Ah, the marvels of technology. Two things bring this to mind today. There was talk about Tweeting being done from the Arthur Ellis Awards at the end of May, giving up to date Tweets on the celebrations, and in particular the winner's names. I know CBC Books will have someone at the Awards banquet on May 31st doing this. As well, a Crime Writers of Canada member will also send out regular Tweets.

How times have changed. Not too long ago, we had to scour the Arts section of the local paper the morning after to find out the Arthur Ellis news, if not in attendance. And sometimes, it was a very small article. Now, the event is seen as newsworthy and the print coverage is greater. Websites carry the news. Email sends the alerts. And Tweets are only seconds removed from the action. Gotta love it!

Last night at our regular gathering of gals, most from the publishing business, someone remarked about how technology has finally caught up to current times in the mysteries she's reading. I hadn't given it much thought before that but when you look at books published as recently as just three or four years ago, Tweeting wasn't mentioned. Of course, those books were written a good year or two before the pub date. And Tweeting burst on the scene in 2006. So that makes sense.

That means, not only does the writer have to stay on top of emerging trends in publishing -- what the editors are looking for, reading demographics, technology such as e-books and as Michael McPherson mentioned yesterday, KDP Select-- writers also should be aware of tomorrow's 'toys'. Well, to me they are toys as I have a the most basic ever cell phone, a laptop, a desktop computer, and most recently, a Kobo. Not the most technology-savvy person around. I admit it.

It makes the writing life interesting though. How gadget-savvy are your sleuths?

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

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

The Good Old Days of Crime Fighting!

When writing yesterday's blog, I got to thinking that crime fighting a couple of decades ago was a much tougher job than it is today. Think about it.

The sleuth didn't have a cell phone with which to call for back-up, phone the perp to see if they were actually home before attempting a little B&E, or a date to cancel that night's romantic dinner because the stake-out went into overtime.

Nor was the sleuth able to do a search on the Internet for background information on the suspect, use Google Streetscape to scope out said suspect's street in search of likely places to park un-noticed, or in the case of police, carry out a nice little scam on unsuspecting scammers.

Think of how much easier today's sleuth has it, when he/she can whip out an IPhone or Blackberry & with the appropriate apps, find a Greek Take-out close by to the stake-out, check what time a movie ends thus know what time the suspect might be leaving the theatre, or find the nearest hospital, if need-be.

And that GPS -- wow! Driving to that warehouse containing the missing storage bins is a breeze. Plus, don't get me started on the wonders of digital cameras.

I think the previous generation of sleuths deserves a lot of admiration and praise. They really had to work hard at getting the bad guys. That is, unless your sleuth was Agent 007. So, do all these techno tools result in a sleuth who is more lazy and perhaps just not quite as smart?

What do you think?


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

MAYHEM ON MONDAY

Technology?

Right now, you can keep it. From my point of view as a mystery writer, it’s a brave new world out there. Case in point: Today’s New York Times has a major feature on sexting. That’s right. Sex while texting. Or texting during sex perhaps. Not completely clear. All to say, be careful. You could end up part of an NYT article read by millions (not be mention those who received a FORWARD by your faithless recipient). Trust? It’s dead in the water.

Okay, I’m not 100 % sure that my friends are sexting, but they sure are worrying about the death of the print book and questioning if the world will shift to reading only e-books. Personally, as of today, I am worried if the world will be reading anything besides sexts. Pass the Scotch. Don’t make it virtual.

Now, where was I? Oh yes. Technology.

You see, I am trying to get my protagonist into a situation where she might be in danger. Yes. That’s right. Legitimately in danger. With no one knowing where she is. And that absolutely can’t be her fault. Women sleuths get lashed for going anywhere without armed friends, rampaging relatives, the police chief and the SWAT team being informed of their plans. But suppose there’s a good reason, something unexpected, say a burning requirement to meet with someone just a bit dangerous on hunch. Well, the sleuth can easily signal difficulties with a flip of the cell phone to save herself. Where’s the suspense in that? So, the author (that’s me) is always busily tossing the cell phone into the river or a ditch or a nearby trash can. Or locating increasingly rare dead zones. Now, with GPS in the phone, is that even enough? The dangerous location can be triangulated in a flash. It’s a pickle. Do you have to mail that phone to Katmandu? Will a dead zone be enough? For how long?

Of course, that cell phone could get stolen. But it would have to leave the sleuth’s hand long enough to give that slippery thief a chance. Judging by the number of people I see talking on cells or texting at red lights or while driving (possibly even sexting), that’s not happening.

Then there are the social networks. The notion of the lone wolf protagonist against all odds, that’s so yesterday. First off all, her Facebook status will almost certainly read: Gone to confront murderer in graveyard at midnight. Miss you all!

Of course, the right kind of modern murderer could easily hack into her account and send all the helpful sidekicks to the wrong graveyard. Oh yes. Then we’re up the creek.

Plotting murder used to be so simple and satisfying. Now it’s like a full time job to stay ahead of the technobumps in the fictional road. Wait! Those two sentences are EXACTLY 140 characters including spaces and punctuation!!! A perfect tweet. Excuse me, I’ll be back.

Still here? Good. That’s another thing: technology and social networking bring new and multiple distractions. For instance, I can’t remember exactly what I was talking about. I’m a little out of it because I’m multitasking and downloading photos for another blog at the same time I’m writing this.

So I’ve hit a wall. And just for today, I am longing for bygone times. Forget technology. I’m off to read some Agatha Christie with classical music playing in the background. I’ll try not to think of what my friends are up to.

What about you? Did you update your status while reading this? Are you multitasking this very minute? Don’t be afraid to tell the truth. I’m in the other room, relaxing and reading. And what I don’t know won’t hurt me.


Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three (soon to be three and a half) mystery series and a couple of dozen short stories. Her thirteenth mystery novel, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder (April 5, 2011), is brimming with names, no two the same.