by Lynne | Jan 28, 2015 | Uncategorized
Research for my latest book has taken me to the darkest corners of our past: the witch hysteria of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. This grim era in early America occurred during the waning of the Inquisition in Europe, more recently, Spain, and demonstrates how far-reaching the concept of “terror in the name of God” has traveled.
When I read mysteries about serial killers or watch programs like “Criminal Minds,” I am continually amazed at the ingenious ways people come up with to torment and kill their fellow humans. I don’t know this for a fact, but I assume many of these stories are based, at least partially, on actual events.
The witch hysteria was, in a sense, descended from the Inquisition, where fear and loathing of certain people or groups of people was transformed into something deadly by using religion to justify the bloodshed. It’s a notorious example of how persecution can pervade any society. Even America. Witches were tortured, imprisoned in horrendous conditions and then hung by their neck until dead. (They were sometimes burned but not in Salem.) In one case an accused man was pressed to death. Nice.
We, as a species, are fascinated by this whole machination. There’s an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Man on “Instruments of Torture.” Of course, I visited. I also visited the famous Medieval Torture Museum in San Gimignano, Italy, along with millions of others who gawked at devices like the rack, the head crusher, the Spanish Tickler, the Heretic’s Fork, the Pear, and the Knee Splitter. You don’t need much imagination to visualize what these will do to a human’s body. Much of the traveling version in San Diego came from here: http://www.torturamuseum.com/this.html As you can see from this website, some instruments of torture are quite inventive and horribly gruesome. Just thinking about them makes me shudder.
These instruments of torture were aimed at heretics and were not, strictly speaking, considered a punishment. They were a way to extract the truth — or the truth as the Inquisitors wanted it– from a victim. It worked pretty darn well and you can guess why. Similar devious devices are used in modern films and books today. In fact, today’s mysteries and thrillers borrow a great deal from history.
If you’re wondering how to create innovative ways to kill for your thriller or mystery, it’s easy. Just look to the past.
by Lynne | Jan 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
The deadly fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory lasted only half an hour, from the initial spark to final burning embers. Near closing time on Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire erupted on the eighth floor in a bin of scrap materials and fabrics. A steady flow of wind rushed through the elevator shafts from the street and fed the flames. Smoke began its way upward to the ninth floor. Garment workers, seamstresses, mostly women and young 
girls, raced to the exit door on Washington Place. (See photo left of Asch building as it looks today.) It was locked. Later, some claimed the doors were kept locked so the girls didn’t steal the fabrics. Within minutes the eighth and ninth floors were raging infernos.
Forensic science, often called forensics, is the application of science to the legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action. The word itself is derived from the Latin for?nsis, meaning “of or before the forum.” In Roman times, criminals would present their case before a group of individuals in the Forum.
Today, with the preponderance of CSI programs and movies, forensics is a household word. Law enforcement and crime-lab teams, however, view these programs as a hindrance since it colors the public’s (and the jury’s) view of the real work involved.
In 1911, fire forensics (in fact, all forensics) was in its infancy. In The Triangle Murders, Cormac Mead searched the two destroyed floors at the Triangle factory for evidence that would prove his wife was murdered. If he suspected arson, what would he have been looking for? Probably things similar to what fire investigators look for today when investigating fires: evidence of accelerants, igniters, pieces of a bomb and explosive residues (if an explosion is suspected), point of origin, and point of entry and exit of the arsonist (if arson is suspected.) Interestingly, unlike crime suspects who are innocent until proven guilty, fires are considered suspicious until proven otherwise.
Photo: An officer stands at the Asch Building’s 9th floor window after the Triangle fire. Sewing machines, drive shafts, and other wreckage of the Triangle factory fire are piled in the center of the blaze-scoured room. (Photographer: Brown Brothers, 1911, Copyright: Kheel Center, Cornell University, http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/.)
by Lynne | Jan 12, 2015 | Uncategorized
The cover of a book is a promise to the reader. This book is about . . . Will the book deliver?
At the risk of hurting some feelings, I wanted to open this topic for discussion. I’ve posted what I consider good and bad book covers. The criteria I use:
- It gets your attention- very important as a first step in buying a book.
- It is tastefully done. By this I mean it is not too busy with elements fighting each other for the eye. It uses pleasing colors and designs. Or it knocks your socks off.
- It is relevant and authentic to the title, or at least to the topic of the book. Nothing like a historical novel about Queen Elizabeth with costumes from the wrong time period on the cover.
- The title and author name don’t overpower the art. This may be just my own pet peeve- but I hate to see half the cover wasted on the author’s name. So it’s Stephen King, big deal. Notice, however, I use one of his books as an example of a good cover. After all, King’s name sells.
By the same criteria, bad book covers have none of the above, or a mishmash of all or none. So here are the ones I consider good.
Here are the ones I consider not so good.
How do you feel about these? What are your criteria?
Here are my book covers. How do they rate in your estimate?
by Lynne | Jan 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
A writer friend asked me whether it was really a good idea to pay a professional editor to read her manuscript. My immediate response was yes, but the question made me pause and reflect on my personal experiences.
I have had all four of my novels edited by pros. In addition I participate in a read and critique group (every week now for about 15 years.) I won’t go into critique groups here since I previously blogged about that subject. As to professional editors, here are my thoughts.
There is huge value to editors who “copy” edit, that is, they read for spelling, grammar, syntax, etc. You always miss something: a comma where it doesn’t belong, the incorrect use of a semicolon. In terms of the broader picture: the plot, characters, structure, tension, conflict, on and on, the pro can be very helpful. . . or not.
In my Triangle book, the professional editor I hired was so intrigued with the historic story that her suggestions would have made me totally change the book. It would have become a historic mystery rather than a historic mystery that is solved today with modern technology. She had her own vision for the book. But who was writing this?
The editor I hired for my Civil War book, however, was extremely helpful. He gave me an idea for a dynamite ending that I hadn’t even considered. It totally changed the story for the better.
Before you consider hiring a pro, however, do your own self-editing. Believe it or not, there is a lot you can do to improve your writing before it gets the going-over by someone else. Some suggestions:
Edit in small sections at a time. If possible, reread the section before and then edit the current
5 to 10 pages. Also, read aloud (or to your dog or cat.) I can’t emphasize enough how important this is. You’d be surprised what you hear that you didn’t think you wrote. Dialogue may sound stilted, tension weak, setting inappropriate. Often I will come away from my reading out loud thinking, ugh, did I write that?
Some things to look for when you’re self-editing:
- Do you want to turn the page?
- Did you stumble over awkward phrases or clunky words when you read aloud?
- Were you confused by your own plot twists?
- Did punctuation mess up your reading?
- Were your characters boring, too flawed (yes, that’s possible) or totally unbelievable (unless you write Bourne thrillers)?
- Were there plot inconsistencies ie: a character appeared after she was murdered?
- Were there setting inconsistencies? It was hot as Hades one day, snowing the next?
- Did you get your facts right? Very important if you want authenticity.
You can be your own best editor. But, just to be sure — reread, rewrite, read aloud. And again x 3. Now hire a professional for the final read.
When I read mysteries about serial killers or watch programs like “Criminal Minds,” I am continually amazed at the ingenious ways people come up with to torment and kill their fellow humans. I don’t know this for a fact, but I assume many of these stories are based, at least partially, on actual events.
