There Are Rules?

I'm kind of riding on Dionne's coattails here regarding writing rules, but did you know that someone actually came up with a set of written rules for mystery writing once upon a time? Neither did I.

That is until one day when I accidentally (that's when I find the really cool stuff) came across them during one of my internet searches. It seems a man named Ronald Knox came up with them in 1929. 

Now before you are tempted to dismiss these rules out of hand let me mention that he was a member of a group of mystery writers called The Detection Club whose membership included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, R. Austin Freeman, and G.K. Chesterton.

Okay here are the Knox's "Ten Commandments” for mystery writers, with some interpretation from me, because this is my post after all.

Rule Number 1:  The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.

Explanation: No dropping in a villain on the last page that has not been mentioned in the rest of the whole rest of story please.

Rule Number 2: All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Explanation: The ghost did not do it.

Rule Number 3: Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

Explanation: This is a mystery not a melodrama.

Rules Number 4: No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

Explanation: No making up your own science, that’s cheating!

Rule Number 5: No Chinaman must figure in the story.

Explanation really needed here: This comment was not meant to be racist. British mystery writers before this time were using often using foreigners (i.e. Chinaman in a broad term) as the villain just because there were foreigners. After all, no upright Englishman would commit murder. Mr. Knox was objecting to this plot device, not people from China. 

Rule Number 6:  No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

Explanation: Detectives do not have "luck" or  “hunches”, they have evidence.

Rule Number 7:  The detective himself must not commit the crime.

Explanation:  Would kind of ruin a series wouldn’t it?

Rule Number 8: The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover.

Explanation: The detective may keep his deductions to himself, but no secret clues please.

Rule Number 9: The "sidekick" of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal from the reader any thoughts which pass through his mind: his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.

Explanation: Sidekicks can be silly but not stupid. You have other characters for that.

Rule Number 10: Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

Explanation: No “Secret Evil Twins” coming out woodwork.

Okay those are the rules. The question is, do mystery writers follow them anymore? Believe it or not I do, and I never even knew there were rules. 

Pretty smart fella Mr. Ronald Knox.

 

Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Mystery Series. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories with just a bit of whopper in them. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. She loves to embroider and knit and is a big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.

Current E-Books
THE REBOOT FILES:  The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.

www.shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale219184744858421

 

The Road to Publication - Part One

Just a few of my thoughts on publication. I'm sure there is much better advice, but this can get you started! And remember it is a journey. 

 

 

 

The

 Road to Publication

1.      Finish That Novel:  Finish the book. Publishers are not really interested in ideas. They want to see that a would-be author has the skill, the stamina and the discipline to finish the job. After finishing your book set it aside for a couple of weeks then go back to it and start editing. Hire an editor if necessary. Two books I’ve found invaluable for my writing:

“Write in Style” by Bobbie Christmas and “Goal, Motivation and Conflict” by Debra Dixon.

2.      Researching Publishers And Agents:  Study books that are the same genre as your book and see who their agent/publisher is. It is usually listed in the front of their book. Look for publishers on-line and study their guidelines for submissions. Find out what they are looking for. There are also books that are helpful to find publishers such as: “Christian Writer’s Market Guide” by Sally Stuart and “2012 Writer’s Market” by Robert Lee Brewer. Note: It is necessary to have an agent for big name publishers. If you do not want to go this route please do not forget the small presses. Please do your homework and check out small publishers or self-publishing companies. If you go this route a book you will want to read is: “Stress-Free Marketing” by Renea Winchester.

3.      Write A Synopsis And Query Letter: According to Kaye Dacus at www.kayedacus.com  you should first and foremost familiarize yourself with the kind of synopsis your targeted publishing house requests. Most will want a “normal” synopsis (about one doubled-spaced synopsis per 10,000 words of your novel.)  - Your query letter is your introduction to an editor/agent. You do not want to immediately label yourself as a “newbie” or an amateur when they open the envelope. Spend time learning the correct way to write a query.

4.      Prepare Your Proposal: The proposal is where you really brand yourself as a writer. It’s where you show the agent/editor that you’re so much more than just 100,000 words of a story written down on paper. It’s where you show them you understand the industry, you understand what they’re looking for, you know who your competitors are, and you realize that 80% + of the marketing for a published author is done by the author.

5.      Send Out Queries:  Be sure and follow the guidelines of the publishers you’ve researched. Send only what they’ve ask for – do not add anything unless they’ve requested it. It is important to not send any photographs or illustrations. Do not use fancy paper or elaborate fonts. These are the marks of an amateur, and will only hurt your chances. (www.mythicscribes.com)

6.      Be Prepared For Rejections:  You will receive them. Most of the rejection letters will be in form letter style. Do not let this get you down. Keep sending out the queries. Every author has a story to tell about the rejections letters they accumulated before being published. Consider a rejection letter as a sign you are writing. How many people can say they’ve even received a rejection letter? Keep writing and persevere. The writers who persevered are the ones who are now published.

7.      Continue Writing:  Don’t stop writing. The more you write the more you improve in the craft of writing. It will help you find out if you are able to write more than the “one hit wonder.” It might be that it will be your second or third book that gets published so don’t sit idle while waiting to hear from those publishers.

  Deborah has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, since 2001, for the historical magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published during this time. Her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails” edited by Olin Jackson. She has also had a showing of her photographs at Floyd Medical Center Art Gallery as well as winning several awards. Her debut cozy mystery "Death in Dahlonega", a winner in the ACFW Category Five Writer's Contest, is now available.
She is a current member of the Georgia Writers Association, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Deborah has been nomiated for Georgia Author of the Year 2012. She has an established blog, Butterfly Journey, where she reviews Christian Fiction. You can also catch her at Sleuths and Suspects, where she reviews mysteries. She also contributes to the Cozy Mystery Magazine every other Tuesday.

HAPPY READING!

 

One Sheet to the Wind! By Linda Kozar

*The slideshow above is a great way to market your books or WIPS. Enjoy it now because after Monday I will be taking it off this page--Linda

If you're planning on attending a writer's conference in the near future, like I am, you should start to put together a "One Sheet" to bring with you.

What's a One Sheet?

Basically, it's a sheet of paper with your vital information on it and blurbs (short descriptions like you find on the back cover of books) about your WIPS (works-in-progress) or WC (works completed) you plan to pitch to agents and editors.

I've done a lot of these over the years and I'm happy to say that four of those books were published.

This year, I decided to design a One Sheet that looked a bit different from those of past years. Mine will be two-sided on glossy paper. One side (see above) will contain my bio, contact information and picture. The other side will contain the title of selected projects, the blurb that goes with it, word count, and finally, whether or not the work is completed.

These One Sheets are real time savers and conversation starters to bring with you to the 15-minute meetings with agents, or in my case, editors (since I already have an agent). You hand them the paper and start talking. That's right--the One Sheet is no substitute for conversation. Writers must go in prepped and ready to talk about what they've written, what they're writing and what they might write. I know a writer who pulled an idea out of thin air--a desperate, yet creative idea that the editor liked. That writer got a contract because she knew how to think fast on her feet. 

Do you? Can you?

If you're planning on going to a writer's conference in the near future, and I certainly hope you do, start considering what you plan on bringing with you both physically, and mentally. 

• Start to memorize and practice reciting your blurb (your pitch) in an engaging way. 
• Have business cards made. 
• Write your bio. 
• Get a nice headshot done of yourself. 
• Design your One Sheet. 
• Go through your closet and put together a business casual wardrobe for the conference.
• And take a deep breath!

Actually, I'm not joking about that. It's an old Toastmaster trick. As you are walking to the table or desk where an agent or editor waits to hear your pitch, take a deep breath before you sit down. Seriously, it works. Otherwise, you might be breathless or sound nervous or even feel faint from lack of oxygen!

One last bit of advice--have fun. Conferences are all about hobnobbing with other authors and talking about your common love, books. Remember, these are people who share the same obsession as you do. These are folks who "get" you like few people do. Enjoy your time with other writers. 

Because all too soon, you'll have to go home, get back to the grindstone and go about the solitary past time you love and loathe--writing!

I will be attending the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference in Dallas, TX  www.acfw.com this month. There might still be some openings should you care to attend as well! If you will love this conference as much as I do, your brain will be on overload by the end of it. I learn soooo much at conferences and usually come home with a ton of books, both free and purchased. Again, if you're interested, please check the website: www.acfw.com.

Spouting Off About Teapots

by Nancy Jill Thames

A Mother's Day Gift

"Queen of Afternoon Tea"

From Wikepedia we learn a brief history of a clever invention - The Teapot!

The teapot probably derived from the ceramic kettles and wine pots which were also made in bronze and other metals and were a feature of Chinese cultural life for thousands of years. The earliest example of a teapot that has survived to this day seems to be the one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware; it has been dated to 1513 and attributed to Gongchun.

Early teapots are small by western standards because they are generally designed for a single drinker and the Chinese historically drank the tea directly from the spout. The size reflects the importance of serving small portions each time so that the flavours can be better concentrated, controlled and then repeated. *I would also add that the spout was designed with a grate to keep the tea leaves from getting into the person's mouth or later into the cup.

"The sweetest melody is always found in the heart of a friend."

From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxury goods. The ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze. Porcelain being completely vitrified will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea stayed on top in the dry.

My Everyday Teapot

Tea drinking in Europe was initially the preserve of the upper classes since it was very expensive. Porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time. It wasn't until 1708 that Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus devised a way of making porcelain in Dresden, Germany, and started the Meissen factory in 1710. When European potteries began to make their own tea wares they were naturally inspired by the Chinese designs.

A Gift from London, England

In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production and artistry. Among the many artists in Boston, there were four major families in the city's silver market, including Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots.

A Wedding Shower Prize

I'll refrain from posting a photo of my silver tea service because currently, it's wrapped tightly in plastic and I'm not ready to use it. We'll wait until the weather turns cooler and we can sit by the fire.

I used to own a simple white teapot, but one year I decided to give it to my Mom along with a Thistledown tea cozy for her birthday. She has entertained many of her neighbors serving tea using this gift.

Teddy

The heroine in my novels enjoys afternoon tea whenever she gets an opportunity, whether at the Ritz-Carlton or serving it to her garden club friends. Her little Yorkie companion Teddy adores a few morsels from the fare as well!



From "The Mark of Eden"

Buy on Amazon.com $2.99

Teddy appreciated the morsels of chicken salad sandwiches, but when someone gave him a bite of cucumber sandwich, he only ate the bread spread with cream cheese. Later, she would find bits of cucumber behind the sofa. After enjoying some bits of scones with the lovely crème fraiche, he hopped up onto the sofa, nestling in his favorite mohair throw. The ladies’ soothing chatter soon lulled him to sleep for a lovely nap, while Jillian continued to refill teacups with the blackberry sage tea, and offered more of her tempting specialties.



Here's an excerpt from "Murder in Half Moon Bay."

Buy on Amazon.com $2.99

I never tired of the Ritz-Carlton’s afternoon tea. Warm sunlight filled the soft peach and muted green lobby where they serve tea every afternoon. Ann waited for me, sitting comfortably in a green and white printed booth. A white tablecloth lay across the table adorned with a small bouquet of fresh fall flowers. Ann smiled upon seeing me come toward her and moved over a bit to make room for me to join her.

“Hello, Jillian,” she said. “You look pretty discouraged. The tea ought to revive you. Here’s our server.” A young dark haired woman wearing the hotel tan and green print uniform smiled and asked if we would like the ‘Set Tea.’ After answering in the affirmative, Ann and I put our heads together and debriefed...

The server brought our tea—a pot apiece, steaming with our individual choices, and then a three-tiered plate stand filled with sweets and savories of every description.

We helped ourselves to the delicacies as the server, Alicia, poured out. “Milk?” she asked. We both nodded a “yes,” and then she asked, “Sugars?”

From the Dollar Tree

Teapots, for me, hold wonderful memories. I've poured many a cup for my garden club friends, neighbors, nieces and nephews. 


What about you? Tell us about your teapots.



Next week I'll share some cups and saucers from my collection. Each and every one also holds a particular memory of the person  or occasion from where it came.

A Gift From My Sister-In-Law

A Miniature Beatrix Potter Tea Set

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries.

Find out more about her on the About Us page, here on Cozy Mystery Magazine.

Thanks for joining us today!