Stephen Brayton's Posts - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T12:20:48ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBraytonhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/60996697?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3vs34w54v8znu&xn_auth=noReading Listtag:crimespace.ning.com,2016-04-07:537324:BlogPost:4141082016-04-07T22:30:00.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><img alt="summerreadinglist_istock_34481384_hires_983px" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1545" height="544" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/summerreadinglist_istock_34481384_hires_983px.png?w=680" width="983"></img> One of the cool things about blogs is to ask a question at the end to entice comments. Well, I want to ask one at the beginning.</p>
<p>What are you reading right now?</p>
<p>Okay, don't be literal and say, “Dude, I'm reading your blog.”</p>
<p>I mean your reading list of books.</p>
<p>Are you like me and have several going at once?</p>
<p>Currently, I am reading:</p>
<p>- A book I'm recording for a friend. I read a chapter or two when I get the chance. I use Audacity to make the…</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1545" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/summerreadinglist_istock_34481384_hires_983px.png?w=680" alt="summerreadinglist_istock_34481384_hires_983px" width="983" height="544"/>One of the cool things about blogs is to ask a question at the end to entice comments. Well, I want to ask one at the beginning.</p>
<p>What are you reading right now?</p>
<p>Okay, don't be literal and say, “Dude, I'm reading your blog.”</p>
<p>I mean your reading list of books.</p>
<p>Are you like me and have several going at once?</p>
<p>Currently, I am reading:</p>
<p>- A book I'm recording for a friend. I read a chapter or two when I get the chance. I use Audacity to make the recordings. Check it out, it's a pretty neat piece of software and I'm not using even a small fraction of it functions.</p>
<p>- A book on my Nook.</p>
<p>- An audio book in my car. I'm also using Audacity to cut up unabridged audio books into hour long chunks so that I can burn them onto rewritable CDs.</p>
<p>- A comic book in the bathroom. You know, for those times when I'm sitting in the bathroom.</p>
<p>In addition, I may be reading a Nook book that someone has sent me for review. Currently, I'm working on my own stuff, but for most of February and March, I was reading other books for review.</p>
<p>Before I started on the reviewing, I used to read two books at once. At a former motel job, I had a lot of time to write and read. So I would read one chapter of one story, then switch to another book for a chapter. I don't do that anymore and wouldn't want to go back to it.</p>
<p>I'm also one of those who can pick up a book that I haven't looked at for months and go right back into the story.</p>
<p>So, now that you've had time to think about the above question, I invite your answer.</p>Around The Globe With Jack sorentag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-11-07:537324:BlogPost:4108432015-11-07T03:17:32.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/harrys.jpg"><img alt="Harrys" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1205" height="200" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/harrys.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> This week, I don't pick up my featured author, he gives me directions. I start out by transporting to Paris. Then I have to act as if I know how to effect a French accent to tell the cabbie an address (although I could be telling him I'd like to date his sister for all I know) - “sank roo doe noo”.</p>
<p>Fortunately, he doesn't drag me out of the vehicle and pummel me. Instead, in a few minutes I find…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/harrys.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1205" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/harrys.jpg?w=300" alt="Harrys" width="300" height="200"/></a>This week, I don't pick up my featured author, he gives me directions. I start out by transporting to Paris. Then I have to act as if I know how to effect a French accent to tell the cabbie an address (although I could be telling him I'd like to date his sister for all I know) - “sank roo doe noo”.</p>
<p>Fortunately, he doesn't drag me out of the vehicle and pummel me. Instead, in a few minutes I find myself on a narrow sidewalk directly outside Harry's New York Bar. I'm bathed in the glow of red neon. Through swinging doors, I'm transported to the past. I feel the presence of some familiar names who have come before me. Gershwin, Hemingway, Bogart.</p>
<p>My guest this week is standing at the bar, rum nearby. He's scribbling in a notebook but as I close the distance, I see him posting a rather naughty picture up on Facebook. I think we'd better get on with the interview before we both get into (more) trouble.</p>
<p><b>1. Who are you and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?</b></p>
<p>The name’s Jack Soren, novelist. And I’m the most “fascinated” person in my city. If I was the most fascinating person in a city, I’d probably move. And since I’ll be towing a daughter, fiance and her son, and two cats (at last count), let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.</p>
<p><b>2. Without revealing a deep dark secret (unless you want to), what one thing would people be surprised to learn about you?</b></p>
<p>I was an extra in Police Academy III. Seriously. Before studying Journalism in college, I almost enrolled in Dramatic Arts. I actually went to the audition for the program, but when I saw the competition I ran away, bought a reporter’s notebook and got drunk. I’ve been scribbling in notebooks -- and getting drunk -- ever since.</p>
<p><b>3. What interested you to become a writer rather than something else such as rock star?</b></p>
<p>Well, as I said, I almost pursued acting. I finally realized I didn’t want to play one part but ALL the parts, so writer made more sense. Of course on reflection after making that decision, it became obvious that I’d been chasing writing since I was a toddler.</p>
<p><b>4. Writers are readers. With which author(s) would you enjoy sharing dinner? Why?</b></p>
<p>I do count several career novelists as friends already, but there are certainly more than a few I’d love to break bread with so I could pick their brain, such as Harlan Coben, Lee Child and, of course, Stephen King. Mostly I’d ask them about what it was like for them in the beginning. Being an author new on the scene is so different nowadays compared to even just ten years ago, so I’d love to get their insight on how they would handle breaking in now.</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/eonly_9780062365200_cover.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-1204" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/eonly_9780062365200_cover.jpg?w=199" alt="Eonly_9780062365200_Cover" width="227" height="336"/></a>5. If I were stranded on a deserted island or suffering from a four hour layover at the airport, why would your books be great company?</b></p>
<p>On a deserted island, THE MONARCH, the first book in my Monarch series, would remind you what secrets could be held beneath the surface of an island. And as you progressed on to the second book in the series, THE TOMORROW HEIST, you could look out at the ocean and wonder what was beneath those waves. In an airport, especially a long layover, thrillers are the best medicine. They make time fly. And the Monarch series takes you all the way from New York to Africa to Australia to the UK and over to Japan. But sorry, no frequent flyer miles.</p>
<p><b>6. Share your process of writing in regards to: plot and character development, story outline, research (do you Google or visit places/people, or make it up on the spot), writing schedule, editing and number of rewrites.</b></p>
<p>My process tends to vary from book to book. Generally, I use index cards and a cork board to map out story beats (the "big" scenes you look forward to writing in a story). I know my characters and at least have an idea of what the ending will be so I have something to aim for, though I rarely end up where I think I will.</p>
<p>Because the Monarch series is a globe trotting series, I’ve been using google maps streetview a lot and it seems to work out pretty well. I’d much prefer to visit all the places I’m going to write about, but my wallet just won’t cooperate! I also chat with people either in or familiar with the locales. The internet is great for that. But I’m not above just making it up or moving streets and borders to serve my story. I’m entertaining, not educating.</p>
<p>My writing schedule depends a lot on what deadlines I’m working under. I’ll target about 2,000 words a day but as a deadline approaches the hours I work and my quota will change to suit my needs. I’ve done five or six thousand words in a day, but more than that and the rewriting required makes it not really worth it.</p>
<p>If I have enough time, I'll put the work in a drawer for six weeks and work on something else. As King says, it's a lot easier to kill someone else's darlings, and after six weeks you won't be so close to the work and it will be easier to kill your own. Depending on research and "repairs" needed, I like to do a couple drafts, at least. If I have enough time, I'll do a read-out-loud draft. I could probably continue polishing forever, but again depending on deadlines and who the book is for, it might be time at this point to send it off to my editor/agent. It's at this point that I send it to my beta readers, as well. Then I just rinse and repeat when the feedback comes in.</p>
<p><b>7. “I think I have a good idea for a story, but I don't know where or how to begin. Your process may not work for me. Any advice?”</b></p>
<p>Sure. Sit down, put your hands on the keyboard and write. Write anything. Just keep typing. You’ll be surprised what you come up with.</p>
<p>That being said, ideas are a dime a dozen. If you read a typical city newspaper from front to back, you’ll have at least a half dozen ideas for novels when you’re done (embryonic ideas that need to be developed, of course). Ideas will end up inundating you after a while. Execution is the trick. And knowing when to discard an idea or combine it with other ideas.</p>
<p><b>8. I saw an amusing T-shirt the other day which read, “Every great idea I have gets me in trouble.” What is your philosophy of life?</b></p>
<p>Actually, I recently saw a T-shirt that best describes my philosophy. It said, “Being a writer is easy. It’s like riding a bike, except the bike is on fire, you’re on fire, everything is on fire, and you’re in hell.”</p>
<p><b>9. Please tell me you're not going to stop writing? What's next for you?</b></p>
<p>I’m currently working on a standlone novel (or new series...haven’t decided) about a reporter in Miami tentatively titled The Wayward Girl and then I’ll probably write another book in the Monarch series. But if you get all your friends to go buy a million copies of THE TOMORROW HEIST, I’ll gladly switch the order of those.</p>
<p><b>10. Where can people find more information on you and your projects?</b></p>
<p>I’m on twitter and facebook (jacksorenwrites for both) but my website and blog (<a href="http://www.jacksoren.com">www.jacksoren.com</a>) are probably a better place.</p>
<p>Other than that, I can be found at a few writing conventions every year, usually THRILLERFEST in NYC and BOUCHERCON (in New Orleans next year and Toronto the year after). If life allows, I’ll be at more and the information will be on my website.</p>Chapters - VIItag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-10-22:537324:BlogPost:4105992015-10-22T14:30:00.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/c07.jpg"><img alt="m¶Ûm" class="size-medium wp-image-1190" height="182" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/c07.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a></p>
<p>“<i>They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just to relax.”</i></p>
<p>I'll just bet it was.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I used to work nights and had, for the most part, since 1999. So many times my 'days off' were nights. Many times, though my body realized it was 11pm and I was not at work so it told me to go to bed.</p>
<p>I enjoyed my time off but…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/c07.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1190" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/c07.jpg?w=300" alt="m¶Ûm" width="300" height="182"/></a></p>
<p>“<i>They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just to relax.”</i></p>
<p>I'll just bet it was.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I used to work nights and had, for the most part, since 1999. So many times my 'days off' were nights. Many times, though my body realized it was 11pm and I was not at work so it told me to go to bed.</p>
<p>I enjoyed my time off but sometimes it messed my sleep schedule. However, I would have rather had two days in a row than worked one night, had next day off, then back to work the following. I really didn't like it when I was scheduled like that. I understood why that happened. Didn't like it, but understood.</p>
<p>Summer was the worst because I wanted to be outside and sometimes I couldn't be. Winter time I could huddle indoors in front of my computer. When the weather was warm I wanted to be outdoors. Usually, I'd walk my cat up at the town square. The street lights were enough he could see without being scared of too many shadows.</p>
<p>A lot of times, I want to do something but I'm not sure what I want to do. Sometimes the idea of doing something intrigues me, but the preparation and the traveling tend to delay action. Take fishing. I love to fish. I don't mind going out by myself to some lonely pond or lake and sitting for hours. Sure I'm disappointed when I don't catch anything, but it's just the idea of being away from civilization that's key.</p>
<p>However, to go fishing I must: gather the gear, buy bait if I don't want to use lures, pack paper towels, sunscreen, food, drink, a chair, and maybe a book if I feel like reading. Sometimes I brought a radio and listened to an audio book on cassette tapes (remember those?), or CDs. Then I had to decide where to go. The Des Moines river at Eveland Access or Lack Red Rock or Ottumwa, White Oak, the conservation area, the Skunk River. Then I had to drive there, set up everything and then fish.</p>
<p>Many times I did all of these things only to realize, I didn't want to go fishing in the first place. Sigh!</p>
<p>Many times I relaxed at Edmundson Park. Reading, maybe cooking some burgers. The park was in town so I didn't have to travel too far.</p>
<p>Some of the best times for relaxation was when I went to the local state park or down to Eveland Access on the Des Moines River and built a camp fire. Part of the enjoyment was getting some exercise dragging limbs and branches from the woods or the riverside. I could spend hours until I ran out of fuel or became too tired to stay longer. Eveland Access, for a long time, had a huge logjam so there was easy pickings for fire fuel. Just being out by the river, listening to the sounds of the water, a few birds, maybe a passing car above on the bridge.</p>
<p>Back in 2012, Iowa, as well as a lot of the country, experienced a drought. The worst I've seen. The Des Moines River almost dried up in many places. At Eveland Access there was just a channel, maybe fifteen feet wide. That September, I walked perhaps half a mile downstream in the middle of the riverbed. I saw old tires, a fifty-five gallon barrel, and just marveled at being in the middle of the river, dry.</p>
<p>Some of my relaxation periods are a bit stressful. One time at the Skunk, I became stuck in the river, in the muck for about ten minutes because I couldn't move. Lift one foot free, then put it down and it'd get stuck trying to move the other. I did a similar comic act at Eveland Access.</p>
<p>I also love to explore. I drive on country roads or Class B roads (or is it C? Whichever is the type that is nothing but a dirt-or mud-track) and see where they end up. Sometimes nowhere. One time I met a combine coming at me. Twice I've gotten stuck in the mud so bad I had to either abandon the car till the next day or be towed out. (After each of these sticky instances I swear I'm going to learn from the experience...until the next time)</p>
<p>Relaxation helps the mind, body, and spirit. It refreshes my writing creativity and makes it easier to solve dilemmas or make decisions about matters. It also helps relieve anxiety on current problems.</p>
<p>What do you do to relax?</p>
<p>PS. My dad mentioned that he thought last week's blog might have something to do with the Cubs being on a winning streak and beating the Cardinals. Well, after the disaster of this last week, I have only four words, four that seem to be on every Cub fan's lips.</p>
<p>Wait till next year.</p>Around The Globe With Michael J. Bowlertag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-08-13:537324:BlogPost:4093812015-08-13T13:00:00.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p>Spinner Meme (1)Near the middle of August, the weather turns hot. So, I'm particularly thankful to this week's featured author that he wants to have our interview while walking on some Colorado mountain trails. Cool air, scenery and green and rocks and maybe we'll catch site of some wildlife...as long as it's not a cougar. Or a bear. Or a wolf. Or a rattle snake. In fact, let's not encounter any wildlife and just talk about his latest book. And don't forget about the excerpt following the…</p>
<p>Spinner Meme (1)Near the middle of August, the weather turns hot. So, I'm particularly thankful to this week's featured author that he wants to have our interview while walking on some Colorado mountain trails. Cool air, scenery and green and rocks and maybe we'll catch site of some wildlife...as long as it's not a cougar. Or a bear. Or a wolf. Or a rattle snake. In fact, let's not encounter any wildlife and just talk about his latest book. And don't forget about the excerpt following the interview. 1.Who are you and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city? I am definitely not the most fascinating person in Los Angeles, but probably one of the weirdest and most straight up. In a city known for so much artificiality, mainly due to the entertainment business, I am the real deal. I don’t lie, I’m a passionate advocate for children and get personally involved with issues I see that demean kids, threaten them, or set out to corrupt them. I’m an activist for a better world. Unlike most adults who become jaded, I still see the world for what it can be and strive to make it so. Like Gandhi said, I strive to be the change I want to see. I’m a singularity in many of these ways, at least according to lots of people I’ve met along the way. I march to my own drumbeat and don’t let anyone sidetrack me from my goals. 2. Without revealing a deep dark secret (unless you want to), what one thing would people be surprised to learn about you? I haven’t cut my hair since 1992. It’s not falling out, but also hasn’t grown much past my shoulders. It should be on the floor by now. LOL Weird. 3. What interested you to become a writer rather than something else such as deep sea diver? Growing up I wanted to be an astronaut, a teacher, and a writer. I always wrote stories and made up stories in my mind for as far back as I can remember. The astronaut dream died a painful death when I discovered the complex math skills that were needed, and the fact that, because I was born hard of hearing, I was ineligible even if I’d been a math whiz. So I became a teacher because I loved kids and wanted to pay forward what some great teachers had given to me. The writing always remained a dream and I’m finally fulfilling it. 4. Writers are readers. With which author(s) would you enjoy sharing dinner? Why? Mary Shelley. Frankenstein is such an amazing, spot on look at the dark side of human nature and is still so relevant to us today, that I’d love to sit down and ask how an eighteen year old was so wise before her time to have written something for the ages. 5. If I were stranded on a deserted island or suffering from a four hour layover at the airport, why would your book(s) be great company? My books have great characters, very real and human with qualities everyone can relate to, even while hung over. LOL The plots are complex and twisty, there’s action, humor, pathos, and unforgettable character interplay. My books are the perfect companions because a reader will feel every emotion possible within their pages. 6. Share your process of writing in regards to: plot and character development, story outline, research (do you Google or visit places/people, or make it up on the spot), writing schedule, editing and number of rewrites. I usually get a story idea first, like a kind of hook that might be used to pitch a movie script. “King Arthur appears in Los Angeles and recruits cast-off children for his new Round Table of knights” would be an example. Or “what if there was a boy in a wheelchair who could heal everyone but himself?” I take the “hook” and think about what characters and situations are needed to tell the story effectively. My characters, and often events or life experiences, are always based on real people because that keeps me grounded in making my story and the people who inhabit it as genuine as possible. I can’t afford to travel, so if parts of my story are set in places I haven’t been, I use Google and the Internet to learn about them and see how they look so I can accurately describe them. I usually write full time when I’m drafting a novel, and then I revise obsessively. I’m almost OCD with my tinkering. I try not to read my work after publication because I always find things I want to change. LOL 7. “I think I have a good idea for a story, but I don't know where or how to begin. Your process may not work for me. Any advice?” Decide how you want your story to end, or how you’d like whatever character you’re thinking of to end up. If you have an idea of the end game, getting there becomes much easier. 8. I saw an amusing T-shirt the other day which read, “Every great idea I have gets me in trouble.” What is your philosophy of life? Because I have spent most of my adult life around children and teens, my philosophy is two-fold: live by example, and do what’s right, not what’s easy. By living these ideals, I feel I’m contributing to a better world down the line if kids do the same and pass it on. 9. Please tell me you're not going to stop writing? What's next for you? I’m outlining two sequels to Spinner that will follow through on and conclude the overall story arc begun in the first book. I’m also working on a standalone installment of my other series and aiming it at the middle grade market. 10. Where can people find more information on you and your projects? <a href="http://www.michaeljbowler.com">www.michaeljbowler.com</a> FB: michaeljbowlerauthor Twitter: BradleyWallaceM <a href="https://instagram.com/stuntshark/">https://instagram.com/stuntshark/</a> Blog: sirlancesays.wordpress.com tumblr:<a href="http://michaeljbowler.tumblr.com/">http://michaeljbowler.tumblr.com/</a> Pinterest:<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/michaelbowler/">https://www.pinterest.com/michaelbowler/</a> Freado:<a href="http://www.freado.com/book/20977/spinner">http://www.freado.com/book/20977/spinner</a> Goodreads:<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938109.Michael_J_Bowler">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938109.Michael_J_Bowler</a> Amazon:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Bowler/e/B0075ML4M4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?">http://www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Bowler/e/B0075ML4M4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?</a> SPINNER Alex felt uneasy as he lay in his bed and listened to the wind outside. It had been an okay day at school – he’d only been called “Roller Boy” twice, which was almost a world record. After school, he’d kicked it at Roy’s house and they cranked some Hawthorne Heights tunes and chilled. Even Jane hadn’t bitched at him. So why can’t I sleep? He didn’t know the answer. His eyes returned to the dancing shadows that flitted across his floor from the window. His drapes were closed, but the wind whistled through the trees, and the shadows mesmerized him. The patterns of light and dark pulled on his eyelids, dragging him slowly under. A dream loomed at the edges of his consciousness. One of those dreams. Sleep overcame him, and the dream began…. Ms. Ashley trudged down a flight of stairs from her second floor apartment to street level, carrying several overflowing bags of trash. The traffic sounds were omnipresent, but otherwise the night was calm and clear. A slight breeze ruffled her long brown hair as she slunk quickly to the rear of the complex. Rounding the building, she passed alongside a sloping hill of ivy-covered ground toward the row of trashcans in the far corner. Looking chilled and unsettled, Ms. Ashley lifted one lid and struggled to get all her bags in without spilling anything. A rustling noise startled her and she whipped her head around to the left. The ivy-covered hill ascended upward into darkness, but there was no movement. Only a creepy silence. She quickly tossed her bags into the can and dropped the lid back in place with a hollow clang. Suddenly, a large cat dropped onto the top of the can from somewhere above. She uttered a startled cry and leaped back a few steps. The cat meowed and she chuckled, extending one slightly trembling hand. The animal snuggled against it, wanting to be stroked. She ran her fingers through the fur around the cat’s neck and under its chin. More rustling leaves drew her attention to the ivy. The darkness in this corner was deep and penetrating, making the vines and leaves snaking their way up the slope barely visible. Another cat materialized from beneath the thick cover of ivy. Then another. And another. In seconds, the hillside crackled and seethed with cats of all shapes and sizes. Their glowing eyes shone like eerie beacons in the night. The cat beneath Ms. Ashley’s fingers hissed and swiped its claws at her, raking the top of her hand and drawing copious amounts of blood. Startled, she cried out and yanked her hand back, gazing in shock at the dark liquid gushing forth and spilling onto the concrete at her feet. Terror etched her face. She cautiously backed away. The cats crouched on the hillside, poised and threatening. The huge one she’d been petting wailed into the night, and then they were on her, leaping and clawing at her face and hair. Hundreds of cats streamed down the hillside and flung themselves at her while the big one sat and watched like a general commanding his troops. Ms. Ashley screamed, but loud traffic sounds drowned out her cries. Flailing wildly, she turned and stumbled along the side of the building toward the street, desperately crying out for help. Claws dug into her back and raked across her neck. Teeth sunk into her arm. She shrieked in agony as they yanked out chunks of her hair and raked at her legs, shredding her sweat pants and digging viciously into her soft flesh. Blood spilled from everywhere on her body. The street loomed just ahead. She tossed one cat off in a frantic attempt to save herself, only to have three more replace it. She clearly didn’t have much time before she’d topple beneath a tidal wave of claws and fur. A large truck roared along Lincoln Boulevard as Ms. Ashley staggered toward the curb. The headlights were bright and blinding. The biggest cat now flew from the retaining wall at her face and gouged a chunk of flesh out of her cheek, exposing the bone. She wailed in agony. Her knees buckled, but Ms. Ashley managed to stay on her feet while stumbling headlong into the street at a frantic pace. Suddenly aware that the truck was almost on her, she clutched at the nearest light post in desperation. One bloodied hand caught the post and slowed her momentum as the cats ceased their brutal attack. She gesticulated frantically with her free hand, hoping to attract the attention of the driver. With her urgent gaze fixed on the truck, she didn’t see the figure in black leap from behind the retaining wall right at her. Strong hands pressed hard into her back and propelled her forward. The truck mowed her down in a splatter of blood and gore, flinging her broken body to the pavement and then crushing it beneath massive tires. As the truck screeched to an ear-piercing halt near the corner, the figure in black melted into the darkness. Several cats sniffed the dead woman's remains before they, too, disappeared into the shadows. The first cat was the last to depart, watching as the horrified driver jumped from the truck cab and pelted toward Ms. Ashley’s broken body. The cat seemed to grin before vanishing into the night…. Alex screamed and bolted upright in bed, sweating profusely, his young face etched with horror, hair plastered to his sweat-sheened forehead. Heart thumping with urgent terror, he scanned his darkened room. The door leading outside was closed, but the ominous shadows still crept through the window. His desk was messy as usual, and the door to his bathroom stood ajar, but he’d left it that way. Everything looked like it had before he fell asleep. Dropping onto his pillow, Alex fought to control his breathing and calm his pounding heart. A dream. That’s all it had been. He’d known one was coming, and he’d been right. God, he hated those dreams! Poor Ms. Ashley. He lay there, sweat making his t-shirt cling uncomfortably to his chest as his heart rate slowly drew down. Could this dream be like the one about his parents? He hadn’t had one like that in years. It seemed so real! He lay in bed worrying about the morning, and what he’d find when he got to school, even though there was nothing he could do to change anything. Gradually, he calmed down; the tree branches outside tapping against the house lulled him to sleep. The last image to assail him before he went under was that ugly-ass cat grinning at him before running off into the dark. qid=1417379614&sr=1-1</p>Chapters - Vtag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-06-05:537324:BlogPost:4074552015-06-05T08:21:33.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><em><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/c05.jpg"><img alt="C05" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1064" height="204" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/c05.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room.”</em></p>
<p>What did you expect the beach to be? Covered in tile?<br></br>***</p>
<p>Some of these complaints are more inane than others. I think my snarky comment, while made in jest, brings up a valid point. What did these folks expect when they went to the beach? A beach, one for tourists, is mostly sand. There are rocky…</p>
<p><em><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/c05.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1064" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/c05.jpg?w=300" alt="C05" width="300" height="204"/></a>“The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room.”</em></p>
<p>What did you expect the beach to be? Covered in tile?<br/>***</p>
<p>Some of these complaints are more inane than others. I think my snarky comment, while made in jest, brings up a valid point. What did these folks expect when they went to the beach? A beach, one for tourists, is mostly sand. There are rocky beaches but they would have complained about too many rocks, I suspect.</p>
<p>This common sense expectation holds true for many things. In a past blog I discussed being reasonable when it comes to hotel prices. If you walk into the Marriott, you don't expect to get a room for $50. Why? Because it's not that sort of hotel. You should know that going in.</p>
<p>Books, too, hold certain expectations. For instance cozy mysteries aren't going to have excessive amounts of profanity or sex, if any. The actual murder and the sex are all 'off screen' as it were. The heroine may stumble upon the body and see that a knife is sticking out of the corpse's neck, but that's as much as the reader is going to know. You're not going to read about the seeping blood, the maggots, the detailed slice across the guy's neck before the fatal plunge, the neck gristle and muscle showing...too much? Okay, sorry.</p>
<p>Each genre has certain rules to follow for a book to be a success. There are exceptions and you can get away with a few things, in rare cases. (Obviously, you're not gong to see hot, steamy, lusty, busty, throbbing, heaving, bosomy genitalia in YA books. If you're self-publishing this sort of stuff, you might get a visit from the porn police.)</p>
<p>Readers expect certain things from books. In gritty serial killer thrillers, you expect a bit of gore and profanity. You expect to see the blood.</p>
<p>Years ago when I was reading Ludlum's novels, I was amused at the times he used italics for emphasis. In fact, I defy you to find more than ten pages in any Ludlum novel where he doesn't use italics. It's expected. The intensity is such that it almost requires it.</p>
<p>In regards to my books, I warn people that there is going to be profanity (not a lot, but some) and in Beta, there is going to be a sensitive topic discussed. I've also told people that I think I've written it in such a way that people are not going to stop reading because they're disgusted. With this subject matter, when the bad stuff happens, I break a rule and tell you what is happening, rather than show it. However, you will get the idea and be able to move on.</p>
<p>Authors who write series have fans who expect certain aspects of the story each time. J.D. Robb's 'Death' series will have some good humor, steamy sex, and technological standards in the each of the futuristic stories. Rex Stout will have fine meals, beer drinking, and subtle humor in the Nero Wolfe mysteries. Sparkle Abbey's Pampered Pet mysteries will show the constant battle for a gaudy brooch between the main characters.</p>
<p>Fans enjoy and expect these things and as authors we cannot disappoint. When Stout died and the publishing company wanted to continue the stories, they accepted submissions from authors on where future Wolfe mysteries might go. In the end, they settled on Robert Goldsborough because he stayed as true to the character as possible. I think they did right by this. I don't think people would have responded well to Nero Wolfe riding a motorcycle. (This is true, one writer had him doing this.)</p>
<p>What expectations from what authors do you have?</p>A Chat With Lawrence Blocktag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-04-24:537324:BlogPost:4059572015-04-24T13:01:27.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/cover.jpg"><img alt="cover" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1009" height="300" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/cover.jpg?w=197" width="197"></img></a></p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300.jpg"><img alt="lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300" class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-1010" height="150" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300.jpg?w=111" width="111"></img></a></p>
<p>So, this morning I was sitting around trying to think of what to post for this week's blog. How do you follow three wonderful weeks of author interviews?</p>
<p>Then someone knocks on my door and when I answer, there stands a man weaing a hat that shadows his face. He hands me a large…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/cover.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1009" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/cover.jpg?w=197" alt="cover" width="197" height="300"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-1010" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300.jpg?w=111" alt="lawrence_block_blog_11-221x300" width="111" height="150"/></a></p>
<p>So, this morning I was sitting around trying to think of what to post for this week's blog. How do you follow three wonderful weeks of author interviews?</p>
<p>Then someone knocks on my door and when I answer, there stands a man weaing a hat that shadows his face. He hands me a large envelope and states that inside is a free book and an interview with Lawrence Block who discusses a new anthology. I laugh and reply, "Right, tell me another joke." He asks me to look at them and walks away.</p>
<p>I open the envelope and...run after the guy. He, however, has disappeared.</p>
<p>Who was he? A publicist? An agent? Or...oh my! Did I just meet THE Lawrence Block? And then laugh at him? Who knows? I hope I'm forgiven for my levity.</p>
<p>Anyway, this week I have the honor of turning over the blog to another inteviewer and a very special guest. (Oh, I also read the book and you should, too.)<br/>________________________</p>
<p>Today, Our Man in New York interviews Lawrence Block on his new anthology, Dark City Lights, to be published April 28 by Three Rooms Press…</p>
<p><em>OUR MAN: You’ve written over a hundred books, several of which have been filmed—most recently “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” starring Liam Neeson. Now you’ve edited an anthology of stories set in New York City.</em></p>
<p>LB: So?</p>
<p><em>Well, I was wondering why. Curiosity? You’d never edited an anthology before?</em></p>
<p>It’s comforting to see you’ve done your homework.</p>
<p><em>I beg your pardon?</em></p>
<p>This is the twelfth. The others are Death Cruise, Master’s Choice I and II, Opening Shots I and II, Speaking of Lust, Speaking of Greed, Blood on Their Hands, Gangsters Swindlers Killers and Thieves, and Manhattan Noir I and II.</p>
<p><em>Right. Well, as a veteran anthologist, perhaps you can say what drew you to this particular project.</em></p>
<p>An invitation from the publishers. I’d met Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges a couple of times over the years, when they chose stories of mine to reprint in earlier collections. This time around, Peter and I sat down over coffee and he proposed my editing a volume of New York stories.</p>
<p><em>And you agreed because—</em></p>
<p>Well, it was strong coffee. I was probably a little hyper. Then I got home and had to find people to write stories for the book. They had to be good writers, capable of writing good stories, and they pretty much had to be friends of mine, or how could I talk them into writing for so little money?</p>
<p><em>And they had to be crime writers.</em></p>
<p>No, certainly not. Many of the stories in Dark City Lights are crime stories, but that was never a requirement. Robert Silverberg’s “Hannibal’s Elephants” is science fiction about an alien invasion of Central Park. Jerrold Mundis’s “Chloe” hovers somewhere between fantasy and mythology. Jonathan Santlofer’s “The Garmento and the Movie Star” is fictionalized memoir, a bridge between Hollywood glamor and the Seventh Avenue rag trade. Jill D. Block’s “The Lady Upstairs” could appear as easily in a literary quarterly, but for the ease and clarity with which it is written. Any new piece of fiction taking place within the five boroughs of New York was eligible.</p>
<p><em>So the writers are all New Yorkers. Um, you’re shaking your head.</em></p>
<p>And rolling my eyes. Warren Moore’s a professor at a college in South Carolina. Bill Bernico lives in Wisconsin. Elaine Kagan’s an actress and writer based in Los Angeles. Robert Silverberg, born in Brooklyn, has lived for years in Oakland.</p>
<p><em>Got it. Let’s see now. There are 23 stories in the book. How many people did you have to invite in order to get that many?</em></p>
<p>Well, two fine writers turned me down, with apologies. One was swamped with assignments and the other was behind deadling on a book.</p>
<p><em>So you invited 25, and—you’re shaking your head again.</em></p>
<p>I invited 20, and 18 accepted.</p>
<p><em>Where did the other five stories come from?</em></p>
<p>Well, I didn’t have to invite myself. My contribution is “Keller the Dogkiller,” one of the few Keller stories set in New York. And four writers invited themselves. Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges saw how the book was shaping up, decided they wanted to be a part of it, and sent me a pair of terrific stories. An old friend heard about the project from another writer and sent in a story I’d have had to be nuts to turn down. Elaine Kagan showed her own entry to her daughter, Eve, who got inspired, wrote a story of her own, and wondered if I could find room for it. I could and did.</p>
<p><em>No matter how you got them, they’re great stories, and the variety is amazing. I wish there were a way to give the flavor of each and every one of them.</em></p>
<p>There is. Some resourceful person at Three Rooms Press pulled quotes from each of the stories, and set up a web page. Just click and see for yourself: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/l7d3qyf">http://tinyurl.com/l7d3qyf</a></p>
<p><em>“While he sweated out a story she bled out a poem.” This is great stuff!</em></p>
<p>What did you expect? That line’s from S.J. Rozan, and it’s one of 23 great lines from 23 outstanding stories.</p>
<p><em>What more can I say? Click on the link and read the lines; then click on this link <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nwdnydd">http://tinyurl.com/nwdnydd</a> and order the book. And thank you, Lawrence Block, for your time and patience.</em></p>Endurancetag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-02-27:537324:BlogPost:4041652015-02-27T14:00:56.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/endurance-pic.jpg"><img alt="Endurance pic" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-994" height="200" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/endurance-pic.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “</span><a href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/endurance_is_one_of_the_most_difficult/143666.html"><span><span><span><i>Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.</i></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><i>” - </i></span></span></span><span><span><span><i>Buddha</i></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In…</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/endurance-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-994" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/endurance-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="Endurance pic" width="300" height="200"/></a>“</span><a href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/endurance_is_one_of_the_most_difficult/143666.html"><span><span><span><i>Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.</i></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><i>” - </i></span></span></span><span><span><span><i>Buddha</i></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In January, 2015, I used this picture and quote as my monthly theme for class. The reason I did was when I consider monthly themes I take suggestions from my assistant instructor and I think about how the students have been doing in the recent month. I try to think what might motivate or excite them, to push them.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>I thought Endurance would be good for the start of the year. Yeah, so many times the theme of Goals is used and I'll bring it out now and again. But I want</span></span></span><span><span><span>ed</span></span></span><span><span><span> the students </span></span></span><span><span><span>to </span></span></span><span><span><span>toughen up a bit, get through some of the difficult parts of the workout and form work we do.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Endurance is akin to perseverance. You're trying to keep going to reach the goal. I think endurance, however, can be broken down into the areas of mental and physical.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>One of my exercises I do every so often is go through my form, full power, seven times. After the first couple I'm doing all right. By the fourth or fifth round, I'm feeling it – in my muscles, my breathing, and especially in my mind. It becomes a mental exercise to keep going, to finish those seven. I'm sweating and I'm pushing those kicks, trying to stay relaxed (not tense throughout), and focusing on technique rather than the strain and pain I'm feeling. The mental game to endure the strain and pain and keep going. Push, kick, strike. Again. Again. One more time. The mind counts up from one then counts down how many more rounds I have. Push, kick, strike. Again. One more time.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Of course, to endure, the physical side comes into play. By years of training I've built up strength and stamina to keep going. To endure.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Region 114's annual camp is an excellent venue for endurance. The classes and exercises are intense and demanding. The Masters instructing will push you to your limits. They're not harsh or come down with punishment for failure, but they will push. They'll encourage improvement, celebrate success.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>But only after you've endured what they have to offer.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>None of us is Superman, but as I mentioned, training does help endurance.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>I think of those who go through the SEAL training. Normally, it isn't the biggest guy in the bunch who succeeds. Those who succeed will be the ones with that physical and mental endurance to push past the pain and the mental anguish. Late in 2014, I heard commercials about enduring the training of one of the military branches. The man speaking was pushing himself mentally, saying to himself that he needed to keep going for just a bit longer, just a minute more. Then he'd succeed.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Endurance is strength of body and of mind. It doesn't always have to be something physical like a martial arts form or military training. Sometimes, it can be about a job interview or </span></span></span><span><span><span>writing the final chapter in</span></span></span><span><span><span> a book.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Where in your life have you had to endure to succeed?</span></span></span></p>Chapters - IVtag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-02-13:537324:BlogPost:4027622015-02-13T14:16:09.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/c041.png"><img alt="C04" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-987" height="297" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/c041.png?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “<i>We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it be included in the price.”</i></p>
<p>I don't know about you, but even if the park DID provide swimsuits, I don't think I'd wear one. Even if it has been washed fifty times over, how many other bodies have worn it?</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So what do you think about when you see the price for…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/c041.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-987" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/c041.png?w=300" alt="C04" width="300" height="297"/></a>“<i>We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it be included in the price.”</i></p>
<p>I don't know about you, but even if the park DID provide swimsuits, I don't think I'd wear one. Even if it has been washed fifty times over, how many other bodies have worn it?</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So what do you think about when you see the price for something? Everybody has a personal opinion on if a product or service is too expensive. It all comes down to what we think is worth the money.</p>
<p>Years ago I went with my dad to a model train fair. We visited many booths and displays and saw a lot of pretty good stuff. At one booth, a guy was hawking a product one used when creating scenery. I can't recall exactly what it did (a special glue or foam to connect pieces of material to make construction easier and more realistic) but the bottle cost around forty dollars. Now, dad has been into model trains for decades so he was attracted. I thought the price was a bit much, but dad ended up buying a bottle and found the product worked pretty good.</p>
<p>I guess I'm the same with books. I used to be a big eBay purchaser and until the site went to strictly Paypal payments I would shop a lot. The problem I found was that several sellers were ripoff artists. I know book prices have increased and today you shell out close to nine or ten dollars for a paperback in the store. I used to have a bit of an OCD complex where I wouldn't buy a book unless it was in pristine condition. Then I realized I was missing out on a lot of books because of my standards. (However, I still read with the book open only far enoughto read the words without cracking the spine. I'm also glad that dad does the same when he borrows some of my books.) However, back then books ranged from four to six dollars.</p>
<p>Anyway, I shopped on eBay because I could peruse used books and older books no longer in the stores. I saw some pretty good deals and thought the money spent was justified. However, I thought a lot sellers were cheats because the book itself may have cost anywhere from 99 cents to four dollars but the shipping was always four-six dollars, or more. So, I would have ended up paying new-book price for something years old. No way. I knew it didn't cost six dollars to ship a book.</p>
<p>Today, with Amazon and other online stores it's a bit easier, in one sense to be able to shop around. The liability is, there are various ways to buy books, to get the one you want for the right price may require a lot of time. And with the explosion of eBooks and especially with self-published books, the old warning of BUYER BEWARE is so important.</p>
<p>I'm not against self-published books. I know authors who have gone this route and their books are just fine. However, in my book reviews, I have run across so many more that were not. It's not difficult to recognize a self-published book at times because of the poor quality of the plot and all of the errors of grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. No self-respecting editor or publisher would allow that crap to get published.</p>
<p>I must correct myself by saying...some do. That's one of the downsides to small indie publishers. Not saying the big six doesn't put out crap, but some of these small publishers are so close to fly-by-night outfits, it ain't funny. That is why writers must do their homework before submitting. Check out the company as thoroughly as possible before submitting or accepting an offer.</p>
<p>Quality counts. It doesn't matter if the price for a book is less than a buck, if the story is awful, the writing is amateurish, and/or the editing is noticeably bad, then you've wasted your money.</p>Perseverancetag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-01-30:537324:BlogPost:4016532015-01-30T14:27:06.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg"><img alt="Perseverance" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-977" height="240" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> Many moons ago I attended a taekwondo tournament in the Minneapolis area. I was either a Second or a Third Degree Black Belt at the time and my competition consisted of some excellent martial artists. In the sparring competition, I faced a gentleman who, within a minute, executed a spin hook kick to my head. My hands were not up as far as they should have been and I was not fast enough to block in…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-977" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg?w=300" alt="Perseverance" width="300" height="240"/></a>Many moons ago I attended a taekwondo tournament in the Minneapolis area. I was either a Second or a Third Degree Black Belt at the time and my competition consisted of some excellent martial artists. In the sparring competition, I faced a gentleman who, within a minute, executed a spin hook kick to my head. My hands were not up as far as they should have been and I was not fast enough to block in time. As I understand it from witness' reports, my body went both limp and sideways and I hit the floor.</p>
<p>I don't remember much during the next five minutes or so. I think I heard people talking but was unable to respond. In short order I found myself at a local medical center and on the doc's advice was driven to downtown St. Paul to receive a CAT scan to make sure nothing was wrong inside my noggin. Luckily, I recovered with no problems.</p>
<p>For the next two or three years at tournaments, I met this same guy in my ring either during the first or second round of sparring. He didn't knock me out again, but he always beat me. Easily. One year, again in Minneapolis, I was determined that the result was going to be different. I was psyched up and told myself that he might win, but this time he was going to work for it. Unfortunately, he didn't compete that year and soon after, left the organization.</p>
<p>Perseverance. I kept trying. I never came close to beating him, but I kept trying. In recent years, although I still compete I've not had good scores in my forms competition and usually have been defeated in sparring. I keep trying and last year, when I made the decision to get serious about a fitness regimen to become healthier, carrying less weight, and with better stamina, I also became serious about earning better scores at tournament. And it's worked. I'm still exercising because although I'm stronger, I still need to lose more weight and improve my cardio stamina. When warmer weather has arrives, I can get outside for some better exercising. Meanwhile, I have the hotel's fitness facilities I can use.</p>
<p>Writing has been the same way. I started scribbling stories as a child and for a year or so after college while on my own for the first time. In the middle 90s when I created the Mallory Petersen character, I decided that I wanted to get serious about writing and ultimately, to get my stories published. However, I was shot down (tactfully) during my first few rounds in a critique group. I wasn't knocked out, just verbally battered around a bit.</p>
<p>I didn't quit. I wrote and wrote. I cranked out short stories every week. I dove in deep on the second Petersen story and also completed my supernatural novel Night Shadows. With Beta and Shadows being refined I looked around for some agent or publisher to accept them. Years passed and finally those first two books were published. I then resurrected the first Petersen story I had laid aside, reworked some angles, persevered, and about a year and a half later queried Oak Tree Press. In 2012, Alpha became my first book in printed form as well as an eBook.</p>
<p>I am friends with a writer in Des Moines. We've hung together ever since my early days in my first critique group. She's written several stories but can't seem to get over the hump of getting any accepted. But she keeps trying and one day, she'll join the ranks of published authors.</p>
<p>I've seen too many individuals give up after receiving critiques or those who are never able to get past chapter one or even an outline.</p>
<p>Perseverance. It's always easier NOT to do something. I'd rather go home and go to bed each morning after my night shift job. Sleep would be so much more preferable than spending another hour out running or finding a place to exercise. Whiling away the hours reading or watching television is so much easier than picking up a pen and pad and writing the next chapter or the next short story.</p>
<p>But where's the fun in taking it easy? If I hadn't persevered, I wouldn't have reached the rank of Fifth Degree nor would I have three books to my credit.</p>
<p>It is also so easy to say, “Don't give up.” That phrase can be shrugged off. What may get some to thinking is: “Find a reason NOT to give up.” What might happen if you didn't give up? What might be the result if you pushed just a little harder and for one more day?</p>
<p>I don't know, but try it and let me know.</p>Perseverancetag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-01-30:537324:BlogPost:4013632015-01-30T14:26:45.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg"><img alt="Perseverance" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-977" height="240" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> Many moons ago I attended a taekwondo tournament in the Minneapolis area. I was either a Second or a Third Degree Black Belt at the time and my competition consisted of some excellent martial artists. In the sparring competition, I faced a gentleman who, within a minute, executed a spin hook kick to my head. My hands were not up as far as they should have been and I was not fast enough to block in…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-977" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/perseverance.jpg?w=300" alt="Perseverance" width="300" height="240"/></a>Many moons ago I attended a taekwondo tournament in the Minneapolis area. I was either a Second or a Third Degree Black Belt at the time and my competition consisted of some excellent martial artists. In the sparring competition, I faced a gentleman who, within a minute, executed a spin hook kick to my head. My hands were not up as far as they should have been and I was not fast enough to block in time. As I understand it from witness' reports, my body went both limp and sideways and I hit the floor.</p>
<p>I don't remember much during the next five minutes or so. I think I heard people talking but was unable to respond. In short order I found myself at a local medical center and on the doc's advice was driven to downtown St. Paul to receive a CAT scan to make sure nothing was wrong inside my noggin. Luckily, I recovered with no problems.</p>
<p>For the next two or three years at tournaments, I met this same guy in my ring either during the first or second round of sparring. He didn't knock me out again, but he always beat me. Easily. One year, again in Minneapolis, I was determined that the result was going to be different. I was psyched up and told myself that he might win, but this time he was going to work for it. Unfortunately, he didn't compete that year and soon after, left the organization.</p>
<p>Perseverance. I kept trying. I never came close to beating him, but I kept trying. In recent years, although I still compete I've not had good scores in my forms competition and usually have been defeated in sparring. I keep trying and last year, when I made the decision to get serious about a fitness regimen to become healthier, carrying less weight, and with better stamina, I also became serious about earning better scores at tournament. And it's worked. I'm still exercising because although I'm stronger, I still need to lose more weight and improve my cardio stamina. When warmer weather has arrives, I can get outside for some better exercising. Meanwhile, I have the hotel's fitness facilities I can use.</p>
<p>Writing has been the same way. I started scribbling stories as a child and for a year or so after college while on my own for the first time. In the middle 90s when I created the Mallory Petersen character, I decided that I wanted to get serious about writing and ultimately, to get my stories published. However, I was shot down (tactfully) during my first few rounds in a critique group. I wasn't knocked out, just verbally battered around a bit.</p>
<p>I didn't quit. I wrote and wrote. I cranked out short stories every week. I dove in deep on the second Petersen story and also completed my supernatural novel Night Shadows. With Beta and Shadows being refined I looked around for some agent or publisher to accept them. Years passed and finally those first two books were published. I then resurrected the first Petersen story I had laid aside, reworked some angles, persevered, and about a year and a half later queried Oak Tree Press. In 2012, Alpha became my first book in printed form as well as an eBook.</p>
<p>I am friends with a writer in Des Moines. We've hung together ever since my early days in my first critique group. She's written several stories but can't seem to get over the hump of getting any accepted. But she keeps trying and one day, she'll join the ranks of published authors.</p>
<p>I've seen too many individuals give up after receiving critiques or those who are never able to get past chapter one or even an outline.</p>
<p>Perseverance. It's always easier NOT to do something. I'd rather go home and go to bed each morning after my night shift job. Sleep would be so much more preferable than spending another hour out running or finding a place to exercise. Whiling away the hours reading or watching television is so much easier than picking up a pen and pad and writing the next chapter or the next short story.</p>
<p>But where's the fun in taking it easy? If I hadn't persevered, I wouldn't have reached the rank of Fifth Degree nor would I have three books to my credit.</p>
<p>It is also so easy to say, “Don't give up.” That phrase can be shrugged off. What may get some to thinking is: “Find a reason NOT to give up.” What might happen if you didn't give up? What might be the result if you pushed just a little harder and for one more day?</p>
<p>I don't know, but try it and let me know.</p>Adult Truth #16tag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-01-23:537324:BlogPost:4006952015-01-23T04:32:03.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p class="western"><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/16.jpg"><img alt="#16" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-973" height="150" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/16.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “<i>I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.”</i></p>
<p class="western">I don't frequent bars. I'm not a beer drinker. Now, this isn't to say I haven't imbibed and if you ask the right friends, they'll tell you tales of times when I've, uh, well...let's just say I overindulged a bit. However, this brings up an…</p>
<p class="western"><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/16.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-973" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/16.jpg?w=300" alt="#16" width="300" height="150"/></a>“<i>I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.”</i></p>
<p class="western">I don't frequent bars. I'm not a beer drinker. Now, this isn't to say I haven't imbibed and if you ask the right friends, they'll tell you tales of times when I've, uh, well...let's just say I overindulged a bit. However, this brings up an interesting point. Motivation.</p>
<p class="western">Unfortunately, with this case of, uh, overindulgence (back in 1999 or was it 2000) I was motivated by depression. I know, bad idea to drink when depressed, and I won't go into details. Rest assured, I paid for my bad choice.</p>
<p class="western">Anyway, motivation. This truth came at a perfect time. As I write this, I'm thinking back upon the previous day. I received another draft of Alpha from my publisher and I was hoping to get through it in record time to complete final edits. I started about 3 in the morning, worked until 6:30, went home and slept until 3 in the afternoon, checked my email, and dove right back into the story. I was nine pages from the end at 10:30 when I went back to work. My motivation: to get it done and back to my publisher so she can get it published within the next two weeks.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I've mentioned my exercise regimen in a past blog. I started it back in the spring of 2012. Why: I wanted to get serious about getting in shape. Since then I've lost ten pounds, am a lot stronger, and I'm motivated to keep going.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I reached out to more local and area businesses and groups for the promotion of Alpha. Why: because my marketing plan for the last two books didn't go so well. I want to reach more people, be more in the public eye. I'm motivated by the desire to sell more books.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. At the time of this writing, I'm almost half finished with the next Mallory Petersen story. Why: because I am excited about this next book and I want to write it and feel emotional about Mallory's experiences. When I was reading through Alpha for the umpteenth time last night, I still choked up at certain points and still laughed at the humorous scenes. I want to feel this way for the next book. I'm motivated to complete it and get onto the rewrites.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I'm reading the sequel to Night Shadows to my critique group. Why: because I want to complete this story. I want the struggles to end. I want to either get this story done or realize that it never will be. I want to write this story and the critique group is helping me see I still have some work to do on it.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I should have tested for Sixth Degree Black Belt in 2012 but I didn't. Why: not motivated enough. I have two more mid-term testings to pass, plus, I have to fulfill several other requirements before I will be allowed to test for the next rank. I need to get motivated to reach that higher rank.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I don't know where I'll be when this particular blog gets posted. Why: the owners of the motel where I'm working at the time of this writing are selling the property. I don't know whether I'll have a job when a new employer takes control and if I do, how many hours I'll have. I'm motivated by uncertainty to find other employment.</p>
<p class="western">Motivation. I'm motivated to be debt free. To help myself I thought long and hard about tapping into funds not meant to be touched for years to come. Yes, I'll pay a penalty, but I don't want to go on for more years than necessary paying bill after bill after bill. I went more into debt with the purchase of four new tires for my vehicle. So, once my medical bills are paid off, I'll have more money to attack the bigger debts.</p>
<p class="western">What motivates you? Why do you set out to accomplish certain things? We share commonalities, but motivations are personal and individual. They're not to be taken lightly and, for the most part, there are no easy roads to accomplishment. When you achieve success, though, then you can celebrate.</p>
<p class="western">Now, if I could find an attractive woman who was motivated enough to want to have me as a boyfriend...</p>Chapters - IIItag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-01-16:537324:BlogPost:4006522015-01-16T06:48:07.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/c03.jpg"><img alt="C03" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-968" height="225" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/c03.jpg" width="300"></img></a> “<i>On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food.”</i></p>
<p>Well, then bring along some Fritos.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Last time I talked about my basic day-to-day schedule, but my eating schedule has also changed since the move. I've been trying (somewhat successfully) to be more aware of what I eat. Trying to cut back on the carbs and…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/c03.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-968" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/c03.jpg" alt="C03" width="300" height="225"/></a>“<i>On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food.”</i></p>
<p>Well, then bring along some Fritos.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Last time I talked about my basic day-to-day schedule, but my eating schedule has also changed since the move. I've been trying (somewhat successfully) to be more aware of what I eat. Trying to cut back on the carbs and the fat and the sugar and eat more protein, fruits, and veggies.</p>
<p>But my eating schedule and my diet has never been the best because of my work schedule. Since 1999, for the most part, I've worked from 11p-7a. Sometimes I'll have a real breakfast after work, but most times it's been something quick from the convenience store to suffice until the afternoon. Usually, I only eat once a day, with maybe a few snacks throughout the night. This has continued up to the present. On days off, I may get a few more meals in per day, but nothing on a regular schedule.</p>
<p>As I mentioned, I've been trying to watch the diet and not binge on sugar or sweets or chips although I may have some tortilla chips and salsa which shouldn't hurt because usually salsa is fat free. I'm not sure if the Slim Fast or Walmart's or Hy-Vee's equivalent is doing any good, but a glass when I get home usually keeps my stomach from growling until I wake up.</p>
<p>When I created Mallory Petersen, I wanted her to enjoy a lot of the same foods I do but have a much better exercise regimen. She still enjoys sandwiches, Swiss cheese, hamburgers, pizza, but I think her metabolism is such that she can absorb these without suffering too much weight gain. Plus, she exercises a lot more often than most women. She's not obsessed with it (I recently read an article where one woman claims to exercise two hours before work, another hour at lunch and at least a couple hours after work...every day) but she does take care of herself and she eats the foods in moderation. Yes, she drinks soda (Dr Pepper) which is essentially empty calories, but again, not to extremities. (I know a couple who have Diet Coke bottles all over the house, in the basement, in the garage, in the shed, in the car. They're still cool people, though.)</p>
<p>Part of the fun in writing characters is I can infuse them with my own personality, but not have them become a replica. I've mentioned in interviews when asked how much of me is in Mallory, that she has similar likes and dislikes, is better looking, and a better taekwondo instructor/student.</p>
<p>As for Harry Reznik and Lori Campisi, I haven't delved into their diets too much. In Night Shadows, Harry eats the cheeseburger while Lori stays with a healthful salad. Harry also likes his Pop Tarts but can make a mean omelet. (By the way, my family longs for the times when I make my mean omelets for them.)</p>
<p>At the time of this writing, I'm editing for submission a new novel with a stereotypical noir type of private eye – smokes, drinks, bad diet, sloppy, drives a crappy car. When I set out to write this character's story, I wanted him nothing like Mallory. So, just as when they turned Hulk Hogan into a baddie for awhile, they went over the top to have his character be 'believable', I wanted to do something totally different from the characters I had previously created. I temper my private eye, named Sabastian Habeck, with a caring nature toward his ex wife and reluctantly, toward his clients and those he speaks with on his investigation. Now, that is not to say he isn't harsh when needed. (In one scene I have him slugging a smart aleck drug using teenager. Of course the punk deserved it since he hit his aunt.)</p>
<p>I think food plays an important role in writing characters. I enjoy some of those cooking/food related mysteries because you usually get spicy (pun intended) characters full of fun. Many times food or dinners play an important role in getting close to the characters. Caleb Carr's The Alienist and Angel of Darkness feature hours long dinners late into the night. However, many books don't mention food or the fact that anybody eats, or else the eating is skimmed over, which, in some cases is bad because I think food is important in character development.</p>
<p>How do you relate food and eating in your stories?</p>New Year's Resolutionstag:crimespace.ning.com,2015-01-02:537324:BlogPost:4003752015-01-02T14:42:38.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/new-years-resolution-pic.jpg"><img alt="New Year's Resolution pic" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-962" height="300" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/new-years-resolution-pic.jpg?w=296" width="296"></img></a> I entitled this post 'New Year's Resolutions' for a simple reason: I don't make any. I used to but made progress on them for only about a week or so, then fell back into old habits. You know, the old standards: more exercise, watch the diet, quit smoking. Whoops, well, I can't claim I ever made a resolution to quit smoking since I never started.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about the end of…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/new-years-resolution-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-962" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/new-years-resolution-pic.jpg?w=296" alt="New Year's Resolution pic" width="296" height="300"/></a>I entitled this post 'New Year's Resolutions' for a simple reason: I don't make any. I used to but made progress on them for only about a week or so, then fell back into old habits. You know, the old standards: more exercise, watch the diet, quit smoking. Whoops, well, I can't claim I ever made a resolution to quit smoking since I never started.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about the end of the year for a couple weeks now and I have come to the conclusion that resolutions for a new year are ill-timed. Let me explain.</p>
<p>A new year, a fresh start on 'life'. Right? That's what many people think. Every year news reports feature the resolutions people make. But they make them anywhere from a day before the start of the new year to a month or two before. “Starting January 1, I will...”</p>
<p>Why January first? What I mean is, are you going to continue to do the same bad things up until January first, then suddenly change? I can almost guarantee failure. Why? Because we aren't geared that way.</p>
<p>I remember one new year, when I was living in Kewanee, Illinois at my first 'real' job out of college. I'd made the resolution to exercise more, to get out and jog. So, on a cold January 1 morning, I woke up early, before I had to head off for work, dressed in warm clothes, and jogged out and back for about five minutes each way. Now this was a couple years before I would begin martial arts, so my body was not in good shape, my stamina zero.</p>
<p>When I arrived back at the apartment I was sweating, cold, out of breath, and exhausted. I don't remember how many more days I jogged in the morning, but the routine didn't continue like I had wanted. Why? Because I couldn't just get up and do that sort of thing without training first. Without preparing.</p>
<p>Besides, January 1 is NOT a good day to go outside and run. Too cold.</p>
<p>I'm trying to make a point and it is: Why wait until January first? If you'd made the decision to start exercising, watching your diet, or whatever, back in November or in the middle of December, why didn't you start then? I can almost predict you didn't make any plans to adjust to your resolution before the first day of January. You didn't put down the Twinkie, you didn't resist the cigarette, you didn't go for a walk on the treadmill at the gym. No, you probably did what I did back in Kewanee. Made the decision and on January 1 you went ahead and started something that your body protested from minute one.</p>
<p>If you want to change, then start when you've made the decision to change. But start slow. Don't jump into something because in all likelihood, you'll fail, or worse, injure yourself. Start with little changes. By doing that, you've already started your resolution.</p>
<p>Instead of making a resolution to start 'something' January 1, make a goal. “By March 1, I will have...” If you set a goal, then you can plan how and when you can start to reach that goal and maybe the steps along the way. It's why I outline each story I write. I see the goal. If I just started writing with no clear ending point, I wouldn't know where the story needed to go.</p>
<p>I want to mention two people who have impressed me this past year with the things I've heard them say. The first is Joyce Meyer. If you don't know who she is, look her up. I've listened to several sermons she's conducted. She's been in the ministerial business for a long time, is on television in front of crowds of multiple hundreds or thousands.</p>
<p>Anyway, on one of the sites for which I review, I chose one of her audio books, entitled, “You Can Begin Again.” It went through several chapters on how to make changes in your life, when to start, how to start, and of course it mentioned developing a closer relationship with God. What impressed me about this was she said it's never too late to start again. (Of course, I had to disagree with her on that point with just a minor point that it's too late when you're dead. But I also think she knew that.)</p>
<p>She reminded me of those criminals who converted after many years in prison, or the person who waited until 90 to find God. I thought of the example I saw on a Richard Simmons special. (Yeah, and don't ask me why I was watching a Richard Simmons special. I don't know.) It showed a woman so obese she couldn't get out of bed. She started watching a Simmons exercise program and started doing small arm movements. She worked herself down to a more reasonable weight.</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, small things. This woman didn't heave herself out of bed and run five miles. She started with arm movements and probably consulted with her doctor on diet plans.</p>
<p>Anyway, Meyer impressed me with something obvious – that you can begin again if you want. It may be tough, but you can do it.</p>
<p>The second person this last year I kept an eye on was a former ATA instructor who lived in Sigourney awhile ago, Nathan Kirby. He moved down to Little Rock where he eventually departed with ATA and started his own gym and involved with MMA fighting.</p>
<p>This last year he began making short videos he posted on Facebook. Motivational vids with him in the gym or driving in a car. It was as if he had an inspiration and turned on the camera and started talking. In one of them he discussed life changes. To paraphrase, he said that if you feel your life isn't what you wanted, what what you hoped, isn't going well, then there's something else out there and you should seek and find it. Discover what is wrong and make plans to change it. Yes, he mentioned God, too.</p>
<p>Kirby's videos are like a motivational push. They dig into your brain and act like a support platform off which you can jump into something beneficial. Sure, they're simple and say a lot of the things you've probably heard before, but Kirby's energy is what comes through. He's made only a few of them (let me correct myself in that I've seen only a few of them) and I wish he'd make more.</p>
<p>I'm not being critical about resolutions, not demeaning them. If you want to make, them, fine. I'm just saying that don't wait until the beginning of 2016 to start acting upon decisions to change things in your life. Make plans and begin now.</p>
<p>Have you had any resolutions succeed/fail?</p>Disciplinetag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-12-26:537324:BlogPost:4002512014-12-26T10:43:01.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/discipline1.jpg"><img alt="Discipline" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-958" height="180" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/discipline1.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I chose this accompanying picture specifically because I don't like pushups. Never have. I don't have the strength to do many pushups because of my right arm.</p>
<p>For those who aren't familiar with my story, let me share. When I was a baby I fell out of bed. I was ill and the infection settled in my ankle and elbow. The ER nurse told my parents that I was crying just to get attention. (Dad, to this…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/discipline1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-958" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/discipline1.jpg?w=300" alt="Discipline" width="300" height="180"/></a>I chose this accompanying picture specifically because I don't like pushups. Never have. I don't have the strength to do many pushups because of my right arm.</p>
<p>For those who aren't familiar with my story, let me share. When I was a baby I fell out of bed. I was ill and the infection settled in my ankle and elbow. The ER nurse told my parents that I was crying just to get attention. (Dad, to this day still rankles at the memory.) The doc took one look at me and said “Surgery, stat.” He predicted I wouldn't walk properly. He was wrong.</p>
<p>Everything was normal until I started playing Little League. Then my right elbow started acting up. When I was a sophomore in high school I injured the elbow again and had to have surgery to remove a dime-sized chip of bone. Since then I have been unable to fully straighten the arm.</p>
<p>When I began taekwondo in 1991, the arm started bothering me again. Something would 'catch' on on a bone spur or something (I don't know what the something was) and I'd have pain when extending. At one point, I spent three hours trying to 'un-catch' it.</p>
<p>However, as I settled into regular training, I strengthened the elbow and managed to keep it from atrophying. In the summer of 2013, my physical fitness regimen was interrupted because of a move in both job and location. I didn't return to actively using the arm until late October when it bothered me again. By January I was better.</p>
<p>Why? Discipline. As most know, I've been involved with WarriorXFit.com building strength and stamina. It's a good regimen for the cold winter days when I'm stuck inside. Because of my schedule I will need to make time to work on my taekwondo form, sparring, etc, but I'm exercising when I can. On warmer days, I'll go for a run to supplement the WXF.</p>
<p>Discipline doesn't have to have a negative connotation. I was disciplined A LOT as a child. (Something my dad continues to bring up every now and then.) But that, too, was not negative. (Okay, it was to me, but it was the consequence of my misbehavior.)</p>
<p>Much of discipline is mental. My instructor once gave a challenge to perform my form seven times in a row, full power. Now, my Fifth Degree form consists of 95 moves. These include jump kicks, spin kicks, reverse kicks, and several hand techniques. 95 moves. Seven times in a row. Which means that when I'm done with the first, I step back to the ready stance, take a breath and begin again, then again. 95 moves. Seven times. You do the math.</p>
<p>Of course, I didn't just decide one day to go for seven. I built up to it. Little by little, week after week. Three times. Four. Five.</p>
<p>The first few times are easy. I have the stamina. Long about the fourth or fifth round it becomes a mental challenge. Discipline. I think of this challenge as not seven to do, but rather I've finished one round. Then two. Then later it's only two more to go, then one.</p>
<p>One afternoon, after warming up and practicing techniques, I told myself I was going to do the seven or stop whenever my co-instructor arrived at the club. After four times, I glanced at the clock and wondered where he was. After the fifth time I wondered again. After the sixth, I told myself, “Well, I might as well and complete seven.”</p>
<p>I've done the seven challenge several times. After a time, it does become easier. I love the sweat. I love the feeling of accomplishment. After a round of WarriorXFit, I love the sore muscles. (I have a great massage therapist who does wonders for those muscles.)</p>
<p>Taekwondo is exercising both physically and mentally. When I work out, I discipline the muscles to do what they don't want to, but should do. I break them down so they can rebuild and be stronger. I also discipline my mind to work through the protesting muscles, to push a lit bit more, to not give in or up. Even when it means I have to do pushups.</p>
<p>In what areas are you disciplined to accomplish your goals?</p>Adult Truth #15tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-12-19:537324:BlogPost:3999182014-12-19T14:45:01.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p class="western"><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/15.jpg"><img alt="#15" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-954" height="261" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/15.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “<i>I think the freezer deserves a light as well.”</i></p>
<p class="western">Why not? Illumination certainly would make finding that long forgotten frozen bagged hunk of round steak you placed in there eight months ago an easier task. This is one of those questions that nobody has taken the time to answer.</p>
<p class="western">How does this truth relate to writing? Again, you'll have to…</p>
<p class="western"><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/15.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-954" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/15.jpg?w=300" alt="#15" width="300" height="261"/></a>“<i>I think the freezer deserves a light as well.”</i></p>
<p class="western">Why not? Illumination certainly would make finding that long forgotten frozen bagged hunk of round steak you placed in there eight months ago an easier task. This is one of those questions that nobody has taken the time to answer.</p>
<p class="western">How does this truth relate to writing? Again, you'll have to stretch your imagination a bit, and use your creativity. When I read this I thought of freezers and lights and my mind leaped to exploring the world around us. Somebody had to make an observation and take note of it. A freezer doesn't have a light. At least most don't. My sister's does, but her fridge and freezer is so crammed with stuff even she doesn't know what's in there and a light makes no difference because she hasn't taken the time to explore and to throw away things. For example both she and her hubby know the six pack of beer has been expired for over a year but I guess they're trying for the world's record of how long they can keep cans of beer. On one of my visits I excavated two packages of beef sticks she thought had gone bad. They hadn't and I snarfed one package by myself.</p>
<p class="western">Anyway, I wanted to discuss exploring the world around you. For years I've explored. I drive down country roads and dirt roads and dead end roads until they prove to BE dead ends. I've unintentionally (and a few times intentionally) trespassed to see where the road led. One example of my exploring is the time I was coming home from Iowa City. I lived in Oskaloosa so I knew my destination. I knew the boundary roads of Highway 92 to the south, Interstate 80 to the north, and U.S. Highway 63 to the west. Whenever I encountered the southern or western boundary roads, I could just drive straight into Oskaloosa. Within that 'box' I could explore, usually by driving west until the first turn south, then south until the next turn west and so on. Country roads, paved roads, whatever.</p>
<p class="western">Unfortunately, this trip occurred a day or two after a pretty good rain had passed through so some of the roads were muddy and some of the creeks running high. I don't recall what small town I'd passed through before turning south again, this time onto a greasy road where my Olds Omega's tires were getting little to no traction. I'd gone about a half mile and wound up looking at a high creek running over the road. I couldn't risk traversing it so I turned around-barely-and headed back. But the tires were gaining no ground and about three hundreds yards from my goal, I had used a little too much pressure on the accelerator, gunning the engine and blew a gasket. What a mess. The tow truck driver wasn't about to risk getting stuck and I was rescued by a farmer who drove his tractor in, hooked up a chain, and pulled me out.</p>
<p class="western">You'd think I would have learned my lesson.</p>
<p class="western">January 1, 2012, long about 2 am. I'm driving home from a friend's house in Des Moines after a party and decide to do the zigzag route again. I knew my boundary roads but only got as far as Carlisle before I ran into trouble. I'd upgraded (ha!) from a Olds through several other cars to a glorified paperweight otherwise known as a Chevy Tracker. On the south side of Carlisle, just north of Highway 5, there is a road that leads out of town. And, just my luck, ran out of the right to be called a proper road. The entire area is a floodplain, made that way by Mother Nature. I descended from crest into pure mud since the previous year's winter was warm and a little rainy. I managed to get about an eighth of a mile before giving up but, unfortunately, couldn't get turned around and wound up half in the ditch.</p>
<p class="western">However, I wasn't the only fool out on the roads that night. Two other dumbheads had tried the same road before me and also wound up stuck. They were in worse condition because they were farther along. So, I walked back into town through ankle high mud and fifty mile per hour winds (which had knocked over the ROAD CLOSED sign) to call my friend to come pick me up.</p>
<p class="western">My experience had a happy ending, though. The next morning when my dad (who was staying with friends in Des Moines) drove me back out there, we discovered that the mud had frozen over enough I could, with a little pushing, drive out without the help and the cost of a tow.</p>
<p class="western">But this New Year's experience netted me a scene for the next Mallory Petersen story. She will also get stuck out on that same stretch of road trying to follow an adulterer.</p>
<p class="western">In Mallory's second novel, Alpha, the climactic scene takes place at the Des Moines rail yard. The setting where I have the bad guys and good guys meet is a real place and I discovered it by, <i>ahem</i>, going where I wasn't supposed to go but was only informed later that it was an indiscretion by a railroad representative who refused to assist me further in my research. Nuts to him, though, because I obtained what I wanted from other people. There is a dirt maintenance road on the perimeter of the rail yard and it dead ends under the East 30th Street bridge. I love the neighborhood and it was perfect for my story.</p>
<p class="western">So I encourage you to explore your world. Don't be afraid to drive down a lonely looking road or a dirt track. You might make a wonderful discovery or the experience may spark an idea for a story.</p>
<p class="western">Sure, you run the risk of being the next victim of the mutated cannibals living in the shack by the swamp, but seriously, what are the odds?</p>Food for Thought - Johnny's Italian Steakhousetag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-12-12:537324:BlogPost:3997272014-12-12T06:49:55.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/johnnys-italian-steakhouse.jpg"><img alt="Johnny's Italian Steakhouse" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-950" height="200" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/johnnys-italian-steakhouse.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> Johnny's Italian Steakhouse</p>
<p>6075 Mills Civic Parkway</p>
<p>West Des Moines, IA 50266</p>
<p>Phone: 515-333-5665 Fax: 515-309-3359</p>
<p>6800 Fleur Dr.</p>
<p>Des Moines, IA 50321</p>
<p>Phone: 515-287-0847 Fax: 515-287-0850</p>
<p align="center">….........................................</p>
<p align="left"><i>Today we find Lori Campisi back home after a Friday night out after a…</i></p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/johnnys-italian-steakhouse.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-950" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/johnnys-italian-steakhouse.jpg?w=300" alt="Johnny's Italian Steakhouse" width="300" height="200"/></a>Johnny's Italian Steakhouse</p>
<p>6075 Mills Civic Parkway</p>
<p>West Des Moines, IA 50266</p>
<p>Phone: 515-333-5665 Fax: 515-309-3359</p>
<p>6800 Fleur Dr.</p>
<p>Des Moines, IA 50321</p>
<p>Phone: 515-287-0847 Fax: 515-287-0850</p>
<p align="center">….........................................</p>
<p align="left"><i>Today we find Lori Campisi back home after a Friday night out after a long, tedious case. She is speaking through her encoded video conferencing software to her contact back in Washington, D.C.</i></p>
<p align="left">“How ya doin' Fox!” John Hundt said. He threw his arms wide and his feet dangled off the high backed chair. Lori saw nothing but shadows behind him but knew he faced an array of monitors. She probably interrupted one of his video games.</p>
<p align="left">“Mr. Hundt,” Lori acknowledged. She had long ago stopped cringing whenever he called her Fox but still just tolerated when he called her 'baby'.</p>
<p align="left">“Did my information help you nab the bank babes?”</p>
<p align="left">Yesterday, she received the dossier on one Lucy 'Lucifer' Lynn Kiger who claimed to be Satan's mistress. She ran a coven of witches. While not busy making sacrifices to their evil leader, they robbed banks. One per month for the last four months. Hundt had sent background information for the coven's other robberies in Kansas and Florida.</p>
<p align="left">“Yes, it was very helpful, although the arrests weren't enjoyable.”</p>
<p align="left">“I would have loved to have been in on the capture.”</p>
<p>“No doubt,” she said and gave a wry smile.</p>
<p>Every police force who had previously investigated knew the pattern. Two days after each robbery, officials discovered the ground in clearings in local state parks. Lori was able to narrow down the choices and mustered the necessary forces so that after the most recent robbery, They capture and arrested the coven...dancing naked around a lit pentagram.</p>
<p>“You're back late,” Hundt said.</p>
<p>“I went out for dinner,” she said. “I wanted some place quiet with a serene atmosphere.”</p>
<p>“Did you find such a place?”</p>
<p>“Yes...and no. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. There are two locations in Des Moines. I visited the one on Mills Civic Parkway about a mile from the interstate. Backside of the Holiday Inn.”</p>
<p>“So what was it like?”</p>
<p>“Very low illumination. Abstract paintings. Deep set booths. Very elegant.”</p>
<p>“You still sound disappointed, baby. What happened?”</p>
<p>She sighed. “I realize that society has changed. People used to get dressed to go out, especially if they planned on going to a fancy place. Now...well, the family seated next to me were casually dressed and I don't mind casual. But the teenage daughter wore frayed jean shorts.”</p>
<p>“Not very haute couture.”</p>
<p>“Hardly. I also didn't get much of the peacefulness I desired. The large family at another table had two young children, one of whom babbled and squeaked and gurgled sounds that I expect from animals. She didn't seem to understand her mother's shushing her. I tried to listen to the Italian-Americanized-music.”</p>
<p>“Too bad. How was the food?”</p>
<p>“I knew going in it was going to be expensive. They did have a variety of Italian style appetizers. Betta Bruschetta, Zucchini Fries, and Famous Iron Skillet Potatoes to name a few. I suspect the latter choice I gave you was a fancy way to say 'hashbrowns with cheese'.</p>
<p>Hundt laughed. “Italian diner.”</p>
<p>“I chose the Calimari for ten dollars. The menu also had several soups and salads, of course, but their main entrees were the steaks. Johnny's Bone-In Ribeye, 18 ounce, for $33. Drunken steak, which was</p>
<p>Top sirloin marinated in Samuel Adams® & special herbs, garlic cream sauce. Stuffed Pork Chops. Johnny's Veal Sinatra: Veal sautéed with shrimp, crab meat, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted garlic and light cream sauce.</p>
<p>“What did you have?”</p>
<p>The Char-broiled Ribeye. Twelve ounces for $25. I ordered it medium but it ran the gamut from medium-rare to medium-well. I was offered only one side with a loaded potato costing extra. I chose the mixed vegetables. I keep expecting the vegetables to have some taste, but I think every restaurant orders from the same place. Or else they all have a standard way of cooking them. The steak was good, though with more fat than I would have liked.”</p>
<p>“It sounds like you had an average experience for a ritzy place.”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “My waitress was very attentive and the other waiters I overheard at other tables seem to act friendly toward the patrons.”</p>
<p>“What are your plans for the rest of the evening?”</p>
<p>“A hot shower and early to bed.”</p>
<p>“Would you like to join me in battling underground leviathans threatening mankind? I just picked up the 3-D version. I could easily tie you in to the home base here?”</p>
<p>“You know I deal with enough actual supernatural monsters as it is. I don't need to blast some virtual demons to smithereens.”</p>
<p>“Leviathans,” he corrected. “Not demons.”</p>
<p>“Good night, John.”</p>
<p>Pleasant dreams, baby!”</p>
<p>And she signed off to go do what she promised. A shower and sleep.</p>Chapters - IItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-12-05:537324:BlogPost:3997822014-12-05T10:46:05.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/c02.jpg"><img alt="C02" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-946" height="300" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/c02.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> “<i>It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often need to buy things during 'siesta' time-this should be banned.”</i></p>
<p>I'm sure if the person had spoken to the mayor, he would have made a new law right then and there. Sheesh!</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>This brings up the topic of schedules. Since the move back in October, '13 to a bigger city (well, a suburb of a…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/c02.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-946" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/c02.jpg?w=300" alt="C02" width="300" height="300"/></a>“<i>It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often need to buy things during 'siesta' time-this should be banned.”</i></p>
<p>I'm sure if the person had spoken to the mayor, he would have made a new law right then and there. Sheesh!</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>This brings up the topic of schedules. Since the move back in October, '13 to a bigger city (well, a suburb of a metropolitan area) and a new job, my schedule has been rearranged. At the time of this writing most of my weeknights could be occupied with activities.</p>
<p>Monday – relatively free</p>
<p>Tuesday – a regular writers group that I had joined back in 2000</p>
<p>Wednesday – my taekwondo club's class in Oskaloosa</p>
<p>Thursday – the Marion County Writers Workshop</p>
<p>Plus working the night shift at the Holiday Inn Express five or more nights per week. Plus, Sisters in Crime on the third Saturday of each month. Plus, taekwondo activities on a lot of weekends.</p>
<p>Also, I started online courses so evening activities save for the Thursday night group, has been curtailed while I hit the books.</p>
<p>So when do I find time to read and write? Good question. Again, at the time of this writing I'm between semesters so the evenings are free. I'm catching up on shows and visiting the Monday through Thursday places.</p>
<p>Work is where I'm busier than at the previous two establishments. More people, more night audit responsibilities. However, I make sure all my work is done and find time to eek out a chapter or so on some nights. Downtime from the regular duties are taken up by bits of cleaning and catching up on some of my books, mostly listening to audio books.</p>
<p>Writing at home is difficult with the myriad distractions. Food, the cat, the Internet so easy to access.</p>
<p>Discipline is the key.</p>
<p>I love my days off-or nights off as it were-but they sometimes mess with my sleep schedule. If I don't have commitments I tend to sleep a lot when I want to be doing other things. I make a vow to find time to write, but, naughty me, I usually don't.</p>
<p>Discipline is the key. I have to make time to write. I have to make time to reach my goal. People are asking me about my next book and I keep telling them I'm working on them. I am. It's a slow process but the writers groups keep me motivated.</p>
<p>Where do you find or make time to write?</p>Determinationtag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-11-29:537324:BlogPost:3995132014-11-29T02:33:22.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/determination.jpg"><img alt="Determination" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-943" height="255" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/determination.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> This is along the lines of perseverance but I think where perseverance tends to lean toward trying and not giving up, determination comes before.</p>
<p>If you persevere for something, you are going to try and try, overcome whatever obstacle in your path. Tagging along with this can be a determination-al mindset that you are determined-dedicated-to reach your goal.</p>
<p>However, I view…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/determination.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-943" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/determination.jpg?w=300" alt="Determination" width="300" height="255"/></a>This is along the lines of perseverance but I think where perseverance tends to lean toward trying and not giving up, determination comes before.</p>
<p>If you persevere for something, you are going to try and try, overcome whatever obstacle in your path. Tagging along with this can be a determination-al mindset that you are determined-dedicated-to reach your goal.</p>
<p>However, I view determination as riding higher than perseverance. It sits above and is the constant factor after the achievement is committed to. You have said, “I'm going to achieve this.” This stays with you throughout the journey. You may have problems. You have setbacks or delays, but you've already made up your mind that you are going to succeed.</p>
<p>At the time of this writing I had made a determination, at the end of 2013, to finish the edits/rewrites/revisions for three stories and to be ready to submit them within the calendar year of 2014. That's a hefty goal. However, I already had all three manuscripts completed and much already edited.</p>
<p><i>Night of Wine and Ghosts</i> – I finally was able to create a catalyst for the events in the story. The plot had been missing this vital factor for years. I had one, but not one strong enough to enjoy and on which to expand.</p>
<p>Delta – I need to add a few more scenes, change the time line a bit, and then hit it hard for basic editing.</p>
<p>New Year Gone – My dream would be to add about 20-30,000 more words but I'm not sure where. I don't want to add obvious filler. The story is basically complete as is but I'm not sure if it's lengthy enough to be accepted.</p>
<p>I made the above determination because I felt I had been fooling around, jumping from story to story and not accomplishing anything. Of course one of my setbacks was a five month stint in a camper trailer and a screwy work schedule. Since October of 2013 I've been back among friends and familiar territory and even though I'm still busy at work, I will find time to write.</p>
<p>I will. I've made that determination. Even with online course which will take up evenings, I will write. I'm back with my cool writers group and have brought along a friend who also enjoys the quality of the group. This group, as much as anything, will keep me persevering. But I made the determination of my goal.</p>
<p>Yes, I know it will be tough but I'm going to give it my best shot.</p>
<p>What have you determined are your goals? How are they progressing?</p>Toystag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-11-21:537324:BlogPost:3993732014-11-21T14:50:54.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/toys.jpg"><img alt="toys" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-939" height="209" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/toys.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> There are times that I don't enjoy being an adult. Sometimes I want to be a child again.</p>
<p>I get this feeling whenever I read a book with a child in it playing with a toy.</p>
<p>See, that's the key word. Toy. Sometimes, I don't like the word. It brings back an aching nostalgia. Two years away from being fifty, I miss my childhood toys. My bunny, play pistols, Tonka toys, trucks and cars, rocket ships,…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/toys.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-939" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/toys.jpg?w=300" alt="toys" width="300" height="209"/></a>There are times that I don't enjoy being an adult. Sometimes I want to be a child again.</p>
<p>I get this feeling whenever I read a book with a child in it playing with a toy.</p>
<p>See, that's the key word. Toy. Sometimes, I don't like the word. It brings back an aching nostalgia. Two years away from being fifty, I miss my childhood toys. My bunny, play pistols, Tonka toys, trucks and cars, rocket ships, puzzles, games. Okay, I gave my toy cars away as a Christmas present one year to my niece. I don't regret doing so, just, sometimes I miss them.</p>
<p>I miss playing like a child. I regret the broken toys because I am sad they broke. I didn't understand their worth. I understand today the worth of those old toys. The Lincoln Logs, the pinball machine, the drum set, even something as simple as a baseball and glove. Playing catch with dad. Going up to the football field with him to shoot off the model rockets. Putting puzzles together with mom. Playing board games and making up skits with my sister.</p>
<p>I see a toy today and I think that some kid will enjoy this...for a little while. The old idea is true, that kids get a new toy, play with it for awhile, then get bored and forget it. It ends up dusty and ignored at the bottom of a box. It's the same with any toy that comes out of a vending machine, a cereal box, or given away with fast food meals.</p>
<p>I love my nieces and it may sound strange, but I don't like shopping for Christmas presents for them. I know they are happy with the gifts, but I don't like to buy toys. The kind of toys I mentioned above, that get forgotten. I don't even like going into the toy store anymore. It's too depressing. I can't stand to pass a mom and child walk through the toy store with the kid gawking and wanting everything he/she sees. It's too depressing. To hear a child whine and cry because he/she is refused that one cool looking toy is too heartbreaking. I just want to explain to the kid, “Don't you understand?” Sigh!</p>
<p>I don't know. Maybe that's what you do. You buy things knowing they'll be left someplace, forgotten, not played with after a period of times. Doesn't mean I have to like it.</p>
<p>I cherish the very few times I was able to spend with the older nieces playing with them and their toys. Stickers and games and the entire wardrobe of Barbie accessories. (Sorry, but the doll makers really need to make those damn shoes so they stay on Barbie's feet.) Doing an art project with Rebecca and having to apologize for my clumsiness with scissors. Putting a puzzle together with Jessica.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm the only one to feel this way. I don't want my nieces to grow up and not know what their childhood was worth. I'm not saying I regret mine or wish it were different. I wish, however, that I knew the value of it at the time so that I could have enjoyed it that much more because of that knowledge. It's why I sometimes want to go back, to be a child again. To draw with crayons or shoot imaginary bad guys coming down the stairs. To race cars around the room. To play with my old toys and not to forget or discard them.</p>
<p>I think I'll stop now or else I may get tears on my keyboard. My heart aches enough as it is.</p>Research Rejection, Part IIItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-10-24:537324:BlogPost:3984922014-10-24T16:59:47.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-3.jpg"><img alt="rejection 3" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-904" height="300" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-3.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I posted the idea for this blog on Facebook wanting some comments and asking if other authors had experienced rejection. My thanks to David Schlosser and Bob Dunbar who responded with an example each. I can't make up this stuff so I'll let them tell their short stories in their own words:…</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><br></br></span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-904" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-3.jpg?w=300" alt="rejection 3" width="300" height="300"/></a>I posted the idea for this blog on Facebook wanting some comments and asking if other authors had experienced rejection. My thanks to David Schlosser and Bob Dunbar who responded with an example each. I can't make up this stuff so I'll let them tell their short stories in their own words:</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><br/><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/david-schlosser.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-905" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/david-schlosser.jpg" alt="david schlosser" width="269" height="300"/></a>David Schlosser: </span><span>I once wrote a scene in which a veterinarian sedates a bad guy and contacted the head of the US association of veterinary anesthetists to conduct research. He was polite and responsive until I asked what sort of chemical cocktail a vet would have access to in a vet clinic that would knock out a human. Then he said (IMHO, wisely, though it hadn't occurred to me until he said), "Because I don't know you, I don't think I should answer that question."</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/bob-dunbar.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-906" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/bob-dunbar.jpg" alt="bob dunbar" width="200" height="200"/></a>Bob Dunbar: </span><span>When I was doing research for my novel about the Alamo, a colonel in the Mexican army refused to allow me access to their archives, claiming that the Mexican army had never massacred anyone at any time during its history.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/fbilogo.png"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-907" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/fbilogo.png?w=150" alt="FBILogo" width="150" height="150"/></a>No, we authors don't have it easy when it comes to research. When trying to find out information on child pornography I called the FBI. I repeatedly said I wasn't involved with it, didn't want to be involved with it, had zero interest in other than some facts to put in a story. I wonder if I ended up on a watch list anyway.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/osky-pd.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-908" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/osky-pd.jpg?w=150" alt="Osky-PD" width="150" height="146"/></a></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>When I talked to the Oskaloosa police regarding heroin for Mallory's next adventure, again I made it clear several times I didn't want the drug, didn't want to sell the drug, didn't want to be involved with the drug, and had no plans to buy any quantity. I just needed information.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Since I don't want to end this on a low note, let me highlight some successes.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>One of the best two interviews I had were with a nurse and a counselor who provided me loads of material on addiction. Both will receive a mention on the acknowledgments page and probably a signed book.</span></span></p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/blankparkzoo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-909" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/blankparkzoo.jpg?w=150" alt="BlankParkZoo" width="150" height="77"/></a></p>
<p><span><span>Another great adventure was had with a friend from high school who helped me 'do the zoo' for a future story. She definitely will receive a free book.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>As I mentioned I put people I meet into my books in some fashion. Many writers do this. I hear stories and live through experiences that I remember, write down, and save for future reference. A former landlord and some previous neighbor tenants are bound for a future story...and not as likeable people, but hey, it's their own fault. Lol.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Advice to the general public: please help out a writer when asked. Watch how you act and what you say around writers. You might end up in a story...</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Please share your research woes and wins below.</span></span></p>Research Rejection, Part IItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-10-17:537324:BlogPost:3982522014-10-17T06:19:43.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-2.jpg"><img alt="rejection 2" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-899" height="259" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-2.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> My first rejection came from a rude secretary in the Quad Cities when I was driving the route Mallory took in Beta. I stopped at a plant that processed meat gelatin. (Yeah, sounds disgusting to me, too) When I asked the secretary if there was a PR person available she told me one didn't exist. When I asked her who might help me, she said he wasn't available. I gave her my name and contact…</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-2.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-899" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-2.jpg?w=300" alt="rejection 2" width="300" height="259"/></a>My first rejection came from a rude secretary in the Quad Cities when I was driving the route Mallory took in Beta. I stopped at a plant that processed meat gelatin. (Yeah, sounds disgusting to me, too) When I asked the secretary if there was a PR person available she told me one didn't exist. When I asked her who might help me, she said he wasn't available. I gave her my name and contact information and I think she threw it in the trash when I left. Maybe she was upset that construction in the building was so loud or maybe 'rude' was her personality. Anyway, she ended up being rude to Mallory in the story.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>My next stop was at the meat processors in downtown Davenport. The flustered receptionist was baffled at what I wanted, flapped a hand at an employee directory, and disappeared. When I spoke with the correct employee, she told me she couldn't help me because of proprietary reasons. Again, I didn't want to steal secrets, I just wanted general information on how the pig slaughtering process went. Nope, no go. I ended up speaking with a friend who worked in a similar plant in Ottumwa and he gave me the information and no corporate sabotage was committed. The flustered receptionist went into the book.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>I put these next two rejections as one because they involved the same bit of research. For Alpha, I needed information about railroads and train cars. I knew someone who worked at a repair shop in Albia. I traveled all the way down there, saw the 'Visitors Welcome', elevated to the third floor, asked to speak to the employee and was told, curtly, no. No reason given, end of conversation. I should have given my information to pass along, but felt it probably would have also ended up in the trash. So much for the welcome sign.<a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/train.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-900" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/train.jpg?w=300" alt="train" width="300" height="195"/></a></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Then I visited the Des Moines rail yard with a friend. We took pictures of signs and trains and discovered a maintenance dirt road that ran along the north side and dead-ended under a bridge. I thought the location was the perfect spot for the climactic scene in Alpha. But I still needed specific information about trains. I stopped into an employee break room and was directed to another office where I was given a number to a representative in Omaha.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Back home I called the number, gave the guy my schtick, and happened to mention that I had visited the Des Moines location and that I had driven the maintenance road. He told me I had trespassed and to not do it again. Oops! Anyway, I emailed him a list of questions and he didn't respond. Sigh! I ended up getting the information one morning from a former railroad worker who was a guest at the motel at which I worked.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Then there's the latest one with the casino. I also called a local media representative since the woman I spoke with at the casino told me they worked with media, but although he didn't outright reject me, he couldn't offer the kind of assistance I wanted. Left to fend for myself, I discovered a bunch of factoids on my own via the Internet.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Of course, this means I can't use the actual name of the casino/racetrack in the story. I do not want anything to come back upon me even though nothing bad happens in the chapter, no crimes committed. That's okay, I've changed the names of other businesses.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Next week, I'll present some examples of rejection from other authors.</span></span></p>Research Rejection, Part Itag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-10-10:537324:BlogPost:3975082014-10-10T06:37:11.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-1.jpg"><img alt="rejection 1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-891" height="217" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-1.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I thought about this topic several weeks ago when outlining a chapter to put at the beginning of Mallory Petersen's next adventure, Delta. In the story she meets a classmate about halfway through the story. When I wrote the first draft, I thought the scene worked, but after reading it to a critique group, and discussing it with a friend, I decided I needed to introduce the classmate earlier…</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-891" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rejection-1.jpg?w=300" alt="rejection 1" width="300" height="217"/></a>I thought about this topic several weeks ago when outlining a chapter to put at the beginning of Mallory Petersen's next adventure, Delta. In the story she meets a classmate about halfway through the story. When I wrote the first draft, I thought the scene worked, but after reading it to a critique group, and discussing it with a friend, I decided I needed to introduce the classmate earlier in the book. The character plays an important role and I didn't think it would be fair to the reader to throw her into a later chapter. The plot would be more believable with an earlier appearance.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>To introduce her, I had to write a scene near the beginning of the book and I mulled over the problem days before I decided to have Mallory visit the local casino. I've visited the place numerous times (and have even won a bit of money on occasion) but I wanted to have more information the place. When I called the public relations person, introduced myself, and told her what I was working on, she declined my request.<a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/casino.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-892" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/casino.jpg?w=300" alt="casino" width="300" height="124"/></a></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Wait a second, let me back up. I have to admit I probably didn't present myself over the phone as well as I could so I'm partially at fault for not making a good first impression. I mentioned I wanted general information regarding the history of the place, size of the property, and mistakenly asked of information regarding security. I know. I know. They're not allowed to give that kind of information but I wasn't asking for sensitive information like numbers of cops, shift change times, or the schedule of the money transfers. I didn't want that. I wanted general information, maybe throw her a scenario or two that Mallory could have-that would not require private information-but I didn't get that far. The PR rep said she works with media people when they come a'callin' for news stories, but she'd never received a request for information from a fiction writer. Then she said said something along the lines that it wasn't the policy to grant requests like mine.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Okay, so I was confused by the two statements and I believe she was confused as to what I was and what I wanted.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Anyway, this had me thinking about past research endeavors. I like to visit the sites I put into my books. I jot down as much information, descriptions, and details as I can. I'll take pictures (or have my friend take them because on one jaunt I didn't have a camera. I do now.). I'd rather have too much information than too little and need something later.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>I've been doing research for many years and I can recall only four times I've been rejected. Most of the time people are very nice, will talk with me, answer my questions, and I come away happy. The police are extraordinary if at times busy to get into too much detail. A fireman I spoke with gave me some important information that had I not obtained would have had readers writing me nasty emails. A business owner was so sweet I remembered her by putting her into Alpha. (Not her personally, but her personality.)</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/val-air.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-893" src="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/val-air.jpg" alt="val air" width="236" height="354"/></a>I mentioned in interviews that one of the reasons I travel to sites is because things can happen and I may meet people I can add to the story. The time I crashed a quinceanera at the Val Air Ballroom is a classic example.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>I meet all sorts of people and even when they're not helpful for what I want, they are helpful because I remember them and put them into chapters.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Let's discuss those next week.</span></span></p>Review Regretstag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-10-03:537324:BlogPost:3975652014-10-03T05:49:45.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/regrets.jpg"><img alt="regrets" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-886" height="197" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/regrets.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I wanted to write this on one of the reviews I've done on my other blog, braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com but decided instead to write this up as a regular blog. One of the reasons I chose to do it here instead of there is because I initially thought I'd write this at the beginning of one review and it might seem like I was lambasting the author, which, essentially, I am. I could have written up a separate…</p>
<p><a href="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/regrets.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-886" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/regrets.jpg?w=300" alt="regrets" width="300" height="197"/></a>I wanted to write this on one of the reviews I've done on my other blog, braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com but decided instead to write this up as a regular blog. One of the reasons I chose to do it here instead of there is because I initially thought I'd write this at the beginning of one review and it might seem like I was lambasting the author, which, essentially, I am. I could have written up a separate blog type post over there to insert between reviews, but again, I'd have to insert it between particular reviews and I didn't want it to be as if was pointing a finger at a specific book. This pertains to one particular book, but on a more general note to many I've read.</p>
<p>I'm posting this early before the reviews in question but in time, it shouldn't be too difficult for someone to figure out to which reviews I'm referring.</p>
<p>I started reviewing books a few years ago. I love to read and have hundreds of my own books to read (and if I had been smarter, would have stuck to reviewing those) and decided to hop onto a couple of websites to review books. The problem I should have realized was that I would have to actually read the books (duh!) and that would take time and would take time away from my own books. But I persevered. I felt obliged to finish the reviews as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>When I moved last year, I had to inform two sites that I needed to go on hiatus because I just wouldn't have the time. I stayed with one site and am only intermittently reviewing audio books for them.</p>
<p>However, I decided to sign up on another site where the authors themselves made the requests. This was back in the spring and I've been asked to review over twenty books so far with three (as of this writing) waiting to be read.</p>
<p>When I signed on to do reviews for the first review site I was informed how they wanted the reviews written and that I could refuse to review any book I didn't want or didn't care for. I was told that some books just weren't worth the read and the very first book I received fit that category.</p>
<p>However, with my site, I could be a bit more honest and inform potential readers some of the good points of the books and any mistakes I found. If you've perused some of the past reviews you will see that many authors have made many mistakes, a lot of which should have been caught by an editor and many which should have been caught by the author.</p>
<p>There have been some good ones although in my ranking system, very few Black Belt ranks have been given which tells you that the quality has to be there in many fashions.</p>
<p>Jump ahead to this spring and the recent spate of books. If you've read any of the reviews since that time, you'll notice a startling pattern. Many of them have been below par. An enjoyable book will get a Blue Belt and even some Purples are worth reading. Most of them, however, have fallen short.</p>
<p>So recently, I finished a couple of books I found lacking quality in many areas and gave them low ranks. I then read a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It had one or two problems, but nothing egregious. I praised it and gave it a higher rank.</p>
<p>For a few days, I was back to reading my own books before the next set of requests came through. In two days I accepted three reviews. I started on the first and...</p>
<p>Let me say this. After finishing the previous and having a break, I was feeling good. The previous one was a good book. Then I started another one and wanted to throw away not just the story, but the computer I was so disappointed. Mistakes in the prologue and throughout.</p>
<p>I suppose I should be thankful for the quality books that come through. They're not all bad.</p>
<p>I was told by one of my review sites that I had to stay positive about the books I accepted because just because I didn't like them, somebody else might. I agree, and for the most part, I enjoyed the books I received from that site. Those I took a pass on, I still reviewed for my site and I did so because those I wanted to point out the mistakes. Not that I just 'didn't like' the book because some of them had potential and a fairly decent plot. But when you have problems with grammar, punctuation, spelling, and basic sentence structure, I don't think anybody is going to enjoy trying to read through it. I've had to endure some truly awful material and I'm not writing this to be cruel to the author. I've read some glowing reviews for books that made no sense to me, that had glaring and obvious mistakes. I wouldn't have cared if Margaret Mitchell, Raymond Chandler, or Agatha Christie wrote the books, they wouldn't have been worth reading.</p>
<p>On the site I've signed up to take requests, I suggest that authors read previous reviews on my blog to understand what they're getting into when they ask for reviews. I'm not going to hold back. I will try to stay tactful, but when there are mistakes, I point them out.</p>
<p>Does this make me an expert with a big head? No. All authors make mistakes and work on their craft. I've made mistakes and am constantly trying to improve my own stories. I'm going to try to put out the best manuscript possible. I'm going to hope my editors will catch my mistakes and correct them.</p>
<p>I think that's part of the problem with many of the poor quality books I receive – no editing or poor editing because many are self-published. I'm not here to bash SP authors because I've seen some good ones out there. But for heaven's sake, take the time and spend some money to get some assistance. Don't just put out the first, second, third, or even the fourth draft, just because you think it's time.</p>
<p>I entitled this Review Regrets not because I regret accepting books to review, but regret having to read and give an honest opinion on stuff that I found wanting. My regret is the time spent on these when I have many more books I've rather be reading.</p>
<p>Let me know your thoughts on this.</p>Fitness Writing, Part VIItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-09-26:537324:BlogPost:3973432014-09-26T05:32:00.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/motive-pic.jpg"><img alt="Motive pic" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-879" height="200" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/motive-pic.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> One day in August of 1991, I was uptown and saw the local taekwondo club had a special offer of two weeks' free classes. I'd always been interested in martial arts, so I thought this sounded like a good deal and started classes.</p>
<p>I'd been in Oskaloosa less than a year and soon after starting my job at the radio station I joined the local community theatre group. I had been acting in plays since…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/motive-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-879" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/motive-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="Motive pic" width="300" height="200"/></a>One day in August of 1991, I was uptown and saw the local taekwondo club had a special offer of two weeks' free classes. I'd always been interested in martial arts, so I thought this sounded like a good deal and started classes.</p>
<p>I'd been in Oskaloosa less than a year and soon after starting my job at the radio station I joined the local community theatre group. I had been acting in plays since high school and enjoyed the friendships made.</p>
<p>When I discovered I was pretty good at martial arts, I had to make a choice. Rehearsals for each play conflicted with taekwondo classes. Although I still wanted to act, I enjoyed TKW more so I gave up the theatre. Sorry, Hollywood and Broadway.</p>
<p>Because of an injury as a child, I had had trouble with my right arm when participating in sports. Taekwondo brought back some of those issues, but in time, they relieved themselves with the constant exercise. Because I've kept up the workouts, I don't have as many elbow problems.</p>
<p>I earned my first degree black belt in 1993 and immediately joined the instructor trainee program. I had been teaching a lot of classes for several months but this program helped determine my future. I became certified (as opposed to certifiable), helped a friend of mine with her club for a year or so, then took it over and moved it to Grinnell. In 2003, I assumed ownership of the Osky club and although Grinnell had some problems, I still run the Osky club, even from an hour away.</p>
<p>I enjoy martial arts. I look forward to the tournaments and the camps. I look forward to seeing friends. I wish I had more time to participate in many of the activities around the country and I still strive for more students in my club.</p>
<p>I still work on my form and compete in tournaments. I train because I want to improve myself. I'm not in the best shape but I am strong and a lot more flexible than I would be without TKW. My body responds well to exercise. It revels in sweat, the sore muscles, the increased heart rate, and exhilaration of accomplishing my goal for the day. I suffer when I don't exercise and it's that much harder to do the next time. I feel good when I finish a workout. I recover faster today than I did six months ago. The coming cold weather will restrict some of the outside exercise, but I will cope as best I can.</p>
<p>Why do I exercise? Because I want to stay healthy. I try to watch my diet and think about what I ingest. Sure I have the occasional cookie and soda and fast food, but not as much as I used to. I'm more into salads and the right amount of lean beef and chicken. I love fish.</p>
<p>Chief Master Larry Hoover, an excellent high rank in my region, once related at one of our winter camps that up to age 30, people exercise to build. Building muscle, etc. After 30, we maintain. We may build a bit of muscle and lose some fat, but we're maintaining what we have already gained.</p>
<p>I don't want to be overweight. I don't want high blood pressure. At my next physical I want to see what my cholesterol level is but I've been watching the fat.</p>
<p>And I exercise. I run and bike and do WarriorXFit. I used to lift weights and would like to be in a position to get back to the gym. I still work on my form for flexibility, stamina, balance, and for self defense. I hope never to have to use martial arts against an enemy, but I'm training my instincts and responses to be able to deal with it if that time ever comes.</p>
<p>That's my motive for working out. Because if I didn't, then my body suffers.</p>
<p>Why do people write? For money. Fame. To say to people, “I am published.” Some people feel the 'need' to write. Some write for the pure enjoyment of writing, of expressing creativity. Some write only to share with family.</p>
<p>I write for all of those reasons. I write because I want to write and feel bad on those days I don't, just like exercising. I suffer when I don't write, and yes, it's that much more difficult to begin when I've stopped. With working out, I have to remember to stretch and cool down and push myself when I want to quit. With writing, I have to remember the rules, when to break them, proper grammar and punctuation, how to show and not tell. When I miss a weekly writers' group, I really miss it.</p>
<p>So, there you have it. I hope I've helped and spurred some ideas. Let me know your ideas for fitness and writing. How do you do either?</p>Fitness Writing, Part VItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-09-19:537324:BlogPost:3974042014-09-19T06:58:07.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/form.jpg"><img alt="Form" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-876" height="225" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/form.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I really enjoy the forms of the American Taekwondo Association. The white belt form has 18 moves and you work yourself up to 81 moves for the first degree black belt form. White belt starts with some very basic moves, punch, front and side kicks, low, high, and middle blocks, and a knifehand strike (karate chop). Each form thereafter introduces a new move or combination move with some extra turns, and so…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/form.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-876" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/form.jpg?w=300" alt="Form" width="300" height="225"/></a>I really enjoy the forms of the American Taekwondo Association. The white belt form has 18 moves and you work yourself up to 81 moves for the first degree black belt form. White belt starts with some very basic moves, punch, front and side kicks, low, high, and middle blocks, and a knifehand strike (karate chop). Each form thereafter introduces a new move or combination move with some extra turns, and so on.</p>
<p>I'm certainly not going to disrespect other styles of taekwondo to other martial art styles because I've seen some talented people do some amazing things. I will, however mention that I attended a tournament in Keokuk last year that was open to all styles. I don't know how the judges decided who was better when they saw so many different forms. Kung Fu, karate, taekwondo, etc. One thing I noticed was that though many of the forms were intricate, not many had very many kicks. I'm not saying that's good or bad, I'm just saying that the ATA forms have a lot of kicks, especially the higher in rank you go.</p>
<p>My form, the Fifth Degree Black Belt form, for example has 95 moves. Now, like the other forms, many of the moves are repeated. (Left punch in one section and right punch in another, for example). However, I have front kicks, round kicks, hook kicks, jump spin kicks, wheel kicks, jump outer and inner crescent kicks throughout. With the number of kicks and types of kicks I do, I'm constantly working to improve the quality of them. Ditto with the hand techniques.</p>
<p>Kicks can be intricate. Lately, I've been working on a combination side-hook-round kick and having balance issues. So I keep working, practicing, breaking down each kick to it's smallest components to figure out the problem. I work on the technique.</p>
<p>Maybe I'll take a section of the form and concentrate on the flow or timing. The entire workout could consist of only five moves, but I'm doing them over and over, looking for the best technique I can get.</p>
<p>One of my instructor's favorite challenges focuses on stamina, both mental and physical. The challenge is to do the form seven times in a row, full power. Remember, my form has 95 moves, including all those kicks. So, I begin, I complete 95 moves, I go back to the ready stance, and begin again. Seven times. Somewhere around the fourth time, the body may be used to it, but the mind is saying, “Three more. Arg!) So it becomes a mental game to strive to keep up the energy.</p>
<p>Of course, you can't just go out and rip out seven in a row first time. I had to work up to it. Three times one session, four times, the next, and so on. I don't do the seven in a row all the time, but everynow and then I'll do it, just to sweat and keep up the stamina.</p>
<p>Even so, during those seven times, I look at technique. I may go back and do something again if I don't like it, just to stay honest. Sure I could whip out seven times but if the quality isn't there, what's the point? I've lost the integrity of practice.</p>
<p>How does this relate to writing? We're always learning and honing the craft of writing. Following the rules, breaking the rules, changing the rules to suit our story. Some of the areas of writing to help are challenges. In my Thursday night writers' group we have a weekly challenge for those who might need some inspiration in between bouts with the work in progress. Maybe the challenge will focus on point of view, or certain words, or scene, or developing character. Some nights, all of the writers may be having the same general problem, so the challenge for the next week is to explore that area and improve upon it. Many of the hot-to writing books will have challenges to try.</p>
<p>Other areas of practice are blogs. Such as the wonderful one you're currently reading. Writers can work on the rules of writing, the craft of writing by pumping out a weekly blog. Again, I don't want to put down other blogs, but some I've read, well, I don't feel they're as much a blog as they are a lengthy Facebook post.</p>
<p>Letters (remember those?) can also be a way to practice writing. News articles, too.</p>
<p>One of the ways a friend of mine tried was to open a favorite book and start writing it. Longhand, write the book as the author wrote it. By doing this, one might be ale to see the 'how' of the writing. The reasons paragraphs were formed in such a way, how dialogue flows, etc.</p>
<p>You're working on technique.</p>
<p>In the final installment of this series, we'll look at motive. Stay tuned!</p>Fitness Writing, Part Vtag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-09-12:537324:BlogPost:3968402014-09-12T13:03:08.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/biking.jpg"><img alt="biking" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-872" height="300" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/biking.jpg?w=174" width="174"></img></a> My first bike was a 5-speed Schwinn. The gear shift was in the middle with a big black knob on the end. Banana-type seat. Later, I had a ten speed which I outgrew. In Oskaloosa, I had, for a short time, a three speed several decades old, complete with a headlight. Unfortunately, I kept it in the laundry room and someone stole it. Now I have a ten speed that is just a bit small for me, but it…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/biking.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-872" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/biking.jpg?w=174" alt="biking" width="174" height="300"/></a>My first bike was a 5-speed Schwinn. The gear shift was in the middle with a big black knob on the end. Banana-type seat. Later, I had a ten speed which I outgrew. In Oskaloosa, I had, for a short time, a three speed several decades old, complete with a headlight. Unfortunately, I kept it in the laundry room and someone stole it. Now I have a ten speed that is just a bit small for me, but it works.</p>
<p>Earlier this summer, I spent about two and half hours biking down to Indianola via the Summerset Trail. The next day, I visited a bike shop and bought a new seat. Not only were my knees swollen from the 25 miles, my rear hurt because of the narrow seat. Recently, I also bought a helmet.</p>
<p>My biking regimen is similar to my running. Intervals and Distance.</p>
<p><b>Intervals</b></p>
<p>This has proven a bit more difficult because I can't just pick a street and race up and down. I could, but I'd have to watch for traffic and I'm not sure how the intervals would go. Maybe I'll experiment one day. Anyway, I use a section of the bike/walking trail, a portion of the first length of the Summerset Trail. Again, I'll pedal slowly for a distance, then a bit faster, then all out. Usually, I do eight rounds with the last two rounds the entire length.</p>
<p>To transition this to writing, I still use burst of writing, quick stuff, but this time I'm not worrying about quality. I just want to get something down. Quick scenes that I'll rethink and edit later. The annual event in November where writers try to get down an entire novel within the month, can be like this. Usually, it's just words without the quality. This is not necessarily bad, but be aware that the material will have to be reworked with much of it thrown out.</p>
<p><b>Distance</b></p>
<p>Here again, one can relate the trek on the trail, but usually I set the alarm for half an hour, pick a direction and go. So far, south has been covered by the Indianola trip. I've gone east past a little town called Hartford approximately five miles away. The last distance was north where I headed out what I call the back way from Carlisle and ended up going toward Des Moines.</p>
<p>For writing, I think of this distance as on a long trip, perhaps a vacation, on a plane or a bus, or in the car. You'll have plenty of breaks, but it's perseverance that counts. Again, you can get into the 'zone' when you write because, let's face it, a lot of the scenery out there is pretty boring. I'm not dissing Iowa, but there's a lot of farmland out there and one field looks a lot like another, especially in February. And no, Iowa is not completely flat, but it is in a lot of places. Long trips when you're not the driver are perfect for sinking into your imagination and letting it flow onto paper.</p>
<p>Next week: Form</p>Fitness Writing, Part IVtag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-09-05:537324:BlogPost:3967012014-09-05T07:02:07.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/running.jpg"><img alt="Running" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-868" height="187" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/running.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> I went out for track in both junior high and high school. I never placed in any of my races. I went out for basketball as a junior in high school but the first warm up made my legs hurt for three days.</p>
<p>I'm not a fast runner but I've built up the endurance through taekwondo and through persistence.</p>
<p>I break down my running exercises into two categories. Intervals and…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/running.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-868" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/running.jpg?w=300" alt="Running" width="300" height="187"/></a>I went out for track in both junior high and high school. I never placed in any of my races. I went out for basketball as a junior in high school but the first warm up made my legs hurt for three days.</p>
<p>I'm not a fast runner but I've built up the endurance through taekwondo and through persistence.</p>
<p>I break down my running exercises into two categories. Intervals and distance.</p>
<p><b>Intervals</b></p>
<p>This is build stamina. My normal regimen is walk fifty yards, jog fifty yards, sprint fifty yards. That's one set. I've worked myself up to eight and sometimes twelve sets. Then I'll change the routine and do eight sets with the ninth and tenth being walk, jog, sprint one hundred yards. Or, I'll vary the intervals each set. The first will be the usual fifty, then on the second set I'll walk forty, jog and sprint sixty. The third set I drop the walking down to thirty and the jog/sprint to seventy. I've done the intervals around the track doing hundred yard stretches each time. I've done the intervals on the street in front of my apartment using the apartment buildings' (there are five in all) mailboxes as my distances.</p>
<p>For writing, I liken the intervals to writing in spurts. Quick pages here and there, different times of the day. Short scenes. Dialogue. Description. Sometimes this works just to get down an idea or to detail a scene.</p>
<p><b>Distance</b></p>
<p>This is done one of two ways (a subset of the subset if you will). Either I will set the cell phone alarm (usually for fifteen minutes) and take off running in one direction or zig-zag through town. When the alarm rings, I turn back. The second distance is set myself a specific number of laps around the track. Usually ten which is about two and a half miles. I can vary the routine by using a different lane each lap.</p>
<p>In writing you can set the time factor to a specific number of hours to write or a certain goal, such as the end of a chapter. Many times when I 'distance' write I get 'in the zone'. For runners, there's a point where they push past the pain and the exhaustion and they can run for many more miles. For writers, the zone is when they know they're on a roll and the words just flow. I'll know when to quit when I'm writing longhand and my hand starts to ache.</p>
<p>Again, it's good to celebrate the achievement of that goal. I push myself to do one more lap or push myself to go a little bit farther.</p>
<p>Next week: Biking</p>Fitness Writing, Part IIItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-08-29:537324:BlogPost:3969842014-08-29T12:30:00.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><em><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/method-pic.jpg"><img alt="method pic" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-862" height="225" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/method-pic.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> <br></br> We now return this blog to its regularly scheduled program. lol</em></p>
<p>This was my main thrust at the Sisters in Crime meeting. I discussed my fitness regimen, how I workout. Then I related those workouts to writing. So, let's spend a few weeks on just this aspect.</p>
<p>I discussed my workout regimen in that I have a lottery system that determines what I do from day to day (or day to…</p>
<p><em><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/method-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-862" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/method-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="method pic" width="300" height="225"/></a><br/> We now return this blog to its regularly scheduled program. lol</em></p>
<p>This was my main thrust at the Sisters in Crime meeting. I discussed my fitness regimen, how I workout. Then I related those workouts to writing. So, let's spend a few weeks on just this aspect.</p>
<p>I discussed my workout regimen in that I have a lottery system that determines what I do from day to day (or day to the day after tomorrow or the day after that, depending on the opportunity, how my body feels, etc.) On slips of paper I've written the four types of workouts with two of them having subsets of two each. Confused? Don't worry, I'll explain when the time comes. Amway, the four choices are: WarriorXFit, Running, Biking, and Form work.</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/wxf.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-861" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/wxf.png?w=300" alt="WXF" width="300" height="136"/></a>WarriorXFit</b></p>
<p>A couple of years ago I discussed with my instructor about upping the intensity of my workout. He suggested warriorxfit.com. If you've seen some of my Facebook posts, they celebrate my 'victories' each time I achieve them. And even if I don't achieve one or two, I've still won because I exercised.</p>
<p>WarriorXFit is a series of six exercises (chosen from an array of over 180). You perform six sets of each exercises, twenty seconds on, ten seconds off. Again, six times, counting each rep. Take basic pushups. Twenty seconds of as many pushups as you can, counting each one, then ten seconds rest. That's one set.</p>
<p>Each day, there's a new set of exercises. Always, though you start with two cardio exercises (I discussed that last week) then two exercises using the resistance tube, then one set without, then the sixth one with the tube again. Based on the personal information (age, weight) you give the system, they set a goal for the number of reps to attain. The cool thing is that if you aren't very good at one thing, you can make it up on another exercise because it's the total number of reps from all six exercises that count. For instance, those pesky pushups. My shoulder has had problem lately, and I was never good at PU's anyway. So I don't do so well. However, I can kick butt on the calf exercise (and no, that doesn't mean I play with baby cows).</p>
<p>You get a certain number of victories and you move up in 'rank', just like in taekwondo. Takes about twenty minutes a day, all you need is the resistant tube, and space to workout. My living room works just fine. You will sweat and your muscles will ache. The first time I did the calf exercise I could barely walk on the second day. Now, though, I love them and the last time I did them I cranked out 391 reps.</p>
<p>To transition this into writing, the idea is to try to write something different each time. Outline, detail the outline, a paragraph, a chapter, 5000 words, details on an idea for a new story, research questions, one scene, editing, write longhand, type on the computer, record your story to write later.</p>
<p>Part of the discussion at the meeting was that we all agreed that recording the story is not that good an idea. It just doesn't sound right. But, maybe for somebody out there, it could work. The whole idea though, is to try something different, once again, setting the goal, and doing your best to be victorious.</p>
<p>Next week: Running.</p>Fitness Writing, Part IItag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-08-15:537324:BlogPost:3969452014-08-15T09:09:10.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p>I think of Means as part of the cop phrase, “The suspect had means, motive, and opportunity.” I take it and revise it just a bit so that Means includes preparation, opportunity, and follow up.</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/prepare-pic.jpg"><img alt="prepare pic" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-854" height="200" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/prepare-pic.jpg?w=300" width="300"></img></a> Preparation</b></p>
<p>When it comes to fitness, you have to prepare for the workout. This includes cardio work to get the heart pumping. Proper warmup starts with cardio. You need the heart going and…</p>
<p>I think of Means as part of the cop phrase, “The suspect had means, motive, and opportunity.” I take it and revise it just a bit so that Means includes preparation, opportunity, and follow up.</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/prepare-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-854" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/prepare-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="prepare pic" width="300" height="200"/></a>Preparation</b></p>
<p>When it comes to fitness, you have to prepare for the workout. This includes cardio work to get the heart pumping. Proper warmup starts with cardio. You need the heart going and the blood pumping, the sweat forming, the muscles warming. Then you can do some stretching. One of the worst things I've seen (and I've been guilty of this before I learned) is the instructor will get the students in a front stance and start off class with high straight leg kicks. Ugh! With no other warmup, you're risking pulling muscles. You'll end up with a nice hamstring bruise the size of Idaho. I've seen one and it ain't pretty.</p>
<p>For writing, preparation includes gathering the writing materials. Pen, paper, computer, drink, special lighting, candles for mood enhancement, locked door, turned off Internet, orders to the family not to be disturbed, or whatever you do to prepare to write.</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/opportunity-pic.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-855" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/opportunity-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="Opportunity pic" width="300" height="234"/></a>Opportunity</b></p>
<p>For my fitness regiment, which I'll discuss later, I choose different times of the day for my workout. Morning, noon, afternoon, two in the morning. I've done it all. When I was living in the campground in southeast Iowa, I chose three in the morning to do my five mile run. I had to be concerned with only a couple of watchdogs at a farmhouse. I also vary the location. Sometimes it's the local track, the next time it'll be a zig-zag through town, or on the bike trail. Something to vary the routine. I've done running workouts up and down my stretch of Ash Street.</p>
<p>Many writers have set times of day to write. That's fine. I know a guy who gets up at five in the morning and writes for two hours. Janet Evanovich takes part of the afternoon. If you have a set time and it works for you, great. What would happen if you vary the routine. Write at midnight. During the lunch hour. After work and before supper. Could you write when the opportunity (and the ideas) strike? In a restaurant (yes, I have). At a coffee shop. (Stereotypical, I know but why not?) Waiting in line at the grocery store (might be a bit difficult). I wouldn't suggest writing at the red light, but what about during break time at work?</p>
<p><b><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/follow-up-pic.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-856" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/follow-up-pic.jpg" alt="follow up pic" width="300" height="199"/></a>Follow Up</b></p>
<p>In fitness, we call it the cool down stage and at age 48 in T-minus two months and counting (give or take a day or two) I have found that cool down after working out is not just a suggestion. It's vital if I want to keep my joints and muscles from tightening up. I made the mistake a few weeks ago of talking with a guy for twenty minutes after my laps instead of walking and keeping the muscles stretched. At the time of this writing, I'm still dealing with a knee problem I think stemmed from that neglect.</p>
<p>How does this relate to writing? Well, maybe you write longhand on notepaper or a legal pad. The follow up could be transcribing that written page to the word processor. Or it could be reviewing what you just wrote, making some quick edits. If you've scribbled down an idea, maybe follow up could be discussing it with another person, writing down or starting research for the idea. Also, as I mentioned last week, a great follow up to writing is to celebrate what you've done. If you've promised yourself an extra cookie for finishing the chapter, then munch away.</p>
<p>Next week: Method. </p>
<p><em>Note: next week's post may be interrupted by one of those pesky authors who, from time to time, step in to take the reins. lol</em></p>Fitness Writing, Part Itag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-08-08:537324:BlogPost:3963502014-08-08T20:55:04.000ZStephen Braytonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenBrayton
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/snoopy-writing.gif"><img alt="snoopy-writing" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-850" height="210" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/snoopy-writing.gif?w=300" width="300"></img></a> Ten days before July meeting of my local (and only Iowa branch of) Sisters in Crime I was asked by the chapter president to assist with the presentation. In previous meetings, we've were visited by a law enforcement officer, a wonderful woman who self published a couple books, and other wonderful presenters. In July, though, K. didn't have anybody scheduled so she asked me if I wanted to share the…</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/snoopy-writing.gif"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-850" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/snoopy-writing.gif?w=300" alt="snoopy-writing" width="300" height="210"/></a>Ten days before July meeting of my local (and only Iowa branch of) Sisters in Crime I was asked by the chapter president to assist with the presentation. In previous meetings, we've were visited by a law enforcement officer, a wonderful woman who self published a couple books, and other wonderful presenters. In July, though, K. didn't have anybody scheduled so she asked me if I wanted to share the two hour meeting as she was planning on presenting a seminar on editing.</p>
<p>For a few days I could not think of a topic. Really, what is there to say about writing that hasn't been said before? I didn't want to talk about character or plotting or emotion but I was a blank. The following week, with the deadline looming, I was out running laps around the high school track across the street and it dawned on me that my fitness regimen could be transitioned into different ways to write. So, in order to distract my mind and body from the fact they were both tired, out of breath, but that I should finish my laps, I started outlining the following presentation.</p>
<p>I entitled it Means, Method, and Motivation. I focused mainly on the Method part, and threw the others in there just for fun because they helped round out the presentation (and because it's cool alliteration. Lol.).</p>
<p>I discussed the fitness side, then transitioned that into writing. First, I talked about my taekwondo classes and how, at the beginning of each taekwondo class I announce the goal of the class. This way, the students know what to expect and have something toward which they can work. Maybe the goal is to learn a round kick or the next section in the form.</p>
<p>For writing, I want to give you, the readers some ideas which may spur your fitness regimen and/or writing. That was my goal at SiC and it's my goal with this current series of blogs.</p>
<p><a href="https://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/goal-pic.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-852" src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/goal-pic.jpg?w=300" alt="goal pic" width="300" height="200"/></a>In my classes and my fitness exercises, I set a goal before I workout and before class. For class, I will prepare a class planner which consists of warm up exercises, the 'meat' of the class, be it form work, technique refinement, one step practice, etc. I try to vary the exercises so the students are always doing the same pushups, situps, or laps every time. I keep an eye out for new exercises to incorporate to see how they work, what they accomplish.</p>
<p>For writing, I take from Todd Stone, who wrote The Novelist Boot Camp. Back in 2007 (I think it was that year), I attended a seminar with him as speaker. One of the areas he discussed was setting a reasonable goal when you write. Many writers boast 5000 words a day or two hours a day or set aside an entire afternoon. Some manage only a page, maybe a paragraph. He didn't criticize any of these goals. He said to set a goal that you know you can reach and do it. I took it a step farther and related the fitness side into this because I like to challenge my students to reach higher. So if you know you can write a page, try for two, or five. I'll mention this later, but celebrate when you reached the goal and if you don't, then revise the goal for the next time.</p>
<p>Next week, we'll tackle the first M: Means.</p>