Jun 13, 2018 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
“So, what do you write?”
It’s the question we all get. At meetings, conferences, gas stations. Any time we are introduced as a writer. And our books are just as individual as we are.
Sure, there’s some common ground: We all breathe some form of air. We’re all (mostly) human. And I think~I mean I’m not willing to put money on it~but I’m pretty sure 90% of us are made up of coffee and ink in the veins. If I’m wrong, don’t tell me.
Let’s be real. Mommas don’t love all their children the same. We may love them the same amount, but we love them each individually, uniquely. The same for our projects, yes? Each one is special for its own special reasons. And when our stories have their own quirks, well, it can be hard to describe to someone who’s not a part of the family. But then imagine that your child is so extraordinary that no common description will do. “She is tall, lovely, blonde with brown eyes.” Uhm. Yeah. So are a billion other people in the world. Let’s narrow it down some. Okay. “She doesn’t like coffee.” Wait. Did I really give birth to her? “She’s a cat lover.” “Likes to travel.” “Generous spirit.” “Was born in California.” See? Once you start giving more detail, the drill-down shows you the uniqueness. Or I could just cut to the chase. “She’s a go-getter with wanderlust.” Interested? Yup. So’s her husband.
So imagine how hard it is to tell someone the uniqueness of your novel in a way that captures their attention, and respects the elevator-pitch rule.
The “elevator pitch” is a very short synopsis of your story. You have approximately twenty seconds to tell someone (usually an agent or publisher) your idea and get them interested before the elevator doors slide open and they exit.
NOLA is a location mystery set in New Orleans, about a disenchanted woman who runs away from her terrible life in California and falls in love with a man who may or may not have killed his first wife.
Bam. There it is.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Created a Location Mystery Sub-Genre
The two questions I usually get are, “What’s a location mystery?” and “How do you research?”
I’m so glad y’all asked.
Sit on back and I’ll tell you.
A location mystery is a story where the setting is so integral to the plot, it’s a character in itself. You simply cannot tell the story in any other location. It will not work.
NOLA is full of culture, climate, music, food, mythology, weather, local customs, and dialect. Now, y’all know I won’t be writing “y’all” when I work on CENTRAL. No, ma’am. That one will be full of fuggedaboutits and youztalkingtome kind of lingo. NOLA has beignets and chicory coffee. CENTRAL will have Brooklyn-style pizza.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Created a Location Mystery Sub-Genre
Researching NOLA has been incredible fun. Making sure to keep it as a location mystery is even funner. [NOTE TO SELF: Dig out your T-shirt that reads, “FUNNER: gooder than just fun.”] [SECOND NOTE TO SELF: do the laundry.]
Locations are what ground your story. It’s where the action is. If you don’t know where your story takes place, neither will your reader.
There are five things I recommend for researching any location you’re writing about:
- Google Earth. This great app allows you to see real images both from a bird’s-eye perspective and eye- (or street-) level. You can “pin” distances, plot out routes and maps, and get a true visual of what the setting of any real place looks like. I was able to take Josie on a street car ride, a city bus, and a walk all through Google Earth.
- Tourism boards. Contact your location’s tourism department through Twitter. Visit New Orleans has been instrumentally helpful with their quick responses to my questions. Where could Toni take Josie for lunch? How far away are the bayous? Is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar really 200 years old? I asked, they answered. Often with links to more detailed information.
- Television and movies. I did a Roku search for “New Orleans” and found a plethora of programs to watch. Some gave me insight into character behaviors. Others showed the Crescent City documentary-style. Still others focused on food, fashion, crime, environment, weather.
- Music. Google or YouTube music and videos. Create a Pandora or other streaming station. Find out which bands came out of your location, and listen to them. Listen to a variety. I’ve always enjoyed Harry Connick, Jr. and Otis Redding. But my taste for Jazz has grown exponentially since starting NOLA. Zydeco music is a unique sound. And let’s not forget Honeyvibe from Baton Rouge. Now there’s some uplifting soul music, there.
- Other books and media. Read books in your genre, in your location. Read biographies. Documentaries. Novels. Travel magazines. Search the internet for articles. Get as much information as you can.
As you collect research, take notes. Take lots and lots of notes. Make notes on your notes. Maybe you don’t want to use this information now, but you can reference or change it later.
If you’re world-building for a fantasy novel, well, that’s a whole ‘nother post. Come find me next week and we’ll see what we can dream up.
In the meantime, grab yourself a sweet tea and an atlas and have at it.
Now I want to hear from you: What tips do you have for researching your novel locations?
For a more in-depth discussion, watch the Firsts in Fiction podcast episode Gross Anatomy of a Novel: Setting and Detail.
With a digital globe and wanderlust imaginings,
Happy (writing) travels.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Nov 13, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Firsts in Fiction Team
The FiF Team is at it again, folks. You won’t want to miss tomorrow’s live podcast episode as we continue our discussion on genres. This week, we’re talking mystery/police procedural, with very special guest Steven James.
Steven is a national best selling author of over thirty books including fiction and nonfiction. His Bowers Files series has been called “nailbiting,” and “psychological thrillers.”
He’s also a very talented public speaker.
I met Steven at my first Blue Ridge Conference. Anyone who has taken his classes walks away with more than information and guidance. He teaches writing in a way that lets the writer live what we learn.
Join us tomorrow evening, 6:30 PST as Steven shares his insights on writing a remarkable thriller.
Click here to join the podcast: Firsts in Fiction: Steven James.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 3, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . :Five Things Friday
Now that all I can for NOLA is wait for feedback, and given that it’s November, my project of the month is jump starting CENTRAL a la NaNoWriMo. Here it is day three and I’ve only 32 words written, but I think they’re pretty good words.
CENTRAL will be the second in my City Series. You know the drill. It’s really not a series because the characters and storyline are completely different. But using the location as a character is what remains the same. So, I’m affectionately calling it a series, and creating a subgenre I call location mystery. Will the world catch on? Eh. I dunno. But Stephenie Meyer created Renesme and the world thought that was a weird name. Still, she stuck to her guns. So I guess I will too. At least until I hear back from the editor and almost-agent. [Oh, side note: some peeps are asking if there will be a sequel to NOLA. I hadn’t thought about it . . . Until this week. We’ll see if the characters want to come back.]
So. Five Things you may or may not know about Central, the book, and the location:
- The opening line for my next novel. I’ve been around enough writers, and well, the mentor wrote a book called Firsts in Fiction, so I’d best get this right, right? Y’all ready for this?
“Serenity had a thing for cops. And the guys they arrested.”
I can’t say it will stay that way. But so far the pre-reader peeps are liking it. We’ll see.
- Central Park, located on Manhattan Island, is about 843 acres big (over 3.5 miles), and has been the location of over 350 films! The size is larger than some countries. And the movie total? Fuggedaboutit.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Central Park, NYC
- The Park isn’t just a park. It’s home to the Central Park Zoo, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tavern on the Green, many playgrounds and ball fields, as well as bridges, walkways, vendors. It’s a city unto itself!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Central Park, NYC
- There are thousands of songs about New York City, and many of them include reference to Central Park. Two of my favorites are, of course, Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York” and Harry Connick, Jr’s “Autumn in New York.” While not exclusive to the Park, these songs embody a great connection to the Big Apple at the best time of year.
- CP was the first public, landscaped park in all the United States. Now that deserves some awards!
And there you have it! Five fun facts about Central, the book and the park!
What’s your favorite part of the park?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Nov 1, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
There’s a Louis L’Amour quote I discovered years ago when reading his short story collection.
Frankly, My Dear . . .: Louis L’Amour, The Beginning
That’s never been more true to me than this very minutes.
Fifteen minutes ago, I typed the most beautiful words.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The End
I’ve both dreaded and looked for this moment for years. In the last months, weeks, days it became increasingly difficult for me to not be emotional. I felt I was building up to a loss in my life. Soon I would finish, type those two last words, and say good bye to these characters I’ve grown to love.
Oh, but that’s so not true. I’ve not lost them. I’ve set them free. Now is the part everyone told me would come. Now I send them to my editor, my almost-agent, my alpha readers. Now I let others start to discover the beauty of NOLA.
Now, instead of ending this world, I get to share it.
Now comes the real beginning of the life of NOLA.
But first, beignets and chicory.
Happy reading, y’all.
It’s time for This Girl to get some rest.
Tomorrow I start writing CENTRAL.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 12, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
This is New Orleans.
The past never stays buried.
After a broken engagement and the death of her beloved uncle, Penny escapes her nightmares by flying into New Orleans. She finds herself struggling to embrace a new future. Does that mean letting go of her past? What about her new friends ~ the ones accused of murder? In search of something she can’t identify, she discovers things aren’t always as they seem. Somewhere between the French Quarter and the bayous, she finds the answers she’s looking for . . .
And some she’s not.
Now she must uncover the truth between the lies.
New Orleans turns 300 next year. And I may or may not be planning a trip a la book signing.
Josie’s world is almost ready for you. In a few weeks, I’ll have the first draft of NOLA sent off to alpha readers, my editors, and a potential agent or two. Talk about exciting. Of course, I don’t know that the book will be published in time for the NOLA Anniversary, but do you honestly think that will stop me from going? Please, Sugar. That’s like saying tea shouldn’t have, well, sugar.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
It’s so great, y’all, that my accent is kicking in at the day job. Yup, that’s right. I was drinking sweet tea and calling them “y’all”, and ~ get this! ~ no one flinched. I mean, it’s like they heard me when I told them I was a creative.
It’s pretty fabulous.
This week I hit a milestone. I reached 79,000 words on the manuscript. Can you imagine? Seventy-nine-thousand. By the time you read this, I may even be over eighty. Them’s a whole lotta words, let me tell you. I can see the finish line. I’m dreaming up marketing. (You’ll help me spread the word, won’tcha?) And I’m feelin’ a little bittersweet. Because once NOLA is written, this relationship I’ve had with these characters for the better part of five years is going to change.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : NOLA research
So I thought I’d take today to look back and embrace the changes.
NOLA was originally going to be a short story about a young woman named Nola who had certain supernatural abilities. The more I toyed with the idea, the more I realized my subconscious had already turned the Crescent City into a character, and it couldn’t possibly be a short story. NOLA, the novel, was born.
The main character was renamed Penny Jo Embers. My original plot had her destitute and using all her savings to run away to New Orleans and buy a haunted typewriter. She was going to rent a room in an old house and tell her story. In my mind, it was a very black and white story. She also used a camera to document everything. But it soon became tedious for her to use both a typewriter and a camera. And, like I said, it was very black and white. I had the suspense, except I didn’t know what the suspense story was. So the camera, the haunting, the old house, they all went bye-bye. And Josie went through about eight dynamic changes before I found her story that stuck.
About this time, my friend Lisa told me about a woman in New Orleans who was selling cookbooks she had curated from family recipes. Since I had done the same, I reached out to this woman to see about ordering one of hers. That was the start of a very wonderful friendship with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Lindsay Reine’s Cookbook
In the last three years, Lindsay has become my technical advisor, and at times, spiritual. She has always been available by email, phone call, Facebook, or text to let me know if something works or doesn’t work. And in true New Orleans fashion, she’s often answered my questions before I ask them. You’ll definitely find Lindsay’s influence throughout NOLA. We’re pretty much the real-life equivalents of Josie and Toni.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Toni (#NOLA)
Y’all have seen the bits and pieces I’ve thrown out. And y’all aren’t stupid. I mean, it’s New Orleans, and I’m writing a mystery. There’s Voodoo, dysfunction, Rougarous, drinking, crime . . .
Frankly, My Dear . . . Truth is Relative (#NOLA)
But there’s also friendship and . . . Well I can’t tell you what else because I don’t want to ruin it. Just know that as far as my NOLA research goes, Lindsay has been invaluable.
Now, the characters. Whew. Where to start? Well, I wanted the story to be Josie’s, and it is. But it’s also the story of her new friends Toni, Rain, and Rain’s older brother, Lou. There’s a cousin who’s also a cop. And a few other secondary peeps in the show. And by secondary, I don’t mean less important.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram, Twitter, or joined my NOLA Swarm on Facebook, you’ve no doubt seen some of the memes I’ve created. That’s a thrill, a joy, I get when I’m able to share parts of the book with you.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Mississippi River calls (#NOLA)
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Momma Tristan (#NOLA)
Music is also super important. Rain plays melancholy Jazz on the piano when he’s trying to figure things out. Josie still listens to the Strumbellas and Sideshow. Of course, everyone loves Sinatra. And, since the story takes place in October, there’s the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival.
Visit New Orleans will also get a huge shout out of thanks in the acknowledgements but they deserve it here, too. From the very beginning, they have kept the conversation going with helpful links, plenty of information, and just all around support. NOLA wouldn’t be NOLA without NOLA. Bonus: they follow me on Twitter. How stupidcrazyawesomehumbling is that?!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Visit New Orleans
Have I forgotten anything? I think so! Can we take a minute and talk about the food? Hulloh, this is New Orleans! At every corner Josie’s discovering debris and muffaletta and maque choux and chicory and coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde (no surprise there, folks!) and bananas foster and po’boys at Johnny’s and Hurricanes and so much more. [Note to self: Finish curating recipes for the NOLA Companion Cookbook.]
Frankly, My Dear . . . : No Blackened Salmon (#NOLA)
But I’m at a place now where I have to keep my mouth shut and write the ending. Which means ain’t nobody getting any new memes for a while. Well, at least not too many.
NOLA, like New Orleans, is rich with character, setting, ambiance, failures, successes, fear, love, hate, denial, acceptance, monsters. But there’s plenty of good times, too. And so much more.
Truth be told, the main character of NOLA is New Orleans itself.
And I can’t wait to take you there.
TWEET THIS: #NOLA: Lassiez Les Bon Temps Rouler! @RealMojo68 @VisitNewOrleans #amwriting #letthegoodtimesroll
With a plane ticket and an autograph pen,
Happy being!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
