Of POV and gender ...

Another little tidbit I picked up from the recent Mayhem in the Midlands conference involved writing characters not of one's own gender, again from the What Authors Get Wrong panel. One of the authors (male, I'm thinking, although I'm not going to throw out a name, because I'll probably mis-remember!) related a story about a woman in his critique group who wrote a scene with a "manly man." The rough, tough testosterone-driven protagonist enters a home to interview a suspect and notices ...

The lovely pattern in the drapes.

The critique group pointed out that a guy is not likely to notice (much less comment on) the print curtains.

Writing characters from a gender differing from your own is a topic of some discussion. Here's a sample of blog posts and discussions:

• Writing a POV character of the Opposite Gender on Crimespace (Brian Thorton, back in 2007) ... check out the comments and discussion
• Gender, Author, and Characters on Author Intrusion (Rod Duncan, recently)
• A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything on Daily Writing Tips (by Maeve in 2008)
  

And now, here's something fun! Copy/paste a 500 word sample of your writing into The Gender Genie (on BookBlog) and it will analyze your work and "determine" whether you are male or female.

I slapped in the first 800 words for the as yet nascent 4th Silver Rush book ( first chapter drafted and I know where the second is heading). I checked the "fiction" button and punched "submit."

... Here's what popped up ...

Score: Female: 796 Male: 1046
Result: The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!

I'm intrigued (but not male)!

The results list "feminine keywords" and "masculine keywords" and the occurrence of each in the writing sample. The words are apparently weighted according to an algorithm. What I take away from this is that I am comfortably balanced between the two worlds.

Try it and let me know what your results are....

Stay away from these...

Here's a tidbit from Mayhem in the Midlands that I picked up in the What Authors Get Wrong panel. One of the speakers (at first I thought it was Michael Black, but I have been corrected: it was none other than Margaret Grace, aka Camille Minichino) recited lines of dialogue oft heard in TV crime drama shows—deathless questions, comments, statements, that should be retired. Here are the few I scribbled down:

• "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" (said with increasing intensity)
• "I never meant for this to happen." (bloody corpse lying at the feet of the speaker)
• "What do you mean by that?" (well, duh)
• "Are you okay?" (said to someone who has 1. been hit over the head, 2. caught in a tornado, 3. survived an explosion, 4. received a paper cut, 5. ...)

I wish I'd captured more of these, but alas! I'll have to admit, I've used a couple of these myself on occasion (no, don't go looking for them now!). I think, perhaps, it's a case of "lazy writing," and also of being raised on television back in the days of yore. When the stories roll out like a movie in my mind, those lines just automatically pop up in certain circumstances.

And, just for fun (because it is the weekend) here's some other (non-Mayhem) sites to visit that discuss dialogue and situation cliches in movies and TV.

• The Movie Cliches List
• Roger Ebert's Glossary List (lots of good ones here!)
• The Definitive List of Cliche Dialogue (by Kevin Lehane)
• ScreenwriterGuy's Top 10 Worst Cliche Lines of Dialogue
  
• TV Tropes in Dialogue (Technically, a trope is not a cliche, but hey, "Beam me up, Scotty!" and take a gander at these)

Wander on through them and see what catches your fancy or sounds familiar. And then vow not use them in your own writing. There's always another way to say it!

Tidbit from Mayhem: Analyzing location/setting...

I've returned from a GREAT little conference: Mayhem in the Midlands (Omaha, Nebraska). Managed to shed bookmarks, postcards, chocolate, and (not by choice!) a duffel bag that contained ALL the giveaways and workshop materials of my traveling companion, Margaret Grace, and all my lovingly hand-picked signing pens. And a pair of shoes. And sundry books, toiletries, etc. My favorite pull-over sweater for traveling. These items are most likely still riding around in the trunk of an Omaha Yellow Taxi cab (number unknown), more's the pity.

BUT, I will quit sniffling about the stuff and focus instead on the conference itself, which was as friendly, interesting, and well-run as ever. And, as promised, I'm going to spend this week blogging about some of the tidbits I picked up during the sessions and while gadding about. One is never too old to learn! :-)

Tidbit for today, from author William Kent Krueger during the Location! Location! Location! panel:

People talk about location/setting as being a "character." If you have a novel in which setting takes a very lead role, then analyze its "character" elements:

• What is the face of your location?
• The voice?
• The culture?
• How about your location's "background" (i.e., history)?
• Strengths and weaknesses?

I've not thought about setting this way before, and find the possibilities intriguing. Can you think of other character traits or aspects you could examine in order to bring your setting to life?

Shoes, clothes, bookmarks, business cards ... into the suitcase

I'm getting ready to head off to attend Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. I try to plan ahead, but always, there is the inevitable last-minute "toss into the suitcase" business. At least, this time, I've remembered to include a camera and a notebook (so I don't have to scribble random notes on random bits of paper). My plan: take some pics and some notes and post next week with "tips" gleaned from the conference.

People sometimes ask me: Why go to a conference if you don't have a new book out yet? Isn't that a waste of time and money? In my view, it's never a "waste." I always come away with more insights into the business and with more books to read (natch!) by authors new and familiar. And, most of all, I get to submerge myself into the "world of mystery books and those who love them" ... readers, librarians, authors, booksellers ... (am I missing anyone?? :-) ).

I look at it this way: Some people drop a bundle on Disneyland, and get a charge out of riding Thunder Mountain and seeing the Magic Kingdom. Me, I get a charge out of being around books and talking with/listening to the people who read/write/sell them.

If you are going to Mayhem, be sure to look me up and say hello. I'm in three (!three!) panels on Friday, covering historical mysteries, strong women protagonists, and settings.

I will be well-armed with bookmarks, LEADEN SKIES chapbooks, and chocolate, and I don't want to take ANY of it home (after all, I have to make room for the books I buy!).