iPod Essentials #31: "You're My Best Friend"--Queen

Ahhhh. The summer of '76...

Queen was a great band (Godspeed, Freddie!). This is one of my favorites. It's a simple song at a simple time. The joys of love and the preteen freedom of summer...

When the Plot Hits a Spot

I'm in the middle of the third draft of my new mystery series, and the plot has hit a spot. I'm not sure if my killer should be my killer anymore; his motivation in carrying out the dastardly deeds of two murders and one abduction seems weak. My heroine needs to be the one to figure things out, but I'm not sure if she can at this point.

When your plot hits a spot, step back and retool, as I'm about to do. Dramatica Pro is an excellent tool for this. Although pricey, the software program offers writers ways to examine their characters and stories. All of its features can be overwhelming, but it allows me to talk out the novel's problems and find a solution to them.

Revise, revise, revise.

Revision

Revision is my favorite part of the writing process. By the third draft of most of my novels, characters appear more developed, plot is more intricate, and language seems richer than in the previous drafts.

With the third draft, I am able to relax, to breathe, to let the writing come naturally.

I don't understand some writers who falsely believe their work is done after the second draft. Revision makes writing that much more worthwhile to agents, editors, readers, and ultimately, yourself.

iPod Essentials #30: "In the Year 2525"--Zaeger & Evans

Some of you may have never heard of this song, which was released in 1969. It was one of the first 45 singles I owned, and even though I was too young to understand its implications at the time, I believed it was worth listening to over and over again.

The song's lyrics about the perils of humanity and the fate of our existance belies its upbeat tempo: "In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may thrive."

In light of the global warming epidemic and the uncertainty of the world around us, this song now scares me. Sometimes while I'm listening to my Pod and it starts playing, I will skip to the next song. I've heard the lyrics too often, but little is being done nowadays to change the message.

iPod Essentials #29: "Dream on"--Aerosmith

A rock classic, full of angst and hope. Steven Tyler's vocals for this song along with Joe Perry's guitar wail with conviction.

Ends

And so, with a bit of sadness, I finished the last Harry Potter novel a couple of days ago. (Yes, I read the bulk of it in one day. I had to see how the novel ended.)

A few weeks earlier, I had sent my newest Quinn McKay manuscript off to a prospective agent. End of long writing process. I won't hear from Quinn until I begin working on another McKay mystery. (Right now I'm working on a new series.)

As writers, we must face ends: the end of a writing process, the end of a character, the end of a story. Often, these ends are painful. I cried after the completion of my first novel, GOTHIC DOO-WOP.

To grow as writers, we must find ends to our works at some point. We can stay with the same manuscript for twenty years.

iPod Essentials #28: "The Love Parade"--The Dream Academy

I had forgotten about this song until I was driving around town one day, and it started playing on XM's Fred channel (Thank God for XM. I will never return to regular radio!).

The song is like a spring shower, full of gentle synthesizers and harmonies. Its theme is that love blossoms and parades itself through the months of June through September.

'Tis the season.

Boobs

Why has some of entertainment become so stupid? Is it because we've gotten stupider and lazier?

Case in point, previews for a new show on VH1, featuring Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the band, Poison. He's looking for love with all the wrong women. Most of the women are blonde and unnaturally buxom. One idot, in particular, shouldn't be allowed to ever reproduce: "Maybe if we rub our boobs together, we can think better." Perhaps her plastic surgeon has replaced her brain matter with silicone during her breast enhancement surgery.

And then, there's Scott Baio and his new show, Scott Baio Is 45 and Single. Since Tiger Beat posters of him were spread across my bedroom walls when I was in the eighth grade, I was curious to see what age has done to him. He's actually 45 going on 15. He wonders why he can't committ to a relationship, why he is unhappy. He tells his life coach that his idea of a perfect woman is "blonde, big breasts, nice body, good ass.[or words to that effect]." Maybe he's had silicone brain replacement surgery, too.

iPod Essentials #27: "What About Love"--'Til Tuesday

I've always thought 'Til Tuesday was an underrated band. Aimee Mann's smooth alto and complex lyrics were a change of pace in the mid 80's. This song details how hard unrequited love can be to the person whose emotions cannot ever be returned.

I wonder why this great song was never a hit. Sometimes it's hard to figure out the minds of the American listening public.

iPod Essentials #26: "Atomic"--Blondie

Killer dance tune. An oldie but still a goodie. My Pod and I love it. It gets my heart racing at the gym!

iPod Essentials #25: "Wichita Lineman"--Glen Campbell

In honor of the finally completed manuscript (next installment in my Quinn McKay series) that I sent off to an interested agent on Friday, I will select "Wichita Lineman" for this next Essentials blog. The song is featured in a key scene in the manuscript.

I've always liked this song a lot since Glen Campbell's vocals capture the loneliness of the song's persona, how his job keeps him away from love and a normal life. Quinn is a lot like this persona; his job as a PI keeps him from a normal existance of herding sheep and living away from the violence his job won't allow him to escape.

iPod Essentials #24: "Save a Prayer"--Duran Duran

Ahhh...this is my favorite DD song. The band is at its peak with lyrics, music, and performance. This mellow song is a shout-out to reaching out and connecting with that special someone or someone who could be special. In short, seize the lover's day.

Conference, Take 2

In my previous blog, I briefly described the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles conference. Conferences are vital for writers because they allow us to keep the faith in our work and in ourselves. We meet likeminded people who are creating stories and spending a long time doing so.

We also meet professionals who can offer us tips on making our work the best it can be, making ourselves proud of our accomplishments.

That is why all writers need these conferences. They inform and inspire.

SinC Into a Good Mystery--SinC/LA Conference on 6/10/07

As writers, we tend to be solitary creatures. That's why it is so vital for us all to attend and/or participate in writers conferences.

On June 10, 2007, I worked registration, along with other duties, at the Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles conference in Arcadia, California. Being a board member, I was required to help out, but that was fine since I enjoy the company of my fellow Boardies very much.

The conference was terrific. Judge for yourself as I post the smiling faces of those of us who worked so hard to make sure all the attendees could learn and make the most of this inspiring day.

iPod Essentials #23: "Who Loves You"--Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

A surprise? Somewhat. But in honor of the JERSEY BOYS tickets, I ordered this morning, this song has made the list.

This semi-disco song is my second fave of the group. My first is "Can't Take My Eyes off of You." The boys in the band are older in "Who." Their voices have matured and solidified into a more harmonious blend. Besides, Valli's falsetto can get on my nerves at times, but it's downplayed here.

Besides, it's hard not to move while you listen to the groove.

iPod Essentials #22: "Bad Time"--Grand Funk

Hello, again--

My rotator cuff is not healing as quickly as my doctor and I had hoped, so I still have to limit my typing. Since I'm a writer with two manuscripts underway, I have to concentrate on those rather than my blogging.

But here I am with another installment of Essentials. Although "Bad Time" came out in 1974, it's still a great song. It's a nostalgic pining for an unrequited love. Harmonies abound. They just don't produce 'em like this anymore.

iPod Essentials #21: "The Air That I Breathe"--The Hollies

A beautiful song, full of love. Every chord, every note is perfect. The sincere vocals shine through the plaintive strums of an acoustic guitar.

"Air" is featured prominently in the film, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. The whole soundtrack is worthwhile, but no song on it comes close to matching the beauty of this one.

IPod Essentials #20: "Wish You Were Here"--Pink Floyd

This Essential is decidated to those people who are no longer with us, either physically or emotionally.

This song is one of Floyd's finest. It's purposeful and plaintive. This is one song that should never be remade by a band or artist. It's a weeping ballad of loss. David Gilmour's vocals convey this fact so well: "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl/Year after year."

Why?

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the horrible events on the Virginia Tech campus yesterday. It will take a very long time to recover, and I hope that everyone will remember that the grieving process is different for everyone. Patience, support, and understanding will be crucial for those involved.

We'll probably never understand why a psychopath decided to murder 32 people and injure (both physically and mentally) thousands more.

As I pulled into the parking lot of my college this morning and headed to teach my first class of the day, I wondered if my campus was prepared to handle a dire emergency. In the six years I've been teaching there, officials have never held an emergency drill, not even a fire drill. Community colleges have small law-enforcement staff members, most of whom are not armed. Why isn't it mandatory that all schools--including colleges and university--have disaster preparedness drills? Don't tell me it's due to lack of funding or manpower. Is it laziness or the belief that all is rosy on the campus? Even after an incident involving an escaped convict last year, officials at Virginia Tech did nothing to enhance security for its students and staff.

We need to wake up and prepare for events that I hope to God will never happen again. But since we live is troubled times, it will. Will we be ready, or will we make wishes and cross our fingers that everything will be just fine?

iPod Essentials #19: "Big Log"--Robert Plant

Sorry for the delay in blogging. My rotator cuff injury has been very slow in healing.

In honor of my trip last week to the Southwest, I dedicate Robert Plant's "Big Log" to the barren landscape of Arizona, with its cacti, yuccas, and abundance of dust. This song reminds me of such sparseness in one's physical as well as emotional landscape. Cool video, too--it features an empty pool at an abandoned hotel.

Plant's best vocals post Zeppelin.