Kapolei Library Panel Discussion: Short Story Writing




Panel members Laurie Hanan, Greg Field, Doris Chu,
Gail Baugniet, Kent Reinker, and Dawn Casey welcome the audience



As moderator, I opened

the panel discussion with a comparison:

Short Story or Novel: What’s the Difference?

Counting off the differences. 

 On Saturday, October 25, 2014, at Kapolei Public Library, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii presented a panel discussion on short story writing to an audience interested in reading and writing mystery stories as well as other genres. As the group’s president, I had the pleasure of moderating the discussion. 

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii (SinC/HI) is the local chapter of Sisters in Crime, Inc., an international organization consisting of "authors, booksellers, editors, agents, librarians, critics, teachers and readers, whose primary purpose is support through communication.” 

As “Sisters-and-Misters” members of Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, we encourage new writers with various projects throughout the year. One such project consisted of compiling and publishing an anthology of mystery short stories set in Hawaii, MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, available in eBook and print at Amazon.com. 

Our discussion for Saturday afternoon addressed the different aspects of writing a short story. Panel members were SinC/Hawaii members Kent Reinker, Laurie Hanan, Greg Field, Doris Chu, Dawn Casey, and Gail Baugniet. 



Kent Reinker
Plot Construction

Captivating the audience!

Kent Reinker, the author of the cross genre mystery/medical/sci-fi novel entitled If Pigs Could Cry tackled the topic of Plot Construction, detailing the steps on how to convert an interesting anecdote into a memorable short story.

 

One of his suggestions: Tantalize your readers - Get them thinking!

 

 

 

 

Dawn Casey
Creating Setting

Author of the children's Christmas book set in Hawaii: A Christmas Gift, and librarian for the Hawaii State Library, Dawn Casey covered Creating Setting within a short story. Her advice included an important that all writers, not only beginners, need to be reminded of: Weave details about setting into the description of action. 

 

 

Doris Chu
Point of View

Journalist and screenwriter Doris Chu focused on View Point used in telling a story. She described the different points of view used by authors to tell their story and stressed that choosing the view in how the story is told is very important.

Introduction of our next speakers: Laurie and Greg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laurie Hanan
Character Development

 

Laurie Hanan, a cover artist (as demonstrated with MYSTERY IN PARADISE) and the author of the Louise Golden mysteries, explored Character Development and Creating Memorable Characters. Laurie stated that the reader experiences the setting through the character and the plot develops through the charter, making the character the most important element in any story. 

 

Greg Field
Functions of Dialog

 

 

Greg Field, editor and crime novelist author of Red Dirt White Bones, discussed the myriad Functions of Dialog. He explained that dialog is the verbal and non-verbal interchange between two or more characters.

 

Throughout the panel discussion, each participant offers their views on the topics presented, giving an overview of the basic requirements in writing a novel. 

 

In 2015, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii will continue to hold panel discussions at libraries around O’ahu. Anyone interested in hosting one of our panel discussions is welcome to contact me at: gbaugniet@aol.com

 

 

A special Mahalo to David Jones for taking and sharing all the photographs displayed here.

 

Author Patricia Morin: CONFETTI, A COLLECTION of COZY CRIMES

Hello SinC HI Friends,  

 

I'm very pleased to pass along some great news! My third short-story collection, Confetti, A Collection of Cozy Crimes, recently received a five star review from San Francisco Book Review and a very favorable review from Mill Valley Literary Review.

 

"Oh, just delightful! ... I found myself laughing at the twists and admiring the writer's craft." SF Review

 

"Confetti, Patricia Morin's fresh and unique look at the world of crime ... attest to her ability to illuminate, to surprise, and to entertain her readers." Mill Valley Literary Magazine

 

You can check out both reviews on my website under the Story Collections tab for Confetti by clicking on: http://www.patricialmorin.com/confetti.html.

 

To purchase Confetti, you can either click on: Amazon.com or the Amazon Link above the reviews on my website. To celebrate the reviews, the Amazon Kindle version has been reduced from $4.99 to $.99 for the next 30 days.

 

I hope you enjoy the stories, and get a chance to post your review of Confetti on Amazon. Thanks.

 

(NOTE: The above Amazon link to Confetti, has a Write A Customer Review Tab you can click on after scrolling down near the bottom of the page which will in turn prompt for the email and PW you use on Amazon which in turn will enable you to write the review on Amazon.)

 

Website and CreateSpace book design by Sue Trowbridge. http://www.interbridge.com/

Best wishes,
Pat Morin

www.patricialmorin.com

"13 FRIDAYS" INTERVIEW With EDITOR LOURDES VENARD

Our guest today is Lourdes Venard, a journalist with more than 29 years of reporting, editing, design, and project management experience. She has worked at major newspapers such as The Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Newsday. She currently operates her own freelance business, CommaSense Editing. 

Lourdes edited the material for MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, an anthology of short stories set in Hawaii and written by local authors.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i: Thank you for joining us today for an interview, Lourdes. Can you please offer a brief insight into something humorous, poignant, or unusual in your life that led you to a career as an editor? 

LOURDES VENARD: I don’t know that it was that unusual. I’ve been involved in journalism since high school and even then I had editing roles (I was editor in chief of the school paper my senior year). I was the kid who edited the valedictorian’s English essays; while she was brilliant, she still needed grammar help! Nevertheless, I started out my career as a reporter. After a few years, I realized I really enjoyed and was more suited to the editing, rather than to chasing people who didn’t want to be interviewed. I found I have a real passion for editing. Sometimes I think, ‘What am I doing? I spent half an hour arguing over a hyphen with a cover designer.’ But, really, that hyphen was important!

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i:  How did you become involved in the editing process of MYSTERY IN PARADISE? 

LOURDES VENARD: When I found out that a group of Hawai’i authors was compiling an anthology, I jumped at the chance to edit it. Hawai’i is a special place for my husband and I (we have a second home there). It is unlike any other place in the United States, and I was excited about the possibility of stories set there. Also, short stories seem to be making a renaissance. The short story lends itself to our fast-paced, time-crunched culture. But writing a good short story is just as hard as writing a full-length novel. The short stories in this anthology are truly unique, shaped by the Hawaiian culture, lore, and landscape. They are also quite diverse. That’s another thing I love about anthologies: Authors might write about the same subject, but their take is always so different! All of these aspects drew me to editing this anthology, and I was glad to have a small part in bringing MYSTERY IN PARADISE to readers.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i:  What is your role as a judge for a scholarship program run by the American Copy Editors Society? 

LOURDES VENARD: I’ve been judging this contest for 10 years. It awards scholarships each year to three college students who show promise in copyediting. Many students gravitate to the more glamorous reporting end of journalism, but few have a love (or aptitude) for the behind-the-scenes end of it: fixing holes in stories, working with authors to make the stories more lively or readable, writing headlines and captions, designing pages, etc. Copyeditors are the last set of eyes on stories, so it’s an important job—and ACES wants to encourage that. Each year, we get a stack of applications and we carefully winnow through them and then the judges go back and forth to decide which students get the scholarships. It’s a lot of work, but we feel it’s important to the future of copyediting.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i:  Can you tell us a bit about your current project(s)? 

LOURDES VENARD: I’m juggling a few things—OK, more than a few! I’m editing two manuscripts: one science fiction and one crime fiction, my two favorite genres. I’m also writing my own book. I work with many first-time authors and they always have questions that go beyond the editing (Should I self-publish? Look for an agent? How do I write a query? How do I format my manuscript? How do I market my book?). It’s quite a learning curve these days to publish a book, especially with so many options. So I’m writing my own ebook, which will hopefully answer some of those questions. In between all of that, I’m editor for a newsletter for 500-plus mystery authors, the Guppies, a subgroup of Sisters in Crime. The deadline for the next issue is coming up, so I’m editing articles, designing the newsletter, and soliciting articles for upcoming issues. Finally, I teach a copyediting course online through the University of California, San Diego, and I’m in the middle of the summer semester. 

Lourdes Venard can be found on the Internet at:

www.commasense.net

www.facebook.com/commasense

"13 FRIDAYS" INTERVIEW With AUTHOR PATRICIA MORIN

Today’s guest for the “13 Fridays Author Interviews” is Patricia Morin, the author of Confetti, A Collection of Cozy Crimes 2014; Crime Montage, crime short stories 2012; and Mystery Montage, mystery short stories 2010. 

"Patricia Morin demonstrates the full range of her capabilities, from cozy to suspense to noir- and every genre in between." Marcia Muller, Grand Master, Mystery Writers of America

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i: Aloha, Pat. Thank you for sharing with readers your short story, included within MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, and for taking time to visit today. Can you please offer a brief insight into something humorous, poignant, or unusual in your life that led you to a career in writing? 

PATRICIA MORIN: I wrote a poem for my dog in fourth grade: "I have a little dachshund, frisky as can be--a short and funny dog that watches over me ..." It won the poetry contest at my school. However, sixth grade, I wrote a sequel to "West Side Story", a short story about a sixth grade gang in a Catholic school--can you just imagine? Gangs weren't as they were today, so it was quite funny. We patrolled the school yard for trouble.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i: Why did you choose to collaborate with 12 other authors to participate in a short story anthology? 

PATRICIA MORIN: Larry, my husband, and I lived in Hawaii six years, two in Poipu, Kauai, and four in Oahu. We went from the NY minute to the Hawaii month. What most interested me is how the O'hana would gather in garages made into rooms, with couches, to drink and "talk story". We were invited into several people's Oahu for some beer, a bit of Ukulele songs--singing "Honolulu Nights" (so beautiful) and discussing the fate of the culture. I wrote a piece in my writer's journal about the garage meetings. With that, was a bit I wrote about the dangers of the boars and wild pigs. People have gotten killed by them! When I heard about the anthology, I had the setting. The rest unfolded from my imagination.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i: In The Love Shack, what is one phrase or scene that reflects something about you as a writer? 

PATRICIA MORIN: In The Love Shack, the scene that reflects something about me as a writer is the dream sequence where the mother comes to him as a mermaid. As a therapist, my forte was dream analysis, and I often have dream sequences in my stories.

 

Sisters in Crime/ Hawai`i: Can you tell us a bit about your current project? 

PATRICIA MORIN: Confetti, my latest short story collection, out March, 2014, is a a nine story collection--with one novella--all mostly cozy and character driven.

 

Excerpt from The Love Shack

"The newspaper drifted toward Makonu’s lap as he fell into a deep sleep ... He eased onto the plush captain’s chair and threw out a fishing line without bait or direction or a care as to catching a fish. A tug on his line caught his attention. A soft, angelic voice called his name.

“Makonu, I have something to tell you,” it sung in his mother’s voice. “It’s important, so listen to me.”

He stuck his head out over the deck and studied the water. A mermaid appeared. She looked like his mother with fins and a tail--not a pretty sight. “Makonu, you’ve been a good husband, and would have been a good father, if that you-know-who didn’t ruin your life, and decide not to have children. Sure your business did not bring much, but the times were hard on the island. The economy dropped. Sure, you had to take a little money out of the house. But you have the insurance policy. Think freedom. Maybe she could have a little accident. A makana (gift) for you.”

 

Look for Mystery in Paradise 13 Tales of Suspense on Amazon in print and ebook format. It can also be ordered in Barnes and Noble. 

Patricia Morin is the author of Confetti, A Collection of Cozy Crimes 2014; Crime Montage, crime short stories 2012; and Mystery Montage, mystery short stories 2010. 

All are available at Amazon

"13 FRIDAYS" INTERVIEW With AUTHOR BOB NEWELL

Today’s guest for the “13 Fridays Author Interviews” is Bob Newell, author of the short story, The Kahala Caper, included within the anthology, MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense.

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawai`i: Thank you for sharing with readers your short story, and for taking time to visit today, Bob. Can you please offer a brief insight into something humorous, poignant, or unusual in your life that led you to a career in writing? 

BOB NEWELL: I can't point to any one thing. Writers have to write. It's part of who and what they are. I write because I can't not write. If you're a writer or some other type of artist, you'll know what I mean.

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawai`i: Why did you choose to collaborate with 12 other authors to participate in a short story anthology? 

BOB NEWELL: Writing for anthologies is a lot of fun. It's a chance to join in providing the reader with a rich and varied experience. It's an opportunity as a writer to compare notes with other writers and see different ways of looking at things.

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawai`i: In The Kahala Caper, what is one phrase or scene that reflects something about you as a writer? 

BOB NEWELL: The story wasn't written to be filled with layers of existential meaning, but I think if you look at the relationship between Jasmine and Jimmy, there's something deeper. What does it reflect about me as a writer? Putting that into words is difficult, and I'm not sure I even really know in a conscious way.

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawai`i: Can you tell us a bit about your current project? 

BOB NEWELL: I have a few things going on. Top of the list is a novel with the working title "Courting Jane" which is most of the way through a second draft. It's a romance at heart but it has sci-fi elements and some of it is set in Honolulu. I hope to have it out by the end of 2014, but we'll see how it goes. I also have a couple of short stories that I'm getting ready to try to market. I'd like to write a few more Jimmy Chan stories but I won't get to that right away.

 

Sisters in Crime/Hawai`i: What's it like to be a writer in Hawai`i as opposed to the mainland or elsewhere? 

BOB NEWELL: I have to say that it's definitely different. There is a vibrant community of writers here. That's true elsewhere, of course, but the attitudes and approaches are, well, Hawaiian. That means friendliness, mutual support, rejoicing in one another's successes rather than being jealous, a sense of family and taking care of one another, and of course gathering to write where there's plenty of food. 

Most of us tend to write about Hawai`i or at least include Hawaiian settings in our work. I've got one novella in draft that explores a romance between a haole and a leader in the Hawaiian independence movement, and I have a project in the planning stage that reimagines Pride and Prejudice in the Kingdom of Hawai`i. 

Bob Newell can be found at his Internet website, where he shares a variety of entertaining and educational material on a range of subjects, from checkers to tea to Talmud:

http://www.bobnewell.net/nucleus/bnewell.php

 

A TASTE OF BOOKS Makiki Library Fundraiser Event

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii meets at The Makiki Community Library on the third Wednesday of the month. As a writers’ group, we are always eager to support the library. Recently, we were able to present a check of $1,000.00, representing a library grant the library won from Sisters in Crime, Inc. The award money from Sisters in Crime, Inc. to libraries is for the purchase of library books of any genre. 

On September 23, 2014, The Friends of Makiki Library will hold “A TASTE FOR BOOKS” a tasty fundraising event for The Makiki Community Library, an independent library in Honolulu. The luncheon and auction will be held from 6-9 pm at Parish of St. Clements, 1515 Wilder Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii. 

In support of the Makiki Library fundraiser, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii (SinC/HI) will donate

a basket of books by authors who support SinC/HI.

At the monthly SinC/HI meeting on September 17, we will collect the books from those interested in donating one or more of their published works.

(All genres are welcome.)

If you are unable to attend the meeting, and want to donate something,

please contact Gail Baugniet at 808-292-2565

 

FROM THE MAKIKI LIBRARY FLYER: 

Friends of the Makiki Community Library are holding their showcase fundraising event on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, to maintain the library’s operations and service to the community. 

“A Taste for Books” will include a special menu highlighting the businesses and diversity of Hawaii’s urban community. A silent auction will feature artwork, crafts, books and services from the community. 

Tickets are $25 (standing) and $50 (seated) and can be purchased from Suzanne Ivey, at (808) 342-6777. Call today as we intend to sell out!

 

 

Makiki Library Accepts Sisters in Crime Grant Money for Books

ALOHA EVERYONE, Thank you for joining us today for a short but exciting event. One goal on most everyone’s wish list of accomplishments is to be “A WINNER.” Few people set goals without having a desire to accomplish that goal.

The main goal of the organization Sisters in Crime is to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers.

And they LOVE LIBRARIES!

SinC/Hawaii members Dawn Casey, Gay Gale, and Kent Reinker 

socializing with Makiki Library staff, Lani and Julie. 

Libraries within the U.S. can enter a monthly drawing for the Sisters In Crime ‘We Love Libraries’ grant by submitting an entry form along with a photograph of one or more staff members holding up three books by Sisters in Crime members in their collection. The grant money must be used to purchase books for the library, in any genre by any author, at the library’s sole discretion.

In February, 2013, as president of Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, I approached the manager of The Makiki Community Library, to suggest the library submit an entry for the Sisters In Crime ‘We Love Libraries” grant. I took a couple of pictures with four of the library’s staff members holding up Sisters In Crime novels. The library submitted the entry and we all crossed our fingers that Makiki Library would become A WINNER.

Our local chapter, Sisters in Crime/Hawaii meets at The Makiki Community Library once a month, usually on the third Wednesday. Library staff member Nicole kindly volunteers her time to watch over us on those evenings. Thanks to efforts of the library, works of several SinC/Hawaii members who are also members of Makiki Library are displayed on the “Local Authors” shelf.

Laurie Hanan’s mystery series features protagonist Louise Golden, a Kaneohe mail carrier who oftenfinds herself in the thick of a murder investigation. Events in Louise’s personal life and her subtle sense of humor keep the reader engaged in Laurie’s stories from beginning to end.

Rosemary Mild, Dawn Casey, Laurie Hanan

Sisters in Crime/Hawaii booth

Hawaii Book and Music Festival 2014

 

Rosemary and Larry Mild are Sisters In Crime/Hawaii’s Partners In Crime. They have two mystery series available to readers; and a stand-along novel, Cry Ohana, set in Hawaii. Rosemary also writes non-fiction, including a memoir entitled Miriam’s World - And Mine; and her latest work: Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with My Mother.

Kent Reinker publishes under the pen name of Alain Gunn. His latest novel, If Pigs Could Cry, is a medical thriller. In A Tale of Two Planets, he tells of a realistic trip to Mars and back, giving readers the feeling they are actually traveling with the space crew.


Gail Baugniet’s Pepper Bibeau mystery series is also included on the shelf, the stories set in places like Chicago,IL; Wisconsin; and Hawaii.

Several members also participated in contributing to and publishing the mystery short story anthology MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense. Everyone who is a member of Makiki Library is welcome to check out any of these books. The books are also available in ebook format on the Internet.

Each month, Sisters In Crime, Inc. draws a winner of their ‘We Love Libraries’ grant. For the month of May, 2014, as you know, THE MAKIKI COMMUNITY LIBRARY met their goal to be A WINNER of the grant. Library President Suzanne Ivey, will graciously accept this award for the library today.

It is the special honor of Sisters In Crime/Hawaii to offer congratulations and to present this check to you today, for The Makiki Community Library, in the amount of $1,000.00.

Congratulations to Suzanne Ivey and Makiki Library.

Sisters in Crime Loves the Makiki Community Library!

(Honolulu, HI) – Sisters in Crime, Hawaii chapter, is pleased to announce The Makiki Community Library was selected as the May 2014 winner of the Sisters in Crime “We Love Libraries” grant.

The Makiki Community Library staff
holding up books of Sisters In Crime members

Sisters in Crime is an organization dedicated to promoting the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Libraries within the U.S. can enter a monthly drawing for the grant by submitting an entry form and a photo of one or more staff members with three books by Sisters in Crime members in their collection. 

“We’re thrilled to receive this generous gift,” said Suzanne Pioahu, Makiki Community Librarian. “Libraries provide direct support to authors by circulating their books, introducing readers to their works, and encouraging love of the written word. It’s an honor that Sisters in Crime recognizes these efforts and reciprocates that support.” 

On Sunday, June 22 at 1pm, members of the Sisters in Crime Hawaii chapter will present the library with a check for $1,000 to purchase books for its collection. The books purchased can be in any genre. The presentation will be held at 1pm at the library located on 1527 Keeaumoki Street in Honolulu. 

“It’s so exciting to have a winner in my backyard, especially a library staffed by such loyal volunteers dedicated to promoting reading,” said Gail Baugniet, president of the Hawaii chapter. 

Sisters in Crime has 3600 members in 48 chapters world-wide, offering networking advice and support to mystery authors. They are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by an affection for the mystery genre and its support of women who write mysteries. 

Sisters in Crime has completed its fourth year of its We Love Libraries project, awarding more than $48,000 to libraries to buy books

###

FRIGGATRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA

A dark and stormy Friday
overlooking the Pali

No, this is not a game show cuss word, but the defining word for a person who, according to The Skeptic’s Dictionary (Skepdic.com) has a “morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th.” 

Everyone knows superstitious people consider Friday the 13th an unlucky day. Several stories or ‘old wives tales’ describe the reason behind the superstition of Friday the 13th. Not everyone is superstitious, though. You may enjoy a good campfire story, as long as it doesn’t scare you half to death (Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs rather than Freddy Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street or Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th.) 

A favorite legend is one that tells of Friday, October 13, 1307. On this day and date, King Philip IV ordered many Knights Templars simultaneously arrested and tortured. For authentication of this tale (said tongue-in-cheek) see The Da Vinci Code, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, or National Treasure.) Friday the 13th definitely proved an unlucky day for knights in France and Italy. Knights in other locales escaped torture and worse, saved by rulers influenced more by Templars’ good deeds than by Rome’s edicts. 

The collection of stories within the anthology, MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, contain tales that range from eerie to humorous to, as the book’s editor describes one story, “Hawaiian Gothic.” Enjoy your Friday the 13th weekend with 13 entertaining mysteries. Nothing of a superstitious nature lies between the pages, only murder suspects and red herrings. 

 

 

Have a look to decide for yourself. And Happy Friday the 13th.

http://www.amazon.com/MYSTERY-PARADISE-13-Tales-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00GYL6FEE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391741480&sr=1-1&keywords=mystery+in+paradise+13+tales+of+suspense