Marlene Chabot's Blog

Greetings,

It's been awhile since I signed off of this blog, but last night I decided to try posting whenever I have a chance. A year ago last fall I joined a new writers group that meets once a week in the town we moved to. It's the fourth one I've belonged to since I started to write in 1995. Since I joined this group of writers, ranging in age from 95 to 52, we've gained three new members. Being a group made up of people from different walks of life and having different takes on things we see and do makes our meetings truly interesting.

Two months ago some people in our group suggested we use writer prompts to get our juices flowing, especially those with writer's block. A prompt is a word, sentence, or photo assigned to the group to write a story around. At first, we ended our gathering with fifteen minutes of writing that revolved around the prompt and asked for volunteers to read theirs. Now, we take our assignment home with us and read it at our next meeting. All I can say is the writers in this group have great imaginations. The prompts have been beneficial to all of us. A few writers have gotten terrific ideas from the  prompts and have spun them into a fresh, new novel or to embellish the ones they're working on.

Here are a few of the prompts we've used-leaving, kidnapped, made from Scratch, and the sound was faint, but it was definitely there.  You can find more prompt ideas out on the Internet. One such place is Creative Writing Prompts found at Writer's Digest.com

I had fun writing the "Made from Scratch" prompt. I hope you enjoy reading it.
                             Made from Scratch-- written by Marlene Chabot

Every piece of writing I do is made from scratch. Why I even jot down certain ideas percolating in my head on scratch paper.  But my words aren’t from scratch for that would be lying. They can be found in the Webster Dictionary easily enough. This author only borrows the words to paint new pictures for the reader. Words that I discard while pulling the piece together become scratch paper for future needs.
When family members peek at the rough drafts I’ve done in pen or pencil, they tell me my words look like hen scratches, in other words illegible. But their comments don’t embarrass me, I’m creating something new from scratch on scratch paper and soon will be recording it on a gizmo that's keys are slowly getting scratched out of existence.

By the way, I've got good news to share. Two of my short stories have come out this fall in anthologies. The Minnesota Anthology,  Cooked to Death-Lying on a Plate Volume 2
contains recipes as well as mysteries. The other Anthology from Florida is Marco Island Writers Stories and Poems Vol. IV. Next June, you can find a short story of mine in the Twin
Cities Sisters in Crime second anthology, Dark Side of the Loon, which incorporated history dealing with Minnesota.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Author

Greetings,
I've been sharing advice about writing on this blog for about two years now. When I began it, I'd hoped there would be communication between myself and the reader which would prompt further discussion on specific topics. Unfortunately, that hasn't occurred and I've run out of topics. So, I thought it fitting my final topic be about copyrights.

When I first began seriously thinking about sending off a novel to be published, I attended a writer's seminar and came away with tons of information, including those regarding copyrights. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines copyright as such: "The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work.)

Years ago on the radio, a lawyer involved in the music industry said all a musician had to do to prove his work was written at a certain time was to mail a copy of it to himself. Then the stamped postage date on the envelope could be used as evidence in a copyright lawsuit. So, I thought the same holds true of novels. As it turns out, simply having tangible evidence of the work is all that's required. But it's good to put a copyright notice on your work. The best way to safeguard your work is to register it with the Library of Congress Copyright Office which can be done online. Something I wasn't aware of until this year is that being registered covers fees for an attorney if problems crop up concerning your work.

Most authors place a copyright notation on their works to warn off others who might want to copy their work. The copyright notation uses the word Copyright, and/or copyright symbol, ©, followed by  the year of creation and the author's name. Example: Copyright © 2017 J. Peter.

This past winter, Attorney Anne Dalton, Esquire, who has many years of copyright experience shared Fair Use copyright tips with a Florida writer's group I belong to. The tip that hit home the most as a fiction writer was her reference to artwork, lyrics, and quotes. "There's no such thing as a free bite of the apple. Not even 2 lines of a song." Just because you give credit where credit is due doesn't get you off the hook. So, be careful what you write.  

Watch the wording you sign on a contract deal too. You may be locked into something longer than you anticipated. 1.) The term ALL RIGHTS refers to the sale of all rights to the author's work. You as an author are unable to sell second rights to others. 2.) FIRST SERIAL RIGHTS means first rights to publish in U.S., but not Canada, are being granted. 3.)FIRST NORTH AMERICAN SERIAL RIGHTS-first rights are granted to U.S. and Canada. 4.) SIMULTANEOUS RIGHTS-author grants the right to more than one publisher to publish his work, at the same time or with no regard to who publishes first. 5.) ONE-TIME RIGHTS-author gives a  publication permission to publish material one time and then all rights revert to the copyright holder.

Well, I hope what I've written over the years has helped you as a writer in some small way. Don't forget, keep on writing. You're never too old to start.

This is Marlene Chabot
Minnesota Mystery Author






 


  

Greetings,
Well, I guess I came back to Minnesota too soon. A week ago the temperature was around the 60's here. Today when I got up it was 10 degrees out and snow was predicted. But that's all right. I'll stay inside and listen to a great selection of music. The sounds flowing from the CD player always perks me up and inspire my creative juices. 

I'm sure you've all heard the expression "Music soothes the soul," but it also offers other magical benefits. In an August 2015 magazine article, I wrote about a music therapist who works with clients who are autistic or physically challenged, including stroke victims. She said music awakens something deep within their minds. The same has been found to be true for Alzheimer's patients exposed to music in nursing homes. Frequently people snap out of the world they appear to be locked in while listening to familiar music. Many hospitals have taken a leap forward too, concerning music after seeing its soothing effects on patients, and brought in harpists and pianists to perform on a regular basis.

There are many other ways music's magic powers are played out. Grocery stores and businesses play music to influence shoppers to stay longer and buy more. And a study twenty-some years ago when my children were still in grade school demonstrated how listening to classical music during test time improved student's scores. 

It's been proven that music has magical powers, so imagine what it can do for us as writers. Many writer friends have shared that they play music to help put them in the right frame of mind when writing. And that's what I do too. I think about the tale I'm about to write (characters, setting, time period) and then I go through our collection of CD's and records and select what's best suited for my needs.

If you've never given a thought to listening to music while you're writing, why not give it a try. You may be surprised how its magic powers inspire you. And let me know what kind of music inspired you during the writing process. 

By the way, I finished rewriting my first novel the last day of my vacation time in Florida. Now on to novel six.

Until Next Time.
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Author




  

Greetings,
My time spent in Florida this winter has almost come to an end and I regret that I'll be losing out on hearing many more tales shared by the older generation living in the area.

When I took a walk to the airport near here the other day, I was still pondering what topic this blog should be about. The idea came after taking a short break on a bench with a stranger in her eighties. She wanted to talk so I listened. And this author couldn't believe what she had to say.

It turns out this lonely widow, a retired teacher, drives down to Florida by herself every fall from Winnipeg. She loves to walk and happens to be one of the original owners from the 1980's to buy into the condo complex we spend time at. Thanks to her few stories about the early days living here I got some ideas for the next story I write. 

The woman at the airport is not the only elderly person I've been privileged to connect with by happenstance. A gentleman attending a writer's group down here spoke about his time in Great Britain, meeting Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth. Two women, I've had lunch with raised horses for a living and won many awards for harness racing. My friend's neighbor has been married for over 70 years and still loves to play tennis at 95.

Of course, I've met many elderly people who share what's happening to their spouses too--Parkinsons, cancer, heart problems, and Alzheimer. These tales can be just as important to hear for a writer. For people suffer in fiction as well as non-fiction.     

The older generation has many tales to share. They have seen and done things many of us will never experience in our lifetime. Who knows what you as a writer might glean from listening. Awaken to tales of our elders.

Till Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Writer

Greetings from Florida.
Yes, it's that time of year again when snowbirds from up north like myself travel south to soak up a little sun. But before most of us arrive at our new destination for the winter months, we sit down and make plans regarding transportation, sleep accommodations, dining, and even things we'd like to see and do.

Planning ahead as a writer is also very important. In order to move forward in the new year, we need to sit down and seriously consider where we as a writer want to go or grow. Perhaps 2017 will be the year you finally attend a seminar in your field of writing, submit an entry for a competition, prepare a short story or book for
publication.  

My plans for the new year down here always start with attending whatever functions I can, including writer meetings. Then as I move further into January, I begin to research websites for Spring,
Summer, Fall events in my home state. If I sign up early, I don't lose out. The old saying, "The early bird catches the worm," makes sense if you want to be out selling your writings.   

Very rarely do things backfire when you do them too early, but there are exceptions. I submitted a story to be included in a book with other writers and didn't check to make sure the person handling the process received the story. You should've seen the surprise on my face this past week when I discovered my story wasn't in the book. Lesson Learned: I will check and double check to make sure the story has been received. 

Remember, if you want to succeed in whatever you do, plan ahead even if certain things don't pan out. There's always next time.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Author

Greetings,
Happy Holidays to everyone. May you have a great New Year.

Sorry, it's been a while since you've heard from me. I have plenty of excuses but nothing to do with health thank goodness. To be quite honest I ran out of ideas to write about even though my blog clearly indicates books and beyond.

Last night my niece came by and asked for help in creating a blog, which made me feel guilty that I've neglected this one. But life does get in the way, even when trying to rewrite a novel.

My niece has a wonderful way with words but hasn't had time to make use of her passion for writing until now. Being a good aunt, I want to encourage her means of expression. So, the two of us sat down and I explained about blogger.com, the site I use. Sure, there are so many other free sites to use, including Wordpress, but the reason I didn't go with Wordpress was the form one fills out seemed so endless when I looked into it. This blog site didn't seem complicated to set up over a year ago. But do you think I could remember exactly what steps I took first to set it up? No. Of course not.

It also didn't help that my niece wasn't ready to write a profile, etc. and her laptop was acting up. When we finally made it into blogger I helped her come up with a title for her blog and a page address where people can find her.  Without doing anything more to the site we left it, and then went back in several times to make sure the page had been established. This morning she called and said she couldn't get into her blog.  Now, she'll probably have to recreate it. 

Moral of the story: don't create a blog until you're ready to enter all information required. And don't get frustrated in trying to set one up. Once you've created it, you're on your way.

*****************************************************
                           Rewriting a published novel.
For a long time, I have been giving serious thought to rewriting my first novel due to its cost compared to my other novels. I like bundling my books for events, but I always leave that one out of the mix. 

Over a month ago, a relative did something really nice for us and didn't want to be paid. He loves to read and so I decided to give him a copy of the first novel. For some reason, after I gave it to him I began to page through a copy I had and felt guilty I'd gifted it. I decided then and there it was time to rewrite the novel. Whether it was appropriate or not. And so that's what I've been busy doing for several months now instead of working on my sixth novel. 

Why is it taking so long to do if the material is already on my hard drive? Because it's not. I wrote my first novel on an Apple computer, long gone from this home, and had saved it on a floppy disk, not a flash drive. Luckily, I still had the hard copy I hadn't had the heart to toss in 2003 and began the laborious process of retyping the manuscript again. I sure hope it's worth the time spent on it.

Have any of you novelist ever rewritten a total book after it's been published? I sure would love some feedback. My goal is to have the book available by spring. Wish me luck!  

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Author




   

Greetings,
Now that summer is officially over and temperatures are cooling down in areas around the world, it's time to get your writing flowing again, especially if you've been lax like me. I don't know what all I did before the fall season hit, but I know my writing suffered this summer.

One thing though that didn't suffer was my chance to meet and talk with people who have a story to tell but are afraid to dip their feet in the writing waters  Are you afraid to dip your feet too--go out on a limb and produce a short story or poem?

There are so many ways to share a short story or poem besides a novel or Chap book. Writing for an anthology is one possibility. Not only is it a great way to get published, but you wouldn't believe how many readers, with little time on their hands, would rather purchase an anthology.

What is an anthology? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an anthology is a collection of writings (such as poems or short stories) by different authors.

Many anthologies revolve around a particular theme, but not all. The length of a short story for anthologies varies depending on the rules set up by the group or person creating the anthology. Anthologies I've submitted short stories for have requested writers limit their word count between 2,500 to 4,500. Although I have seen requests for up to 7,500 words. Accepted stories usually run between 8 to 9 pages in length.

I'd suggest submitting your story early since there's a limited amount of short stories accepted for submission. One anthology I read several years ago contained stories by 29 authors. But two anthologies I  submitted stories for accepted only 19 authors, and another just 11.

If you have short stories or poems you'd like to submit but haven't seen any advertisement concerning anthologies for your area, don't despair. Just Goggle Anthology Submissions.

This past year I submitted  stories for two anthologies, one in Minnesota and one in Florida. Both anthology creations ran into different problems. The Minnesota anthology, mysteries involving food, had too many submissions and as luck would have it mine wasn't selected. But here's the good news. The organizers of this anthology decided to do a Part Two book with the same theme and asked if they could still use my story. The Florida anthology this year was accepting stories of any genre as well as poems, and they didn't have to revolve around Florida. The problem this group ran into was not receiving enough submissions, meaning it probably wouldn't be produced. So, when an e-mail arrived this past week showing the cover of the new Florida anthology, I was pleasantly surprised.    

As a writer, I've found writing one short story is a lot easier than whipping up a novel, and it doesn't require as much time. You never know when a short story you've written might fit perfectly with a new anthology being produced. Over the years I've written many short stories to share in writers' groups never thinking they might be used at a later date for an anthology. Luckily, I saved them. Within the past two years, I've been able to make use of two stories I had tucked away.

If you've got a story to tell, don't put it off. The one you write and submit to an anthology may just catch an agent's eye.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Author of Short Stories and Novels

Greetings,
If your brains cells are already thinking of a great mystery revolving around the picture I've provided, your half way there. But keep in mind there's more than an idea to consider. You need great characters with fears and desires and a plot.

When writing mystery fiction you need to constantly think  about the characters, especially the protagonist. Where is he/she in the beginning of the story? What happens to them along the way? Has the case stumped them enough? If the character doesn't run into any bumps along the way, you probably need to rework your plot.
   
Something that I've found helpful in writing mysteries is to watch those presented on television.  Take for example Inspector Morris on PBS. Many of  the cases he's involved with present three or four suspects, creating a better plot. 

Of course, the first person Morris interviews after a crime has been committed is the person everyone else has pointed the finger at. The first twist comes into play when the Number 1 suspect is murdered. What does Morris do now? Inspector Morris moves on to suspects two and three who Morris thinks are possibly in cahoots with each other. But after listening to their claims of innocence, the Inspector doesn't have any proof to indicate otherwise. The case is stalled, but not for long.

Will Morris ever solve the crimes? His boss puts pressure on him to find out who murdered X and Y. He suddenly gets cantankerous with people around him. The stress is getting to him.  After much digging, he learns of suspect Number four and drills him. Big problem. Morris believes this suspect is not guilty. Ready to pull out his hair he wonders where to turn next. Luckily, something major happens in the nick of time. The actual suspect is someone who was around at the time of murders but so lost in themselves, no one gave them a thought. {Think fly on the wall. But remember they have to be introduced near the beginning of the story.} 

Ending: Suspect tries to trap Morris and flees . Morris escapes from whatever, is thrown his way, gives chase, and captures the killer. He receives praise from his boss and celebrates with significant other or co-worker.  

Besides studying excellent mysteries provided for our entertainment on TV, don't forget to read mystery stories too. Discover how other authors handle plot to keep their stories moving.  

In the weeks to come, think about how your characters are going to move forward to keep the reader's interest. Remember plot and characters drive the story, the story doesn't drive them.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Writer of Short Stories and Novels 
     

GREETINGS,
Time sure flys when summer gets here, doesn't it? It's already August 1st. Unfortunately, summer's not my only excuse for missing my schedule of two blogs every month again. You see I decided to discuss memoir writing, but I couldn't find my notes until last night, and then someone else in the family was busy with the computer.
     Everyone has a story in them to tell. Be it from early childhood, teen years, or as an adult. I'm sure if Mr. Bear in the picture above could speak our language he'd have one heck of a tale or two to share too.    
    A Memoir is not the same as an autobiography. An autobiography covers a timeline from birth to old age. The memoir focuses on a specific time in the person's life. For example, the time you and your twin had your tonsils out; a specific travel experience; the birth of a child; a military experience. An author friend of mine wrote what his life was like living with eight siblings. 
    Your memoir can cover other subjects too like a serious illness you or a family member suffered. And don't forget about the raging fire, tornado, hurricane or flood that swept through your town.  
    Before you get started writing, make a list of the most significant things that have occurred in your life. Then ask yourself the following questions:
1.What's the purpose of the story/book? 2.Who is your audience? 3.What makes the topic you've chosen interesting?    
    No matter what topic you finally select to write about remember to open up and share your emotions, use the five senses. 
    When I attended a memoir writing class years ago, the instructor recommended we partner up with another person writing memoirs to get feedback. That's an excellent suggestion. 
    Here are a few topics I've written about over the years and shared only in a writer's group. Pillars of Strength (remembering two terrific male neighbors on the lake). Until Death Do Us Part (about the death of a loved one). A Mere Stumble Makes A Difference (the 4th of July I broke my ankle). Meditation on My Mother (glimpses of my 92-year-old mother). Pilgrimage for Dad (Trip with family to Ireland after Dad died).    
    Memoirs aren't hard to write. Just remember to make a list of possible topics first and then select the one that draws your emotions out and strongly engages the reader.
    Happy writing.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
Mystery Novelist

Greetings,
Sometimes it pays to go off the beaten path, whether it be while on vacation or working. A new or fascinating discovery usually catches our eye along the way that we wouldn't have seen taking the same dull route as everyone else. Such was the case when we drove and walked around Quebec this past June.   

The photo I captured above is one such example. In my last blog I mentioned my French Canadian relatives, but I never expected to come across a sign with my husband's surname. We figured relatives on his dad side probably came through Canada, like my mother's side of the family did, but we weren't certain. You see, his father was adopted and we never met his family. 

I never noticed the name on the building as we traveled down the wrong street our third day in Quebec. It was the art work depicting Quebec's history that caught my attention. A history Lab I taught at in Minnesota years ago covered the early years of the state and one topic I shared included fur traders and missionaries and how they traveled from Canada through Wisconsin and into Minnesota. In a rush to take a photo of the art before it was out of sight, I didn't realize I had caught the names on the building as well. 

Quebec is a friendly city. I felt so at home in Quebec even though I only knew a few French words. Maybe it was because so many of my relatives, including my mother's father came from the area. But I think it was more than that. The people of Quebec made it special. French is spoken but they speak English as well. 

The walking tour of Old Quebec was excellent. The guide we had been assigned, who spoke very good English, found he had too many people in his group and we were asked to join another group. The woman with a thick French accent, who we thought we'd have a hard time understanding, gave an excellent tour. She used to be a history teacher and she covered the battles between France and England, spoke about the churches, businesses and architecture of the homes. She even pointed out the style of homes the Irish built when they arrived, relatives from my dad's side.

After the walking tour, we were on our own. I wanted to see the inside of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, but of course we  wound up in a different area. Wrong turns of course, but we got to listen to a street performer instead. The performers have to be registered and can only remain on the same spot for two hours then they have to shift to another corner.

 It was because we couldn't find our way to other sights outside of Quebec City, our third day there, that we ended up going too far on the wrong road and eventually found ourselves in Old Quebec again. So we decided to try and find Notre Dame Cathedral. While searching for the church, we found a side street full of artists. Their paintings and drawings were on display. Such talented work. Another thing we stumbled upon was an open air music and food festival. Have you ever seen singers dressed in chef outfits? 

We had arrived in Old Quebec because we had gotten lost somehow and when we left Old Quebec we got tangled up again. This time hubby didn't listen to me say, "Make a left here, now." It turned out all right. We discovered things we wouldn't have seen if we'd returned to the hotel on the road that passes by the St. Lawrence Seaway. We saw a beautiful park, stone arches surrounding Old Quebec, the art I shared with you above, neighborhoods with unique houses and many street cafes.  

Everyone needs a respite from juggling a million things a day. This year take a journey off the beaten path and see where it leads you. Who knows the trip might kick start your writing.

Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
A Minnesota Mystery Author