Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds

There are a limited number of ways to kill someone. Howdo you keep from repeating them? Or do you not worry about that at all?

I don’t worry aboutrepeating methods of murder because I don’t write murder as spectacle. I keep violenceoffstage. Like a film under the Hays Code, the act itself is implied. Whatinterests me is the chain of words, decisions, ambitions, and rationalizationsthat make the act inevitable.

That choice isethical. Not because I’m squeamish. Not because I walk through lif...

There area limited number of ways to kill someone. How do you keep from repeating them?Or do you not worry about that at all?

Yes, yesthere is, and I’m interested in them all. Maybe that’s why I love the oldmysteries like Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie, as well as I like all the CSIseries. Nothing piques my interest more than that moment in the book or showwhen we find out the victim was killed my some super rare interaction betweenthe victim’s soap and perfume that mixed together t...

 

Doyou take stock of your life only at the beginning of the year, or do you checkin periodically throughout the months? Are resolutions part of that process?

Beingresponsible for the Friday blog is a real boon! I can riff off of previousposts from people smarter and more together than I am! A jazz band to feed myimprov. I loved how James teaches us how to diffuse a bomb, and ends with apoem reminding us to focus on the things we can control. Dietrich finds NewYear’s guidance in books tha...

Do you take stock of your life only at the beginning of the year, or do you check in periodically throughout the months? Are resolutions part of that process?
How To Defuse A Bomb
Instructions
Page 11. Unscrew and remove the cover plate marked “Danger: High Explosives DO NOT REMOVE”2. Find the blue wire connected to the negative terminal.3. Cut the blue wire to disarm the bomb.



Page 24. But before you cut the blue wire, check to see if there is also a red wire.5. If you find a red wire connected to ...

Do you take stock of your life only at the beginning of the year, or do you check in periodically throughout the months? Are resolutions part of that process?

by Dietrich

I skip the New Year’s resolutions that just turn into grand proclamations that fizzle out by February. Instead of drifting into a new year without a rudder, I turn to little bits of guidance hidden in books—not trendy self-help manifestos, but the timeless works that offer insight for navigating life’s messy turns.

The first that ...

 

Terry here, with our question for the week: Do you take stock of your life only at the beginning of the year, or do you do it periodically throughout the year? Are resolutions part of that process? 
 NOTE: Please read carefully. At the end, I have a question for you. 
What is it about January that makes us suddenly reflective? The flip of a calendar page, a brand-new planner, twelve empty months stretching ahead like untouched snow — and there we are, taking stock of our lives as if we’ve schedul...

Do you take stock of your life only at the beginning of the year, or do you do it periodically throughout the year? Are resolutions part of that process?
Shortly after I moved to New York City, some college friends and I established a tradition called "New Month's Eve." It was exactly what it sounded like—on the last day of every month, we took over the back room of Renaissance Diner on Ninth Avenue and chowed down on disco fries until our raucous midnight countdown. On its face, it was an oppo...

My TBR pile 
(Just kidding. I took the picture in Arcadian Books and Prints, in the French Quarter of New Orleans.) 

Do youtry to stay current in your reading, to keep abreast of the market, or do youread from your TBR pile at random? Do you read classic mysteries?

My readinghabits reflect my mood and frame of mind. Often, I seek out books that mightinspire or influence my own creative writing project. Other times I want the opportunityto study the expert plot work, complex techniques or psy...

Do you try to stay current in your reading, to keep abreast of the market, or do you read from your TBR pile at random? Do you read classic mysteries?

This question's caught me at a funny time. There's my usual answer and then there's my this month answer. 

My usual answer is that I read exactly what I want to with no consideration except enjoyment: I don't read aspirationally anymore; I'm well-past trying to impress anyone; and the notion of guilt about pleasure is mystifying. So, it's sheer l...

 Do you try to stay current in your reading, to keep abreast of the market, or do you read from your TBR pile at random? Do you read classic mysteries?

I do try to stay current. Keeping up to date is another thing, though. I have titles in my TBR pile from 3 years ago I haven’t gotten to yet because of a million different reasons, so "current" is a fluid term for me mostly meaning in the current decade.

One way I keep current in recent years is that I’ve been given the opportunity to judge for som...