The Poker Club

By Pat Browning


The popular TV series “Castle” begins its new season on ABC September 20. Unless they have a surprise for us, the episode will end with the character Rick Castle at a card table with real-life authors James Patterson, Michael Connelly and Stephen Cannell. Talk about heavy hitters.



Take Patterson. According to a profile in New York Times Magazine, one in every 17 novels sold since 2006 were written by Patterson. He has five co-writers and pays them out of his own pocket. He can afford it. He reportedly made $70 million last year, publishing nine books with the help of coauthors. The mind boggles.


Anyone interested in how a mega-franchise works, can read the profile at
http://tinyurl.com/34gzela.

Confession time. I can’t read Patterson. Graphic slash and gore are not my thing. I browsed through summaries of his books on Amazon and couldn’t find a single one I would read. However, any author as popular as Patterson -- 14 million copies of his books in 38 different languages -- deserves a plug. One of his latest books is THE POSTCARD KILLERS, written with co-author Lisa Marklund. Young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim. Read at your own risk.

My all-time favorite of the poker players is Stephen J. Cannell, who scripted one of my all-time favorite TV shows, “The Rockford Files.” Yes, Cannell writes novels now but nothing can top his string of popular TV shows. He got his start on the writing staff of Adam-12 in 1970. After a few years he began to create and produce his own shows: Baa-Baa Blacksheep, Hardcastle and McCormick, The A-Team, Baretta and Hunter, to name a few.

The Rockford Files won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama in 1978. There’s been some talk of making a new Rockford Files but it would be laughed off the screen. There is only one, and it stars James Garner, who is getting a bit long in the tooth to do all that stunt work. Better to let a legend remain who and what it is – a legend.

Besides his enormous talent, Cannell is also a generous genius. On his web site he teaches a FREE Online Writing Seminar. Whether you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, he takes you through the process of writing, step-by-step, in five parts:



Part One - The discipline of writing; Part Two - How to choose your story; Part Three - Creating characters; Part Four - The three act structure; Part Five - Other things to think about. Check it out at:
http://www.cannell.com/television.php


There’s a Cannell anecdote I’ve remembered since I first read it a few years ago. I found it again on a web site for Orange Coast Magazine. Cannell has been married to his 8th grade sweetheart, Marcia, for 45 years. Quoting from an interview by Tina Dirmann titled “Mr. TV’s Love Tips”:


Quote:
So you told her (Marcia) you wanted to give up a steady job with your dad for a chance at writing for TV?
Exactly. It was the late ’60s and we were walking around the island, pushing our first child, when I asked Marcia for permission to leave my father’s business. I was so nervous. She’d be giving up this guaranteed lifestyle. But I just said, “I really want to be a writer full time.” And she said, “Then that’s what you should do.” Just like that!


Did you ever ask her what made her respond like that?
Years later, when I was successful, and I had all these Emmys on my mantle, I asked her, “Why did you say that? Nobody in their right mind would gamble on such a crapshoot!” And she said, “It just never occurred to me you would fail.”
End Quote.


Every writer should have such a supportive spouse! You can read the interview at
http://tinyurl.com/2dupmvb


Michael Connelly was unknown to me until I pulled THE BRASS VERDICT off the library shelf. Chapter One hooked me. In 19 short, sweet sentences it sets up the book perfectly:

(Quote)
Everybody lies.
Cops lie. Lawyers lie. Witnesses lie. The victims lie.
A trial is a contest of lies. And everybody in the courtroom knows this. The judge knows this. Even the jury knows this. They come into the building knowing they will be lied to. They take their seats in the box and agree to be lied to.
The trick if you are sitting at the defense table is to be patient. To wait. Not for any lie. But for the one you can grab onto and forge like hot iron into a sharpened blade. You then use that blade to rip the case open and spill its guts out on the floor.
That's my job, to forge the blade. To sharpen it. To use it without mercy or conscience. To be the truth in a place where everybody lies.
(End Quote)


Connelly started out as a reporter. In 1986, Connelly and two other Florida reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. Their magazine story landed Connelly a job on the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times.


His first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch was THE BLACK ECHO, based in part on a true crime that occurred in Los Angeles. Published in 1992, it won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America.


His 19th novel, The Brass Verdict, was released in October 2008, and introduces Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller to LAPD Detective Harry Bosch in a fast-paced legal thriller. Coming in October is THE REVERSAL, with Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch working together on the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder.

Connelly's books have been translated in 35 languages and have won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho award (Spain).


Connelly’s web site is at www.michaelconnelly.com/

===
Photos:
“Castle” poker players from www.hollywoodoutbreak.com; Season Finale of "Castle," May 17, 2010.
L to R: James Patterson (back to camera) Michael Connelly, Stephen J. Cannell, Nathan Fillion (Castle).
Rockford Files from Wikipedia: Jimmy, Angel and Rocky.
Stephen J. Cannell from Wikipedia.
Michael Connelly from Wikipedia, taken 2007 at Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX

Reflecting the Times

By Mark W. Danielson

It’s interesting how a novel’s characters set the period. Although humans look like they did centuries ago, they don’t dress, act, or talk the same because their surroundings have changed with time. Writing about previous periods is difficult, and few authors will be as successful as Michael Crichton or James Michener. Rather than confront this problem, most authors write in the present. Comparing Shakespeare’s characters to Charles Dickens’, or James Michener’s to Michael Connelly’s demonstrates how characters have evolved. But even writing in the present includes generational experience issues. Think back on how much has changed over the past sixty years.

There was a time when people formally dressed for dinner, didn’t wear hats in restaurants, cussing was a sin, parents held their children accountable, and adults acted responsibly. But those Lake Wobegone Days Garrison Keillor wrote about are gone. By 1950s standards, today’s world has gone mad, so novels written in the present should reflect that. Unfortunately, generational bias may hinder us in getting it right. How so, you ask. Simply put, generational bias is a function of experience, age, and upbringing. I couldn’t possibly write about growing up in the ghetto any better than I could comprehend a teenager’s mindset. Fortunately, research, interviews, and observation can assist with this.

In the 1950s, the first televisions began replacing radios. At best, they had three or four channels on a rotating circular dial. Families gathered around their tiny sets, sometimes while eating TV dinners. Record players folded up like lunch boxes, and there was one family phone and car. Color TV followed, but it was years before we had one in our house. Compare this to my children’s generation where they grew up with their own cars at age sixteen, personal computers, unlimited television channels, pagers, cell phones, the Internet, and now Internet camera phones. You can get instantaneous news wherever you are, and texting has evolved into sexting. I saw a two year old in a restaurant watching TV on a four inch screen while his parents dined, and a four year old with his own cell phone. Many new family cars come equipped with GPS and DVD players. Yes, times have changed, and we’ve changed with them, but that doesn’t mean we understand the generational differences.

If you were born fifty plus years ago, you would never dream of a flight attendant grabbing a beer and bailing on the tarmac. Nor could you foresee a crazy woman getting out of her car and beating a McDonald’s employee because she couldn’t satisfy her breakfast craving for Chicken McNuggets, and yet these things happened. You may be disturbed by MTV or so-called reality shows like The Colony, which features a doomsday scenario, and yet young people may crave it. Generational differences have never been more divided than they are today.

Consider this when developing your characters, and use your parenting or grand parenting experience to see the world through younger eyes. Understanding that your reality is different from theirs can create characters and generational conflict as powerful as those in Clint Eastwood’s Grand Torino.

Life After Death

By Mark W. Danielson

Michael Crichton was one of my favorite authors, and his premature death came as a shock. I feared that his passing would also mean the end of his writing, but then his assistant discovered a completed manuscript and delivered it to a publisher. Released last year, Pirate Latitudes is a swashbuckling tale of old Jamaica where justice was doled out with enough latitude to allow privateer raids on treasure-filled galleons. Like so many of Crichton’s novels, Steven Spielberg is turning this one into a screenplay. So, while Michael passed away in November, 2008, he gave life to a host of new characters in what may be considered his parting gift. But is this novel what he really intended?

I say this because a couple of scenes raise eyebrows. Of course I cannot discuss them without ruining the story, but similar scenes have appeared in two other tales not written by this author. These scenes are so obvious that anyone would question why they were there. Worst of all, neither of them added anything to the story. In fact, they are so uncharacteristic of Crichton that I question whether a ghost writer added them to complete the manuscript. But if this truly is Crichton’s work, then did he intend to have Latitudes published, or was it a work in progress? Unfortunately, we will never know.

This posthumously published novel makes me wonder what to do about the novels I tucked away with no intention of publishing. They are stored on floppy discs and in dusty boxes awaiting a re-look, but since I prefer looking forward rather than back, chances are that will never happen. Considering this, should I even keep them when they are in such disarray? I certainly wouldn’t want them to be a reflection on my writing, or have someone else complete them after my death.

At the November 2009 Men of Mystery, Michael Connelly touched on this subject saying he has stopped writing or editing several novels because he “wasn’t feeling it”. Perhaps after reading Pirate Latitudes, Connelly might delete his unfinished files so they won’t be discovered and published like Crichton’s book was.

Although this topic raises questions about disposition, I enjoyed Pirate Latitudes, and am glad I was able to read Michael Crichton’s final chapter. At least in this instance, there is no doubt that life exists after death

Men of Misery

By Mark W. Danielson

Recently, I attended the Men of Mystery event in Irvine, California. It has been my privilege to attend the last seven, and is my favorite author event. Over fifty authors gather to discuss mysteries and the writing business over lunch with five hundred guests. This year, Michael Connelly and Tim Dorsey were the key speakers. Michael was the Men of Mystery’s very first speaker, and graciously returned for its tenth anniversary. He offered some interesting comments on writing that are worth sharing.

He began with the description that the authors in attendance were actually “Men of Misery”. Not in the sense of Stephen King’s thriller, Misery, but rather in the dedication that it takes to create suspenseful mysteries. He spoke of writing several manuscripts where he was well into them and then shelved them because he “wasn’t feeling it”. He also spoke about his spending hours on a paragraph or two. In this regard, the misery he was referring to isn’t in the writing process, but rather in its re-writes.

Another item Michael stressed was daily writing. One of his mentors said you should write at least fifteen minutes a day to mentally keep you in the loop. Fifteen minutes doesn’t sound like much, but I agree with the principle. When I sit down at the computer, I hope to be there for at least an hour or two.

What I found most interesting about Michael’s presentation is in spite of his success and years of perfecting the craft, he still deals with the same writing issues as the rest of us. Although he writes numerous sequels, he is not a formula writer, so every book requires the same scrutiny as the first in his series. And while his readers may skim through the pages, every word has been carefully chosen, every setting has been visualized, and every breath from his characters has purpose. In writing, it is never acceptable to say, “It’ll do”. There may not be a prescription for successful writing, but Michael’s is as close as it gets.

There are plenty of successful authors among those attending the Men of Mystery or Women of Mystery events. Some are also screen writers and producers. Some names are more familiar than others, but every author there is equally dedicated to writing quality material. If you wish to check out some new material, try browsing the names of these other authors by visiting the Men of Mystery link: http://64.23.9.69/mom/ Most have their own web sites with chapter previews. Their mysteries are waiting.

Mysterious Disappearance at Men of Mystery

By Mark W. Danielson

For the past six years, I’ve been privileged to participate in Irvine, California’s, Men of Mystery event. Each year, fifty authors gather to dine with five hundred wonderful mystery fans. The highlight is hearing two famous authors, such as Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Vince Flynn, and Martin Cruz Smith, speak about the business of writing. This spectacular event is the brainchild of Raven Award recipient, Joan Hansen, but would not be possible without her many devoted volunteers. Open to the public, it is normally sold out months before its November date. I am fortunate to be attending again this year.

My latest book, Diablo’s Shadow, was released just two months before the 2008 event. The week before, my book received a five star review from Mysterious Reviews, so we made an information sheet to help promote it at Mysterious Galaxy Books’ event book store. My wife and I checked with the book store that morning to make sure our acrylic-covered information sheet was properly displayed with my books. It was, and looked great.

The MOM event began with the authors introducing themselves, followed by a break where its attendees could wander through the book store and chat with the authors. This was followed by lunch and the featured authors’ presentations. At its conclusion, the book store remained open for a brief period before the authors checked out. This is where the mystery began . . .

When we went to gather my display items, our acrylic Diablo’s Shadow information sheet was nowhere to be found. Since the book store had relocated my books from their original location, we thought that perhaps my display sheet may have been at the previous site, but alas, this was not the case. We looked under the tables, but there was nothing there. We scoured the trash bins. Not there, either. Not even in any empty boxes. Nope, the trail was cold. Now, as one might imagine, the competition among authors is fierce, but I can’t imagine any of them sabotaging my display. Then again, we are talking about murderous people who possess unlimited imaginations . . . How about an obsessed fan? Highly unlikely, considering their polished etiquette and the fact I’m hardly a household name. Besides, these attendees are some of the nicest people I’ve met. So, what about the book store folks? Get serious; they had plenty to pack, and my display is of no value to them. The hotel staff? Oh, please. Why would any of them risk their jobs to take a silly information sheet home? And so the mystery lingers . . .

Months have passed since this mysterious disappearance, so I must let it go. But I vow to return next year with a new and more stunning display! Perhaps I’ll taint it with dye so that anyone caught moving it would have purple hands. Or maybe I shall connect it to an electric current . . . Yeah, that would work if I framed it in metal. Okay, I won’t do either of those things. After all, displays are easily replaced. But beware—whoever you are. I will be watching, and if I find you, you may find yourself written into one of my future novels. Ah, a mysterious mind never stops plotting . . .