Two quick notes for the weekend:
First, the Printers Row Lit Fest is this weekend in Chicago. I'll be there Saturday, September 10, from 12:30 - 3. It's the largest outdoor book fair in the Midwest.
If you're in the area and can stop by, you'll not only find tons of books and authors, you'll see the neighborhood where Quille, the lawyer/sleuth in my Q.C. Davis mysteries, lives. Look for me under the Chicago Writers Association Tent on Dearborn Street just north of Polk Street in Chicago. (...
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Author: admin
Detectives At The Edwardsville Public Library
Recently I visited the Edwardsville public library in Southern Illinois as part of my book research.
I discovered the value of researching in person, American Girl dolls, and an outdoor bandshell.
While my Q.C. Davis mystery series mostly takes place in Chicago, the detective/lawyer main character was born in Edwardsville. In the next book in the series (working title The Forgotten Man) she'll strive to solve two 1980s murders. For that, she needs 1980s yearbooks, newspaper articles, and ...
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The Body S5 E16 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In The Body (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E16), Buffy and friends deal with Joyce’s death. Along with the recap, this podcast episode focuses on:
(1) the group as protagonist and death as antagonist (2) storytelling through physicality, sounds, and lighting (3) whether The Body lacks metaphor or is entirely a metaphor (4) how and why The Body changes on rewatching and more.
Spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warning).
Last Episode: I Was Made To Love You S5 E15
Next Up: F...
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I Was Made To Love You S5 E15 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In I Was Made To Love You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E15), an unusually cheerful girlfriend hunts for Warren. Along with the recap, this podcast episode focuses on:
(1) whether the episode conveys the theme the writers thought it did; (2) a strong emotional main plot but an action plot that falters; (3) when and why I Was Made To Love You misleads viewers; and (4) whether Buffy’s character flaws of self-involvement and distance feel authentic.
Spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty...
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Crush S5 E14 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In Crush (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E14), Buffy rejects Spike and Drusilla returns to Sunnydale set on bringing him back to his old self. Along with the recap, this podcast episode focuses on:
(1) how his actions reveal a Spike vs. Spike subplot and his character growth; (2) why the story structure works well despite fluid, subtle major plot turns; (3) what keeps the pace fast though much of Crush focuses on overall Season 5 arcs; and (4) a podcast patron who dives into Buffy’s and Spike’s ...
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Blood Ties S5 E13 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In Blood Ties (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E13), Dawn learns the truth about her origins, no one keeps Spike in the loop, and Buffy faces Glory. Along with the breakdown of Blood Ties, this podcast episode focuses on:
(1) how Blood Ties tells a fast, gripping story despite that Buffy and Glory don’t face off until the end; (2) the way Dawn’s arc deftly weaves subplot points and turns into the main plot; (3) story questions that keep viewers tuning in even after reveals about Dawn and Glory; ...
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Investigating A Difficult Woman
The Q.C. Davis mysteries are not message books. They're plot-driven, follow-the-clues detective mysteries. But I do begin each with a core idea.
In The Worried Man, it was the pain of death by suicide as well as Quille’s family history. In The Charming Man, the concept of friends, many of whom are like family, trapped in an apartment complex during a blizzard sparked the story. And for The Fractured Man, I focused both on long-lost childhood friends and how the urge to recruit others to a cau...
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Checkpoint S5 E12 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In Checkpoint (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E12), the Watchers Council refuses to help Buffy defeat Glory unless she endures its grueling review. Along with the episode recap, this podcast episode focuses on:
(1) unevenly placed major plot turns in Checkpoint that throw off the pace; (2) subtle character and dialogue choices that tell the story of the Watcher’s Council and the theme of power; (3) using minor conflict to reveal exposition and set up later scenes; and (4) the ways Checkpoint t...
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Sneak Peek At Mystery In Progress
It's not every day you meet a man who might have murdered your sister.
That's how the next Q.C. Davis mystery starts. This is the one where Quille looks into the murder of the sister for whom she was named: the original Q.C. Davis.
No working title yet, but I am about two-thirds through a first draft.
And I'm doing something new. Chapters in the earlier books were cleverly titled Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. Creative, right?
Quite a few readers told me, though, that you prefer c...
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Triangle S5 E11 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast)
In Triangle (Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 E11), Anya and Willow conjure an evil troll as Buffy deals with post-Riley life. This podcast episode recaps Triangle, focusing on:
Anya, Willow, and Xander are in a troll triangle and it's Buffy's show – so who is the protagonist?
running season arcs but no subplots for Spike, Xander, Buffy, and Dawn;
what less dramatic plot turns do to the episode's pace; and
should you break your characters for a joke?
Spoiler-free, except at the end...
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