Next Monday, for those of you who don't actually own a calendar or haven't paid attention since July, will be Christmas Day. And the Monday after that, as it happens, will be New Year's Day. So it's possible that we'll have far fewer visitors for the last two posts I offer at DEAD GUY. That's how the Roman calendar works, although I doubt the Romans had visions of cutting back on a mystery fiction blog's readership when they decided to end the year like that. Just guessing.
So let me get a few things out here while you're still paying attention: First, I've always been fascinated with how art (the kind I like, anyway) is made. I watch documentaries on the creation of famous films or music; I read many books about comedians whose work I especially love. But since I started taking guitar lessons again I have learned there's another way to gain insight into how those people did what they did and that's by trying to do it yourself.
For the past three weeks I've been working on a Fleetwood Mac song, Never Going Back Again by Lindsey Buckingham. And having achieved approximately 200 times less proficiency on the song than Mr. Buckingham himself, I have nonetheless gotten some glimpses into how it was constructed, and I can tell you that man is insane.
It's one thing to be able to play this song at the speed of light. It's another to have thought to do that to begin with. In order to play this piece the guitarist must tune one string down one full tone, another down TWO full tones, and then put a capo on the sixth fret to get the proper sound. I can do all that, but it would never occur to me to require it. And let's not discuss the picking patterns because my eyes might cross. Again, it's doable, but hard to imagine where the idea might have come from. It's amazing and awe-inspiring, but also just a little nuts.
Second: I'm at that stage (more than halfway through) in the current book where I've accumulated clues and twists and now have to figure out who did what and what it all means. (I literally stopped tonight with my character's hand reaching into a hole in the floor and I don't know what's in there yet.) This is undoubtedly the most difficult part of the process for me because my brain is much more interested in making a fun story than having it make sense.
It always strikes me that my readers (and I know each and every one of your names) pour over the stories I write and find the inconsistencies much more efficiently than I ever would. Thank goodness for editors. I would be completely incoherent without them. I appreciate the readers but I'd rather provide them with an enjoyable experience than one in which every leak is plugged but it's all about process. Pay attention to the characters and the dialogue and the jokes. If the plot is a little porous, well, I understand why that bothers you. Hopefully my editor has caught it before you had the chance.
Third: Tomorrow will make three weeks until the publication of THE HOSTESS WITH THE GHOSTESS, the ninth Haunted Guesthouse novel. For those who might want to catch up with the characters and their situations, you might want to read the most recent Guesthouse book,
SPOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. And everyone who celebrates have a lovely Christmas. If you don't, do what we Semites do: Go to a movie and get Chinese food for dinner.
Sorry, but all the books are spoken for. Thanks to everyone who got in touch! I'll try this again the next time I have a surplus big enough!
Pitchers and catchers report in 57 days.
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