All posts tagged suspense

Amanda Kyle Williams on Writing, Inspiration & Her Latest Hit

I was packing my bags in New York after attending ThrillerFest this past summer and nearly left Amanda Kyle Williams’ The Stranger You Seek as the hotel maid’s gift. Don’t get me wrong. The cool-book-take-away is a major perk of writer’s conferences. But I was using all of my might to close my overstuffed suitcase and refused to pay the $30 fee for checking it. (A matter of principle. Besides, wouldn’t you prefer books in lieu of cash tips?)

But then I read the first page. And the next and the next… I couldn’t put it down. The “stranger” I nearly abandoned kept me enthralled through a subway ride, airport security lines, a layover and a lengthy flight to Los Angeles, so much so I jumped when the flight attendant asked whether I’d like a beverage.

If you love thrillers, mysteries, suspense, captivating characters, supreme wittiness, great stories and great writing…Heck, if the last book you read was that dilapidated phone book in the back of your closet…I suggest you read this book. It’s so fantastic, I feel guilty having not shared it with the hotelkeeper and my bookworm heart aches at the thought of nearly missing it. (Reaches for a tissue. ;))

What others are saying about The Stranger You Seek:

“An electrifying thriller debut, The Stranger You Seek introduces a brash, flawed, and unforgettable heroine in a complex, twisting novel that takes readers deep into a sultry Southern summer, a city in the grips of chaos, and a harrowing cat-and-mouse game no reader will ever forget.”—Random House

“This is a character-driven, nonstop thriller with flashes of wit and romance that builds to a harrowing climax; fans of the genre will want to get in at the start.” —Booklist

“An explosive, unpredictable, and psychologically complex thriller that turns crime fiction cliches inside out….Those looking for a strong female protagonist not a sexpot and as intelligent, tough, and flawed as any male thriller hero will be richly rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly 

Now, without further ado, Ms. Amanda Kyle Williams…


AM: THE STRANGER YOU SEEK is what one might call your “breakout” novel. How does it feel to move from pre-published mystery novelist to celebrated author?
AKW: Well, it is my first major market novel so I’m pretty excited.  It’s okay to walk up and down the street wearing a sandwich sign advertising it, right?   To be honest, I’m still a little amazed. I’m a new name in mainstream crime fiction, but I’ve been blessed with some really fabulous reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and The New York Times. And some wonderful established writers have taken me under their wing and been very kind in helping to promote the book. I have a great publishing house that supports me and is willing to invest in the success of this series. We’re hoping word will spread about a new kind of thriller with a very different kind of protagonist.

AM: Your main character is unique and likable. We really feel as though we’re in her head. How did you come up with Keye Street?
AKW: She’s in my head too.  Can you make her go away? Seriously. Okay, I’m kidding. Kind of. Truth is, Keye sort of just arrived on my doorstep fully formed. It’s the only experience I’ve ever had like this in creating a character. I heard her voice, her irreverent tone; I saw her face.  I knew a whole lot about her without doing any of the preliminary work I would normally do in sketching out a character. I really have no explanation for this. Keye was handed to me. But it took a bit of inspiration to get to that point.

I knew I wanted to write crime fiction. I’d been doing my homework for years to prepare to write a criminal investigative analyst intelligently. I wanted to understand how an analyst or profiler would approach a crime scene, an investigation, how one might work with a police department, and how a police department would work with a consultant. So all this had been running through my head, but I hadn’t found that voice, that right character. I ended up finding it in the most unusual place.

I was at my brother’s house one Thanksgiving. He had adopted my niece Anna from China as an infant. She was four or five that year. So this gorgeous Asian child looks up at me and says something. I don’t even remember what because I was so knocked over by her accent. She’d learned her English in the hills of North Georgia and she sounded like Ellie May Clampett. I started thinking on the drive back to Atlanta that night about what it would be like to grow up looking different from the neighbors in the South, while being a full-fledge Southerner.

I began to envision a character with these differences: Chinese, adopted by white southern parents. I pulled over that night on the Interstate and wrote the early lines for the book.  Everything else about Keye Street just landed on me. Her insecurities, her sense of humor, her propensity for inappropriate laughter,  and her Krispy Kreme habit.  And the dark side— her other addictions and demons, her past with alcohol, intimacy issues,  and her ability to make sense of behaviors evidenced at a crime scene. I was working two and sometimes three jobs at the time so it took more years to finish the book, but it began for me that night when Keye was born on I-75 South to Atlanta.

AM: What’s your writing process like?
AKW: Well I can tell you that it was much more disciplined before The Stranger You Seek was released. Publicity is a welcome distraction. I’m so grateful for it. But it is certainly a distraction.  I’m fighting now to get back to my usual, which is treating it like a job, showing up after morning dog walks and chores by about ten a.m., and putting in a minimum of six hours, more if I have it in me. I’m a slow writer and a relentless content editor. I’m that writer that will spend an hour tweaking one sentence and feeling unable to move forward until it’s tweaked. This slows the process. It’s not recommended. I’ve read all kinds of books about silencing the editor within but it’s not happening for me.

AM: Please tell me you have a cat named White Trash! 😉 What role do animals play in your writing? 
AKW: That’s so funny. Actually, my first cousin had a cat named White Trash many years ago. I thought it was hilarious. I was committed to bringing her to the page one day, this cat with the bad attitude and a mighty sense of entitlement. Animals are part of my life and, in fact, every one of my friends has animals. I had a pet sitting and dog walking business before I was a writer full-time, and I’m a founding director at a local no-kill shelter, which I link to on my website www.AmandaKyleWilliams.com. When I’m traveling, I miss my dogs and my cats. Besides bad coffee, I’m finding it’s the hardest part of leaving home.

It feels natural to bring this to my writing in small ways. Keye’s mother, Emily Street, has been working in the humane community for years and is kind of the crazy cat lady on the block. I will bring a dog into one of my character’s life by the end of the second book, Stranger In The Room.  I don’t want to distract from the fact that I’m writing a thriller series. The books are creepy as hell. But it feels natural for my characters to have to think about getting home to feed a cat or hire a dog walker or whatever.  And I will never, ever harm an animal in fiction. Never. I heard writers on a panel not long ago saying they do this to illustrate the disposition of their killer. Whatever. I’m not doing it.

AM: What do you find most challenging about writing?
AKW:  Just f-ing doing it, man. (Laughing) Sitting down. Being still. Being calm. Clearing out the cobwebs.  Listening to the story, to the characters. Slogging through the first few hours of writing total crap to get to the good stuff.  The good stuff will come if I just trust the process and nail myself to the chair. Some days this is easier than others.

AM: What do you love most?
AKW: Reading back through something and discovering it works, that it flows, that it’s smarter than I am, that somehow my writing took flight.  That and hearing my editor say the draft was approved.

AM: Any tips for up-and-coming authors?
AKW: Don’t wait for the big idea. Don’t wait for a rush of inspiration. Just sit down and start building a foundation brick-by-brick, word-by-word. The inspiration comes for me after I’ve pushed through building some kind of framework. That’s when you get to write the fun stuff.

AM: Can we look forward to more Keye Street adventures soon?
AKW: Absolutely. Stranger In The Room is being polished up right now and will be released sometime summer/fall 2012. The third book in the series, Don’t Talk To Strangers, comes out in 2013. Bantam will publish the next two. I have many more books planned in the series. And we’re fielding offers to adapt The Stranger You Seek for a television series… Did that sound cool or what? Like this kind of stuff happens all the time. I’m practicing being all casual. Apparently squealing like a little girl and jumping up and down is embarrassing to my friends and family. Go figure.

******

CONTEST! Purchase The Stranger You Seek and email me a copy of your receipt. I’ll place your name in a drawing for a $15 Amazon.com gift card.

Any thoughts to share with the fabulous Amanda Kyle Williams? Favorite books you almost didn’t read? I always love hearing from you.

12 Comments
by August McLaughlin on October 18, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Authors, Books, Thriller / Suspense, Writing
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Posted by August McLaughlin on October 18, 2011

https://augustmclaughlin.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/amanda-kyle-williams-on-writing-inspiration-her-latest-hit/

Dodging the Blues by Letting Things Slide

Last week I interviewed Katrina Leupp, an up-and-coming sociologist and researcher at the University of Washington, on behalf of EHow.com.

Leupp’s latest research, involving 1,600 stay-at-home and working mothers of small children, showed a significant link between “super mom” attitudes—i.e., believing you can “do it all” with ease—and an increased risk for depressive symptoms. Women who were more skeptical about balancing work and motherhood prior to child-rearing, were less depressed.

The good news, according to Leupp, is this: “You can happily combine child-rearing and a career, if you’re willing to let some things slide.” Mothers should ask for help, she advised, not aim for perfection and learn to properly prioritize. (Read the full article here: Why You Should Let Things Slide. Love to hear your thoughts!)

I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Leupp’s findings and the writer’s life—a practice I’m prone to, perhaps partly because I’m not a mother myself.

If we believe that writing our novel, short story or screenplay will be simple, a piece of literary cake, we’re in for a none-too-pleasurable surprise. The gooey chocolate turns out to be carob. The frosting may be bitter or the filling too sweet. Writing, particularly amidst a hectic lifestyle, is not supposed to be easy. If we develop “super writer” attitudes, thinking we can easily “do it all,” we, too, may be prone to sleep problems, foggy thinking, loneliness and tears.

Successful writers don’t write because it’s easy or stop because it’s not. We write because we love it. Because we feel we must. Because we’ll feel sad and empty later if we don’t. And if we stick with it, doing our best and allowing for mistakes, the end prize is worth all the cakes in the world’s bakeries combined…in MHO. 😉

So what can we let slide? Maybe it’s not going to every social event we feel obligated to attend, turning our cell phones off during work time or allowing dirty dishes to wait a while longer. Each time we sit down before an empty page, we can give ourselves permission to simply write, without thoughts of “This better be great or else!” Sometimes it means allowing ourselves to sit and daydream before we start typing at all. It most definitely means listening to and following our instincts.

What about you? What are you willing to let slide? And more importantly, what is doing so worth to you?

NEWS: I’m pleased to announce the winner of the Amazon.com gift card drawing, for last week’s “comment of the week” contest: Ellis Shuman. Offer congrats and check out his fabulous blog, Ellis Shuman Writes here.

11 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 27, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Life, Wellness, Writing
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 27, 2011

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Writers’ Gains from Whole Grains

White bread and noodles and chips, OH MY!

Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting that you fear these foods as Dorothy feared wild animals. But upping the ante in your grains department can benefit far more than your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, particularly if you’re a writer.

(Psst! A healthy food pyramid does not look like this.)

Most of us have read a book or watched a movie that lacked substance, right? A predictable plot, blase characters or a seemingly pointless climax or resolution can leave us feeling cheated, wanting for more, hungry for it. (God forbid we ever write one!)

Think of refined grains like disappointing stories. The most nutritious parts have been stripped away, leaving us with something grain-like. They may look or taste good, but what do they provide? “Empty calories”—calories (units of energy reaped from food) that lack nutritional substance, i.e., vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and fiber.

While whole grains promote positive energy levels, brain function and appetite control, refined grains leave us wanting for more. They can offset our blood sugar levels, zap our energy and leave less room in our diets for nutritious fare, making way for nutrient deficiencies.

Whole grains provide significant amounts of B-vitamins, zinc, magnesium, iron, vitamin E and copper. Deficiencies of any one of these nutrients can cause foggy thinking, poor memory, low moods and a slew of other health problems. And Americans as a whole consume less one-third of the minimum daily amount recommended by theU.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (Perhaps that means we’re all foggy. Hmm…)

Here’s the good news: Swapping refined grains out for whole grains takes care of these dilemmas. And it’s not as difficult as it may sound.

In a study published in the “Journal of Nutrition” in Aug. 2009, researchers analyzed the effects of a nutritious diet, rich in whole grains, on the brain function of 3,634 adults age 65 or younger. A strong, positive link was found between nutritious diets and sharp cognitive abilities.

What does all of this mean for us writing-folk? Eating primarily whole grains can help ensure sharp thinking, creativity and revision skills.

Tips to get you started:

  • Most adults need at least three 1-oz servings of whole grains per day for general health. Although math isn’t my strong suit, it seems pretty obvious that one or more servings with each meal cuts it. At breakfast, have whole grain bread or cereal. For lunch, a sandwich on whole grain bread. With dinner, enjoy brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti. Badda bing! Three-plus servings.
  • Look for “100 percent whole grain” labels on prepared breads, pasta, crackers, cereals and rice dishes. If the word “whole” is first on the ingredients list, you’re likely on the right track.
  • Seek substitutes. What’s your favorite refined food? Brownies? Cookies? Chips? All of these foods are available in whole grain form. I make my own whole grain cookies and chips, but I’m on the far end of foodie-ism. If you enjoy baking, use stoneground whole wheat or white whole wheat flour instead of white or add oats in place of half of the flour.
  • Don’t go crazy with it. Not every grain that passes your lips must be whole. The DGA recommends that at least half of your grains derive from whole sources. More is better, but not necessary.
Tasty Ways to Try ‘Em
  • PBJ on 100 percent whole grain bread
  • Scrambled egg and veggies on a whole wheat English muffin
  • Old-fashioned oatmeal topped with fresh berries and yogurt
  • Homemade oatmeal raisin (or “craisin”) cookies
  • Bean burritos served in whole grain tortillas
  • Brown rice pudding…YUM!
  • Whole wheat pasta topped with tomato sauce and seasoned, diced tomatoes
  • Grilled fish, meat or tofu served on brown rice and veggie pilaf
  • Scrambled eggs or tofu, with quinoa mixed in
  • Popcorn seasoned with natural herbs or spices
What about you? Have you noticed the influence whole or refined grains have on your writing capabilities? Any questions? I have years of work and study as a certified nutritionist under my belt — no pun intended. Feel free to put it to use!
As a reminder, one lucky commenter will win a $15 Amazon.com gift card tomorrow. 🙂
8 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 25, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Life, Wellness, Writing
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 25, 2011

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Writers’ Deadly Vices

Okay, so there are LOTS more than seven vices that can nuke a writing career. Fortunately, there are plentiful ways to prevent and stop them. Simply recognizing potential dangers can go a long way toward safeguarding us against them.

Take a peak at my list and feel free to add your own. I look forward to hearing your thoughts…

FYI, this list is in no way meant to promote, dissuade or inspire religious beliefs of any kind. You are, however, welcome to share your “confessions” with whoever you choose. 😉

  1. Lust
    When I asked a friend—we’ll call him Tommy—what inspires him to write, he said he wants his name to appear in the “New York Times” and on the stands at airport bookstores—an urge so powerful he dreams of it. “The women will go crazy for me,” he said. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the prospect of fame and adoration, successful writers bring much more to the page. People like Tommy love the idea of being a writer—not the actual writing. If you find yourself lusting over a writing career like a hormone-enraged teen with a movie star crush, it’s time to check your motivation.
  2. Greed
    “Buy my book! Follow my blog! Vote for my story—or else!”
    “Introduce me to your agent!”
    “Blurb me!” I haven’t read your book, but whatever.
    Desire is a good thing. And we’re all selfish to an extent. But begging your way to a fan-base, piggybacking on other writers‘ achievements and being flat-out annoying are likely career killers.
  3. Wrath
    “It makes me so angry that I don’t have time to write!” (Solution: So…make time.)
    “I hate my job! It keeps me from writing.” (Only we can keep ourselves from writing.)
    “I’d write more if I weren’t so distracted.” (Solution: It’s our responsibility to eliminate distractions—turn our phones off, find a quiet spot and WRITE.)
    “Why does she have an agent/publisher/book deal? I work harder. I’ve written longer. I deserve it (more)!”
    Every writer’s success story should bring us joy. People are buying books. Deals are being made. We could be next! And we want our friends to succeed, right? It’s natural to wish it was our chance NOW. But getting worked up and frustrated because a cohort got an agent or book deal before you did is counterproductive.  It also burns bridges; you can forget about those blurbs you greedily lust after…
  4. Envy
    “How can that lame book be a best-seller (when mine is so superior)?”
    I’ll use Twilightas an example. I personally didn’t dig it—no offense to Stephanie Meyer. But I consider the thousands of youth her series has drawn into reading and loving books and feel nothing but grateful.Some of us make the mistake of envying another’s success so much, we try to duplicate it. (Hmm…Why not throw a vampire and a magically-gifted child named Larry Plotter in my mystery?) Not a good move. Gaining inspiration from other’s work is positive. Attempting to clone it, however, is not.
  5. Gluttony
    “Pigging out” on writing conferences, books about writing, lectures about writing and conducting research for a book are not writing. Although they can undoubtedly benefit our writing and careers, spending all of our time not writing leads to one thing: nada to show for our energy, time and efforts.
  6. Pride
    “How dare my agent ask me to cut that scene/character/plot twist? It’s perfect the way it is.”
    Okay, so most of us aren’t that arrogant; if anything, we fall on the side of self-conciousness. But it can be difficult to swallow our pride and accept others’ feedback. We want our work to be the best it can be, right? Choose your critique-ers wisely, of course. I’d much prefer a Simon Cowel-like editor to an uber-polite relative who rarely reads thrillers.
    And your agent, if you’re working with one, maintains success by knowing what works and sells and what doesn’t. Getting angry and, worse, ignoring his or her criticism stirs up bad energy. It also makes that 15 percent they work for somewhat useless.
  7. Sloth
    Apathy toward our writing is perhaps the worst vice because if we don’t care, we won’t try. We’ll never share the stories our readers desire to hear or reap the fulfillment that comes from creating literary art. If we care, but not enough, we’re liable to self-publish a manuscript in dire need of revision, query agents before we’re ready and bypass necessary research for our second work. Patience, hard work and persistence are necessary parts of the game.
     What vice are you guilty of? Which have you overcome? Any to add??? Regardless… Happy writing!
12 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 12, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Writing
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 12, 2011

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Phobias: When Fear Overwhelms Us

“I’m terrified! No, petrified. No… There isn’t a word strong enough to describe it. It’s like I have flu, only with my heart pounding, and it HURTS! Nauseas, dizzy. I can’t stop shaking… Is this what a heart attack feels like? At least that would get me out of here, not that I want to be in the hospital. But maybe…ANYwhere but here. SOMEONE HELP!!!” – excerpt from my 8th grade journal

Any guess what I was referring to? I’ll give you a hint. It stinks, can turn blond hair greenish and sounds like “swish, swish”…or, when I’m around, “AGGGHHH!”

Yep—swimming class. I don’t know where my fear came from, but others in my family share it and trust me, it had nothing to do with the stench or hair tint. And although I made a huge personal step by dipping fully below the water and floating for the very first time about six years ago (I call this swimming), the mere thought of chlorinated swimming pools inspires nausea. *Pauses for a ginger-chew.*

Specific phobia, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, involves “marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation,” including, but not limited to, the fear of heights, spiders and flying. Roughly 9 percent of the U.S. population experiences them, 21.9 percent of whom with severe symptoms.

To someone who’s never experienced such fear, they seem ludicrous. But when you have a phobia, it seems like the most logical thing in the world. When people tell me they don’t recall not knowing how to swim, that it’s as natural as breathing in and out, I’m as dumbfounded as they are when I share my need for floaties and, most preferably, dry land.

Some of the more common phobias, according to MayoClnic.com, include fear of: enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), heights (acrophobia), animals (zoophobia), flying, storms, dentists, injections, bridges, tunnels and my personal fave, water (hydrophobia).

Social phobia involves intense social shyness and self-conciousness. Agoraphobia, which affected Sigorney Weaver’s character in the film, “Copycat,” involves fear of open places with no simple means of escape.

Uncommon phobias, which are debilitating to a very few people, include:

  • Ambulophobia: the fear of walking
  • Anablephobia: the fear of looking up
  • Arachibutyrophobia: the fear of peanut butter sticking to your mouth
  • Barophobia: the fear of gravity
  • Cataptrophobia: the fear of mirrors
  • Chionophobia: the fear of snow
  • Chromatophobia: the fear of colors
  • Chronomentrophobia: the fear of time
  • Genuphobia: the fear of knees
  • Geumapobia: the fear of taste
  • Hypnophobia: the fear of sleep
  • Mnemophobia: the fear of memories
  • Peladophobia: the fear of bald people
  • Siderophobia: the fear of stars
  • PhobiaPhobia: the fear of fear itself (Okay, I made that one up. But it’s possible, no?)
I’m certainly no psychological or scientific expert, but I do know this: Facing your fears can have a profoundly empowering effect. Just ask the two-year-olds in my break-through swimming class! 😉 What personal fears have you overcome? What did you learn? Or is yours still on your ‘someday’ list?
8 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 8, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Thriller / Suspense
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 8, 2011

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Secret Seduction

I saw a fabulous movie yesterday—”The Debt,” starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Marton Csokas. I don’t want to spoil it if you haven’t yet seen it (I hope you do!) but I will tell you this: It got me thinking…about secrets.

What would I do, if presented with the same secret? How many of us have secrets? What are the advantages of keeping or revealing them? What are the deciding factors that lead us to the secret-keeping decision in the first place? And what are the risks?

These questions are some of the reasons secrets make for such fascinating tales—whether we’re aware of the hidden truth or not. They seduce us with questions that challenge our own beliefs and choices, the proverbial “What if…?”

In “The Debt” three former Mossad agents keep a secret for decades. As viewers, we absorb the secret’s weighty consequences long before we (or at least I) realize what it is.

One of my favorite books, “The Big Picture,” by Douglas Kennedy, centers on a wealthy lawyer with a seemingly perfect life. From the beginning, we know about the snap decision he makes to save his life and his future, only to end it all for someone else. Yet, we can’t stop flipping the pages.

Keeping an unwanted secret makes way for tumult.

“People will tend to misread the return of unwanted thoughts. We don’t realize that in keeping it secret we’ve created an obsession in a jar,” said Daniel Wegner, a Harvard psychologist who investigated the effects of secret-keeping among humans.

The longer we keep it, the more capacity it has to magnify and grow. Although this makes for awesome fiction, it can zap the pleasure from our lives.

Secrets can also draw people closer together. Two siblings who keep a secret, positive or negative, from their parents, for example, create a common bond. The same might happen for a couple, both of whom cheating on their spouses. They share much more than the same hotel room bed…

One of the worst kinds of secret, in my opinion, are ones we keep about our desires solely within, or even from, ourselves: An artist who never puts his paintbrush to the page…a writer too afraid of failure to write Chapter One… Another in a damaging relationship who never admits she’s unhappy, and thus never leaves.

In an interview with “USA Weekend,” Anita Vangelisti, a researcher and professor of communication studies at the University of Texas-Austin, said that most people say they will keep a secret, only to tell another: “I promised I wouldn’t say anything, but…” Only about 10 percent of people reportedly keep secrets “no matter what.”

So what’s your deepest, darkest secret? KIDDING! I won’t make that silly move, but I would love to hear your thoughts on secret-keeping. If it’s for a good cause, is it all good? What has life taught you about secret-keeping? And…because I love a good thriller—any secretive books or movies you’d recommend?

If you do wish to share your secrets, “there’s an app for that.” Check out Post Secret to share and absorb others’ secrets from around the world.

4 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 6, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Thriller / Suspense, Uncategorized
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 6, 2011

https://augustmclaughlin.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/secret-seduction/

Facing the Enemy: Vital Steps Toward Success

“I could see him on the three-inch viewer, sitting on a ragged couth, feet on the edge of a wooden utility spool coffee table. He appeared to be alone, a beer in his right hand, his left hand in his lap and partially hidden from view. You hiding something under there, big guy? 

Hovering in the damp air around the front porch, just above the sweet, sick scent of trash and empty beer cans, was the aroma of something synthetic like superglue and Styrofoam. 

I triggered off the safety, then tapped on the front door. ” 

This excerpt from Amanda Kyle Williams’ novel, “The Stranger You Seek” (which I highly recommend) illustrates one of the reasons we love suspenseful tales. The protagonist, knowing the risky nature of her actions, takes them anyway. Why? Because her mission requires them. We cheer the heroine on, living vicariously through her trials and successes, hopefully gaining not only entertainment, but inspiration.

When I tell people I’m a writer, I’m often asked, “What do you do about writer’s block?” “I’m writing a book, too…but it’s so hard to sit down and write,” is also common. Rather than go into lengthy explanatory responses, I usually say something like, “I have my challenges…luckily those aren’t mine.” (I actually don’t even believe in writer’s block, but I’ll save that for another post…)

Regardless of what our goals our, reaching them requires maximizing on our strengths and facing our challenges/obstacles and weaknesses head on. How boring would a suspense novel be if the FBI agent, sensing danger, dashed home to distract herself via Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo! News rather than pursue it?

I personally face a struggle almost every darn night. SLEEP.  It’s taken me years to come to terms with the fact that sufficient sleep is A, necessary and B, damaging to go without it. And if I don’t turn in early most evenings, I won’t have the early-morning gusto to bring to the page each day. Rather than whine about it (okay, I may whine a little…), I challenged myself to rest more often, read a great book by renowned sleep expert Dr. Matthew Edlund, REST: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough and began changing my sleeping habits—not because I thought it would be fun, but because my success as a writer and my overall wellbeing depend on it.

And simply by posting my sleep goals here, stating them “aloud” for others to see, I’m increasing my chance for success. A Yale study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews showed that people who share their goals and goal-reaching updates with friends are 33% more likely to accomplish them.

So…yep. You guessed it. I’d like you to share your goals here. You are the protagonist in your own life. What challenges stand between you and your goals? What are you willing to do to surpass them?

6 Comments
by August McLaughlin on September 2, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Thriller / Suspense, Writing
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Posted by August McLaughlin on September 2, 2011

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The Dream Diet: The WRITE Way to Success

I had a long chat with a woman today who reminds me so much of my former self: lots of potential but too insecure to recognize her dreams, much less pursue them.

Perhaps the most important lesson my former career as a nutritionist/nutrition therapist and personal experience with weight and body image issues taught me is this: Failure to follow our dreams, to live largely and with gusto, makes way for weight, body image and food issues. And fixating on what we perceive as our primary issue (say, added pounds) will keep us from those dreams like a pack of guard-dog hyenas.

If we focus on the symptoms (those pounds) rather than the culprit (failure to pursue your passions), our symptoms will expand until they swallow us and our emotional well-being whole. Meanwhile, our dreams will slip away until we either forget we had them or keep us from recognizing them in the first place.

We’re not afraid of being large (or other negative adjectives), we’re afraid living large. God forbid we don’t succeed, right? Please tell that inner-naysayer to shove it; bumpy roads lead to success.

And how do these lessons relate to suspense, you ask? (Thanks for asking! Brings me to my next point…;)) We don’t simply want to read and write page-turner novels, we want to live them. Who wants a life in which we do not look forward to the next day while savoring the current one? In which challenges are simply obstacles worth surpassing and learning from–so we can get to all the saucy, thrilling good stuff? 😉 Since the day I claimed writing as my career, I wake up eager for what the day will bring. Heck, I daydream about it before I fall asleep at night. And guess what—food/body/weight “issues” have long since fallen to the wayside. The same has happened time and time again to friends and former clients.

I’m not suggesting that pursuing your dreams cause you to eat more fruits and veggies, swap pastries for whole grains or associate food with gratitude, rather than guilt. Nor will it make you instantly happier with you and your body, precisely as they are. But doing so can ease the process.

Not convinced? Try it. Before each meal, jot some notes down on your laptop or journal about your dreams. Complete the following: “If I had a magic wand I would…” (Sorry, ‘alter my appearance/weight/metabolism,’ is not an option.) Then plot some baby steps to help get you there.

As readers and writers, i.e., lovers of words, I suspect that Julia Cameron’s guidelines in the “Artist’s Way” will serve you wonders. Cameron suggests free-writing several pages each morning—free of self-judgment, whatever comes to mind. If you have no clue as to your personal obstacles, wishes and dreams or other issues you’re failing to face, they will show up in those pages. I’d put money—okay, granola bars—on it.

We love mysterious, suspenseful, thrilling stories…the way they captivate us, make our day’s stresses seem, for the moment, obsolete… (See more on this in my previous post, Thrill Therapy) Well, use your imagination. Your life is a story, of your own creation. Where is it heading? Who is the heroine? Most importantly, what does she most desire? If you’re so bold as to post your responses here, I promise to cheer you on wildly.

If you’ve already learned these lessons (hooray!), I’d love to hear your story.

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by August McLaughlin on August 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by August McLaughlin on August 29, 2011

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Not Your Common Stalker

After reading this paragraph, close your eyes and imagine you’re walking alone down a dark alleyway. You hear footstep echoing your own. You pause, so do the footsteps. Yours quicken, the footsteps do, too. You run as fast as you can, your stalker a step behind until—wham! They’ve got you. You turn to see…

Who? Lemme guess—a large male, dressed in black. If you’re into “Twilight,” he probably has fangs.

Female stalkers are scarcely studied or understood, according to a study published in the “Journal of the American Psychiatry Law” in 2003. Yet an estimated 15 to 20 percent of stalkers are female. These facts lead me to wonder how many are truly out there? And are they less-studied because we don’t expect women to act in such a way? Or are they simply extremely good at their…”jobs.” (Um…this is not an invite…FYI.)

We women can be freeeeaky, right? Consider the following villainesses:

– Glen Close as Alex in “Fatal Attraction” and Patty in “Damages”
– Uma Thurman as Poison in “Batman and Robin”
– Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp in “GoldenEye”
– Michele Pfeifer As Cat Woman in “Batman”
– Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell in “Basic Instinct”

Who’s your favorite fem fatale? What makes her so terrifyingly great?

I plan to investigate these issues further for upcoming posts. I hope you’ll join me, but not too closely, in the ride.

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by August McLaughlin on August 27, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by August McLaughlin on August 27, 2011

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‘Yes’ to Suspense

Hi! And thank you for visiting my blog. In addition to reading and writing—namely suspense/fiction, I love connecting with other readers and writers ‘o plenty.

I’ll start by posing this question: What is suspense? According to our trusty pal Webster:

sus·penseNoun/səˈspens/ 1. A state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. 2. A quality in a work of fiction that arouses excited expectation or uncertainty about what may happen.

Shouldn’t all stories fulfill these purposes? In my humble opinion, yes. Case in point: Anita Shreve is one of my favorite writers. Her books, although not categorized within the suspense genre, keep us guessing…wondering…flipping page after page…

What do you think?

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by August McLaughlin on August 21, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by August McLaughlin on August 21, 2011

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