It's Almost Here! Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation Update by Michael Rigg

The wait's almost over. The finish line's in sight! We're in the final stages of coordinating the much-anticipated Mystery by the Sea anthology, Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation. We promise that you'll never look at a vacation the same way after you read the  anthology, which has fourteen short stories penned by the talented members of the Mystery by the Sea chapter of Sisters in Crime!

The authors have made their final edits. Our editor, Wildside Press, is pulling everything together. Next step is our cover reveal, which should be in January 2025. After that? Watch for news of our anthology launch party.  

Happy Birthday Mark Twain: November 30, 1835 by Michael Rigg

Samuel L. Clemens a/k/a Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known to most people by his pen name, Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri, the sixth of seven children. At the age of four, Clemens and his family moved to the small frontier town of Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi. According to documentarian Ken Burns, Twain “. . . rose from a hardscrabble boyhood in the backwoods of Missouri to become . . .  America’s best-known and best-loved author.” 

In his nearly seventy-five years, Clemens was a man of many titles and occupations, including: printer’s apprentice, newspaper reporter, riverboat pilot, Confederate soldier (for two weeks), silver prospector, travel commentator, essayist, editor, publisher, and lecturer. His most well-known occupation was as an author. He wrote several books and novels, including:

Innocents Abroad (1869)

Roughing It (1872)

The Gilded Age (1873)

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)

The Prince and the Pauper (1881)

Life on the Mississippi (1883)

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)

Following the Equator (1897)

Lapham’s Quarterly summed up Twain’s life thusly:

Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835—two weeks after the perihelion of Halley’s Comet. “I came in with Halley’s Comet,” Mark Twain commented in 1909. “It is coming again next year. The Almighty has said, no doubt, ‘Now there are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.’” He died on April 21, 1910—one day after the comet had once again reached its perihelion.

(See, Mark Twain again follows Halley’s Comet. | Lapham’s Quarterly.)

Find a more detailed discussion of Twain’s life and legacy, see Biography - Mark Twain House. and Mark Twain - Ken Burns.

So, on November 30^th, raise a glass to Samuel Clemens and his writing alter ego, Mark Twain. As writers and readers, we owe much to him. For, as Ernest Hemingway is reported to have said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”

THE EVOLUTION OF HALLOWEEN by Sheryl Jordan

 

Halloween evolved from ancient Celtic rituals to a modern American tradition. Christianity, European myth, and American consumerism have influenced it. There are several schools of thought about the origin of Halloween. The most common is that Halloween dates back over 2,000 years to the Celtic Festival of Samhain in regions now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, which took place each year on October 31^st. The Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes in the belief that ghosts would be warded off. It was thought to be when dead ancestors of the spiritual world could breach the natural world, so they dressed in animal and monster costumes in hopes that fairies wouldn’t kidnap them. Celts believed ghosts returned to earth to claim revenge for their deaths or to have one last chance to be redeemed. After the harvest, Druid priests lit bonfires and prayed throughout the night, trying to foretell if their communities would survive the winter, which was often cold and dark—a time when many died due to the brutal weather and lack of food that came with it.

Later in the seventh century, the Catholic Church designated November 1 as All Saints Day, also called All Hallows, to honor all saints and martyrs of the church. By the ninth century, Christianity had spread to the Celtic regions, changing Celtic beliefs and rituals. Eventually, All Souls Day was established on November 2 to honor the souls of the recently deceased. Many believe the church was attempting to replace the honoring of the dead with a Christian holiday. Years later, the three holidays became Halloween, celebrated in many countries on October 31.

During past festivities, activities and games were similar to those in today’s celebrations of Halloween: bobbing for apples, making jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins or turnips, and sharing scary stories, to name a few. Trick-or-treating is believed to have developed from the early Celtic rituals of giving soul cakes and food to people who did not have enough food for the winter. During All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations in England and Ireland, poor people visited the homes of wealthier families. They received pastries called soul cakes in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ dead relatives. The practice known as "souling” was later taken up by children, who would go from door to door asking for gifts such as food, money, or beverages, an early form of trick-or-treating. 

Today, Halloween is celebrated in many ways. People attend costume parties dressed in scary, cutesy, or anything in between attire.    There are trunk-or-treat events where vehicles are lined up in parade style. The children dressed in costumes move to each vehicle, shouting Trick or Treat to receive a treat from the trunks or back of the vehicles. Some people decorate their cars, dress in costumes, and play Halloween music, making the event more festive. Trunk-or-treat events are held in shopping centers, schools, churches, parks, and communities. 

Fall festivals are also popular, creating a carnival-type atmosphere with various games and food. Haunted House attractions offer experiences of being frightened by mummies, monsters, and ghouls jumping out to give a spooky thrill. There are haunted hayrides near wooded areas and farmlands. Theme parks decorated in creepy Halloween fashion offer double the thrill of fast-moving rides and a good scare. During the season, houses are transformed into Halloween sanctuaries, decorated most imaginatively. I have seen houses where the decorations were so elaborate and precisely placed that it took the owners months to decorate and cost thousands of dollars to create and keep the scenes going during the season. What a treat to go for a drive to see houses decorated with orange, purple, and white flashing lights coordinated with the rhythm of songs such as Thriller, Ghostbusters, Bloody Mary, and Somebody’s Watching Me, to name a few. Interestingly, consumers spent over $12 billion on Halloween costumes, decorations, events, and candy in 2023, which is expected to rise even higher in 2024. Some contributing factors are that Halloween is a pastime many people enjoy, and nowadays, it is celebrated in many ways. We can't forget to include our four-legged friends during the festivities. Pet owners dress their adorable fur babies in the cutest pet costumes and enter them in contests, hoping they will be deemed the best dressed, cutest, or spookiest. 

Another Halloween pastime is watching horror movies and reading classic stories such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Whether you prefer horror or comic and nonviolent Halloween stories, there are many movies and books for everyone to enjoy.

I occasionally enjoy watching a good scary movie or reading Halloween-themed stories during the Halloween season. Do you participate in any Halloween celebrations? What are your favorite ways to celebrate? Do you have any recommendations for Halloween-themed movies or books? 

FRANKENSTEIN CREATED DURING A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT by Teresa Inge

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist best known for her groundbreaking work, Frankenstein. Born in London on August 30, 1797, Shelley was immersed in the literary world from a young age.

Early Life and Influences

Mary Shelley’s parents were Mary Wollstonecraft, an advocate for women's rights, and her father, William Godwin, a political philosopher. Tragically, Wollstonecraft died shortly after Mary's birth, leaving her to be raised by her father.

As Mary grew, her father's home became a hub for intellectuals. This environment, mixed with a vast array of books, fostered her literary talents, and introduced her to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom she would later marry.

The Birth of Frankenstein

In 1816, Mary traveled to Lake Geneva in Switzerland to spend the summer with Percy, their infant son, her stepsister, Claire Clairmont, Lord Byron, and Doctor John Polidori. At the time, Claire was pregnant by Lord Byron, the groundbreaking poet whose personal affairs had made him one of England’s most controversial celebrities.

After arriving in Lake Geneva, they found the area covered in fog from the Mount Tambora volcano eruption in Indonesia. The eruption killed 100,000 people. A million others starved while many died from a global cholera pandemic unleashed in the aftermath.

Some of Europe’s greatest artists created their darkest works during these dismal days. Mary Shelley was among them.

Since the weather was cold and stormy, the group stayed inside the Villa Diodati, the stately mansion Bryon had rented. They were left to entertain themselves with ghost stories and horror books. One night, as they sat in candlelit darkness, Lord Byron challenged each person to write a horror story, better than what they had just read.

Polidori accepted Bryon’s challenge and wrote The Vampyre. The short fiction was published in 1819 and is the first to include a blood-sucking hero, possibly modeled on Byron himself.

As the days passed, Mary conceived the idea of Frankenstein. She envisioned a scientist who created life only to be horrified by his creation. This concept was influenced as thunder and lightning echoed outside the villa and conversations turned to whether human corpses could be galvanized or re-animated, after death, a morbid topic of the time.

Legacy and Impact

Shelley began writing Frankenstein at age 18. She included the eerie setting of Villa Diodati and the poet’s conversations. The novel was published anonymously in 1818. It wasn't until the second edition, published in 1821, that her name appeared on the title page.

Throughout her life, Mary continued to write novels and short stories. She passed away on February 1, 1851. Of the group only, Mary and Claire lived past age 50. Polidori committed suicide in 1821. Percy Shelley drowned at age 29 in 1822. Byron took the daughter he had with Claire and sent her to a convent. She died there in 1822 at age 5. Byron died in 1824 after contracting a fever. Mary’s infant son lived to age 70.

But the book inspired by that stormy summer and, its life-after-death stories still live on today. Frankenstein is considered one of the first science fiction novels. Its impact is immense, spawning adaptations in film, theater, and other media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEN PERKS OF BEING A WRITER By: Kimberly Thorn

The Top Ten Perks of Being a Writer 

10. Research means you have a great reason for spending countless hours wandering around on the internet.

9. You can travel to interesting places for research and count it as a business expense.

8. You get to learn some interesting and maybe strange things doing research for a story idea.

7. You get to be every character you write.

6. You know what is going to happen next.

5. Your characters must do what you say, or write.

4. You can make money for doing something you love.

3. You get amazing support from other writers.

2. You can take your frustrations out on real people in your life by killing their characters in your stories.

1. And they will NEVER know!            

HOW TO SPEAK TO A GROUP ABOUT YOUR WRITING By Maria Hudgins

 

I'm not really sure why anyone would want to hear me speak about my writing, but people do ask and I am flattered. And frightened. Frightened, because standing up in front of a group of literate people most of whom are probably smarter than I am makes me feel like a third grader reporting on a book he hasn't read. Writing is so much easier than speaking. I can delete and change and try to remember what I meant to say when I started this.

I wonder. What do they want to know about me? About my writing? I'm not a very interesting person but I hope my books are. Why did they ask me? I have heard some intriguing talks by writers like Stephen King, Louise Penny, and Colin Dexter, but their experiences are not mine. I have to come up with my own. 

I have two speaking engagements coming up soon, and I'm searching for ideas. So far, nothing.

What do I want when I hear another writer speak? I want them to tell me what they are thinking about right now. Maybe it will give me an idea.

But then there's the old, "Where do you get your ideas?" Answer: Who knows? Ideas come at you from out of the blue and all at once. The great thing is to keep your mind open for ideas when they do come. Some writers keep a note pad and pencil on their bedside table. Works for some, but not for me. I wake up and read what seemed to me brilliant, earth-shattering, insight at 2 am, but at 8 am, it says (barely legible) something like, "Hoggamus, higgamus, all men are bigamous;  higgamus, hogggamus, women are monogamous."

(I've heard this silliness attributed to several different people, but I don't know who said it first. )

Sometimes people are curious to know how I write. How do I start? On my first book, "Death of an Obnoxious Tourist," I hit upon a good way to put my experience as at science teacher to work. I got a foam-core  three-sided science project board and glued pictures of my characters on one side, pictures of houses, cars, other scenes that looked like the settings in my head on the other, and in the middle, a table showing chapters, major events, etc. It worked well, but I have changed the system little by little until now it's more like a dozen or more pages for character descriptions, major plot points, and background info.

Most people are curious to find out: How did you get published? Do you have an agent and can I have their name? Do you have to pay anyone? I have no answers for any of these. I have only my own experiences and things change constantly in this volatile market. I would encourage anyone determined to get published, to attend conferences and gatherings that concentrate on the genre you love, and make contacts.

The most important thing, I think, is don't be boring. Whether you say anything illuminating or not is less important than making your audience glad they came. 

WHAT IS GOOD WRITING THESE DAYS? By Penny Hutson

 

Don’t we all know what good writing is? It’s certainly not repeating too many words or using too many of the same words in the same sentence. That’s what I’ve always been taught and taught my students when I was an English teacher, teaching English for many years. Not using incomplete sentences, either. And you should never start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” or use a preposition like “with” to end a sentence with.  Anyone annoyed yet?

Okay, maybe that was a bit over the top. However, as a former English teacher trained in avoiding such writing faux pas, I wonder if I notice them more than the average reader. For instance, when I pick up a novel with a ton of repeated words, cliches, or adjectives, I stop reading it and likely refrain from reading other books by the same author. Perhaps that’s unfair, but with so many excellent books and a limited time to read them, I can’t justify spending it on poorly written ones that I truly don’t enjoy. I find myself getting annoyed, often ruminating aloud, “How many times is she going to swallow or bite her tongue? No, his eyes didn’t flash. That’s not even possible!” I believe you get the idea.

Yet, when I look at many of the best sellers and award-winning novels on the market today, I can’t help but notice how often these devices are used. It appears that a vast majority of readers don’t care about such things; and the writers (and publishers) are raking in big bucks to the tune of millions. According to several sources, James Patterson and John Grisham are worth over 800 and 400 million dollars, respectively. They are among the top-selling authors today, but they are certainly not alone. Many others are earning close to or as much and with worse writing, in my opinion.

So, what gives?

Now, I’m not asserting that either Patterson or Grisham are terrible writers whose works don’t deserve to be in print, although I’ll admit I’ve seen many whose publication successes are quite mystifying to me. I have read several books by Patterson and Grisham, including some of their young adult novels, and I enjoyed them. Truth be told, they manage exciting plot lines, interesting stories, and compelling characters even with all the cliches and what I’d call average writing. In fact, it makes me wonder if I’m overly concerned with such things in my own writing, when it appears that most readers in our current society don’t seem to care about or perhaps even prefer such writing.

Of course, I know there’s always been a difference between good literature, like the kind we read in high school and college, and what is often called junk or pulp fiction. You know the kind - those steamy romances, swashbuckling adventure, or detective mysteries essentially telling the same story over and over except with different characters and settings. We know they’re not winning any Pulitzers, but we love reading them anyway. However, there appears to be so much more of the latter being published and purchased today.

So, I’m asking you, as writers, how much do you worry about such things? Do you think readers today care more about the story than the writing itself, perhaps even preferring that style of writing over the more polished, literary kind? Essentially, I’m asking if you think “good writing” has been replaced. What else could explain the enormous profits made by those publishing works without it? I’d love to hear your responses.

SHIFT 3: FROM POUND SIGN TO HASHTAG By Michael Rigg

From: Your Complete Guide to Hashtag Analytics | Sprout Social

As users of social media, we’ve all seen them. On most keyboards, it’s the symbol that results when you hit “Shift” and the Number 3: #. Some might still call it a “pound sign” or a “hash mark.” But those of us, even Boomers like me, who have made the bold leap into social media call them “hashtags.”

Hashtags made their debut in social media—on Twitter—in about 2007. In 2014, the Oxford English Dictionary adopted this definition of hashtag: “On social media websites and applications: a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign and used to identify messages relating to a specific topic. Also: a hash sign used in this way.” (See, hashtag, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary (oed.com))

In “plain English”:

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#), written within a post or comment to highlight it and facilitate a search for it. Essentially, by including hash marks in your post; it can be indexed by the social network so that it can be discoverable to everyone, even if they’re not your followers or fans.

(Source: What are Hashtags and How to Use Them on Social Media (wix.com))

That’s the “What.” Now the “Why” and “How.”

According to the Digital Marketing Institute:

Hashtags are important on social media as they enable your content to be found by the right people. Using relevant hashtags helps give context to your content and drives traffic so that you can boost views, likes, and shares. The key is finding the right hashtags that match your content and appeal to users.

(Source: How to Use Hashtags Effectively on Social Media | Digital Marketing Institute.)

There are various types of hashtags. Wix.com identifies three: (1) content hashtags, (2) trending hashtags, and (3) brand-specific hashtags. I believe that LinkedIn provides a better, more detailed, discussion, identifying five types of hashtags: (1) location hashtags, (2) branded hashtags, (3) industry hashtags, (4) community hashtags, and (5) descriptive hashtags. (See, (30) HASHTAG CATEGORIES TO INCREASE REACH | LinkedIn.)

Here is a summary of each:   

Location hashtags are powerful tools for reaching a local or regional audience. Whether you're promoting a local event, a business, or simply sharing experiences from a particular place, incorporating location-specific hashtags can significantly increase visibility. For instance, using hashtags like #NewYorkCity or #London allows your content to be discovered by users searching for content related to those locations. Remember to be specific with your location hashtags to target the right audience effectively.

Branded hashtags are unique to your brand and serve as a way to foster community engagement and brand loyalty. Creating a branded hashtag that reflects your brand's identity or a specific campaign can help unify your content and encourage user-generated content. For example, #JustDoIt by Nike or #ShareACoke by Coca-Cola are excellent examples of branded hashtags that have gained widespread recognition and participation. When implementing branded hashtags, ensure they are memorable, relevant, and easy to spell.

Industry hashtags are tailored to a specific niche or industry, allowing you to connect with like-minded individuals and target audiences interested in your field. These hashtags help position your content within a broader conversation and establish your authority in your industry. Whether you're in technology, fashion, food, or any other sector, identifying and using relevant industry hashtags can help amplify your reach and attract relevant followers and engagement.

Community hashtags bring people with shared interests or affiliations together, fostering a sense of belonging and facilitating conversations within a community. These hashtags can range from hobbies and interests to social causes and movements. Engaging with community hashtags not only expands your reach but also allows you to connect with individuals who share similar passions or values. By participating in community discussions and using relevant hashtags, you can increase your visibility and build meaningful relationships with your audience.

Descriptive hashtags provide context or describe the content of your posts, making them more discoverable to users searching for specific topics or themes. These hashtags complement other types of hashtags and help categorize your content based on its subject matter. Whether it's #TravelPhotography, #HealthyRecipes, or #MondayMotivation, descriptive hashtags allow you to target users interested in particular topics or activities. When crafting descriptive hashtags, aim for clarity and relevance to maximize their effectiveness.

For additional assistance on developing hashtags, see: Infographic: The 5 Steps of Keyword Research | Digital Marketing Institute.

So, there you have it. A very basic primer on the What, Why, and How of hashtags—Hashtags 101. Next time you blog, or post on social media, think about adding a one or more hashtags. Some practice tips on using hashtags: (1) keep your hashtags short, (2) don’t overuse hashtags, and (3) think strategically about your target audience.

 Now, go forth and experiment! With a little practice, knock-on-wood, your social media reach and presence should grow.

 

MY PRODUCTIVITY HACKS, PART ONE: MULTIPLE WIPS by Max Jason Peterson

Photo by Max Jason Peterson

I’ll just say it: I love having multiple works in progress (WIPs). I’m aware that my method of creating works of art (written or visual) doesn’t appeal to everyone. But for me, working on multiple projects helps me make steady progress, continue to advance my artistic skills, and enjoy the pleasure and challenge of my own creativity, without getting stuck as often as I might otherwise. It also helps smooth out some of the ups and downs in productivity I have experienced when concentrating on only one project.

Although I have lots of projects planned, I typically tend to focus on two to four that I give top priority as far as what I’ll finish first. This isn’t set in stone; I do often work on other things in between, particularly shorter works. I’m also creating both writing and art projects, which are quite different skills, so I try to work both into any given week. With art, I typically focus on illustrating one chapter at a time, so I might be painting one piece or as many as six, but all are usually part of the same theme or storyline.

To start out, don’t worry if you only have one WIP. More ideas will come as you work. Once I started collecting ideas for stories, poems, and artworks, I found myself gathering more and more—probably far too many to complete in one lifetime. This is a good thing, though. It gives me the freedom to choose to work on the things I find most compelling or relevant for me in that moment. This is important, because enthusiasm can help carry a creator through the hard parts—and there are many.

Likewise, since my projects tend to be long (novels or highly detailed paintings), my completion rate is better if I have more ideas to choose from; the ones that excite me most are likelier to sustain my interest for the long haul. This is especially important for projects that carry a greater degree of difficulty—whether that be a heavier emotional burden, a lot of research, or learning new skills. Finally, by picking the projects that inspire me the most, I hope that the ideas that rise to the top will also be those of most interest to readers, and that my energy will translate into a more memorable experience.

Given my time constraints, I can’t wait for “inspiration to strike.” Instead, I line up projects that I know will inspire me enough that I want to work on them. If a particular project isn’t speaking to me that day—especially if the thought of it makes me feel too tired to write or make art—I consider whether it’s time to switch, depending on the reasons. Sometimes it is important to just power through: like when I’ve reached part of the narrative that’s emotionally challenging or requires me to push my abilities to the limit. But it might be time to switch if I need to wait to approach the material when I have more energy or information. Maybe I need time to collect reference shots, do research, or brainstorm for better story solutions.

While these are definitely part of the creative process and not a reason to grind to a halt, switching over for a day or two until you have time or energy to complete them can help you keep your creativity flowing and help you avoid feeling stuck. I’m not saying that one must create every day: but the more times when you want to create, and are able to do so, the more confidence you’ll have that you can create when you want to. And this definitely helps when you’re facing the blank page or a challenging part of your work.

Having the option to switch really does help me cut down on artistic blocks or exhaustion. After writing an emotionally draining chapter for one novel, I might need to focus on something lighter for a while to recharge and reawaken my sense of fun. Plus, taking a break between sections of a novel to write a poem, polish a short story, or make a small watercolor sketch can be refreshing. Completing things successfully boosts my confidence and satisfies my urge to make beautiful things. This translates into greater energy when tackling new skills or longer projects. “A change is as good as a rest” for me, creatively speaking.  

Generally, I do try to work in my projects in blocks whenever possible. Though I always have something going on with both art and writing, my aim with each is to finish a certain goal before moving to another project. (With art, the goal might be illustrating a chapter, which can include multiple pieces, but they’re related.) So I try to keep going on the project I switched to until I reach a goalpost, such as to edit a chapter or write a certain amount of rough draft. I set these goals myself before starting. It’s important to pick achievable goals, because you are training yourself to succeed.

Though I believe in the power of multiple WIPs, it’s important to not simply bounce between projects without finishing your goals. Switching too often—especially if you’re doing it to avoid hard work—can prevent you from sinking in deeply enough to make real progress. Pick a project and commit to it. (If you need to switch a few times at the beginning because whichever project you selected just isn’t working for you right now, that’s fine. Just be sure to settle in with the one you finally pick.) There’s another good reason for this: each time I switch, I need to refresh my memory on all the details about plotlines, characters, facts, and what I’ve already covered. So switching too frequently is inefficient, due to this startup time, especially with longer projects that have more to reload.

However, when the time comes to switch, the change is helpful not just to my mental state, but to the quality of the project. It gives me the chance to approach the work afresh. Rereading notes and previous sections to pick up the story threads often generates new insights and better story solutions. And, as an added benefit, it’s generally helpful to get some distance from a draft before editing it; switching projects gives you the time to come back with fresh eyes.

I find it helpful to create a lineup of which projects I’m concentrating on to finish first, and the order I’m working on them. This way I always know which WIP to work on next, and often this helps me dive in without spinning my wheels so much. And because I’m expecting it, by the time I switch, I’ve often collected additional ideas for the next project that provide momentum as I plunge back in. (Note: When ideas come to me for any project, I do stop to write them down. It’s frustrating to forget them, and this also helps me get started when I return.)

All this being said, sometimes one needs to take a break from creating altogether. This, too, is part of the creative process—letting yourself have downtime to enjoy life, relax, immerse yourself in your favorite media, appreciate nature, or take comfort in loved ones. Be kind to yourself.

And enjoy your creativity!

-------------------------

For more information about Max Jason Peterson (they/them), visit maxjasonpeterson.wordpress.com or the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram links through gardnercastle.com. Here’s a recent interview as Adele, but the author goes by Max in daily life.

AN AUTHOR BY ANY OTHER NAME By Michael Rigg

Many writers choose to hide their true identity and publish their works under pen names, sometimes referred to by the French phrase nom de plume, or the really fancy word, pseudonym. Why is that? Why wouldn’t you want to use your own name? After all, don’t you want proclaim to the world, “Hey, I wrote that!”?

According to Jennifer Sommersby, a/k/a Eliza Gordon, there are four primary reasons why a writer chooses to use a pen name: Confidentiality, Anonymity, Branding, and Gender Respect. Regarding Confidentiality:

Some writers want and/or need to keep their writing life completely separate from their day-to-day life, so that’s where a top-secret pen name might come into play. It’s very freeing to know you can write about something naughty or scary, and it won’t come up at a board meeting or in your employee review with an ultraconservative or snobby boss.

As for Anonymity? Many writers are introverts, i.e., they are not “attention-seeking weirdos.” Or, they want to maintain their privacy, especially “. . . after experiencing threats or other harm to their person or families.” Moreover, “Some writers want to make sure their kids or partners are protected from outside attention.”

Branding is another reason. If you write in different genres, having two names keeps the author’s brands separate. Can you imagine if Dr. Seuss also wrote erotica? (Maybe he did, but it certainly wasn’t under the name Dr. Seuss.) Or, “Think about Nora Roberts vs. JD Robb, though. Same author but two VERY different styles of books, right?” But, having two names can be very confusing at book signings.

Finally, there’s Gender Respect. “[T]he name on the front of a book can have an impact on a buyer’s choice.” Think of J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling’s publishers, believing that the stories would appeal to both boys and girls, recommended using initials (J.K.) and not the author’s name (Joanne). And Rowling’s not the only example. “Did you know George Eliot, acclaimed novelist and poet who wrote Middlemarch and Silas Marner, was actually a woman? Her real name was Mary Anne Evans.”

How do you find a pen name? One of the most famous is Mark Twain, the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. How he got from Clemens to Twain is very interesting.

According to the blog Connell Guides, “Before “Mark Twain” he was “Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass.” And before “Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass” he was “Sieur Louis de Conte,” “John Snook” and even “Josh.” But how did he settle on “Mark Twain”? Connell Guides continues:

Up until now there have been a number of competing theories about Clemens’s pseudonym. Most popular is the suggestion that the name derived from the riverboat call, “by the mark, twain.” Twain was an old-fashioned way of saying two, and the call referred to sounding a depth of two fathoms, which was just safe enough for a steamboat travelling down the Mississippi. The problem with this interpretation is that “twain” would have been an uncommon word choice on the Mississippi – [research by Kevin] MacDonnell . . . shows that Clemens’s own journals from his steamboat days use “mark two” instead of “mark twain.

The Nevada Sentinel newspaper claimed that the name came from the way a local saloon in Virginia City, Nevada kept a tally of Clemens’s bar bill by making chalk marks on the wall. “Clemens supposedly asked the barman to “mark twain” against his tab so often that the phrase became a nickname.”

Clemens himself debunked the The Nevada Sentinel’s claim in a letter, which reads:

‘Mark Twain’ was the nom de plume of one Captain Isaiah Sellers, who used to write river news over it for the New Orleans Picayune: he died in 1863 and as he could no longer need that signature, I laid violent hands upon it without asking permission of the proprietor's remains. That is the history of the nom de plume I bear.

Straight from the horse’s mouth. Must be true, right? Well, according to the Connell Guides blog, “MacDonnell, however, argues that this response is only a symptom of Clemens’s notorious tendency to tell tall tales and stretch the truth.” The blog elaborates:  

MacDonnell’s research led him to discover a sketch that uses the name in 1861, two years before Clemens says he adopted it. The magazine in question was the comedic journal Vanity Fair (unrelated to today’s Vanity Fair) – which Clemens later referred to as an early influence on his work. The sketch depicts a group of Charleston mariners who are “abolishing the use of the magnetic needle, because of its constancy to the north.” The characters involved are named “Mr. Pine Knott,” “Lee Scupper,” and “Mark Twain.

The three names are nautical puns: the first for dense wood, the second for a drain and the third for shallow depth. Clemens took a liking to the latter, adapted it and invented the Captain Sellers story later in order to promote his burgeoning series of riverboat writings.

Hmmm. A tall tale about a fake name? Seems like something Mark Twain would do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go whitewash a fence.

(Sources: Why do writers use pen names? — Eliza Gordon; Biography - Mark Twain House; and The origin of Mark Twain’s name – Connell Guides.)

Jammed Up by Judy Fowler

 

 

Ah, the fruit trees of Coastal Virginia. Since I moved here from the Big Apple twenty years ago, I've met at least twenty homeowners who wished their trees would be less fruitful. 

You don't see the problem coming when buying property. I once spotted a promenade of fruit trees behind a beyond-dilapidated house in Hertford, N.C., and all I could think of was the homemade jam I'd give away at Christmas. Now I'm grateful the owner turned down my offer. 

Last summer I crossed jam-making off my bucket list. When a retired friend called to say he wanted to surprise his adult son by clearing the son's backyard of a hailstorm of purple plums, I grabbed my inherited 1947 copy of Irma Rombauer's The Joy of Cooking and headed out.

My friend stood waiting for me to arrive. The soles of his deck shoes were stained purple. 

He accepted the five-pound bag of sugar I'd picked up on the way. "We're going to need a bigger bag."

I quickly saw the problem in the backyard. He'd collected five buckets of fallen plums but a thousand more plums—squished and not squished—blanketed the grass below one medium-sized tree.  

His son's immaculate kitchen featured a white countertop. My friend had placed ten small jars there. He turned two buckets-worth of fruit into the sink and ran water over them. My job was to find a suitable cooking pot. His son had two saucepans—one small and one medium-sized.

"We're going to need a bigger pot," I said. "Maybe there's one in the garage?"

"He'll be home by five, and it's already one-thirty. We'll use the larger saucepan. I'll cook. You read."

Our grandmothers and mothers had used Rombauer's cookbook, so faith in its author came naturally to us. I'd marked the section on jam-making with a stroke symptoms flier someone had left in the book. "Shall we make Plum Jelly, page 703, or Plum Jam, page 706?"

"Jelly's fine."

"'Plums have their own pectin,'" I read. "That's a relief because I don't know what it is. Do you?"

"Read on."

"Once the plums are washed, place them in the pot."

"How many?"

"She doesn't say." I wondered why the recipe didn't include cutting up the plums first. "'Boil them in water until soft.'"

He pushed as many plums as possible into the saucepan, filled it with water, and lit the burner. At my insistence, he poked holes in some of the fruit so they wouldn't pop open."What next?"

"'Strain when soft.'" I located a colander.

"What happens after we strain it?"

"'Put the juice through a jelly bag.'" 

Neither of us knew what a jelly bag was. "I can google it," I offered.

"Never mind," he said. "Whatever it is, we don't have one. We'll improvise."

Improvising. Red stains on the white counter. Not my son. I kept reading. "We need a two-cup measure. The recipe says, 'Empty into each cupful of juice ¾ to 1 cup of sugar. Boil four cupfuls at a time and taste each cup to be sure it's sweet enough.' Neither of us should be drinking all that sugar."

"They're boiling over. I'll turn off the heat and make the jelly bag."

"It says the jelly bag can be made of flannel."                                                                          "Unless you brought flannel pajamas or a lumberjack shirt I'll use this dishtowel." 

If the bag he fashioned failed us, his son's kitchen would end up looking like a crime scene. 

"RULE FOR MAKING JELLY, page 699 says pectin forms best in underripe fruit."

"You never said that. I'm boiling multiple levels of ripeness here."

It's taken me until retirement but I've learned not to say, 'I'm sorry,' to bossy men. "I thought Rombauer would make this a joyful experience."

"You're too optimistic as a person."

"I'm optimistic? Who's cooking five buckets of plums in a medium-sized saucepan?" 

"I've almost got this dishtowel into a funnel shape."

"I looked at the softened plums. He'd dumped in as much sugar as would fit next to them. "The recipe says none of the fruit should float. Some of these are still floating. I think you turned the heat off too soon."

He kicked one of the buckets part-way across the floor. That had to hurt. "Pour the stuff from the pan into that colander," he snarled. "I'll catch it with the rolled-up dishtowel and squeeze it into this mixing bowl." 

Only a trickle reached the bowl. I picked up the book again. "'If the jelly is to be clear and sparkling, do not squeeze the bag.'"

I'd never seen him set his teeth the way he did then. "How can I get any jelly out of the bag if I don't squeeze it?" The stains on his son's dishtowel grew. The formerly white counter was purple.

"Let's switch to jam," I said. "Jelly needs too many gadgets. Here it is. 'For Plum Jam follow the rule for Quince Jam, page 705.'"

By two-thirty, the only things we'd strained were our patience and the limits of our friendship. We had two half-filled jars. I wished I'd checked Google to see if any advances had been made in jam-making since 1947."Do you think your son would mind if I eat some of his granola?"

"This should be easier," he said. You must have skipped something."               

"Only lunch. You really needed a two-cup measure," I said. The recipe said to cook four cupfuls of jam at a time for twenty minutes. 'It should be thick and smooth.'"

"Twenty minutes after it's thick and smooth or twenty to thicken?"

"We've been at this for hours," I said. "Your brow is dripping sweat, and there's no dishtowel left to wipe it. The floor is getting sticky with jam." 

"Doesn't that book say anything helpful?"

"It says 'stir frequently from the bottom as it is apt to stick.'"  Gunk had hardened on the inside of each of our two saucepans. He tried to loosen it with a spatula.

"Try a spoon," I suggested. "My grandmother made jam and she always shooed me out of her kitchen with a spoon. Now, was her spoon wooden or metal?" 

I was playing for time. I didn't want him to know Rombauer had moved on to Fruit Butters. Once he'd found out, my friend walked the remaining buckets of plums one at a time to the end of the driveway. He hid all evidence of our jam-making disaster, including the dishtowels, in a neighbor's covered trash can. I scrubbed the counter, but I'd seen too many cop shows to think I could get it all out.  

 At five o'clock when his son walked in to say Happy Father's Day we were fighting over the remote and polishing off the last of a three-cheese pizza delivered by Door Dash. The son's dad was an OK liar. He said we'd given the fruit to a homeless shelter, which we certainly will do if there's ever a next time. 

 

 

YOU MIGHT BE A WRITER, IF . . . By KIMBERLY THORN

If you ever start out on Google or Bing researching a topic for your book but hours later you wound up watching talking dog videos on YouTube, you might be a writer.

 

If you have ever fallen asleep with a wonderful, fully plotted novel, but you wake up with you only remembering your dream of riding on a unicorn while saving the world from miniature robots, you might be a writer.

If you have had writer’s block for a week, but get into the shower and come up with that one scene that you’ve been working on for a week, you might be a writer.

 

If you keep a notebook and pencil by your bed to write great story ideas from dreams that you have had when you wake up at 3am, but can’t read your own writing, you might be a writer.

 

If you are working on a murder mystery and have to clear your search history because your scared you may be on the FBI watch list, you might be a writer.

If out in public you find yourself listening to peoples conversations and think to yourself, oh my goodness, that is so funny, that gives me a fantastic idea, you might be a writer.

 

If you are working on a story, only have three hours left in your deadline, debating with yourself if you should or should not submit it, you might be a writer.