From Bird to Butterfly: Transition to Blue Sky

By Elaine L. Orr

I feel as if I should hold a funeral for my Twitter (X) presence. Twelve years and more than 11,000 followers! I'd been contemplating this because of the growth in negative positioning. Until recently, I'd held out hope that Elon Musk would get bored with losing money on the platform and sell it. No such luck.

The final straw came with last Friday's change in Twitter's Terms of Service, specifically, "Twitter's new terms of service allow the company to use users' content to train AI, even if the user opts out." I don't think so.

So, as of yesterday, I've switched to Blue Sky, a similar (but very positive) social network that functions in a similar manner. My profile is https://bsky.app/profile/elaineorr55.bsky.social. 

As with the old Twitter, I'm following people with similar interests to encourage them to follow me back. I may never get to 11,000 followers, but I think it will be easier to interact with other authors and readers. I also found a pretty butterfly-with-blue-sky graphic. 

I read years ago that severely ill children draw butterflies because they can go anywhere unencumbered. I like that idea. That's a concept that can work for anyone who feels stifled.

If you want to learn how to use Blue Sky, which is truly a friendly place, I have one suggestion. When you sign up, you can choose subjects you are interested in. Posts related to those topics will appear in your feed. To keep your sanity, don't pick politics right now. You can see all those posts by putting a subject or name in the search bar, but  you won't be met with an onslaught of opinions when you open the site.

Finally, as I have no expert qualifications, you'll want to learn how to get started from someone else. They have help info on Blue Sky, but I also found another easy-to-understand resource:

 https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/why-bluesky

To constructive commentary.

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Making Your Fiction Matter

 By Elaine L. Orr

Mysteries that draw in readers do so not because the crime is intriguing and the sleuth skillful. They grab attention because what happens matters. 

In You Can Write a Mystery, Gillian Roberts presents the dictum that the fundamental element of drama is conflict. Mysteries embody a crime that means, "Live vs. death, law vs. order are now in conflict with the another, and the magnitude of of the offense forces action, either in the pursuit of justice for deeds already done or the pursuit of evildoers because of deeds they intend to do." The detective (amateur or professional) has to be passionately involved in the case.

As I continued to work on the first Senior Shenanigans novel (Fired Up and Feisty), I realized that while I loved the series concept and enjoyed the characters arising from it, I couldn't care enough about figuring out how someone died in the hotel fire in the opening segment. If I couldn't, why would anyone else? (See my October 31st post for portions of the early scenes.)

I realized I started the book in the wrong place. I mean, really the wrong place. I hadn't shown enough about the characters before the fire. What could pull on heartstrings? Where were the old grudges? 

Because Madge is the primary sleuth, the murder (or at least its resolution) had to matter most to her. I remembered (in Book 10 of the Jolie series, The Unexpected Resolution) reference to a friend of Aunt Madge's, whose scrapbooks from years teaching 2nd grade had a photo of Scoobie as a young child. That teacher (named as Mrs. Anderson) could not appear in the current book, because she had donated the scrapbooks to the library after she died. 

But what if she had a sister who was coming to the high school reunion fort he first time since Mrs. Anderson died? Helping her would give Madge a better stake in the story. And was Mrs. Anderson's death a purely accidental car crash? If not, who had something to hide?

Now I have the story that can leap forward. With that in mind, here are the first few paragraphs of Fired Up and Feisty.  

New Opening for Fired Up and Feisty

MADGE RICHARDS AND HARRY STEELE made their way through Arnie Newhart’s Diner toward the woman who sat alone at a booth in the back. The raucous atmosphere would befit Halloween or spring break at the Shore, but patrons were all senior citizens or, as their nephew Scoobie would say, Super Seniors. The annual Ocean Alley High School Reunion Weekend had begun.

Arnie stood behind the counter and raised his arms at them. “Mayor Madge, you never come to this bash, what’s up?”

Madge nodded toward the back of the diner. “We’re keeping Catherine Anderson company.”

Arnie’s nod was a knowing one. Catherine and her sister had been regulars at reunion events since graduation decades ago, but after Lenna’s death in a bad car accident during reunion weekend a few years ago, Catharine had stopped coming.

Madge often though of Lenna, a retired second-grade teacher who had been a close friend. When Catherine asked Madge and Harry to keep her company when she came to her first event without her older sister, they couldn’t say no, even though they usually avoided the so-called Golden Grad reunion events. Madge wasn’t one for partying in the past.

*     *     *     *

I think the new scenes will draw people in better than roaring firetrucks, and the diner scene can show key players through their actions and comments better than simple introductions later, at the B&B.

I'm on a roll.

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Aunt Madge and the Civil Election Wishes You a Good Day

By Elaine L. Orr

In 2020, I wrote a 17,000 word story about elections in the fictional Ocean Alley, New Jersey. As you can tell from the title, it was a friendly election and a good example of how to talk about issues. Plus, I had a fun time writing it. 

In honor of the 2024 election in the United States, I'm offering the book free for a couple of weeks. 

Keep calm and carry on.

Google https://bit.ly/3UoZJJ7

Amazon https://bit.ly/4fhVqan

ibooks https://bit.ly/3YnrKSe

BN https://bit.ly/3YcEPOc

Google https://bit.ly/3UoZJJ7

Enjoy!

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Senior Shenanigans Coming Up

By Elaine L. Orr

 In July, I asked readers if they would read a book with a senior sleuth. The blog post on the topic didn't engender much conversation, but a request to my mailing list drew some interest. The response was the universal one -- if it's a good story, we'll read it.

So, I kept writing. The co-protagonists (if that's a word) are Mayor Madge and George of the Jolie Gentil series. The premise is that the Aunt Madge and Harry's Cozy Corner B&B could host small tour groups of seniors who get into...interesting predicaments.

The books will likely be closer to novella length, though I've long since learned that stories go where they will. The first book is "Fired Up and Feisty." Ocean Alley High School's annual reunion weekend celebrates classes with five-year anniversaries, and always has a group of 'Golden Grads,' individuals who graduated more than forty years ago.

A fire at the Beachcomber's Alley Hotel puts its guests on the street, and local police ask Madge and Harry to bring the most senior members ti the the B&B. Problem is, one of them can't be found. 

Here are the opening paragraphs, in Madge and Harry's bedroom.

WHEN THE FIRE TRUCKS raced by the Cozy Corner Bed and Breakfast, Madge Richards had just shut her book and turned off the lamp by her side of the bed. Usually, she would drown out sounds by turning up the volume on her white noise machine, but she couldn’t ignore four or five trucks roaring by.

She nudged Harry’s shoulder. “Hey husband. Do you hear those sirens?”

He grunted. “I do now.”

They each raised on an elbow. “Can’t be good,” she said.

Harry put his head back on his pillow. “Sounds like something Mayor Madge should investigate.”

“Maybe her husband could drive her to the fire, in case there’s no place to park. You don’t have to stay.”

He sat up. “How many times have I heard that line when we head out to a parade or barbecue?”

She swung her feet to the cold floor and found her slippers. “You like the barbeques.”

And the morning after the Golden Grads arrive at the B&B:

MADGE AWOKE TO a rhythmic rumble under the bed and clicking dog collars as Mister Rogers and Miss Piggy turned in rapid circles. She opened her eyes more widely. “Is that an earthquake?:

They sat up and Harry swung his feet over his side of the bed. “Could be. We should…”

A loud voice said, “You have to stomp in rhythm!”

Madge threw back the quilt. “Good God. It’s five-forty-five. People are sleeping.”

Harry thrust his feet into slippers. “You have got to be kidding me!”

The same man’s voice called, “Five, six, seven eight. Shake your touche to find a mate.”

A woman yelled, “Cut it out, Harvey.”

As Madge and Harry lunged toward the bedroom door to get to the kitchen, footsteps thundered down the main staircase and a man, maybe Grayson Redford, shouted, “Don’t you idiots know what time it is?”

Where to Go from Here?

I've written 10,000 words. While I'm not struggling, I keep thinking I need to make everything funny. I have a quick wit for situational humor, but I need to stop worrying about the humor and tell the tale. Some humor will flow naturally, other comedic situations will grow with the story.

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The Value of "Getting Out There"

By Elaine L. Orr

Because of the pandemic and a couple of health "issues," I haven't been with readers as much as in the past. I've gotten a real charge out of two events in the last couple of weeks, with more on the horizon.

The first was a flea market for crafters and antique and collectible sellers at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. They said crafters, so I pitched books, and they said I could participate. I mostly wanted to meet a cross-section of folks beyond those who go to libraries and bookstores. I had a blast, and actually sold some books. 

Browsers included lots of children, which always makes me wish I would work harder on a couple of books for middle school kids. And not simply because everyone stops to talk to the children's book authors. 

This past weekend (October 26th) was the first author festival at the Springfield Barnes and Noble in several years. Sixteen authors sat in a U-shaped format, which made for a lot of interaction among authors and browsers.

I sat between a man whose fiction is based in part on his Vietnam era service and a group of poets. The best part of bookstore signings is the diversity. Second only to the fun.

As I looked for the photo at left, it reminded me of other Barnes and Noble events in Iowa and Indiana. 

In 2006, the Barnes and Noble in the Iowa City and Coralville area let me do a sole signing for one of my earliest books. My friend, the oft-published Leigh Michaels, and I sat together for a few hours and spoke to a number of people. I don't think I broke their sales records for the day, but it was a great experience. I look about twenty-five in the photo! Good camera angle.

When I lived in Indiana, the Barnes and Noble store in the Keystone Mall (near Indianapolis) was fantastic about working with authors. My Sisters in Crime Chapter often met there, and they regularly did signings in which a bunch of us would participate. 

It's a reminder of how much difference bookstores make in helping writers meet readers -- and advance their careers. Plus, we had a lot of fun, as you can see in the photo with another Indiana author, below. This would have been about 2011 or 2012, I think.

In a few weeks I'll do the annual ALUUC holiday arts and craft sale in Springfield, Illinois. It's so much more than that -- musicians, good food, and good company. I'll likely be the only bookseller again, and people tend to stop to talk for a few minutes. Mostly they ask where I get ideas, and I confess to having a mind that is part warped and  part hyperactive. 

I love independent bookstores, but for the first time in my life I don't live in a town that has one. I miss the sense of close-knit community that these smaller stores engender. Whether it's a large or small store, authors and readers make connections over books.

As holidays seasons grow closer, don't forget to give books to people in your life. I like to give books that have as the setting or context something the receiver is interested in, be it a hobby, vacation spot, or career interest. You can't go wrong with books.

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Meeting People Where They Are

 By Elaine L. Orr

In a discussion about books, libraries, and reading the other day, a small group discussed what they would most like to see libraries do. A dedicated reader said she wished libraries had space for small groups of people (such as family members) to use for quiet time reading together or reading aloud. I don't disagree, but I wished for a way to pull teens into the world of digital reading.

Why digital rather than "actual" books? Experience as a middle school sub lets me see the passion young people have toward all forms of digital access. Yes, games are popular, and social media is the king (or queen) of life for many. I don't see that changing.

Some kids like to read. In a class of 25 there could be three or four who pull out a book when they are done with a test or are in study hall. Some students will also say, "I don't read," if you suggest they pass time with a book.

When I monitored a study hall last week I did something I've never done. I put an earbud in one ear and listened to an Agatha Christie audiobook on my phone. I explained I'd done so because I usually have a book for down times, and had left it in my car. Several students asked how that worked and we talked about it for a minute. 

Though they can't have phones in class in middle school, they all own them. They can get fee audiobooks from the local library. I mostly use Chirp, because I can keep the books. Why couldn't the students use either of those?

I've decided to meet the students where they are, which is using their digital devices. I need to do some research -- for example, could they order digital audiobooks through the school library or does it have to be the public library? There's no point suggesting they do something if I can't answer the ensuing ten questions.

Then, what's the best book to recommend? Could I get a few kids to read the same one and talk about it? I'm going to talk to a few other authors and parents. Book suggestions are welcome.

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I Must Be Falling for Fall

By Elaine L. Orr

I’ve set a few books in summer and winter, but my season of choice is fall. It may have to do with the beautiful colors, but the temperatures are also pleasant after 90-plus degree weather. 

I'm not sure it's a good thing that I only recently realized that books three, nine and ten aren't set in the fall. Books nine and ten are in winter (because I wanted a certain wedding to take place New Year's Eve), and book three is in spring and summer because I wanted a Fourth of July event.

Here are my fall Jolie Gentil books (with Amazon links).

The prequel – Jolie and Scoobie’s High School Misadventures starts with Jolie's junior year, her only school year in Ocean Alley. It does span the year.

Appraisal for Murder – Jolie passes out Halloween candy as she solves a murder

Rekindling Motives – trouble starts at Jolie and Scoobie’s 10th high school reunion on a Thanksgiving weekend

Any Port in a Storm – think Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19^th) and hurricane remnants

Trouble on the Doorstep – starts with Super Storm Sandy, the late October storm that wasn’t officially a hurricane

Vague Images – Jolie manages to hit a deer during fall mating season

Ground to a Halt – kidnapping at a Halloween party!

Underground in Ocean Alley -- a nurse is murdered and Aunt Madge runs for mayor

Sticky Fingered Books – October is a time for murder in the daycare center

New Lease on Death – early October blends pumpkin spice coffee with murder

Phoning in a Murder – football season at the high school is not good for the marching band leader

I'm going to have to do some serious planning about books 15 and forward. Future books will occur as Jolie and Scoobie stay in their mid-thirties. Among the reasons is because Aunt Madge couldn't run a B&B into her mid-nineties! Or perhaps she could, but there are steps...

It's now fall in Illinois, where I live. Time to enjoy the mums and plan a new book.

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