 Mystery: May 06, 2015 Issue [#6975] |
  Mystery
This week: Everyone Has One Special Thing Edited by: Jeff  
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"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense
of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery."
-- Anaïs Nin
Mystery Trivia of the Week: Elaine Viets is not only an Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author, but also had a long career as a journalist that includes a twenty-five year career as a newspaper columnist, and an Emmy Award for her television news hosting.
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EVERYONE HAS ONE SPECIAL THING
Paul Thomas Anderson's critically-acclaimed 1997 film Boogie Nights has the tagline, "Everyone has that one special thing." While that particular movie perhaps takes those words literally, I think those words are nonetheless true for the rest of us, even if we aren't trying to make a name for ourselves in the adult film industry. The truth is that each of us is unique and brings a unique perspective and talents to the world.
Whether you believe that you were created by a higher power or merely a unique combination of billions upon billions of cells, DNA strands, and the like, the truth is that no one on this planet is exactly like you. (Except for your doppleganger... since we all have one out there somewhere.  ) Your talents and your experiences and your opinions and outlook on the world are a very particular blend that aren't shared by anyone else. Sure you might have similarities to some people, or even a lot of other people out there, but no one is exactly you in every way, shape, or form.
As authors, our job is to bring that unique perspective to our audience. It can be tempting to want to try and duplicate the success of others by writing your own version of Harry Potter or Fifty Shades of Grey or The Da Vinci Code, but the world already has those things and, unless you're feeling called to put your own unique spin on a similar type of story, chances are pursuing something just for the sake of duplicating someone else's success will likely create less-than-stellar results.
Working in the entertainment industry, I see a lot of people chasing trends. Superhero movies are huge right now, so we get a lot of scripts from people who are trying to do a rough approximation of successful superhero movies they've seen. And when a particular movie genre sees unexpected success (like thrillers did when the first Taken came out a few years ago), you'll see a trail of aspiring writers (and some professional ones) chasing the trend and trying to write their own version of Taken in hopes that studios will also want to buy their version.
Rather than chasing trends (which can end abruptly without warning... sometimes before you've even finished your own version!), I'd encourage you to figure out what it is about your own writing and perspective as an author that's unique to you. The world doesn't need another generic iteration of what was successful a few weeks or months ago... the world needs your unique voice and your unique way of storytelling. Whether your feeling called to writing something popular like mystery novels or something that has more of a niche audience like faith-based science fiction, don't be afraid to pursue the kinds of writing you're drawn to. And if you are drawn to a popular genre or type of writing, don't be afraid to put your own spin on it.
The best, most successful authors have unique voices and talents so that you know when you're reading one of their stories. They have at least one special thing that no one else has. I'd encourage you to find yours and make it as much a part of your writing as possible, until your own original voice stands out from the rest of the crowd. 
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"Blogocentric Formulations"
"New & Noteworthy Things"
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I encourage you to check out the following mystery items:
EXCERPT: It’s a strange feeling to know that days have been lost from your life. Not in a where did the time go kind of way, but in a very real way. My name is Katrina Hodges and there are 10 days missing from my life. During that period of time, several things happened that can be traced back to me. One of those things is the murder of my husband and my sister, who were having a torrid affair.
EXCERPT: Scott lay on his back in the garden. He lifted his legs and drew a shape with his feet. He liked to watch clouds. They formed into shapes and drifted with little, wispy trails. He followed one cloud. It streaked right down the sky, plunged over the hills and into the valley. “That could be a thunderbolt!” Scott thought. Other clouds he looked at had the shapes of animals or even of faces.
EXCERPT: “Order up!”
“I need a side of nachos with that.”
“Let’s get a move on, Hupfer, customers are waiting!”
It was a typical day at his part-time job at the local pizza joint, and Daniel Hupfer was ready to clock out. He was on his way out the door, when his boss' voice boomed behind him:
“Hupfer! Take out the trash on your way out, please.”
He let out an exhausted sigh.
So he went back, got the trash, and trotted out the back door. He tossed the garbage in the dumpster and his phone vibrated. There was a new message from a weird number that said: “I see you”
EXCERPT: In an small exotic town called Breelum, people were preparing for their new arrival neighbour, the Smiths. For a town which had close to no newcomers for the last century, they soon became viral among the curious Breelums. Before they arrive, the town was already filled with rumours about them. Some said the Smiths are secret agents from the government, some said they are just a few nice people wanting to find a new home to settle down in.
EXCERPT: I heard it said that a single phone could change the course of your life, and that is exactly what occurred that day. There was no way of knowing that when my cell phone rang at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, my life would take a very mysterious turn and end up in a place where I would have to question everything I believed about this world.
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Feedback from my last newsletter about motive:
blunderbuss writes: Hi Jeff!
Sorry to see you had no feedback last time but delighted to see my story highlighted in this newsletter's Editor's Picks! As to ratcheting up the motives and the multiplicity of them, I agree completely - it goes right back to Agatha Christie I think, as she littered her books with red herrings. Irritatingly though, she sometimes introduced a new character 'what done it' in the last few pages!
Thanks for writing in for this issue! 
Quick-Quill  writes: Mystery/thriller- I have been searching the audible book site for a good mystery. I don't want a detective series, a PI series, a romance novel (i don't mind a little romance) and I don't want some Jack Reacher thriller. What happened to the old fashioned mystery? Something went missing? A clue in an old house? a death long ago and clues were found recently. How about a a library with a secret door? A man or woman find an article of some sort and it leads them to a long lost relative with a pile of money? I've gone through a couple of hundred book titles and couldn't find more than a couple and the reviews on them were pretty bad. I want to read a mystery not write one (right now). SUBMITTED ITEM: "Sweet Revenge"
Audible can be kind of hard to navigate when it comes to discovering new material (since their reviews are both for the quality of the audio presentation as well as the work itself), so I usually find what I'm looking for on Amazon first, then just check to see if they have an Audible version that I can download and listen to.
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