Mystery: February 03, 2016 Issue [#7454]
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Mystery


 This week: Perfection
  Edited by: Gaby Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
~ Vince Lombardi

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
~ Colin Powell



Word from our sponsor

ASIN: 1945043032
Amazon's Price: $ 13.94


Letter from the editor

All of us strive to succeed. Yes, all of us. No matter what it is. Getting that job you've always wanted, getting that promotion, finishing the task you've set out to complete, write that novel you've been putting off for ten, twenty, thirty years. These are all things we strive to complete successfully. It also depends how you plan to do it that matters - it matters more than getting there. The journey can be more exciting than the final destination.

What does that mean in real life? Do you strive to achieve perfection as well?

Nothing in life is perfect. Not you, (Nope. Sorry that I have to tell you this, but no, you're not perfect.) not me. Each and every one of us is a compilation of random glitches and imperfections. Yes, even glitches happen. *Wink* Due to that imperfection, our writing won't be perfect. Our characters will resemble us - they'll have their faults and failures - and just like us, they are allowed to fail and fall, just to get up once again.

What's the most important thing in life? Love. What does every person need in their life to make it more exciting? Mystery. What do we crave? A lot of things, but underneath it all, we crave and look for similarities in each other. We want to and need to be able to relate to another person. It's how relationships are formed.

We create relationships with our own writing. It will never be perfect - it will be filled with things we may never fully understand - but somewhere in our own writing, we will find something to relate to and if we can relate to it, others will to. Failure is allowed. Perfection is overrated.

You may disagree with this and you're allowed to. Our aspirations may not be the same. Perhaps we'll never see eye to eye. Yet, if you expect perfection in everything you do, you've set your goals too high and when you fall, it will hurt. A lot. Be humble in what you want to achieve in life. Stay the course and enjoy life's mishaps, no matter how bad, terrible, or downright scary they are. You will learn from each and every one of them. We are here to learn, not be perfect... And that's what makes for a good mystery.

'til next time!
~ Gaby *Witchhat*




Editor's Picks

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#2073953 by Not Available.

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#961585 by Not Available.

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#590367 by Not Available.

 A Silent Civil War Open in new Window. (E)
It's the end of days...
#2072704 by ShadowK1tty Author IconMail Icon

 The Mystery of Whitey Open in new Window. (E)
An animal that shouldn't be white, but is, has been seen several times.
#2071998 by PureSciFi Author IconMail Icon

 
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Capture The Flag Open in new Window. (13+)
You've never played Capture The Flag like this
#2071757 by Author Ed Anderson Author IconMail Icon


 
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Ask & Answer

Comments in regards to my previous newsletter:

Patrece ~ Author Icon wrote:
Thank you very much for this extremely thought provoking newsletter. You make a lot of suggestions that your readers can grab onto and run with, in creating their story!


Thank you, Patrece! I have good and bad weeks when it comes to newsletters. *Bigsmile* I try to be helpful or at least thought provoking up to a point. *Wink*


Quick-Quill Author Icon wrote:
Wow did you hit me. I'm in the midst of a rewrite of my police detective novel. Since I wrote originally true to life (it an unsolved murder) I had to add things to spice up the story. Police work is boring. Following leads and writing reports. You have to adlib with conflict now and then to keep the readers interest. Lucky for me there was lots of conflict and threats, mob bosses running amuck. I hope this book gets as good a response as my last one.


That's great, Tina! Glad I could help - didn't mean to hit you. *Bigsmile* Good luck with the book, hon. I'd love to see it published and even more to have a signed copy of it.

By the way, I've watched the Maze Runner, the second part. Completely different from the first one and way out there. It felt as if they were trying too hard to catch up to Divergent series. My guess is, there will be a part three to that maze.

remusmdh Author Icon wrote:
Who, if anyone, watched the show Moonlighting? I loved it, and naturally, fell in love with Bruce Willis. What about Matlock or Columbo? Then there was Remington Steele with Pierce Brosnan. Another actor with whom I fell in love with. Aside from the fact that I had a tenancy to be mesmerized with the main characters - which hasn't changed to this day! - the shows were good. That was then. Now I see Matlock reruns and I change the channel right away. It all feels outdated and perhaps it is.

*raises hand* Yes to all those and Perry Mason too. And yeah, a lot of the older shows do not hold up well, lol. Racism, sexism, woefully bad procedure, lack of grasp of the basics of how the law actually works in a courtroom... lol.

Though when I read things like this newsletter I clearly see the definition of "mystery" it is using, but when I try to apply it to something I am or have written, things get more blurry. That said, the longer work I'm currently working on opens with an investigation into what looks like an old criminal back to her old habits.

Now regardless of the genre shift for the second part, the reveal that things are not as they seem, etc., I did find myself knee deep into answering many of the things you mentioned in this newsletter. Biggest one, that ended up having the most twist n turns for me the writer, was sorting who they do and don't work for, because legal authority and being able to present a paper trial that could win a court case... Where high on my list of priorities, not the least of which because of what I saw happen IRL years ago while working on the lower end of the law enforcement spectrum. Amazing how often professional incompetence can kill a case, but more interesting when one small, overlooked detail... Bites you in the ***. Which IS a key point for one of my two main characters, since she is the one who MADE that epic "minor paper work mistake" and a very bad person slipped off a hook.


I'm glad that my newsletter could help out a bit. That's good. Your story sounds quite intriguing. You should definitely submit it to the newsletters so we can share it with others. Keep up the writing! *ThumbsUpL*


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