If only. . . .

 How many times have you said these words? “If only. . .”

“If only I had more time. . .”
“If only I had more money. . .”
“If only ___________.” You can fill in the blank with whatever you chose.

Well, you get the idea. The point is that, when we use the term “if only,” we’re wishing things were different than they are. I’m pretty sure that most, if not all of us, have uttered the phrase at one time or another. Reality is not exactly the way we want it to be so we wish for it to be different. And then we'll be happy.
  
When I was a little girl, I looked forward every week to watching Walt Disney Presents on TV. I loved all the segments, especially the Davey Crockett episodes (Fess Parker was my first love) and the Mickey Mouse Club. My favorite part was the beginning of the show when Jiminy Cricket sang, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires, will come to you.” 

Back then, I had a habit (still do) of saying, “I wish. . .” And my father would always respond, “Wish in one hand and you-know-what in the other and see where you have the most.” In other words, don’t live in the Land of What Isn’t. Live in the Land of What Is.

As an adult, every time I hear myself say, “If only” or “I wish,” I think of Dad and I have to smile. His was great advice but something I have yet to master. Because, sometimes, I’m not all that keen on reality. Which, I'm sure, is one of the reasons I’ve always loved fiction and why I knew, at an early age, that I wanted to be a writer. 

Of course, like it or not, we all have to deal with reality but sometimes we need a break. When I read a good novel or work on writing one of my own, I escape to another place: the Land of Fiction, a truly remarkable place.

Book and/or movie?

I think most authors dream of the possibility that one or all of their books will someday be made into a movie or a TV series. I mean, think about it. Imagine seeing the characters and the story you created on the big screen or, more likely these days, on television. What a thrill, right? Not to mention the money you’d be paid for the movie rights. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? The fact is, I think it just might be. 

Off the top of my head I can only think of two instances where I read a book, later watched the movie and was pleased with the casting choices and the way the producers adhered to the storyline. The Godfather and Gone with the Wind. I’m sure there are lots of others but, for me, they were the exceptions because most movies I’ve watched recently, which were adapted from novels I’d read, did NOT stay true to the book. And, to be honest, that bothers me.

For example, I love the Hallmark mystery movies and I think, overall, they do a great job producing them. I especially enjoy the movies based on books I haven’t read because watching them is my introduction to the characters and the story.

However, some of the ones I’ve watched - where I had previously read the book/s - were disappointing. Why? Because there were too many discrepancies between what the author wrote and what I was watching. In some cases the producers omitted elements of the novels that I believed were crucial to the plot. And, in other cases, their choice of an actor/actors was lacking. The actor simply was not like the main character or supporting character I’d grown to love and care about. So, for me, the movies lost a lot of their appeal.

Well, you might ask, doesn’t the author have a say in choosing the actors and approving the script? From what I understand, they do and they don’t. In other words, although their opinions are requested and sometimes honored, the producers have the final word.

Authors:

Now for the big question: If you were offered the opportunity to have your books made into movies, would you accept?

Readers:

Given the opportunity to read the book or watch the movie – or both – which would you choose?

Letting our characters speak for us

Novels make excellent vehicles for self-expression, especially when we occasionally let our characters speak for us.

For example, I love clichés and I use them a lot in my "real" life. But, as all writers know, they’re frowned upon and considered lazy writing in novels. Writers are supposed to come up with new and innovative expressions even though clichés became clichés because they get the point across in a way that everyone immediately understands; they’re universal. But, that’s the way of the writing world. 
So, when Olivia, the octogenarian in my Malone Mystery series, says something like “Davey, you look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” because of her age, she can get by with it. I smile every time she does.

And, when one of my characters expresses an opinion or vents about something that also happens to be how I feel, it feels good to put it on paper. For example, I'm tired of all the commercials on TV, especially the medical/pharmaceutical ones, and I mute most of them. As it happens, Louise, another character in my Malone series, feels the same way.

She wanted to throw something at her TV and shatter the screen when she saw the constant barrage of advertisements for one pill after another to treat everything from depression to a leaky bladder. The only thing that stopped her from destroying her television set was knowing how much it would cost to replace it.

Now mind you, Louise is not one of my most likeable characters but she does make some valid points.

Kate, the main character in Secrets in Storyville, my first small town mystery, is definitely - to use a cliché - "a woman after my own heart." She knows when to say the right thing while thinking something entirely different. 
In the book . . . Kate has a flat tire and, just as she’s about to change it:

I turned around and saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing jeans, a red flannel shirt and boots get out of a blue pickup truck. As he walked toward me, I couldn’t help noticing how good looking he was.

“Can I give you a hand?”

A hand, a foot, your whole body. Instead, I said, “Oh, that’s okay. I think I’ve got it figured out.”

What if?

The two little words "what if?" can be both harmful and beneficial depending on how we use them.

In our daily lives, if we constantly ask ourselves that question, we will become chronic worriers. "What if I loose my job?" or "What if he/she never speaks to me again?"
As writers, that question can be harmful too. What if no one likes my book/s? What if I don't get any positive reviews? Or, worse yet - What if the only reviews I get are negative?
The list can go on and on, taking on a life of its own, overwhelming us. We are tense and stressed, which wears on our health and our happiness. I try not to ask that question in my personal or professional life.

My fiction is another story, pun intended. I've learned that those same two words can provide the plot for a scene or an entire book and they can create tension and suspense.
For example:
What if the reader knows that the killer is hiding in the basement but the main character - let's call her Laura - doesn't know?
What if Laura is about to go down there?
What if Laura's next-door-neighbor is a voyeur, always secretly peeking in her windows?
And, what if, while he's watching, he sees a man attack Laura and rushes to her rescue?
So many "what ifs."

In my new release, Secrets in Storyville, Kate has made some shocking discoveries, long buried secrets which, if she chooses to reveal them, could have disastrous results. As she struggles to decide what to do, she finds herself constantly asking "What if?"

Escape from Reality

Today’s world is a constantly changing, complicated, confusing place. Every day, we’re bombarded with old and new things to worry about and fear. And then, of course, there are the everyday personal problems we all struggle with: aging parents, concerns about our children or grandchildren, issues on our jobs, health concerns, money worries . . . .

Sometimes, when we close our eyes at night, our minds refuse to let go of our problems. We're tired, we're sleepy, but sleep refuses to come because our minds are busy obsessing about one thing or another. So, how do we stop that from happening?

I can't speak for anyone else but I can tell you what works for me most of the time. I read in bed every single night. As a matter-of-fact, I can't go to sleep without reading at least a chapter or two  - usually a lot more. Why does this work? Because no matter what problems I have, when I get into a good story with a main character I've come to care about, I become more concerned about what's happening with (and to) them and my problems move to the back of my mind.

Here's an example: As I write this post, I'm reading After the Storm, a Kate Burkholder novel, by Linda Castillo. I've read several books in the series and highly recommend them all. In this book, Kate is faced with some very serious personal and professional issues and, as I turn the pages, Kate's problems overshadow mine. 

When I close the book for the night - usually when I can't keep my eyes open another second, any thoughts I have are about Kate's situation - not mine. And, before I know it, I'm asleep, secure in the knowledge that I can pick up where I left off tomorrow night and that, by the end of the book, the author will have resolved all of Kate's problems and tied up all loose ends.

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By coincidence, my new release, Secrets in Storyville, also has a main character named Kate, who has a big decision to make. Should she reveal the secrets she's uncovered even though doing that could destroy her family? As you turn the pages, I hope you will come to care about Kate and her problems and that you will forget about your own - at least for a little while. Happy Reading!