Article: Murder Walls for Crime Novelists

A Murder Wall is a vital tool for crime novelists. Imagine trying to write a story without knowing your suspects or their possible motives. For any great crime novelist, your job is to treat your novel like a police investigation, following the clues and the evidence until it reaches the outcome or climactic resolution. If you watch most great crime dramas such as Law & Order and Without a Trace, you will notice that investigators often use visuals on a wall to keep each case organized. This is a Murder Wall.

Developing a fictional crime and its cast of characters can be confusing and overwhelming without a tool to keep everything organized. A Murder Wall shows the structure of the crime and the characters who are involved. On a wall close to your computer for easy access, tape up letter-sized pieces of paper featuring photos and key points on each character linked to a murder or crime. This technique enables the writer to visualize the cast of characters more fully, to give each suspect or victim a face and to bring them to life. It ensures that the basic facts of each character's existence are easily accessible. And it keeps you consistent with the facts of the crime and the evidence presented.

Creating the Murder Wall:

A Murder Wall consists of four main elements: the victim (s), suspects, witnesses and the killer (s). You will want to include important facts, clues and info on each victim, suspect and witness. On the killer's paper, I often find it helpful to have a picture of a silhouette, rather than the killer's appearance. It helps me to create the 'mystery of not knowing'. Then once I've reached the last few chapters, I may change this. This also acts as a 'non-spoiler' in case someone walks into your office and sees your Murder Wall.

Victims:
Basic info (name, age, occupation, marital status and physical description)
How did they die?
Time of death?
What motive would someone have for killing them?
What were they doing prior to death?
How are they connected to your suspects or other characters in your novel?

Suspects:
Basic info (name, age, occupation, marital status and physical description)
How are they connected to the victims?
What are their alibis?
Do they have a motive?
What clues can you leave to lead or mislead your readers?

Witnesses:
Basic info (name, age, occupation, and physical description)
What did they see or hear?
How are they connected to your suspects and to the victim?
What are their alibis?
Do they have a motive?
Will a witness become a suspect?

Killer (s):
Basic info (name, age, occupation, and physical description)
Motive
History and relationship to victim (s)
Preferred method of killing
Alibi

On the Murder Wall, keep the victim's paper in the center. Add the suspects around the victim, and add the witnesses along one side. Link a strip of paper from one paper to another if two characters had a past connection. For example, one suspect may know another suspect because he delivered her pizza the night before. The killer's paper can be off to one side and strips of paper may link him to one of the witnesses or suspects. Be sure to make notes on the strips connecting them.

Find photos of actors whom you think physically resemble your suspects and victims, and add a small photo to each paper. Most often writers already have a clear picture in their head as to what the character looks like. If you can draw, then go ahead and create your character. If not, then go online and search the celebrity sites. Pretend you are a casting agent. Whom would you cast in the role of the serial arsonist in your crime novel or the evil doctor in your murder mystery? One of the easiest ways to find your actor is to simply watch television. If you are looking for a face to play your slasher, then check out some of the detective shows. Find the face that inspires you, that makes you believe "Yes, he is Hans VanBuren, a demented, psychopathic killer!"

During your novel's progression, there will be many tidbits of information that you can add to each Murder Wall paper--secrets from their past, important clues and more. The key to writing a good mystery is to mislead the reader and drop clues in the guise of foreshadowing. Twists and turns are important elements of a good crime novel or mystery. And don't forget to list any bad habits your character might have. If she is a compulsive liar, make a note. If he's a shifty-eyed procrastinator, the note on his paper will act as a reminder and keep you consistent. As each character develops, continue to add any new information to each sheet. Plots change and characters mutate. They grow, they learn things, and they react.

Not only will a Murder Wall help to keep your suspects, victims and witnesses organized and in your face, you will start to really see them. And once an author can see her characters, there is a better chance that the reader will visualize them also. Choosing an actor to represent these characters will give them a voice, a stance, a personality, and life. No novel can survive without characters with depth, heart, soul and spirit. And a crime novel cannot survive without a strong motive!

A Murder Wall is an invaluable tool that will show you the victims, suspects and evidence in a clear, visible way. It will help you to plot a more believable crime, to create multi-dimensional characters, and to keep the crime, suspects and motives on track. It is much easier to plot or solve a crime when everything is laid out before you. Even criminals have a plan. Why shouldn't the crime novelist? And your plan should start with creating a Murder Wall.

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©2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, a Canadian mystery author, is the author of three published novels: Whale Song, an emotional mystery; Divine Intervention, a scorching psychic suspense; and her newest release, The River, a terrifying techno-thriller. http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Article: Building a Character Wall by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Building a Character Wall
©2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

For any great novelist, defining your cast of intriguing characters is the key to the success of your story. So how do you maintain the image of your characters--both their physical attributes and their personality? It's easy! Build a Character Wall...paper by paper.

A Character Wall is simply a character profile wall. It displays letter-sized pieces of paper featuring photos and key points on the cast of characters in your novel or story. It enables the writer to visualize his or her characters more fully, to give each cast member a face and to bring them to life. It ensures that the basic facts of each character's existence are easily accessible. And it keeps the author consistent with those facts.

There is nothing worse than reading a novel and having the handsome hero's hair color change from sandy brown to black, midway through the story. Or visualizing a ragged z-shaped scar running down the left side of his face in Chapter 2, only to see it miraculously change into a c-shaped scar running across his lower lip in Chapter 15. Of course, we hope that the editor catches these inconsistencies, but in essence, the author would be better off to have an easy and accurate reference. The Character Wall is exactly that!

Let's look at the key elements of building a Character Wall:

• You will need a wall--any large blank space near your computer where you can tape up a letter-sized pieces of paper for each key character in your novel.
• Label each paper with one character's name.
• Find photos of actors who you think physically resemble your characters, and add a small photo to each paper.
• Label the papers with each character's key attributes: profession, age/birthday, marital status/children, best friends and personality traits.
• Label each character's physical attributes: height/weight, color of hair/eyes, scars/tattoos, speech impediments/physical disabilities, speech/tone.

On the Character Wall, keep the main character(s) in the center. As you add the major secondary characters, try to position them in order of their relationship to the main character. Only add a character if they are important to the story or if you need background information or need to create a history, etc. Minor characters like the pharmacy clerk or the gas attendant won't be necessary unless they are truly part of the story. Consider them extras or background actors, unless they speak more than three times. Sometimes it is helpful to add a strip of paper leading from one major character to another, to help clarify their relationship to each other. Be sure to make notes on the strip.

Some authors have a difficult time naming their characters. Use the White Pages of your telephone book if you run out of ideas for unique names. Figure out whether each character has a nickname or shortened version of their name and note that on their paper. Pick names that fit each character and their specific role or personality. If your lead character is a tough, butch-like cop, don't name her Isabella Maria Fiori. This name would be more suited to the dead swimsuit model that your cop finds in the Presidential Suite of the Fairmont Royale.

Choosing the photos of the actors to play the roles in your novel isn't always easy either. Most often writers already have a clear picture in their head as to what the character looks like. If you can draw, then go ahead and create your character. If not, then go online and search the celebrity sites. Pretend you are a casting agent. Whom would you cast in the role of the mad scientist in your conspiracy theory novel or the dimwitted secretary in your murder mystery? One of the easiest ways to find your actor is to simply watch television. If you are looking for a face to play your private eye, then check out some of the detective shows. If you need a child, watch a good family show--if nothing else but to find that face. Find the face that inspires you, that makes you believe "Yes, she is Del Hawthorne!"

As a Canadian author, I have written three novels using the Character Wall method, and I recommend this useful tool to all fiction writers. I selected Charlize Theron and Johnny Depp as the Character Wall models for my most recent novel, The River, a nail-biting techno-thriller that is scheduled for release in late September 2005. In fact, if I have my way, Theron and Depp will become the actual actors in the movie version of my novel. My advice: "Put your Character Wall papers into a binder after the novel is finished, for easy reference and sequel info."

During your novel's progression, there will be many tidbits of information that you can add to each character's profile--secrets from their past, important dates and more. Don't forget to list any bad habits your character might have. If she is a compulsive hand washer, make a note. If he's a nose picker, the note on his paper will act as a reminder and keep you consistent. As each character develops, continue to add any new information to each sheet. Plots change and characters mutate. They grow, they learn things, they react. List anything important to the story.

The advantages of building a Character Wall:

• Not only will a Character Wall help to keep your characters organized and in your face, you will start to really see them. And once an author can see her characters, there is a better chance that the reader will visualize them also.
• Choosing an actor to represent these characters will give them a voice, a stance, a personality, and life. No novel can survive without characters with depth, heart, soul and spirit.
• For anyone writing a novel that might spawn a sequel or could become a series, the wall will act as a condensed information booth. Papers can be compiled into a folder or binder, and stored for future reference.
• And last but not least, you will have at your fingertips an entire casting list for the movie version of your novel―once Steven Spielberg gets a hold of it and reads it!

A Character Wall is an invaluable tool that will assist you in staying focused and on track. It will keep you true to the personalities and physical attributes of your novel's cast of characters. And like Rome, it won't be 'built in a day', but will evolve over the duration of the creation of your novel. If you build it, you will see your characters, hear them and breathe with them. So build that Character Wall--paper by paper--and watch your characters come alive.

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Cheryl Kaye Tardif, a Canadian mystery author, is the author of three published novels: Whale Song, an emotional mystery; Divine Intervention, a scorching psychic suspense; and her newest release, The River, a terrifying techno-thriller. http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Article: Book Signings Are Pure Gold by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Book Signings Are Pure Gold © 2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif So you've written a book, had it published and you are now facing the dreaded book signing or book launch. Your palms sweat at the thought of facing droves of people and actually having to talk to them. You are a writer, not a salesperson, right? Wrong! If you do not have the guts and determination to sell your own work, then why should anyone else do it for you? Book signings are your lifeline--your best friend--and they are pure gold. Before you step out into virgin territory and cross that boundary that is called a book signing, endless questions will bombard your brain. How many books should you expect to sell? What if you don't sell any books? And what if someone should ask that one little question that makes you quiver and shake in your shoes: "What's your book about?" In Canada, according to many of the managers at Coles, Indigo and Chapters bookstores, an average book signing is approximately $100.00 in retail sales. So if your book retails for $20.00, then selling 5 books would be considered okay. However, many authors have gone home without even one sale. Approximately 80% of authors will sell $100.00 or less; 15% will achieve $100 - $300.00 in sales; and only 5% of Canadian authors will see more than $300.00 in consistent sales. So where are the hundreds of book sales that you hear about in the news, and the long lines of people anxiously waiting all night? Unless you are J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Nora Roberts or you are on the New York Times Best Selling list, the reality is there won't be a lineup longer than a family of four, and $100.00 in sales represents a good Canadian book signing event. Now that is not to say that you can't sell more. What makes a good book signing? YOU DO! You set the tone by how you lay out your display on the table, how you dress and stand, how you think about signings, how you approach people, and how excited you are about your book. You represent your craft, your talent and your product. So how can you achieve sensational sales? Follow these simple guidelines and watch your sales soar: Tables should be covered with clean tablecloths. Books should be displayed in stands and not left in stacks on the table. Signage should clearly state why you are there and who you are. Posters with your book covers, book reviews and excerpts can be displayed if you have the use of a wall or a tabletop easel. Draw people in by giving away a prize. Have them fill out their email address on the entry form so that you can invite them to sign up for your e-newsletter. And NEVER, EVER GIVE AWAY YOUR BOOK. If the prize is your book, do not be surprised when your sales are non-existent. Why should they buy when they can win it? Present yourself in a friendly, approachable but professional manner by dressing accordingly. It is also important to dress according to the image you present as a genre or expert writer. For example, if you're writing a book on riding with the Hell's Angels and the photo on the back of your book is of you in black leather pants, don't show up in a three-piece suit. However if you're writing steamy romance novels, don't expect to show up wearing a dress with a ripped bodice. Professionalism is key. Dressy casual always works. And during Christmas time, glitter attracts attention. If nothing else, people will stop by just to see what all the sparkle is about. Body language can make or break a sale. If you stand with your arms crossed, no matter how comfortable you are, people will assume you don't want to be bothered. They will think you are unapproachable and will steer clear. You will get the same reaction if you turn your back. NEVER turn your back to talk to someone behind your table. Many sales have been lost by this thoughtless gesture. Stand with your arms loose by your sides or clasped loosely in front or behind your back. This shows that you are relaxed and easygoing. Monitor the crowd by sitting for short durations. Every crowd is different. Some prefer to check out your table while you sit. But never hide behind your table! Once you or they initiate conversation, stand up, smile and sell them on your personality. When you are preparing for an event, make sure your attitude is turned UP! Attitude is contagious! If you are excited about your signing, everyone you meet will be excited. If you are dreading it or telling yourself you hate book signings, everyone will see that and your sales will take a nosedive. Love those book signing events! They are pure gold! There are golden opportunities at every event. Media will often contact an author they have seen at a signing. I have personally had four interviews within two months because of a chance encounter at a signing. And there is no better way to become known than by public exposure. Everyone you meet should be approached with respect. Treat them as if they are the President of your Fan Club. Have a handout ready to give to anyone who passes by, but do not be the pushy credit card salesperson. Look for eye contact. Smile and greet them. Then offer something to draw this potential fan to your table. Business cards, brochures and entry forms for a contest work wonders. Talk to them while they fill out the form and tell them: Who you are, What you are doing, Where you'll be next, When you'll be there and Why they should buy your book now. Know exactly what to say when someone asks: "What is your book about?" Think of a movie trailer for your book. How would the announcer describe it? Be prepared by writing down a script and practicing it before your signing. Be enthusiastic, positive and animated, and your audience will be intrigued. When the opportunity presents itself, hand them a copy of your book to feel and look at. The action of placing that book in their hands will dramatically increase your sales. Invite them to read the first page or chapter. Then let them know that you would be happy to autograph the book for them. High, consistent sales depend on three things: a good product, knowing your target audience and having a great attitude. If your product is full of obvious typos and glaring errors (especially on the back cover), you've wasted your money and your potential fan's time. Make sure your books have been edited by three pair of unbiased eyes before you self-publish. Nothing will turn off a sale faster than improper use of punctuation and spelling missteaks. Know your target audience. Know exactly who would buy your book for themselves and who would buy it as a gift. And always monitor your attitude, reminding yourself throughout the day that every person you meet is a potential sale. Follow the guidelines above and remember that the most important aspect of any event can be summed up by two words: HAVE FUN! Relax and enjoy the fact that you are a published author and that you have a book that is worthy of public adoration. If you have an exceptional product, are positive and lively, know your target audience and follow these steps, then you will be one of the few authors in Canada who will consistently sell more than $300.00 per book signing. You must BELIEVE in your book in order to effectively sell it. You must also believe in yourself, in your skills as a writer. You must become a shameless promoter. Why should you feel shame? Your book is worth promoting, right? Enjoy every opportunity you have of turning a book signing into pure gold. "Fear is contagious. So is courage. Courage can't help you, unless you allow it to." ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the author of Whale Song, Divine Intervention and upcoming new release, The River. She has appeared on television and radio, and has been featured in newspapers and magazines across Canada and the US. According to bookstore managers, Cheryl has the highest and most consistent book signing sales in Edmonton, and has often surpassed $500.00 in sales for one signing. She is also the owner of BookAdz.com, a site that promotes Canadian and American authors, and she is the creator of A.F.T.E.R. ~ Authors For Tragic Event Relief, http://www.aftercanada.com/. You can email Cheryl at cherylktardif@shaw.ca or visit: http://www.cherylktardif.com/ or http://www.divinenovels.com/ © 2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif