Superfluous Phrases – What Do They Mean & Why Do We Use Them?

By Jill Amadio

Often writers allow a well-known and well-worn phrase to trip off the tongue- or rather, onto the keyboard – to mark a particular moment in a story, just as we do in real life. In fact, to catch a moment in time, as in, “At this moment in time.”

What does that mean? Obviously, the first three words refer to a specific time frame, to the exact fraction of a second that is being noted. Exactly. It is a method for stating, or pointing out, that a moment is to be marked. All well and good.

 So why do we also need to add the words, ‘in time?’  Surely we are already talking, or writing, to pinpoint something that requires noting as to time. We want to make it stand out, with our ‘at this moment’ that alerts the reader to note the moment. Why, then, employ the redundant ‘in time’ to add to the statement? When else would it be happening if not ‘at…this…time?’

 If the ‘something’ happened earlier or later, the writer will be sure to note it, probably with a detailed following sentence or paragraph to explain the time lapse or hint at a future action.

Another hackneyed phrase that rather galls me is ‘Right now.’ This second phrase, in itself, poses another question – what do we mean by ‘right?’  The ‘now’ word is fully understood, but whence came ‘right’ in this sense? We often use ‘right’ as a confirmation in place of ‘correct,‘ to signify to the other person their words ring true, but it is rather inelegant. 

Here are other common phrases I don’t catch in my stories until perhaps my second or third draft:

Open any book, skim a few pages, and you are fated to come across ‘faded jeans,’ ‘a pale face,’ ‘the rugged terrain,’ or ‘winding road.’ These are all beautifully simple descriptions (a couple from Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls) that tell the reader in easy terms what we want them to know without going into unnecessarily exotic language.  Just writing a well-known phrase in the correct context can provide the reader with an instant understanding of what is meant.

One of my favorites is ‘standing pat.’ It makes no sense whatsoever on its face. Yet, it has a sense of mystery because ‘standing’ and ‘pat’ appear to have no relevance to each other, yet they belong together. And, incidentally, could provide us with the basis of a plot.

One can assume the phrase to be a description of someone named Pat. Was she standing up when the phrase was created? Was the word ‘with’ missing so that phrase may originally have been ‘standing with Pat?’ It does suggest a sense of loyalty, of being at the side of Pat. Yet, the word ‘pat’ has many meanings, as well as a person’s name, although I doubt it means ‘to pat’ as in patting a pet.

So many other phrases we use are hackneyed but perfect for the moment in time (sorry). Trying to find a substitute to avoid sounding boring can take up too much time, and even sound unnatural.

A foreign character’s use of phrases in their own language often introduces an interesting change of pace as long as there is a way to translate it, if necessary. This can easily be undertaken in conversation, while other remarks may not need any translation at all. In fact, we don’t realize that many words have become part of our own English language. Someone told me that English is based on German, while someone else swore it was based on Latin.

All that writers need to remember, I would say, is how rich and versatile English is, and how fortunate we are to be able to dive in and select whatever we choose.

 I recently bought an ebook from Amazon for my Kindle Fire, selecting a mystery at random. Not until the second chapter did I notice it was set in Norway and authored by a Norwegian.  Bravo!

**

.

This article was posted for Jill by Jackie Houchin

Listening to Stories: Why I Love Audiobooks

By Jackie Houchin

The first audiobook I ever listened to was Robinson Crusoe, from Books On Tape, way back in the 1970s. I was cleaning multiple horse stalls twice a day back then, and I needed an escape!  An adventure on a deserted island with a guy named Friday had me hooked. I rented hundreds more.

Then I found Audible and began cautiously buying digitally recorded books. Currently, I have an account that allows me to buy 25 books per year for a nicely discounted price. Others are available through Amazon/Audible.

Later, I discovered Chirp, a deeply discounted audiobook seller. Sometimes I can get a book for as little as $0.99!

Libby is a library app that allows you to rent books and audiobooks at no cost. But friends tell me they usually have to WAIT for books to become available.

*****

  • For this post, I decided to try Libby.  The app is free, but you need a library card.  I put in my Mission Viejo Library card number & pin. Thousands of book titles appeared. 
  • I narrowed my choices to “audiobooks,” “available,” and “juvenile” to get a list of 4th-6th grade books. (Quick to read for this blog post.)  I selected “The Sherlock Files: The 100 Year Old Secret” and pressed “Borrow.”  And there it was, with cover, synopsis, reading time, volume, and speed controls.  I could keep it for 21 days.  FREE.  Okay, not bad. 
  • I finished the 3-hour book. It was fun, and the narration was good.  When it was over, I simply pressed “Send Back,” and the book was gone.  Easy-peasy.
  • I did search for other books, and of the three that I wanted, none were stocked at my library.  So that’s a bummer.  But I will definitely go back to Libby.

*****

Yes, I am addicted to listening to books.  Here’s why.

  • AVAILABILITY.  I can listen to books anytime and anywhere. I have Bluetooth, so I do not wear clunky headphones. No one can tell if I am on a spaceship to Mars, helping Lane Winslow solve a murder in 1941 British Columbia, or learning about Extra Virgin Olive Oil. While I walk, drive, wait for appointments, wash clothes (or floors), and cook, I can be entertained or educated. 
  • NARRATORS.  Good narrators transport you to times and places far away. (It is the next best thing to travelling.) In a series, a repeat narrator immediately puts you into the familiar setting with people whose voices you already know.
  • NO EYE STRAIN. Audiobooks don’t stress your eyes. These days, my eyes become blurry and sting when I read print too long.

Okay, there are downsides too, and you have probably guessed the first big one.

  • COST.  A newly published audio bestseller can cost $25.00 or more. Yes, you own it, but you cannot share it with a friend, give it away, or sell it.
  •  The annual fee at Audible averages $9.15 per book, so I usually save these credits for new, popular (expensive)  books throughout the year.  
  • Chirp is far more reasonable, but their books are not as new, and often are a genre I do not want to read.  
  • But now, of course, I’ve found the Libby lending library.  I suspect the choices are limited.  But I’ll give it a try.  After all — FREE!
  • NARRATORS.  Some are horrible. Sorry, but it has to be said.  I will not buy or rent a book narrated by Scott Brick.  And there is a woman too…  Audible is good about that and will refund the cost if you return the book quickly.
  • BOOK REVIEWING.  If you are a book reviewer like me, audiobooks make it harder to pick out quotable lines or memorable details. With print books, you can bookmark, highlight, or pencil in notes. But, unless you want to immediately jot down a note, it is difficult to find details you missed (or forgot) in an audiobook. 
  • When reviewing one, I usually write out a rough draft immediately after finishing the book. Then, to ensure I am spelling characters and place names correctly, I will often check them on the website. 
  • Unfortunately, “hearing” something doesn’t stick in your mind the way “seeing” it does. 

Yes, I still read print books.  I have to; not all books are recorded!  But I try to avoid fine print and extra-long tomes. Hence, the middle-grade books. (HEY! Some of them are fantastic!!)

I also read digital Kindle or Book Funnel books, where I can adjust the font size. However, on my phone, that means flipping pages quite often. (I don’t have an e-reader.)

###

So, do you prefer audio, print, or digital books for your reading? What are your reasons?  Do you have a favorite audiobook you can recommend?  How about a favorite narrator?

***By the way, CHIRP now has THREE audiobooks by our own Linda O. Johnston on sale for just $3.99!    “3 Pet Rescue Mysteries”

###

PS: I know it’s difficult to comment on this website, so if you like, you can respond to me via my email at Photojaq@aol.com, and I’ll post your comment here.
















	


	





	

		
		
A Writer Wastes Nothing
	


	
	
	

		

by Maggie King





“A writer wastes nothing.” This saying is attributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald. The renowned writer mined his college years to create his debut novel, the autobiographical This Side of Paradise.





I recently attended an outdoor event in a local park and feel inspired to write about it—in fiction form.





The crowd at this event was large, the air heavy with humidity. Virginia is a steamy place in the summer! I drank little water as I was unsure if facilities were available or even nearby (they weren’t). After standing for over an hour, the crowd started to leave—slowly.





A feeling of lightheadedness came over me and my vision blurred. To say I was frightened was an understatement. I was with friends and the crowd was friendly, so I wasn’t in danger. But the feeling of losing consciousness is scary and uncomfortable under any circumstances.





One of my friends let me lean on her until we came to a tree where I sank to the ground and sat back. People gave me bottles of cold water to drink and press against my wrists. I ate one of my melted protein bars. In no time I felt revived, grateful that I hadn’t passed out. A couple of EMTs showed up and took my vitals (they pronounced them fine!). I opted not to go to the hospital. Dehydration was named the culprit.





One of my friends left to get the car. The EMTs parted the crowd for me, and one of them stayed with me until the car arrived. While we waited, she asked what I did for work.





“I’m a writer, and I’m already planning to use this experience in a story.”





After all, a writer wastes nothing.





As I know how frightening it is to feel on the verge of losing consciousness, I can bring a visceral feeling to the story. My imagination will ratchet up the danger, raise the stakes. Possibly elements of a Hitchcock film I’ve seen is inspiring me as well.





My preliminary idea is based on a series of what ifs:





    

  • What if this is a hostile crowd, in addition being a slow moving one?
    • 






    

  • What if my character, a woman, is alone?
    • 






    

  • What if the heat and humidity make her feel lightheaded and make her vision blur?
    • 






    

  • What if she is carrying a quantity of cash and/or jewels that she’s stolen?
    • 






    

  • What if she is being pursued–by law enforcement? Another criminal? Both?
    • 






She must stay conscious and she must evade her pursuer.





Yikes!





A writer wastes nothing.





Has a personal experience ever led you to write about it, especially in fiction form? Tell us about it.  











	


	





	

		
		
Telling Your Story
	


	
	
	

		
by Gayle Bartos-Pool




Whether you’re self-published or have the backing of a big publisher, a writer still needs to get a short version of their own life story in shape for that occasional interview they might do for publication or even a live broadcast. If the person doing the interview knows his job, he will have handed the author a set of questions ahead of time, so the writer isn’t blindsided by a question. That’s professional. Sometimes the person doing the interview will ask if there are questions the writer wants asked because often the writer has a story to tell that the person doing the interview will have no idea exists. This will make the interview unique. That’s good for everybody, even the audience who will get to meet somebody with an interesting story. For the writer, that doesn’t mean only the story in the book he just wrote.


Recently I had the opportunity to do both a written interview and a live talk for a local show where I live in Ohio. The first interview was done by a fellow writer, Jill Amadio, who started out as a journalist for a British magazine before she wrote her first mystery featuring a gal who was a gossip columnist back in Britain who has to leave the country because she did too good of a job digging up dirt only to trip over a body or two here in the States. Obviously, Jill knows a lot about writing for a magazine. That book is Digging Too Deep. A great read.


https://promotingcrime.blogspot.com/2025/06/jill-amadio-in-conversation-with-gayle.html


She asked if she could interview me for a mystery magazine, Mystery People, published in the United Kingdom.  This was fun. Working with the questions she first provided and adding a few of my own in order to tell my story, we came up with a good interview.


As writers, we need to get out in front of people and tell them not only about the book we wrote, but also a little bit about ourselves to let our potential readers know where we came from and maybe how we got the idea for our novel.


I have been doing this for a while, but it was only recently that I wrote my autobiography to tell people who I am. I learned a lot about myself. That’s why I recommend that everyone write their own story whether you write novels or do something normal…Sorry, I digress.


Having gotten to know myself doing my autobiography sure helped when I did these two new interviews. Not that I didn’t know who I was, but I needed to get organized. First, I wrote out basically what I wanted to say about my life and writing career. Then I wrote out a script like doing a movie. I had taken acting classes back in California when I wanted to write for television and/or the movies because I thought knowing what the actor needed from the writer would be a good idea. It was.


I wrote a script. I cut out stuff and added stuff until I had a fairly clear idea where I came from and how I got to be who I am. Then I rehearsed it. Two or three times a day. Even when I got into bed at night, I went over the script. As I walked around the house, I timed it. The televised event would be no longer than an hour. I made sure I could do all the aspects I wanted to cover in those sixty minutes. Then I rehearsed it a few more times.




The 54 minute interview is on the Avon Lake Library website: https://www.avonlake.org/communications-technology/videos?action=show&video=MjkwNg==


It was a challenge, but writers have to try new things in order to get our name out there so people know who we are and what we do. And, frankly, this was fun.


The written version for the British interview covered the highlights. The televised version was longer with some hand gestures thrown in to make a point and even photographs to add to the story. Those acting lessons allowed me to do the event without standing there like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz before Dorothy came around. You cannot imagine the confidence those acting lessons gave me.


So, you writers might want to work on several versions of your story in case you’re asked to do an interview. Short ones and longer ones. It gives you a head start. And something else, it might get you interested in writing your own autobiography. You do have a story to tell.




 Continue reading “Telling Your Story”

	


	





	

		
		
LIFE IS RESEARCH
	


	
	
	

		
 


by Linda O. Johnston


At the moment, I’m continuing to write enjoyable stories in my new series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, about K-9s and PIs. Have I had to do research? Of course,  even more than I’ve done before about K-9s and their commands. 


But my entire life tends to be research. I love to read and write about animals, especially dogs, so whenever I can, I investigate pets and wildlife in different areas, and how they act, interact, and do their means of communication. I read books, newspaper articles, and more. 


 And then I look out my front and back doors and windows. I see murders of crows, individual mockingbirds and other birds, lots of squirrels getting into trouble with my husband since they like to eat the fruit he grows, people and dogs going by on walks, vehicles that turn or park in the wrong places…all could be fodder for stories. Yes, even the people who drive those vehicles. I’d never get near them or hurt them in person…but my characters in a mystery just might approach and commit murder or whatever. 


Yes, my mind is always at work. Researching…and plotting. That happens when I go shopping. When I see events at the nearby Hollywood Bowl or other fun locations in my area—and when I travel too. Flying, riding Ubers and Lyfts and otherwise. What’s around—buildings? Waterways? My mind keeps watching and waiting and plotting. Lots of photos and notes! And my dogs also keep telling me what to do and when and what to write. 


And you, if you’re a writer? Where do you get your ideas? How do you research them? What do you look for moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, or more?









	


	





	

		
		
LONDON’S WORLD OF WORDS AND STORIES ….
	


	
	
	

		
  By ROSEMARY LORD




“London Bridge is falling down…” so the song goes. Well, it’s not. It is thriving, bustling with people, merchants, tourists and local inhabitants who love this very special part of London.


I was there recently visiting my family in England. I had a meeting with my new Editor at Harper Collins Publishing offices (I still get a kick being able to say that: “My publishers, my editor”!) at London Bridge. Many of the major publishers and newspapers are housed in this towering building that is right next to London Bridge tube station.


Security was very tight. As I approached the main entrance to the office tower, security guards stopped me, ready to turn me away. But I had an appointment and had to show my ID, which was checked against the computer appointments records before I could walk through those hallowed doors. Once inside the lobby, I was checked again by security and ushered through a metal detector. Just like at the airports. I had to wait until someone came to escort me upstairs. And when I left, I was chaperoned back through the same security system. So, this is what it’s like working in London today! Not quite the fun, easy-going offices I recall from my days of writing for the teenage magazine Jackie and the host of women’s magazines in Fleet Street.


My brother Ted had accompanied me and waited patiently nearby until my meeting was done. We had decided to explore the area of London Bridge and Borough Market – the new Hot Spot in London.  The hip, cool place where the young hangout. Pop-up food stalls proliferate; vintage clothing stalls, cosmetics, tattoos, stacks of vintage records for sale, ‘Bubble Tea’ adverts and music from all over the globe wafted through the crowds. I never did find out what ‘Bubble Tea’ was. But it seemed very popular. The market was wall-to-wall students and young entrepreneurs in their eye-catching, colorful attire. Creativity and innovative ideas abounded.


One of the reasons for the throngs of young people in the vicinity selling and buying was, I realized, because the market was so close to the medical colleges and universities. Lots of medical students.


I also learned that this market began life in 1756 as a cluster of stalls at the foot of London Bridge. It’s come a long way, baby!


The tall, grim buildings on St. Thomas Street are a focal point of the medical world. The famous Guy’s Hospital, founded in 1721 by philanthropist Thomas Guy, stands cheek-by-jowl with St. Thomas’ Teaching Hospital – where Florence Nightingale trained her dedicated nurses. This hospital was named for St. Thomas Becket and founded in the Middle Ages but located here in Lambeth since 1871. These are part of the Kings College, London Medical Education programs.


Just across the road is the tiny Operating Theatre Museum, in the Herb Garret at the top of the narrow 17th century brick building. A museum of surgical history housed in the old apothecary.  Herbs and flowers used in those days are displayed, with mortar-and-pestle and hand-written notes on their efficacy.  Completed in 1822 is the operating theatre is the oldest surviving operating theatre in Europe for surgeries that predated anesthetics and antiseptics.   


What fun! It offers learning experiences for all ages. I especially loved the large yellow rubber ducks placed around the exhibits. They were each painted with some dreadful disease: blobs of green goo representing gangrene, or drooling, lumpy additions depicting small-pox, syphilis, or the black plague. Symptoms were written on a card next to the duck. You had to guess what they represented. The answer was found underneath the duck. I noticed medical student visitors taking great delight in guessing the correct answers.  The enormous, black all-encompassing metal head gear with the long snout, for the brave doctors during the plague in 1660 London was there. Various operating tools were displayed, including the large hacksaw next to the operating table that was labeled “for the removal of legs and arms”.


There were rows of seats where the medical students sat to observe the operations by doctors who had no awareness of cleanliness, let alone surgical gowns, masks or even handwashing. Hand-written notes, instructions and explanations of the various implements (of torture?) used, as well as reports of individuals’ surgical successes – or traumas!


Today’s root-canals are easy-peasy by comparison!


This part of London shared so many stories, characters, tragedies and successes. I made copious notes, as Ted and I later stopped for a delicious cake and coffee in a little corner French café. A quiet haven amidst the noise and bustle.


Everywhere I looked were stories, historic revelations and wonderful new ideas and a revitalized energy.


Charles Dickens strolled through these London streets at night when he couldn’t sleep, and claimed this was where he found inspiration for his timeless novels. Incidentally, did you know that in 1847 Dickens founded a ‘Home for Homeless Women’ in London?


We walked down to the water’s edge and followed the River Thames as it snakes its way through London, past Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre towards Charing Cross, watching such a polyglot of people of all ages – “a seething mass of humanity” moving on its way through lives humdrum, urgent, desperate, happy, exciting. Who knows?


There is so much written about London through thousands of years. It’s difficult for a writer not to come away with a myriad of story ideas, a cacophony of images and circus of characters. Painters and artists of all fields must be similarly affected.


As Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote in 1777, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. For there is in London all that life can be.”


What is your favorite source of inspiration?


 









	


	





	

		
		
ANOTHER TOOL IN THE WRITER’S TOOLBOX
	


	
	
	

		
by Miko Johnston


In the course of a story, a character learns that someone important to him has just been killed. His reaction? We can easily imagine shock, grief, sadness, disbelief. A look of confusion as he tries to absorb the news, his face twisted in pain, tears flowing freely from his eyes. We can even picture him so overwhelmed by what’s happened he collapses. But what if his reaction is no reaction? Complete silence, his face devoid of expression. A cop-out? Or a way to rouse our interest as we wonder what’s going through his mind?


I often say writers have many tools in their toolbox to use, and I’ve written several posts about them over the years. Today, I’m focusing on one valuable tool that often gets overlooked – negative space writing.


By this, I don’t mean being critical. The term negative space refers to various techniques. In art, it’s the empty space around or between the primary subject or the background. In writing, using a white space to indicate the passage of time within a book chapter or story is a prime example. We utilize negative space to break up a lengthy section of dialogue with bits of physical action by the speaker (instead of “he said”) or to relieve long stretches of exposition with some dialogue or internal thoughts.


Negative space might focus on something unexpected in a scene, leaving the reader to wonder whether it’s direction or misdirection. It can be contrasting two opposites, like a calm character in a chaotic setting, or the other way around, the surprising reaction piquing our curiosity. It can be using subtext in dialogue, which leaves the reader thinking about what’s really going on beneath the surface.


A common method is to leave gaps or omissions – small but unimportant details out of a story, which allows the reader to fill in the rest. This can be as simple as allowing the reader to assume that if a phone rings, the character will answer it with “Hello”, or they’ll get up from their chair, walk to the door and turn the knob to open it when someone knocks. Negative space can also mean describing a person to a degree, but not down to the thickness of her hair, its precise shade of brown, or how many clips she’s used to pin it up if it’s not essential to the story. This creates a synergy between reader and writer, allowing the reader to participate in the story. It also keeps the pace moving.


Description is, to an extent, a matter of taste. Some prefer a brief sketch, just enough to get a sense of it, and then let the story move forward. Others like more details so they can fully picture what’s being described, down to the smells and tactile sensations. Leaving some negative space means you’re as conscious about what you leave out as what you put in. You never want to omit anything important to the story or limit the sensory details that make scenes come alive. Here, negative space gives some breathing room so the reader doesn’t feel overwhelmed with everything everywhere, all at once.


Another technique implies, rather than describes, an action, emotion or a setting. A classic example of this is by writing about the absence of something rather than what’s present. In my first novel, I wanted the reader to not only see, but feel the destruction of my character’s village. In addition to describing the wreckage, I also included what was missing – any signs of life…


…No birds chattered, no horses whinnied, no chickens screeched, no men shouted for their wives, no women screamed for their children, no babies cried for their mothers….


The positive space describing the destruction evokes sensory images – the wreckage and plumes of smoke, the smell of burning wood, which we can see. The negative space evokes a different response, one we feel. One provides visuals, the other, emotions. It creates a more complete picture. It also gives the appropriate weight to this important scene, one that will affect my character for her entire life, over the course of five novels.


Here’s another example of positive space vs negative space writing. Imagine a protagonist sitting down for a drink at a café or bar, when a huge explosion happens nearby. Positive space writing would show the scene post-explosion; the wreckage, the body count, the survivors, both injured and stunned. It would include the character’s reaction, physically and mentally. We learn immediately if she was seriously hurt, bloodied, dazed, or temporarily deafened. We’re there watching as she bolts from the scene, or runs toward the explosion to help.


With negative space writing, the character might act uncharacteristically; perhaps she remains seated to finish her drink, with the reader wondering why. Or you might cut to another scene, either one created in her unconscious mind, or set elsewhere with other characters who learn of the explosion, leaving the reader to ponder what happened before returning back to explore the aftermath. This would build interest, as the reader not only has to figure out what caused the explosion, but what happened to the protagonist. Or, you might skip ahead with a white space and leave it to the reader to figure out how many deaths and injuries resulted in the explosion, how scared she felt, or how she got away – if we eventually figure out what we need to know about what happened in that scene.


To use negative space writing successfully, you must do it deliberately and with purpose. You never want to leave out anything important to the story, or neglect to make your characters recognizable, your scenes intriguing, and your plot believable. The omissions and subtext must be apparent, as well as their meaning. When done properly, it engages the reader, playing to their curiosity, encouraging their involvement with the plot and attachment to the characters. It’s what we as writers want to accomplish, which makes negative space a useful tool in the writer’s toolbox.


Have you incorporated negative space writing in your work? If so, how do you use it?


Miko Johnston, a founding member of The Writers in Residence, is the author of the historical fiction series, “A Petal in the Wind”, and currently minutes away from completing the fifth and final book of the saga (whew!) She’s a contributor to several anthologies including the recently released “Whidbey Island: An Insider’s Guide”. Miko lives in Washington (the big one) with her rocket scientist husband. Contact her at mikojohnstonauthor@gmail.com

	


	





	

		
		
A Group Question:  Co-Writing with a Famous Writer?
	


	
	
	

		
Occasionally, each (or several) of us Writers In Residence answers a question about some aspect of writing or publishing.  Here is this week’s Q&A for you.  (Some of the answers may surprise you!)


Q:  If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be, and what genre would you choose? 


.


JACKIE HOUCHIN. “I would love to co-write a book with MARY STEWART (no longer living). She wrote suspense mysteries with a young, adventurous female heroine. Her books took her to countries around the world; Greece, France, Italy, Austria, Crete, Lebanon, and England. Perhaps I got my wanderlust to travel the world from reading her books. (I was 13 when I read the first.) There was always a handsome man who could be a bad guy and always a scary situation.


Oh, to write like that!  I would let her do most of the writing, I fear, but every time her protagonist or the man in the scene would light up a cigarette, I would edit that out immediately. (haha).  That would probably be my ONLY part of the collaboration.  Or … I’d set some more of her romantic suspense in more countries!


###


MIKO JOHNSTON.  “I don’t think I would want to co-write a book with another author, as I can’t see how two writers could successfully balance their styles. I’ve read mystery compilations where two best-selling authors combined their characters into a single story with mixed results. However, I have contributed short pieces to anthologies over the years and would be happy to do so again.


###


BONNIE SCHROEDER. “I would love to co-write a book with the late, great KURT VONNEGUT Jr.–something in the dark humor/satire genre.


###


 


G. B. POOL.  “There are so many authors I have read and admired through the years, from Ray Bradbury to Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Nelson DeMille, Thomas Thompson, Arthur Conan Doyle, James Ellroy, Robert B. Parker, and Steven J. Connell, all of whom are sitting on my bookshelves right now…their books, not them personally. Several of these writers I actually met, but as for co-writing with any of them, I don’t write like they do, and I don’t want to change my writing style just to have my name linked with theirs, even though the publicity would be magnificent.


But there is one person that I would have loved to co-write with. He was doing some early research on a mass murder that happened back in Texas at a KFC drive-in decades earlier and hinted that he wanted to write about it. He never had the opportunity to finish that endeavor.


The man was my husband, Richard Pool.


A few years after he passed away, I started reading the many journals he had written after he had been diagnosed with cancer back when he was twenty years old. On the fifth page of the very first journal, he mentioned that he wanted to be a writer. He was an avid reader and liked all the authors I liked. We had several of the same books in our respective collections. He wrote that being a writer was just what he wanted to be, but life got in the way of doing that. He moved from Texas to California and met me at the bank where we both worked. Richard knew I wanted to write. He told me before we got married that he would make my dream come true. We married. He got a better job and then another, making enough money to allow me to retire early and write. I did just that.


We had a great life together, and then he passed away. I started reading his journals and read that part about him wanting to be a writer. He gave me his dream.


If I could write with anyone, I would like to write with Richard. It would be what both of us wanted.


###


ROSEMARY LORD. “I would like to co-author books with ENID BLYTON, the famous children’s author from my own childhood. Apart from the delightful “Noddy” books for the little ones about a wooden doll, “Noddy in Toyland,” Enid Blyton wrote wonderful mysteries for older children: “Adventures of The Famous Five” and others about “The Secret Seven.” They had all sorts of fun on ‘Adventure Island’  during their summer holidays. Total escapism and good, clean fun!! Seems like fun to write!


###


LINDA O. JOHNSTON:  “Not sure how I’d do co-writing with someone else, but if I had to choose someone to write a book with, it’d have to be one of the well-known authors who also use dogs in their books, such as Kathleen Donnelly, Margaret Mizushima, Diane Kelly, David Rosenfelt, Spencer Quinn, C.B. Wilson, or Teri Wilson—some of whom I know already.


But I’ve never considered co-writing with any of them before! And the story would have to be mystery, romance, or romantic suspense, depending on who my co-writer was.


###


Dear “The Writers In Residence” readers: who would YOU aspire to write a book with if you had the chance?  Comment or let me know at photojaq@aol.com.





	


	





	

		
		
Delving Into Everyone’s Life But My Own
	


	
	
	

		





by Jill Amadio


Last week, I was sorely tempted to slip back into a non-fiction writing career that has sustained me when my mystery book sales faltered. I gave a proposed project a few hours thought. Then, I came to the decision that my ghostwriting years were definitely gone with the wind, as vanished as the ghost I had become.


Ghostwriting popped up in my life when I least expected, and it was certainly not sought. In fact, I was barely aware of someone writing someone else’s life story for them. It seemed the height of hubris both from the viewpoint of the writer and that of the subject. I believe I thought, when I first heard of ghostwriting, that if you couldn’t write your own story, then forget it.


However, during a particularly “dry” period when my finances were almost non-existent, I held my breath and agreed to at least investigate what was involved. I was writing a business column for Entrepreneur magazine, and one day, the editor told me that a reader called, asking if they could recommend a writer to write their business book for them


“What? Be a fake writer? And on top of that, write a whole book?” I squeaked. “No way! I hardly manage to squeeze out 3,000 words for my column. How can I write a hundred times that number?  No way.”


“Jill, look at it this way. Approach each chapter as an article. Besides, it pays well.”


When the editor mentioned the sum of money I could earn, I no longer resisted. Ghostwriting, here I come!


Since then, I have ghosted 19 memoirs and enjoyed the process immensely. I met a fascinating group of clients who took me into the realms of several diverse worlds. I wrote books for a champion cowboy, a nuclear physicist, and just about everyone in between.


After I finished the business book and was telling a friend at the local TV station about it, she passed the word around. I soon received a referral that sent me to Hollywood to meet Ellie, the fourth wife of singer Rudy Vallee. She was one of those larger-than-life ladies who called everyone “Darling.” We clicked right away.


Ellie sent me to the Simi Valley Library, which had bought Rudy’s archives after he died. Five hundred boxes. I spent weeks delving through clippings, photos, contracts, reviews, personal letters, and marriage certificates. The material was rich with wonderfully intimate biographical pieces of Rudy’s rollercoaster life and career. The publisher decided that rather than following the usual process of hiding the ghostwriter, I should be named as the co-author of the book. A great and much-appreciated surprise.


During her book tour in Las Vegas, Ellie had lunch with the owner of the many taxi companies in town, who promptly contracted with me to write her own memoir.  I interviewed many of the cab drivers and collected some surprising stories of famous celebrity passengers. However, the cab owner decided to only publish enough books for her immediate family and friends. Thus, those stories remain undercover.


Another memoir (each of the 19 I ghostwrote was by referral, happily) was more of a revenge publication against no fewer than a dozen attorneys for malpractice. My client owned a small business, which soon expanded into selling one of the nation’s leading entertainment devices. However, the clients had hired what she and her husband called “incompetent” lawyers. Soon, there were lawsuits initiated by my clients all over the place. The book was to name each one and detail their transgressions. I knew a little about the law and told my clients we needed to give those lawyers false names or be sued ourselves.


Some of the names we came up with included Mack E. Avelly, Mal Lingerer,  Jep Ardy, Rack E. Teering, and an Ignorentia Legis (translation: ignorance of the law).


Several of the memoirs I wrote were written in the first person, from the client’s point of view. A favorite of mine was about Monterey, CA’s first policewomen in the 1950s. The lead female cop rode a Harley to patrol the streets and, occasionally seeing a fellow cop’s car outside another cop’s house whom she knew was working, discovered several love affairs taking place during her tenure.


One client hired me to write a mystery. She’d always wanted to write about a financial scam that victimized her father. It sounded boring, so I suggested we add a murder into the mix to jazz it up. She agreed wholeheartedly and asked how many murders we could include. I talked her down to two.


Some clients decide to write their memoirs after changing their lives. One of these was a model, international actress, and recently divorced mother of two who decided to leave her luxury life in New Jersey and move to California. I met her at her home, where she showed me the minivan they’d be traveling in for the cross-country trek. I was surprised that the SUV was pretty stinky compared to the shiny Rolls-Royce parked nearby. She said she wanted a completely fresh start. She got one when she met and married a California billionaire after arriving in Laguna Beach. Then she moved to Italy, where she bought a villa.


Before COVID struck and I moved back to Connecticut, I received a call from a cowboy in southern California. He had recently completed a humanitarian project: riding horseback across America from California to Florida. The mission was to raise money for an orphanage for disabled children. The book was fun to write, covering how he,  the seven horses, and a one-eyed mule he needed completed the journey.


One memoir I wrote on my own was the life story of the first lady of aviation art. A British artist, Virginia Bader, ran a gallery of paintings on both coasts devoted to World War II scenes, dogfights, and heroes such as General Jimmy Doolittle, Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson, and many fighter aces from both sides of the conflict.  Her efforts helped establish the careers of the now top aviation artists in their field, such as Nicholas Trudgian, John Shaw, and Sam Lyons.


I wrote three other memoirs as my own client because I became fascinated with the subjects’ stories. One I was asked by the publisher to write about was Gunther Rall, the third-highest fighter ace of World War II and a General in the Luftwaffe. It was published in 2003 and continues sells worldwide.





	


	





	

		
		
“On Top of Spaghetti” (And the Italian Westerns!)
	


	
	
	

		

On top of spaghetti
all covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball
when somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table
and onto the floor
and then my poor meatball
rolled right out the door!

It rolled in a garden 
and under a bush.
Now my poor meatball
was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty
as tasty could be, 
and early next summer
it grew into a tree.

The tree was all covered
with beautiful moss.
It grew lovely meatballs
in a tomato sauce.

So if you like spaghetti
all covered with cheese
hold on to your meatballs
and don't ever sneeze!




But speaking of Spaghetti Westerns, do you know how they got that name?  You guessed it – because they were filmed in Italy (some in Spain or France).  They were also called Italian Westerns and Macaroni Westerns.


These films were popularized in the mid-1960s thanks to Sergio Leone. His film-making style and money-making success ensured that 500 of these films were made in Italy between 1964 and 1978.  He made Clint Eastwood famous with his trilogy of “Dollar” films. (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More. and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.)


Spaghetti Westerns were made with relatively low budgets. To save money they were shot at the Cinecitta Studios (like Universal Studios in Rome) and various locations in Italy and Spain.  (God’s Gun was filmed in Israel.)


Spaghetti Westerns were originally released in Italian.  Most featured multilingual casts.  To get around this, sound was NOT RECORDED at the time of shooting. Dialogue and sound effects were added post-production. 


Some of the sets and studios built for these Spaghetti Westerns are now theme parks that the public can visit. (The photo at right is in Andalusia, Spain.)


There you go.


Now you know. 


Does this encourage you to, 1) Write a funny poem? 2) Try your hand at writing a film script? or 3) Write another Western series that becomes wildly popular, like, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry,  the Sundance Westerns series by Peter McCurtin, or the multiple Westerns by William J. Johnstone. 


Happy writing!


###


 https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/ 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Western