The Murderer's Ladder

Erle Stanley Gardner, author and creator of Perry Mason along with many other mystery novels, spent much of his writing career creating methods of plotting. On November 30, 2011, I posted on The Writer's Lens his theory of The Fluid or Unstatic Theory of Plots. To create the Fluid or Unstatic Plot and explore the plotting of his mystery novels, Gardner created for himself The Murderer's Ladder. The Murderer's Ladder explores the steps that a criminal takes in committing a crime. In fact this ladder can be modified for any writer to fit any act of villainy in which you are writing. However since we are looking at Erle Stanley Gardner and his plot method, I will focus strictly on his Murderer's Ladder and then explain how Gardner actually developed his plots and then wrote them from a different point of view.

The Murderer's Ladder has ten steps that the murderer follows.  Starting on the bottom rung and moving up to the top, the steps are:

1. Motivation

2. Temptation

3. The Plan

4. The Opportunity

5. The First Irrevocable Step

6. The Act of Killing [my note to the readers: you could insert any act of villainy that you wish to use, other than murder, at this step]

7. The Flight

8. The Cover Up

9. The False Suspect

10. The Necessity for Eliminating the Little Overlooked Clues and Loose Threads

Gardner placed his emphasis, or his heart of the story, on the situational issues at step five (The First Irrevocable Step), step six, during the commission of the foul deed things have to occur, and step ten, when it becomes necessary for the murderer to deal with unexpected eventualities. What is extremely interesting about the way Erle Stanley Gardner plotted is that he actually plotted his novels from the point of view of the villain.

Many authors that I am aware of usually start off with a hero or protagonist as their main focus of the plot, including all the trials and tribulations, and the acts of the villain or antagonist to this story. Gardner didn't plot this method instead Gardner plotted out his mystery novels first from the point of view of the murderer.  How did the murder occur?  What caused the person to actually move into the act?

While people can argue the psychological aspects of any character or any living person regarding the age old debate of nature versus nurture on human motivation, the motivation for the act of crime has been clearly identified. Any police officer, especially a detective, or criminal attorney, could tell you they have a list of easily identifiable motivations for any act of crime, especially homicide.  Human motivation for homicide is rooted within our needs or desire for sex, travel, wealth, human friendship and contact, food, self-improvement (mental, physical, and financial), security, advancement, and justice. You can easily go back to psychology 101 and see these motivations identified or a version of them can be seen on any behavioral chart of psychological need. For example: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

While Gardner plotted his novels from the point of view of the murderer, he wrote the novel from a different point of view.  He wrote the point of view of the actual detective sorting out what the murderer did. To quote Gartner, "When a detective story is stripped to its bare essentials the murder is, after all, a simple matter. A kills B and does it by a knife or gunshots at a time when he is supposed by all parties to the story to be elsewhere, or by telling a story, such as seeing a man running away, at whom he shot, etc., divert suspicion. It is the contact with the resulting incidents which makes the story. A murderer tries to conceal his crime by false alibis, false clues, misdirected suspicions, convincing falsehoods.

"Each of these subterfuges must at some point or other contact known facts and apparently coincide with them. As a matter of fact, if all of the minor facts were known, the synthetic truth would break down, since every fact is inseparably matched with other facts, like the cogwheels of clockwork. It is in the failure to assimilate minor facts that detective work falls down.

"For story purposes it lies in showing the failure of some one minor fact to mesh. Therefore, the plot a mystery, plot more and more carefully in greater detail the avenues of escape sought by the real perpetrator, which may combine any and all of the basic methods of deception such as false motive and perjured alibi combined with planted clues, etc." 

Looking back over at what was written, the reader may be asking why not plot this strictly from the detective's point of view instead of focusing  from the murderer and then writing it from detective point of view. Gartner approached this same question and explained it, "The point is that any murderer, in killing a person, where the crime is not one of passion, enters upon a critical period as he climbs the ladder of motivation, temptation, opportunity, etc., to a point where he is irrevocably committed to the crime after he has taken one step which is such that he can't back up. If the murderer's plans go astray between the time of taking this first irrevocable step and the actual killing, the murderer must improvise; and when he starts improvising he does certain things which are quite logical to him but which would be exceedingly mysterious to a person who does not know the whole sequence of events."

It is from this point of view and from this method the Earl Stanley Gardner created his theory of the Fluid or Unstatic Plot, which I wrote about on November 30. In constructing a plot, Garner worked through nine steps:

1. The act of primary villainy;

2. Motivation for the act of villainy;

3. The villain's cover up;

4. Complications which arise during and after the cover-up;

5. The hero's contact with the act of villainy;

6.  Further complications and character conflicts;

7. Suspense through the hero's mistakes;

8. Villain's further attempt to escape;

9. Hero sets solution factors in motion or traps the villain.

Regardless if an author is writing a murder mystery, science fiction story, fantasy, regular drama, or any genre of fiction writing this method applies. Personally, I have used this method in creating stories of multiple genres. The nine questions that are posed in this and in The Theory of the Fluid or Unstatic Plot and through the use of the Murderer's Ladder can help anybody write a fictional story. 

What if The Murderer's Ladder is that applied to real life? In my next entry on The Writer's Lens, which will be posted on January 27, in a post dedicated to readers, I will post an interview with a fellow writer who is writing a true crime book and will ask them if The Murderer's Ladder applies in understanding the crime they are researching.

 Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.

Monday Book Giveaway: The Tribal Fires

This week, we are having a conversation with Judy Moresi and offering her latest mystery novel titled Tribal Fires.

  
The Writer's Lens: Your latest novel, Tribal Fires, has just been published by L&L Dreamspell Publishing. What is the novel about?

Judy Moresi: “Tribal Fires is a story of mystery, love, separation, and culture clash in a St. Louis setting.”—Vicki Erwin, Main Street Books.

From the Great Pyramid at Giza to the Amazon jungles, photographer Shea McKenna has faced danger on a global scale. She is propelled into a world of fraud and murder when she accepts an assignment to photograph American Indian artifacts for the Missouri Westward Museum. After the theft of relics, the discovery of a forged war lance, and a brutally murdered museum employee, St. Louis’ finest declare Shea and the handsome Indian chieftain who restored the relics suspects. She is determined to solve the crimes and clear her name, but events at a Patrons Ball and a fiery Indian powwow provide more questions than clues. As she gets closer to the truth, she winds up with a ruthless murderer hot on her trail.

WL:What was the hardest part of writing Tribal Fires?

Moresi: Keeping track of my characters and what they were doing when they weren’t the focus of a scene. I’ve since devised Character Sheets, Time Lines, and Scene Plotting Forms to help organize, but not limit, my information. I share these with writers who attend my mystery writing workshop.

WL:When did you decide to start writing mysteries?

Moresi: As a teenager I read horror and science fiction. A fan of Isaac Asimov, I drifted into his Black Widower mystery short stories, then on to the rest of the mystery writers’ enclave.

WL:Is there a theme that seems to reappear over and over in your fiction? Is there a single one thing that focuses your work or do you have different themes for each story?

Moresi: I plan no themes.  I write to entertain, inform, and hopefully help and encourage people who find a kindred spirit in me. When my readers find themes, I tell them to stop it.

WL:When you decided to write full time, how easy was it to take the leap of faith from steady paycheck to full time writer?

Moresi: When will that happen? Details, I need details.

The Writer's Lens: What was your biggest fear when you decided to be published?

Moresi: That one of my “facts” was wrong and no one would trust my writing again. That didn’t happen, because I’m so anal about my “facts.”

WL:If you could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with four other authors from any time period, who would you choose and why?

Moresi: I’d love to share a Pepsi with Richard Halliburton, St. Paul, James Lee Burke, and Bruce Zimmerman.

WL: Who was the most influential person or persons in your writing career?

Moresi: My great-grandfather Jesse Scott read the Bible to me the first six years of my life. I was enthralled. Once I learned to read, my nose was constantly stuck in books. When I played with friends, I made up stories for us to dress in costume and play: cowboys, Indians, pirates, Sheena the jungle girl. I have photos that could be used for blackmailing my playmates. In my sophomore year of high school, my World History teacher, Peggy Moriarity, introduced me to the books of Richard Halliburton, the real Indiana Jones. I was hooked—and in love with a dead man. It didn’t work out.

WL:If there was some advice that you could give to a fellow writer, what would it be?

Moresi: Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Network, network, network. Promote, promote, promote.

WL: What advice would you give a fellow writer about pitching a story either face to face or in a query letter?

Moresi: If you’re writing because you love it, God bless you. If you want to make writing a paying career, then you have to treat it as a business, too. You are selling a product. First you write the best darn polished book you can, then you convince an editor or agent that your book will make them money. You must grab their attention with one captivating sentence, often called an elevator pitch because you’ve only the time it takes to get from one floor to the next. Avoid cornering them in a bathroom stall. Very tacky. A query letter should be only one page long with a paragraph listing your writing credentials and one written like a titillating back cover blurb. And don’t take rejection personally. Just keep sending out your manuscripts and stay busy writing your next one. Good luck.

WL: How could my readers learn more about you?

Moresi: Buy my mystery novels, Widow’s Walk and Tribal Fires. Check out my website at www.JudyMoresi.com for published articles, event schedule, photos, and reviews. Attend my Write A Mystery Novel workshop listed at www.stcharlesae.org or call 636-443-4018. Or stalk me.

Review for the WIDOW'S WALK, Judy Moresi's previous novel

Judy Moresi's Widow's Walk features a unique setting, an engaging protagonist, and a plot full of surprises. The writing is tight and authoritative. With its gothic overtones, and plenty of comic relief, Moresi has a real winner on her hands. Save this one for a stormy night!

--Joanna Campbell Slan, Author of the Agatha-nominated

Paper, Scissors, Death

I was prepared for a run-of-the-mill, first-time author effort. What I got was a pleasant surprise. Judy Moresi has scored big time with a suspenseful and well-crafted mystery that can hold its own with the most seasoned writer's work. The dialogue is crisp and believable, the characters are living, breathing individuals. Moresi doesn't hit a single false note in this incredible tale of murder and intrigue. One of the best books of its kind I've ever read.

                                    --Esther Luttrell, Author and Screenwriter

The novel is set in an eerie complexity of who dunnits and whys obscured and dominated by an old decrepit Victorian mansion where murder in the past is whispered and talked about in conjecture with violence of the current. At any moment, with every page turned, the reader wonders who will die violently, who will survive.

                                    --Two Mirrors "Times River," Atlanta, GA

Local author Judy Moresi’s latest, Widow’s Walk, may not sharpen your noggin but it sure is a page-turner. With shadowy figures creeping around an old house, a stalker and rumors that the main character’s home is haunted, maybe you shouldn’t hunker down with the tome at bedtime – unless you want to sleep with the bathroom light on.

                                    --Sauce Magazine Review, St. Louis, MO

Laura [Chandler] has inherited a ramshackle Victorian manse complete with falling plaster, cobwebs, creaky stairs and its own ghost. It also comes with a menacing intruder, who writes chilling threats on her door and leaves an animal carcass in her kitchen…[Widow's Walk] gains appeal through the grit and determination of a plucky heroine who has a wry sense of humor.

                                    --Shirley K. Murray, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Book Reviewer

Spooky read for a rainy night. A heroine inheriting a spooky, haunted house is one of my favorite premises and I have to say, Widow's Walk doesn't disappoint. Laura is smart, witty, creative, and disbelieving in the odd things happening around her, instead pitting the blame on a resentful neighbor. There's even a love interest to quicken the heart of romantic readers. The villains are evil but not overdone and there's enough suspects roaming about to keep the reader guessing until the end. The twists and turns of Widow's Walk had me forgetting time, glued to the pages to find out what happened next. My only disappointment was that the book ended. Brava Ms. Moresi.

                                    --P.S. Skochinski, Author in the high desert of California

How do you win a free signed copy of The Tribal Fires?  To enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on the Coffee with David blog between now (January 9th) and midnight January 14, 2012. Please include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the greater your chance of winning the contest. If you refer others to The Writer's Lens who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name again in our random number generator along with theirs, also increasing your chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on Saturday, January 14 and the announcement made on Sunday, January 15th, Good luck and comment often. Good luck!

On Wednesday, we will explore another of Erle Stanley Gardner's Mystery plotting techniques (which can be used for any fiction genre): The Murderer's Ladder

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.

Darcy wins DYING FOR A DATE

Congratulations to Darcy Lynne, winner of this week's giveaway from Cindy Sample, an ebook of DYING FOR A DATE. She commented on Cindy's blog on Pots & Pens. Darcy, please provide your preferred ebook format and, if Kindle, your Amazon email address. Contact me by commenting or by email at twfendley@gmail.com.

NOTE TO ALL: We wish you happy holidays! The Writers' Lens will resume posting on Jan. 9.

12 authors worth trying in 2012

As 2011 comes to a close, it strikes me that finding good books is like so many things—word of mouth rules! Thanks to recommendations from others, this year I’ve tried a lot of new writers. It’s been so much fun that I thought I’d share 12 of my favorite “new-to-me” authors in case you’re starting or updating your reading list. And I'm sending you my holiday wishes for many happy hours of reading in 2012!

Maggie Stiefvater—I raced through both her series (Wolves of Mercy Falls and A Gathering of Fairies) after my friend Cole offered one of Maggie’s books on her blog in a giveaway.

Cindy Sample—I met Cindy while she was in town for Bouchercon and picked up her latest book, DYING FOR DANCE. It was so much fun, I couldn’t wait to get her first book, too (which you could win by leaving a comment today!)

Fran Friel—I had the great pleasure of attending a retreat with Fran in Virginia last January. After reading her MAMA’S BOY collection, it’s easy to see why she was twice a Bram Stoker finalist.

Veronica Roth—DIVERGENT was one of the excellent young adult dystopian books Cole told me about this year. I’ve long been intrigued by Jungian personality types and loved what Roth did with the factions.

Neil Gaiman—Goodreads turned me on to Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE, a romp through London’s underworld.

Andrew Smith--THE MARBURY LENS, another Goodreads referral, may be the most unusual story I read in 2011. It’s hard to even describe—maybe a violent alternate reality adventure story geared toward older boy readers?

Neal Stephenson—CRYPTONOMICON sat on my shelf for years after my daughter gave it to me, but since November 2010, I’ve read four of his lengthy tomes. ANATHEM was my favorite. Much like Kim Stanley Robinson, Stephenson bundles theology, science, mythology and history and makes it fun to read 1,000 pages. Now that’s talent!

Charles Stross—Also on my daughter’s recommendation, I entered Stross’ strange world of The Laundry series, where magic and technology meet, via THE FULLER MEMORANDUM.

Tim Powers—Okay, so he isn’t really a new-to-me author. I’ve been a huge fan of Tim’s work for more than a decade. But somehow I’d missed DECLARE until I saw it mentioned in Stross’ acknowedgements (so read DECLARE first). 

Jim Butcher—Harry Dresden magically transported me away from some tough situations in my “real” life this year. Thank you, Harry...and Jim, too.

Cole Gibsen—Cole’s two young adult fantasy novels—KATANA and BREATHLESS—will be released in March 2012, but I had the pleasure of reading them as they were being written. Samurai and mermaids (respectively)--what’s not to like!

Brad R. Cook—His short-story collection FOX vs. HOUND: THE WORLD WAR II CASE FILES will be available this spring, but in 2011 I enjoyed his other works-in-progess: a steampunk novel, THE IRON HORSEMEN, and EXCALIBUR STOLEN, a middle-grade contemporary Arthurian adventure.

PLEASE NOTE: The Writers' Lens will take a break from Dec. 25-Jan. 9. Happy Holidays!

Field Research for your Novel

Field Research for Your Novel
Because sometimes you just have to step away from the computer.
By Brad R. Cook

My first post, Researching Your Novel: Always Start With Google, gave you a few pointers about online resources. Here is the second post in that series and it’s about resources to help you that aren’t online. Yes, sometimes hard copies can provide more than electronic files. I know that’s digital blasphemy.

Here are a few ideas,

• Libraries
• Newspapers & Journals
• Historical Societies
• Bookstores
• Museums
• Movies
• Renaissance Fairs / Pirate Festivals / Re-enactors
• Ride-a-longs
• Gun Range

Libraries have more resources available to them than you could ever hope to have. They pay yearly fees for access to certain databases and many of these resources are free to use. Not to mention the thousands of books on every topic imaginable.

Newspapers & Journals capture the times they write about like no other resource. Today they may seem like a dying art form, but remember it was the internet of its day. If you need to research a time period you’ll find slang, pictures of people, of places, and events written by eyewitnesses, not some historian looking back and trying to imagine what life was like.

Historical Societies can provide invaluable information about a city, building, or people. You may not even need to dig through their records if you talk to the historians.

Bookstores, hurry before they disappear, but there is a book on almost every subject you could ever need. If you find a subject that doesn’t have a book – then you know what your next book should be. But seriously, if you are writing about a place, check out the travel books, if you are writing about a person, find another biography.

Museums, I love museums, for those writing about the past seeing the artifacts will instantly connect you to your characters and time period. Not to mention, you may even want to include the museum itself in your novel.

Movies, have been made about almost every subject you may want to write about, a small town person looking for love, the glimmer of hope in the chaotic urban jungle, and almost every time period of history. Usually Hollywood is really good about capturing the clothing, the slang and phrases, or the look and feel of a place. Just be wary, they often use illusion so make certain its really New York and not Sydney when describing your landmarks.

Renaissance Fairs / Pirate Festivals / Re-enactors, allow you to immerse yourself in the past. You don’t have to participate, but experience is what it’s all about. You can ask about the clothing, the items they used, see a small glimpse of what life was like for those without our modern conveniences. Plus you can dig into a giant turkey leg and eat like a caveman.

Ride-a-longs, if you are writing a police procedural it could be invaluable, they allow you to immerse yourself in their world, pick their brains, and experience a world that the cop drama tv shows can only hope to capture. But it doesn’t just have to be the police, when NY Times Bestselling author Angie Fox was writing the Accidental Demon Slayer Series she went on a ride-a-long with a group of bikers.

Gun Ranges. Have you ever shot a gun? You may want to consider firing a few rounds from your character’s gun. That’s where the range comes in; it will allow you to get a feel for the weapon. Find the answers to questions like, how do you load the ammunition, what kind of kick does it have, and what does it sound like? The same thing goes for swords, or almost any weapon you may write about.

What I’m really saying is that as a writer you need to get away from your computer and experience the world you are writing about. It’s like the old saying – write what you know.

A quick note about Libraries,

Not all Libraries are the same. There are differences between University, County, and City Libraries. They have access to different resources and will have a variety of different books in their collections. University Libraries will have the most but you will find more local records at the City and County Libraries. There is one other distinction to be aware of – Libraries vs. Archives. Libraries are filled with second hand sources (books written about subjects) Archives are filled with firsthand accounts about events (letters, journals, records, all direct from that time period.) So know what you need and find the right library. Just remember that Librarians and Historians are your friends. They are invaluable resources who I guarantee know more about their records than you could ever hope to – so talk to them.

If this sounds too daunting, remember that research can become a distraction from actual writing. Don’t spend forever researching, but it can be fun, and will provide the details for your story that will bring it to life.

Your computer will be waiting when you get done.

Giveaway: Dying for a Date

When her dating service turns deadly, Laurel must race to find the killer before she becomes the next victim…

 

Not sure if she is looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Every Other Saturday Night, recently divorced Laurel McKay reluctantly joins THE LOVE CLUB, a matchmaking agency advertised as the safe alternative to online dating.

After Bachelor One decides he wants her for dessert, Laurel dispatches him with her cell phone. The next day she discovers her drop-dead gorgeous date has literally dropped dead. When Bachelor Two disappears during dinner, Laurel's only alibi is a friendly bottle of Dom Perignon. The investigative detective has to decide if the sassy soccer mom is a killer, or the next target.

Her boss at Hangtown Bank threatens to fire her when he learns the latest victim was an important client. Fortunately, he needs her expertise to investigate some questionable loans. Laurel and her mother, who insists her daughter is innocent because she is too disorganized to plan a murder, set out to save her reputation, her job, and her life.

 

After you've met Laurel, you won't be shocked to find she foxtrotted into another adventure in DYING FOR A DANCE. Check out the author's interview on Pots & Pens (and her recipe for Outrageous Hot Chipolte Cake!) Your comment on Cindy's post there or on any post at The Writers' Lens between now and Friday, Dec. 23, will enter you in the contest for a free ebook of DYING FOR A DATE. With any luck (I'll be at the mercy of travel elves), the winner will be announced Saturday, Dec. 24. Please leave your email address with your comment so I can verify your preferred ebook format if you win! 

 

PLEASE NOTE: The Writers' Lens is taking a break from Dec. 25 to Jan. 9. We wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Project Management for Writers

I'm a tech girl at heart.  It's been a number of years, and kids, since I've been in the biz, but still I love to find technology that can help me plan and organize.  As the end of the year approaches I'm looking back on all that I've accomplished and I'm wishing I had kept better track of my time and energy.

My new year's resolution is to find a project management system, preferably in spreadsheet format that will allow me to, and this is utmost important, EASILY update, and keep organized, my projects for the year.  All the blog posts, all the outlining, writing, and revising I'll do every day throughout the year.  At the end of next year I want to see it in quantitative form.  I want to be able to look at that pie chart or whatever chart and say,"See?  That's what I've done!"  And then, of course, hold up my newly published novel! :)

So I've done some research out there on varying project management systems.  Most are costly.  I'm looking for free. Because really, unless I love a system I'm not going to stick with it.
Below are a few of the project management tools I've googled over the last week.  Let me know what you think.  And better yet, let me know what YOU'VE found out there that helps you keep your writing world organized.

Smartsheet.com - looks brilliant with wonderful video tutorials but it's far from free.

Top 10 Best Free Online Project Management Application Services - just found this one, plan on checking it out today.

 LotusLive Gets Social Project Management Tools  I find this concept fascinating, but for writing projects, not so sure.

Excel for Writers and other Artists I love seeing this, as a writer I don't feel that my creativity is the opposite of tech

Let me know what you've found!