Books on Film: Along Came a Spider

Halloween is approaching, and to me that means one thing: time for scary movies. Some of the best scary movies were books before they were film. One of my favorites is Along Came a Spider, the novel that launched a 19-book (and counting) career for literary detective Alex Cross. 

The Book

James Patterson published Along Came a Spider in 1993, introducing the world to Alex Cross.

Cross is a detective with the Washington, D.C. police force and a forensic psychologist. How good is the book that introduced him? Along, so far, has launched 18 sequels, a film adaptation and millions of fans.

At the start of the story, Alex is investigating three horrific murders. The stakes are raised when two prominent students, Maggie Rose Dunne and Michael Goldberg, are kidnapped by math teacher Gary Soneji. Cross is ordered to investigated the high-profile kidnappings, which enrages him because the world seems more interested in the disappearance of two rich white children than the murder of three poor black people.

He's still in a bad mood when he meets Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannagan, head of the children's detail. They clash, but the attraction between the two is obvious as they work together to unravel the mystery.

Soneji has the children at a deserted farmhouse. He buries them alive and goes on to kill FBI agent Roger Graham, who spoke about Soneji as a press conference. As Cross investigates, he learns that Soneji is a bit of a crime history buff and seemingly obsessed with becoming a famous criminal.

Cross is personally singled out by Soneji when the kidnapper makes a ransom demand of $10 million. Alex is ordered to deliver the cash, which he does, but Cross doesn't recover either of the children. At the farmhouse, police find the graves...empty. Soneji has returned to his home in Delaware. Surprisingly, he's a family man with a wife and daughter.

It doesn't keep him from killing another teacher. It's this murder that makes Cross and his partner John Sampson realize that Soneji is also responsible for the earlier murders. As the mystery unravels, Cross learns that the plot is much thicker than he imagined...and the spider web more complex than anyone could have conceived.

The Film

The film version of the book was created in 2001, after a successful adaptation of James Patterson's Kiss the Girls. Though Along Came a Spider takes place chronologically before Kiss, the movie was adapted after. 

But if you watch the film, you'll have some trouble connecting it to the original book. Much of the plot is eliminated and Alex Cross is changed in a lot of ways. Morgan Freeman played Cross on film, a man much older than the character. Because of this, all of his family was eliminated on film.

On film, Soneji contacts Cross directly and Alex is sent on a wild goose chase to deliver the ransom money. Cross kills Soneji in the movie, saving Flannigan's life, before he unravels the rest of the mystery. Soneji doesn't die in the book; he'll be back to bother Alex, much later. In the movie, Cross actually manages to save one of the children.

What Got Adapted?

Most of the book was adapted for film, in fact. Flannigan's eventual fate is eliminated and changed entirely. Soneji's wife and child are removed. The trials are omitted, and the romantic entanglement between Alex and Jezzie is taken out completely. It's a very different story, but still worth a watch. Freeman is masterful as Alex Cross, and author James Patterson praised his peformance in the role more than once. But before you watch, read the book! It's one of Patterson's bests.

Writing 101: Is It Action-Packed...or Rushed?

Every author knows that pacing is an important aspect of every book. When events occur very quickly, it creates a sense of action and excitement. ...Or, it makes the book feel rushed. So if you're writing with a fast pace, you have to ask yourself: is it action-packed, or is it rushed? 

Double Time

Timing and pacing will make or break a book. You can use your words to make time feel as though it's passing slowly, or very quickly, in your story. When scenes are thick and heavy and events are occurring very rarely, time will feel as though it's passing slowly. When events are happening much more frequently and sentences are short and to the point, everything feels fast. Many writers use this technique to create action scenes, and drive the pace forward quickly in order to excite readers.

But when it's not done well, it just makes the book feel rushed. There's a very fine line between writing great action and dragging readers across the pages of your story. The difference between a great action scene and a rushed pace can be summed up in one word: emotion. 

Even during action scenes, perhaps especially during action scenes, you want your readers to feel the thrill of it all. They should be pressured by the weight of the danger, shocked by every new turn of events, frightened that their favorite character will somehow suffer. You want events to come quickly and you want readers to be able to devour the words at a fast pace, but always remember to give them time to gasp. 

And to process what's happening. When you're just firing out information and drawing with rapid strokes, readers don't have time to take note of the fact that Mark has fallen from a shoulder wound and Cara just hurled a rock at Dylan's head. You don't have to be flowery or overly-descriptive, but you should provide enough detail for readers to soak it all in. 

If Mark falls from a wound, describe the burning pain. Let me feel his horror as he watches the rock hit the side of Dylan's skull. Now, shock me when Mark turns to see Cara staring at Dylan, having just thrown that deadly rock. Don't cram events into your sentences so quickly that four things are happening at once. Even in action scenes, it's okay for events to play out one at a time. In many cases, it's preferable.

So re-read those fast scenes, and ask yourself what you're feeling. Ask yourself if you still have time to gasp, and then you'll know if your work is full of action...or just way too quick.

Writing 101: Can You Schedule Creativity?

I make to-do lists and write reminders for even the most mundane tasks. If I didn't, I wouldn't have electricity or any food to eat because I would forget to do it all. I have to put everything on my lists, and cross items off those lists, as each day progresses. I like to try and do things at the same time every day, so it's easier to maintain some sort of order. I've even caught myself putting "work on the book" on my list...and on those days, I get maybe one good paragraph written. 

You can't make yourself be creative. Storytelling isn't something that you can command at will. And I would know...because I've tried.

On My Watch

When you're an indie author, you're also a lot of other things. If you're like me, you've got a ton of things to do in any given day: drink copious amounts of coffee, exercise, clean, work, write, blog...spend lots of time on Twitter. If you work down a list to check all those items off, eventually it's going to be time to write. 

So, write! 

...Can you do it just because I tell you to? 

I force myself to write all the time (it's my job), but I can't force myself to write stories. Well...that's only true up to a point. Most writers can force themselves to write something, even if you're just typing mostly nonsense. But good writing is something that can't be forced. You can't make yourself creative. You know what it's like to be in the zone -- when it's all coming so fast that your fingers can't even keep up with the words pouring out of you. That's not a place that you can put yourself in intentionally.

I'm not a fan of scheduling writing time or setting daily goals, but I have always been an advocate of taking down time to relax and enjoying free time. Into this space, creativity will wander. You will naturally get that writing itch during your free time. You'll get the urge to write, and you'll have the time to follow it. And that's where you'll find the creative zone.

You can't schedule creativity...but you can open the door so creativity will walk through it.

Writing 101: Freebies

In my "day job," I used to write advice articles for freelance writers, and I constantly cautioned them against undervaluing themselves. As a freelance writer, you have to set a minimum price and refuse to waver (unless the economy crashes, but that's a whole different issue). As an indie author, freebies are your bread and butter. You can't possibly undervalue yourself or give enough books away for free. What I'm saying is this: never, ever shy away from giving out freebies.

Free Milk

Homespun wisdom dictates that you should never give anything away for free. Do so, and why would anyone end up buying it? 

But that's just not how it works with books; it's never how it has worked with books. What's the most-read, most-sold, most-known book in the United States? The Bible. It's given away for free all the time, and you can find copies of it in every hotel and church pew in the nation. Yet it also sells more copies every single year. Clearly, people will both drink free milk and buy it still. If that wasn't the case, libraries wouldn't exist. They're dedicated to lending books out for free, particularly all the big bestsellers and legendary classics that everyone wants to read. You can go get a Mark Twain book any time, but people still buy all of them all the time.

Under that philosophy, you should give your book away as often as possible. If you could put a copy of your book in every single hotel room across the land, don't you think you'd get more reviews on Amazon? You certainly would. However, this is not a logistically feasible book promotion. 

Giving free copies of your book away on your blog...now, that is feasible. It's also easy. There are any number of file-hosting sites that will allow you to upload your book file in any format, or multiple formats, and provide you with a link so you can share this file with anyone. I'm partial to Dropbox, but you should explore what's out there and find out what works best.

Smashwords also allows you to run free book promotions any time you like. They give you the added advantage of choosing to mark your books down by percentage instead (25% off, 50% off, and so on). However, Smashwords requires users to have both an account and a special code to take advantage of promotions, and that can be a hassle.

Amazon's KDP program doesn't just allow indies to give their books away for free, it requires it. You choose free days every month as a matter of using the program. I do not advocate this program for indies, however, because Amazon KDP requires an exclusive listing. 

Giving books away for free exposes more readers to your books. Word of mouth is still the most effective book marketing tool in the world, and it's not something you can buy with money. You can buy it with free books. Give them away, get readers talking, and their friends will buy your books when the free promotion is over. 

Many indies are afraid of freebies because they need the sales income. But you'll actually sell more by doing free book promotions frequently. Exposure is everything in this business...and free is free. There are people who will download and read a free book just because it's there. When they fall in love with it, they'll tell everyone. You can't buy that sort of promotion...you can only give it away for free.

Writing 101: Showing Personality

You know how people always tell you "just be yourself" when it comes to any sticky situation? That doesn't apply to self-published authors. In fact, here's much better advice for the indie writer: don't be yourself. Don't be yourself at all. 

What "Be Yourself" Really Means

Everyone makes decisions and forms opinions every day. Some people use all sorts of different criteria when they're deciding what to read -- and the author's personal history and beliefs aren't at all off-limits.

I stumbled across a Goodreads thread not too long ago where one reader stated they wouldn't purchase a certain author's books, because of something they'd done or said.

Unless you specifically write politically- or religiously-toned books, readers don't need to know where you stand on the issues, how you vote or what you think happens to us when we die. Your personal opinions on the President, war and other matters are fine for sharing among friends and family, but you shouldn't use any of your author platforms to tout these opinions (unless you meet the aforementioned criteria). 

But you should still show personality as an author, and give people a sense of who you are as a person. When you're in author mode, this is what "be yourself" actually means. You should be who you are...but be a neutral version of who you are. Be a you who doesn't ruffle feathers. If you're funny, be funny. If you're sexy, be sexy (keep it PG-13 on public platforms, however). And if you want to talk politics, keep it balanced and turn questions back to readers whenever possible. 

Show personality by engaging with readers. Tweet about music you like, shows you watch, movies you've enjoyed. Tell them about your sense of style, what you like to eat, how you spend your time. Be yourself...up to a point. Otherwise, you could be alienating readers. As an indie author, that's something you just can't afford to do.

Indie News: Smashwords Unites Series Books

In case you missed the spam email that flooded many Smashwords author inboxes, you need to know the latest indie news: series have come to the site. Smashwords has unveiled a new function on the site that allows series books to be grouped together, and it's pretty easy to implement. 

To unite your series books as a unit, log into your Smashwords account. A link to the Series Manager tool should appear right on the homepage. Click it and begin following the steps to create a new series. You'll be guided through the process, and taken to a page where you'll find a list of all your books. Click the relevant titles and keep following the steps until you get to the end (it shouldn't take more than a few minutes). 

Once you're done managing your series books, a new link will appear under those titles. This will take you straight to the series page for that book series. Smashwords plans to use the tool to make book-buying easier for customers and selling easier for authors.

Books on Film The Postman Always Rings Twice

James M. Cain published The Postman Always Rings Twice in 1934, and gained notoriety at once. The book is quick, thrilling and (in its day) quite controversial. The novel was banned in Boston for its sexy scenes and themes of violence. But it didn't really get sexy until the 1940s, when Lana Turner helped turn it into a movie.

The Book

The story begins with Frank Chambers, a roustabout who travels from place to place. Right now he's in California and he has wandered into a diner that just so happens to need a helping hand. Frank's always looking for work to make quick money...and there's another incentive.

The diner is owned by Nick Papadakis, an older man with a very young, beautiful wife. Frank is interested at once, and not much troubled by morals. The two begin an affair quickly, because Cora is only too willing. From the very start, there's a level of violence to their relationship.

Cora plainly doesn't love Nick, and she's eager to improve her situation. Together, Cora and Frank plot to kill Nick. This way, Cora can keep the diner and she won't be burdened by the old guy. They want it to look like he has fallen and drowned in the tub, so Cora wallops Nick good with a strong blow. But then the power goes out and a cop unexpectedly arrives, and the plan sours. 

Nick doesn't die. He recovers, but lingering memory loss protects the scheming Cora. So Cora and Frank try again. This time, they stage a car accident. Both Frank and Cora are injured in the attempt, and Nick dies. 

The prosecutor knows the sexy young wife and the handsome drifter are guilty, but there isn't enough evidence to link them to the crime. He uses trickery to get what he wants by charging just Cora with the murder. She immediately rolls over on Frank and tells the cops about his role in the murder, damning herself at the same time. A clever lawyer steps in, however, and for a brief moment it seems that Frank and Cora will live happily-ever-after...until Cora dies in a car accident. 

This time, the prosecutor is able to make murder charges stick...on Frank, for Cora's death. At the end of the book Frank is on death row, and the ambiguous title of the book is never explained. The explanation comes later, after the story is turned into a film.

The Movie

The most famous adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice was made in 1946 with Lana Turner and John Garfield. The movie follows the book quite faithfully until the very end. The writers tacked a speech on to the end of Frank's life, wherein he explains the title. 

This happens when he sort of admits that being executed for Cora's murder, a crime he did not commit, is what he deserves. He says it's because the Postman is ringing twice. "He rang twice for Cora, now he's ringing twice for me." It means that if the Postman can't deliver your package (or your fate) the first time, he'll ring you again.

The film version of this book almost didn't get made. MGM bought the rights more than a decade before they turned it into a film. But when Paramount started making another adaptation of a Cain novel (Double Indemnity), the studio decided to proceed.

What Got Adapted?

There are various visual tricks used in the film that you can't find in the book. In the first scenes, Lana Turned is pictured wearing white. But once Cora conspires to commit a crime, her outfits become all black. This shows the evil of her character. Cora doesn't look like Lana Turner in the novel (she isn't blonde or completely gorgeous), but moviegoers didn't care. She's a little too perfect and too glamorous for the role, but her beautiful evil makes the movie a can't-miss attraction.

Writing 101: Tagging Matters

When you list your self-published books on Amazon, B&N or pretty much any other store, you're going to have the option of adding tags. You should always do this, because tagging matters. 

Words, Words, Words

Seems like there's always one more thing to do, right? It's not enough to write a book. You have to edit it and format it. Don't forget the cover! Now you need a blurb. Have you published it yet? What's the price? Check the layout! Oh, and now add a bunch of words.

Tagging can feel like a stumbling block on the road to making your work publicly available. It's one of the very last things you have to do in a process that can take many years to complete, and it's easy to rush through. You can simply ignore it. You can plug in a handful of words without half thinking about it. And you can move on. 

But if you do it this way, you're automatically decreasing your chances of selling that book. Tagging matters. Why else would all the bookstores be using it? 

Tagging Your Books

So, you've used a search engine before. I've got one on this blog. If you want to find a Writing 101 post about using commas, for example, you can just type comma into the search box and see all the related posts. This is pretty much how all search engines work, especially when it comes to online bookstores. The tags you add to your books are the words that book buyers will use to search for (and find) your books.

Say I'm a casual shopper on Amazon. I'm into historical horror novels involving supernatural activity (don't judge), so I type historical, horror and ghosts. Maybe I like Civil War ghost novels in particular, so I add Civil War. If you don't have any of these tags (or any tags at all) I'm not going to find your book. 

Maybe you don't care, since you've never written a story set in the Civil War about the ghost of a Roman general and a runaway war bride, but one day I might go searching for books that are much closer to your genre. My taste is eclectic. 

So before you publish, write your tags. Think about the words that you would use to describe your book, and make yourself a little list. Don't forget to include all genres that fit, your own name, and indie (if you're an indie). If your story has vampires or werewolves or any other interesting non-humanoids, add them as tags. Don't forget about synonyms. I like to tag teen as well as young adult, because they mean the same thing. So if you're writing murder mysteries, you might want to use tags like murder, killer and death. 

Now think of two- and three-word phrases that can be used to describe your book. Tags don't have to be just one word, and shouldn't be. You still want me to find you if I type murder mystery or female detective. So add phrases to your tag list, as well. In some cases, websites will limit the amount of tags you can add. Circle the top 5 on your list -- the words and phrases you believe describe your book most accurately -- and use these first. 

Tagging your books makes them easier to find...and that's the goal. So get to tagging everywhere you can, and take that one extra step before you self-publish.