Mystery at Little Bitterroot Hook

In one of my previous posts...

http://thejimbuchanannovels.blogspot.com/2012/06/hook.html

I mentioned the fact that my intent in each novel is to develop a hook involving my protagonist's interactions with Native American ancestry, customs, friends and relatives. In Montana Harvest, the hook was Alma's path toward becoming a shaman, and her life and death utilization of what she had learned.

In Mystery at Little Bitterroot, the hook will be fictionalized legend, ḿalyè es šeýiłk. When a person dies a violent death at the hands of another, their life energy escapes to a place parallel to but not of this world. The murder victim's spirit retains the experience of its last moments on Earth and those memories drive it to seek revenge, wrecking death and destruction to all that stand in its way.

Twitter & Facebook Links

Recently, I've been active on both Twitter and Facebook. You can access my posts at the following link. You can also follow me on both services if you have accounts with them. 

https://twitter.com/#!/idowrite

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003157538795

The Dumbing Down of Grammar

As someone who spent 36+ years in the corporate world as an accountant/budget & financial analyst, a significant portion of my time was spent composing reports and memos. I found both internal and external communications to often be lacking in proper grammar. The following three articles support my observations. I believe these lessons are pertinent to any writer who offers their submissions to agents, editors, and publishers.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/every-company-is-a-publishing-company/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404577466662919275448.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_LeadStoryNA
 
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/29/dumbing-it-down-the-pursuit-of-intellectual-mediocrity-in-america/

Weekly Update - w/e 6-23-2012

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now 20.2% complete.

I've submitted my piece for next Saturday's writers group meeting.

I've come up with names for future characters: John Claire, Shelby Brewer, Lyle Dupré, Ben Kettering, Shane Doyle, Ruth Bane, Leonard Styles, Bonnie McAskill, and Moon Winter.

Weekly Update - w/e 6-16-2012

Attended my bi-monthly writers group meeting. Even though we met twice this month already, we scheduled another meeting for June 30th.

Have begun outlining my 4th novel. It will be a sequel to my 3rd and will bring back antagonists from my 1st and 3rd novels.

I now have an agent. Hope to receive more good news later this year.

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now at 12.1%.

Jim Buchanan's Scouting Report

As you may know, the protagonist in my novels, Jim Buchanan had a football career from high school to college and finally to the pros. I've created statistics to support his drafting position when he entered the NFL but what I've now done is to create a draft profile comparable to what the NFL uses in evaluating college talent. Basically, a scouting report. Using the standard Pro Football college player evaluations, here's what I've created:

 

DE-DT JIM BUCHANAN, #92

Montana                                                                      GRADE: 8.25

Ht: 6-5½      Wt: 280      Sp: 4.68      Arm: 35¼      Hand: 11½

Notes: Native American who did not begin playing high school sports until his junior year. Played high school ball at Taylor High in Montana where he won a football state championship and pitched on the baseball team. Accounted for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior halfback. Had arthroscopic surgery to remove a torn meniscus and bone spurs once the baseball season was over. Committed to then-head coach Mike Chapman and the Montana Grizzlies and spent a relatively quiet freshman year as a 6-3, 210 pound backup fullback/outside linebacker while rehabbing his knee and playing in all 12 games in ’80, gaining 128 yards on the ground and scoring one touchdown while recording 15 tackles (11 on special teams). Back to full health, started all 12 games as a 6-4, 240 pound inside linebacker in ’81 and tallied 49 tackles, five batted passes, three sacks, one blocked FGA, and two interceptions, including a 76-yard return for a touchdown. Moved to defensive end in ’82 and was a disruptive force at 6-5, 270 pounds, leading the team in tackles with 89. Added seven sacks, eight batted passes, two blocked kicks, and three forced fumbles in 12 games. First team All Big Sky Conference, second team All-American. Moved inside in a 4-3 scheme in ’83 and posted 123 tackles, eighteen sacks, twelve batted passes, seven forced fumbles, three blocked kicks, and two interceptions in 12 games. Incredibly, was occasionally used to drop into coverage. Returned one interception, 24 yards for a touchdown and scored a hat trick plus one vs. Montana State (sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, 87-yard scoring play). Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, first team All American, Outland Trophy winner.

Positives: Natural talent has vines for arms and meat hooks for hands. With only 5% body fat, looks like he was weaned on a Nautilus machine. Intriguing size-speed ratio, can flat-out fly. Rare movement skills, balance, change of direction, and agility for his size. Can grab and toss with ease. Uses his quickness to get under the pads of offensive linemen. Extremely gifted, athletic, spins off blocks, able to adjust and redirect, can slide along the line. Eyes and instincts are superior – quickly locates the ball and fights through clutter. Directs the defense, changes schemes based upon what he sees at the line. Is rarely wrong and out of position. Outstanding production, motor, effort, and hustle. Has proven he will play through injuries (knee) and has a high pain threshold. Physically tough, highly competitive, solid personal and football character – hardworking, outgoing, and well-respected, team captain, a coach's dream. Aggressive when he needs to be, under control at all times. Just scratching the surface and is loaded with potential, tremendous upside.

Negatives: Durability is a concern. Could be stronger at the point of attack. Appears in game film like a man among boys tossing blockers aside like trash, so competition has to be considered. Lacks experience locking horns with top-flight offensive linemen. Does not have the size or bulk for a NFL defensive tackle, will have to play outside. Needs to adjust to the speed of the pro game.

Summary: Has upfield speed to roar off the edge and the bulk and weight-room strength to fight in the trenches. Strong, long, quick, athletic, productive, instinctive, powerful disruptive force who really came onto the scene as a junior and possesses the position and scheme versatility to warrant top-five consideration. May serve him best working in a rotation as a rookie. Limitless upside, can have a lengthy pro career as long as he avoids major injury. Perennial Pro-bowler. Once in a lifetime player.

NFL Projection: Top-5 talent. Could be the first player drafted overall by a team that needs that final building block.

Hook

I've come to realize that a hook is needed for each of my novels. Not just any hook but because my novels involve a mixed blood sheriff, his interactions with Native American ancestry, customs, friends and relatives, the hook needs to involve that aspect of his life. In my first novel, Montana Harvest the hook was Alma's path toward becoming a shaman and her life and death utilization of what she had learned. In Mystery at Little Bitterroot, the hook will be a fictionalized legend. It is these hooks that will drive and compel the plot twists that I believe add a sense of mystery to my novels. My intent is to create multifaceted layers to my plots and if I do that the reader should say to themselves at the end of the novel, "Now I know why they did that" or "Now I can see why that happened."

Wisdom

I suppose wisdom can be defined as learning from one's mistakes or heeding the advice of others. If so, then I've incorporated wisdom into my novels. One thing I've learned from my trip to Montana is that because it is such a small populated state, I needed to fictionalize the locations in my novels. I created Cedar County with Taylor (pop. 65,167) as its county seat. US Route 228 (this highway does not exist anywhere in the USA) dissects Taylor. Some other towns in the county are Horace, Spaulding, Mallory, Big Stump, and Bryce Hollow. There is even a fictionalized ghost town named Louisiana City. Within Taylor are Taylor University and the Taylor University Medical Center. I also placed an office of the State Crime Lab in Taylor with Hank Kelly as the Chief Medical Examiner. Creating these fictionalized locations and establishments allows me to freely use them without offending or upsetting anyone.