Behind the Scenes - Drag Shows

In Glitter, Glam, and Contraband, sassy Private Eye, Delanie Fitzgerald, is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show.

I had never been to a show before, and my writer friend, Rosemary Shomaker, organized an outing for a group of writers at Godfrey’s in Richmond, Virginia. We had so much fun, and brunch was wonderful. The banana-stuffed French toast tasted like dessert. And the talent was extremely generous with their time before and after the show. They answered a lot of my questions, and everyone wanted to be in a murder mystery.

I made up the club in Glitter, Glam, and Contraband, as well as the entertainers’ names. My characters, Amber Alert, Ana Conda, Ginger Snap, Kiki Jubilee, Cherri Bomb, Nova Cain, Paige Turner, and Tara Byte were a lot of fun to write. I gave each of them a stage persona with props. Ana Conda brought her boa to the show until it scared someone in the audience. Ginger Snap and Cherri Bomb were sexy redheads. Nova Cain was a naughty nurse, Paige Turner was a librarian, and Tara Byte was a computer geek.

While I was writing the book, I did a lot of research on websites like Ru Paul’s Drag Race. There are also a lot of good sites with makeup tips. I always learn interesting stuff while researching books.

The Gang from Godfreys with authors Fiona Quinn, Tina Glasneck, Rosemary Shomaker, and me

Check out all the adventures of Delanie and Duncan (and Margaret the English bulldog).

Required Reading - Tips for Authors

I was the kid who got her first library card at four, and a trip to the library or bookstore was always magical. I was also over the moon every time the teacher said read quietly at your desk.

Good writers need to be good readers. Read everything you can get your hands on and make sure to read books in your genre.

I use the annual GoodReads reading challenge as a way to track what I’ve read throughout the year.

Here are some ideas of things to look for as you read:

The Industry

• Read author acknowledgment pages. See who the agents and editors are. Keep a list of those who specialize in what you write. You will be at the querying stage, and this will help you target who represents your genre.

• See what groups authors belong to.

• Look at the publishers and editors for the type of books you write.

• Recently at SleuthFest, author Richie Naraez reminded the audience to not only read contemporary books in your genre, but also read the classics. If you’re a mystery writer, you need to understand the history of the mystery (e.g. cozies, hard-boiled, pulp fiction, etc.).

The Craft of Writing

• Pay attention to the dialogue and techniques.

• Watch how authors transition from one scene to another.

• Look at the ways the writer moves the story along. He or she doesn’t give you every mundane detail.

• Look for “rules” or conventions in your genre. Does the murder happen in the first few chapters? Is the sleuth a professional?

• When you like a book, think about what caught and held your attention.

• Watch how the ending is revealed.

The Details

• Look at the character names. In many cases, the name has some meaning or reveals something.

• For series, see how the author sprinkles in details from the past in each book.

• Where is the book set and how does that affect the story?

• Look at the minor characters and how they support the protagonist.

• Pay attention to how the writer uses conflict to move the story along.

Make sure that you have time to read. It’s research. And be kind and leave a review for the books you like. It doesn’t have to be a book report, but reviews do matter to writers.

The Stuff I Research

Recently, I’ve done a lot of interviews for blogs and promotions for my latest Delanie Fitzgerald mystery, Glitter, Glam, and Contraband. One question that I’m asked a lot is how much research do you do for fiction Surprisingly, it’s a lot. (And I love the research quest part of the writing journey.)

For this book, I did a lot of research on the care and feeding of poisonous reptiles (enough to give myself the heebie jeebies — And now snakes keep appearing in pop-up ads on my social media sites.) I also did a lot of research of banned species in Virginia. Many thanks to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. They have a wealth of information on their site. I interviewed several people who raise snakes or exotic fish.

I had never been to a drag show, so I went with my writer pals, Rosemary Shomaker, Fiona Quinn, and Tina Glasneck. We went to Godfrey’s in Richmond, VA for a fabulous brunch. The entertainers were very helpful when they found out we were mystery writers.

There is also a time capsule/corner stone in the story, and I did a lot of research on what goes into these and what happens to them. So what happens if someone puts something in one that shouldn’t be there?

Right now, I’m working on a short story set around the Church Hill neighborhood in Richmond. In the 1920s, the railroad was repairing and expanding a tunnel in the neighborhood when there was a cave-in. It killed several workers. They and the train were trapped inside. After several days of failed rescue/recovery attempts, the railroad sealed the tunnel. And to this day, it’s still sealed as the final resting place of the workers and the train. There are lots of local legends and stories about the tragedy. Some are even tied to the Richmond Vampire. I’ve driven past the site hundreds of times, and I didn’t realize it was there. I’m fascinated with the lore around the history of the event. Reporter Mark Holmberg has done many stories on the site through the years, and I spent hours reading articles and posts and watching videos.

My story in the newest Mutt Mystery, “The Fast and Furious” (March 2020) takes place at a fictional racetrack. I had to do some research on cars, car parts, and NASCAR short track races. My husband rebuilds classic cars, and I got the idea for the murder weapon when he dragged me to the auto parts store. The newest story, “Strut Your Mutt,” is a dog show caper. I had to do a lot of research on the dog show world, pet chipping, and social media influencers.

So even though the stories and characters are fictional, a lot of research goes into making the story believable and real. I want to get the details correct and make the mystery/murder plausible. If you’re a writer, check out Fiona Quinn’s blog, Thrill Writing. She helps writers get it right.

Reading is Research

I have always loved books and reading. Yes, this is my first library card from 1972. It opened hundreds of worlds to me. I’m always sad when people say that they don’t like to read. Reading is entertainment, an escape, a journey to new places, a portal to new worlds, and research. Writers must read.

Stephen King said it best, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” By reading other authors, you learn vocabulary, literary techniques, and genre conventions. Look at the way the words flow in a work that you like. The author creates the story and moves the plot along. It’s not a play-by-play of every detail that happened in someone’s ordinary day. Look at the dialogue. It’s not mundane chitchat. Good authors don’t tell their readers things. They show them. They are artists who paint a verbal picture.

Stephen King’s On Writing is one of the best “how to” books for writers. When I started writing, I read every book about writing that I could get my hands on. I spent more time reading those than I did writing. Over the years, I kept a few. On Writing is one of those. It’s good to learn new things about mechanics, but I think reading books in your genre teaches you more about the conventions (e.g. cozy mysteries don’t usually have graphic scenes or language; mysteries usually have a dead body in the first chapter). You learn how to use language, describe things, and which point of view to write from.

I love receiving books as gifts. This year for Christmas, I received two books about books, and I can’t wait to read them. I still have gift cards left, so I’m not done with the book shopping.

Are you on Goodreads? I like the annual book challenge. I need to think about my goal for 2019. I usually go with 26 (one for every two weeks of the year), but maybe this year, I’ll set a stretch goal. I like how the site keeps track of my totals for me and helps me to remember to leave a review. Plus, at the end of the year, I liked seeing all the year’s books.

What are you reading right now?

All in the Name of Research...

Surprisingly, fiction writers do a lot of research to ensure that the details in their writing are as accurate as possible. When you’re a mystery writer, some of this research can put you in sticky situations (e.g. You may not want to Google the best ways to a dispose of a body.)

I’m fortunate that my dad is a retired police captain, and I have other family and friends in law enforcement who are always willing to answer my procedural or odd questions. I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve had questions like, “What does a meth lab smell like” or “what size of a hole would this bullet make.” People are always willing to help and are very generous with their time.

I am also thrilled to be a part of Sisters in Crime. Our local chapter has great programming. We bring in experts to answer questions and explain procedures. I now have two awesome bail bondsmen in my contact list (or in case I need them). We’ve also had an arson investigator, medical examiner, FBI agent, ABC officer, Railroad Enforcement Officer, an expert in human trafficking, and a state conservation officer talk to our group.

I’ve also found that Twitter is a solid resource for finding experts and people who know things. I’ve put out questions before and received good information quickly. Social media sites are great for research, finding contacts, and networking. I’ve received several referrals that were quite helpful in my research.

My Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, is always getting herself in and out of humorous situations. In book three, she gets a gig to go undercover at a drag show to find out who is stealing from the talent. I’d never been to a drag so, so my writer friend, Rosemary Shomaker, arranged a research trip for brunch. (The bananas foster French toast was wonderful!) We had so much fun, and I ended up with a lot of details to add to my story, and a subject matter expert to answer my questions.

I always keep a list of folks who help me with ideas and answer questions for the book’s acknowledgments page.

Okay writers, what adventures have you had in the name of research?

How Much Research Goes into Fiction Writing?

Fiction is made up, right? Surprisingly, I do quite a bit of research for my mysteries (novels and short stories). I want the story to be plausible and as accurate as possible. Even though it's fiction, readers notice when the writer doesn't get it right.

My sassy Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, gets herself into all kinds of adventures. I do a lot of research for that series. In Secret Lives and Private Eyes, my PI lives in a Sears Catalog house from 1939. The houses were ordered and shipped by rail for assembly. I found great information on the Sears Catalog homes that have been preserved through the years. In the first book in the series, she attends her first ComiCon and investigates a theft at an art museum. In the second book, she learns all about LARPing (Live-action Role Playing) and roller derby as she investigates a serial murder in central Virginia. I did some interviews and online research to get my background information on her activities.

Here's are some good research links for writers.

1. I use Google Maps and Google Street View to scope out locations, look for place and street names, and to check the surroundings of real places. I never have a murder take place at a real location. I make up those place names, but my characters frequently visit real places and tourist spots. Google is great for finding place names and great places to hide bodies.
2. I use baby name lists from past years (just Google popular baby names by year) and decades to make sure that the names fit the age of the character. Certain names were popular in specific decades.
3. My dad is a retired police officer. He's my police procedural resource. He's used to my, "Hey, Dad, what does a meth lap smell like" or "Can I kill someone with a guitar string" kinds of questions. Our dinner conversations are always interesting. If you don't have professional resources. Check around your community. Many have police/fire/safety presentations where you can make contacts. Twitter is also a great place to find answers and subject matter experts.
4. I am a member of Sisters and Crime. Our chapter has a lot of programs, and the speakers are willing to answer all kinds of questions. It's a great place to get ideas and to network with real-world professionals. In the last year, we've had campus police chiefs, a K9 rescue dog trainer, and a mortician talk to our writers.
5. The Writer's Police Academy is also a wonderful opportunity to get hands on experience with police/fire/rescue techniques.
6. My talented writer friend, Fiona Quinn, has a great blog that teaches writers how to write it right. I find a lot of good information in her posts. Check out her site and tweets.

Research isn't just for non-fiction. What other sites would you add to my list?