Lisa Manterfield

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June 27, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

On the Gogglebox: Three Shows I’m Loving Right Now

I spend most of my evenings with my nose wedged firmly in a good book. Sometimes, though,  my poor eyes need a rest from words on the page and I like to chill and binge-watch a favorite show. Here are three that I’m loving right now:

Quirky British Treasure

Image Courtesy Acorn TV

I just started watching the third season of Detectorists and I’m trying to resist binge-watching all of what will be the last season. I love this series!

If you haven’t seen this yet, it’s a British series about two metal detectorists (not to be confused with metal detectors—the equipment) on the quest to find buried treasure in the Essex countryside. It’s a very quiet show with the kind of sly, witty dialogue between the cast of quirky characters that makes it feel like a play. Despite the quietness, the stories have drama, heart, and a pair of diabolical bad guys, nicknamed Simon and Garfunkel. The series also offers a fascinating peek into both the history and the quirks of the British Isles.

Psychology of a Serial Killer

Image courtesy: Netflix

Based around the creation of the FBI’s criminal psychology department in the 1970s, Mindhunter follows two FBI agents as they set out to interview some of the nation’s most notorious serial killers. Their hope is to develop a psychological profile of serial killers to help solve future crimes. While our two heroes travel around the country interviewing real-life killers such as Ed Kemper and Jerry Brudos, they begin to use what they learn to help local police departments solve ongoing investigations. 

As unpleasant as is it to hear the interviews, it’s absolutely riveting to take a peek inside the twisted minds of these men. 

From the Dark to the Silly

Image courtesy: Acorn TV

There is only so much true crime I can stomach, so when my heart needs a break from the horrors of reality, I turn to Agatha Raisin.  

Agatha Raisin is fun, silly, quirky mystery series set in the beautiful Cotswolds in southwest England. Agatha is a former PR exec who leaves the London rat race to fulfill her dream of living a quiet life in the Cotswolds. All is peaceful, until she finds herself caught up in a murder in the village. Now she must use her wits and PR skills to catch the killer, aided by cast of colorful characters. Throw in a sidekick who is also her cleaning lady, a would-be romantic interest that lives over the fence, a bungling police officer, and a long-suffering research assistant with a troubled love-life, and you’ve got a funny, silly, check-your-brain-at-the door cozy mystery series.

With the next series of Stranger Things starting next week, I don’t really need to add to my viewing list, but I’d love to know what you’re watching this summer. 

Filed Under: Book Love Tagged With: Acorn TV, Agatha Raisin, BBC, books, detectorists, Mindhunter, netflix, Stranger Things, TV Leave a Comment

June 18, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield 22 Comments

Meet the Voice of Em

This week, the audiobook of The Smallest Thing went into pre-production. I am trying (and failing) to contain my excitement, but honestly, I cannot wait to hear Em and her story come to life. The person who’s going to make that happen is Charlie Sanderson.

Charlie is the voice over artist who’ll be narrating The Smallest Thing. I knew from the second I heard her audition that she was the one. She captured Em’s attitude perfectly, and really brought to life the characters and personality of the village. Wait until you hear her Mrs. Glover.

While Charlie has a talent for accents, Em’s voice won’t be too much of a stretch for her. Charlie was born in Yorkshire (like me!), grew up in Derbyshire, and went to school just a few miles away from the real-life village of Eyam. Really, it was meant to be.

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#chuffedtobits to be marking up my second to next read #thesmallestthing by @lisamanterfield_ so rarely get to read in my own accent!!!! #derbyshiredales #voiceartist #actress #audiobooks #thriller

A post shared by Charlie Sanderson (@countrylassactress) on Jun 17, 2019 at 10:25am PDT

You can find out more about Charlie’s work at her website, charlie-sanderson.com. You can also find on her Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Just be warned: she is Dog-mum to a very cute black lab puppy, who is a natural for the camera.

I can’t wait to share samples of the early chapters from Charlie. Meanwhile, here is the new audiobook cover for The Smallest Thing. It will be available later this summer.

Every month, from now until publication, I’ll be offering my newsletter subscribers the chance to win pre-launch copies of the new audiobook. If you’re not yet subscribed, click here. You’ll also get some free readable goodies and news from me once or twice a month. Good luck!

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: audiobook, Charlie Sanderson, Eyam, The Smallest Thing, thriller, voice over 22 Comments

June 12, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

7 Ways to Get A Novel Started

I’m just diving into the serious rubber-meets-the road work of my new novel. I don’t have a title yet, just a cast of characters, an idea I want to explore, and a vague shape of the story I want to tell. I’ve spent the past few weeks noodling ideas, jotting in notebooks, and reading research materials; now it’s time to write. 

Here are some of the tools I use to get my novel from idea to words on a page.

1. Basic Research

Research is important to a novel, but it can be a deep, dark rabbit hole that gets in the way of the actual writing. As I’m assembling a novel in my mind, I try to do the bare minimum research I need to get the story moving. I don’t yet need to know what kind of shoes my character wears, but I do need to know what is happening in the world around her (in the case of my new book, a war) and some details about her life at that time. I need a basic timeline of the real world and enough facts about events that I can make sure I’m writing a story that could actually happen in that time and place. 

For Dora’s story, I’ve read a few works of fiction, including some children’s books (thanks to author Pamela Toler for that tip.) I’ve read a couple for memoirs and some historical non-fiction. Supplemented by internet research and a browse through some news, film, and radio archives, I have enough to know that the story in my head will fit the real-world events of that time and place. Later, once I have a first draft done, I’ll do more detailed research to make sure I get everything right.

2. Find the Emotional Core

YA author, Nina LaCour shares her methods for getting to the emotional core of a story in her Slow Novel Lab course. When I write, I usually start with a character and build a plot around her. For this new book, I’m interested in where Dora is emotionally at the beginning of the book, and what she needs to discover about herself as she goes through this story. I don’t yet know exactly what happens in the second half of the book, or how it ends (although this is slowly starting to take shape.) I doknow what Dora (and the reader) need to understand about the world when the book is over. 

That said, I’ll be writing with my fingers crossed that the rest of the story reveals itself as I move forward.

3. Uncover the Story

Lisa Cron’s Story Genius is a great tool for getting to the real meat of the story. Her exercises help me dig into my characters to really understand them and their stories. I use Lisa’s methods to get to the heart of the story, to understand why what happens in the plot will matter to my character, and why readers will care about any of it. 

4. Get into the Character’s Skin

A few years ago I took a brilliant workshop at UCLA with actor/writer Leon Martell. Leon taught us how to use acting techniques to get into the heads of our characters. Dora came out of a series of exercises in that workshop. She was originally a supporting character, but she came to life for me in that class. When other class members began asking questions about her, I realized that it was her story I needed to tell. As I start to get Dora onto the page, I’ll go back to the exercises from this class to bring Dora to life.

5. Capture the Ideas

Index cards are my BFF. I’ll have hundreds of them by the time this book is done. I use them to capture ideas, to jot down scenes I know need to be in the story, and ultimately to bring a shape to the story I’m telling. I write my early drafts in a program called Scrivener, which has a digital index card system, but I still prefer to handwrite notes. That way I can spread my cards out on the floor, move them around, and get a clear visual image of how the story will hang together.

6. Map out the Plot

When it’s time to commit to an order for my cards, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is my go-to guide for building a compelling plot. Save the Cat! is a method of plotting out a story and developing key scenes that can be used as milestones in the long writing process. I use it to create a Beat Sheet of scenes I know must be included. 

I keep my plot loose for the first draft and give myself permission to circle back and change things as the story unfolds. Save the Cat! gives me a road map while I write.

7. Place Butt in Chair

Finally, we come to the most valuable tool in my arsenal  for getting a novel started. No matter what tools I use to get my story going, at some point, I need to deposit my posterior in my chair and get the writing done.

And that’s what I’m doing this week.

If you’re a writer looking for help writing or revising your own novel, please check out my book coaching and editing services on the For Writers page.

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: book coach, editing, fiction, how to write a novel, Lisa Cron, Nina LaCour, novel, save the cat, slow novel lab, story genius, writing Leave a Comment

June 6, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

Fave Reads: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

I love the kind of book that immediately makes me want to read it again to see all the hints and little stitches I missed the first time. This was the case when I finished All the Missing Girls, Megan Miranda’s clever, twisty psychological thriller about small town secrets and unreliable memories.

Nicolette Farrell is fored to return to her home town of Cooley Ridge a decade after she left. Her father’s health is declining fast and Nic and her brother have some decisions to make about his future. Nic left behind a lot of memories in Cooley Ridge, along with the man she thought she’d marry, and the mystery of what happened to her best friend Corinne, who disappeared one night and was never found. But days after her arrival in Cooley Ridge, another girl goes missing, and Nic must relive her nightmare all over again. 

As she tries to unravel what happened to the missing girl, secrets about her family, her friends, and her former love emerge. As Nic begins to see the events surrounding Corinne’s disappearance through fresh eyes, she soon realizes she, and the residents of Cooley Ridge, know more about that night than she first acknowledged. Corinne’s killer might be closer to Nic than she knew.

Why I Loved It 

All the Missing Girls is a great psychological thriller with a wicked twist. What makes this book stand out is that the story is told in reverse, beginning fifteen days after Nic’s arrival, backtracking one day at a time, and coming full circle to solve the puzzle. 

This structure makes for some mind-bending reading as the reader gets the clues in reverse order, while the main character is days ahead.  As I was busy gathering clues along with Nic, I had to remember to reorder them in my mind, and then review them again through the filter of new information. Add to that a great twist at the end and you’ve got a wholly satisfying read and a fascinating re-read

What I Learned as a Writer 

This would have been a totally different book if told in chronological order. It’s a simple story, with some good twists, but Megan Miranda’s decision to tell it backwards leaves readers guessing to the very end. Giving the characters more information than the reader heightened the level of suspense from fun to riveting. 

Read This Book If… 

…you love, dark, twisty psychological thrillers with interesting structures. This one will keep you turning the pages.

My Rating: 

Filed Under: Book Love Tagged With: book review, favorite books, fiction, Megan Miranda, psychological suspense, reading, writing Leave a Comment

May 17, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

Poem in Your Pocket & National Limerick Day

I’m not sure how this happened but I managed to miss both Poem in your Pocket Day (April 18) and National Limerick Day (May 12) this year. So, in honor of both, I want to offer a couple of favorites.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Had I remembered to print out a poem and carry it in my pocket on April 18, I would have undoubtedly chosen Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Figs from Thistles: First Fig. My husband introduced me to this poet when we were dating, and I have loved this particular poem ever since. 

Figs from Thistles: First Fig
By Edna St. Vincent Millay

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!

I’ve sort of adopted this as a mantra for life, even though it’s probably not very good for my health. I love this poem because it says everything I feel about living life to the fullest, something Edna St. Vincent Millay most certainly did. 

While we’re in a poetry mood, here’s an offering from my favorite childhood poet, Spike Milligan. Although this poem is nonsense and ridiculous, it’s important to me because it taught me to love poetry, helped me learn to memorize my favorites, and reminded me into adulthood that art (or life, for that matter) doesn’t have to be serious all the time. 

On the Ning Nang Nong
Spike Milligan
 
On the Ning Nang Nong 
Where the cows go bong! 
and the monkeys all say BOO! 

There's a Nong Nang Ning 
Where the trees go ping! 
And the tea pots jibber jabber joo. 

On the Nong Ning Nang 
All the mice go clang 
And you just can't catch 'em when they do! 

So its Ning Nang Nong 
Cows go bong! 
Nong Nang Ning 
Trees go ping 
Nong Ning Nang 
The mice go clang 
What a noisy place to belong 
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

National Limerick Day

A number of years ago, my husband‘s mother gave us a huge book of limericks that she had found in a thrift store. Delighted, we opened the pages and picked a limerick at random to read to her. It turned out that limerick was quite a filthy one and not suitable to read to one’s mother-in-law. We looked for another, but quickly discovered that the entire book was full of the dirtiest limerick’s I’d ever heard (I’m not talking cheeky or a bit rude here; I’m talking filthy.) Anyway, my poor mother-in-law was mortified that she’d given us this book, which only added to the delight it brought us.

I won’t share a limerick from that book. 

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: . Vincent Millay, Author, Edna St, Spike Milligan Leave a Comment

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