Is that Even Possible? A Writing Experiment: Chaos Is Come Again with John Dolan and Fiona Quinn

First, a Scientific Question

Could two writers who had just met on Twitter come together and write a novel? 

Hmmm.

Some considerations:

* The writers had never met, never even spoken to each other. Only

   tweeted. Though the question was posed in an e-mail. 

* They write in different styles.
* One writes in English- English; one writes in American-English.

   And thus, spelling, vocabulary, and phrasing differences - some

   of them quite significant - some quite funny.

* One writer lives outside of D.C. in the U.S. and the other is an

   English ex-pat splitting his time between Thailand 

   and Dubai so a time difference of 11 or 9 hours respectively.

* They were both very busy. Dolan was running a power company,

   and Quinn was homeschooling her brood. Both were already

   working on their own writing projects. 

* One was a plotter who has a love of spreadsheets, the other a

   pantser who actually broke out in hives the first time she saw a

   Dolan-spreadsheet.

The catalyst for the science experiment.

John Dolan

Fiona Quinn, a newby to Twitter, meets John Dolan, a Twitter proficient, because she did not understand what an RT was. 

This lead to Dolan putting on his much doffed Henry Higgins cap as he tried to explain the workings of Twitter. 

And then, there was a Twitter exchange of a story - line by line - which lead almost immediately to the question - is this possible in a larger format? Could we write a novel?

Background Research

* First, each subject had to read each other's work and see if

   they felt their possible writing partner could string more that 140

   characters together in a cogent fashion.

* Then there was the Skype session - to actually "meet."

* This was followed by ideas thrown about to see if the minds

    could interact as a team.

Hypothesis

Two strangers from different backgrounds and different parts of the world can bring their own talents and knowledge to the table to create a unique and interesting work of fiction.

Test Your Hypothesis

Fiona Quinn

Quinn and Dolan began the experiment in the spring of 2013. Within a couple of months of daily Skyping and numerous emails, they had constructed their characters and plotline. Dolan took time off on a sabbatical, and they came together to finish the project spring of 2014.

Decisions were made about spelling, language, and process and all were documented ad nauseum into spreadsheets (that Quinn had to be coaxed into opening).

Language/cultural barriers were broken down with exchanges such as these:

Dolan - You are a cheeky cow.

Quinn - I'm a cow? 

              I think we could start with a dictionary of weird

              English words - Yonks, Cow, Fanny, Shag, Twee,

              Loo... 

Dolan - The "cow" thing btw. In English the term "cheeky cow" (of

              which "cow" is a shortened version) is almost a term of

              endearment directed at someone who has made a comment

              which is critical but in a non-threatening/insulting way.

              Just so you know.

Quinn - I took it with a spoonful of endearment.

and...

Quinn - How do you envision Sean?

Dolan - * He's not a homeschooled vegetarian

             * He doesn't like anchovies
             * Size 9 feet
Quinn - Size 9 feet? That's unfortunate.
Dolan - Why?
Quinn - Oh... Hmm... Well there seems to be a mythological 

             correlate --

Dolan - I have size 9 feet
Quinn - ACH! I'll stop typing.

             NO WAIT!

             You have size 9 feet in European size?

Dolan - Yes. Well UK size
Quinn - Okay then I'll finish. A correlate between the man's foot

              size and his uhm “endowment.” And here, size 9 is rather 

              small...
Dolan - Ah, but my foot is only a size 9 when it's not aroused. 

             Whenever my feet get excited, they bust out of my shoes.
Quinn - Too early! I just woke up. 

              That's a frightening thought, Mr. Dolan.
Dolan - It's like a scene from Alien.

Quinn - OK, that's enough thank you. I'm off to wake the kiddos.

              L8r G8R.

There were lots of technical difficulties - a typical exchange.

* OK, I've been through it and accepted all your yellows and put a couple of red expansions. Wanna
    talk about the big blocks of green under Sean and Teagan?
* 2:00pm Quinn - yup.
* 2:02pm Dolan - On video? 15 min warning: I need to get something to eat shortly, OK?
* 2:03pm - John missed a call from you.
* May 24 - You missed a call from John.
* 2:04pm Quinn -  try again  it didnt ring.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* 2:05pm Dolan -retrying
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 John missed a call from you.
* 2:10pm Dolan - 1 more try
* 2:10pm Quinn -  k u go
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* 2:11pm  Dolan - Tried. It's not playing. Let me eat and we'll try later if that's OK with you
* 2:12pm Quinn -  Yup

* 4:07pm Dolan - You try
* May 24 You called John.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 You called John.
* May 24 John called you.
* 4:09pm Quinn - one more time for good luck - you or me?
* 4:10pm Dolan - you call but give me 1 min first. I thought I'd try headphones and see if it makes a
               difference. OK ready
* May 24 You called John.
* 4:14pm Quinn -  Whoop! I can see you... BOO! I can't hear you.
* 4:15pm Dolan - Can you see my lips moving?
* 4:15 pm Quinn - Sigh. Maybe the book will just write itself????

Description of Outcome:
In Chaos Is Come Again, authors John Dolan and Fiona Quinn step away from their usual writing styles to create a twisted dark comedy for the Internet generation. Pulling back the curtain on the messiness of their characters’ issues, the authors take a satiric look at the juggling act of modern life.

In America, dread propels literary agent Avery Goodyear out of bed each morning. She’s panicked about losing her job if she doesn't get Travis Bishop – the coke-addicted author of the blasphemous Nosferatu, the Lost Gospel – to complete his sequel.

In England, Sean’s schizophrenia meds aren’t doing their job, and the voices in his head are getting louder. To make matters worse, he is being harassed by a predatory girlfriend, and a conspiracy nut who thinks the way to catch the London serial killer is through the magic number 23.

A chance meeting on Twitter connects Sean and Avery. As their relationship deepens, they each try to conceal the chaos that defines their lives. But secrets can be deadly.

 For readers who enjoy works such as The World According to Garp and MASH

Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion

* I am holding the end result in my hand. 
* It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.   
* Words form sentences, sentences form
   paragraphs which in turn form chapters.

Yes, by jove! 

I do believe that this experiment produced a book!

Commnicate Your Results

This is what people are saying:

“Readers, get ready for a hysterical, wild, whacky read that
  will keep you biting your nails till the end. ” 

“The characters in this book are diverse, complicated and
  fascinating.”

“The ending will simply blow you out of the water.”


and Quinn's personal favorite:

"A book this weird shouldn't work, but this one does, magnificently."

To read all of our reviews click on this LINK 

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Home Invasion prt 2: Information for Writers with Personal Protection Specialist Rock Higgins

_____________________________________________________________

One of the things that I love and want to encourage is for readers and writers to ask questions and make this blog an interactive resource for writing your scene right. After Rock Higgins of V.I.P.A. Tactical and I wrote a blog about home invasion,  I received questions both on the blog and Twitter. So Rock and I are back for Part Two to address your queries. Home Invasion Prt 1 Blog Link

In a home invasion, why would your heroine (or you) want to have a land line? Won't a cell phone do the trick?

A landline telephone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With a land line - 

* You know where it is - it won't be lost.
* You don't have to worry about it being

   charged

* You don't have to worry about the call being

   dropped
* You don't have to worry about having enough

   bars
* The 911 operator will immediately know

   where you are and can get someone headed

   your way. So even if you dial and don't speak,

   help will  come.

* Your heroine should either have an extension

    in every room or have a cordless land line

    that you can move about with. Again here,

    check that your heroine gets reception in all

    areas of the home and that the phone always

    sits in its carriage and is on charge. Ha! When

    does that ever happen?

English: Apartment (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A house owner has a lot of options to secure the premises that may not be available to an apartment dweller. As a writer you need to decide just how savvy your heroine was when she signed her lease. This area is rife with plot twist opportunities. Everything from forethought in planning for an emergency to simply the lay out and general safety of the apartment building. 

Rock, can you talk about some of the ways to decrease the likelihood of becoming a target while living in an apartment? (And remember authors, simply reverse this advice to put your heroine into yet another terrible predicament.)

Rock Higgins, V.I.P.A. Tactical
Protection Specialist and Anti-terrorist Expert

Rock - 

Apartments, houses, mobile homes, it doesn't matter. You have to work with a plan for where you live. But as you asked about apartments we will stick to that. 

Security is all about ever decreasing circles, the more circles (obstacles) you can put between you and an enemy (will clarify that a some later time) the less likely you will be a target.

without knowing the specifics of the apartment or the building I will go over some general points.

There are two areas that need to be looked at:
* The apartment building itself
* The apartment from your point of view

APARTMENT BUILDING

Is the apartment block secure with:
* Electronic / key code / key for the apartment building entry door?
* Does the apartment block have a night porter / concierge / 
   security in main foyer?
* Is there CCTV (closed circuit TV - video security) on the
   apartment building front door / foyer / in lifts / on fire exits?
* What type and where are the fire escapes situated?
* What security procedures are in place from the building owners
   (should be checked prior to living there)

If the apartment block is open access with lifts (elevators) and stairs open to the public from the street -

* The first line of defense is already non-existent. 

* Threats can move directly from your apartment to the stairwells
   and lifts and to the street level.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

APARTMENT

* Is the apartment front door outside on a

   walkway or inside in a corridor? 

* Not only good locks on the door, but one

   with no letter box

* If the threat is great, you can also get fire

   resistant doors and glass. 

* You can also get good door jams (floor

   bolts) that can be engaged at night.

  

Defend and secure or defend and escape are the two main objectives, not in that order as it depends on the tactical situation at that specific time. Bear in mind that defend may also mean going on the offensive.

SECURE

* Is there a defensible room for all family members (Safe room)
   what you in the States call a Panic Room?
* Is the door to the safe room strong enough to withstand a
   battering, fire? What are the hinges like?

* How long can you stay in your safe room? 

* Your safe room also may have to be the one that you escape from
   - so fire escapes and fully opening windows for egress are a must.

* Remember it will be a room that is also used for everyday living,
   so packing it out with kit to survive for long periods is a no-no. 

* You are not going to be there that long before LE arrive 
   (emergency services). Again though, this depends on the situation
   at the time.

* Thinking about firearms, 

   `What are your walls like? 

   `What cover is available in your safe room?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ESCAPE

If you are in a high rise block and living high up,

getting out of the apartment may be difficult especially if you only have a front door. Does your apartment have a rear or side door leading out?

For living on lower levels escaping out of windows to the ground may be easier if you are prepared. Do your windows open fully so an adult can get out?

If your fire escape is not at a rear or side window but down the hallway then the window may be your only option.

Now dropping from a second floor or higher may prove damaging when hitting the ground (obviously) so 

* Do you have a knotted climbing rope in place

   and secured?

* Can all family members climb down the rope, have you
    practiced?

As part of my job we carry a Rescuematic. 

Video Quick Study (2:14) Man deploying a Rescuematic.

*It is really used in case of fire but the idea is to get us out of the
   building. 

* It is a wire harness that is secured to a wall and the weight of the
   person being lowered to the ground is countered to by internal 
   mechanisms. 

* Only good for about 5 floors up but ideal in that situation.

Hope that covers some basics.
Rock

Amazon Link

Awesome, Rock. Thank you so much for that information.

Learn more about Rock and close protection HERE. 

You also can find more great information in Rock's book

Meditations of a Modern Warrior -

Linkedin - Paul 'Rock' Higgins CMAS, SAC Dip
Facebook - Paul 'Rock' Higgins CMAS, SAC dip
E-mail vipatacticaltraining@hotmail.com
Website - www.vipatacticaltraining.com

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right, presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way are we advocating any position or personal decision.

Related articles

• Body Guard and Personal Protection: Information for Writers with Rock Higgins

Emergency Phone Apps to Save Your Heroine's Life

Heather Weidner
Facebook Link

My Friend Heather and I were heading home after a book signing for

our Virginia Is for Mysteries anthology and what do you think a nerd girl (me) and a geek girl (Heather) - who both write suspense/crime - would end up talking about? Turns out we were trying to save our heroines' lives with a cell phone.

 

solar charger

First - that phone better be charged, or she will need a way to charge it.

* Power cords (car or wall socket)

* Solar power charger
* hand crank charger

charge cords duct taped to a hand crank charger

Second - Does she have reception? No? She can try the following:

* Keep the cell phone charged (at least 3 bars)

* She can try standing outside of the building.

* Is your heroine geeky? She may know to use UMA and if she knows about and can use UMA then she

   might have the advantage over the predator:

What is "UMA"?
Unlicensed Mobile Access is a technology that allows a UMA capable mobile phone to seamlessly switch back and forth between mobile phone networks and local wireless networks. WiFi and Bluetooth are commonly used for the local wireless part of the system. Simply possessing a UMA capable phone does not mean that a subscriber can make use of UMA services since the system requires back-end support from the carrier. UMA is particularly useful in remote areas where mobile phone coverage is poor, as well as inside of buildings where the network signal might not be able to penetrate building walls. In the US, T-Mobile was the first carrier to start offering UMA services. UMA has been officially ratified by the 3GPP and has been renamed GAN, or Generic Access Network, though most often the technology is still referred to by the UMA name. Quote link

* If your heroine has become aware of a problem of low - say one bar- signal, she may fix the problem with a cell phone signal booster. Your bad guy knows how remote that house is and that his cell doesn't work in the area. So when he cuts the land lines, he's sure that his victim is now without resources for calling 911. Ha! Fooled him.

Video Quick Study (3:48)

* Maybe your heroine's job - or just her inner tech-lovin'-geeky-self just preferred having a satellite phone.
   They now come in handheld like a smart phone. With this technology - it won't matter if the cell phones
    are down or if she's been cast out in the middle of no where.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Video Quick Link (3:51) Explains the phone and discusses the updates and very good information for writing this right.

Video Quick Study (2:39) Or if that price was too hefty and she just felt like she needed to be able to update people as to her progress up Mt. Kilimanjaro then she could have this little piece of tech. Not two-way but small, affordable, and she could certainly send out a, "Help, broken leg, am being eaten by hyenas!" text with the hopes that a friend would take some action on her behalf.

* If your heroine has enough cell service and battery for one very short call to let people know she was
   able to swim herself out of the tsunami, who should she call? HERSELF. She should call her messages  
   and change her outgoing message to reflect her status. That way as her friends and family make panicked
   calls to make sure she is okay - they all find out that she has indeed put her swim classes to good use
   and is now drying out under a palm tree.

All right. Let's say that your heroine has her smart phone, it is fully charged, it has excellent signal, and she needs help. What apps could she have loaded up to save her life?

Let's start with some basics:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)*Flashlight –

* Air horn – There are several free apps for

                      iPhone and Android that let you

                     download a  noisemaker. You

                     may need it to draw

                     attention to something in an 

                     emergency.
* Flashlight - This app uses the cameras flash
                     to provide light in an emergency

* Compass - if your heroine knows the general

                    direction of help (the road, river, town)

* A camera/video can help

                   ` to document a crime  

                   ` send information to a helper ex. a doctor so that clear instructions can be given

                   ` help someone locate their position

* ICE app Link to store 3.99$ tells Energency responders whom to contact, medical conditions etc.

* The Red Cross has first aid apps and pet first aid apps - they will walk you through the medical emergency

                     while you're waiting for the first responders.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beyond the Basics

* Knot Guide

* Survival Guide - includes

   psychological survival and we

   know that this is KEY. One can do

   everything  wrong but if the desire

   to survive is strong enough, our 

   heroine can still stay alive.

* SAS Survival Guide - especially

   helpful if your heroine has some

   basic bushcraft/survival/prepper

   skills be it from Girl Scouts or

   Military or just growing up playing

   in the mud.

* Wild Edibles - plants. Esp

   good if your heroine can't imagine 

   trapping/killing/cooking wild food.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*Wilderness Survival - I particularly

   like this one because your heroine
   can choose the terrain: desert, snow,
   coast, forest, sea... And get advice
   for food, shelter, water & fire in her

   particular circumstance.

* Chemical Safety Data Sheet - This free

   application displays the International Chemical

   Safety cards. It provides danger warnings and

   first aid information. This is a great resource

   for writers if you want to know the facts about

   a chemical substance.

Remember, in a disaster EVERYONE is trying to use their cell phone thereby overpowering the cell phone tower capabilities. If your heroine is not using satellite technology, she should send texts.

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

The Body Language of Attraction: Information for Writers

_________________________

I got to observe Striker out of uniform, playing spy on a few heaven-sent operations. Men would instinctively become wary when he entered the room, closing their postures or moving away. The women would hold their ground, giving him long speculative glances. I watched them touch their hair and lift their breasts, subtle communications that they were interested, and his advances would be welcomed and rewarded. Back on those missions, I wanted to do that -- lift my breasts and bat my eyes at him to get him to notice me... ~WEAKEST LYNX 


He loves me? He loves me not?
Surely your intrepid heroine knows better than to rely on the petals of the daisy to tell her the truth -  the answer to her question is standing right in front of her.

Bodies rarely lie.

Your heroine looks beyond the words and judges whether this is a future love interest or this is a waste of her time.

The first rule of thumb is never assume. Making a determination is based on an accumulation of body language information. Some of the body language gestures that your heroine is looking for may be personality quirks that do NOT inform the communication. As an example, I have often been called out for playing with my hair - many a man has read that a woman touching her hair is a sign of sexual desire. And I'm not saying that this is incorrect in every instance of my playing with my hair - I'm just saying that in general my hair gets in my way, and I am constantly touching my hair. So this would not be a good "tell" for me. What you want your heroine to see is what changes, where does the character act differently.

A tell is a body language signal that is produced without thought. It signals information to a recipient. Some people are more dexterous in reading body language than others.

Flirtation -

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Women almost always begin the
   flirtation/courtship dance.
* Men pick up on the woman's body language
   and act. This is true unless a man has ulterior
   motives ex. he is looking for prey - if this is
   the motivation, then the man is looking for
   victim-body language which is a different
   topic.
* Woman will spot a male that peaks her
   interest and watches him, holds eye contact
   a millisecond longer  than is normal.
* She will flick her hair to help ensure that his
   eye perceives her.
* Once a man is aware of a woman, if he is
   interested, he will wait for an approach tell. 
   This is the signal that he is welcome to make contact with the 
   woman. If she does not offer an approach
   tell to him, he will get no where if he tries to advance.

 What might this look like? She will:

* Catch his eye
* Smile
* Preen
* And possibly lift her chest.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once he has approached

Signs things are going well -

* Think open - open eyes, open mouth, open gestures...
   Video Quick Study (2:44)
* Smiles (wrinkles below the eyes and at the outer corners shows 
   genuine smiling)
* Laughter
* Exposing the neck - a submissive flirtatious gesture
* Touching below the belt - thigh, bottom...
* Orienting the bodies towards each other - ignoring everyone else.
   Video Quick Study (2:03)
* Exaggerated facial expressions
* She leans towards you
* Mirrors your body language
* Flutters eyelids. This can also be a smokey room, an allergy,
   something in her eye...careful about jumping
   to conclusions - look for layers of tells not just one.
* If she crosses her leg, she will point it in a direction that will close the circle excluding others

Video Quick Study (2:48)
Video Quick Study (1:15)

Signs things are going badly -

* Crossing the legs or arms, especially for men doing the dreaded
   4 cross (an ankle across the knee) which
   effectively puts a bar between the two people.
* Belly buttons or feet facing away from the direction of the other 
   conversant
* Controlled facial expressions
* Looking away
* A pat - is a release signal (different than a touch - this is a pat,
   pat, let go)

And going really badly -

* Tucking the chin as if to take a blow
* Swiping the tongue over the teeth - teeth being a primal defense 
   weapon

So what's a girl to do to try to gain his amorous attention? She pulls out the big guns

* A woman will increase her preening and animation in order to
   hold the man's attention
* Head cants (tilt)
* Eye-pops - closing the eye for longer than a blink then opening
   the eye widely, fixing the man in her focus.
* Lip licks
* Hair flips and preening

Micro expressions

* Are universal - they are the same everywhere in the world no
   matter the educational level, gender, age, etc.
* Take place in less than 1/5 of a second.
* Unconscious and cannot be controlled
* Express the seven universal emotions:
`anger
`fear
`disgust - lines in the nose, lines under the eyes, contorting lips -
  doomesday for romance
`contempt - number one sign of a failing relationship. Asymetrical
  smile.
 Video Quick Study
`surprise
`sadness
`joy

If either contempt or disgust are seen in the micro-expressions, it's over, walk away (unless these feelings are directed to a story line instead of the person, of course).

Here's hoping your heroine falls for a fabulous guy! I wish them all the best as they move through your plots twists toward their happily ever after. Sigh.

Video Study (14:38) a little long but you can see all of these tells in action with helpful commentary

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.