Did the Devil Visit Salem, MA in 1692?

The underpinnings of paranoia are embedded deep inside our own fears, ever ready to be unearthed and manipulated by evil, unscrupulous individuals. (That’s why I read Stephen King during daylight hours. Although, Stephen King is neither evil nor unscrupulous!)

Although the history of Salem, MA is graced with an illustrious maritime history, today it may be better known for its disgraceful part in the witch trials of 1692.

Most people aren’t aware that, at the time of the witchcraft hysteria, Danvers, MA was known as Salem Village and Salem, MA was called Salem Town. During that time, rivalries developed between families from Salem Town whose wealth came from maritime commerce and those from Salem Village whose fortunes came from agriculture.

Puritan villagers found the squabbling factions so abhorrent, that they blamed all the vicious sniping on the devil, priming the superstitious populace for the explosion about to ensue.

At that time the oppression of women also played its role in the acting out of the young accusers. The attention they garnered was probably heady, the drama exciting. I’m sure those first young girls never thought out their actions to their deadly conclusion. The possibility has been raised that a fungus in the rye they consumed, may have given those girls the symptoms they portrayed. Perhaps that’s how it started. However, some accusers were “cured” immediately when the “witch” touched them. That argues for the influence of the devil or the devilish actions of pranksters.

It’s interesting to note that the first women to be accused of witchcraft included a slave, a homeless beggar and an elderly impoverished woman; each someone who could be seen as beneath the accusers’ station with no power to cause them any negative consequences.

Unfortunately, one of those first women to be accused not only confessed but embellished her confession. Whether from fear, hysteria, or her Caribbean beliefs, the slave, Tituaba, declared that there were other witches out there who wanted to destroy the Puritans. Her terrifying words fed into the Puritan fear of the devil and set the stage for one of the most shameful events in the history of Massachusetts. By the time the magistrates came to their senses, 19 people had been hanged and one person pressed to death.

If you’d like more information on the Salem witches, you can go to this website, http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/about/ or visit the museum in person.

Wondering how something like this could happen? Look at our history: The Inquisition, The Holocaust, or any one of the Great Wars. Or check out the famous Orson Welles radio broadcast from October, 1938, called War of the Worlds. It played on listener’s fears of extraterrestrial beings. Ever seen a UFO?

Sleep tight!

Can You Say Tension?

A few weeks ago, I attended an eight-hour, Donald Maass workshop. I 'd heard great things about his book, "Writing the Breakout Novel", so attending the class in Dedham, MA made perfect sense. A quick thanks here to New England Sisters In Crime for sponsoring and taking on most of the expense of the event.

Mr. Maass began by having us dredge up all the fear, superstition, worry and hurt inside our protagonist and then using those emotions to fuel our story. In order to have a page turner, he insisted, you need to have tension. He spoke of the big picture where tension builds up to vital parts of the story and then he spoke about tension throughout the pages. He explained that tension is what keeps the reader turning the pages.

So, I looked at my work. Every few chapters I'd tossed in some tension, mostly around ghostly happenings. That wasn't enough? I have quite a few books hanging around my house in bookcases, baskets and bags in the closets. Wondering what some of my favorite authors did about tension, I snagged a few to reread some passages. Guess what? The books I had loved had tension throughout. Those were the books that had ruined my sleep. Hmmm! Looked like Donald Maass was right. Tension made for an exciting read.

Looking through those books, I realized that tension didn't necessarily occur only at the big fear times in the story. We usually have tension in smaller life events also. Things like entering a room where you don't know anyone or running into trouble at work. Maybe you've made a mistake and you're waiting for someone to find out. Maybe your car won't start. There are so many small occurrences in our daily lives that cause us anxiety. In our writing, we can add that stress to our characters' lives and keep the reader interested and turning pages.

In this edit of A Trace of Evil, I've been letting the reader see Dani's human foibles and her secret fears and I think the story has become much stronger. Hopefully you'll all think so, too, when it's finally done. In the meantime, add a little angst to your character's life and have fun writing.

A Peek at "A Trace of Evil"

During this long timeout, I’ve been working on my book draft to send to an editor.Writing this story is a lot of fun and I thought you might like to have a peek. A Trace of Evil is about a young woman who leaves a controlling boyfriend only to find her new apartment has a controlling ghost. The story begins with Dani inspecting the apartment. This is a scene from the bedroom, the only room in the apartment with origins in the Eighteenth century. Here's a snippet of conversation between Dani and her older sister, Kirsten:

To myself I muttered, “It’s a little gloomy in here. I suppose I could perk it up with some bright colors.”

Kirsten, who missed nothing, gave me an incredulous stare. “Look at the floor boards. They’re gorgeous and I’d die for a fireplace like this. The apartment is perfect for you.”

Leave it to Kirsten to know what was best for me.

“Is it?”

“Of course.”

Ready to tell her I could make up my own mind, Eddie took me aside. When he told me the rent, I fell in love with the place myself.

“You can move in next week, if you like. I’ll have it cleaned.”

Before I could ask why such a great apartment had been vacant for so long, Kirsten poked my arm. “Earth to Dani.”

“What?”

“Do you want it?”

Did I want it? Knowing what rents were like in Salem, I’d be foolish to turn it down. “Okay, Eddie. I’ll take it.”

Heading back to the kitchen, (my kitchen, I thought with a thrill) I caught the smell of tobacco. I glanced up at the loft . . . was that smoke? I stopped and squinted in the dim light. Nothing. Nothing but shadows.

May Workshops

Looking for a workshop during the month of May?

One of my favorite workshops was given by Margie Lawson. Check out her offerings. But be prepared to work!

http://www.margielawson.com

Or, comb through the list on the Savvy Authors webpage.

http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/workshoplist.php 

 

The authors running these workshops are always ready to answer questions. Whether you're a newbie to the writing business or well on your way to success, there is probably some little gem within one of these classes that you can use.

Whatever you do, have fun,

Margo 

p.s. When I first typed "writing business", I made an error and wrote "writhing business". Not too far off, huh? 

Writing, So Much to Learn

Two and a half years ago, I decided to write a mystery. Since that time, the learning process seems endless. First, I discovered the dreaded back story. My beginning chapters were full of all the information I deemed important about my characters, story, etc. It had to go. I worked through the painful process of cutting away my much loved prose, and substituted words that would hook my reader.

Then, I hit the “Show, Don’t Tell” axiom. In a hurry to finish my masterpiece, I found it more expedient to tell the reader the story. Someone kindly explained to me that the reader wants to be part of the action, not just an onlooker. Showing involves the reader in the character’s thoughts and emotions, lets them feel what’s happening. I hate to say it, but I still have to edit my story with that in mind.

The use of conflict has also caused me a great deal of angst. My feelings about conflict? I don’t like it in my life so why would I want to use it on my poor protagonist? Oh, maybe because it makes the story? Yes, I have a lot to learn. Again, working through this one daily.

So many other lessons I’ve received as I go about the business of writing. How did this wonderful advice come my way? Critique groups, writing conferences, online blogs, how-to books and online workshops. There are wonderful tools available for the writer in any genre. 

My journey to authorship began with a few good books (actually, I bought over 20 books before I paid attention to what authors I liked were reading or writing.) Because I couldn’t wait to get my book written and published, I plunged into the world of the internet to finish my instruction. (Right! As if I ever finish.)

My first online course was good, but expensive. I’ve since learned that good, inexpensive, online writing workshops abound. How to find the right one takes time. First, I found a site dedicated to writers of my genre. Then I paid attention to what other writers had to say about various workshops and those who taught them. I also learned quite a bit about good workshops at writing conferences. Ask questions!

Online workshops come in different sizes: one week, two weeks, one month, etc. Most are interactive with the instructor giving important feedback to everyone. If you prefer, you can lurk and profit from the writing advice given to others.

My own experience has been that the more I put into the workshop, the more I get out of it. That doesn’t mean that I’ve always participated. Not even close. However, I have downloaded all the class notes for each workshop. I find that I can always go back to something I need when it comes up in my writing.

One of the websites I find helpful is http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php. Take a look. Something might grab you. Who knows? Maybe we’ll meet in one of the workshops.

Coming attractions: The Power of the Right Critique Group, more workshop sites, and information about the fascinating city of Salem, MA, where Dani’s story takes place. Oh, and maybe some more ghosts.

Where To Look For Writing Help

In my quest to become a better writer, I constantly utilize the wealth of free information on the internet. To that end, I have Google as my Home Page (the first page that opens when I go online).

As a computer instructor, I’m compelled to offer a quick lesson here in changing your Home Page. Go online, find the page you want to use as a Home Page. Then go up to your menus, click on Tools, and then Options. At the top of that dialog box, you will see tabs or icons. Click on the one that says “General”. You will see Home Page. If your favorite page is open, simply click the “Use Current Page” button.

Now that you have a page in place, search for exactly what you want. I find Google gets me the best results, but use whatever you like. For instance, if you want to find out about character development, type in, “Character Development”. A long page of information about that topic appears. If you don’t see what you like on that page, scroll to the bottom and you’ll see that there are many, many more pages. Some are stories, some instructions, some tips, and some have actual worksheets to use. Try a few different sites to get the feel of the author’s information. Is it for you? Once you find a page that you love, save it in your favorites or bookmark it.  

One more note. Favorites and Bookmarks appear in the menus at the top. (If you don’t see those menus, place your mouse in the space at the top and right click. Click on Menus.)

 I just saved a blog I like about formatting my manuscript: http://www.jayeroycraft.blogspot.com/

Sometimes, you have questions whose answers may not be easy to find. For instance, it might be something particular about your novel. I wanted to have my protagonist work in her field in a position that, although common in the South, wasn't available in the Northeast. For that kind of answer, I went to my writer’s group. Some online writer’s groups are free, but I found that didn’t work for me. I joined Sisters in Crime and a subgroup called Guppies that has a daily list with questions and information from the members who are writers and published authors. I sent in my question and received a great answer. I was told that, in fiction, you can say something like, “my job is the only one of its kind in the area”. Readers will accept what comes next. Writers are always looking for help from other writers. These groups are not only a great resource, but a nice way to interact with others who love writing.

One other note: If you're anything like me, remember to take time out from your computer to stretch, eat, and interact with family and friends. I have to do that right now. Ta.

Some Thoughts On Writing

With my awareness that I wanted to write about the shadowy side of reality, I began this blog, celebrating a new genre as well as my book. However, I've also provided a link to my first blog.

http://novatrek.wordpress.com/ will bring you to a space dedicated to my own writing. I've included a few articles on my entrance into the writing world along with some of the painfully earned insights into my narrative style. How I began, the trouble I had with back story and my inability to upset my characters are all part of the information I share. Maybe you'll find something helpful there.