Saturday, February 28, 2009

Underground Passageways

To start chapter 3, Will narrates: "Our taxi came at midnight and wound us through the sleeping city. The streets were pitch-black except for the Christmas lights everywhere." [p. 27]

This is what Will and Henry are doing, navigating their way around where no one else is looking.

There's an underground passage here in Philadelphia from City Hall over to 17th Street. You can go several blocks without coming up. There was a book published a while ago entitled The Mole People; Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City (Chicago, IL; Chicago Review Press, 1993) about the people who live underground in the abandoned subway tunnels.

Something about caves and tunnels has always attracted me. I don't know what that is. It's like the subtext of our lives.

What do you think? I'd like to know. And Christmas is coming. Order a copy of this book off this blog or go to www.amazon.com. It would make a good present for someone who loves classical music and murder mysteries.

Writing is for me an entrepreneurial activity. For my entrepreneurship blog, to go www.hatman2.blogspot.com and for entrepreneurial real estate go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Friday, February 27, 2009

Nathan Bransford on Likeability and Redeemability

Nathan Bransford, a literary agent who's blog I follow said something extremely memorable in his post today about sympathetic and unsympathetic characters. It's about character and what about them keeps us reading. Here's what he says:

Characters. What to do with them, right? And what's the line between sympathetic and unsympathetic characters? Particularly the ones who do bad and horrible things? Why do we like some characters who do horrible things and dislike the heck out of some goody two shoes?

In this agent's opinion, it all comes down to the concept of redeemability.

Redeemability involves more than just actions. We've seen lots and lots of characters in novels and movies who do utterly horrible things and yet we love them anyway. But if characters are going to consistently do bad things and retain the reader's sympathy: they have to be likable. They have to be brave or brilliant or hilarious or charismatic or strong or all of the above. They have to possess qualities that we admire in ample quantities. We wouldn't normally like someone who eats flesh, but holy crap is that Hannibal Lecter smart and kind of hilarious.

Charisma - actions = the redeemability meter

Now, redeemability is a fickle beast. If a character's redeemability meter dips below a certain base line, that character will "lose" the reader. We've all read moments where this happened: a character did something so horrible and shocking and irredeemable that there was no going back. We're officially done with that person. This may or may not be accompanied by flinging a book against the wall.

The redeemability meter often dips below zero when a character does something that's wrong and there is not sufficient explanation for their actions. They weren't misguided or deluded or well-intentioned-but-astray. They didn't have an excuse. They just went and did it, and the reader concludes: they're just evil. And there's no going back. The reader will make some allowances for a really likable character, but unlikability combined with unmotivated evil actions: that character has officially "lost" the reader. The worse the action the more insanely likable the character has to be.

And there are some actions that are just too far beyond the pale for even the most likable of characters, including using racial slurs and/or other powerful cultural taboos. (Oddly this does not seem to include killing people and eating their flesh. Books are weird that way.) There are also characters whose charisma level is so low it doesn't matter what good deeds they do.

It's fine for a villain to lose the reader. It's also fine for a hero to lose the reader if you're going all Greek tragedy on us and the hero is suffering for their fatal flaw in the climax.

But a protagonist, particularly a narrator, just can't lose the reader before the absolute end of the book, and maybe not even then. It's crucial crucial crucial that the protagonist, the person who the reader is most identifying with, has the reader's attention and sympathy throughout the novel. Otherwise your reader will just stop caring.

And then they'll stop reading.
Actually, I don't think "redeemability" is a word, but it might be. And what Mr. Bransford calls a "meter" he really means an index, like the consumer price index. When it goes down, we hate the character more.

What do you think about this? Has Will redeemed himself? Isn't Ian absolutely unredeemable? He's done something so awful that he can never be rehabilitated? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Projecting and Retrospecting

Will says, on p. 26, "We were silent for a while. If Henry knew what I was up to, he didn't say so. He must have been so bound up in his sadness for Mei Lee, he didn't have any energy left over."

This is Will's speculation filtered through his interpretation of how people operate. What he seems to be saying is that HE gets so bound up in his own dramas he doesn't pay attention to what's important outside of himself.

Of course, I'm filtering all of this through my own experience. So, maybe I'm saying as much about myself as I am about these characters who are, of course, me.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Retrospective Point of View: "I'm still not sure about..." [p. 24]

On p. 24, Will says, "I'm still not sure about Fenton Kearney's angle." Will is still thinking about life in terms of acquiring an "angle". So how much did Will learn between the time of the story and the time he's narrating the story and commenting on it? You be the judge.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Will Still Doesn't Understand Henry

Even after Will has given his life some thought, he says he still doesn't know why Henry demanded Will help him. He knew Will was not a private detective. He speculates that if Henry has known what Will was up to, he wouldn't have asked him.

I don't know. What do you think? I think Henry knew a lot more than anyone gave him credit for. I think he had a pretty good take on Will from the start. His very highly evolved intuitive sense, from being in touch with himself, gave him an edge in almost any situation.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Monday, February 23, 2009

Will's view of his life

The narrator in Will's story knows he should have abandoned his double life. At the time the story is told, he "knows" what he should have done. But he acquired a nice lifestyle. He married Julie, met Henry, got a good job. Why throw all that away when you can maybe sleaze your way out of it.

This is the advantage of a retrospective point of view. We can see that the narrator has changed his ways and we can forgive him. That keeps us reading. Who wants to read a story told by a liar?

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Thomas Hardy's World

One of my favorite authors is Thomas Hardy. I read all the Hardy I could get for a while there and enjoyed every minute of every one. How he could create such a world with detail and subtext and character I found utterly genius.

One of the things about Hardy's world is, no one ever gets away with anything. If you did something in your youth, you're going to pay eventually. Not necessarily then, but later, and probably at the worst possible time. If you had sex with somebody you weren't married to, and she got pregnant and had your child, even if you never knew about it, that woman is going to arrive just as you're about to receive an award for the most moral man in the world to seal your downfall.

As Will says on p. 22, "Spending six months in jail was a wake-up call. No more drugs for me. I stayed clean and finished a master's in Sociology at the UW in Madison." But, things are going well for him but Ian comes back to drag him down. He's about to end things with Ian [if you can believe that] when this happens.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Friday, February 20, 2009

Henry on Discipline

Starting on p. 20, Will's reporting on his first conversation with Ian. They each learn about each other's unique personalities and habits. Ian says he plays the cello. Will says he plays the viola. Ian says he's a teacher. Will says, "'I couldn't get myself to practice." Ian says you have to practice, but Will never could get himself to.

I'm the same way. I never practice. I should, but I can never do it so I've stopped making myself try. Two many other things that deserve my attention more. I don't have a problem disciplining myself. Well, however does.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Using the Senses

On p. 20, Will describes how he first met Ian. "I can see the blue and red flashing slights in my bead....I could smell the hot pavement and hear the rain sizzle....His flashlight in my face blinded me."

Vivid language conveys better the sense of a scene. Painters paint visual things; writers write things to be read. In this excerpt, sight, sound, and smell all come into play. Your writing will be better for using all the senses to describe things. Go into a scene and ask yourself, what does it look like, smell like, sound like, etc.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"I knew about Al even..." [p. 16]

Remember, Will is narrating the story from a later time, so he can add insight he didn't possess at the time of the story. On p. 16 he says "Like me, he [Al Eddings] lived inside a room of one-way mirrors, everyone able to see in, but he himself not able to see out."

Now I would write that sentence, "...he lived inside a room of one-way mirrors. Everyone could see in but he was never able to see out." But, it's out and I'm not going to pay to change it. The sentence is perfectly serviceable the way it is and fits more with the style as I wrote then.

This characterizes Will the way he was then and uses a metaphor which is effective on a number of levels. It also provides the reader with some information that foreshadows later action and makes you wonder what changed between the story and the narration of it that caused Will to think differently.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Julie's Lament

Julie on p. 16 enters the picture. Will's talking with her and among other things she's talking about her new editor who's not treating her very well. Typical of new bosses, they think they have to throw their weight around. She's complaining about him: "He acts like I'm not even important," she says. But is she talking only about Al Eddings, her boss, Henry, or Will? It's a form of characterization by analogy, by where you characterize someone by how they feel about someone else.

What do you think about this? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Monday, February 16, 2009

My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok

I went with my family last night, here in Philadelphia, to see a play, My Name is Asher Lev, adapted from an excellent novel of the same name by Chaim Potok. The action centers around Asher Lev, a Jewish painter, who causes, to put it mildly, a stir in his community by painting a picture of the Crucifixion.

The play does what great art is supposed to do: make you come away thinking about your world a little differently than you would have without having experienced it. It raised in my mind questions about what an artist is, do we have free will not to create, what is our responsibility to ourselves, to others, to our community, do we have the right to do what we do if we cause pain to others by doing it, and so on.

I also realized that we all are artists in different ways. Asher Lev's father, while not a painter or writer, traveled the world creating schools, meeting with heads of countries and political leaders, creating a better world. Isn't that a form of art? Martin Luther King was an artist in that regard. What is the responsibility of that kind of artist to his family?

These are questions that are good to ponder. They either confirm what you are doing, or cause you to change what you are doing in view of the enlightenment you've achieved while experiencing the art.

This is what I think. But what do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Henry and Sherlock Holmes

On p. 14, Henry has agreed to help solve the mystery of Ian's death. They can hear Fenton and Brian talking through the wall as the walk down the hallway. Their conversation fades. Henry asks will to bring him his pipe and tobacco. Standard Sherlock stuff. I meant this as a clear signal that the problem would receded in importance and Henry would take center stage.

Once Henry takes on the assignment, Fenton says they'll "put out the story that [Henry is] is writing an oral history of the school. Henry quips, "by the time I'm through, I'll probably be able to."

It's fun for me to ruminate among all my friends here. But what do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Saturday, February 14, 2009

"It's not possible that she..." [p. 12]

"It's not possible that she poisoned him with ricin" Henry said. He was quite animated on the subject.

Sherlock Holmes is an expert on poisons, and so is Henry, but I am not. So when I had to figure out what Ian died of, I needed a poison quick. So I got hold of a copy of Serita Debora Stevens and Anne Klarner's Deadly Doses, a Writer's Guide to Poisons (Cincinnati,Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 1990) which on p. 54, outlined all its properties and attributes. I'm sure now poisons are all over the Internet so it's probably easier to figure these thing out than when I wrote.

Anyway, ricin stuck out. It's easy to put in a drink or something without being noticed and it's effects don't kick in for a while. But, it comes from the castor bean, and you have to want to get it out. You have to smash the bean to get it. No job for a dainty cellist. And you have to know what you're doing. The bean is the seed of the plant and it's distributed by birds eating it and pooping it out somewhere else. Then the outer casing rots away and a new castor bean plant emerges. It turns out that the poison is one of the deadliest on a planet. It takes only a little to do the trick and death is sure once the powder is ingested.

The thing is, though, if you can't find a poison that does exactly what you need it to do, make one up. Hey, it's all fiction anyway. If it makes sense and you're consistent throughout the story, that is you don't have it working in 1 hour in one place the story and then have the solver of the mystery solve it because the stuff took two days to work, who cares as long as it advances the story and keeps them reading.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Friday, February 13, 2009

Characterizing Henry

On p. 9, Will examines Henry's book shelf. He reports: "I ran my eyes over his bookshelves full of biographies of composers. There were collected works of Shakespeare, espionage thrillers, and poetry. The collected works of Carl Jung was there with them. Henry had always read widely." I don't know why I didn't include John LeCare, Sherlock Holmes stories, and Agathe Christie. Oh well.

My point is just that the tangible aspects of a personality is manifested in what he or she keeps on their walls, on their bookshelves, and what's apparent from walking in the room. Not everything on on the surface, though, but you can give a good indicator of character from what you can see.

In the opening of the film version of The Quiet American the narrator [Michael Caine's voice], says words to this effect: "In Vietnam you learn quite a lot right away. The rest of it must be lived."

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Will Making Excuses

Henry on p. 9 is chastising Will for not practicing. Will says he doesn't have time [the worst excuse in the world] and Henry says "You have to make time."

Then Henry tells a by now famous viola joke: "Did you know, the Julliard School has just raised its entrance requirements for violists?" Will says "No." Henry says, "Applicants now must be able to hold the viola unaccompanied."

Humor plays an important role in character development. It can be used to deflect the direction of a conversation or to call attention to oneself as particularly funny or special. It can be irritating or ingratiating. Depending on how it's used it can really help a person through life or impair one's relationships with others.

How a character uses humor tells a lot about him as a person. In this case, Henry used it to lighten things a bit.

This is me talking through Will. I don't ever find the time to practice.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, Entrepreneurship on Line, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Foreshadowing: "...he handed me the box." [p. 7]

By p. 7, Will has just gotten to Philadelphia. They're in the living room and Henry takes out a CD for Will and him to listen to. Will says: "He said we should listen to some Haydn unless I preferred to nap. I agreed, and he handed me the box."

Henry has just handed Will the entire problem, in just one little CD box.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

"It was a fax from Fenton Kearney..." [p. 6]

On p.6, Will notes: "I picked up a piece of paper from the piano. I read it over, sensing an intense interest from Henry. It was a fax from Fenton Kearney, the managing trustee of the Kearney School."

When I story takes place, faxes were new. Email was not as widely used as it is now. Henry doesn't have a computer, but he got a fax from the office downstairs. You have to intuit this, it's not stated.

Henry leaves it on the piano, then when Will starts to read it, he rips it from his hand. He didn't rip it up as soon as he got it. Most likely he left it there because he didn't want to deal with it. Then, when Will picked it up, it reminded Henry of everything he hated about Ian, and he wanted to get rid of it.

The message goes on to say that Fenton will be over at 7:00. Why didn't Henry tell them not to come if he was so upset about it.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Monday, February 9, 2009

Seeing Will

Henry peeked out from behind the door. He frowned at Will and said, "Ah, there you are, Will." and, "It took me a while to see you."

I think Henry's getting a pretty good look at Will. More foreshadowing, though.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Sunday, February 8, 2009

More Foreshadowing

Will says, on p. 4, "I jumped at the door opening. It sounded too much like a jail door opening."

More foreshadowing. How does Will know what a cell door sounds like unless he's been in jail? And what was he in for. Or maybe he just spent some time with prisoners. What's the story here.

Henry does a double take, he has learned much about Will from just that one event. Where is this story going with Will? Read on.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Foreshadowing: "And bring clothes..." [p. 4]

When instructing Will about staying with him Henry says: "'And bring clothes for any kind of weather'." Will says, 'I know all about that." Henry underlines his point: 'I mean it Will, You never know what it will do when.'" Will comments, "By the end of my time with Henry, I would certainly know that too."

Here's a little foreshadowing intended to ramp up the narrative drive. That's what keeps readers reading. But, like salt on meat, a little foreshadowing adds flavor, but too much of it can spoil the taste. As can over-used metaphors.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Thursday, February 5, 2009

What Will Wants

On p. 4, Will says: "The last thing I'd wanted was to stay with Henry. It complicated things."

Will wants things simple, get into Philadelphia, get the key, then fly home after making a couple of sales calls to preserve his cover. But he has a problem. He can either call Henry or not call Henry. If he doesn't call Henry, it looks funny and raises questions with Julie and Henry. It's simplest from a getting and getting out perspective, but then what. If he does call Henry, he'll get stuck staying with Henry and that will jeopardize his real reason for coming to Philadelphia. Will figures the more reasonable option is to call Henry but not agree to stay with him. Hmmm.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Will's Jealousy

On p. 4, Will says he's jealous of Henry. He was famous in his own restricted area of endeavor. "He could walk down the street and most people wouldn't know who he was. Imagine me with a famous father-in-law."

I feel this way regarding Orlando Cole. He's a pretty intimidating character to many people. But it's such a rare thing to interact with a major figure in the development of classical music performance over the past 80 years or so. I feel blessed.

But back to Will, he has such a poor concept of himself. He doesn't think he's worthy of it. I conceived him being a foil for Henry, as Watson was for Holmes. However just as more recent movies and books and TV programs have made more of the Watson character than did Doyle, I end up making more out of Will than I intended.

What do you think? Can we talk about writing here? Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Will, on Henry's Lifestyle

Will aspires to the lifestyle Henry enjoys. He says on p. 3, "Henry lived in a building full of nice apartments. They were the kind I'd always hoped I'd find myself in some day."

This is it? Retired to a building full of apartments with plush carpeting and French Impressionist paintings. If I'd been smarter when I wrote this, I would have added the word "copies" to the description of the paintings. It would have characterized Will more completely. Oh, well. Your books are your children, you raise them then you have to let the readers do the rest.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Monday, February 2, 2009

Keys and Foreshadowing

I do a little foreshadowing here, more with the keys: Will says, "Looking back on it, it don't know why I had my keys out anyway. None of them worked anything in Philadelphia." (p.3)

This big suggests that nothing Will is going to do in the book will be effective. But what is he going to try to do? And is he just talking about the keys, or his he talking about his life? Questions, questions.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Keys as symbols

On p. 3, Will says, "I fumbled with my keys in the hallway outside Henry's apartment."

The key is a powerful symbol. Possession of the key unlocks a door, or of a clue unlocks a mystery. A house is a mystery because one doesn't know what goes on behind the door.

There's an old song that wonders what's going on behind the green door. The singer can hear something going on, but never figures it out.

In Fifty-two Pick Up, an early Elmore Leonard book, the main character fumbles with his keys. He has o many of them, but they never seemed to fit.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Post a comment.

Writing is, to me, an entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial ideas are the life's blood of my writing. For my entrepreneurial course, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com. For entrepreneurial real estate to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog

Synopsis:

Ian Kearney, the director of the Kearney Music School, an elite musical training school in Philadelphia, dies after a fall from a balcony during a recital. World-famous cellist, Henry Harrier, recently forced from the faculty, returns to investigate Ian's death when his prized former student is arrested. Henry shows through his brilliant and single-minded pursuit of the truth that, as usual, they have it all wrong. This Sherlock Holmes-type mystery leads the reader through the world of classical music and lays bare the conflicts which dominate the lives of talented adolescents when placed under the pressure of studying for a demanding, stressful, and often elusive career as a classical music performer. Henry Harrier is part John Le Carre's George Smiley, part Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes, and part Orlando Cole the beloved teacher, renowned chamber musician, and until his own retirement, the premier cellist of the Curtis Institute.

Author Profile:

Tim was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on January 30, 1946. In 1951 he moved with his family to Schenectady, New York, where he lived through high school. He attended Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, from 1964 to 1968. He graduated in 1968 with a B.A. in history and philosophy. He received his Ph. D. in history in U.S. history in 1980 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after spending 2.5 years in the U. S. Army. Most of his army service was completed in Wuerzburg, Germany, from 1969-1971. In 1972 he returned to Madison to complete his doctoral study. His dissertation, Those Who Moved; Internal Migrants in American 1607-1840, combined the statistical analysis of genealogical and biographical data with the study of traditional literary diaries, letters, and journals.

Tim was a market and survey research consultant from 1983 to 2000 and a smoking cessation researcher from 2000 to 2003. His consulting practice focused primarily on conducting community health needs assessment. He authored hundreds of market research reports and published a number of his assessments in Community Health Needs Assessment published by McGraw Hill in 1996 and in a revised volume published in 1999. In 2000 he joined the staff of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he conducted smoking cessation research. He published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and spoke at national smoking cessation conferences.

In 2003 he moved to Philadelphia and earned his real estate license. He now practices real estate, works on publishing his novels, and studies and teaches entrepreneurship.Tim has written a dozen novel-length stories, a volume of short stories, and about a 3-foot stack of pages poetry. He is currently working on earning his 4th million in real estate sales, publishing his novels, and working on an entrepreneurish handbook as a support for his students.

Tim is a trained violist and an experienced string quartet player. He is an avid listener to classical music and regularly attends classical music concerts. He has two grown children by his first wife and a stepdaughter with his second wife. He likes to cook, read, write, entertain, develop relationships, and help other people. Formerly Tim used to travel frequently. He doesn't so much anymore. Now he regards the combination of real estate practice, writing and publishing, and the teaching and studying of entrepreneurship as enough of a trip.