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If you look at this week in CM history, you'll find Roy and Dale mentioned twice. His birthday is this week. Nice to know his family is still singing. We all loved that show, and thought they were wonderful.  JP
I hope the link below really works. If not, google Roy Rogers and find a whole lot of his songs on Youtube.

This one is for "May the Good Lord Take a Likin' to Ya"
https://www.google.com/search?q=roy+rog … xk7d9WM%3A

So right, Janet. You told me this last year and now, I can see what's lacking. Movement/ action gives a sense of place and time without having to describe the people and surroundings ad nauseum. No clocks, calendars or sundials required.

Vern has a point, too.

Bravo, Janet! for sticking to the topic offered for discussion. It is just this kind of rants that turned me off about the old site.

What it all boils down to is a question of personal style. We learn the generally accepted "rules," then we use them or not, as we see fit. If I didn't have work of my own to attend to, I'd go looking for quotes from successful, even famous, authors to support the claim.

Take care or live dangerously. I kind of like the latter, but it's your choice, based on your personal style.  JP

When I first started writing I made a poster of these words (and more) that were to be avoided and hung it on the office wall. I soon found I couldn't write, because I kept trying to avoid the words  on the list, and that took more effort than telling the story. Even though the article starts out by saying this is a process best applied during the editing phase of writing, it tends to make one nervous about word choice. I finally took the poster down and just started writing what I felt. I'm doing much better now, I think.

If there weren't a use for these words in the language, they would never have come into being. There are times when they are needed, and we shouldn't have to worry about using them. I would say to write what you feel--it flows more naturally, I think--then let a reader point out those things that seem repetitive or superfluous. It's hard to edit your own work.

I believe, with experience, we tend to write better sentences and make better word choices. It's true you need to practice, practice, practice to get to Carnegie Hall.

Darn! He would be a great resource, wouldn't he? Too bad I never paid attention to the old guys' reminiscences when I was young. I might be a lot smarter person if I had. Well, that's what happens when you're young. Let's write down everything we remember for future old people to learn from. The way things are going, it might come in handy.  JP

That's what I'm using, since there aren't any old cops around to tell me about that era. I try to infer procedures from books written by law enforcement veterans, though most of them wrote about famous cases. Crime scene/ investigative procedure seems to have been a matter of interpretation. Anyway, I buy a lot of old books. Sad to say, some of them are useless to me, having been given sensational, misleading titles by someone else. But a paragraph here, a paragraph there... Lucky I have always enjoyed research.  JP

dags--Sounds like a great resource. Thanks.
My story is set in 1948, which is very different in terms of procedure and technology. We had a great deal of trust in the police at that time, considering they didn't have a lot of knowledge or tools for solving crimes. All of my stories are set in the forties and fifties, although if I write a sequel to Roberta, it will involve a returning Viet Nam vet, which would be the right era.

Well. I killed off his partner so he could get reassigned to days. I figure that'll be good for some extra conflict. Any other suggestions?

Hello--I just joined the group. I like a challenge; I want to learn to write scary stuff. The scariest book I ever read was "The Other," by Thomas Tryon. The tv movie didn't do it justice. I did get a scare from "The Exorcist," though. I was a young mother, my children were safely tucked away in their beds, and I picked up the book to steal some leisure reading time. Just about the time the girl in the story started her bit, my daughter started screaming her head off (well, it didn't really fall off).
So I switched to crime.

I'll check--be right back.

Well, well, we seem to be at odds today. It's a book competition, but finalists are selected based on the first chapter. I believe the thinking was that a short chapter wouldn't offer the judges enough material to work with. We'll see how it comes out. If I'm selected, you'll hear about it. Otherwise, I'll self-publish, and make the chapters as long or short as I like. But if a well-known publisher want to publish your book, I say, follow the rules!  JP