Sunday, February 13, 2005
Participants
btinsley785: Robert W. Tinsley
dpwhite237: Dave White
g_so: Gerald So
megan_powell_net: Megan Powell
mysdawg2003: Aldo Calcagno
btinsley785: Made it!
g_so: Hello, Bob.
btinsley785: Hi, all.
mysdawg2003: Hey Bob
g_so: Anyone with a question for Bob?
dpwhite237: Ooh, do I have to type ?
mysdawg2003: ?
dpwhite237: ? CURSES.
mysdawg2003: ha ha
g_so: yes, go aldo.
mysdawg2003: So Bob, not that you got us hooked, how do we get others to join the revolution, and how is the weather?
btinsley785: Talk to everyone you can about it. Become an evangelist, to use a marketing term. and the weather is pretty good. Lower fifties, clear sky.
g_so: go ahead, Dave.
dpwhite237: I've noticed you've used Jack Brady in most--if not all--of your short stories. Why is that? Any plans for a standalone?
mysdawg2003: good question, Dave
btinsley785: I've done one standalone. Megan published it a couple of years ago. I just feel more comfortable with Brady right now. I've written another couple of stories without Brady, but haven't been able to place them.
dpwhite237: ah cool. I just like how you fit Brady into different types of stories... real dark or then humorous like Moby Dick
g_so: Is Brady based on anyone?
btinsley785: Brady isn't based on anyone, really. I just thought up someone that I might like to know. I've always been told I have a strange, low-key sense of humor.
dpwhite237: ?
g_so: I see. What made you decide on his SEAL background? Hi, Megan.
megan_powell_net: Hello.
btinsley785: I wanted someone with a history. Someone that could take care of himself in any situation because he already had. Hey, Megan.
dpwhite237: Any plans for a Brady novel, or are you solely focused on shorts the promotion of short fiction?
btinsley785: I've got two chapters of a novel written along with a lot of background information and character studies. Of course I've had that for two years now. I keep thinking I'm going to go back to it.
dpwhite237: cool
mysdawg2003: Time always seems to be the problem
btinsley785: It's not time, it's fear.
dpwhite237: ?
dpwhite237: What're you working on now, Bob?
btinsley785: I'm working on a bank robbery story to submit to Dave Z. Brady is following a guy because his wife thinks he's having an affair. Brady follows him to a bank, then follows him away from the bank not knowing he just robbed it.
dpwhite237: nice...
g_so: There goes my story idea.
btinsley785: Hey, ya snooze ya lose.
g_so: Indeed. ?
btinsley785: Megan and I have had a pretty good discussion in the comment on my site.
g_so: Have you ever done a Brady story without mention of Kathleen?
dpwhite237: Hey Megan.
btinsley785: Kathleen has had a pretty small part in a lot of my stories, often no more than a mention, but I don't think I've ever not mentioned her. I'm beginning to enjoy giving her a larger part.
g_so: I see.
megan_powell_net: Hey again.
g_so: I was wondering about Brady's PI business before he hired Kathleen.
dpwhite237: OT question, sort of, how long was your "Grasshopper" audio, Bob?
btinsley785: Grasshopper was 14 minutes almost exactly. I haven't explored Brady pre-Kathleen yet.
dpwhite237: So, Bob, for people who haven't had a chance to read it yet, tell us about For Felina...
btinsley785: "Felina" is an homage to Marty Robbins and his song "El Paso". The original followed the events of the song a little more closely. Then Gerald and Kevin beat me about the head and shoulders, making it a better story. I used the journal as a means of eliciting sympathy for someone you never meet directly in the story.
dpwhite237: Cool. I haven't gotten a chance to get to it yet, but I will and let you know what I think.
btinsley785: All thoughts gratefully accepted.
g_so: ?
g_so: Favorite authors/influences, Bob?
btinsley785: The usual suspects. Chandler, Parker, Donald Hamilton, John D. MacDonald, Carter Brown.
g_so: Brady does have a McGee feel to him.
btinsley785: The cover of "Little Girl Lost" reminds me of the old Carter Brown covers. McGee was a big influence. I was very attached to that guy.
g_so: Have you heard of the John Caine books by Charles Knief, Bob?
btinsley785: No. Not familiar.
g_so: similar ex-SEAL character set in Hawaii, also influenced by MacDonald. There were four books.
dpwhite237: ?
btinsley785: When were they published.
g_so: Late 90s, I believe. There's a listing at Thrilling. Go ahead, Dave.
dpwhite237: Bob, what's your favorite of the Brady tales?
btinsley785: The one Gerald is noodling around with now. A close second is "No Goodbye" published by Handheld Crime. "Moby Dick In A Can" is pretty high up there too.
dpwhite237: How do you write? Outline? Just start writing?
btinsley785: I outline some. Some I just get an idea and go with it. Moby was one of the latter. While the ones I outline seem to go faster in the writing, I'm not quite as satisfied with them for some reason.
megan_powell_net: ?
g_so: Go ahead, Megan.
megan_powell_net: Do you have any sort of overarching timeline/character arc/plot threads in mind, or do you approach each story as a self-contained thing. (Obviously not completely self-contained, since you've got internal consistency between stories...)
btinsley785: I think I've got some kind of overall arc rattling around in my subconscious. One of the villians in a story that is now out making the rounds also makes an appearance in my Brady novel, or will if I ever finish the damn thing. Each story is a piece that fits in the arc. Being an engineer, I tend to think linearly.
g_so: I like continuity.
megan_powell_net: Continuity's good. Are you planning to do backfill stories, or just work the info in as the chronology progresses?
btinsley785: I'm probably going to do backfill stories as they occur to me, but I don't have a plan for them. Continuity is one of the things I liked about Hamilton's Matt Helm books and JDM's Travis McGee series. Joe Konrath could turn out to be one of my new favorite authors.
g_so: Hmm.
g_so: ?
g_so: How do you go about choosing which stories to review for The Short Of It?
megan_powell_net: I thought slots went to the highest bidder.
g_so: :)
btinsley785: I try to pay more attention to the on-line zines and fill in with AHMM, EQMM and anthologies, though I'm so disorganized there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason. I try to review every story whether I like it or not. I forget. What did I post today? Was it Schofield or Lambe?
megan_powell_net: Lambe. Check's in the mail.
btinsley785: I didn't like Schofield's story and I say so. Tomorrow.
mysdawg2003: damn I have no chance at all, lol
dpwhite237: uh oh... okay folks, i gotta run... Bob, keep up the good work.
megan_powell_net: Adios.
g_so: bye, dave.
btinsley785: Thanks, see ya, Dave.
dpwhite237: definitely.
g_so: did you have a question, Aldo?
btinsley785: Aldo, I told you I liked your story. You've got a good feel for how to tell a story. Just need practice.
dpwhite237: all right, well I'll hang out until this file uploads.
dpwhite237: Yeah Aldo, you should see what Bob says to me about these stories.
btinsley785: Dial up, huh?
dpwhite237: No, cable modem, just... I don't know.
g_so: It might be a huge file.
btinsley785: Or a lot of traffic.
dpwhite237: Yeah, I think that's what it is. All of the above.
mysdawg2003: I'm bouncing back and forth here moderating the kids (12) playing outside
megan_powell_net: And I thought I had trouble multi-tasking lots of windows on a small screen.
btinsley785: YOU'VE GOT 12 KIDS????
g_so: Six of his own.
megan_powell_net: Yeah, what he said. You know, with today's technology.... Okay, six is...six at least fits in a minivan.
btinsley785: A big minivan.
g_so: A van.
btinsley785: Six kids in a confined space is at least equal to 12 in a yard. So, Megan, have you thought about posting audio?
megan_powell_net: I've thought about it, just haven't had the time to futz around. Scattered around the house I probably have everything I need--and if not I can just swipe a musician friend's iRiver. I vaguely meant to do something this weekend, but that didn't happen.
g_so: Good luck, Megan.
megan_powell_net: Are you still looking for stories for the spec antho? Because I'd definitely be interested, assuming I get the chance to sit down and make the recording this millennium.
btinsley785: Yeah, I'm still interested. I've only had a couple of people express interest so far.
mysdawg2003: cool
g_so: What are the specifics again, Bob?
btinsley785: I'm looking for stories in the 3,000 word range. Anything criminous. I figure to wind up with about 6 or 8 stories.
g_so: Thanks, Bob. Great answers.
megan_powell_net: Yes, thanks for coming Bob, and thanks again for herding cats, Gerald.
btinsley785: You're welcome. It's been fun. I do need to go. I really ought to get some real writing done this weekend.
g_so: All right. See you.
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