tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post6478635259106560285..comments2024-01-24T05:13:06.164-08:00Comments on Not Your Usual Suspects: Driven to DistractionSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11286314155783213006noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-5315184071084317022013-09-02T06:58:44.189-07:002013-09-02T06:58:44.189-07:00That's definitely one reason to write historic...That's definitely one reason to write historicals set before 1890...<br /><br />The transmission finally dropped out of our 1996 car last month (yeah, the car with a state-of-the-art cassette player). The brand-new car is a total shock. Mom says she feels as if she's driving the Space Shuttle.Susanne Alleynhttp://www.susannealleyn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-47380104278154255192013-08-31T21:30:03.404-07:002013-08-31T21:30:03.404-07:00My car got stuck in a mode where the light would n...My car got stuck in a mode where the light would not go on. So there's probably some way to do it on purpose. But yeah, I do worry about technology, particularly since my h/h probably text, and I don't.Rebecca Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00868406006575223127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-80600641647332726812013-08-31T09:35:00.061-07:002013-08-31T09:35:00.061-07:00Susan, I enjoyed your blog. I'm not a mystery ...Susan, I enjoyed your blog. I'm not a mystery writer, but I share your frustration. I'm sure you'll find a way around it though.Sydell Voellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02862642258281995462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-75401744151981490922013-08-31T09:14:33.393-07:002013-08-31T09:14:33.393-07:00Hubby and I are ROFL at your blog. The topic is p...Hubby and I are ROFL at your blog. The topic is priceless...but oh sure true.Pat Marinellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-17236233872187083592013-08-31T08:02:27.964-07:002013-08-31T08:02:27.964-07:00Susan, you make a good case for writing historical...Susan, you make a good case for writing historicals and westerns. ;-)<br /><br />In early drafts of my first novel, my protag used pay phones. Before the final draft, I changed all that and gave him a cell phone.<br /><br />New advances seem to come along at a fast clip now and it's hard to keep up.Earl Staggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13349667172813175960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-18951880126600762202013-08-31T00:29:27.102-07:002013-08-31T00:29:27.102-07:00Too true! I often think when I'm reading old ...Too true! I often think when I'm reading old mysteries how impossible it would be to write them today, because the plot turns on something which would be defeated by modern technology - or relative inefficiency. There's one, an Agatha Christie I think, which depends absolutely on the certainty that a letter posted at a certain time would be delivered at a specific time - not just the date, but the hour. Impossible now, without special delivery (or equivalent) which would have defeated the point (from memory, it had to appear that the letter had arrived earlier and triggered an action by the victim). <br /><br />And other books depend on the certainty of a train being exactly on time. Huh!<br /><br />I've heard children wondering aloud when reading an older book: "but why didn't she just send a text?" They find it difficult to imagine a time before mobile phones (or that it wasn't "in the olden days").Helenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553503435833467369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-70852529603395953472013-08-30T18:03:54.001-07:002013-08-30T18:03:54.001-07:00Hi Janis, So true, I hadn't even thought about...Hi Janis, So true, I hadn't even thought about how the new cars will thwart mystery authors... it'll be interesting to see how we all get around the new road blocks (no pun intended)...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005215075724810989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-52603925888567062772013-08-30T11:52:20.359-07:002013-08-30T11:52:20.359-07:00Technology has been kicking my writers butt for so...Technology has been kicking my writers butt for some time. Geeze you can’t even put someone at the bottom of the ocean because Richard Ballard or James Cameron will find them. HA! Anne Marie I think any more stories I write will be set in the 1930s Ritahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09054306874904898496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-59336103977052420872013-08-30T09:12:16.548-07:002013-08-30T09:12:16.548-07:00This is all too true, Janis. My main character in ...This is all too true, Janis. My main character in the Mendenhall Mysteries is a middle-aged chief of police and she's flummoxed by the new smart phone she's been issued... I know exactly how she feels...Marcelle Dubéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18164965676254630066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-20587607696022747592013-08-30T09:03:39.101-07:002013-08-30T09:03:39.101-07:00I so agree, Janis. Technology makes it a lot harde...I so agree, Janis. Technology makes it a lot harder - especially for writers who don't understand this brave new world. I tried a story with a heroine who didn't have a cell phone (described her as a free spirit/rebel); my editor said it would never fly, since the protag had kids, it would be irresponsible not to have a cell phone. Sandy Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02824301408180614516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-77138317934743689992013-08-30T09:02:14.978-07:002013-08-30T09:02:14.978-07:00Not to mention all the things we have to understan...Not to mention all the things we have to understand to make our villains devious but smart....things like hacking into computers and being wary of surveillance cameras. Sigh. I think my next book will be set in the 70s. ;)Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-82769080020326109592013-08-30T08:42:22.909-07:002013-08-30T08:42:22.909-07:00I recently had a friend typing out a story I had w...I recently had a friend typing out a story I had written several years ago. she started to update it as she typed. I, of course, had to stop her. yeah, cell phones, home computers, ipads, etc would really foul my story up. how many times can you use the cell phone dead zone or dead battery is you want some one stranded? <br />forget about a car that tells everyone where you're at. lol.<br />love the post, susanLarion aka Larriane Willshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05044089414209140043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-27746098190258387262013-08-30T07:45:56.319-07:002013-08-30T07:45:56.319-07:00Now my mind is filled with car details. You're...Now my mind is filled with car details. You're right Janis, we have writing challenges with these newer gadgets. Give me a Gremlin. Now there's a car you can write about!Rose Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429566802562925080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-57800578552548583002013-08-30T07:18:51.693-07:002013-08-30T07:18:51.693-07:00Ah, sweetie, you hit a great point. MY 1999 Jeep h...Ah, sweetie, you hit a great point. MY 1999 Jeep has no gadgets except for the updated radio with a usb and cd ports. <br /><br />I sometimes wonder about the lack of cars body styling is why they put the gadgets in. Truly, lots of cars look the same. Give me an oldie....Vicki Batman, sassy writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846704675542248648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-15976475401461348312013-08-30T06:29:44.610-07:002013-08-30T06:29:44.610-07:00Enjoyed your blog, started my morning with a few ...Enjoyed your blog, started my morning with a few laughs. It's a challenge. When we took our last car--and that was a long time ago--out for the first time, I kept busy reading the directions to my husband as he drove. At the same time,the road we usually took was under repair and we had to find another way to get to a friends house for the weekend. Elise Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12111849185666548945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-29677813575282411512013-08-30T06:16:08.723-07:002013-08-30T06:16:08.723-07:00My husband has refused to trade in our car for a n...My husband has refused to trade in our car for a new one because he doesn't want to deal with all the new gadgets. <br />As far as avoiding the pitfalls of modern automobile technology in our stories, we can always give our character and old classic car to drive.Kathleen Kaskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16500241341014235792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-26535601024944312602013-08-30T05:46:05.835-07:002013-08-30T05:46:05.835-07:00My daughter says cars sold in Virginia have the li...My daughter says cars sold in Virginia have the lights come on with the windshield wipers! It's the law there, so they make the cars that way.<br /><br />You should have seen us trying to start our rental car a couple of weeks ago. There was no key, and nowhere to put a key. We were flummoxed! Had to get the attendant to tell us old fogies how to start the dang car!Kaye Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596677617002735674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-51538488083583018722013-08-30T04:48:17.345-07:002013-08-30T04:48:17.345-07:00HI Janis - Thanks for the post. I laughed with yo...HI Janis - Thanks for the post. I laughed with you, but you're right about the problem. As mystery authors, this gives us a new set of challenges to work with. Still, we're crafty and clever. We can work it out.Karen McCulloughhttp://www.kmccullough.comnoreply@blogger.com