Inaccuracies and Other Heresies

by Janis Patterson

I'm gobsmacked. And close to heartbroken. Things are all upside down and I don't like it.

The other night The Husband and I were watching a show on PBS - an historical drama that during this episode was stated as taking place in 1905. The story was interesting enough, the production was lush with excellent values... except... the leading woman's clothing was not from 1905, one outfit especially noticeable because it was considered almost scandalously avante garde in 1915. (How do I know? Because I'm working on a book set in 1916, and have written one set in 1919, and I am a dedicated and close to fanatical researcher.) Of course I made a comment. The Husband grunted.

A few minutes later the main characters - still in 1905 - were hurtling down the road in a 1916 touring car. Didn't look anything like a car made in 1905. I made a disparaging and angry remark, and then the world went upside down.

"It's just a story, it's not important."

I couldn't believe he said that. I mean, this man is a scientist, a decorated (and thankfully retired) Navy officer and a respected historian of both WWII and the War Between the States. Accuracy is his middle name. I've seen him lose his temper when a TV show makes a mistake on a gun's caliber or year of origin. And when some stupid TV show had a character putting a silencer on a revolver... let's just say his reaction was memorable. And loud.

"It's just a story..." Words to chill the heart of a good storyteller.

Maybe it's just a story, but as creators of those stories, don't we owe our readers the best we can do? Although I hate to admit it, a lot of people get great amounts of their information from stories, whether read or seen. If the information presented there is inaccurate, a lot of people are going to be believing inaccurate things. And - if they are caught out in being wrong, who do you think is going to be blamed? Not them, even though they failed to check factual sources or do due diligence. No, they'll blame the writer, because things in books or on TV just have to be correct, don't they?

Such egregious disregard of fact has all kinds of consequences, not the least of which is that for those who do know the truth you the writer come out looking like either an uneducated lout or a lazy idiot who can't be bothered to check his facts. Either way it doesn't reflect well on you. 

But wait, there's more... I think it all boils down to respect. The respect the writer must have for the reader, which should insure that every fact in our stories is as true as we can make it. I realize that there are some fine points that we have to extrapolate, or even guess, but when there is information available we should make the effort to find it. There is also the respect writer and reader should have for the truth. If you write fantasy, feel free to make up your own worlds and your own facts - but once you have, know you have to stick with them. That's not what I'm talking about, though. If you write stories set in the real world, whether current or historical, this world deserves the courtesy of being presented as is. No one benefits from a 1916 car driving through a 1905 landscape, or a revolver being subdued by a silencer.

There's one more thing - however obscure the fact, there's someone out there who will know the truth, and boy, will they enjoy calling you down on it!

A Year Without Television: A New Year's Resolution Fulfilled!

I fulfilled a New Year's resolution in 2014 that I am considering for 2018. In 2014, I vowed to spend twelve months without television. Betting and joking immediately ensued among family and friends on how long I'd last. I was addicted to crime sitcoms ["Castle," "Major Crimes," "CSI," "Elementary," "NCIS," "Law & Order SVU"] and fantasy ["Once Upon a Time," "Warehouse 13," "The Librarians"] and political thrillers ["Person of Interest," "House of Cards," "Covert Affairs"], well, you get the idea.

These twelve shows were not the only shows I watched. Add news. With a degree in journalism, being a news junkie is a given. Add movies. Add the occasional documentary and talent competition. I've watched absolute garbage after channel surfing because nothing else was on. Addiction and inertia held me captive.

"My wakeup call was reading a statistic from the Parents Television Council that children in America watch between four and eight hours of television a day." 

They spend more time staring at a blinking box than in school! No wonder America has an epidemic of overweight, undereducated children and teens. And what are they learning? Bad behavior from reality television shows and talk shows? Egad. Four to eight hours a day is enough time to master a second language or learn new hobbies and skills. Righteous indignation rose in me about this monumental waste of our most precious asset--time. I asked my daughter how much time my darling grandchildren spent in front of the television per day.

And then she asked me how much time I spent.

blink. blink. blink.

So 2015 was a test. A cure for my addiction. I wish I could tell you it was easy, that my iron willpower helped me stroll by the big-screen in the living room without temptation. I wish I could say with a straight face that hearing others talk about the shocking season finale of any of my favorite shows didn't knock the wind out of me. When book club pals asked if I was going to watch the new shows "Sherlock," "Bosch," or "Outlander" my resolve quavered dangerously on the edge of quitting this mad personal quest.

Spending a year without television allowed me to read 35 more books in 2015 than in the previous year. I traveled to: Charleston (SC), Jacksonville with my girl pals, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Barts, Las Vegas, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, New York City, Naples (FL), and multiple trips to North Carolina.







In April, I worked as a stringer/reporter for General Aviation News at the SUN 'N FUN Fly-In. You can read my articles by clicking on GA News. It was a joy to combine my journalism training with my aviation hobby and get paid for it! What rewarding joy!



Handsome and I also learned gun safety and enjoyed target practice under the watchful eye of a friend from church who had served in the Marines. Getting off the sofa has been rewarding after all.
Perhaps many of you will also opt out of television viewing for a year.

Imagine all those mean political ads you'll miss...and the books you will have time to read. Ahem. My third book will be coming out in late spring. So expect to hear more about the book in the coming months. And, yes, it will be available in print for those readers who refuse to read on a tablet, like my mother and mother-in-law.



So let the bets be covered. I survived a year without television! Woot Woot. Okay, so I didn't learn another language or discover a cure for cancer, but I wrote more, played more, and spent more hours each day toward my lifelong goal of publishing novels.

Remember time is your most precious asset. Tell me, what would you do with four extra hours a day?

Branching Out of Your Norm

Here at Not Your Usual Suspects, we mostly write mysteries and suspense, but I’m sure there are a number of authors who have branched out to other genres…maybe with material along the same lines (including horror or thrillers) or maybe...something else.

Personally, I’ve branched out into young adult (although it’s not yet published). It’s not a permanent move, but it’s definitely a departure from my norm of romantic suspense.

There is another more recent branching out that occurred. It’s been years in the making and really something I didn’t think would see the light of day, but sometimes life leads you down unexpected paths. After all, I never thought the day job would actually co-exist with my writing job, but one gave me the education to make both worlds meet.

Also… the current climate of the nation had something to do with this latest endeavor because this country could really use a couple of minutes to laugh and recharge as we struggle through each new day and the surprises that come with it.

Okay, I’ve stalled long enough, so here’s the latest.

Last Monday was the release of my first non-fiction book. It’s straight from the day job and in that, I mean, it’s been years in the making. It’s called Overheard on the Set and it’s a book of quotes that my husband and I have been compiling for a very long time.

It’s strictly for laughs (and maybe a few shocks).  It’s also rated PG and intended for older audiences. (18+)

So, if you’re looking for a laugh or even a gift for someone who has everything, this might be something to consider.  Keep in mind the quotes are out of context, but that's most of the fun. We have separated them by chapters including 'Props Gone Wild', 'What!' and 'Wardrobe issues' just to name a few. 

Here are some of the quotes in volume 1. (Volume 2 & 3 are in the works.):

“His goal? His goal is to be employed tomorrow.”

“Would you give him the note? I don’t want to be punched.”

“We’ll never see him fully erect.”

“Maybe we go a little angled just to see his thing.”

“I’ll try not to draw blood.”

Here’s the blurb:

Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during production of a sitcom?

Ever wanted to know just what goes into making television?

Overheard on the Set is a behind the scenes glance at what really happens on set before and during production.

We warn you. Sometimes it isn’t pretty. And sometimes it’s so funny you can’t help but laugh.

Overheard on the Set. You won’t believe your ears.

The 5 star reviews keep coming which makes us very grateful!

Happy Monday!

Links are below if you're interested. 

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo 

Mystery!

I can be pretty fickle when it comes to watching TV. I’ll find a show I like and watch it for a few seasons only to lose interest and stop watching for whatever reason. There’s only one show I’ve watched faithfully for the past 3 decades and that’s Mystery! on PBS. I still remember the very first mystery I saw on Mystery! It was Antonia Fraser’s Quiet as a Nun, which aired 1982, though I think it aired several years earlier in England. I was a sophomore in high school bored and running the channels looking for something to watch.  It was that distinctive theme music and animated opening featuring Edward Gorey’s wonderfully unique illustrations that caught my attention.  I started watching and I’ve been hooked ever since. The show has gone through several hosts starting with Gene Shalit then Vincent Price, Diana Rigg and now Alan Cumming. Having been made a part of Masterpiece Theater the show has been called Masterpiece Mystery! since 2008. But that doesn’t matter. I’ll take my Mystery! any way I can get it.

Angela ; )