Pavlov's Dog is Wagging its Tail for Writers

Robert W. Walker’s Psych 101 Questions -- Over time, I have considered these 10 questions that delve into the relationship between psychology and writing the novel, and being a novelist. In other words, what has psychology got to do with imagination and creating whole worlds populated with people out of ink marks on a page? The following questions and answers delve into the psychology of the author himself, and eventually will also ask about the psychology of characters an author creates: This is Psych 101 for Authors and readers interested in the craft and creative impulse.

Q#2 -- How does 'abnormal behavior' enter into the realm of creative writing and fiction?

Answer: Have you read any one of my books? OK...risky word phrase this 'abnormal behavior' as you have to ask then what is 'normal' behavior in a species that 'won' out as the meat eater of all the great apes? Authors are forever dealing with perceptions of what is right and what is wrong, what is good, what is evil, and the common error of taking things at face value. Is writing and painting and creating 'abnormal' in itself since, like actors, all artists have to be driven and obsessed to become a player in this field? This question may be too complex to answer here, but let's keep exploring.

Appearance is seldom what it seems in a novel, especially a mystery or suspense or thriller. Societal norms are taken to task. Since I write about murder and often times serial murder, murder is my stock and trade, my INC. This means 'abnormal behavior' is my bread and butter but once removed as I have killed no one except on a stage. My evil antagonists are always into aberrant and sickening words and actions; what he says, thinks, and does is who he or she is (see Final Edge for the worst female killer in all the history of books! Laurelie Blodgett). Such characters are motivated by sick fantasies, mania, fear, psychological disorders, obsessions, phobias, actual physical deformities, actual illnesses just as are Shakespeare's worst villainous scum like Iago. They are motivated often by 'abnormal' beliefs, but often such 'abnormal' beliefs come out of popular cultural beliefs, legends, even religion as in anti-religious behavior on a grand scale. Some sick beliefs have a foothold in historical fact about mankind--as in cannibalistic behavior, perhaps even necrophilia--sex with the dead. Certainly there are enough scatologically disgusting elements about mankind and his history to provide fodder for many, many an aberrant behavior or belief system or 'nutty' fantasy, desire, want, goal.

I don't have to mention Stephen King and Anne Rice made a killing on abnormal behavior, do I? Still there is a fine line at work here. Abnormal can slip over into caricature and unintended funnies in the blink of a Cyclop's eye if one is not careful. How far from the 'norm' can our 'abnormal' Grandma Grimwood go before she becomes a twisted Dickensian comical granny?

In books about psychotics, sociopaths, organized and disorganized killers of every stripe there is great latitude in defining abnormal, but in all cases the sociopathic monster has to have its\his\her roots in humanity and where we've come from...from the primitive lizard brain to the present...roots are sunk deep. This is why the abnormal among us, in the end, are human after all. Humanity swings a wide arc across the rainbow from purity to the unspeakably vile and no author can turn away and not see this if the story demands it. Those who do turn a blind eye to the absolute end of the spectrum, the deepest rung in the pit miss an entire part of the human condition and it's like being color blind, missing an entire spectrum of the rainbow itself.

OK...believe it or not.  Am sorry as I had promised Abnormal Behavior.  Will have to hold on that...Pavlov chewed my notes. Will get to it. Meanwhile, next Friday right here I will take up Question #3 which is:  How does 'health and stress' play a role in fiction writing?

Catch my new ebook on Kindle - Killer Instinct, a Dr. Jessica Coran novel...in fact her first introduction, and by the way, do DO do leave a comment!
Rob Walker

http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com/
http://www.makeminemystery.com/

My Campaign Has Begun by Morgan Mandel

Politics are monopolizing radio and television shows. The candidates are out selling themselves.

So am I. My romantic comedy, GIRL OF MY DREAMS, about a straitlaced assistant who turns vamp in a reality show to save a dying TV studio, just got released.

My main campaign stumping goes into full gear in February, when I'll meet and greet readers to convince them to buy my book. Right now, I'm in the trenches setting up the booksignings, planning strategies, amassing campaign literature, such as book marks, business cards, flyers, brochures. My husband acts as publicity manager, passing out cards to everyone and sundry.

Here are the campaign stops I've set up so far. More will follow. I hope to see some of you there.


Love is Murder conference - Friday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 3
Wyndham O'Hare Hotel
Rosemont, IL
http://loveismurder.net

Barnes & Noble - Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 7-8:30pm
20600 N. Rand Road
Deer Park, IL 60010
847-438-7444

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY - Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 1-4pm
Arlington Hts Hist.Museum
Dunton Room 110 W. Fremont
Across from the Library)
Arlington Hts., IL 60004
www.ahmuseum.org

Barnes & Noble - Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008, 12-2pm
DePaul Ctr, State & Jackson
Chicago, IL

Barnes & Noble - Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, 12-3pm
13 W. Rand Road
Arlington Hts, IL
847-259-5304

Chicago-North RWA Spring Fling Conference - Saturday, April 26, 2008
Panel & Signing
The Hyatt,
Deerfield,IL
http://chicagospringfling.com

Fremont Public Library - Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 7 - 8:30pm
Inside Writing & Publishing Series
Back to Basics
1170 N. Midlothian Rd.
Mundelein, IL

Girl of My Dreams is available to www.hardshell.com, www.amazon.com (print & Kindle),
mobipocket.com, allromanceebooks.com, by order at bookstores.

All the best,
Morgan Mandel
www.morganmandel.com
http://bookplace.ning.com
http://myspace.com/morganmandel
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com

iPHONE COMES IN HANDY FOR ARLINGTON HTS MEMORIAL LIBRARY DISPLAY By Morgan Mandel

If I seem disjointed, I kind of am. As usual, I try to fit too much into my free day. Add to that, I had a new toy to figure out.

Yes, I fell for it. I bought an iPhone and I love it!

The learning and setting up part was the pits, but now I'm in the happy phase where I sort of know what I'm doing and am experimenting.

Anyway, a while back I had reserved a display case at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library to highlight the Chicago-North Chapter of Romance Writers of America, to which I belong.

Today was the set-up day. I had three tiers to work in - two glass shelves and the bottom wooden shelf to fill up. It took me almost two hours of moving books and photos different ways to figure out how everything should look.

When I was through, as a bonus I got to use my new toy and take photos. Lots of sunlight and glass made getting good results a challenge, but I tried different angles until I found some that worked pretty well.

It was very easy to migrate the photos to my computer. Somehow the laptop knew exactly what to do. Okay, probably the new iTunes software I was instructed to install at the beginning had something to do with it.

I also figured out how to set up my e-mail and e-mailed one of my photos to myself and it worked!

Well, I'm off now to spend a few more dollars buying iTunes----

All the best,

Morgan Mandel

http://www.morganmandel.com/

www.myspace.com/morganmandel

http://bookplace.ning.com/

http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com/