From “How dishing got dirty” by Joseph Epstein in The Week, January 20, 2012:

“Stendhal said that to write a book is to risk being shot at in public. But until the Internet, one didn’t know all the tender places in which one could be shot. And there is no redress, not really, not likely, not ever, not so long as the Internet remains the playground of the too often pathological and the Valhalla of the unvalorous.”

So we go onto IMDB, my online source for everything Hollywood, and holy cow. That ridiculous movie had BOTH Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig in the cast! The movie was made before either actor had made their marks as Major Movie Stars.

Do they look back on that film now and wince with embarrassment? Do they harbor fantasies of sneaking into the film vaults and burning every copy? Or do they, like every other Major Movie Star, just count those early duds as the dues they had to pay to make it to the top?

It made me think about writers, and how many of us now look back at our early work and wince. How many of us wish we could destroy every copy of our first novels? How many of us wrote porn to pay the bills? Or churned out articles for iffy magazines?

In my case, I started my career writing romantic thrillers. While I’m not embarrassed by any of those books (and they were not easy to write — no genre is easy!), there are times when I wish I could hide my early romance novels from my current thriller audience because of all the flak I get. Many mystery readers hate romance, any hint of romance, and they make damn sure I know it. But I look back on that period of my career as something I had to do to make it as a writer.

Are any of you embarrassed by something you wrote way back in the years when you were first trying to get a toehold in the industry? Share!

So now there’s a reader review of SILENT GIRL on Amazon accusing me of ripping off GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and he says that Stieg Larsson’s estate should sue me. He says it’s exactly the same story. I’ve just seen the movie, so I’ll start off exploring this issue with plot summaries.

GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is about a sexually traumatized computer hacker who teams up with a disgraced journalist to solve the mystery of a missing girl. There’s also a lot about Swedish business corruption, Nazis, and men’s abuse of women in Swedish society.

THE SILENT GIRL is about a series of murders in Boston’s Chinatown that may be linked to a decades-old massacre in a Chinese restaurant. Rizzoli and Isles investigate. There’s stuff about a female Chinese martial arts master, the ancient legend of the Monkey King, and the Asian immigrant experience.

So far, these stories are really close, right? Except for their plots and characters.

Where, then, are the similarities between these books? They’re definitely there — in the form of mystery tropes that have been used by just about every mystery writer who’s ever lived. They’re part of every writer’s plot toolbox, and I’ve been using them for years. (Maybe I should be sued for copying from my own books). There are spoilers below, so I apologize in advance if I give away clues to books of mine that you haven’t yet read.

Literary tropes in mysteries:

Dead or missing female victim(s)
Yep, both DRAGON TATTOO and SILENT GIRL have them. Dead girls. The mystery genre loves dead girls. TV loves them too, especially if they’ve been sexually abused (anyone watch Law & Order SVU?) I’ve used this trope repeatedly in THE SURGEON (2001), THE APPRENTICE (2002), VANISH (2005), and THE KEEPSAKE (2008). I was writing about dead girls long before DRAGON TATTOO. And like DRAGON TATTOO, my victims were sometimes confined in basements (THE SURGEON.)

Killers who work as a team or as a family
I’ve used it already in THE APPRENTICE (2001) and THE KEEPSAKE (2008). And yep, I even had a book where the killers are part of the same family, in BODY DOUBLE (2004.) I also dealt with the theme of multi-generational evil in THE MEPHISTO CLUB (2006).

The “dead” character who turns out to be alive.
I love this trope. In fact, I used it in my very first romantic suspense novel, CALL AFTER MIDNIGHT (1987). I used it again in HARVEST (1996), THE MEPHISTO CLUB (2006), and THE KEEPSAKE (2008).

These are literary tropes because they are endlessly useful plot devices that writers have used since the beginning of storytelling. Throughout my writing career, I’ve fallen back on them to inject surprise, suspense, or that one last plot twist. Tropes are not copyrighted. They do not belong to Stieg Larsson. In fact, I’m willing to bet that Stieg Larsson borrowed them from someone else. (Hey Jo Nesbo, did Stieg take something of yours?)

DRAGON TATTOO has become stratospherically popular. Even readers who hardly ever read novels have picked this one up, or watched the movie, and they think this must be the first serial killer story ever written that has a duo of killers. They think that no one else has ever before written about survivors of sexual trauma (I did in THE SURGEON) or abusive fathers (I did in THE SINNER) or kick-ass heroines (um… Jane Rizzoli?) They think this because they haven’t been reading deeply in the genre. They think that anyone else who uses these tropes must be a plagiarist, because of course, Stieg Larsson invented them.

No, he didn’t. Neither did I.

But I’m a sucker for movies about writers. Writing is a strange career. We’re often misunderstood by spouses and family. Many of us struggle to pay the bills. And the creative mind isn’t always the most stable mind, leading to mental crack-ups, imaginary friends, and fatal desperation. In short: terrific fodder for a story!

Here are my favorite writer films. Not all of them earned critical acclaim, but each one gave a glimpse of what it’s really like to be a writer.

TAMARA DREWE

I watched this seldom-seen film during an airline flight and laughed my way halfway across the Atlantic. It’s billed as a romantic comedy about a young woman who returns to her hometown village, but there’s also a subplot about an obnoxiously successful thriller writer who hosts writing workshops at his English country estate. It’s the subplot that steals the film, with snarky dinner conversations about literary vs. commercial fiction, disastrous booksignings, and a cautionary tale about how commercial success can create monsters.

THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN

Billy Crystal plays Larry, a bitterly divorced novelist and writing instructor who’s suffering from terminal writer’s block. When one of his writing students, Owen, (Danny DeVito) offers to murder Larry’s ex-wife if Larry will, in turn, murder Owen’s obnoxious mother, Larry thinks it’s a joke. Or is it? A mad-cap comedy about how rage can destroy creativity — and how friendships can restore it.

THE GHOST WRITER

While this film isn’t about a novelist, it paints a realistic picture of how celebrity “autobiographies” are actually produced. A talented young ghost-writer (whose name, significantly enough, is never given) has been hired to write the autobiography of a former Prime Minister. The ghost uncovers unsavory secrets that were never meant to be revealed — and which may threaten his life.

ADAPTATION

A screenwriter (Nicholas Cage) struggles to write a film adaptation of the book THE ORCHID THIEF, which turns out to be unadaptable — unless he takes outrageous liberties with the plot. The result is a zany look at how far writers will go to deliver the goods.

THE SHINING

How could I not mention this creepy, crawly tale of a writer who slowly goes totally bonkers in a deserted hotel, as his family watches in horror?

And finally, my favorite:

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

Young Shakespeare writes “Romeo and Juliet”, falls in love, and tries to stay one step ahead of the Queen’s guard. The scene that had me laughing hardest? When a ferryman finds out that Shakespeare’s a writer and asks him, “Will you read my manuscript?”

But the requests kept coming.

Recently, I had some other fun stuff made (hats and coffee mugs) as prize giveaways for a recent contest. And the stuff was so cool that I began to think: “why not make these available for everyone? And why not throw in other fun gear like a Maura scrub top and Jane/Maura underwear? (Which was suggested by a Facebook friend.)

So today, ta dah! We’re launching our e-store where you can buy the first few items we’ve now got in stock: Rizzoli and Isles baseball caps, with your choice of “What Would Jane Do?” or “What Would Maura Do?” embroidered on the back, and coffee mugs. Hospital scrub tops and underwear will be coming, too.

We’re trying to keep the prices reasonable, because I’m not doing this to make money. It’s to give Jane and Maura fans what they’ve been asking for, and to spread the word about both the TV show and the books.

We’re new to this, so please be gentle with us. We have no idea how much will sell, and no idea if we’ll end up with 200 pairs of unsold underwear. It’s all an experiment, and it’s all in fun. Check back often, because new things will be popping up soon.

And yes, we do take international orders!

If I win, it just might be a fine time to throw a Rizzoli & Isles party in Scotland. In the morgue. If they’ll let me.

My friends at the University of Dundee in Scotland asked me to keep their “Million for a Morgue” campaign rolling. Here’s their press release:

Ten of the world’s best crime writers are competing to have a state-of-the-art morgue named after them – and you can vote for me!

The morgue is going to be a centre for scientific research and training, helping the next generation of scientists, doctors and dentists to become better at saving lives and at developing cures for a huge range of illnesses. The morgue will also be instrumental for Prof Sue Black’s work with the police in the UK; in smashing paedophile networks, in understanding how crimes were committed, as well as her endeavours overseas – she’s travelled the world, helping identify bodies that are decomposed, burned, mutilated or otherwise unrecognisable, including the victims of natural disasters, such as the 2004 tsunami. Sue’s highest profile project was identifying the bodies of Slobodan Milosevic’s victims in mass graves in the Balkans – both for public record, and for burial. The new morgue will help Sue and her team be at the forefront of new technology as well as being the training ground for a new generation, people who can carry on Sue’s work across the globe.

To vote for Tess online, go to http://www.millionforamorgue.com/the-authors/Tess-Gerritsen

It was an invitation I couldn’t resist. When writer and editor Bob Gleason asked if I wanted to join some science fiction authors for an exclusive tour of NASA’s Goddard campus in Maryland, of course I said yes! The tour was arranged by Tor/Forge Books, a publisher I don’t write for, but Bob had enjoyed my novel GRAVITY and he generously asked me to join their Tor/Forge authors in a behind-the-scenes look that the public seldom gets to see. In return, NASA hopes more novels will be written — accurately — about the space program.

Among our group were writers lready well-known in the SF and thriller genres including Thomas Allen, Larry Bond, Chris Carlson, Jim DeFelice, Bill Forstchen, David Hagberg, Jim Born, and Heather Graham. I was particularly happy that Heather was along — otherwise the testosterone in the air would have been overwhelming!

We started off with a peek at the James Webb Telescope, due to be launched in 2018. Once in space, this infrared space telescope will give us a look at the very beginnings of the universe.

Next it was on to a tour of the Integration and Test Facilities, where they see if their equipment is up to the rigors of launch. In this chamber, they subject instruments to ear-splittingly loud noise — so loud that even though the chamber’s encased in concrete, workers can still hear it through the thick door.

Our tour of the test facilities included an enormous centrifuge and vibration and vacuum chambers. Then it was on to Earth Science Mission Control Centers, Satellite Servicing, and — my favorite place — the Detector Development Lab, where we suited up in bunny suits to see where they build micro-shutter array chips for the Webb Telescope.

After a visit to the propulsion facility, where we chatted with rocket scientists who love their jobs “because we get to blow things up!”, it was on to a special reception where 150 folks from NASA came just to meet… us! Many people we met there were inspired to go into the space program because of their love of science fiction. So while we writers were thrilled to meet real space scientists, the scientists seemed just as happy to meet writers.

The next day’s tour included lectures about how they develop instruments and a visit to the Integrated Design Center. Here I learned the amazing fact that anyone can submit a scientific proposal to NASA. You don’t have to work for NASA. If you’re some twelve-year-old genius tinkering in your garage and you come up with a brilliant idea, you can submit a proposal whenever NASA sends out its “Announcement of Opportunity” bulletin. If NASA’s screening panel thinks your idea has merit, it might be used for a future mission. (They’ve even received proposals written by kids in crayon.)
Here I am in the Mission Services Evolution Center where they develop some of those proposals into real engineering hardware. I’m seated at the team leader’s work station where I was warned “not to touch anything!” (As if I dared.)

That afternoon, we got to spend an amazing hour at the IRAD Poster Session, where scientists presented their emerging technology innovations.

A sample poster:

I have to admit, I had no idea what many of these people were talking about. But I tried to keep up my end of the conversation anyway.

Finally, we ended up with the highlight of our visit: a panel discussion on extraterrestrial life. It was a lively exchange between writers and scientists as we discussed what life on other planets might look like, whether it was necessarily carbon-based, and would we recognize it. The most thought-provoking question of all was asked by one of the writers: “If E.T. called earth looking for inhabitants, would you pick up the phone and answer?” It sounds like a simple question, as most scientists would immediately say “Hell, yes!” Until you stop and wonder what E.T. wants with us. Is E.T. hostile or benign? Would we endanger mankind by letting aliens know we exist?

I’m not so sure what my own answer would be.

It was two exhausting but mind-boggling days, and I loved every minute of it. All I can say is THANKS to Tor/Forge and to Tom Doherty for allowing me to tag along!

(with Jim Born and Tom Doherty)

RizzlesCon website
!

Way more than “a few” showed up!

I realized this was going to be a visit unlike any other when I saw the group of fans waiting for me at the airport, all wearing Tess Gerritsen tee shirts, and ready with a gorgeous bouquet.

From there, we headed straight to the D&R bookshop in Cevahir mall, where a long line was waiting for me, and I signed for two straight hours, without letup:

And that was just the first day. Every day that followed was equally as surprising, with larger crowds of readers (several times in the hundreds) than I’ve ever seen at any U.S. event. The Istanbul Book Fair is a huge event, drawing crowds of 500,000 during its one-week run.

Here’s the line waiting for me at the first day of the Book Fair:

Here’s the line waiting for me at the Inkilap bookstore in the Metrocity Mall.

And believe it or not, here’s the line waiting for my SECOND signing day at the book fair. We had thought the crowd would be smaller, since I’d already signed there once. But it was even larger, and I signed for three straight hours:

These were wonderfully welcoming readers, who brought gifts and hugs and heartfelt joy. Even when they had to wait hours in line. Some of my most ardent fans were invited by Marti to a special dinner at the lovely Papalina fish restaurant, where I found out that many of them are aspiring authors, including one young man who’s already written 600 pages of his first novel. Afterwards, we posed for a photo with the Marti team:

And I had a fun chat with the Marti president Atif Ermis (directly on my right), and his very good friend Firat. Atif started the company after working for many years in the cruise ship business, and he’s a hands-on publisher who manned his own company’s booth at the fair, selling books and offering reader recommendations.

The book business in Turkey seems to be fueled by female readers, as it is in most other countries. Most of my fans everywhere are women, but what’s strikingly different about my Turkish readers is how young they are. Many were high school or college students or young women in their twenties. And they buy real books. E-readers haven’t yet made inroads in Turkey, and Turks will probably sample e-books by reading on their iPhones or iPads. Amazon is expected to arrive in Turkey about three years from now, so online bookselling will certainly boom. Already there is a Turkish online bookseller called Okuoku (owned by Marti) and its sales are growing.

I spent a few hours signing books for Okuoku, so that online customers who couldn’t make it to my events could order a signed copy. In just a few hours, I signed 500 books!

Along with booksignings, there were also media events. I was interviewed by two Turkish television stations, and had a really fun photo shoot and interview with journalist Ozlem Yurtcu, who conceived this cool photographic theme around Agatha Christie, who lived for a while in Istanbul. So we met at the historic Pera Palace, where I rode the first elevator ever installed in the city:

Posed in the “Agatha Christie” Room (411), where Agatha herself stayed on her visits (photo courtesy of Adnan Gul):

And had a little fun with Ozlem as we played noir medical characters:

The city of Istanbul itself, as always, amazed me. With close to twenty million inhabitants, it’s quickly outgrown its highway system, so we spent a great deal of time in the car, stuck in traffic. But that gave me a chance to look at the scenery, which is always fascinating — from the moment when I got up in my hotel room and saw this view of the Marmara Sea from my window…

… til the evening, when I was able to climb the historic Galata Tower (oldest tower in the world open to tourists) to see a nighttime glimpse of the city.

I visited the Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosporus, home of the old sultans, where you can see the apartments of the Sultan’s wives and favorites.

Here too is the room where the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, died. The clock over the bed is frozen at 9:05, the time of his death. I noticed that several clocks in Istanbul are frozen at that precise time, to honor Ataturk. When you enter the palace, you may see guards marching past, and I managed to sneak in front of them for a photo:

On my free day, my publicist Kerem took me to the spice market, where I of course purchased some Turkish Delight for my husband, plus a powder called “Sahlep”, made from the ground bulbs of orchids. You add it to hot milk and sprinkle with cinnamon, and it’s the most luscious and warming drink on a winter’s day. Better than hot chocolate!

Here’s Kerem, who so kindly escorted me throughout the week, standing outside the spice market:

And of course there was the food. I was treated to a series of delicious meals by Marti, by my Turkish literary agents, and by my other publisher, Dogan. Turkish meals often start with an array of mezes. Here I am at the Cumhuriyet Restaurant in Beyoglu, with my translator Cumhur, trying to pick which delicacies to eat.

I saw tempting foods everywhere, from cheeses to arrays of fresh fish, to this pretty display of marzipan fruit in a candy shop:

But the best part about Turkey is the people. Whatever your vision of what a “Turk” looks like, there’s no way to stereotype them. Some are blonde and blue-eyed, some are dark or Asian. Some wear head scarves, some wear mini-skirts and high heels. Walk through an Istanbul shopping mall, and you’ll feel like you’re seeing the whole world’s variety under one roof. And you’ll see astonishingly gorgeous women and strikingly handsome men. I had conversations with Muslims, Christians, and agnostics. What Turks do have in common is they are friendly, welcoming, and very, very proud of their country.