Sussing Out the Clues

Do our brains crave puzzles? Do we need to be challenged? Is that why we love a good mystery? Or do we love romance more? 

That is the conundrum I found myself in when trying to decide on the main thrust of my next novel. When I wrote Dance the Dream Awake, I was coming from the mystery suspense genre, but with a love interest. (What would life be without love?)

When I started my follow-up novel, I fell in love with the past life (romance) and ended up pulling out that back story as a stand-alone Historical Romance (but still with mystery/suspense interwoven), Haiku Dance.

Now, I’m back at writing that novel I interrupted, Dance the Edge. And I’m stuck trying to figure out which way to bend my story—toward the mystery or the romance. I wonder how many writers with cross over novels go through this? There are so many cross-overs these days and I’m confused as to where I fit—am I romance writer adding mystery, or a mystery writer with a romantic side?

I’ve had this confusion swirling around my brain as I tried to hone in on my story.  So, I started reading the best writers of Romantic Suspense that were recommended to me by a well-read, successful romance author (hoping to clarify where I fit). But the writing was too soft for me. And they were heavy on the romance and light on the mystery.  Not enough challenge.

Then I picked up an adventure/mystery (little romance to be had) and found I was more excited reading a good mystery—but it lacked adequate romance. (Male author—go figure.)

Then I began wondering why I respond to mysteries and why people in general like mysteries. (There’s no big mystery about why we like romance—sexual tension always makes a story stronger)

This past week, while bored with my ineffectual attempts at writing of late, I picked up a medium difficulty level book of Sudoku puzzles to distract myself. I began whipping through the puzzles with 100% accuracy. Last year I had a hard time doing the White belt, easy level—with only about 50-50% accuracy, and now I was in the Green Belt book and it was too easy!?

Just to be sure it wasn't a fluke, I found the Brown Belt, hardest level Sudoku book I had laying around (no Black Belt). It was still easy and I was getting through it pretty fast. What was going on? What had changed from last year to this? 

I thought about all the extracurricular activities I’ve been involved with this past year (I’ll save that subject for my newsletter coming out soon--sign up on this page) and how they must have strengthened that part of my brain that does puzzle solving. 

From Psychology Today, Vol. 15, 1982 (Steinberg and Davidson), I quote, “Solving puzzles entails the ability to compare hidden information in a puzzle with information already in memory . . . and combine that information to form novel (new) information and ideas.” In my-speak: sussing out the clues to get to that aha! moment.

It must be that primitive part of the brain that early man developed to analyze clues to figure out how to find the big game, what food was safe to eat, where the water was, etc. I'm no neuroscientist but maybe I had unwittingly strengthened a part of my brain with all the different 'adventures' I explored this past year (and here I thought my memory was getting worse, but clearly another part of my brain has gotten stronger).

There is a story riddle by Alcuin (c. 735-804) that goes like this: A man had to cross the river with a wolf, a lamb and a head of cabbage. Problem was, he had a boat that would hold himself and only one other item at a time. Conundrum: if left alone together, wolf would eat the lamb, lamb would eat the cabbage. How does he get all of them safely to the other side?

Can you solve this mystery/puzzle before reading the solution?

Solution: He took the lamb across first, leaving him there to go back for the wolf. But when he brought the wolf across, he took the lamb back with him. On the return trip he left the lamb and took the cabbage. His final trip across was to get the lamb. 

See our minds love a puzzle--and it's rewarding when we find the solution.

So—long story short, I sense I need to lean harder into the mystery angle. My mind appears to be strongly motivated to suss out clues. But I will continue to have a strong romantic element to be sure. (C'mon, those sex scenes are fun to write.)

What do you prefer—a good romance or a good mystery? 

Do you like puzzles?

What is the Green Thing?

During the holiday this question came up when I put a photo on Facebook to signal to family members that the green thing was being made and would soon be available.

I must give you some background before I can tell you what the green thing is. Early on in my marriage we had holiday gatherings at my sister-in-law’s house. She is the ultimate earth mother figure in the family. She does it all. She always cooks everything so if we bring something, it needs to be something she wouldn't have already prepared.

It was not intentional that I would end up bringing the green thing, it just worked out that a Jello mold was what I chose since no one else ever brought one. Initially, I wanted to make a mold that would go with dinner, not necessarily be a dessert (but everyone decides when they want to eat it-with or after dinner). So I remembered a green mold that someone had made at a church event years earlier that I loved. I didn’t have a recipe but figured I would try to work out the ingredients and see what I could come up with.

“What is it called?” someone asked when I first showed up with it.

“I don’t have a name for it. It’s just a green Jello thing.”

So was born The Green Thing.

Since I never had a standard, written recipe to follow, it’s never exactly the same. The ingredients have varied through the years—sometimes better than at other times.

One year I was sure would be the last time I'd make it was when I was rushed and made it late. I planned to unmold it just before dinner at my sister-in-laws. It didn’t gel and I announced that it was ruined, but no one was deterred. They took a little cupful and ate it with a soup spoon. I thought they were being polite.

As a result, I didn’t make it the next year and was chastised soundly. We laughed about it being good whether or not it gelled and I’d better keep making it. It turned out to be one of the more memorable years and the subject of much joking and laughter ever since—especially when someone new asks, “What’s the Green Thing?”

One year I grew bored making the same jello dish and so brought a red “thing” for 4^th of July, with fresh, in-season strawberries—great fit for the holiday, right? And I think I tried mandarin oranges for an orange thing another time. But always the question, “Where’s the green thing?” came up. After a while it was no longer simply looked for and asked about, it was demanded, ‘You will bring the green thing. If you bring anything else that’s okay, but you must bring the green thing.’ It has been loved, criticized, eaten and drunk, but always demanded.

So was born a tradition, The Green Thing (only a general recipe follows-so if you try it you will have to experiment to find the taste and texture that suits you and yours):

The Green Thing

2 - 6oz. lime Jello pkgs (the large ones). (you can use one box if you have a small gathering)

Follow the recipe for a mold, which includes a less water so it will unmold well (especially since there is juice in the pineapple). If you would rather not do a mold, you can let it gel in a serving bowl so everyone can scoop out a portion size they want (probably a good idea the first time in case it doesn't gel).

You have to let the gelatin thicken a little before adding the other ingredients or the ingredients will all float to the top during the gelling process.

To the slightly gelled mixture,

Add:

1 large can of Dole crushed pineapple (I use the one with pineapple in its own juice)

Chopped cucumber (I like pickling cukes and you can use 1 or 2)

Chopped celery (1 or 2 stalks)

1 pkg cream cheese (I use the whipped cream cheese because it breaks down easier)

{You can add sour cream and/or cottage cheese in addition if you like more tartness or less sweetness (vary the amounts to your taste)}

Pecans, chopped (amount to suit you—you can use walnuts but some people are allergic to walnuts.)

Be sure to make the Jello as indicated on the box for a mold (less water). When it has thickened, but not yet set, add the cream cheese (beat it to smooth or keep a little chunky to your preference). Then add the rest of the ingredients to taste and pour it into mold or a serving bowl to jell in frig.

I used a Christmas tree mold this year and so added in just enough prepared gelatin (without anything else added yet) to the bottom of the mold so it would hold the added maraschino cherries (the balls on the tree) to set in the frig while I mixed the rest of the ingredients. By then the Jello and cherries were firm enough so I could pour in the rest of the ingredients without them bleeding through.

Mystery solved. So now you know and can make the Green Thing if you dare, just in time for New Year’s. If you do, let me know how it goes.

 

Do you have a family tradition that has grown through the years? Was it planned or did it grow organically?