WRITERS BORN TODAY - SEAN CHERCOVER

 It's the birthday of crime writer Sean Chercover, who burst onto the writing scene in 2007 with an award winning novel, Big City, Bad Blood. After winning the Shamus Award for his debut novel, Chercover followed this up with Trigger City, which won the Dilys Award.

Since that time he has published 8 more novels and a collection of short stories. He has received Ten Major Award Nominations and Three Awards, including the Anthony Award for Best Short Story.

Before becoming a crime writer, Sean was a private investigator in Chicago, the setting for many of his stories. His resume includes stints as a scuba diver, a truck driver, a magician, and a salesman. Needless to say, he's been around the block. All of this has helped to infuse his stories with a gritty reality born of experience.

Besides his stories, Sean's advice to his fellow writers has inspired countless scribblers to follow in his footsteps. Some of his best advice can be found here.

1. There’s no secret formula. The main thing is, you write Sounds obvious, yet it amazes me how many people say they want to be writers but don’t write. Odd, that. Anyway, you write, and then you write some more. You revise, and then you revise some more. You show your work to others and you learn from their reactions.
2. You read. I’m even more astounded by people who claim they want to write, but they don’t read. Can you imagine a musician who doesn’t listen to music? Of course not. So you read a ton, you read constantly, and you read critically, with an eye to the workings of the craft. I don’t mean reading books about how to write – I mean reading fiction.  Should go without saying, really.
3. Don’t confuse reading books on the craft of writing with the act of writing. You must write. And while it’s essential to learn the craft, in the end you must write your own story in your own voice.

MYSTERY HISTORY - HEAT RELEASED 30 YEARS AGO TODAY

 On December 15, 1995, HEAT debuted in movie theaters. Starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, the film covers the lives of a professional thief named Neil McCauley (played by DeNiro) and Vincent Hanna, the detective hunting him (Pacino). The film was a box office success, and soon became a cult classic for its accurate descriptions of police tactics and crime planning, especially in the area of bank robberies. The climactic bank robbery shootout scene was so well planned that the U.S. Army has shown it to new recruits as an example of best practices for falling back in a battle when faced with overwhelming forces.

Besides featuring Pacino and DeNiro, the film is packed with well known stars. Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Jon Voigt, and Tom Sizemore all portrayed important characters and gave outstanding performances. 

The film was unusual in several respects. At 171 minutes, nearly three hours long, it broke one of the cardinal rules of successful filmmaking...keep it under two hours. Despite this, not a minute is wasted.

Every scene contributes to the viewers understanding and enjoyment. The film also used live gunfire for the audio. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the industrial landscape of many scenes lent a gritty authentic feel to the film. But perhaps the most important broken rule is the portrayal of the villain as a complex character with intelligence, emotional maturity, and a dedication to professionalism in his work. Neil McCauley isn't a hood or a thug. He's a professional thief, and he takes his work seriously. These are qualities he shares with the protagonist, Vincent Hanna.

 One of the best scenes in the movie features a meeting with these two pros, when Hanna pulls over McCauley, not to arrest him, but to invite him for a cup of coffee. Seated across from each other in a restaurant, Hanna uses this as an excuse to quiz McCauley, hoping to learn about his futures plans, and perhaps convince McCauley to abandon his chosen profession. McCauley's frank answers earns him some respect, and both men reveal more about themselves than they may have intended. 

HEAT is ranked as one of the top crime films of the 1990s and has influenced numerous works in film and in the written word. A prequel/sequel novel, HEAT 2 was published in 2022 as a joint effort written by the director of the original movie, Michael Mann, and best selling crime writer Meg Gardiner.

A sequel film is in the planning stages, with production to start in 2026. Leonardo DiCaprio is being considered for one of the roles, as is Christian Bale.