I can think of no better way to go out on my monthly newsletters for writers than to express my gratitude to Larsson’s posthumous gift to writers for his trilogy: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. If you watched 60 minutes last month and are a Stieg Larsson fan, you know he died of a massive heart attack at age 50 after delivering the three manuscripts to his publisher. He intended to write ten novels on Lisa Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, but his untimely death prevented him from leaving his incredible gift of storytelling. There is a rumor that he had almost completed a fourth novel and it remains to be seen if his father and brother (his heirs) will find a ghostwriter to complete his manuscript.

Despite the legal battle between Larsson’s long - time girlfriend of 32 years that is expected concerning his estate now administered by his brother and father (Sweden does not recognize common law marriages) and Larsson did not leave a will, I for one hope that the fourth book will be completed. In a way, the ending for his third book left no doubt that there were many plots still to unveil between his male and female protagonists, Mikael and Lisa.

From a writer’s perspective Larsson did not follow the rules for writing crime mystery. His plots were many, his backstories filled voluminous pages, and his subplots often left the reader sidetracked. But Larsson was not your typical “by the book” writer. He had an uncanny ability to ensnare the reader and lead them on wild rides through Sweden, Europe, and the Caribbean. The unlikely combination of a 26 - year old antisocial, tattooed lady with Asperger’s and a middle - aged man who was a philanderer with a failed marriage and no kids take on the Vander family, SAPO, and government corruption at the highest levels. His cast of characters is ten times Grisham’s noteworthy characters, yet the reader is enticed to keep reading till he or she finds themselves ensnared in Larsson’s Hornet’s Nest of intrigue, sexual perversion, corruption, greed, envy, and love.

I saw the first movie with subtitles which was a fair representation of his first book and intend to see the other movies now that I’ve read his trilogy. I can tell you that cinema cannot capture the suspense that is found on each of his 1600 pages. When I started on Grisham’s latest bestseller, The Confession, I felt like I was reading an easy 1 - 2 - 3 prosaic approach to crime and punishment. Don’t get me wrong; I am a Grisham fan and will continue to read his books. Both authors are social liberals who wish to correct the social injustices to people and resonate with us common folk who are overwhelmed with big government and greedy corporations.

As I leave my loyal fans who have stayed by me for the past six years of monthly newsletters, I trust that you will continue to read and write with imagination and enthusiasm. In this age of electronic IPads, notebooks, Kindles, and Nooks, I encourage you to take pens and keyboards to the far reaches of your cranium folds and write for yourself; believe in yourself; and some day, you will look back on your unpublished and published manuscripts as pure enjoyment and a privilege to have enough gray matter to plot an interesting story and engage your readers. It has indeed been an honor and a privilege to cajole, prod, coach, and champion your writing talent. With this, my last newsletter, I intend to take a break from my monthly newsletters, but never will give up on my coaching and writing. WRITE ON!

Helpful Hints:

1. Start or continue writing 500 words a day. Stop when you think you’re finished; leave the manuscript on your computer for three months. Then go back and reread your first draft. You will know if you have a story worth sharing.

2. Continue with the craft of writing. Attend workshops, take courses, get on mailing lists of your favorite authors and make writing a part of your life.

3. Set a goal of reading one book monthly for pleasure and one of the classic literature novels like Moby Dick or The Great Gatsby. Explore different genres and centuries.