Category Archives: Writing a book

Jun 12 2013

Problem Between Muse and Keyboard…

What do you do when your plot backs you to the crumbling edge of your story?

Do you throw your hands up and wave them like you just don’t care? (Sorry, the 90’s were visiting this week!)

Do you wrap your rappelling rope of character motivation around your leg and step back, praying it holds?

Do you scream like a little girl and jump?

Or do you push back?

Unfortunately, my storyline took me to task the last couple of weeks.  I’d get a couple chapters ahead, then she’d slap me back a chapter and a half.  I’d dodge around her, when she wasn’t looking, only to find myself face first in the dirt.

How did this happen to me? Well, it’s not because I’m a panster, because I do have a general outline of where my story needs to go, I know my characters and what drives them, and my world is very, very familiar. 

Nope, can’t pin it on any of the normal suspects.

So who was the culprit?

Um that would be the person between the Muse and the keyboard.  Will call her ‘The Operator’.  Seems The Operator decided we needed to do an entire scene of Q&A’s in this Paranormal Suspense. No matter how much the Muse or the characters threatened bodily harm, horrific turns of fate, The Operator determined a long, drawn out Q&A needed to be RIGHT HERE.

So Muse and the characters got together and managed to infect The Operator with a lovely serum of Second Guesses.  Since The Operator refused to listen, they decided to skew her POV. They sent her out on a ‘was’ hunt, because we all know ‘was’ is not a verb. 

Battered and bloodied, The Operator made it back to the dreaded chapter of contention. Tired, she decided she needed a shower to wash all the gore off.  In the midst of washing the was right out of her hair, a brilliant idea formed. 

Why not skip the Q&A? Why not just recapped it in a paragraph and move on.  Since it’s first person POV, readers could discover the information with the main character.  Besides, most of the characters’ pulses had leveled off, it was time to get their adrenalin pumping and move to the next BIG THING. 

Ecstatic, The Operator, dashed out of the shower, careful to keep a protective hand over her eyes, fumbled for a pen, jotted the idea down and realized the inside of her head had finally fallen silent.

Muse and characters didn’t let her hear their cheers, but they’re ready to proceed now that The Operator stop being a boob!

 

Feel free to share your trembling moments of impending disaster and how you escaped!

May 29 2013

Writer research…AKA–getting to live other people’s lives…

What do you think of  when you hear the words ‘writer’ and ‘research’?  When I first began to seriously pay attention to the necessary skills inheritant to a writer, I had this vague image in my head of an investigative reporter in a fedora and topcoat skulking around dark corners, spying on nefarious types.  Unfortunately that’s not the way it really is. My reference library of actual books has increased exponentially over the years with such titles as: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology, The Search for ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, Monsters and Demons, Letters of Enoch, Navaho Indian Myths, Conflict, Action & Suspense, The Scene of a Crime,The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Werewolves, The Book of Everything Feckin’ Irish, and so on.

It’s varied enough, the titles are housed in my  bedroom closet so the impressionable minds in the house have limited access.  Trying to explain to a teacher why my sons understand how to tell a were from a shifter and what weapon is easily modified to take out hearts is not a conversation I want to repeat.

But, as much information as you can gain from various books from a wide range of subject experts, nothing beats expierecing it for yourself or talking to those who’ve already been there and done that. Granted, for Urban Fantasy, finding a reliable source who’s fought off a werewolf or back a slavering vamp down is a bit hard to find, but there are ways around such things.  For example, in SHADOW’S MOON, most of my research circled around wild wolves and their behaviors.  Not because the story is packed with information, but because I needed my characters reactions to read true to their animal natures.  Conversations with my brother in law who enjoys spending time dressed like a tree, helped me consider how a human hunter’s mind could work in conjunction with a wild predator’s intellect.  Viola! Alpha werewolf in human skin.

In my current work, I’m pulling on other sources. Sources Knight and I have known for years, and we’re lucky enough to still have in our life considering their chosen lifestyle revolves around repeated tours overseas to keep me and mine safe.  Not to say I’m not pouring through various texts on military tactics or the psychology of special forces, but those can’t show me the depth of courage and honor it really takes to face something that most of us (thank goodness) never have to face.  Not only has our friend been a great resource in the creation of my characters, but the more I talk to him, the more I realize how lucky we are to have him in our lives.

Despite my anti-social, watch from the sidelines typical reserve, I’m discovering just how much more beneficial it is to go and start a conversation with those in my life.  All those personalities, all those stories, it’s a treasure trove out there.  Each person has stories that boggle the mind, each of them have something to contribute  to my growing mental library of character motivation, scene creation and plot devices.  More than books, there is no better research tool than the world we live in, because more time than naught, it’s the unexpected realities that make heart pounding adventures we writers depend on.

What are some of your best research tools?

 

PS Don’t miss next week’s visitor, LIV RANCOURT!

May 22 2013

Plunging into your characters…

I follow a number of blogs, from everything for Zombie Preparedness, to writing techniques, to pure humor. One of my favorites is Kristen Lamb at warriorwriters.wordpress.com and this week she hit on something I’ve been chatting over with some other writerly friends for awhile–how do make your characters ‘real’?

As writers, we’ve been told many, many, many times (ad naseum) that there only so many archetypes for our characters, to differentiate them we have to make them ‘unique’.  Uh-huh, right then and how do we do that?  Well, I like what Kristen’s outline in her blog so I’m linking it right here:

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/would-you-rather-an-exercise-in-creating-max-conflict-in-fiction/

Take the time to read this post. I’m a hugely character driven writer, so the more complex and intricate I can make my peeps, the more ‘real’ they come across to my readers.  No one wants to read the same stereotype character with a different hair color/eye color/warts/plaid/polka dots/height.  The more you can shade them, giving them corners no one wants to admit to having the more your readers will be inclined to follow along and invest themselves in your world.

It’s sharing time….feel free to add bits and pieces you’ve discovered in making your characters ‘real’.

May 15 2013

Next Big Thing…

I’ve been tagged by Sandy Wright for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, where new releases and new authors get highlighted. Sandy’s SONG OF THE ANCIENTS, is a Paranormal Suspense currently making the rounds in finding a publishing home.  Feel free to check out her blog at www.writersandy.com for all the nifty details on her first book.

So since I’m it, let’s get to it!

  • What’s the title/working title of your latest book?

For those that are following, we’ll do SHADOW’S MOON, because I’m keeping my current WIP under wraps for a bit.

  • Where did the idea for the book come from?

This will be the third in the Kyn Kronicles, but this time I decided to leave Raine and Gavin alone to take advantage of some downtime.  Instead I got caught up in Xander and Warrick’s relationship. I’ve always loved the concept of magic and the supernatural existing alongside reality, so the world I created has some dark corners that you don’t want to face without a sharp, pointy object. For SHADOW’S MOON, I wanted to explore the relationship between the most dominant male wolf in the Northwest and his top female enforcer, Xander.  What happens when two strong personalities meet? Do they bend, break or create something new? SHADOW’S MOON continues the twists and turns of the Kyn universe, but also allows the readers a chance to see the world through the eyes of the Shifter House.  Plus the sparks from Xander and Warrick were a blast to maneuver through.

  • What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

  • What’s a one sentence synopsis for your book?

As the Northwest Alpha wolf, compromise isn’t in Warrick Vidis’s vocabulary, but when his reluctant mate, Xander Cade, refuses to leave off the hunt for the one threatening their pack, will he be able to bend before they both break?

  •  How long did it take to write the first draft of the manuscript?

It took me about 4 1/2 to 5 months to get through the first draft.  Then another month or so to fine tune it.

  • Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

          Currently it is under consideration by a handful of publishing houses/agencies, so fingers crossed one of them picks it up.

  • What other books would you compare this book to in your genre?

Hmmm…think Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series or Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson or Alpha and Omega series. 

Since I like to share the spotlight, here are my “MUST READ” new authors! Swing on over and check them out!

Mona Karel

Liv Rancourt

Amber Kallyn

Lynn Rush

Apr 17 2013

Reading for Writers…

In surfing through the writer communities I am allowed to be in (yes, allowed is the correct term here, think of who’s writing this, peeps!), I’ve noticed a comment that seems to be uttered often.  It goes along the lines of this:

“Writers who read are better writers for it.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I kind of thought writers were avid readers. I mean, we create these worlds, give birth to characters that are more real than our family, and create plots that make spiders weep because we are storytellers.  How can one hone the cutting edge of their craft if they don’t constantly rub against the skilled whetstone of others around them?

Yes, writing can be a solitary art, but still…

If you don’t read, in your genre, in other genres, new and old authors, fiction and non-fiction, how on earth can you learn what works and what doesn’t?

Discovering new voices can spark the germ of a unique idea for you.  Perhaps after reading a first person point of view story told by the family pet, a germ of an idea on how you can create a unique POV for your own story will begin to take root.

Maybe the way one author’s turn of phrase captures your heart enough for you to dabble in the art of languages.

Perhaps some unique historical happening suddenly has you asking, “What if?” and viola! A story begins.

Writers find inspiration in a number of areas–music, TV, movies, society, newspapers, PEOPLE magazine, you name it, we’re good at finding creative sparks. Yet, maybe it’s just me, but I find some of my best ideas come about because I read EVERYTHING.  Fiction. Non-Fiction. Urban Fantasy. Erotic. Romance. Military Suspense. Mystery. Thriller. Horror. Exposes on old government groups. Reports on scientific trends and developments. You name it, I’ll read it. I go no where with out my Kindle or an actual book.

What makes your creative spark light?

Mar 28 2013

Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday @JamiGrayAuthor

Sneak Peek Sunday Banner

So my wonderful bud, Mona Karel, turned me on to the following cool blog…Sneak Peak Sunday. Now, I’m going to invite all of you writers out there that swing over to visit, published or not, to join in and share six paragraphs from your current work in progress (WIP).  I want to see what you all are working on.

I’ll go first, this from my current WIP which is a whole new series not related to Raine and her buds…

 

A shadow wavered across the glass block window.  I froze, dropping my gaze to the doorknob.  Unlocked.

Shit!

The knob turned and it was a question of seconds before the door began to open.  Slamming my mental walls back in place sent a ferocious ache behind my eyes, but I needed to know what was live and what wasn’t.  The door began to creep open.

Carefully, hoping my shadow wouldn’t been seen in the glass column and give my movements away to whoever was outside, I shifted over until I was hidden behind the door itself.  My view was blocked by the door which continued to open.  Which meant whoever was coming in wouldn’t be able to see me either.

There was only one chance.  Not stopping to think, I rushed the door, using the knob and my shoulder to slam it forward. A muffled grunt confirmed the presence of a real, live body.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for the freaking battering ram that sent me stumbling back.

Stuck between the door and the wall was not an ideal choice.  Twisting, I stumbled into the hall, putting distance between me and whoever was coming through my door.  There were two options—the open living room or the bedrooms.  Remembering my staff propped by Kelsey’s door made my decision easy. I turned to run.

 

Come play and share your little jewels and spread the word!

Don’t forget, next week our Swamp visitor is the one and only Lynn Rush. Shuffle those appointments around and join us!

 

Mar 16 2013

And you’re doing this why?

Although I’m out on the road with Knight and the Prankster Duo visiting Grandma’s House, over the hills and through the snow, I wanted to share a very short blog post with you all.  Plus, I have to let you all know that the awesome Faith Hunter, author of the Jane Yellowrock novels will be visiting us next week, so mark your calendars and come help us welcome her to our lovely and slightly noxious Swamp!

While we traveled over the roads and pathways, I began to ponder some of the reasons behind the “why”s of my fourth of novel. Things in the Kyn world are a bit unsettled at the end of Shadow’s Moon, so now we have to fill in the blanks.  One of the things I’ve learned from the first three books, as the writer you best know the “why”s behind the story.  Why are your characters acting this way, why do they need to address these questions, why are they doing what they’re doing, why, why?

Once you have an idea of the answer, then you can start your story.  I know where I want to start the fourth book, I know who the main characters are, I know what problems they are going to face, I know why they act the way they do, but this time, I need to know what they’re going to do to solve these problems and why.

Character motivation and character evolution is critical to a good story. Your characters, especially in a series, have to continue to grow and evolve. Not just in an emotional sense, but in the challenges they face and how they triumph over said challenges. Sounds easy, right? It’s not.  For me, my characters have become real people, and rarely does a person have just one reason behind why they do something.  There are always a multitude of factors involved no matter how complex or simple our decisions. Getting this across in our writing, that’s true talent.

For the writers out there, how do you figure out your character motivations? Do you do interviews, use worksheets, just know because your crystal ball has fantastic reception? I’d love to hear.

For readers out there, how complex do you like your characters? Do you enjoy it when there are multiple factors playing part in their decisions and actions or do you like things straightforward and simple? Share, please.

Since I have to pay attention to the road as I’m the one in control of the vehicle, I guess I’ll let you go until next week.  Remember, Faith Hunter is coming, so make time and visit with us!

Wicked

Mar 9 2013

Querying the impossible Query…

Yep, no hiding now. It’s on to a brief discussion on queries.  The query is a loathsome beast, not as dreaded as the Synopsis, but a close runner up. Now, you can go out and google all sorts of interesting information on creating the perfect query, or what goes into a query.  I’m not so sure there’s such an animal as “the perfect query”.  Regardless it is a very vital part of the whole getting yourself published process.

Let’s look at what this little nugget is suppose to do for you.  The main purpose of a query is to SNAG THE ATTENTION of the person reading it.  You want that editor/agent/pub house to gasp in delighted shock and think “OMG! I MUST HAVE THIS STORY!” After which, they rush to their phone/email and quickly demand more.  That’s a realistic expectation, right?  Um, yeah time to re-evaluate here.

No matter how great your story is, I can almost guarentee those you’re looking to impress have already seen it. Discouraging though that may sound, it’s truth. But here’s the good part of that.  From talking to agents/editors and reading numerous articles, you must not give up hope.  A unique voice,  a new twist on an old idea, an intriguing story…all of these are still in demand.

Now you have to get your query to stand out.  Don’t put it on tie-dye paper, drench it in some sweetly sick smelling perfume, have a singing stripper deliver it to the agent/editor’s office (though they may enjoy the show and remember you, they may also seek a restraining order).  Instead, make sure the very first line, aka your hook, sinks its barbed teeth in deep and won’t let them wiggle off your snare.  Make that first line exciting, intriguing, something that will leave whoever is reading it, wanting more.  Even more important, make sure it stays true to your writing and the story. If you’re doing a humorous mystery, it could be “Thanks to the dark and stormy night, there was no avoiding the vat of syrup that turned Millie’s life into a sticky situation.”

Yes, I’m highly aware of how corny that sounds, but you get the point. Besides, there is really no way to write a great hook in less than thirty seconds.  Although, now that I’ve written that, this story could go places…

Never mind, back to our point–query writing. As hard as it is to create, you need

  1. Hook
  2. Your blurb–this is how you keep your query quarry’s attention.  You tell them what your story is, who’s involved, what’s at stake and leave them wondering…will they succeed or not?
  3. Your book info–this means title, word count, genre, is it stand alone or one in a possibly series?
  4. Your publishing credentials.  Now, if you haven’t published before, have you been nominated for any awards, even if it’s in non-fiction writing, list it.  Won any contests? Tell them.  If you’re published, you know the drill–titles, publisher, and when.
  5. Something unique about you–think one line bio.  Set yourself apart, but don’t lie.  Everyone has that one thing that’s just them. For me–I live in a testosterone household with three Star Wars geeks and a 100 lb. lab–find yours and use it.
  6. Contact information–they need to get ahold of you to get more of your story, so make sure you give them every available chance–email, mailing address, phone number and your name.
  7. Be polite–thanking them for taking the time to review your request, not only is it nice (and my momma made sure I understood politeness) but think about it, aren’t you grateful they did take the time?

There you have, the basics of a query letter.  Now comes the fun part–hit that send button and get your story out there. No one will be able to appreciate your wonderfulness if you don’t share it.  Take a chance, risk a little and the rewards might be more than you hoped for!

Best of luck, guys!

Mar 2 2013

Squishing it all together…

I promised last week to cover the dreaded synopsis challenge every writer is forced to endure once they’ve completed their novel.  As far as I’m concerned, writing a synopsis is a hell of a lot harder than writing the damn book.  Seriously, you’re expected to squish 350 pages into 5….3 5 0   down to  5.  Do you see the problem here? Besides the fact that 350 has three placeholders and 5, a lonely one?  Yeah, it’s enough to make you want to spike your coffee with cynanide.

As much as I highly dislike this part of the querying process, there is no escaping it.  Really.  Just go out and look at any submission policies from any publishing house or agency.  I guarentee somewhere in that long list of how to send in your stuff will be the word “synopsis”.

It sounds simple enough.  Tell us what your book is about in 2-5 pages.  Ummm, can’t you just read it? Please?  (The whine factor here is off the charts, by the way.)  The honest answer is–no.  Agents and acquiring editors are inundated with queries every hour of every day.  I think the synopsis is a test of sorts.  How well do you know your story? Do you know the most important, intriquing parts of the story? Enough to hook someone into joining your fictional world in 2-5 pages?  If you do, you’re ahead of the game.  If you don’t, you’re about to find out.

Granted queries are suppose to be the first step to snagging someone’s attention, but once you have it, you want to keep it on you.  We’re not greedy, but we do want them to read what we’ve written.  They’re not going to want to come on the journey unless you have a clear path laid out with lovely cakes and pasteries (versus Hansel & Gretel’s breadcrumbs), so that before they realize it, they have completed the journey with you.   This is why your synopsis is so huge. 

How do you get it down? You have to mill down your story to the bones.  If you use Scrivner, it’s a bit easier. Just use the corkboard layout and if you’ve done it right you have a one to two sentence outline for each chapter.  If you’re Scrivner-less, you get to do the same thing.  Remember, high points here.  You don’t need to go into the fact your hero/heroine ate a blueberry muffin, spilled her coffe that made her late for work if what really happened was that by being late for work your hero/heroine walks into a robbery in progress. 

Remember, you’ve already written the story, now, you want to tell the major points.  Adjectives are not necessary, long descriptions are best kept in your manuscript, but you’re a writer so make sure your voice comes through.  Not every little event needs to be detailed, the big ones that impact the ending, those need to be shared.  Here’s the thing, a query doesn’t answer all the questions because you want them to go read your book.  A synopsis will set up the world, your characters, your overall plot and answer all the questions. And it does it, in a logical fashion–no jumping from scene to scene like a hyper Mexican jumping bean.

The best advice I can share: just sit down, write out your book as if someone asked you, “So what’s your book about.”  Don’t work about formatting, etc., just answer that question.  When you’re done, it won’t be pretty by all the necessary points should be there. Then you can go back and polish it up. 

Those who’ve survived the synopsis trials, please, please share how you managed to survive!

Feb 23 2013

Remembering the little details…

Yes, I realize I missed my Thursday post with my fellow dwarves. Nope, I have absolutely no excuse. Unless you count the fact that sleep decided it wasn’t being appreciated enough and left me in a snit about two weeks ago.  Damn drama queen.  Now I figure out how to lure it back.  In the meantime, I took over Saturday’s spot on the 7ED site to play catch up.  On my blog, no one will notice…

I promised we’d get back to some basics on writing, so now that Shadow’s Moon is out propositioning some very nice people at the pub houses, let me clue you in on something I knew, but had slammed home recently.  When writing a series, it’s very important to be able to remember the little details.  You know, things like hair color, eye color, height, gender, where someone lives, what their favorite food is, what they drive, who their parents are…the little things.  It’s all those little things that make or break your world over numerous books.

Readers are some of the most intelligent, eagled eyed people out there. If you tell them your character is blonde, blue-eyed, lives in the city, drives a sports car and prefers chocolate over caviar (like who doesn’t?), and then somewhere down the line she’s puttering around in the suburbs, eating caviar and driving a Jeep, there will be issues. I promise you.  So how does a writer keep track of all these little things? Especially as they are constantly refining their worlds and characters?

The answer is…a series bible.

Now, when I started Shadow’s Edge, I had the beginnings of a bible for the series. Of course it was scattered around my office and filing cabinets masquerading as scribbles on notebook paper, more scribbles on post-its (a vital component of any office), even more scribbles on the back of restaurant receipts with coffee stains.  By the time I finished the first book, I managed to gather my loose little notes into one central area. Then I was off to write Shadow’s Soul. When I spent more time trying to verify something about a character of one of the Kyn Houses than actually writing the scene, it was time to put it all together.  But, first I had to finish the book.

So Shadow’s Soul done and out into the world, Shadow’s Moon was well underway and my notes were still an unruly pile in need of some serious discipline. It may have taken a few discussions (read-heated debates) among the Evil 7, but it was glaringly obvious if I wanted to win some of my points, I better have proof that I really did have that character doing that before.  This meant the last two weeks, on top of query letters and synopsis creation (which we’ll try to address next week), I finally buckled down to get all those pesky details in order.

What exactly goes into a Series Bible, you may ask…my answer, after many hours trolling the internet and talking to other writers: Whatever you feel is vital to your world. 

With that lovely open to interpretation answer, I will share what is in mine and you can discard or copy what ever tickles your fancy.

CHARACTER PROFILES:  this includes all the vital stats on your characters–physical, emotional, background, who they’re linked to and how, images (there’s fun to be had doing an internet search entitled: hot brunette males), where they live, what they drive, how the dress, personal ticks/habits, job position, etc. 

LIST OF MINOR CHARACTERS:  I went book by book and anyone I mentioned by name went on this list, along with the notation DEAD if they didn’t survive.  You never know when one of these names comes back and takes over.

WORLD HISTORY:  this includes world rules on how your world works, the history of its creation and they way your current world interacts/ed with others.  In mine, I have a breakdown for each of the four houses of the Kyn, the governing structure, magic rules for each race, some history behind each of them, strengths/weaknesses of each race (physical/emotional), territory division for the Shifters and who runs which packs, glossary.  This is a huge section and you can break it down further if it helps.

PLACES/LOCATIONS:  a list of all the bars, restaurants, businesses, homes that are in each book and how they’re linked to the characters.  Someday I’ll have maps too!

BLURBS: from each book.  Here’s a great way to get a jump on your query, write your own blurb for your book.

SYNOPSIS: from each book, anywhere from 1-5 pages.  You’ll need these.

SERIES ARC:  This is important as it helps you see where each title will fall under your major plot, and how each title will help move it along.

NOVEL PLOTS:  self-explanatory–plots for each book, at least how they start out. They never end up the same.

SHORTS:  this is a list of ideas I will someday brave in my attempts to master the short story.

There is a massive amounts of opinions on what should be in your series bible, plus quite a few free worksheets if you want them, but I found this is what works best for me.  It allows me to keep it all straight and not lose sight of my overall story.

So for those who’ve stuck this out to the end–add your suggestions to what should be in a series bible!