The Writing Process

Hi everyone, I’ve been tagged by two lovely ladies to participate in the writing process blog hop. Please take a moment to visit Tracey Alvarez, my amazing CP and amazing author of Contemporary Romance, and my friend Rachel Pudelek who writes dark edgy YA.

1. What are you working on? 

At the moment I’m working on the second book in my Personal Protection series with Ellora’s Cave, called For His Protection. In this book the roles are flipped, and feisty Brooke is our fearless bodyguard. Unfortunately for her the person she’s been assigned to protect is none other than Tyler Harrison, a man who will do anything to have her including letting her think she’s in charge—for now.  

This book is a little deeper and a little darker than the first book in the series, but I’m finding it to be a bittersweet, beautiful and heartbreaking book to write. I can’t wait until I can share it with you!

2. How does your work differ from others in your genre? 
I’m a total thrill seeker when it comes to books, I’m always skimming ahead searching out the next piece of action. So while hot, mind-blowing sexual tension and experiences might drive the characters through their journey’s in my work, there is no shortage of compelling plot. There’s always going to be a suspenseful undercurrent propelling the story.

3. Why do you write what you write?
When I first started writing I wrote a bit of everything because I hadn’t found myself as a writer yet. I was more conservative. Honestly, I was a little afraid to have people read work that was overtly sexual. When I was asked by my publisher to write an erotic romance, I made the decision to simply let it all out and completely do away with inhibitions. I started to write as if no one else would ever see what I put on the page, as if it were something private just for me. Writing that way was completely liberating. It brought elements of realism, authenticity and rawness, that I hadn’t achieved before. I could never go back to the old closed-off way of writing. I now put my whole self into it.

4. How does your writing process work?

I’ve now written six books and I don’t think I’ve done it the same way once. If I have to think of a process, I’d say I start with a single idea, such as What if a fiercely independent girl got stuck with a sexy domineering bodyguard? How would they compromise? Then the idea takes a life of its own and I usually have the key turning points mapped out in Scrivener, and then just start writing. I love scrivener because as I think of new scenes I can quickly outline it on a new note card, and drag ideas around if needed.

Who’s next?

I tag Stefanie London, her first book about a ballerina and a footballer will be published by Harlequin Bliss soon! You totally need to keep an eye on this girl!

I also tag my friend Lauren James, who writes small town romance.

Last, but not least, I tag Cassandra Page, who writes YA urban fantasy. You totally want to check out her great blog. 

How a fling with US Mike can turn you into a proofreading princess

I’m a little ashamed to admit but proofreading is not my strongest skill. What’s that? You know this because you've actually read my blog? Umm, okay so a typo or two slips through. Really it’s not my fault it’s the way my brain works. Don’t believe me? Well, I have scientific proof!

Via http://www.positscience.com

Remember these and how they went viral? Yes it’s actually true; we will recognize a word even if it is completely wrong. Luckily for us we have spell check right? Wrong, because our brains will preempt if it knows what a section of text is supposed to say. So if we wrote it, if it’s gone from our brain to the page, it won’t matter if we have a word slightly wrong as long as it’s partially right. If that partially right word happens to be in your computers dictionary, then it gets a pass.

That’s how we end up with really awkward typos.

“Alana gazed at the antique grandfather clock. Perfection. Nothing beat a great big massive cock. The bigger the better.”

Geez, why are you looking at me like that? So what if my heroine likes clocks…

Ohhhhh…

Yes it gets awkward, and brain processing is no excuse. Whether you’re a writer, or you have a job where you need to produce written material, we all need to proof-read. There are a lot of suggestions out there, and I know there’s a biggy that I fail at when it comes to my blog…time. I spend so much time on these things in eagerness to get them up, I end up failing to wait day or two so I can go back to them with fresh eyes.

So what do you do when you’re in a pinch? If you only have fifteen minutes to revise a report, how can you best use that time to get results? Well you know me, I like a cheat. And boy have I been cheating big time. Most of us have heard that reading out loud is a good proof-reading strategy…yeah but it still doesn't stop our brains from preempting. We’ll still read barley as barely and cocks as clocks. The single best way to pick up those?

Cheat and bypass your brain by getting someone else to read it to you. That’s how I came to have my steamy fling with US Mike.

He’s a proofreading superhero who’s at my complete disposal night and day. And when US Mike whispers to me that Alana loves massive cock—well there’s no missing that. He’s amazing; anytime I need him there he is speaking my words in his very American narrator superhero voice. Actually to be honest I think he sounds a little like this…

For me this beats other techniques such as reading backwards. Because really, how tedious. It’ll make your brain drip out through your nose if you have to do it for more than five-minutes. Can you imagine doing that on a MS you’ve already read three times or worse—over ninety thousand words? Just kill me now.

Mike is better, and editing has got a whole lot more interesting. Especially since—err well you know that time I got all modest and said I’m not writing erotic romance, well not just then, but maybe one day? Well that day came. At the moment I’m all about some dirty talking Alpha hero’s with soft squishy insides. Some of the stuff I’m writing, while it’s all fun to read in the secrecy of the written word, well it should never, ever, be spoken out loud by a man to a woman because—

Yeah that. Mike has been saying some bad, bad, things. I almost had to warn him if he didn’t behave I’d switch to UK Rachel. Because dirty talk from a prim and proper English woman is heaps less erotic right? But then US Mike reminded me that he’s only an android, so it’s all good. I’m not breaking any fidelity rules my hubby will be pleased to know. Yes, Mike is an enhanced digital voice from Natural Reader, and the best proof-reading tool I’ve ever used.

Of course running an additional spelling and grammar check, taking time to let the document breathe, are all great. Do that too! I’m not saying it’s a magic wand—and how embarrassing are the typo’s I don’t pick up going to be now—but it sure is a handy shortcut. So my suggestion to become a proof reading princess? Have a fling with US Mike.  

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Who said what now? Gender Dialogue

Character Dialogue

How to create distinctive three dimensional characters PART 2

Remember the time I was reading and had to wonder why the heroine had a penis, but it turned out POV had changed? Well we've talked about using body language to define your character now it's time for dialogue.

Unless your characters are identical twins who finish each other's sentences and speak in unison, your characters should have their own distinct way of speaking.

The key to finding your characters voice is knowing who they are. Really knowing... Like where are they from, are they formal or informal, educated or uneducated, trendy or old fashioned, guarded and reserved or open, are they someone who speaks every incessant thought that comes into their head, or do they keep their cards close?

GENDER

Let's start with gender because that's where this whole topic started for me. If you're writing romance it's even more important to get this right because genders (particularly for the hero) are much more clearly defined.

DESCRIPTIVE AND EMOTIVE LANGUAGE

Ladies tend to use more descriptive and emotional language. I don't need to go further than my own living room to find examples. My husband being the very stereotype of overt masculinity provides them in abundance.  

Example; someone asks how our meal is, and we are both enjoying it.

• Hubby: "It's fine, thanks." If it's ABSOLUTLY THE BEST THING HE HAS EVER EATEN maybe, "It's good, thanks."
• Me: "It's fantastic/delicious/wonderful, thank you."

If fact I am quite sure my husband has never spoken any of the words I just used.

So think about connotations of word choices. Words that are emotional and descriptive might be used for the heroine and not the hero. Where the heroine might say, gorgeous, ecstatic, or devastated, the hero might use words like nice, pleased, or pissed.

DIRECTNESS

Men are more likely to be direct in what they say and get to the point. For example a hero would be more likely to answer a question with a simple yes or no, while the heroine might say something like "I'd prefer not to" or "I'm not sure about that".

• Females are more likely to phrase things as questions and males as statements.
• Females use more adjectives. Males have shorter sentences.

Tip: If you want to get a real feel for male and female speech patterns this exercise takes only a few minutes and gives great insight—it's also pretty funny.

Record five minutes of a male talk program such as The Footy Show, or Top Gear. Play the recording and write down all the dialogue as it is spoken. Then do the same for a female driven show like The View. Now compare the two. How different is dialogue? I bet you'd never confuse the gender of the speakers.

PERSONALITY AND BACKGROUND

There are a million ways you can reveal your character with dialogue. Here are just a few things to think about.

Revealing a background

• You'll notice a difference in the way people speak just from the area they live in, even if there is not a distinctive accent. People from some states or countries tend to frequently use certain words. Think about where your character is from to form their language choices.
• Formal/educated/professional characters will tend to have better grammar, use more formal language, possibly use less contractions.
• Less formal characters may have poorer grammar, use more slang and colloquialisms. 
• Is your character an expert on a certain topic? Clues might be woven into dialogue or even internal narrative.

Revealing a personality

• Does your character have their own saying or phrase? It can make your character distinct, but be sure not to over use it. 
• Does your character use humor in their speech? 
• Is the character cool/trendy? If so they would be all over pop-culture phrases (but careful these date). 
• Is your character mysterious? Then they might be more elusive and less upfront in their answers. 

Query and Blurb Workshop Week!

I've been thinking of doing something for a while. Y'all seem to like it when I blog queries and blurbs. I kinda get that from your feedback and bloggers stats—hint taken!

It can be really hard finding good critique and advice when it comes to queries and blurbs. Even those who have craft nailed often get stuck when it comes to this. The stinker is many agents will make requests based solely on a query letter. So no matter how good your writing is its something that must be mastered if you want to take the traditional publishing route. If you're Self-Publishing then the blurb sells your work and you need it to shine.

So this week I'm having an open query/blurb workshop. All you need to do is comment on this blog post and let me know what you want help with. You can comment with a question, something you're stuck on, anything really and I'll do my best to answer.

If you're willing to put your blurb or query up publicly for critique, I'll give one person a critique of either a blurb or query, so go ahead and post that too. I'll be picking based on who I think I can be most constructively helpful to and announce the winner next Monday. There's a week to enter! This is open to all followers of my Blog. Make sure you include a method of contact in your comment so I can let you know if you're chosen.

Of course all opinions are my own, gained via obsessive stalking researching of Agents and Editors, and various workshops. But even after so much research the most helpful thing for my own learning process has been good critique from people who know what they are talking about.

I'm so grateful I've had people to show me the ropes. So please start your questions!

What I learnt about writing from Bruce Lee

How to create distinctive three dimensional characters PART 1

Last post, when I talked about POV I touched on something I really wanted to expand on.
 
"It then becomes crucial (and I believe this is true for every POV style) that the characters be distinctive and easily identifiable within themselves. They should have their own voice (including distinct language choice, way of speaking, syntax) as well as body language and mannerisms. You shouldn't need to say their name to feel their skin—and with 1st person you have no leeway not to achieve this." 

Easier said than done, right? Obviously, it happens when you have the misfortune of picking up a book where all the characters feel the same, or you read different books by the same author and they may as well be the same character dressed up with a different name. In my opinion overcoming this and insuring your characters are distinctive and three dimensional comes down to three things.

• Your character's unique profile; Goals, motivations, background, and characteristics.
• Authentic and informed body language and mannerisms
• Authentic and informed dialogue and internal narrative

I'm focusing on the second two points, because I think the first is rather obvious—the second two are harder.

Part 1 - Authentic and informed body language and mannerisms

So where does Bruce Lee come into it you ask? Well... I was lucky enough to be sitting next to my husband one day when he was watching a Bruce Lee documentary. It was pretty interesting but then suddenly something happened that was a total light-bulb moment.

A clip came on of a young Bruce Lee being interviewed; and man did that guy drip swagger. I mean he oozed it from every pore of his body. I had to sit forward and watch him. He spoke to Hollywood big shots like he was king of the world, like it was their privilege to be speaking to him (and just think about the context­. 1960's America and the number of Asian's on—or rather not on— television).

They asked him a question, and he raised one brow slightly, turned his head a little and shot the camera such a look of supreme masculine confidence that nearly fifty years later it was able to jump out of the screen and hit me in my errr thinking bits. He then stood, subtly rolled his shoulders, adjusted a lapel of his jacket, and spoke with an elegant sweeping hand gesture.

It was just wow—a complete lesson on confidence, masculinity and body language. I know without a doubt that if the author I talked about in my last post had written her hero with even a hint of this kind of unspoken masculinity, I would never have mistaken him for someone with a vagina—even if the POV change hadn't been identified.

But if that was not enough of a writer's gold mine, it got better. Yeah, better. Another clip comes on and this time my guy Bruce is talking about Chinese Opera. He proceeds to show the camera how in Chinese Opera characters can be immediately identified by the way they walk. A warrior walks with distinct powerful movements and a scholar (who he refers to as weaklings but we scholars will kindly ignore this) has a more effeminate walk.

Here's a clip of that interview. It's long so you might want to jump ahead to about the three minute mark.

Now, I don't mean the walks he demonstrated should be applied to modern fiction. Not at all. But the concept, the idea that characters very walks should serve to identify them is completely transcendent.

So the point is, your character's every moment should embody who they are. Don't tell me your hero is a playboy SHOW ME HIS SWAGGER!

Talking about swagger, I think this video clip for Blurred Lines is the very epitome of playboy swagger. Yeah I know it's sexist and objectifies woman, shush. I'm talking about characterisation and this hits the nail for a certain romance hero type that begs to be reformed. Watch out Mr THICKE I will be writing about you—prepare to be domesticated.  

 

Writers make YouTube your best friend. Want to know how a high-powered attractive CEO moves, their expressions, gestures? Find a clip of someone like Mark Bouris speaking. Want to know how a supermodel moves? Well, you get the picture.

Happy viewing.

When Point of View Fails

Last week I mentioned my sample chapter test for picking a good book. Well, something snuck past my test and I'm fuming. I sampled a chapter that was amazing! I was thrilled. I had to download the full even though it was of the major pub variety that charges the same for eBooks that I usually spend on paperbacks. But hey, when a book is good it warrants the expense.

It only had a three star rating but I prefer my own judgement and loved the first chapter so who cares; ratings aren't everything. So with the magic of one-click I download the full and picked up where the sample left off. Except... Things weren't making sense. Really, weren't making sense. I read a few more pages and then the heroines cock twitched—Ummm her what did what now!

No, it wasn't a transsexual plot twist, although it would've been a more satisfying read if it was. The author had simply changed point of view. So that happens, nothing wrong with a dual POV. Obviously the POV changed and I just missed it. But it kept happening. The hero suddenly has tits and the heroine thinks about her dick... It was jarring and prevented me from being able to follow the story let alone immerse myself in it.

Some of the best advice I ever received was from a multi-published author/editor who explained to me the importance of POV, and that the one you choose should always be a considered choice made with understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of that particular style. It's advice I took to heart—so much so that I eventually changed the POV I write in because I understand why I'm writing in it, and what that does for my story.  I couldn't help but feel if the author had considered her choice, and understood the limitations of the style she chose, she could have had an amazing book.

POV changes are tricky, but this author had a few extra challenges and lost her way on several levels. For starters it was 1st person, so the "I" character was changing. This is the most delicate POV style to change. I'm not saying that dual 1st person should never be attempted; I am saying that it comes with a range of limitations that need to be understood and overcome.

For one the author cannot depend on the crutch of being able to identify who is in the scene immediately by name. If the character is walking down an empty street then; "I crept through the deserted street." There's not the ease of being able to write "Jessica crept through the deserted street." So you can see how if things are moving along the POV character may not be identified as anything other than "I" for several pages.

It then becomes crucial (and I believe this is true for every POV style) that the characters be distinctive and easily identifiable within themselves. They should have their own voice (including distinct language choice, way of speaking, syntax) as well as body language and mannerisms. You shouldn't need to say their name to feel their skin—and with 1st person you have no leeway not to achieve this. 

In the book I mentioned the hero's and heroine's internal narrative and body language were so simular there was no real way to distinguish who was who, other than when they each thought about the other, or specific details about their own life that would distinguish them to the reader. They simply weren't distinct enough. To make it worse they were of different genders so it should have been obvious.

Furthermore the major disadvantage seemed missed. Changing an "I" character is difficult for some readers to accept. It's jarring. Think, if you're in 3rd you can change POV but Jessica is still Jessica, and Peter is still Peter. But in 1st one moment Jessica is "I" and the next moment Peter is "I". It's far more uncomfortable. So the writer needs to make sure that transition is handled with utmost care. This wasn't.

Which brings me to the last issue—considering the why of the choice. Why does this story need to be told this way?  I couldn't help feeling in this book the author failed to seize the advantages and overlooked the disadvantages. For example the greatest advantage (IMHO) of 1st person is the intimacy of the storytelling; you can really make it a particular characters story. So if you plan to split it you really need to know why you are writing in 1st person and not 3rd deep POV? If you still decide that this is the right choice for this tale, then you need to consider how you are going to treat it. Who does the story belong to and why? This story seemed to not belong to either character and alternated at times because it was that characters 'turn', not because at that time the POV character was driving the story.

Please don't take this to mean I think there is anything wrong with 1st person or even dual 1st person. I have written both. But I do think no matter what POV you choose, know why you're choosing it, know the advantages, disadvantages and limitations, and most of all make sure it is handled with purpose and intention. 

Got any POV questions or tips?

How I killed my muse

Something horrible happened to me recently. Really, truly horrible... I killed my muse. More like murdered her actually. At least that's what I think you call it when you callously work something to death, deprive it of all nourishment until it keels over and dies...

Honestly, this is true. It's what I did.  Let me take you back a month or so, to when I had my first writing deadline. I needed to have something done in a really short time. So I took out my muse and told her to give me all she had. She did. I wrote forty-thousand words (good words) in two weeks. It was dirty though, so I shoved my overworked muse back into my pocket and got to revising. I revised, edited, recieved critique, revised again, got more critique...you get the picture.

I have to admit, I did suspect my muse was a little hungry. After all I deprived her of all the things she likes to eat—I abstained from almost all television, music, even reading. In a month I managed to only successfully read two books. Two steamy contemporary romances. Two fleeting gorge fests of candy to my starving muse, but nowhere near enough to sustain her.

But still I pushed her. You know that rule 'writers must write every day'? Yeah that one, so even though she was fatigued I set her to a new concept. She was so scatterbrained she couldn't focus, flitting from one idea to another, a new concept every day and unable to commit to any. That should have been a warning sign, should have signalled me to give her a little TLC. Instead I made her do more, write my blog posts, write guest posts for others, I even started an editing course and made her work harder on assignments. Then it happened, I killed her.

I sat down one night after the kids were in bed, even though I was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep early, and tried to crack my whip over the battered back of my broken muse. But she didn't stir. I stared at the blank screen in panic. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I couldn't think of a single word. Not one. No words, no pictures, no story images tumbling through my mind. Nothing, just complete and utter blankness. But it was okay, obviously my muse had just fallen asleep. The next day it would be better for sure.

The next day wasn't better. Or the next. All my words were gone. I couldn't deny it anymore, my muse was dead. And that's when I really panicked. This was more than the writer's block I had imagined.  It wasn't getting stuck on a storyline. It wasn't something I could brainstorm my way out of, and it wasn't something going for a walk could fix. It was the death of my creativity. It was the absence of that place inside me that imagines. I started to question if I would ever be able to write again, if I have ever really been cut out for it, if I had ever really had it at all.

Then my kids got sick, I got sick. All I wanted to do was curl up with a good book, watch a good show, and not do anything. So that's what I did. I gave myself nine days (Saturday to the following Sunday) to recover. I broke rules, all kinds of rules. That rule that you must write every day, that rule that you must maintain your blog X many days per week. I only monitored my close Twitter friends and didn't obsess over my feed, I abandoned Facebook altogether.

I read, and read. Not just romance but other things I also love, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary fantasy. I watched movies, like actually went and borrowed things I wanted to see. I watched whole seasons of shows like Game of Thrones, Once Upon a Time, True blood, all those juicy, creative, magical shows. A few times I stayed up almost all night because I wanted to see one more episode, and then just one more. I even joined Pintrest—and oh the ART! Pictures of magical things, unbelievable places, faces to inspire whole new characters, and images to inspire new stories.

I still did the things I had to. I still worked on my course homework. I still worked on things for my CP's. But I didn't write. I just gave myself all the things my muse had wanted but I had withheld from her. And guess what? It turns out muses have magical powers of regeneration. She came back to life.

By the second-last night of my writing fast I was waking up with dreams of my WIP. Fresh ideas I couldn't wait to paint into my story.  On the last day the hour long car trip to my grandparents was filled with scenes, dialogue, and new plot twists, bursting to get free.  The last night I couldn't sleep at all, my mind was racing with too much. So when I woke on my first day of freedom, writing was not a chore. I was so excited, and once again it all flowed effortlessly.

But now I have learned the most important thing I ever have as a writer. My muse is precious and should be cherished. I still need her to work, and I will often have to push her hard. But never again will I deny her rest when she demands it or forget to feed her. I'll make sure she gets days off and I'll make sure she gets regular big, delicious meals. 

Never again will I follow rules that stifle my creativity because that's what people say you 'must' do. Writing and writing frequently is important, and that writing muscle needs its exercise, but everything balanced is better. Writing four days a week instead of six when you're run down is not going to prevent you from ever being published; it might just ensure that you are.   

The almighty power of Critique

If there is one thing that has both helped and hindered me the most in my writing journey it has been critique. We are too close to our own writing to see its deficits. Our friends and family might be good at proof reading but how much do they know about craft?

Good critique is invaluable. Good critique has taught me more than anything I could read or study because it points out what I personally need to work on. When I first started I was desperate for advice and knew no one; so I resorted to online peer critiquing. Now I know this might work for some but for me it was a horrible nightmare.

It was a nightmare because I write romance, and the few people who bothered to comment were of the literary persuasion that thinks of romance not so fondly. Not saying this is the case for all literary types but it was for these. They were primarily older males that neither appreciated nor understood the genre, or the style, and so their critique was extremely disparaging and in truth; patronizing.

I have to tell you I even received Rhett Butler type lines from these men like 'Frankly, my dear' where they proceeded to educate poor little me on true literary technique - at least as they saw it, and in great long essay form.  This is not constructive, this is not helpful. It almost stopped my writing.

Critique can be helpful or it can be destroying. Going to the wrong place for it can have major adverse effects. Not everyone will make a good CP. Think carefully before putting your work up in a public forum where people of all types can bash you down. Not everyone is constructive, not everyone will get you or your writing.

Now I'm not saying a good critiquer is someone who only has nice things to say; personally I'm quiet tough and not everyone likes that. But, I try to be honest, point out what needs work, but be encouraging. Sometimes what I have to say could be taken the wrong way, but honestly I would not offer the critique if I didn't really see something in the work.

I very recently gained a new CP whose work I really connected with and who connected with mine. She pointed out a few things (some of which stung - mainly because any criticism of our writing feels like someone telling us our soul is ugly) but she was so spot on so on point, that her advice has pretty much single-handedly helped me smooth out those last niggly bits from my MS. And guess what? I think I might just be doing the same for her.

Other writers are for the most part our best resource and our best friends. The important thing is to find people who write what you write! Find people who connect with your writing at least on some level and show your writing to no one else. If you are connecting with other writers on forums and social media this is a great way to find CP's - People you connect with but who will be honest. Also if you're a romance writer like me, try RWA CP matching services. I know I have found a real gem of a CP that way. These people will help you, support you, and encourage you constructively.

Want to share some CP love or advice?

For love of reading

Hearing the old adage 'Writers are readers first' has got me thinking a lot lately. Yeah, I was a reader first. But now... I'm a writer first. Yeah, it makes sense that a writer must love reading and I certainly do, but something has changed - something that might make me unpopular to admit.

Overall, I enjoy reading much less now...

What? Yeah before you digitally slap me and walk away forever hear me out. It's not that I love books any less; it's just that my expectations have risen. The more I learn about craft, the more ruthless I become in perfecting my own writing, the more the writing pulls me out of a novel.  

Gone are the days where my satisfaction was derived solely from the plot and characters. I used to choose carefully and as a result would love about 60% of everything I read, like about 30%, and dislike about 10%.  Now you could almost flip that figure. Now, I see all the little things I would edit out, all the things I do not find acceptable and all those things jerk me from the story. I can't turn my editorial brain off. Now writing technique and a writers voice is what gets me; even more than the plot and characters.

I firmly believe that reading is critical to improving craft, and I learn something every time I do. I learn the most when I read something that sucks me in until I have read the very last page. Now I download samples before I purchase a book to make sure I connect with the writing.

Aside from it becoming harder to find books to fall in love with, another downside to forming a more critical eye is I no longer feel right reviewing books on Goodreads and Amazon. I know that I am looking at things more harshly than the average reader. I don't want to be criticising other writer's hard work or belittling their success, and I refuse to review anything other than my actual opinion. I still rate, but I tend to only review if there is something I love so much I just have to share, or if it's a Aussie writer, a new writer, an independent or small press, because they rely so heavily on word of mouth. Word of mouth is a powerful thing and I feel compelled to share a book I love, especially if I feel it's a bit of an underdog.

So what to do if I just love something and LEARN heaps from it? Well, I think I'll RECOMMEND it here on my blog. A recommendation is a more comfortable thing to do than review. And I can share what I have learnt!

So may I start with my most recent favourite read After Hours by Cara McKenna. Beware, this is a saucy read. Much more explicit and dare I say filthier than anything I would write, but it is a great raw contemporary romance. I am in love with contemporary and this was done well.

After Hours defied cliché's. The hero is alpha but not the wealthiest most senior person in the story. In fact his working position ranks below the heroine. It taught me so much about how to create a redeemable arrogant alpha and not subjugate a heroine for loving him. I also learned a little more about balancing exposition, back-story and internal dialogue. I have been so ruthless with these in my own work that my writing has become perhaps too lean. McKenna did a great job of weaving these in without inviting to skim or bogging things down.  I adored her voice, and she kept her writing fresh.

How has writing changed your reading experience?

Plot Control

Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, it can still be a challenge to keep on top of your plot. I am a little bit of both. I start with a concept which is usually a single scene that pops into my mind and then the plot follows. I do an outline and the first scene and go from there adding new ideas to my outline as I go.

But once you have forty plus thousand words in a WIP it can be difficult  to keep that wandering plot in hand. So how do you make sure you have your plot and character arcs, your conflicts and reactions, your disasters and recoveries, unfolding in the way you intended?

Well, one tool I have discovered is Scrivener. I know many of you already use it, and for others it might be a bit of a learning curve. Not everyone will feel comfortable using it. But, Scrivener has taught me something important about how to approach a WIP. The best thing about Scrivener for me is the ability to break a WIP into synopsized parts on a corkboard.

In this way I can see all the scenes in my WIP in a snapshot. I can rearrange sequences and even chapters, I can see my character and plot arcs, I can see my conflicts/obstacles and the reactions and resolutions all in a glance. This allows me to see what is missing, going off track or out of place. I can also add a synopsis for new scenes where they are needed.

If something like Scrivener is not for you, why not try taking a real corkboard, a giant sticky note pad, and write a one or two line synopsis for each chapter (or scene if you are really keen). You can then pin them on your cork board and analyze, rearrange, and make additions and subtractions to your plot in a glance. You can keep it live by updating your sticky notes as you go.

How do you manage your plotting?

photo credit: MyTudut via photopin cc

Easter Writer Inspiration

Since it is Easter, I thought I would get into the spirit and today share some writerly inspiration.

I recently heard some tales of success that warmed and inspired me right to the bottom of my heart. We all like to hear that people have made it. It is even better when we here about the struggles others have faced before they were able to attain their dreams. It reminds us that we can do it, and pushes us to keep dreaming and never stop believing.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Last week Bestselling romance writer Maisey Yates shared an inspiring tweet about her writing triumphs. She was able to write herself out of a trailer and food stamps into a better life.

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<!--[endif]-->It was certainly inspiring but what was even more heartwarming to me was the way other writers stepped up to share their own experiences.

JoAnne Ross tweeted about the twelve rejections she had on nine books before she sold three in six weeks, and Lisa Hendrix tweeted about not having a car to drive to a RWA conference and needed friends to take her.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->And if my cup of awe and hope were not already overflowing I heard for the first time the story of  Debbie Macomber's journey to publication and success. It kind of redefines triumph over adversity. I suggest you ready it for yourself.

But to summarize, Debbie who is dyslexic with only a rented typewriter, a high school education and multiple rejections was reaching the point writers face where we can make the decision to keep going or to give up. She chose to keep going, but her challenges did not stop.

After saving all her money to attend a writing conference her MS was made fun of by the editor leading a critiquing group and she was advised to "Throw it away."

Instead of falling down into a pit of despair, Debbie picked herself up and spent a precious ten dollars - Oh did I mention she was also a wife and mother experiencing financial hardship - and sent one last MS to Silhouette which resulted in her first sale!

So, now that I've heard these stories it's become a whole heap easier to pull up my big girl tights and get on with it. I feel blessed that these writers have been kind enough to share these stories and I know they will form part of the fuel of my determination.

Heard anything that has inspired you? Please share I would love to hear. 

Scene Transitions - Advanced polishing

I was fortunate enough to be gifted three fabulous critiques from professional published writers/editors that participated in Evil Auction, a fantastic fundraising event.  Having just received the first critique back, it provided the validation I needed and also great advice in tightening an area I was not confident in -  POV change scene transitions!

It was helpful for me so I thought I would share it with you, and also some of my own tips for stellar scene transitions.  

My tips for writing un-put-downable scene transitions 

1. Never let the reader off the hook

You know you have to hook the reader when you open your story, and you know they need to stay hooked. The beginning AND end of every scene should serve to propel your story, keep it moving, dig the hook, keep those pages turning!

•  End every scene on something that keeps the reader hanging or emotionally invested. That means not your heroine "drifting peacefully to sleep". Oh, she can be going to sleep but end with a question, a promise of what's coming, something to keep them tuning those pages. Have your heroine drift to sleep, "blissfully ignorant of the horror about to befall her".

2. Always start POV scene transition by showing whose skin we are in BY NAME!

Sounds obvious right? Sometimes we think the reader will realise we have changed POV, or that we have made it obvious enough. Don't assume; make it clear! There are few things quite so jarring to a reader than realising the scene is not in the POV character they thought it was.

• Identify character by name in the first sentence.
• If you have referenced the characters at the end of a paragraph rearrange it so it's at the start.

3.Ground your reader in the new scene

Let your reader know immediately where they are.

• Establish passage of time; even if you have to write "two weeks later she..." etc 
• Identify place/event

4. Use scene change to switch POV

•  It is confusing to the reader to have the POV change mid scene; or worse mid-paragraph. Wait until a new scene. The character can always reflect back to show their reaction.

Tip-to-me on POV scene transitions

• Begin POV scene transitions by having hero/heroine reference what's just happened in the last POV to connect the characters. In romance this becomes a crucial element in showing the hero and heroine reacting to each other. This was not something I was accustomed to doing in scenes that did not directly relate to the previous POV scene.

And those are my tips for scene transitions. Hope you enjoyed. Helpful?

  

Perfect Beginnings

Once you set out down that twisted, winding road to publication, one thing becomes clear; the importance of your opening pages. They must be perfect, more perfect than anything else. But how do we do that? I mean beyond tightening and polishing, what do agents and editors really want?

Let me share a tweet I saw yesterday from Kate Cuthbert, Managing Editor of Escape Publishing (E-Harlequin Australia)

"I'm still knocking back a ton of submissions because the narrative starts chapters ahead of the story, and mires the reader in exposition"

When I first read this tweet, I sighed... It's such a loaded statement, and one that pretty much addresses the two biggest things holding almost everyone I have ever critiqued back! At least in my humble opinion it is. Where your story should begin, and introducing the complex and layered world you have created without drowning your reader in exposition (otherwise known as info-dump/back-story).

I can see how learning these two concepts has taken my own writing from - "not quite there " - to - "getting there", to the kind of place I was hoping to be.

It's been hard, really getting it has meant I had to shelve my first two beloved MS's and focus on my latest two which are on the right path.  

Where to begin your tale?

My first two MS's began in my heroines day-to-day life. I introduced the characters and set up the story. I had some lovely feedback, but they didn't seem to be getting anywhere in competitions, and the few queries I sent out came back to me with form letter responses.

It was then that the contest feedback proved invaluable. I got some wonderful advice; cut the lead up - begin by throwing your heroine right into the middle of it. I did, and that's when things started to improve a little, almost finaling, and personalised rejections.

More Twitter/blog stalking Editors and Agents and further key first page ingredients were thrown in the mix;

·         OPEN WITH YOUR HOOK Can I emphasise this any further?

Your opening pages must hook your reader, force them to keep reading. They must be dying to find out what is going to happen! Your heroine running late for work, or stuck in meetings all day, or hanging around with friends is not going to cut it. Ouch, I felt that, been there.

·         Get hero & heroine together asap (on first page usually). Essential for romance. Yes, more pain, more great pages of character building going to the trash heap where all boring beginnings go to die.

·         Establish whose skin you are in immediately. This means the reader must know who your character is AND connect with them immediately. That means not starting with "the man", "the girl", or "I sat" etc, for three pages until we learn who the character is, and why we should care. Unless of course, it's one of those suspenseful antagonist POV preludes.

We have the ingredients! Yay we're there!!! Kind of, almost, no not really. Having applied these elements to my work, and imparting them to my CP's, there was one more thing creeping in to crush our dreams... EXPOSITION!! That second part of Kate's tweet, and perhaps the trickiest.

EXPOSITION

So now instead of having artfully set up the context of story, we have ruthlessly cut all that out and have our hero dangling precariously off the edge of the cliff. Therein lies the temptation to dump all the set-up on the reader in a great explanation!! We all know what showing and telling is, but usually still struggle with back-story.

The hero is dangling off the edge of the cliff because he is a secret vampire prince on the run from vampire hunters who have finally caught up with him...

How can you get this across without drowning your reader in info-dump?

It's easy once you get your head around it. You delicately lay down clues... Just hints, they tell the reader so much more than we think. Remember - readers are clever.

Example:

Instead of telling - Show the hero clinging to the cliff in a feat of superhuman strength. He is glancing at the horizon, his un-dead heart pulsing furiously, as the morning sun begins to rise.  

See? No telling words, no explanation, but most people will get that he is a vampire, and about to be fried vampire in a life and death literal cliff-hanger (hook).

Car doors slam and flashlights flicker over him. He slips into a crevice in the rock.

Without explanation we know the hero is being searched for, but does not want to be found. We also get the clue that they are human and do not possess his skills, as they require searchlights to find him and cannot scale the cliff themselves.

I could go on, but you get the point. It's all about clues and letting the reader work it out.
You would be surprised how much information you can impart with a glance, a single line of internal narrative, and cleverly phrased dialogue.

It's something having applied to my writing has turned a corner, finally making finals and getting the responses we like to get. I am still to see what will come but at least I know I'm starting with the right kind of bang.

Was this helpful? How has the way you approach beginnings evolved?