If you write straight romances or novels with a romantic subplot, you’ll want to check out Writing Love: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Alexandra Sokoloff. I’ve read a few books on writing romance, but this is the best one I’ve seen.
Unlike other books that deal with the topic of romance, Alexandra focuses on what she’s known best for: story structure. If you haven’t read her first book (Screenwriting Tricks for Authors), you might want to do that first. But for $2.99, it’s worth it. Alexandra assumes you’ve already read the book before reading Writing Love. If you’re familiar with story structure, it’s not as big a deal if you want to skip on.
One of my favorite parts of Writing Love, which is worth the money alone, is the chapter on ‘love story’ elements. In it, Alejandra talks about scene and story setups that you will find in romance. These include: call to adventure (when the protagonist first notices her future love interest), the reluctant heroine, mistaken identity, handcuff the couple together (not necessarily literally).
Another thing I loved is that she took ten well-known romance movies (e.g. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sense and Sensibility, While You Were Sleeping) and analyzed them according to their romantic storylines. This includes how the various ‘love story’ elements were used to drive the story. She also discussed how the rules of fairy-tale structure can be applied to your book.
Overall, I highly recommend Writing Love for all writers who include romance in their stories. Do you write stories that have romance as their main story line, or are they usually subplots?
This is the last week to enter to win one of 5 free PDF Advanced Review Copies of THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER (coming out July 23rd). Click here to enter!
Blurb : Forced by his father into a marriage he didn’t want, Prince Alan soon finds that his bride isn’t the sweet, submissive creature he expected. Morgane has the heart of a dragon and beauty beyond compare, but she isn’t thrilled about the marriage either. When black treachery threatens the kingdom, Morgane and Alan embark on a perilous journey that has an excellent chance of ending in failure and death for them and all their people.
Excerpt : Morgane advanced on her enemy with deadly purpose. "No!" Alan roared. "She has a knife." Morgane tried to retreat, but it was too late. Aili's knife caught her in her thigh. Blood spurted as if from a fountain. Renweard was closer to her than Alan. His sword rose. Aili breathed her last as Morgane swayed and slipped to the floor. Alan ran across the room and cradled her in his arms. In seconds he was coated with blood. "ʺWe must stop the bleeding!" he cried. "Where are the healers?" ʺI will find one." Renweard left the room at a run with King Bowdyn right behind him. Morgane's eyes fluttered open. "Your arms around me. No heaven can compare.ʺ Alan pressed a kiss to her hair. "I love you, my brave Morgane." Morgane sighed. "I could not let you face this battle alone.ʺ Author’s Note : After spending most of the last ten years writing contemporary romance, I decided it was time for a change. So in the spring of 2012 I wrote my first romantic fantasy, The Enchanted. Several challenges immediately presented themselves. First, I knew that I didn't want the fantasy to overpower the romance which meant I'd have to balance my world building details with the romantic elements.
Challenge two was finding characters who'd fit into my newly created world. I didn't want plastic, stereotypical characters. I wanted real people with warts and human imperfections, people whose lives and problems would draw you in and make you care about them.
My third challenge was to craft a plot that included fantasy elements, yet at the same time allowed my characters to be in charge of their own destiny and in the process grow and change.
I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I enjoyed the experience so much I have another fantasy/sci fi romance in the wings waiting for December and its turn at publication. Given my new love affair with fantasy romance, will I write contemporary romance again? I sure will. I'm working on one right now, and I just love it. It will be my first full length romantic comedy. Author Links: http://www.elainecantrell.com http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com http://www.twitter.com/elainecantrell http://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrell The Enchanted is sold at most online retail outlets. Reviews: A sweet story, easy read, fairytale/fantasy/romance 5 stars. Teresa Cypher on Amazon A wonderful story that has swept into my heart. I will be remembering this one for a long time and reading it again. Tifferz Book Reviews on Goodreads
Why do readers of romance keeping turning the page instead of rushing off to clean the toilet? (I mean, other than the obvious reason.) It’s because they want to know what happens between the hero and heroine. This is true regardless if you’re writing YA novels, romantic suspense, paranormal romances.
But it’s not enough to give the two characters a happily-ever-after from page one (save that for the ending). You need to create tension and conflict between them, which is maintained throughout the story.
According to Leslie Waigner (Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies) this can be achieved by creating an emotional conflict (one that grows from the heart) between the two characters that has nothing to with the plot. After that, you can throw all kinds of complications at them.
However, don’t confuse emotional conflict with intellectual conflict. Intellectual conflict comes from the head, such as opinions.
Remember, at the end of the day, the reader cares more about what’s in the hero’s and heroine’s hearts than what’s in their heads. (Okay, you know what I mean.)
Even if the romance is only a subplot, you still want to keep these things in mind when you write this aspect of the story.
What keeps you turning the pages of a novel (and it doesn’t have to be about romance)?
Beyond A Doubt, The Renaissance Hearts Series, Book Four The end is finally here… The final chapter has been written for The Renaissance Hearts Series. What began with Sarra and Cedric in There Your Heart Will Be Also concludes with Bryce and Lucy in Beyond A Doubt. Set in the turbulent times of Mary I of England, or Bloody Mary, and Henry II of France, the fight for religious freedom abounds. Intrigue, loss of property, and loss of life rule the day. Follow the epic ending of a family’s struggle. Buy it Now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/c285w6u Buy it Now on B&N: http://tinyurl.com/d429lom
SUMMARY Bryce Cameron is finally going home. Years spent away have him longing for the craggy landscapes from his childhood.
Lucy Lombard is on a mission. The mantel she carries was never meant for her possession yet it has been passed to her anyway. Alone and in danger, Lucy stumbles onto her greatest find.
Rescuing Bryce is either a blessing or a curse but regardless time is running out. With Bryce's help can Lucy fulfill her mission or will she be too late? **** See what others have said about the Renaissance Hearts Series. “I really enjoyed this book. I do not typically favor historical romance, but the romance was not too mushy, and the historical was not too heavy! This was an enjoyable, delightful read!!!.” Taken from Rachel’s Amazon review on There Your Heart Will Be Also, Book One. “If you are in for a good mystery with plenty of adventure, suspense & romance, you have come to the right place for this recommended novel because "By God's Grace" will give it all to you.” Taken from Arlena’s Amazon review of By God’s Grace, Book Two. “Okay have to say this is my fav book so far in The Renaissance Heart Series! Felicia Rogers just gets better!” Taken from Danielle William’s Amazon review of Labor of Love, Book Three. Buy Beyond A Doubt on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/c285w6u Buy Beyond A Doubt on B&N: http://tinyurl.com/d429lom
Don’t forget the other books in the series. Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Astraea Press. ~There Your Heart Will Be Also, Book One ~By God’s Grace, Book Two ~Labor of Love, Book Three ROMANCE AUTHOR Felicia Rogers
Felicia Rogers is an author of six novels and three novellas. When she's not writing, Felicia volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America, teaches at a local homeschooling group, hikes, and spends time with her family. To find out more information about Felicia Rogersvisit the sites below. She loves hearing from readers.
Website: http://www.feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeliciaRogersAuthor Email: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4412925.Felicia_Rogers ~*~*~ Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift card to celebrate the release of my (Kelly's) new book Saint Sloan.. CLICK HERE..ALSO, check out THIS post to win one of 2 free ebooks from NYT bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken (well, one from her... one from me ;) )
As promised, today is SPREADING THE AWESOME. Over 60 writers are reviewing books they love so much, they gave them a 10 star rating. So here’s my review for the YA contemporary novel, Twenty Boy Summer, by debut author Sarah Ockler.
Book blurb: According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna light-heartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie—she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.
First line: Frankie Perino and I were lucky that day.
Anna had been in love with Matt since she was ten and he was twelve, though no one knew that, including her best friend, Frankie. But on Anna’s fifteenth birthday, her birthday wish finally came true, and Matt moved from being her best-friend-that’s-a-boy to something more special. Because he wasn’t sure how his sister, Frankie, would take the news. He asked Anna not to say anything. He would tell Frankie during the annual family trip to Zanzibar Bay, the following month. But he never had the chance. He died in a car accident.
Anna is left grieving, and unable to tell anyone the truth. Instead, she writes in her journal letters to Matt even though she knows he’ll never read them, and relieves the memories of the month before he died.
Twenty Boy Summer is a beautifully written story, which I had a hard time putting down. It’s a great example of how to write emotions that leave the reader feeling the joy and pain of the main character. How does Sarah do it? She frequently juxtaposes sadness against humor, a technique that works extremely well. When Anna blinks back the tears, so do I. The characterization is strong, and the ways the different characters deal with their grief is believable.
While there are places where you feel Anna’s pain, not to mention her frustration at keeping the secret from her best friend, it really isn’t a sad story. (Okay, I did go through a number of Kleenexes, but there was no major sobbing involved.) Anna wants to move on and help Frankie move on, too. And although she harbors a fear that she’ll forget Matt, something she never wants to do, a romance does develop between her a local boy. And yes, the romance is so worth it. I mean, really, who wouldn’t want to date Sam?
For those of you who aren’t into books loaded with diary entries, this book’s for you. We only see a few of the letters Anna writes to Matt. Most of the details about the month before he dies comes from Anna’s memories . . . including the delicious kiss. Trust me, it was really delicious. Blue-frosting delicious.
The paperback version came out this weekend. I have a copy for some lucky follower who lets me know in the comments that they want to win it. You get an extra entry if you tweet about the contest (please include your Twitter @). You have until Thursday May 6th at 11:59 pm EST. I'll announce the winner during this week's Cool Links Friday.
The next stop on the SPREADING THE AWESOME tour is Janna Qualman’s blog. Check out her review for Second Honeymoon (adult) by Joanna Trollope. For you YA lovers, there’re still plenty more novels being reviewed today. And more chances to win great books. I’m off now to check out some more reviews. *winks*
Today, I'm super excited to have NELL DIXON, author of Lights, Camera, Poltergeist on my blog! Nell is a fellow Astraea Press author and writes 'Romance with Heart'. I used to love 'Ghosthunters' (until 30+ year old me started having nightmares about it and had to stop watching... sigh), so this book seems right up my alley :) HERE's NELL:
Hi, and many thanks for inviting me to talk about Lights, Camera, Poltergeist! My latest release from Astraea Press. This story is set in a crumbling Scottish Manor House, ancestral home of Sir Giles, Laird of Fingelly. The Ghost UK TV team are there on Valentine’s Eve to make a live show about the poltergeist who is alleged to haunt the Manor. When I was younger I toured many of the fortified Manor Houses that are dotted along the Scottish borders. Many of them are quite spooky places and ideal as a setting for a story full of ghosts, romance and mystery! Things don’t just go bump in the night, sometimes they throw tea cups! As the presenter for Ghost UK, the leading TV show investigating paranormal activity, Fae thought she’d seen it all. Until a Valentine’s Eve live show from Scotland’s Fingelly Manor upsets both her preconceptions and her love life.
Why not read more about Fae in Cue Me In? Haunted happenings in a Welsh Castle. http://www.amazon.com/Cue-Me-In-ebook/dp/B005XSEQJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357038762&sr=8-1&keywords=cue+me+in
I found out I'm in the second round at the Create Romance Short Story contest at www.familyfiction.com. I VERY MUCH want to be in the top 200!
The only way to get there is with YOUR help! Please, click the link HERE!!!!! and 'vote up' my story. I'd be forever grateful!
Also, if you could spread the word, via blog or twitter or facebook, I'd appreciate it. I have until August 31st (so you'll probably see weekly posts about this... I'm sorry about that).
By the way, it's not a typical romance... I was watching a lot of soap operas when I wrote it ;)
Book blurb: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet Is unnerved by her hope that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.
I bought The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting, for my trip to San Francisco last week, but had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it. I was afraid I’d have nothing left for the two flights home because I keep saying, “Only one more chapter.” As if.
As compelling and suspenseful as the paranormal part was, the romance between Violet and Jay was the part that kept me from putting the book down. It was both believable (for the most part) and exciting, though there were times that I thought the romance would end up going in a different direction. Let’s just say, I thought teenage hormones were going to eventually rule the day.
The thing I appreciated most about the book was Violet. She’s a strong individual who doesn’t want to be boy crazy. Nor does she want to sit on the sidelines while other girls are being murdered. She wants to help, and she definitely doesn’t want to be a victim . . . and that includes being a victim to the school beauty queen.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Kimberly did a good job balancing both the romance and the paranormal storylines. And unlike in most YA paranormal books, the main character (Violet) falling in love with the hot guy (Jay) was completely believable. They’ve been best friends for forever. It wasn’t like in some books in which the protagonist knows the guy for what, like, five minutes and is already picking out their kids names.
I’ve decided to review books as a regular feature. Let me know if there’s one you’re interested in hearing more about. I might have already read it.
First, I’d like to give a big thank you to Kelly for allowing me to host her blog! I truly appreciate her sharing her readers with me as I celebrate the release of my debut novel. Along the Way Home. How a Stinging Rejection Led to a Book Contract Signing with Astraea Press wasn't a decision I took lightly. At the time the contract was offered (on my birthday!!!!!) I had six agents and three editors (Medallion Press, Tor/Forge, and a small press) reviewing requested partials/fulls, an R&R offer from an agent, and an offer pending from another small press.
I happily walked away from all of the above because I believe so strongly in Astraea Press, and the niche they’ve carved out for themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
What does that mean? Let me backtrack a bit and reveal something that happened in January of 2013 that perfectly illustrates why I chose to go with Astraea.
I was rejected by an agent who called my book lovely and sweet, raved about my writing and the storyline, but ended with the statement, “…let your characters engage in sex and describe the sex. As it stands, I’ll pass. Put the sex in and I’ll take another look.”
I assure you, I have thick skin when it comes to rejections. I’ve racked up my fair share since I began querying, and normally take them with a grain of salt (and chocolate—lots of chocolate), but this one really bothered me. I understand if a rejection is based upon my writing style, the likability of my characters, or a flaw in the storyline—but to be rejected solely on the basis that I choose NOT to include sex? That one didn't go over well.
So much so that I finally decided it was time to query the one publisher I’d had my eye on for months. A publisher that cares not only for the authors, but for the kind of work they attach their name to. I'd discovered Astraea Press before I started querying in September and really liked the stance the owner, Stephanie Taylor, took against unnecessary sex.
Bottom line, I’m proud to have my book published with Astraea Press!
I’d love to hear from you. What is a dream you never gave up on?
They lost everything but their dreams on the Oregon Trail… Kate Davis is intrigued when her father reveals his dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. Settlers out west value a strong woman, and though she manages the financials of her father’s mercantile her competence earns her ridicule, not respect, from Virginia’s elite society. Jake Fitzpatrick, an experienced trail guide, wants land out west to raise cattle and crops. But dreams require money and he’s eating dandelion greens for dinner. So when a wealthy businessman offers double wages to guide his family across the Oregon Trail, Jake accepts with one stipulation—he is in complete control. Departure day finds Kate clinging to her possessions as Jake demands she abandon all he deems frivolous, including her deceased mother’s heirlooms. Jake stands firm, refusing to let the whims of a headstrong woman jeopardize the wages he so desperately needs—even a beautiful one with fiery green eyes and a temper to match. Trail life is a battle of wills between them until tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with an honor-bound promise to protect her from harm and Kate with a monumental choice—go back to everything she’s ever known or toward everything she’s ever wanted? Advance Praise for Along the Way Home …author Christi Corbett unfurls an unforgettable epic romance inside of an epic Western adventure. Beautifully crafted, this debut novel is a tender journey of the heart as well as a treacherous journey of many miles. Eve Paludan, author of Taking Back Tara (Ranch Lovers Romance series) A breathtaking account of courage and adventure along the Oregon Trail. Jillian Kent, author of The Ravensmoore Chronicles. A dash of action! A touch of intrigue! Loads of sweet, clean romantic promise… Reid Lance Rosenthal, Winner of 15 National Awards, #1 Best Selling Author of the Threads West, An American Sagaseries.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
ASTRAEA PRESS About Christi
I’m addicted to coffee, sticky notes, and the Oxford Comma. I live in a small town in Oregon with my husband and our twins. Our home’s location is especially inspiring because the view from the back door is a hill travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territoryand beyond. Along the Way Home is a Sweet Historical Romance. It released in ebook format on June 11, 2013 and will be available in print July of 2013. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Astraea Press (my publisher) and several other retailers. When I’m not writing I love chatting with readers and writers alike. You can find me in one of the following locations: Email: christicorbett@gmail.com Blog: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com Twitter: @ChristiCorbett Facebook: Christi Corbett—Author
Zanna Mackenzie is on my blog today, talking about her new book, THE LOVE PROGRAMME! I'm so excited to have her (I just love her book cover! Seriously, it's gorgeous!)
Here's Zanna...
Many thanks for hosting me on your blog today! My novel, published by Astraea Press, is called The Love Programme, here’s more details:
Thanks to an embarrassing incident involving a wedding and her ex-boyfriend Marcus, Lucy has to leave her home town in a hurry and needs a place to escape to for a while. Best friend Fiona is convinced now would be a good time for Lucy to get herself a new life with some potential for romance thrown in. Fate seems to agree when Lucy is given the once-in-a-lifetime chance to star in a TV show and be a contestant on The Love Programme - two weeks of luxury living on a grand Highland estate coupled with, she hopes, fun and romance in wildest Scotland. When Lucy meets Paul - the young, handsome owner of the Highland estate - she thinks she may have found the love of her life but who is the mysterious Hannah and what part does she play in his life? When she discovers that Marcus is planning to follow her to Scotland to win her back Lucy has some serious soul searching to do. Does she have a future with Paul, with Marcus or is she yet to find the man of her dreams?
There’s a sneak peak at chapter one below and the book can be downloaded now on Amazon Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=zanna+mackenzie
Chapter One “I’m so glad he’s marrying someone else,” whispered Lucy, watching the groom shuffle nerv-ously from one foot to the other at the top of the aisle. “It could have been you up there,” replied Fiona. “How many times did Marcus ask you to marry him?” “Three,” Lucy replied, shifting position for the fourth time in as many minutes. Why did church pews have to be so uncomfortable? “The first time when we were five, then again at twenty and finally,” she paused, reliving the moment in her head, “eight months ago.” “Well,” Fiona said, as the organ struck up, filling the cold but pretty church with overly loud mu-sic, “it looks as though you’re safe from any more proposals, because I think the bride has just arrived.” Amelie Marchant made her way slowly down the aisle, blonde hair in an elegant chignon, de-signer dress looking a million dollars. Beneath her thin veil it was clear she was smiling, no doubt savouring each precious second of being the focus of everyone’s attention, yet keeping her own attention firmly fixed on Marcus, who was awaiting her arrival at the altar. Fiona nodded in approval. “She looks gorgeous. Her dress is exquisite.” She nudged Lucy. “Doesn’t the little bridesmaid look sweet in deep pink?” “Yes, she’s Amelie’s niece apparently.” Lucy let a small sigh of contentment slip from her lips as Amelie reached the altar and stood close to Marcus. Finally she, Lucy Stokes, was going to be free of Marcus Brandon. He was marrying someone else, hallelujah! She would, at long last, be able to live her life exactly the way she wanted to. The whole reason she was here today was to witness the ceremony for herself. To know it was for real. Okay, so she and Marcus had been childhood sweethearts. They’d played at the whole boy-friend-girlfriend thing on and off, sometimes quite successfully, for well over fifteen years. When she’d reached her twenties Lucy had sensed they didn’t have a future together, and she’d been trying to get Marcus to realise the fact ever since. When she’d broken it off with him for the last time, to say he hadn’t taken kindly to the idea they were no longer an item was a major understatement. Over time she’d grown used to his persistent phone calls, the fact he often just popped round to see her and casually suggested, if they were both at a loose end, they might go for a drink or to the pictures. Even when she’d plucked up the courage to attempt to date other people, it had been a complete disaster. Friadon was a small town and Marcus seemed to know every detail of where she went, when and with whom. On more than one occasion he’d tried to talk her out of going on a date, and she suspected, but couldn’t prove, he’d persuaded at least one of her dates to stay well away from her, causing her to be stood up, all alone in the heavy rain, outside the local cinema. Six months after they’d split up, in a completely misguided attempt to woo her back, he’d gotten down on one knee and proposed to her for the third time at the travel agency where she worked. Armed with a huge bouquet of red roses and a bottle of champagne he’d asked her to marry him one last time. It had been in front of several customers too; Lucy had been pink with embarrass-ment. When, riddled with guilt, she’d gently declined his offer yet again, he’d gone off and met Amelie. Eight months later here the two of them were standing at the altar about to become man and wife. Realising the ceremony was already well under way and she’d missed the first bit through not paying attention, Lucy tried to focus on what was being said, forcing the memories of Marcus from her mind. Yes, they’d enjoyed some fun times over the years, and she had to admit there had been occasions when they’d been completely great together, but it was all in the past now. His future lay with Amelie. Clearing his throat the vicar glanced nervously towards the congregation and asked, “Does any-one here object to the marriage of Amelie Marchant and Marcus Brandon? If so, speak now or forever hold... ” “I object.” The words were barely audible but Lucy heard them and fear shivered up her spine. The vicar, looking as though his worse fears were being realised, glanced around anxiously, un-sure what to do or say next. “I object!” This time the voice was louder. The vicar grew red-faced and flustered. “I’m sorry, sir, did you say you object?” The bridegroom nodded solemnly. “Yes, I’m afraid I did.” Those in the first few rows of the church heard the faintest of whimpers escape from beneath the bride’s veil and her knees appeared to buckle just a little. Fixing a stern gaze upon the unwilling groom the vicar muttered, “Why exactly do you object, Mr. Brandon?” Marcus addressed the packed congregation, his eyes scanning the rows, seeming to search for someone. Then in a loud, clear voice he announced, “I object because I’m still in love with an-other woman!” Raising his right hand he pointed to an area, three pews back on the right, just in front of a stone pillar. “Lucy, my love, will you ever take me back?” There was collective gasp from the congregation; the bride fainted on the spot, sinking to the floor to be quickly swallowed up in a cloud of ivory silk and lace. Lucy, covered in embarrass-ment from head to foot, used her generously proportioned purple feather hat to try to hide her face, clasped her matching purple purse to her chest and ran from the church as fast as her kitten heels would carry her. **** “Poor woman. Imagine being left at the altar.” Fiona licked her lips and placed her fork back on the now empty plate, having demolished a generous portion of blueberry cheesecake. “It’s the kind of thing you never recover from, surely.” “I know, I know, and I’m mortified everybody thinks I was in some way to blame.” Lucy sighed and searched in her handbag for a tissue. “I tried to call Amelie afterwards to explain there was nothing going on between me and Marcus, but her mum slammed the phone down on me. Eve-ryone hates me and I haven’t even done anything wrong.” “So, where is Marcus now then?” “He flew out to Portugal yesterday after the wedding to stay with his sister and her family. He rang me from the airport and asked if I’d fly out to join him, can you believe it?” Lucy shook her head in despair. “What do I have to do for him to get the message?” “Well, he’s obviously still crazy about you.” Fiona sighed and then pinched the uneaten biscotti from the side of Lucy’s cup and saucer. “In some ways it’s rather romantic.” “Fi! It’s not and you know it! You’ve known me since school, and you know how he’s been driving me crazy for years! You, of all people, should understand!” Lucy replied, trying to re-trieve the stolen biscotti from Fiona. “I want some freedom from him. I want a life. I want to be able to try to find my Mr. Perfect.” Fiona shook her head despairingly. “Not Mr. Perfect again. Don’t tell me — the man of your dreams needs to be,” she started to count on her fingers, “One, he needs to be fabulously wealthy. Two, he needs to be drop dead gorgeous. Three, kind and loving, attentive and thought-ful. Four, intelligent and successful. Five…” Lucy held her hand up in protest. “Well, a girl needs to aim high.” “I understand about you and Marcus. He’s not the man for you, but I’m afraid you’re not being realistic in the male wish list department. Firstly, you swap and change your mind about things all the while, and secondly, you know Mr. Perfect doesn’t even exist,” Fiona said, with a regretful smile. “I’m sure we all wish he did, but he doesn’t. Never has.” Looking like a child who’d just been told Santa Claus wasn’t real, Lucy replied, “Okay for you to say. You’ve found your soulmate and are heading for the Friadon wedding of the year in a couple of weeks.” “Yes, this is true.” Fiona nodded, a blissful smile appearing on her face. “But don’t forget I was realistic. I know Luke’s the one for me. I accept he’s not Mr. Perfect. He doesn’t shower me with roses or gifts, he goes down to the pub with his mates to watch the football far too often, and he’s not made of money. Oh, and he hates shopping!” Lucy shook her head, pretending to disapprove. “And yet you still love him!” “Yes, I do.” Fiona snapped the biscotti in half and handed one piece to Lucy. “Didn’t you ever love Marcus?” “No. Well, maybe I thought I did when I was younger. We were great together for a while.” She sighed, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. “I suppose I’ve never had much chance to date other guys, to experience life. That’s part of the problem. Marcus always wanted us to go absolutely everywhere together when we were dating.” “I don’t know how you’ve managed. To reach the ripe old age of twenty three, and you can probably count the number of boyfriends you’ve had on three fingers.” Lucy buried her head in her hands, a curtain of straight blonde hair falling forward to hide her face. “I know. It’s crazy. And now I’m hated by pretty much every female within a ten mile ra-dius because they think I’m a trollop and I’ve been carrying on with Marcus whilst he’s been en-gaged. I’m completely innocent in all of this, yet I’m the one getting bad-mouthed.” “They’ll get over it.” Pausing for dramatic effect, Fiona added, “It’ll just probably take a long while. In the meantime you’ll have to get used to being thought of as a wanton woman.” Patting her hand reassuringly, she said, “Anyway, I’m still your friend.” “Great, thanks,” muttered Lucy, head still in her hands. “Sometimes I just feel this overwhelming desire to move away from here, to get myself a new life.” “Well, do it then. For goodness sake you’ve been whinging on about it enough for the last few years.” Fiona popped the biscotti into her mouth. “Think about it. What’s stopping you from leaving Friadon anyway? Well, apart from my impending wedding of course.” Warming to her topic she said, “It would do you good to get away from this small town mentali-ty. You should have done it years ago. Go off and explore, find out what you want from your life. You’ve never had a chance to date properly without Marcus peering over your shoulder. It must have been awkward.” “It was.” Lucy shrugged, staring at a large crumb of biscotti on the table. As she had a good idea how infrequently the table tops were cleaned in this café, she resisted the strong urge to scoop the crumb up and lick it from her finger. “Anyway, at my age, shouldn’t I have my life all mapped out by now? You know, what I want from men, work, the whole caboodle.” Shaking her head Fiona reached for the last of her coffee. “Nah, it’s just a popular myth. Gener-ally things just happen, and they’re probably not what you were planning but they usually kind of work out for the best in the end.” Looking at Lucy, she said, “Remember how you used to complain about how boring Marcus was? Saying how you’d never been in a relationship where you’d been totally swept off your feet, how you wanted to find a man you could be completely crazy about for the rest of your life? Always going on about how you wanted to find your Mr. Perfect, the love of your life?” Lucy pushed a lock of hair behind her right ear, frowning. “And your point is?” “Go find the man for you, have your adventure, enjoy yourself,” Fiona added encouragingly. “All of the hearts and roses stuff, the handsome looks and pots of money business we all, at some point, crave. Doesn’t matter. They’re not the real recipe for happiness in a relationship.” As Lucy’s face took on a not-this-lecture-again look, Fiona said, “You’ll see, I know you will. You just need to find the right man first.” **** Business had been slower than usual at the Price Right Travel Agency where Lucy worked. “Isn’t it boring when nobody comes into the agency?” She sighed as she deftly slid a pair of scis-sors through some plastic wrapping on a pile of holiday brochures proclaiming Turkey to be ‘paradise in the sun’. Her boss Melanie glanced up from her computer with an irritated expression on her pixie-like face. “I imagine we’re being boycotted thanks to your little shenanigans with Marcus.” Trying to wedge some brochures with a picture of a gorgeous sun-drenched Turkish beach on the front onto the shelving, Lucy said, “For the tenth time, Mel, I didn’t do anything. What do I have to say for people to believe me?” Mel shook her head. “I’m not here to judge your love life but when it starts to affect my busi-ness…” she paused, choosing her words carefully. “For starters Marcus was one of our best cus-tomers. He even booked his honeymoon here. Goodness knows what will happen there. Nobody has asked about the chance of a refund yet. What with Marcus paying for it and then jetting off to Portugal straight after the non-wedding, he hasn’t had a chance. I expect he’ll be in to try to sort it all out when he gets back.” “He’ll lose his money. I’m pretty sure walking out on your wedding isn’t covered under his in-surance,” said Lucy with a grimace, feeling guilty about how Marcus and Amelie wouldn’t get to enjoy the five star hotel he’d chosen on a gorgeous stretch of beach on Cyprus. If she remem-bered rightly the place had three restaurants, five swimming pools, a spa and a gym. Everything you could wish for. She’d helped him to choose the place. Now she was the reason he wouldn’t be going there. “Perhaps it would be best if you took a bit of a sabbatical. Have you thought about it at all?” Mel asked with more than a hint of encouragement in her voice. “Sabbatical?” Lucy queried, the brochures in her hand slipping to the floor. “Not a polite way of saying I’m fired is it?” “Of course not. I’ll hold your job open for you. Just consider it an opportunity to take a few weeks off to go and have yourself a bit of fun. Hopefully by the time you return, all the gossips will have moved on to someone else and the next Friadon scandal.” “You’re serious aren’t you?” Lucy asked, sitting down on several bundles of as-yet unopened brochures. “Definitely. I have this friend who works for a small TV production company. They’re doing some sort of programme about love and one of the girls has had to pull out at the last moment for family reasons. They need a replacement right away and the filming is supposed to start in two days. Craig, my friend, doesn’t want to have to go through all the audition info again to choose someone else. I bet you’d be ideal.” Sceptically Lucy asked, “What sort of love programme? It’s not something tacky is it?” “No, no,” Mel answered, tapping away at her computer keyboard. “I think the idea is for three girls and one boy to spend two weeks together at some glam location. It’s properly organised and supervised. Each of you would get to go on your dream type of dates. It’s all about the psycholo-gy of finding the love of your life.” Lucy got to her feet, then swayed unsteadily as her sandals slipped across several of the glossy holiday brochures scattered about the floor where she’d dropped them minutes earlier. Stooping to gather up the brochures before a customer (should one of them ever appear) broke their ankle on them and sued the agency, Lucy contemplated Mel’s suggestion. “So it would all be quite tasteful then?” “I should imagine so. I think they’ll be having a psychologist on hand too, so after each date you can talk about how you think things went. There’s a complete relationship analysis service avail-able so you can learn about yourself, men, and your attitude towards dating. Sounds ideal for you.” Realising she’d been holding her breath for a few seconds, Lucy let it out in a long sigh. “Okay, I might be interested. Shall I call this Craig or will you?”
For many writers, creating titles is the bane of their existence. Some come up with titles faster than I can sing the alphabet song; the rest of us stare at the screen and sob. And unfortunately, sobbing doesn’t do much for generating ideas.
Last week I realized I had to change the title of the New Adult contemporary romance I’ll be publishing this fall. A self-published YA novel with the same title had just hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Oddly enough, our cover designer is the same. When my CP mentioned the title of my book to another author on Twitter and said it was awesome, it looked like she was promoting the YA book, since mine hasn’t been released yet.
Now, this shouldn’t be a big deal. This happens to authors all the time. It happened to Christina Lee (my CP). The title for her NA contemporary romance was similar to a recently released NA paranormal, and her editor told her she needed to come up with a new one.
They combed through the manuscript and found a phrase (All Of You) that worked perfectly for the title. I tried the same trick and ended up with a title that is more meaningful than my last one. It is something the hero says to the heroine. Yes, the trick really does work.
How do you come up with your titles? Have you been forced to change yours?
(No, Walking Disaster wasn’t my former title. I’m currently reading the book and love the cover.)
In both writing and photography, how you use your setting can affect the image you’re trying to portray.
As you can see from these pictures of Alcatraz, I took the photos from different angles and at different times of the day. The different perspectives affect the mood of the scene.
With your novel, if there’s one setting where your story consistently takes place, see if there’s a detail or description you can incorporate that reflects the change in your main character or shows a change in time. For example, if a number of scenes occur in the hallway of the high school your character attends—and you aren’t willing to change the location—maybe show in one scene how the hallway is decorated for Valentine’s Day. Perfect if you have romance (or anti-romance) in your story.
(All these photos were taken with my point & shoot camera.)
Justine Dell has just released her latest book and is here to chat about writing from the gender opposite to what you were born. A topic I’m always excited to read about. Thanks, JD!
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There are lots of girls out there writing from a guy’s perspective. And there are lots of guys writing from a girl’s perspective. So there are plenty of examples of where it works.
On the flip side, I'm sure there are some examples of where it doesn't/wouldn't work.
YA, MG, Picture Books, General Fiction, Sci-Fi, Thriller, etc, etc, can all be written from either a man or a woman--no matter who the MC is.
Romance is the only genre where this question is...well, questioned. Let's face it—men don't really know what women want. HOWEVER, there have been some very successful MALE romance writers (most of which wrote under a female pen name because of gender bias). Leigh Greenwood, Gill Sanderson, Sylvain Reynard…are just a few.
There is a lot of room for people to argue this point one way or another. I, however, don't base anything on gender. This world is diverse, WE are diverse. So instead of wondering if a boy/girl could write a good perspective from the opposite sex, ask yourself:
CAN YOU WRITE ANY PERSPECTIVE WELL?
If you're a girl, can you write a girl? At any age? If you're a guy, can you write a convincing guy? At any age? So the same is asked if you are writing from a different perspective.
Can you be convincing in any perspective? You're a writer, you're creative, you develop people from scratch. It's not a gender issue—it’s a creative issue.
CAN YOU BE CREATIVE?
You've written characters who are professional race car drivers, chefs, killers, tech freaks, etc. I'm pretty sure you aren't any of those people. Well, I hope you aren't a killer.
Back on point... if you did write characters that are nothing like you how did you write those convincingly? You researched, right? So now the question is:
CAN YOU BE AUTHENTIC?
Your gender doesn't matter. Your mind does.
And in the end, if you are still second guessing yourself, do MORE research. Or have someone who knows about it read it. Let me know if you are able to catch Jeff Gordon on the racetrack or Charles Mason during visiting hours. But seriously, if you are worried about writing from a different gender POV, have that gender read it to see what think. Or research it. And read it. Lots of reading helps.
Do you peeps have any good examples of male writing female and vice versa? Do you have any specific examples (of your own struggles/successes) you'd like to share?
~JD
BLURB:
At the age of thirty, with two failed marriages and a tanking writing career, Samantha Moore deals with the world with the only tool she had left: anger. And she’s tired of it. When her grandmother's near-death sends her rushing back home to Vermont, she hopes for the chance to overcome the rage ruling her life.
Once she’s home, Lance Cummings becomes a constant source of indigestion. Lance is a single father who learned first-hand the devastating effects of a damaging relationship. He sees through Samantha’s nasty temper—straight to her cry for help. He wants to help her, but he also wants to know why Samantha ran from him—and their future—twelve years before.
Taking care of her Grams, dealing with an alcoholic brother, and getting Lance to remove his annoyingly attractive nose from her business is draining on Samantha. And she’s only got three weeks to finish her stagnated novel or her publisher will drop her. No pressure. To top it off, pretending to hate the man she actually loves makes each day in Vermont harder than the last. Especially when Lance turns up the heat.
BIO:
Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter, four dogs, and a husband who is too good to be true. She's never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.
During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They've done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That's when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.
She started writing four years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn't have stopped if she'd wanted. It's not a hobby for her; it's an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share. Her debut book, Recaptured Dreams and her newest release, All-American Girl, are available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever book are sold.
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Don’t forget that I am giving away a copy of the ebook at each blog tour stop. I will also giveaway an AAG postcard and Vermont Maple Candy (together). Please let me know if you want to enter to win from Stina’s blog. I am also hosting my own giveaway for the tour.
I'm so excited that CROSSING THE DEEP got a wonderful 4 cup review from Coffee Time Romance!!
... Crossing The Deep takes you on a journey that is filled with questions and trials that many of us face; from guilt, to questioning faith, to finding the positive in tragedy; all of which makes for a great read. You should grab a copy for yourself.-- Matilda Plus there is a lot more to the review. Click on the quote to take you to the original. I'm so excited! Please, check it out :)
During the holiday season, I realized I have A LOT of books about writing fiction. And of course, I added a few more titles to my shelves last month. So, I’ve decided to start a fairly regular feature where I review non-fiction books on writing that I either own or have borrowed from the library. These posts will occur either on a Monday (in lieu of that week’s photography tips) or on Wednesdays. They won’t, though, be weekly.
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In addition to writing YA, I’m now venturing into the world of romantic suspense. Face it, I’m a sucker for anything filled with romance and danger (which also describes the YA novels I write). This is why I decided to check out Writing the Thriller by T. Macdonald Skillman.
This is an advance writing book. After exploring the different categories of suspense, the requirements for writing them, and reader expectations for each, she focuses on the important elements of fiction and the considerations you need to be aware of when writing the different types of suspense. However, she already expects you to have a good understanding of these elements beforehand, which include:
Characterization
Plot
Setting and atmosphere
Point of view
Backstory
Goals and motivation
Dialogue
Pacing
Theme
Style
For example, under characterization, she talks about the specific character types you would expect to find in the different categories of suspense and how to make these characters work in the type of suspense you choose to write. These categories include:
Action-adventure
Legal thrillers
Medical thrillers
Political thrillers
Psychological suspense
Romantic suspense
Women-in-jeopardy suspense
Techo-thrillers
In Part II of the book, experts (i.e. bestselling authors) further discuss their particular category of suspense and provide additional suggestions and hints to help you. Overall, I thought the book was good, especially since it isn’t rehashing the basics that you can learn elsewhere. The first part of the book was definitely the strongest part. I did, though, find the information on romantic suspense slightly lacking (as well as for a few of the other subgenres) in the second part. I actually learned more about romantic suspense from reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance. Go figure!
A year ago, I received a rejection on my full in which the agent suggested I hone my writing skills some more (okay, more like a lot more). Within 24 hours, I had signed up for two writing courses (one focused specifically on YA) from a reputable online organization.
The advantage was that the instructor in each (along with my fellow students) would provide feedback on the assignments. While I did learn a few things I didn’t know, most of what I learned wasn’t new to me. Actually, I learned a helluva more by reading blogs—for free.
So what about the feedback? Wasn’t that worth it?
Let’s just say I’ve had way better crits from beta readers than I got from my instructors and classmates. Again, for free. After receiving feedback on my first chapter during the class, I sent it in for the critique at the LA SCBWI conference last year. Shortly afterwards, several beta readers read it and gave me much better feedback (especially on how I could tighten my writing). Even Ellen Hopkins had a lot to say about it. Things the instructor should have pointed out. #epicwritingcoursefail
Recently I took an online workshop for writing love scenes. Too bad I’d already read Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance. The class would have be great if we could have had feedback on our work (or at least on some students' work), but that didn’t happened.
Fortunately not all workshops I’ve attended have been a complete flop. A lot of the workshops at the LA SCBWI conferences have been awesome, and I’ve heard great things about the workshops/conferences held through my local RWA chapter (which I’ll be going to this year). And WriteOnCon (the free online conference) is awesome. If you haven’t already, check it out from last year. The organizers will be announcing the 2011 conference dates soon.
If you’re looking at taking an online writing course, here are some things to consider:
Who’s teaching the course? Have you read any of the author’s books? Some instructors (like in my ‘writing love scenes’ class) spend more time patting themselves on the back than teaching you anything. Warning: This happens at conferences, too.
Will there be an opportunity for feedback?
How many people are in the class?
Is the class for beginners? (This might affect the level of feedback you get or the level of information you’ll receive.)
What kind of time commitment is expected from you?
Is the class being held by a reputable organization? (Not that it helped me.)
For those of you who want to take your writing to the next level, my suggestion is to read as much as you can. This includes blog posts (hence why I do Cool Links Friday) and non-fiction books on writing fiction. Adventures in Children’s Publishing compiles an extensive list each week on blog posts pertaining to writing and publishing. It’s a must read, no matter what genre you write.
For feedback, check out forums such as Absolute Write, the Query Tracker Forum, and Verla Kay’s blue boards (for kidlit and YA writers). They are all free.
Has anyone else had good/bad experience with writing courses? Any other recommendations to help a writer hone his skill?
There’s a lot of talk on the blogs about author branding, but is branding really necessary when you’re unpublished? According to agent Sarah LaPolla: Just focus on writing your books. I guess my "branding" advice in a more general sense is to publish within the same genre and age group for at least 3 books. That's a smaller way to create a "brand." If you write three YA thrillers, that’s your brand. If you write edgy YA novels in verse (like Ellen Hopkins), that’s your brand. If you write a YA contemporary, a YA paranormal, and a YA dystopian, you don’t have a brand unless there is a common denominator between them.
One way to figure out the common denominator is pin down what specially calls to you in the books you love. Step two is write what you know. For example, as many of you know, I struggled with being a cutter when I was in my early twenties. I also participated in some other risky behaviors to try to cope with the emotional pain. No one knew I was struggling. On the outside I was a normal girl who studied hard at university, worked part time in two fitness centers (which were major training facilities for high calibre athletes), spent time in Finland, and had lots of friends. Sounds great, huh? It was, but on the inside I was still broken.
Now flash forward. What books do I love to read? YA novels like those by Ellen Hopkins (Impulse, Perfect), Sarah Fine (Sanctum), Katie McGarry (Pushing the Limits). These books start out with broken characters who heal as the story progresses. Plus, these books all have romance in them. These are the types of stories I love to write. Why? Because I write what I know and I write what calls to me. This is my author brand. I’m writing in several different genres (YA contemporary, YA horror, YA suspense), but all three have the same thing in common. No, I’m not published yet, but knowing what types of stories and characters I love to write about, guides me when I start a new WIP. Yes, I could write something completely different, but I don’t.
What about you? Have you discovered your author brand yet? Or are you still figuring out the types of stories you love to read and write the most?
For more information on YA author branding, the YARWA (YA chapter of the Romance Writers of America) is offering an online workshop September 10-20th. Check their website for more info.
Right now you probably saying, “Huh?”Aren’t there only Five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch?
True enough, but romance author, Marilyn Kelly, listed eleven senses during her workshop at the 2010 RWA national conference. They include (in addition to the above mentioned ones):
Pain (nociception)
Balance (equilibrioception)
Joint motion and acceleration (proprioception)
Sense of time
Temperature difference (thermoception)
Direction (Magnetoception)
Interoceptive senses
I’m not going to explain each of these. You can read more about them on her worksheet (it’s the first one on the list). What I want to talk about is how to use them to develop your characterization. This isn't explained on the worksheets (and I don't know if she covered it in her workshop).
One of the best ways for the reader to connect with your main character is by letting the reader experience the character’s world through her point of view. Her emotions, character traits, interests shape how she views the world. And her interests determine which of the senses to predominantly use in the scene or novel.
For example, say you have a character whose main interest is figure skating. She’s training hard for upcoming competitions that are important to her skating career. Now brainstorm which senses would be the strongest for her:
Sound (she listens to music, right?)
Pain (especially if she’s injured and pushing herself hard. Or maybe she has high pain threshold, which enables her to push harder than her competition).
Balance
Joint motion and acceleration (a good one to focus on when she’s learning a new move or routine)
Direction (for example, when her partner lifts her and they spin)
Now write a scene in which she’s practicing a complex jump and incorporate each of these senses into the scene.
Does this mean you can’t use the other senses? No, it doesn’t. Go ahead and describe the smell of the arena if it’s important to the scene. The point is to make sure you include those senses that would be most predominant in her mind, and then describe them in a way that shows her emotions at the time. Do that, and you’ll take your scene so much further than by incorporating just the five standard senses we’ve all seen listed in books on writing.
Any questions? I have a sports physiology background, so I can probably answer your questions about all the senses. If not now, I can answer them as a separate post.
Last week, Heather Howland (managing editor from Entangled Publishing) conducted an amazing online workshop. Here are some key points she stressed when writing kissing or sex scenes in YA stories:
Avoid the cliches we are now seeing A LOT in YA stories. For example, the tugging of the lower lip during the kiss. Many of these things are found in adult novels and are not true to the teen experience. Heather rolls her eyes whenever she reads them in manuscripts. She’s probably not the only one.
It’s all about the emotions. With adult novels, there’s more emphasis on the mechanics of the kiss or sex or everything in between. Not so with the teen experience. Make sure you have the visceral reactions (no clichés please) and lots of introspection. The focus should be on the introspection (something I still need to work on) and not on the choreography.
Avoid being graphic with the naming of body parts (I can’t list them here because this is a PG-rated blog, but you get the idea). There are incidences when it’s okay, but this is when the character is viewing the act in a clinical sense. Most of the time, you want to avoid this. Examples used were Forget Me by Jennifer Ecols and The Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky.
Write for teens. Don’t write steamy to make adult readers happy. Remember, the teen experience varies when it comes to sex. Someone who has never gone that far might be uncomfortable if you get too descriptive.
Study how other authors do it (well). Below are a few of the books Heather used excerpts from to demonstrate her points. In the lecture (which I can’t do here), she explained why each excerpt worked.
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (this is the third book in the Vampire Academy series) Looking for Alaska by John Green Divergent by Veronica Roth (the class wasn’t all about sex) Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
If you have a chance to take a workshop from Heather (like Sex in YA), I highly recommend it. She’s a great instructor. Someone had a question about rape in YA, and Heather delayed her originally scheduled lesson to post on the topic. She also accepted anonymous excerpts from our WIPs and gave feedback on them. That alone made the course worth it. We all learned a lot from reading her explanations on why things worked and why they didn’t.
What cliches are you tired of seeing in YA or romance?
(This workshop was offered through YARWA, the YA chapter of the RWA).
(Geez, I’m dreading to see what google search words bring people to my blog now!)
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Update on the course I mentioned last week: Students will be refunded since the instructor is unable to finish the course due to health issues. Hopefully she gets better soon.
