I believe grown folks have sex. Two consenting adults who understand the consequences of their actions generally enjoy the benefits of sex. Unlike our teens who believe sex makes them an adult. Plus, they don't consider what their actions may result in. That being said, the characters in my novels have fun having sex, getting to know more about each other until some pivotal moment changes everything.
One afternoon during my lunch hour I sat at a table editing a few pages from one of my manuscripts. Karen Edie, one of the library staff, glanced over my shoulder and said, "Wow! There's alot of red ink on those pages."
I went on to explain to her that I was revamping one of my love scenes. She laughed and replied, "Love scenes take a lot of red ink."
When I looked at my pages, I realized that I had pretty much covered the pages in red. So the next time you read a love scene, I want you to consider all the time, red ink, and sometimes practice that goes into writing a hot, sizzling, and satisfying love scene.
Email me at karenwhiteowens@yahoo.com. Let me know what you think.
Remember, don't be a stranger.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
First Scenes First
I must give credit to the http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/ newsletter I received recently - I found the following to be quite helpful, as I was writing an opening scene that very day. I thought I'd share it with you today. Always sharpening that writer's craft pencil, and every little bit helps. Enjoy!
First Scenes First
I want you to walk to your bookshelf. At random, pick out a novel, any novel, that you've already read. Reread the first scene of this novel before continuing this discussion. [Waiting for you to select and read first scene ? tick tock, tick tock ?] After you've read this first scene, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:
What did you learn about the character in this scene?
What hints of complications or future tensions are found in this scene?
What do you know about the plot so far?
What is the significance of starting at this exact point in time?
As a reader, did you feel you immediately knew enough about the character to be drawn in?
The opening scene of your novel carries a lot of weight. It needs to simultaneously introduce you to your protagonist and to a significant situation. First impressions aren't just important for meeting people. They may determine whether the shopper in the bookstore goes on to become your reader.
First Scenes First
I want you to walk to your bookshelf. At random, pick out a novel, any novel, that you've already read. Reread the first scene of this novel before continuing this discussion. [Waiting for you to select and read first scene ? tick tock, tick tock ?] After you've read this first scene, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:
What did you learn about the character in this scene?
What hints of complications or future tensions are found in this scene?
What do you know about the plot so far?
What is the significance of starting at this exact point in time?
As a reader, did you feel you immediately knew enough about the character to be drawn in?
The opening scene of your novel carries a lot of weight. It needs to simultaneously introduce you to your protagonist and to a significant situation. First impressions aren't just important for meeting people. They may determine whether the shopper in the bookstore goes on to become your reader.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Conference woo hoo!
Today's guest blogger is Jade Lee, author of exotic fiction. Thanks for joining us, Jade!
--------------------------------------
Hello all! I am at the Moonlight and Magnolias conference, put on by Georgia RWA. It’s a great regional conference and hopefully tonight, I’ll win the Maggie for Dragonborn. If not, I’m still having a great time! I originally wrote long drunken ramblings of what I was doing here, but that has thankfully been deleted. But, I did want to hit a couple highlights as to why you should or should not attend conferences.
First off, let me emphasize that you do NOT need to conference to further your career. Your time might be better spent sitting home and writing your nextbest seller. Mine too, for that matter, but I’m an extrovert who loves meeting people. I can talk sex like only a tipsy romance novelist can. I’m also a popular speaker because I can speak very well about craft and business. I tell myself that I go to conferences because I sell a ton of books. Sadly, this is a big, fat lie. If everyone at this conference bought my mo
st recent book, it wouldn’t even be a blip on the publisher’s radar. Nationwide, my print run measures in the tens of thousands. Selling even 200 at a conference would mean nothing.
So why do I spend the time and, more importantly, the expense? Travel and hotel are not cheap! Well, partly because I like a good party with people who can talk books, love, and sex with ease. Networking is fun! I even like giving workshops where people actually listen to me blather about my craft. How cool is that? But mostly because something cool always happens to me at a conference. Maybe it’s because I become open to a different set of energies or maybe that many drinking women naturally create something weird. Or maybe because nice things happen when I’m not looking. It doesn’t matter. So here’s a list of why one might or might not go to a conference.
1. LEARN...unless you’re solid in your writing
At the beginning of my career, I went to a ton of workshops and listened. I am always stunned by the people who attend workshops to platform their pet problem, not to listen. I usually had at least one ah-ha! moment per conference. BUT, if you feel solid in the craft and comfortable in your business contacts, then don’t bother. Seriously. There is a point where reading a book on writing is a ton more helpful than sitting in workshops that you could teach by yourself.
2. NETWORK...unless you’re not-so-good with people
I met both of my agents and all of my editors first at conferences. It was really helpful to talk to them face to face before the business relationship began. BUT if you’ve already got an agent and editor, if you clam up in a tight angsty ball when talking to people, then face to face can be a bad idea. Don’t hurt yourself! Do it through email and phone conversations. You don’t have to meet people to work with them. Honest.
3. PROMOTE...unless you’re a bad promoter
As I said earlier, I’m fun! I’m personable! I make people laugh! That helps sell my books. Eventually that pays off...some. Hopefully more and more over time. BUT the book is the thing. If you don’t enjoy meeting people, if you don’t enjoy being on display or gabbing with anyone, then your time is better spent writing your next best seller. Mine probably is as well, but I LIKE parties! A lot! So I go to conferences to meet EVERYONE!
4. WOO WOO...unless you don’t woo woo
Then there is that undefinable something. It may not be how you work, so feel free to ignore it. But just about every conference I go to, I have a moment. It could simply be reconnecting with an old friend, but this time...I got the perfect story idea. I completely tossed out the last three weeks of work on something else, but it doesn’t matter. The idea is RIGHT, and I wouldn’t have gotten it if I hadn’t started chatting with a woman in the bathroom.
I know this blog is getting long, so let me say that conferences are fun, but writing is a business. If you don’t shine in a group, if you don’t need to learn/re-learn the basics, then you can absolutely have a fabulous career without ever going out into the writing public. Honest. But if you like a party and can afford to spend a weekend having fun with like-minded fans, then come on down! I’ll save you a seat at the bar!
Time for you to confess! Share a conference woo-woo moment (or lack thereof) and someone will get a free Jade Lee book of their choice!
Monday, October 5, 2009
A Space Of My Own
Earlier this year, I read a post on fellow Novel Spaces blogger Stefanie Worth’s blog I found totally inspiring.
She'd carved out a neat, well-organized home writing space that quite frankly made me ashamed of the hellhole I call an office.
While her dictionary was at her fingertips, mine was on the floor underneath a Sephora box crammed with new make-up. Her computer was front and center on the desk. I had to push aside stacks of fashion magazines and romance novels to even sit my laptop on mine.
After revisiting Stefanie’s post a few times, I got busy decluttering (as moving everything out that wasn’t writing related) and organizing my own space.
Voila! My new and improved office.
And yes, it has remained in the same pristine condition you see here.
How, you wonder? Because I stay the heck out of it. Below is my kitchen table, which I haven’t eaten on in weeks:
Hey, at least my office is clean!
How do you keep your writing space organized????
She'd carved out a neat, well-organized home writing space that quite frankly made me ashamed of the hellhole I call an office.
While her dictionary was at her fingertips, mine was on the floor underneath a Sephora box crammed with new make-up. Her computer was front and center on the desk. I had to push aside stacks of fashion magazines and romance novels to even sit my laptop on mine.
After revisiting Stefanie’s post a few times, I got busy decluttering (as moving everything out that wasn’t writing related) and organizing my own space.
Voila! My new and improved office.
And yes, it has remained in the same pristine condition you see here.
How, you wonder? Because I stay the heck out of it. Below is my kitchen table, which I haven’t eaten on in weeks:
Hey, at least my office is clean!
How do you keep your writing space organized????
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Writing when you don't want to.
How do you write when you don't want to write?
You don't want to write right now because…
… you're angry with your child; or partner; or both.
… you're worried sick about your bills.
… there's a Criminal Minds marathon on A&E.
… you've had a bad day.
… you had a political argument with your boss.
… there's an NCIS marathon on USA.
…. you are emotionally exhausted; mentally exhausted; physically exhausted; exhaustedly exhausted.
… you're TBR pile will fall over an hurt someone if you don't do something immediately.
… it's been too long since you took the time to just relax and take care of yourself.
When I'm writing for hire my motivation is the deadline. The one rule for surviving as a writer for hire is hit the deadline. Delivering very good words on time fulfills your contract. Delivering perfect words a week late does not. Because your words are not just a commodity, they are a component in a larger package -- and very often nothing else can go forward until you've delivered. When an editor or book packager is considering whether to offer you more work, how well you hit your last deadline is as important as how well you write.
When I get an assignment, I lay out a calendar, dividing the number of words contracted by the number of days until the deadline to come up with a daily goal. Then I adjust the goals slightly to reflect the reality of my life -- very few words written on Sunday or Monday; Wednesday and Friday are more productive than Tuesday or Thursday; and my biggest day is Saturday. I then put these numbers in my planner, with a line next to them for entering the number of words I actually wrote on that day.
Then I ignore the damn thing until it's too late and write like a man possessed in the final week.
Useful as this method is, however, it does me no good when I'm writing original fiction. Because while a deadline is an excellent motivator, it's a motivator imposed from the outside. (And no, self-imposed deadlines don't work for me. I know an editor will not pay me if I do not hit her deadline. But I also know I will continue to feed me if I miss my own deadline.)
How then to keep things going, to keep writing, when there is no deadline and no guaranteed paycheque at the end?
Some use the obligation method. These are people motivated by a sense of duty or of pride or of something else I don't understand. For whatever reason, they park themselves in front of their keyboard for whatever amount of time they've committed to and type out the next four or six or twenty pages of their manuscript. I have no idea how they manage it, but I know several who produce saleable manuscripts every year this way. (My uncle, Allen Drury, wrote this way -- six hours a day, seven days a week.)
Others use the reward method. In a way this reflects back to the "reasonable goals" system I mentioned a few columns ago. The writer promises themselves some small reward for completing each phase of the project. A chapter might be worth a slice of cake, for example; completing a revision might warrant an evening out with friends. This method does not work for me because I cheat. (You do not get this overweight through self-discipline, y'know.) But again, I know several writers, few of whom are obese, who use this method.
When it comes to keeping myself writing in original fiction, the method that works best for me is probably the most dangerous: Have several projects going at once. Work on whichever project excites you the most. When interest in that one wanes or you hit a wall, switch to another project. The danger of course is in the acceptance of unfinished manuscripts. Get too comfortable with those and you end up with a trunk -- or hard drive -- full of two-thirds-complete novels. But if you're writing about something that excites you, the writing itself stops being work. Instead of being one more chore you have to complete at the end of an exhausting day, your writing becomes your refuge -- what you do to relax and rejuvenate after a hard day in the classroom or office or sales floor.
How do you write original fiction, sans deadline, when you don't want to write?
I don't. The trick, for me, is to want to write before I sit down at the keyboard -- even if it's not the project I was working on last time. Then I just open a vein and let the words out.
What's your method?
You don't want to write right now because…
… you're angry with your child; or partner; or both.
… you're worried sick about your bills.
… there's a Criminal Minds marathon on A&E.
… you've had a bad day.
… you had a political argument with your boss.
… there's an NCIS marathon on USA.
…. you are emotionally exhausted; mentally exhausted; physically exhausted; exhaustedly exhausted.
… you're TBR pile will fall over an hurt someone if you don't do something immediately.
… it's been too long since you took the time to just relax and take care of yourself.
When I'm writing for hire my motivation is the deadline. The one rule for surviving as a writer for hire is hit the deadline. Delivering very good words on time fulfills your contract. Delivering perfect words a week late does not. Because your words are not just a commodity, they are a component in a larger package -- and very often nothing else can go forward until you've delivered. When an editor or book packager is considering whether to offer you more work, how well you hit your last deadline is as important as how well you write.
When I get an assignment, I lay out a calendar, dividing the number of words contracted by the number of days until the deadline to come up with a daily goal. Then I adjust the goals slightly to reflect the reality of my life -- very few words written on Sunday or Monday; Wednesday and Friday are more productive than Tuesday or Thursday; and my biggest day is Saturday. I then put these numbers in my planner, with a line next to them for entering the number of words I actually wrote on that day.
Then I ignore the damn thing until it's too late and write like a man possessed in the final week.
Useful as this method is, however, it does me no good when I'm writing original fiction. Because while a deadline is an excellent motivator, it's a motivator imposed from the outside. (And no, self-imposed deadlines don't work for me. I know an editor will not pay me if I do not hit her deadline. But I also know I will continue to feed me if I miss my own deadline.)
How then to keep things going, to keep writing, when there is no deadline and no guaranteed paycheque at the end?
Some use the obligation method. These are people motivated by a sense of duty or of pride or of something else I don't understand. For whatever reason, they park themselves in front of their keyboard for whatever amount of time they've committed to and type out the next four or six or twenty pages of their manuscript. I have no idea how they manage it, but I know several who produce saleable manuscripts every year this way. (My uncle, Allen Drury, wrote this way -- six hours a day, seven days a week.)
Others use the reward method. In a way this reflects back to the "reasonable goals" system I mentioned a few columns ago. The writer promises themselves some small reward for completing each phase of the project. A chapter might be worth a slice of cake, for example; completing a revision might warrant an evening out with friends. This method does not work for me because I cheat. (You do not get this overweight through self-discipline, y'know.) But again, I know several writers, few of whom are obese, who use this method.
When it comes to keeping myself writing in original fiction, the method that works best for me is probably the most dangerous: Have several projects going at once. Work on whichever project excites you the most. When interest in that one wanes or you hit a wall, switch to another project. The danger of course is in the acceptance of unfinished manuscripts. Get too comfortable with those and you end up with a trunk -- or hard drive -- full of two-thirds-complete novels. But if you're writing about something that excites you, the writing itself stops being work. Instead of being one more chore you have to complete at the end of an exhausting day, your writing becomes your refuge -- what you do to relax and rejuvenate after a hard day in the classroom or office or sales floor.
How do you write original fiction, sans deadline, when you don't want to write?
I don't. The trick, for me, is to want to write before I sit down at the keyboard -- even if it's not the project I was working on last time. Then I just open a vein and let the words out.
What's your method?
Friday, October 2, 2009
Traditional Publishers…They’re, like, So Last Year
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had this eerie feeling that I’m witnessing firsthand the end of an era. The era of authors needing traditional print publishers in order to break into the business. Every time I’ve asked the question of whether e-publishing will eventually take the place of print books, I get the same answer: NEVER!
I hope that’s true. I would hate to give up the book buying experience. It’s as calming to me as an hour-long bubble bath. But the explosion of e-publishing isn’t the only threat to the brick and mortar publishing houses dotted along Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. Self- and small-press publishing is also changing the face of the industry.
We've all heard the stories of previously self-published authors hitting it big. Heavy hitters like E. Lynn Harris and Zane got their feet wet by self-publishing their first novels. But those are special cases, right? They're not the norm, are they?
Maybe not, but with better distribution through the Internet, it's much easier for non-traditionally published authors to get their books in the hands of readers. A savvy marketing plan and strong network of friends willing to spread the word can do more good for a self-published author than a two-person PR department with a hundred authors on their list can do for a "traditionally" published author.
It's time to face the facts. Being published in the "traditional" way isn't the only way anymore.
What do you think? Is traditional publishing becoming a thing of the past?
I hope that’s true. I would hate to give up the book buying experience. It’s as calming to me as an hour-long bubble bath. But the explosion of e-publishing isn’t the only threat to the brick and mortar publishing houses dotted along Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. Self- and small-press publishing is also changing the face of the industry.
We've all heard the stories of previously self-published authors hitting it big. Heavy hitters like E. Lynn Harris and Zane got their feet wet by self-publishing their first novels. But those are special cases, right? They're not the norm, are they?
Maybe not, but with better distribution through the Internet, it's much easier for non-traditionally published authors to get their books in the hands of readers. A savvy marketing plan and strong network of friends willing to spread the word can do more good for a self-published author than a two-person PR department with a hundred authors on their list can do for a "traditionally" published author.
It's time to face the facts. Being published in the "traditional" way isn't the only way anymore.
What do you think? Is traditional publishing becoming a thing of the past?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Release Day Lessons
Holiday Brides was officially released on Tuesday. I've had a blast promoting this latest release of mine: e-newsletters, ads, guest blogs and interviews comprise the usual suspects of getting the word out about an upcoming title. I do love the fun. Co-authored with Jewel Amethyst and Farrah Rochon, the anthology contains my novella, HeavenSent.com, a story about a couple and the guardian angels in their lives.
Though this is my third title, its release marks the first time I've
had the privilege of juggling a new release with a work-in-progress. This evening I had to stop and ask myself how established authors do this. (Note: I still consider myself a new author). We so often feel that our promotion selves compete with our creative selves and I have to say I feel it especially so this week. There are those who would say, "What a wonderful dilemma to have." True. And I'm certainly not complaining. Just learning.
If there's anything I've learned so far in my journey as an author, it's that I can't afford to stop absorbing knowledge. This week the lesson will be on balance. Next week it might be on pacing as I wade through the maze of my WIP's middle chapters. I will take notes, I will remember, I will share. And in no time flat, I'll be facing another release day.
For this moment though, I'm pleased to pause and reflect on the blessing of this book. I invite you all to delve into the seasonal magic of Holiday Brides. Farrah and Jewel's stories are contemporary romance while HeavenSent.com is paranormal. Each of us offers a happily ever after.
In honor of the occasion, I'll be giving away a signed copy of the book to one person who comments on today's blog about the most important things you've learned in life. In the words of Mark Twain: "If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way."
Stefanie
www.stefanieworth.com
You're also invited to join me as I travel the blogosphere over the next several weeks talking about HeavenSent.com. Click here for a list of sites and dates.
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