ME… A FLEA?

On a daily basis our characters’ unique personalities pull our thoughts toward the concept of perception. “Fleas know not whether they are upon the body of a giant or upon one of ordinary stature,” wrote the poet Landor. As a flea in the world of writing, I know that Angelica is giantesque.

Zi was immediately interrupted by Angelica asking, “Where are you going with this? Is this about my weight?”

Zi replies, “Weight? You’ve weight?” And he smiles.

We understand that perception is reality and our job as writers is to take that word clay and prepare it for the kiln so when fired it creates images. Some are thought provoking, others ugly, some funny. But there are those days when we utterly fail to understand. Thus, bringing to our humble attention one very simple fact, we like many of our manuscripts are works in progress.



Below is an excerpt from KILLER DOLLS, a soon to be Champagne Books release, we hope you enjoy it.


EXCERPT TWO

They got a room, asked to use the phone, storm had the lines down, asked about a cell phone and the clerk, a man of advanced age, looked at Taut as if he were an alien, paid in cash, parked out of view, and entered a nice but tacky cabin room.

“I see that shabby-chic is nouveau. The guest towels say… well used. Look, a bottle of shampoo. I used this stuff when I was a kid. It bubbles." Letti was rambling and gently ranting to cover her fear. She now understood the gravity of the situation; it was real, though she did not know why two very evil men were chasing them. Nor why they had her dolls. Why? The dual whys came out in unattractive rumbling, its blasphemy a cruel sacrilege.

“I am sleeping where?” asked Taut. The room had one bed.

“Between me and the door… and that window.”


ABOUT AUTHORS

Their combined accomplishments include book publications in print and/or electronic versions of twenty-four titles, fifteen romance specific, ten manuscripts pending, EPPIE finalist for three books, Cecil Whig award, Hob-Nob Reader's Choice Award, written over 500 shorts with numerous published in both nationwide and small press magazines, articles published in various local, city and statewide newspapers, including four as a Guest Columnist in addition to trade articles. Both are members of various writing groups.

We love to hear from anyone interesting in what we do. Anyone who writes us and leaves a s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
Killer Dolls ~ September 2009
Snake Dance ~ February 2010
http://angelicahartandzi@yahoo.com
angelicahartandzi.com

KILLER DOLLS can be purchased at
Champagne Books
http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Hooking Your Readers

“Have you ever had sex in an elevator?”

Does this line grab you? Make you want to move on?

James Lawrence slid his palm across the woman’s back and down the swell of her buttocks and squeezed. “Now this is what I call a great hand.”

“I’d rather be thrown in piranha-infested waters than go out with a man!"



How about these next lines? How do you feel when you read them?

Kendra Wakefield smoothed her ice blue silk dress with a single white-gloved hand and sat straight in her chair. Lifting the small opera glasses, she peered through the lenses at the faces of the well-dressed couples entering below her balcony box.

The westbound train from Alabama screeched to a halt in front of the New Orleans’ depot. When Juliana Warren finally stepped onto solid ground, she released a deep sigh.

Hmmm…I really didn’t see anything exciting in these last two, paragraphs, either...which brings me to my point. The purpose of an opening hook is to catch the reader’s attention and make them keep reading. An editor once told me, during my appointment with her at a RWA conference, that if the first paragraph of a query or even a chapter doesn’t grab her attention, she usually puts it in the ‘reject’ pile without reading on. Yikes! This isn’t good at all, especially for struggling writers. So if the first line doesn’t grab the editor’s attention, what makes you think the second line will?

Now try some of these opening hooks. Do they catch your interest? Do they make you want to read on?

“Come on, open the door, honey.” Jace Corbett pounded on the solid oak, rattling the gold number 10 hanging in the middle. The late winter wind whipped against his bare skin and underneath the small towel wrapped around his waist. “I’m freezing my ass off.” Literally.

This particular opening is supposed to make the reader wonder why he’s freezing his ass off. And why is he wearing a towel out in the freezing weather? Hmmm... Did this opening work for you? Did it make you want to know more?

Kristine Olsen had never seen so many naked bodies in one place. Considering all the avenues her line of work took her, she didn’t expect a scene like this would shock her.
It did.


And what about this one? Sex sells, which means the words “naked bodies” should grab the reader immediately. But not always do you need sex in your opening to catch the reader’s eye. Take a look at the next two story openings...

He’s going to kill me!
Breanna Loveland gripped the shoulder-strap of her seatbelt, her knuckles turning whiter the harder she hung on. Through the windshield, she focused on the snow-packed road ahead. The heavy flakes hit the glass faster than the blades could remove it, making it almost impossible to see. The blinding storm covered the streetlights and darkness surrounded the car. She silently prayed this vehicle had an airbag just in case her fiancé’s reckless driving ended them in some ditch - or worse, head-on with another car.

“I’m going to kill him with my bare hands,” Monica Lange raged in a mixture of anger and sorrow as she paced the floor in her father’s den.

So, now we know what an opening hook is – how can we write one? Take a look at the first paragraph in chapter one of your story. Have you started it where you need to? Is this a place that’s going to make the reader wonder what’s going on and why or have you written too many descriptions or dialogue that doesn’t go anywhere?

Let’s do an exercise. We’ll take one of the boring sample paragraphs and try to make it a good opening hook. Let’s work on poor Kendra Wakefield. We know she’s at an opera and that she’s watching the others arriving below her box. How can we make this more active? Interesting? Why don’t we give her a shaky hand? Kendra Wakefield smoothed her ice-blue silk dress with a shaky hand. Or let’s add some internal thoughts here. Where in the blazes is that man? Or maybe she isn’t looking for someone, but hiding from someone and wonders if others will recognize her. She took a ragged breath. Will they know I’m not who I portray? At this point, if it’s done right, the reader will want to know why she is pretending and what is making her so nervous. Therefore – those unanswered questions will keep the reader from nodding off.

In a workshop given by Donald Maass of the Maass Literary Agency, he says readers will allow you only three lines before their mind begins to wander. That’s not very encouraging, is it? So why not grab the reader immediately?

Never begin with the heroine sitting and thinking. Get her butt off the chair and add some action and unanswered questions! Never open with long descriptions. Never open with weather – unless the pouring rain has flooded the roads and your characters are on their way to the hospital to have a baby... You get the picture. Never begin with backstory. That’s too much information to tell right away, especially when it can be woven into the rest of the story. Instead, open with conflict or just before a moment of change. Say your hero is minutes away from walking down the aisle to his own wedding, but he overhears his soon to be father-in-law making plans with a hitman to kill him after the wedding. Yup, I’d say it was time to make your character change his plans – and fast!

Closing hooks are similar. When you close a chapter, you should try to pose a question or set up a situation that makes the reader want to keep reading. The point is to end your chapter in a manner that encourages the reader to continue with your story. If you end your chapter with your character going to bed...so will your reader. This is not advised. It’s far better for your heroine to be knocked unconscious than to knock your reader into this state. Pose a question and don’t answer it until the next chapter. You may not want to end every chapter this way, but ask yourself “Does this end in a way that encourages your reader to keep reading?” If your answer is yes, then you’re ready to write the next article on hooks. (Big Grin)

**samples taken from my stories and some quotes taken from Donald Maass’ workshop.**

Visit my website to see other stories I have with great opening hooks! www.phyllismariecampbell.com

~Phyllis~

Trying to write great characters

Everyone knows stories involve characters. They can be people, animals, or strange objects that don't look or act like anything we know. They become alive and we remember them, like Scarlet O'Hara, R-2-D-2, or Hannable Lecter.

So, how do I go about creating a character, and make the character believable?

The answer is simple and then not so simple after all. And, that is not a contradiction. First, when I create a character, I have to believe in him, her, or it. I have to know that character, how he acts, how he talks, where he came from, what's happened to him in the past and how he'll react to something in the future. That includes the heroine, the villian, and even major players.

Different writers all have special ways of creating their characters. Some authors begin to write and as they develop the story, the character becomes real in their minds. Not me. I need to create a character on paper (the computer now).

So I use a character chart. Other authors use 3 x 5 cards, some jot notes, others use magazine pictures. I don't think the how is as important as the outcome but to make a character come alive on my pages, I have to have that character come alive in my mind. The character chart helps me do just that.

In my case, I need to learn my characters. Not just eye color, or hair style, but how they feel about the color of their eyes, the reason they wear the hair style they do, and what has happened to them in the past to make them who they are. As a reader, I don't need to know all of that - unless it affects the story. But, as the author I need to know so that real characters dance across the pages of my story.

How do I know when I've succeeded? When the character takes over the story. In other words when the character surprises me and does something I didn't plan or expect. An example - In my first book, published a long time ago, one of the characters, in fact one of the minor characters, decided to die. She had a heart attack and no matter how I rewrote the chapter, she insisted on dying on me. She had become so real, she did her own thing. She became a real character. Success!

Allison Knight

The Gender Divide is now available in Print!

I'm never sure what to blog about but sometimes the timing of events is so perfect that the topic just springs to mind - kind of like the perfect storm. In that vein, I just received word that The Gender Divide is now available in print. It is also the Publishers Pick and #3 on the Champagne Books best seller list. In celebration, I thought that this would be the perfect time for an excerpt - unique to The Writers Vineyard, never posted elsewhere. So without further ado, here it is.

He arrived at the front door and hopped out of the car. He gave his name to the maitre d’ and then followed him to the table. As they approached, Ryan felt his spirits sink. Olivia looked stunning. She was wearing a slinky long halter-neck, black dress that showed off her shoulders and her entire back. As he walked around the table to take his seat, he noticed that although the dress was floor-length, a slit ran almost up to her thigh. The dress left her back bare, except for a provocative series of bands around her lower back. The front was a tiny triangle-shaped scrap of fabric, with the top of the triangle pointing enticingly at her bare throat. The bottoms of the triangle ran into the bands around her lower back, subtly but surely revealing the soft curves of her breasts as it did so. It was sexy and sultry and he let out a low whistle as he bent over to give her a kiss and then sat down.

“Do you like it?” she asked, preening, and he smiled.

“What’s not to like?” he exclaimed. “You look spectacular. I feel like a complete jerk. Not only did I not pick you up, but I was running late and I didn’t have time to get ready properly.”

“I think you look presentable enough, although I’m still mad at you.” When he arched an eyebrow quizzically, she elaborated. “I had thought that we could recreate our picnic in a more comfortable environment. I was going to suggest that we just skip dinner altogether, but I couldn’t get in touch with you.” She looked at him coyly.
“It’s not too late, you know.”

Ryan suppressed a gulp as he realized how close he had come to getting in too deep. If he hadn’t developed this plan to leave on time, he wouldn’t have been avoiding her messages, which meant that it would have been a lot harder to turn her down gracefully.

“What, and miss seeing you look like this? You must be kidding,” he said and she blushed at the compliment. “Seriously, you look sensational. And even though I’ve seen you in less, somehow this is sexier.”

“Well you can still admire it on the way home,” she pressed and he grinned at her.

“Everything in its time,” he said calmly. “Just think of how much better it will be with all this anticipation.”

“I’ve already got weeks worth of anticipation,” she pouted and he looked at her pointedly. “Oh, all right,” she groused good-naturedly. “I suppose I can wait a couple of hours longer.”

“Good, because I’ve been looking forward to this all week long. They serve a mean ostrich filet here, drizzled with a port wine sauce, with a side of fresh baby vegetables.”

“I can’t believe it,” she teased him. “Did I just hear you put a bird so dumb that it puts its head in the sand over me?”

“First, that’s just a myth. Ostriches don’t actually put their heads in the sand. They just stretch out their necks and lay their heads on the ground to keep predators from seeing them. And second, let's say I expect this meal to be the first step on a pathway of perfection, with you being the last and best stop.”

“That’s a little better,” she replied, mollified, and he grinned.

“I hear that they have world-class coffee here, too,” he teased her and she sat up straight.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

They spent the rest of the evening chatting and flirting, and all the while Ryan cursed the efficiency of their waiter. The man couldn’t take his eyes off Olivia, and he hovered around them constantly, checking her out. It would have irritated Ryan at the best of times, but given how dramatically it improved the service they got, it really ticked him off. For a moment he considered not leaving a tip, but the poor guy didn’t deserve that. Olivia would make a blind man look twice. As it went, the waiter was fairly subtle about it, and Ryan had to admit that it was perhaps the best service he had ever received.

He did his best to stretch the time out, lingering over his appetizer, and even going so far as to send his ostrich back, complaining it was undercooked. He also consumed vast quantities of wine, which his nanites converted almost immediately to energy. Fortunately, Olivia knew better than to keep up with him or she would have gotten drunk enough to want to start on the rest of their evening early. He had just settled the bill when the alert he had been expecting came. He suppressed his sigh of relief as he pretended to focus on the details.

If you want to know more, there is a full excerpt of Chapter 1 (5K+ words) available on the website for the The Gender Divide. You can also buy the eBook for 50% off at Champagne Books.


Posted by David Boultbee

Where does the time go? (Regan Taylor)

Back in grammar school and even junior high there was this feeling that the 13 or so weeks we had off for summer was a long time. There was summer camp, time for crafts, swimming, days at the beach -- which at Jones Beach isn't the same as swimming because there was roller skating, archery, the Jones Beach Theatre, the boardwalk and salt water pool, among so many other things to do.

By time I got into 10th grade though something happened. I hated my 10th grade English teacher with a passion. I think that's where I got the idea I hated writing. Odd I would think it was writing and not reading because it was the dissection of well loved books, particularly Dickens, that turned me off. Questions like "What was Dickens thinking when he wrote ______." How do I know? He was dead how many years? And doing the medium thing just wasn't going to fly in a cut and dried English class now, was it? I'm sure Charles would have been appaled if he knew how those Engish teachers pulled apart his work. What was he thinking indeed. Miss Wickle -- we called her Wickle the pickle behind her back -- was not a well loved teacher by any means yet on the last day of school she was on the one I spoke with. I went into her room and for some odd reason I burst into tears and told her I had no idea where the year had gone. She was understanding, spoke with me for quite some time -- she knew the students couldn't stand her and it hurt her -- and then told me that from then on, life would move faster and faster. She said something about when we start to fill our brains up with information we have this sense that time is moving faster. She was right. I've often wondered over the years what happened to her. The past few I've wondered what she would think if she knew I was writing -- a published author. I'm not quite Mr. Dickens, but I am multi-published. She'd either love what I write or hate the romantic aspects of it. I have no idea. She's not on classmates.com so I have no idea if I could even find her.

It seems like just yesterday I had the entire summer before me - that I had a stack of books to edit (only 7 -- yipes! did I say 7?) and ideas for the next chapters in my series. Summer is about over -- schools in my area went back last Wednesday. I don't get the Wednesday thing. Why not start on Monday? After all, don't we all start diets on Monday's?

I've had one book released -- Michael's Flight, Book 2 of the Descendants of Earth was released in July and this week it landed on Amazon for the Kindle (yeah!) Aside from having long blond hair, my hero of Michael's Flight and my hero Austin Quinn from America's Hero have something more in common. (I'll let you read them to find out ).

I wrote The Four of Cups and the Knight of Pentacles and am waiting for edits.

I went through my first round of edits on The Spell -- wait till you see the cover! Skylar Sinclair has once again turned in a winner.

I'm now waiting for the second round on The Spell, my first round on His Eyes, my edits for my two tarots and for Ghost of a Chance and for Mistaken Bride. Whew! To entertain myself I've been writing With All Dispatch, book 2 of my Treasures series. Book one, the Photograph is still looking for a home. (Anyone know a good one?)

As I sit here today November and Nano Write seems months away -- I have a feeling it is going to be here before I know it which means it's time to think about which book I will do my first draft of during that challenge. Every year for the past 4-5 years I've done my first draft during Nano and had a contract within a few months. It's a highly productive month for me.

I'm ready for winter and hot chocolate and a fire in the fire place, but it can take its time arriving. Time can slow just a bit, you know?

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

One thing that I have noticed relates not only to me, but to other writers, is the ability of rain to positively affect our creativity. Since here in Arizona our weather is still subject to the whims of the annual monsoon season, it seemed an appropriate topic.

What is it about the drizzle of rain from the sky, masses of low-lying, dark gray clouds, and the sound of pitter-pattering on the roof that makes the creative Muse come out in the majority of authors? I decided to look for some scientific answers that didn’t rely merely on a writer’s notoriously moody nature.

A change in atmospheric pressure is one thing that can affect a person’s mood. But for most people, this leads to depression. Talk to residents of Seattle and it quickly becomes apparent why the city experiences a high rate of suicide amongst the residents. Rapidly falling barometric pressure and rising humidity have been linked to pain in a person’s joints and general aches. Absence of sunlight also causes a decrease in the production of serotonin, a factor in depression. So far, it’s all doom and gloom when it comes to the effect of rain on a person’s mood.

One online source I found referred to the hypotheyialchtiranal part of the brain, but didn’t expressly say how this part functions or why it is affected by weather. Hmm…this is a term I’ve never heard before and certainly wouldn’t be able to spell (thank goodness for copy and paste). Yet another source claims that highly ionized air, such as that which occurs while it is raining, stimulates emotions (good or bad). Now there’s a possibility to explain writing ability in relation to weather.

Seems like there is not much research, if any, which has been done on the link between rain and creativity.

Anyone going for a doctorate degree who might be willing to use us authors as guinea pigs?

Candace Morehouse
www.candacemorehouse.com

Prologues

Prologues tend to be misunderstood creatures for new writers. By their very nature, they seem to be the practical way to start a story. The opening scene, if you will. That’s what snares folks. My story must have an opening scene, hence it requires a prologue.

Truth is, ninety percent of most stories don't need prologues. What you end up with in most cases is a thinly disguised first chapter. More often than not, the “prologue” ends up being an info-dump as well, an excuse for the writer to get past the initial explanations in long droning narratives.

Now the neat thing about prologues is that, when you do need them, they serve as a perspective on your story that might otherwise be impossible to provide. For me, that is the key – the perspective must be completely different. A chance to step away from something your main character knows, but you want the reader to be aware of. A well-crafted prologue can, through dialog and action (not narrative) prepare the reader far more than any back-fill will.

Most stories do not need such preparation – so think twice before considering a prologue. It really must deliver the bang for the buck so that the reader will both tolerate and appreciate the change in venue between the prologue and the start of the story.

My own rule on prologues is that they should be separated from the main story in both time and distance. They are best presented from the point of view of other than the main character. This character may or may not play a role in the main story. What is crucial for me is that the event itself should be something that itself has an impact on the story and is otherwise not able to be shown in the main story itself.

A prologue is indeed a complete scene. I prefer just one scene. A good prologue for me is a short one – we’re talking only a couple pages at best. We’re not telling another story here, we are setting up for one. The scene should be vivid, dramatic, and set the flavor for what is to follow. This is doubly important because the prologue will now contain your initial “hook” to grab the reader. If this scene does involve your main character, keep in mind that the reader already knows that your main character is going to live, so the element of risk here is minimal. On the same thought, never make your prologue a situation where a character is looking back at the story to come and reminiscing about it. You just told your reader that everything to follow has already happened...and sucked the drama right out of it.

I rarely use prologues, but in my upcoming novel Rogue Dancer I have to deal with a reader who may not have read the first book in this series. The prologue becomes a powerful tool to catch them up in a way that keeps their interest. I start with a short scene between two human officers on their respective ships arguing over how to initiate contact with a race they previously wronged. In this brief and heated exchange I provide more background detail on the main alien character and the opening situation than a page full of narrative ever could. And then all hell breaks loose and the scene abruptly ends. The next scene is the first chapter from the main character’s viewpoint literally a world away from the last scene – and she has troubles of her own. The reader, however, already knows her troubles are a lot worse than she suspects. They also know enough about the previous book as to not be distracted by the upcoming drama.

So, in summary, here is a quick gut check for you to help decide if you are dealing with a prologue or a first chapter (keep in mind this is just my opinion here):

1. It is removed from the main story in time and or distance. The first chapter begins elsewhere.
2. It is being told from a perspective that would be difficult to otherwise present.
3. It is one stand-alone scene.
4. It has impact on the story to come but is not directly a part of that story.
5. It contains a dramatic moment.
6. It tells something far easier than back-fill would in the main story.
7. It is not all narrative.
8. It has a definite hook.
9. It passes the “Do you really need this?” question.

Kerry Tolan
www.kmtolan.com

My Dell Mini

I was so thrilled last week when my new Dell Mini v arrived. Tired from my trip, I didn't try to configure my wireless network until Sunday night. Today I was unable to call Dell and get help so tonight I connected to their chat line on my pc and asked for help. It seems my key code, etc. indicates I purchased it outside the US and they can't help me so I have to call Customer Relations tomorrow.

Frustrating, huh? Of course, I ordered it on Dell.com just like the other three Dell computers we have in the house. I don't know what's going on but am to the point where I want to repack it and send it back to them.

Sorry for venting here but just needed to express my self. It's AM of Tuesday now and I'm chatting on the phone with them. I'm sure they'll eventually get it worked. out.

I'm looking forward to popping this little machine in my purse when we go on trips. I love to write while in the car, waiting at the dr.'s office, or anywhere I have to wait. My laptop is great, but it's heavy and bulky. This mini seems like the perfect solution. We'll see.

I'll keep you posted!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
http://lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

LEAPING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

Let's see, 'leaping' isn't quite the right word I should use. Not when the 21st century actually began 9 years and 8 months ago. How about 'kicking & screaming', yeah that's more like it since I wasn't prepared to give up 'dial-up'. For me, there's something comforting about the familiar, and intimidating about the unknown.

What if I can't keep up with 'high speed'?

So a few years ago when I bit the bullet and tried to get high speed, I was actually relieved that my internet provider only offered dial-up here in the Sierra foothills, though I did my best to act disappointed by whining a bit.

At my age I hate learning new stuff. So what if my computer gets knocked offline because someone sent me pictures that took too long to download. No big deal. I have plenty of time to twiddle my thumbs while logging on again.

Alas, technology caught up with my little corner of the world. Imagine my surprise when I was again twiddling my thumbs—after high-speed—while waiting for my emails to download. Now why in the world would anybody pay 3 times as much for a service that still ran [crawled] at a snail's pace? That's what I was going to ask the tech at internet support when I picked up the phone.

And then I noticed the list of new, bold messages on the computer screen. Don't know when that happened. Didn't see a single one come up, they were just suddenly there. I must have blinked.

Can't wait to see my first 'You Tube'!

Rose Lerma
www.roselerma.com

Friends

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

Strange thing happened the other day. I picked up one of my novels that I hadn’t touched since it came out in paperback. For some reason, I had a yearning to visit the words and lines again. It was like there was something missing and for some weird reason, I just wanted to re-read the story. I know, after proofing and editing the thing three dozen times, you’d think I’d never go near it again, but as I got about a quarter way through, that empty feeling started to diminish. Then it hit me. I actually missed the characters. It was if I had been away from best friends and missed the comfort they brought me whenever they were around.

Yeah, I know, very particular, but in my head the characters exist; they're not just fictional images I conjured up in my head, they are flesh and blood, and I miss them.

I wonder if other authors ever sense that absence of the friends that came to life in their stories and go back to revisit the words and lines again. Nah, probably just the weirdo big guy (g).

Later

Big Mike
Michael W. Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008

Blind Consent, “The answers are buried in the secrets of the past.”
Forgotten Children, “Only Sara knows the truth.”
Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things.”
The Treasure, “A lonely heart can impair one’s judgment.”
Veil of Deception, “Sometimes the truth cuts deeper than a lie.”

Bad Writing Habits

Every writer has them. Not every writer exposes them to the world.

I think it was Margaret Moore (one of the nicest ladies on the planet and an author of over 40 historical romances) who told me that the trick is not to change these bad writing habits. That is too hard and takes precious energy away from the writing. The trick is to recognize we have these bad habits and eliminate them from our final drafts.

I've been busy this week eliminating one of my bad writing habits from Gregory's story (Gregory is Philippe's lawyer friend in Breach Of Trust).

One of my worst habits (other than using 'just' every second word – which simply warrants a word search – easy peasy) is having way too many characters. What I like to refer to as my cast of thousands.

In the real world, we meet hundreds of people every day. We don't confide in one friend, we confide in dozens. In the fictional world, we give our characters one solitary friend. This dear friend hears everything. She helps out in every situation. She even flirts with the hero and makes the heroine jealous. Having only one friend is simpler for readers to keep track of. It allows readers to concentrate on the hero and heroine and their relationship. The important stuff.

I'm (now) ruthless about killing off unnecessary characters. I use the infamous rule of three for first round purging. Yeah, I know, writers are a bit nuts about the rule of three. They apply it to everything. Every scene should do at least three things (move the plot forward, show character, create conflict, etc). Every character should serve three major purposes. Etc. Etc.

But with secondary characters, the rule of three works. If I love a character and want to keep him, I have to find a way to make him deeper and do more. There should be more than a plot reason for him to be in that specific story. He should represent some aspect in the hero or heroine (villains, of course, often represent a flaw in the hero/heroine taken one step too far).

In Selling Forever, Peterson, the gruff talking developer, appears at the end of the story. He represents hope. The fatherless Richard needs a strong male mentor (yes, even billionaires need mentors) both with dealing with the media and with understanding relationships. Because of Peterson's tight link with Cara, his skill handling the media, and his healthy marriage, readers know Peterson will be Richard's mentor.

What tricks do you use to eliminate unnecessary characters? What is your bad writing habit?


$

Every month, Kimber Chin gives away her favorite romance eBook read the month before. To enter, visit http://businessromance.com/

WRITING ADVENTURES WITH VISTA

COMING TO TERMS WITH vISTA IS A NEVER-ENDING STRUGGLE FOR ANYONE WHO ISN'T TECH MINDED, BUT JUST WANTS TO WRITE. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GLIDING ALONG PERFECTLY, THEN YOUR EDITED MS. COMES IN. YOU BREEZE THROUGH THE EDITING, HAVING LEARNED TO USE TRACKING, WHICH, EVEN WITH vISTA WORKS WELL. THEN YOU SAVE YOUR EDITED VERSION OF THE EDITS AND TRY TO SEND IT BACK TO THE EDITOR. YOU CAN'T. NOTHING YOU TRY WORKS BECAUSE SHE'S SENT IT IN THE SAME FORMATTED VERSION THE BOOK WILL BE IN AND DOESN'T WANT IT CHANGED. YOU TRY RTF BUT THAT CHANGES THE FORMAT. CONSULTS BACK AND FORTH. NOTHING WORKS UNTIL SHE FINALLY LOSES PATIENCE AND TOSSES YOU BACK IN THE EDITING QUEUE. YOU CAN'T BLAME HER OR EVEN YOURSELF, BECAUSE YOU'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ANYONE SUGGESTS AND NONE OF IT WORKS. AS FOR HER, SHE'S GOT A GAZILLION OTHER MSS. TO EDIT. ALONG WITH THIS PROBLEM YOUR EMAIL SUDDENLY BEGINS SENDING UP TO 25 MESSAGES OF EACH SINGLE EMAIL WHICH ANNOYS EVERYIONE YOU KNOW. IN DESPERATION YOU RETREAT TO THE LAPTOP'S XP WHICH HAS NEVER GIVEN YOU THE SLIGHTEST PROBLEM. ALL TOO SOON YOU UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T KEEP THIS UP. HEY, YOU BOUGHT THE DESKTOP BECAUSE ITS MONITOR WAS LARGER AND BRIGHTER, THEREFORE EASIER TO SEE. EVEN WITH ZOOM CRANKING UP THE FONT, THE LAPTOP SCREEN WASN'T ALL THAT EASY TO SEE TO WRITE WITH ANYMORE, AND STILL ISN'T. YOUR EYE PROBLEM, WHILE TREATABLE IN ONE EYE, ISN'T GOING TO EVER GO AWAY IN THE OTHER. ADMIT THIS, AND START TRAINING YOURSELF TO USE DRAGON. BUT WHERE? WITH vISTA? A PROSPECT TO MAKE YOU CRINGE. TRAIN ON THE XP LAPTOP, THEN RETRAIN ON VISTA, MUTTERING UNPRINTABLE WORDS ABOUT MICROSOFT? OR AT LEAST THINKING THEM SO DRAGON WON'T PICK THEM UP? ALSO GIVE UP READING VISTA FOR DUMMIES, WHICH NEVER HAS AN ANSWER FOR YOUR PARTICULAR PROBLEM AND, ANYWAY, MAKES YOU FEEL INCREDIBLY STUPID. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY GIVE UP WRITING BECAUSE, IF YOU DO, EVEN THE CAT WON'T COME NEAR YOU. A DILEMMA NOT EASY TO SOLVE. AND I'M NOT REAALY SHOUTING AT YOU BY USING CAPS, IT'S JUST THAT i HAVEN'T YET DISVCOVERED A WAY TO GET BIGGER FONT ON THE BLOG, THOUGH THERE MUST BE ONE. MUST STOP BECAUSE IT'S A 90 MILE DRIBE TO GET TO THE RETINAL SPECIALIST WHO IS PROBABLY GOING TO STICK A NEEDLE IN MY LEFT EYE AGAIN TODAY. NO, IT DOESN'T HURT BECAUSE THE EYE IS NUMBED FIRST. ONLY THE IDEA IS PAINFUL. AND SQUIRTING THE AVASTIN BEHIND MY RETINA DOES UMPROVE MY VISION SOME.aLOS THE APPOINTMENT IS PROBABLY WHY THIS ENTIRE BLOG IS ABOUT VISION WITH VISTA. THIS IS ME WITH MY VERY OWN GREEN DRAGON, AUTHOGRAPHING BOOKS AT THE JUNE WISRWA CONFERENCE IN GREEN BAY.JANE (OR MAYBE NOT--LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF GIBBERISH UP THERE INSTEAD OF A PHOTO.)

OOPS

Today was my day to blog and I've been so busy I completely forgot. Please forgive me! Things here have been kind of busy. I have been brainstorming a new book idea and have been buried in research of the Lousiana Bayou.

It was originally going to be a contemporary...then I thought No, I'll make it a historical...but now I'm wavering back to contemp...I guess I just have to start writing and see where it ends up.

I have been travelling quite a bit. I had my annual girl's week ATV trip in July. We came home from that and I turned around to spend this past weekend back in Arkansas at a family reunion. I'm done with travel for now though and its time I return my focus to writing.

I do have to say I'm rather excited about my next release, coming November from Champagne Books. It's a holiday themed novella entitled Noella's Gift. I'll share the trailer with you here:


I'm really looking forward to sharing the book with y'all!

I need to get going. I think I hear the whisper of a still small voice crying out to be heard. A tale is struggling to be written and I must be off!

Huggles until next time!
Donica

Does your mood affect your writing?

Recently a friend of mine made a rather interesting comment. She said that what she reads is related to how she feels. I got to thinking about it and had to agree. I find that not only does my mood affect what I'm reading but what I writing.

With so many things happening around here lately, my mood hasn't been my usual cheery self. There's fires all over southern British Columbia, we even had one a mile or so from our house. To top it all off I'm not acting as advicate for my son - who's special needs - dealing with other family issues and working.

To say my plate is full is an understatement. It has affected my moods, my energy level to. My writing is a bit more grittier of late than normal. I'm working on three projects right now and how I"ve managed to keep them all straight and keep my brain from exploding I don't know. But its made me think so I figured I'd ask this of all the authors.

Do you write according to your overall mood or mentality. I know everyone writes what they know but if you're having a bad day does it reflect in your writing? I'd love to know so drop a comment or shoot me an message.

Talk to you next time.

Acer Aspire One

After much research and lots of helpful feedback from those that have one of these little magic machines (Thank you!), I went out and bought one. Best money I've spent in a while! I love this pint-sized computer--it goes everywhere--and makes keeping up with writing easy and fun. And for reading...it's got lots more extras than a Kindle!

If you're considering getting a 'netbook', I recommend the Acer. It's sturdier than the other books out there and a deal at around $300.00. 160GB HD; webcam; wifi and all the perks...no CD or DVD, though these can be purchased ala cart for the USB ports. (You can find them cheaper on ebay.)

My son broke his leg July 10th and we've had weekly ortho appointments and now physical therapy and my Acer sure has been good company. *BG*

On another note... I just received another great review of Once A Rebel (Book 1 in the Orphan Train series; winner of the 2008 Golden Rose Award for Best Historical Romance.)

You can read it here:

http://fallenangelreviews.com/2009/July/lindal-orphantrain1_oncearebel.htm

Until next time, happy writing...and reading!

Angie A.

www.angelaashtonbooks.com

Amulet of Fate

Once A Rebel

Corsair Cove

available @ www.champagnebooks.com

If I Knew Then What I Know Now

My teenage son recently revealed that his friend was a writer. He asked me to give the young man advice about the writing process and how to get published. The author could have chosen somebody with more experience, but I figured what the heck.

I recently stumbled across an example of my rudimentary writing attempts as a high school senior. I had written a science fiction story about a boy sent to a robot-run summer camp. I uncovered the story in a musty school magazine while cleaning -- uh, rather -- purging the house.

Although I cringed at the passive voice and clunky writing, the story wasn't bad. Just enough snappy dialogue and a little suspense. I liked it.

After high school I didn't pursue writing, choosing art instead. Today, as a relatively new author, what advice did I have to give this kid?

I read the sample he gave me, and it blew me away. It knocked my socks off. It was full of emotion and angst without being whiny. The boy has talent. The following is the the gist of the message I sent to him:

Hello, Joseph,

Let me first say that I'm really impressed by your writing. You have a literary bent, and a voice that reaches inside and yanks out emotion like tissue from a box.

My writing leans toward women's fiction and commercial stuff like thrillers. I don't know how much (my son) told you, but I'll give you a litle background.

Although I always liked writing, I didn't pursue it until just three years ago. I had other interests like art and photography, and of course raising a family LOL.

My handwriting was atrocious, so with the advent of laptop computers I was able to release the stories that had been building in my head. I started out with a simple romance and after several queries to agents, I went for a small electronic publisher.

Sales were modest - so modest that I don't think I broke a hundred bucks with my first book. I wrote another and submitted to a Canadian e-publisher with the hope that it would get distribution to Canadian bookstores. As a result, my book snow its on a major bookchain shelf.

With a third e-pub, I learned about selling a book on spec, and buckling down through stress to meet a deadline.

It proved to be a learning experience. I don't regret going with the small pubs because they taught me a lot about the editing process and how publishing works from the inside.

I follow a lot of agent blogs and joined a critique group. They taught me how to write an effective query letter and how to take criticism. I learned how to network and how to take direction. I connected with the agents and I hope some of them consider me a friend even if I never query them.

I have my reservations about posting my work online. I only post excerpts, or I stick mostly to password protected critique groups or the 'Share Your Work' sections of forums like Absolute Write. I highly recommend this community - they are very supportive and are comprised of writers from teens to established writers to NYT bestsellers. The url is: http://absolutewrite/forums

Lurk for a while, then join if you want.

You can try submitting your short works to magazines. A respected agent brought Glimmer Train to my attention, and many successful submitters went on to great debut novels. Website: http://glimmertrain.com

My favourite agent blogs are:

jetreidliterary.blogspot.com bookendslitagency.blogspot.com nathanbransford.blogspot.com

These agents have tons of advice, and more great publishing blogs are on their sidebars.

If you want a good laugh along with snarky advice from an anonymous NY agent, try misssnark.blogspot.com. She's retired, but her archives are priceless.

A couple more things: Don't go with publishers or agents who ask for money up front. That is called vanity publishing, or simply scams. Money must flow toward the author, not away. Pay your dues and do your time, perfecting the query process and polishing until your manuscripts glow in the dark.

Don't lose patience. Your writing is good enough for respected top publishers and magazines. You just have to find the right one.

You will be sidelined by rejection. Don't be discouraged or insulted. Agents and publishers don't always reject because of bad writing, sometimes it's not the right genre or the right fit. Adjust, go with your heart, and try again.

Don't try to follow EVERYONE's advice. You will be pulled in so many directions you might lose the heart of your stories. Take the advice that works for you and ditch the rest.

Don't lose your passion, Joseph. You already have the talent and the skill to do well. You're entering the adult world of schedules and priorities. Keep writing as a top priority. We all deserve to read it.

Best,
Sandra

Figuring it out

How many times is too many times?

My family and I have an ongoing discussion about how many times reading the same book is too many times. I hate to read the same book more than once. After I know what happens, why bother. (I don't have the same issue with movies, tending to watch them over and over again.) My husband and daughter will read the same book over and over and over again, until I can't stand it. "There are so many other books out there to read! Why are you stuck on that book?" I'll ask in a loud manner. To which they respond, "It's a good book."

Whenever my turn comes up to blog, I never feel like I have the right thing to discuss, but this topic hit me like a ton of bricks two days ago. I'm working on three books right now, not reading, but writing them. Two are completely plotted and just need to be filled in like a coloring book. The other is fresh and new with characters who excite me because they are strangers, who don't have their lives mapped out for me.

I came to the realization that I can no longer plot out a book in its entirety before I write it. My first three books, I let the characters tell me what to do. This was a good way and there were a few surprises, when characters did what they wanted and not what I expected.

I was very excited to start all three of the books, then after meeting with my critique group and my romance writer group's Camp Brainstorming, the stories came to a dead halt. I wasn't interested in what the characters had to say...all because I already knew what was going to happen in the story.

My husband, would disagree with me on this saying that sure I knew all the plotted points in the journey. I knew where the story would make stops, but I didn't know about the side trips, sudden wrong turns and the blissful (my word, not his) "communication" along the way.

I'm having Camp Brainstorming at my parent's camp again this year and I had to make a choice about which group to be in, the writing group, where I get to write for the whole day or the brainstorming group, where my friends would get to help me plan out my whole novel. I debated with myself. I like the social aspect of brainstorming and have great ideas for everyone else (helicopters anyone? Susan?), but what was best for me?

In the end, I chose to be in the writing section to continue to discover the story of Grace, Stone, Divina and Hank.

I hope everyone takes some time to sample all the books out there and try a new author this summer.

Stay safe,

Michelle Libby

http://www.michellelibby.com/

PS. The pictures were taken at camp this summer. Can't imagine a better place to get creative.