Summer Camp for Writers

I love writing conferences. I love to take writing workshops and hone my craft. Sadly, my budget and my calendar don't always support my addictions...so what's a girl to do?

Last year I stumbled across a yahoo group called "Marketing For Romance Writers." I'll give you a minute to check out all their sites:

Group http://is.gd/mfrwgroup
Website http://is.gd/mfrworg
Twitter http://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
Facebook http://is.gd/mfrwfb
Pinterest http://is.gd/mfrw_pin
BlogTalkRadio http://is.gd/mfrw_btr
Coffee Time Forum http://is.gd/mfrw_ctr
MFRW Author Blog http://mfrw-authors.blogspot.com
MFRW Marketing Blog http://mfrw.blogspot.com
Resources http://is.gd/mfrw_resources
Ezine http://is.gd/mfrwpaperli
Newsletter http://is.gd/mfrwnews

Pretty awesome at first glance, right? One of the things that makes this group unique is the one steadfast rule - NO PROMO! Which means everything you get on this group is about helping authors learn and grow their business (because yes, no matter how you're published - or aspiring to be published - THIS is a business!)

This year my budget was looking a little thin for conference travel, so I will not be attending RWA National in Atlanta...but that doesn't mean I can't get my fix of awesome writing workshops!

And it's ALL FREE (and totally interactive...ask questions, get answers!)

And you can attend in your pajamas!

Seriously, what's not to love?

Official Summer Camp blurb:

 We're gearing up for Marketing Summer Camp! The free, three-day workshop begins July 12th and goes until July 14th. All classes will be held in this forum. You'll be able to attend by simply signing in to the forum, reading the topics that interest you, and responding if you have questions. We'll provide handouts (downloads) for each workshop so you can take it with you.

You'll also want to join the Marketing for Romance Writers Yahoo Group -- that's where the nitty gritty of follow up will be. You can post a question, ask for promotional opportunities, share them, and find things like great places to buy cover art, goodies for contests, bookmarks, and so on. Anyone in the literary community is welcome.

Excited? Don't want to miss it? First you need to belong to the MFRW Yahoo group and you need to be a member of CoffeeTimeRomance- both are FREE, so just pop over and register!

Did I mention there are also giveaways and prizes?

So, now you know where I'll be hanging out July 12th through the 14th...will you be there too?

Emotional Writing - The Second Four Stages of Intimacy

Sexual tension and physical intimacy are two things that heat up the pages of a good romance novel. The trick is knowing how to do it, and it's not as easy as a few kisses and then putting your characters in bed!

Last month we got your characters started with the first four stages. They noticed each other with eye to body, moved on to eye to eye, then voice to voice and finally we had contact with hand to hand!

Now it's time to get them closer!

Of course, the length of your story, the heat level you're writing and your characters will all dictate how fast or slow any of the stages last - the idea here is to know them and use them wisely to get the biggest emotional impact.

Arm to Shoulder - Remember being a teenager on a date at the movies and the arm sliding around your shoulders in one suave and casual move? Remember the tingle of excitement at the intimacy, or the boldness, of that move? This is the moment one character has taken the opportunity to move closer...we're invading personal space. Oh la la!

Arm to Waist - For me, this is NOT one to skimp on. This is a big moment. When the hero guides the heroine from a room, into a restaurant, through a crowd and possessively places his hand on the small of her back - yup, this is a MOMENT for me as the reader. This is all about what this implies, this is a physical move and one we can probably all go "aw" to when we see it. We all recognize this as an intimate act. Arm around the waist drawing him/her closer. Now we're turning up the heat!

Mouth to Mouth - Whether tentative or bold, daring and passionate, your characters are about to connect on a new level! Everything about the kiss is sensual. It's all about exploring, about claiming, about FEELING. This is a stage that we continually revisit, in fact, the kiss itself can go through stages of its own...from the simple peck to adding tongue to the moment your character is consumed by soul stirring emotions. THIS is the reason we spend so much time here, why there isn't just one kiss scene. Bring it!

Hand to Head - Usually found with Mouth to Mouth, this is the hand behind the head move. The fingers running down the hero's jawline, the hero brushing the hair from her face to gaze deeply into her eyes before he kisses her again, I think you get it!

All these things together add a layer of physical intimacy for your characters and their story. Now it's up to you to put them together in a way that works. Linger on one stage, rush through another...it's all a part of building the intimate connection between two people. Make the reader feel the connection and the tingle of heat and you're on your way.

If you want to read my post on the first four stages, you can find it here.

Do you have a favorite scene using any of these four stages? I'd love to know.

Emotional Writing - The First Four Stages of Intimacy

So, I've finally jumped head first into my new project and that all important first meeting of the hero and heroine is rushing toward me like a steaming locomotive...which is usually where I panic.

I don't want to rush them, but I do need to start from their very first moment on the page to build the attraction. I need to fan the flames of their intimacy as early as possible to give the reader what I promise from page one to the end...a spicy time travel with an emotionally satisfying HEA.

Everything from heat levels to the length of the story will dictate how quickly your characters will move through each stage.

With that end in sight, I glance over at my handy "12 stages of intimacy" chart and start at the top. Up today, the first four.

EYE TO BODY: We all do it, we've all been on the receiving end of this - whether it's a quick glance up and down or the slow burn of being undressed by his eyes. At this stage, unless they've met before, this is purely physical!

EYE TO EYE: Across the room or over a candlelight dinner. In an elevator or on opposing sides of a conference table - this is the first chance we have to give the glimmer of something more on an emotional level. Cold as steel or warm and inviting, doesn't matter...your hero or heroine is intrigued. Something stirs inside, they can't look away or can't look away fast enough. A split second connection or a need to get lost in the most beautiful eyes they've ever seen. Use it and punch up that emotion early!

VOICE TO VOICE: It's more than the sound, more than the accent, it's the way he says your name. Does the sound of her voice soothe his soul or stir the loins? It's in the whisper in her ear, the way she mumbles under her breath...so much can be conveyed when they speak. Maybe he doesn't even hear her voice, all he sees is her lips moving and losing control isn't too far off :)

HAND TO HAND: First time we have actual physical contact - skin to skin, oh my! Are they hard-working hands, rough and powerful? Is her skin soft and supple, so small in his? Jolts of energy, heat rising up their arms? Tight grips or a casual taking of her hand to lead her out of a crowd - this is a big moment - even if it happens in an instant. Give me that moment of knowing this is more.

And that wraps up the first four for this week...now I'm off to incorporate them into my first meeting scene!

Next week I'll be back with the next four!

Have any tips on using these first stages of intimacy? Do you linger on these or barely give them a few lines?

Happy writing!

Writing Against the Current

Water Show in Atlantic City - May 2013

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
~ Pamela Vaull Starr

If you're a writer, you know this is a business, and not one to undertake if you've got thin skin and no vision.

Chances are if you're a writer and have completed, edited and polished a manuscript within an inch of its life and have sent it out to agents and editors, you've probably heard the following phrase at least once:

"This isn't right for us."

If you read this blog you know I write time-travel romance. If you're new here...now you know what you'll find.  Is it a popular genre with the agents and editors? Hell no.

Would it be easier to follow the stream and write what the agents and editors are buying these days? No, it wouldn't. At least for me.

Writing might be a business (and yes, it most definitely IS a business) but it's one of those careers that you're heart must be in, if you're not passionate about what's going on the page - the reader won't feel that fire either and you're writing will be flat.

Because my heart is in different places and times, that's what I write. I don't fit into a little box. That's not to say I haven't been discouraged along the way. Agents and editors can be blunt and focused on what sells and since it's a business, I can't fault them for not jumping at taking a chance on something that might not fit the style of their house.

I've been told by an agent, "Oh, time travel. Such a tough sell. So many rules of the genre. It's hard to pull off. We don't buy them often." This particular agent didn't even ask the plot or time period...didn't ask for even a query. Just heard time-travel and tuned out.

I've been told by an editor, "Don't bother even sending a query if it doesn't follow the current theory of quantum time travel." 

Hmmm...I read to escape. Last time I checked time travel wasn't really happening - but you know there are so many vampires and zombies running amok in my town, it's getting harder and harder to escape reality. So what do I know? I guess the average romance reader is a physicist and needs to be grounded in reality. Who knew?

So, while bucking the trends isn't an easy task...with the rise of self-publishing at least authors in my shoes have options. We are no longer at the mercy of agents and editors or feel we must be stuffed into little boxes of what's considered acceptable.

All of this doesn't mean I don't continue to write what I love and send it out into the world. I do, because I believe in my work and I am an optimist. But, with all the new options available to me, I'm not quite as devastated when I hear it's not right for anyone. Variety is the spice of life and while time travel might not be for everyone...it does have a niche.

I'm going to continue my travels against the current.

Are you writing what you love?

Plotting, Post-it Notes and Persistence

When I find something I like...It's usually pretty obvious.

Yes, these post-it notes are a good sampling of what you'll find on my desk, in my drawers and stashed away in the office supply cabinet of my house. (Don't judge me, I can't help myself. It's a sickness. I wonder if there's a 12-step program to cure an addiction to post-it notes?)

Now imagine a whole workshop devoted to plotting (usually my biggest roadblock and cause for hours of time spent staring into space) and that workshop requires POST-IT notes!

Okay, so give me a minute while I jump for joy.

Over the years I've been perfecting (haha) the craft of writing romance fiction, I have been persistent in my attempts to plot before I sit down to write.

I've got a huge white board of destiny with squares that I often stick my sticky notes to where I plot the major events and follow characters through conflicts and resolutions. But no matter how hard I try my method just seems to be lacking something.

This weekend I have a feeling I'm going to find out exactly what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it.

The Long Island Romance Writers are hosting a plotting, layering and texturing workshop with the wonderfully talented New York Times Bestseller, Cherry Adair.

As every writer will tell you, there are a hundred ways to plot (and some of us don't plot at all.) And I am always fascinated to hear the process of another author. But at the end of the day, the thing to remember is that we are all different and our ways of achieving a working and believable plot CAN be as different as the stories we write. Taking all the ideas of others who successful plot time and time again and making it work for you and your style, is what this game is all about.

This weekend I get to play with sticky notes, spend hours plotting my next book and enjoy the company of 50 authors!

Do you get excited about plotting? Do you love post-it notes?

Welcome to the judgement free zone!

Word Confusion

Who's ready for some word fun?

Today I'm having fun with Homonyms!

You know those words that sound the same but have very different meanings?

Yes...I'm talking about word confusion. We all know and nitpick the most obvious ones, like they're, their, and there, but never fear...this is the English language and there are plenty more confusing words where those came from!

Remember being in elementary school and making lists of these fun word pairs? Sail/sale, plane/plain, main/mane, etc.

Well, as I'm typing along in my manuscripts every day...these pesky words have a way of showing up! 

Here are a few examples:

Are you fazed (to be disconcerted) when you hit the editing phase (a distinct stage) of preparing your manuscript?

I often daydream as I walk down the aisle (walkway) of the grocery store wishing I was on a desert isle (island.)

Her voice was hoarse (rough voice) from calling the horse (equine.)

He carried the load (cargo) of dynamite to the entrance of the mine in hopes he'd find the mother lode (mineral vein).

Her mother-in-law should get a medal (award) for her ability to meddle (to interfere.)

And there are so many more, I could go on and on...

But, I won't.

Instead I'm going to point you in the direction of Alan Cooper's Homonym List, so your head can spin like mine did when I found it...who knew there so many ways to trip us up?

I'll confess that effect and affect are usually the ones that get me, I always have to stop and think about which one I really want to use.

And now, I think I will take care of my poor head and go pour myself a drink!

Confession time!

What homonyms do you catch yourself confusing?

Make an entrance on page one!

When I first created stories in my head and then on paper - a long time ago - I had no idea there were any "rules" for writing a novel that would sell.

Then I met other writers, I went to conferences, met agents and editors and joined critique groups...then I was introduced to the rules of writing. (Wow, what an eye opener for a newbie!)

One of the first things I did as a new writer was to go out and buy books on learning the craft of writing. Yup...we all do it (and I still do!)

Robert's Rules of Writing - 101 unconventional lessons every writer needs to learn was one of my first purchases. It's not a guide, and it doesn't really teach the craft of writing, what it does do is dispel a few myths and shares a few facts on writing for publication.

My tip today is Robert's Rule #42: Make an Entrance.

Or as most of us have heard countless times, "start in the right place!"

Such an easy thing to say, sometimes such a hard thing to do. It's hard to filter out the backstory. But to get the reader engaged from page one, you have to start with something that's going to make them want to read more - not a frolic through the woods picking daisies along the way and them WHAM the real action starts three pages in (or worse, in chapter two!)

With attention spans what they are today - how many people are going to stick with your meandering through perfectville long enough to get to the action? And you can forget an agent or editor making it that far either.

The truth is that while everyone wants peace and happiness in their own daily lives - they don't want to read about it. Peace and harmony don't make for good fiction!

And here's where your grand entrance comes in.

Start with a first line that captures attention or at least grabs the readers attention and makes them think.

And since I don't believe in telling and not showing (haha, a little writing humor...) I've got a few examples from my own work, both published and a work-in-progress:

A Fistful of Fate
Copyright 2010
Lyrical Press

William Montgomery stood in the shadowed doorway and watched the woman he’d waited two hundred years for kiss another man. But Reginald Merriweather wasn’t just any man. He was the man William blamed for Rebecca Beauregard’s death all those years ago, a crime Will had been accused of and paid for. With his own life.

**

Surrender to the Sheriff

WIP

It's time.

Two simple words.

Written in the familiar handwriting of Grandma Rose on a single sheet of pale pink paper and delivered by mail exactly two years after her death.

**

Are those few lines enough to convince you to read on?

Have you considered your first few lines and if taken all alone, are they enough to grab the reader to at least get them to finish the page, to turn the page and hopefully keep going?

 

Have a great first line you'd like to share?

 

He said, she said

What I'm reading: The Lawman by Lily Graison

 Latest on my iPod: Zac Brown Band

Oh, the dreaded dialogue tag.

"I'm going to the store," he said.

"Don't forget the cookies," she said.

So boring, right?

Sure you might be tempted to open your handy thesaurus and find a better, more exciting word to replace "said" - but should you?

It's so tempting when facing the same word over and over to think about getting creative. After all, as writers, isn't that what we strive to do? Aren't we told to keep the repetitive words to an absolute minimum?

Not so fast..."said" IS hands down your best choice for a dialogue tag (and you don't always need a tag anyway, but that's a whole blog post on it's own!)

Why? Because it's invisible.

My big blue thesaurus gives me plenty of options. It says I can exclaim, declare, or announce. I could also disclose, comment or utter. And if it fits your character and your dialogue, these words would all be perfectly correct. Too bad, being perfectly correct isn't always what works best in fiction.

Every time you search for a new, more interesting word to replace "said," you run the risk of pulling your reader from the story, you run the risk of that one word standing out in the middle of your sparkling dialogue. And if your reader pauses to think about your word choice - you've lost the momentum of the scene.

Your dialogue is what needs to shine, not your dialogue tag!

As a new writer, I admit this was a tough nut for me to crack (before I found critique partners, I honestly had no idea this was even an issue.) Once it was pointed out to me that not every bit of dialogue needs to end in something more creative than the last one - I took notice of the books I was reading. And low and behold, my favorite authors slipped in the word "said" all over the place. Wow, I'd never even noticed...which is exactly the point!

It's the one place in your story being boring is your best choice.

(Confession: I love to use uttered, muttered, yelled and shouted in my first draft for only my eyes to see, then I edit them all out before my lovely critique ladies ever see them!)

Have some thoughts on the word "said?" I'd love to hear them!

It's Conference Weekend Time!

Writing is a solitary profession. Sure I love to skip all around the internet entertaining myself (and hopefully a few of you!) along the way on Twitter and Facebook - but when I'm working on my books, it's just me and the words on the page.

At least once a year I try to attend a writing conference. Sometimes on a grand and overwhelming scale, like RWA National or sometimes on a smaller, regional and much more intimate scale, like the NJRW Conference. And New Jersey is where I'm headed today!

My favorite things about a conference:

* Meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

* Putting faces to names I see online.

* The networking.

* The brainstorming.

* The workshops.

* The celebrations of success and the consolations of some of our defeats.

Even if just for the weekend, a conference has a way of filling my writer's well with hope, vision and renewed determination to get the books done. There's nothing like being in a hotel full of romance writers to pump up the motivation and redirect my focus. I always come home inspired by the keynote speeches and from the success of my friends.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" ~ Wayne Gretsky

Which is my world translates to, "Oprah can never recommend my book if I don't sit my ass down and write it!"

All the energy of a writing conference is part of my job, it's part of my motivation and I'm looking forward to all the little tidbits of information I will gathering this weekend.

Have a great weekend my friends!

Colorful Writing ~ Yellow

Looking to add some color to your writing? Today I'm featuring the color of sunshine, gold and lemons.

YELLOW

Yellow is associated with a "sunny disposition" and being "joyful."

A room painted yellow is considered warm and uplifting.

The human eye is drawn to the bright hues of yellow, making it stand out and easily noticed, making it useful for hazard signs, emergency vehicles, the taxi cab and school bus.

The scent of lemons is instantly refreshing and rejuvenating. Adding the hint of lemon to your scene creates of sense of freshness that everyone can smell and instantly conjure in their own minds.

Yellow is different cultures:

From http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow.html

In Chinese culture, yellow is associated with earth. The Chinese have placed a predominance upon the color yellow not seen elsewhere in the world. It was the color of emperors during both the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty. 

In India, yellow is the color of the Vaisya caste, or farmers, and is the color Hindus wear to celebrate the Festival of Spring.

Yellow signifies “sadness” in Greece’s culture and “jealousy” in France’s culture.

Yellow variations include gold, lemon, saffron, butter, amber, citrine, maise, straw, mustard, goldenrod, jonquil, canary yellow, cat's eye and tiger eye.

Close your eyes and think about a field of yellow tulips or sunflowers swaying in the light summer breeze. How do you feel? How about with sunshine warming your face, a cold glass of lemonade in your hand? Can you imagine the lure of a golden nugget for the miner panning in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada? How that glint of shimmering gold in the pan could ignite a frenzy? (Why, yes, I am writing a gold rush story at the moment, how could you tell? LOL!)

I hope today I've inspired you to think about yellow and the way it makes you feel, so you can add some color and feeling to your next scene!

How does yellow make your feel? Do you have a favorite shade of yellow?

And if you're not tired of me yet today...please stop by and visit my interview with Cynthia Woolf on her blog!

A Rose by any other name...

As Shakespeare so eloquently said, "a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."

Is that true in a novel?

Are all the names an author can choose for their characters created equal?

No. I don't believe an author can just pull any name that makes them feel good at the moment out of the air and stick it on their hero or heroine. One size does not fit all!

Honestly, naming my kids was easier than it is to name my characters - and I don't have an easy last name to pair that perfect first name with!

The first thing to take into consideration is the time period of your story. Nothing pulls me out of a story quicker than a heroine named Tiffany in a Medieval (unless it's a time travel and she's a modern day heroine.) There are plenty of research books on period names, some name books will even given the origin of the name and the approximate date it was first recorded to be used - make use of those resources! It only takes a few minutes of your time and your readers will appreciate the attention to detail.

Want to ensure I don't make it past the back blurb and your book doesn't come home with me or get loaded into my Nook? Give your characters names I can't pronounce!  This could just be me, but nothing frustrates me more than a name that I'm not sure about and make up the pronunciation on my own - this means that as I read in my head I am spending more time trying to figure out the character name and how to say it than anything else. Not really what most authors are going for.

Getting back to Rose...let's face it, some names just conjure up an image in your head. A hero named Jack or Max is definitely going to give me a different impression than say, Milton. Yes, if you name your heroine Rose, I'm going to think soft and sweet (I have a sister-in-law named Rosie, and she IS sweet!)

Now, the real fun begins - how do you choose your character name?

I use a combination of name books - some with origins and meanings, and another involving letter sounds and personality traits. I usually have an idea of the personality of my character and of course, the time period that book will be in. Then I start pulling names that fit both time and personality and start picturing my character being called my chosen name - in anger, in a conversation, and in the throes of passion.

If I like the name in all three situations, I've got a winner!

What's your process or what's your character name pet peeve?