Five Scribes

The Sandy's Back!

2009-11-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Bigger and Better than ever. The Sandy is back.

I hope you all have been busy writing and polishing your pages 'cause I’ve been working hard to find great new final judges for the 2010 Sandy—and I got some real gems again this year, folks! Check them out at www.thesandy.org. Please note that the URL for The Sandy has changed for dot com to dot org.

Also, I’m pleased to say that we’ve added a new genre, so now mystery writers will have their own score sheet—though they will be competing in the same category as suspense & thrillers. The final judge is Mark Tavani—Sr editor at Ballantine Books.

We’ve got a brand new website, chocked full of all sorts of helpful information. So check it out and spread the word!

Critique Groups: Love 'em or hate 'em -- they're an important writing tool

2009-11-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

If you've been writing fiction as long as I have, you form a few opinions. Think back to your very first manuscript. Now fast forward to the ideally several manuscripts that you've completed since then. Are you the same writer you were when you reached THE END of number one?

Probably not. If you are, there might be a problem. If you're still working on number one, ask yourself why. And if you're submitting, getting no response or little feedback on your rejection letters, maybe it's time to take a look at that also.

Above all, if you haven't had any luck, can't understand why, and you haven't done so already, you might want to join a critique group.

If you're a new writer, my number one advice is to join one with more experienced writers than you are. While that might sound intimidating, that is the only way (unless you're that rare storytelling natural) that you are going to grow as a writer. You can read every book on the shelf, but until you apply craft and writing technique to your own work, e.g. develop your voice, you won't improve as a writer.

I can't tell you how much I've learned from my first book to my now sixth completed project -- not to mention all the partials stuffed deep in my drawers -- thanks to my critique partners. Comments I received in book number one were -- you've gone into omniscient POV and just blew up your POV character; you have too many POVs; you're in the incorrect POV; you're head-hopping; too many words; weak action verbs; and your research is showing.

And those are just the comments I can remember. If you listen to experienced critique partners, something will happen from one project to the next. Those new writer comments will go away. You're going to find in the next book, they'll move on to more complex writing issues. GMC (goal, motivation and conflict). Why would your hero do that? This action seems out of character? Your protagonist doesn't seem three-dimensional to me; what's his back story? Up your pacing here, this chapter is dragging. Need a transition here....

These comments may seem tough to hear, and often they're downright painful. But they are invaluable to a professional writer. It may feel fantastic to get a critique that says oh, my gosh, I love your writing, I wouldn't change a thing! Nice ego boost, but that comment isn't going to get you published. Best advice I ever received. Don't fall in love with your words.

Another helpful tip I've learned over the years when you're in a critique group is to listen -- don't argue. It does you no good to try to explain what you meant. Take it all in, sit back and let a partner's words sink in from one meeting to the next. It's your story, and it's up to you whether or not to change it.

Another thing to consider when you're a member of a critique group is: Are they helping? A critique group isn't a marriage. You've joined to help you improve. It's okay to say this isn't working and move on to one that will help you. If a critique group is destructive or seems intensely negative, run do not walk away from this energy. This will only make you doubt yourself further -- and let's face it, there's no one more full of self- doubt than a writer ;)

Not sure how to find a critique group? Join your local writers' organization or ask about them on line. If your organization has Open Critique, go and go often. This may be the best way to establish a new group or to get an objective viewpoint.

These are my opinions regarding critique groups. Like anything in this biz, it's subjective. How about you? What do you value in a critique? What's the best -- or worst -- advice you've ever received? Are you still with your original critique group, or have you moved on? Or have you quit altogether and prefer to write alone?

I'd love to hear your stories and what you've taken away from them. I'm a member of an in-town and an on-line critique group and find their comments invaluable. I feel they make me a better writer.

60 Days to PRO

2009-11-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of RWA ® wrapped up the first annual 60 Days to PRO event. From September 1 until October 30, we offered inspirational quotes, free workshops, pitch opportunities on our members-only blog and chat room, progress trackers, chat room sprint sessions, incentive awards, and more to our members. In exchange, they worked on completing their novels, submitting query letters, and sending in their applications to gain RWA® PRO status.

Our published authors stepped up, presenting free versions of their workshops to both our PRO and wannabe PRO authors. Our members stepped up, taking all the wonderful opportunities offered to them and finishing their novels, writing query letters and synopses, pitching their novels to agents and editors, earning PRO status, sharing their daily "pearls" with others, and more.

It was an amazing whirlwind month. And it was so successful, we're expanding it next year. Instead of focusing on moving more members into PRO status, we'll focus on moving all of our members straight to PAN...or from PAN to bestseller...or from bestseller to phenom.

I'm already excited about next year even as I'm trying to recuperate from this year's event. The amazing feedback we've received has literally ~~brought tears to my eyes~~ given me allergies. Don't worry, they were the good kind.

If you want to join the fun, I encourage you to try this in your own organization. (Or you can always join FF&P, of course!) It was a lot of work, but it was worth every minute to see the amazing progress our members have made in their writing careers.

Breathing Life Into Characters

2009-11-02T00:13:00.000-08:00

Audra here : )

If you've written with the intention of selling to the romance market for as long as I have, undoubtedly you've attended more workshops and read more books on the techniques of writing than you could ever count. It's continuing education, right? You never know what online class or workshop is going to make that light bulb go off in your head and give you a clear vision of everything that you've been doing wrong all these years.

Well, that of course is if you are an extremist. Personally, I think I do a lot of things right, it's just not the right editors are looking for : )

Over a year ago, I queried an established agent, well-known in romance marketing circles and she responded with a request for a partial. Oh happy day! I whisked my partial out the door with high hopes that this agent would consider representing me. Much to my surprise, a few days later I received an email from her. Even though she passed on representing me, we did email back and forth about the the proposal I'd sent.

First of all, she said I had talent and a unique voice and she assured me she thought I'd be published someday. She even liked the proposal I'd sent except for one thing: the plot felt contrived.

Contrived?

How does a SOTP writer create a contrived plot?

Hopefully we've all attended a workshop on deep POV. If you haven't, sign up for the next available slot with an author whose work you love. Deep POV brings out the heart of your characters and gives them reasons to do the things they do.

Okay. I thought I understood this.

Obviously not.

Back to my original point. You take variations of tried and true classes and workshops hoping someday the *aha* moment will burst forth and you'll get whatever everyone else seems to have gotten.

Last month I read a blog post by my friend Missy Tippens. Missy talked at length about ANOTHER craft book called The Story Within Guidebook. Caught my interest to the point where I visited Alicia Rasley's site and ordered a copy. Best decision I've made all year.

Alicia makes the concept of deep POV a perfectly painless concept. She takes you through the hows and whys of getting to know your character and anticipating their behavior. You learn to understand the character.

I know most writers have a copy of GMC: Goals, Motivation, Conflict book by Debra Dixon. Excellent book. Everything she says about dissecting The Wizard of Oz makes sense. Only problem, I had a difficult time applying the GMC to my own work. Is that an internal or external goal? If that's my goal, what is my motivation? My conflict has nothing to do with my characters goals or motivations.

Where are Munchkins when you need them??

Alicia doesn't give you the answers. She asks the questions that make you think about your book so you can answer them yourself. Clever idea, huh?

Not every method works for everyone. I'm so glad I finally found a method that works for me. Maybe now I won't be rewriting my drafts a ba-billion times and still coming up contrived : )

BTW, I have an open-ended invitation to submit my work to the above mentioned agent. By jove, this time I think I've got it : )

Blessings to all!

-audra

What do Elliptical Trainers & Writing Have To Do With Each Other

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not kidding. We finally got our coveted LifeFitness Elliptical Trainer today and I jumped on. (Okay it was awhile ago I started this post...like in the summer, and now it's snowing in OCT!!)

Well, I can walk a mean pace on the treadmill and ride a decent hill on the bike or hike up the trails of Chautauqua Park, but when I got on the elliptical, I was stunned at how hard it was, using muscles I hadn't used for a long...long time.

So after I got off 10 measly minutes later and covered in a film of sweat....er, I glistened, I thought about how we all need to cross train our writing muscles.

I write suspense, drama, action adventure, scripts, even romance but no comedy. And people think I'm funny (I don't think I'm funny)...so maybe I need to try a romantic comedy.

Try and not be afraid if it stinks.

I heard a friend of mine speak at his High School Honors Dinner and he said, I'm paraphrasing here, we tend to be afraid to make mistakes for fear people will think less of us. That is so true. So after I'm done with my current script, I'm going to tackle this...

NEWS FLASH

I'm tackling it...Oh My Goodness, it's not easy.

For fun and likely needed therapy, I'm going to periodically nuggets of wisdom I've found while writing this RomCom (Romantic Comedy.) So stay tuned...and you can learn with me and pick me up when I'm down.

SO.....

What are you going to do to exercise your writing muscles?

Let me know.

~LA

Frustrations, Comfort and Cravings

2009-10-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me, knows I’m a submission slut. I ALWAYS have material being looked at by agents and editors. If it’s not out there; ya can’t sell it people. So I get a fair amount of rejections—and my rejections lately have been particularly frustrating. “Though there is much to like and admire about this work, I’m afraid I didn’t connect well enough with the material to offer representation at this time.” Well, shoot. How’re supposed to learn from that? I’ve never heard of a workshop on “Helping Agents Connect with Your Book.” Perhaps once I bust through, I’ll have to give that workshop.

You must realize that I’m NOT whining here—I don’t whine. To everything there is a season and my time will come. But I have to share that I really found comfort in Kristin Nelson’s Blog .

From what Kristin reports, it seems that NY Publishers are playing it safe—safer than usual. If they can’t see how to break a book out in a big way, they don’t want it—despite it’s many admitted strengths. If they don’t see it as a blockbuster book, they’re passing—or if they don’t see it fitting a very narrow, proven genre—like Kristen’s example of say, something like dark YA angsty romance, then they are also passing. She admits it takes courage and chutzpah to take a chance on a book they don’t envision as a “big, breakout book”, but she’d appreciate a little vision.

And I couldn’t agree more, but I’d like to take it even a step further—or maybe it’s the same step, really. I’m not quite sure. I’d like some variety and balance in the reading selections offered. Though I know some close friends who probably will take issue with this sentiment. I'm REALLY tired of vampires, zombies, and serial killers. They've had a LONG run and I'm ready for a choice of interesting long contemporary romances among other things.

Silly as it seems, I’d love a great Bewitched-style book. I always appreciate a little magic in my life. Heck, I’d write it myself if my talents at all leaned in that direction, but sigh, they don’t. Perhaps they’re there and I’m just missing them.

What about you? What are your eyeballs tired of scanning on bookshelves and what would you LOVE to read more of?

Do you write to the seasons?

2009-10-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

It's clear that the publishing industry will save a book for a seasonal release. I suspect P.J. Alderman's Haunting Jordan www.pjalderman.com was packaged to come out around Halloween. And while this makes sense from a marketing standpoint, it got me thinking while I was out raking my mountain of leaves last week: Do you write to a season? If you're sitting by a warm fire drinking hot chocolate, do you have an urge to write a beach scene? If a new book pops into your head, do you write it based on the time of year you're in, or is the time of year irrelevant?

Since we're approaching Halloween, does it bring out your scary muse? Or can you just as well write about Valentine's Day? Does Thanksgiving give you the urge to write about family and friends and old lang syne? Or can you write about the Easter bunny?

It might be a fun escape if you're able. Particularly if you live in Colorado and snow covers your driveway and you're up to your neck in flannel and thermal socks. Stay warm, everyone, and whatever season you're in, I hope you savor it. Happy writing whatever the time of year.

Proof of Life: Exactly who is Misty Evans?

2009-10-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

If you remember several months ago, I hauled Misty Evans into my interrogation room for a little chat. The former Marketing grad, wife and mother of twins tried every which way to convince me she was just that. I fell for it then. But what's that old saying? Fool me once? It's time to shame Misty Evans into a full-blown confession. You'll never believe what she's written this time. A book called Proof of Life. It's the third book in Evan's Super Spy series, and this time the story's about that hunk...I mean CIA Deputy Director Michael Stone.

I'm telling you, nobody can make up details like this without firsthand knowledge. It's back to the interrogation room, and this time, I'm showing no mercy.

http://fivescribes.blogspot.com/2008/09/research-likely-story-deciphering-of.html

D.B.: Welcome back, Misty. You look a little surprised to see me.

M.E.: Hello, D. Do you have bugs in your coffee pot again? I assume that's the only reason you'd insist I return to Five Scribes.

D.B.: Ah, the old CIA trick of trying to put me on the defensive. Did you think I wouldn't read Proof of Life to find out what you've been up to? Tell me about this Dr. Brigit Kent person. She's not a U.S. citizen, and yet she works for Homeland Security. Her brother's a well known IRA terrorist. You expect your readers to believe she's one of the good guys?

M.E.: Yes, she's definitely one of the good guys -- but she has a lot to hide, and her sister to rescue, so sometimes the lines between right and wrong get blurred! Brigit did obtain U.S. citizenship as a child. She's working for Homeland Security as a consultant to the president, but she's also undercover for the British Secret Intelligence Service.

D.B.: A double spy, eh? And you know this... how?

M.E.: Because I wrote it that way. You see, the SIS has covered up the facts about her half-brother, Peter, and her family has kept him a secret as well. One of her greatest fears is that Michael will find out just how screwed up her family is.

D.B.: As well she should be. Your books are just full of secrets, Ms Evans. Secrets I feel it's my duty to expose. So Dr. Kent just happens to be a consultant to the president who finds herself dead center in a little girl's kidnapping. A psychotherapist who just happens to be a code breaker. C'mon, Misty, come clean. How do you know all this stuff?

M.E.: Simple. People are one giant code to Brigit, so breaking down what makes them tick is no different to her than deciphering a code. She's an excellent observer and knows how to take the pieces of any puzzle and put them together into something identifiable. She ends up involved in the kidnapping because she sees the pattern no one else sees.

As for me, I know this stuff because I have a cool source who consults for Homeland Security and she's full of interesting facts that make my imagination run wild! (I also did a lot of research. I even read books by Steven Pinker, who's an experimental psychologist and cognitive scientist. He's fascinating and his ideas blew me away! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pinker)

D.B.: Don't you worry, I will check him out. And, if necessary, bring him in, too! I find it more than a little coincidental that Brigit and her sister Tory were kidnap victims as children, and that Tory's sympathies lie with their criminal half-brother while Brigit's out for justice. Explain that one!

M.E.: One of the reasons Brigit is so good at her job is because she was kidnapped as a child. She understands the minds of victims as well as the way kidnappers work. And while her kidnapping and subsequent death of her mother drives Brigit to work for the U.S., British and Irish governments to bring justice to criminals, her sister Tory has joined Peter's group because she, too, wants justice. She's however, chosen a different path to obtain it -- one that goes against everything that Brigit believes in. Trust me, you'll like her.

D.B.: Let me decide if I like her or not. I must admit she has had her share of conflict. Poor Brigit ... (Interrogator hardens heart, refuses to be swayed. Picks up Misty's latest cover of Proof of Life and stares dreamily. Clears throat.) You expect me to believe that someone as rock solid as Deputy Director Michael Stone wouldn't look into Brigit's past, and even more astonishing, he would fall for Dr. Kent -- and not me?

M.E.: Michael does look into Brigit's past and puts his best undercover operative, Conrad Flynn, on her tail. As the story progresses, Michael discovers she's quite a conundrum, and he has a rough time figuring out whether he can trust her or not. At one point, she's being accused of being the one who's kidnapped his niece, but because he can read people so well, he doesn't believe it, even when all the evidence points to Brigit. All through the story, he wonders the same thing as you (well, almost ;) -- why he's so attracted to her. In the end, though, he realizes her heart is pure and she's the woman for him. (Sorry D.).

D.B.: Interrogator wipes eyes and sniffs. What about Conrad and Julia, Zara and Lawson? People came to care about them, you know. Sheba won a 2008 Reviewer's Choice Award from eCata Romance and a 4-star review from RT. Tell the truth. Do we see these fantastic characters again? Or like all of you CIA-types, are they merely collateral damage?

M.E.: Wow, you're really being tough on me today! Conrad and Julia play big parts in Proof of Life, and Zara and Lawson find out they're going to have a baby, so, yes, all the main characters (and a few of the minor characters) from Operation Sheba and I'd Rather In Paris appear in Proof of Life. I had THE best time bringing all of my super agents together and even Smitty, Del and Ace got to tag along.

D.B. : You're smooth, I'll give you that much. You seem to have an answer for everything. What happens next, Misty? Do you return to Washington?

M.E.: Okay, okay, Donnell, you win. Yes, I'm returning to Washington to consult with the president, the director of the CIA and a Homeland Security team about a new army of spies that will take us into the next decade of counterintelligence. And while I'm working on that, I'm guest blogging all over the web and giving away free copies of Proof of Life. Readers can find me at:

Friday, October 23rd www.nanamalone.com/blog

Tuesday, October 27th, www.yougottareadguest.blogspot.com

Thursday, October 29th, www.romconinc.com

In the meantime, anyone who comments here today on Five Scribes is also eligible to win an ecopy of Proof of Life! I'd especially like to hear which of my characters (like Smitty, Del or Michael's Secret Service agent, Brad) should get their own story in the fourth Super Agent book. Thank you, Donnell and Five Scribes, for insisting I visit with you again. Now, I insist on checking the coffee pot.

Interrogator shakes head. All right, readers, while Misty wastes her time checking for nonexistent bugs, know this. You're invited to interrogate her, too. And whoever does, might just wind up with is or her own copy of Proof of Life. Then it won't be only me who's suspicious, we'll all be out to read Misty Evans! Questions? Comments?

CONGRATULATIONS TO ELLEN! MISTY DREW YOUR NAME AND YOU HAVE WON PROOF OF LIFE! GLAD YOU'VE JOINED THE TEAM, ELLEN.... WE'LL COMPARE NOTES AND I'M SURE YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME THERE'S MORE TO MISTY EVANS THAN THERE SEEMS ~ HAPPY READING, EVERYONE!

Heart of Denver's Outstanding Mini-conference

2009-10-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Audra wrote an interesting post a couple of weeks ago called Lurking through Conferences. To be sure, it's a great way to keep our writing blood pumping and our pocketbooks in check. Another way is to attend conferences close by. Saturday, Heart of Denver put on a stellar conference, inviting Agent Laura Bradford and Author Shirley Jump to speak.

Wonderful topics, reasonably priced, I was indeed happy and excited to attend.

Each of these speakers give workshops, and without infringing on their topics, I'd like to share what I got out of their talks. Laura Bradford, presented How to Catch Flies: Choosing Your Own Business Reputation. First and foremost, she emphasized that writing is a business and that what we do when we write our blogs, post our messages to our writing loops and more is no longer confidential -- it's out there -- forever. Just as in the workplace, what we say and write gets out there -- Ms. Bradford's suggestion was to keep things professional, do not engage, no matter how tempting the subject is or how badly somebody pushes our hot buttons.

Ms. Bradford also took questions and pitch appointments to the delight of attendees. If you have a chance to hear her present this workshop, it's well worth attending.

Margie Lawson introduced New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump who then presented Scene Transitions and Hooks that Keep Readers Reading (complete with an adorable slide show and graphics), followed by Show Me You Can Write, Don't Tell me.

I love these types of workshops because not only did she give handouts citing examples, Ms. Jump engaged the audience and had them participate in writing exercises. In this conference attendee's opinion, these types of workshops are the most effective. We all know that the speaker can write; that's why she's there. But when she shows the audience they can do it too -- talk about Show Don't Tell -- that's why I highly recommend Shirley Jump's workshops.

HODRW Contest coordinator Grace Laralde announced winners of the 2009 Molly and the 2009 Aspen Gold http://www.hodrw.com/2009-MollyFinalists.htm and the 2009 Aspen Gold www.hodrw.com/2009-AGFinalists.htm

Congratulations to the winners and finalists.

And thank you to Heart of Denver http://www.hodrw.com/ including but not limited to President-elect Cher Gorman, Patricia Morgan, Alice Burton, Margie Lawson, Linda Fillingim and Grace Laralde. When people put on a great conference, with clearly a lot of time and energy involved, I think people should know about it.

The Italian lunch was wonderful, the hospitality and the camaraderie appreciated. Well done and thank you!

What do dysfunctional Families Look Like?

2009-10-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Yesterday I was to participate in a mass blogging, but I'm up in the mountains and had trouble with my internet connection, so unfortunately, I'm a day late. But hopefully this'll still work and be fun. WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a group of

blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We're celebrating the release of Therese Walsh's debut novel yesterday. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that

helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit The Muffin to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese's website to find out more about the author."

Family relationships are complex and usually rife with conflict, which is why I too love to write about them. Okay, so I admit it's also great therapy--and cheaper than going to a therapist! Now that I've survived three teenagers and am living through the last child's angst-filled teenage years, I'm keenly reminded that dysfunctional is such a strange label—and far more common than one would credit.

This isn’t the 1950’s anymore and I’m not sure that the leave-it-to-Beaver families aren’t FAR in the minority. Perhaps dysfunctional families were common in the 50’s too, but hid under a shadow of shame and now-a-days it’s more in vogue to almost brag about family dysfunction or because the communication venues weren’t nearly as plentiful today, family problems simply weren’t splashed across the news and internet, hence they didn’t seem to exist.

Whatever the reason, I think the dynamics behind family dysfunctions are fascinating. When exploring dysfunctional families, I often discover not truly evil parents and family members who wish to harm others, but more weak or misguided people trying to do the best they can with what they have—and sometimes their best simply isn’t good enough.

What do you all think?

Lurking through Conferences

2009-10-05T00:57:00.000-07:00

When you can't afford the conference registration fee and the conference you'd love to attend is being hosted in your home state, and friends from all around the country will be there...

And you won't because of that silly money issue...what do you do?

You politely enter through the front doors of the hotel and join the fun after hours : )

Yes, that was my dilemma this year at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference (ACFW) hosted in Denver, Colorado. So close to home, how could I just turn my back on the event of the year?

All of the pieces fell into place perfectly this year:

I have my manuscript currently under consideration, so I didn't have to try for an editor appointment;

Saving the conference fee now allows me to purchase the workshop tapes to enjoy all through the year while walking the dog after work;

I lurked the conference with two good friends who also could not afford the fee;

If you are familiar with the Seekerville blog, we are 15 women who banded together 4 years ago to encourage each other through to publication. None of us were published when the group formed, now only 4 are left. Anyway, this is the first time all 15 of us have been at the same conference together! Couldn't miss that!

Don't get me wrong, attending the conference the conventional method is really the best way, but in these economical times, I really had to weigh my options. I'm still thanking God for bringing the conference to me when I couldn't go to it : )

AND, the beauty of the entire experience stemmed from what my friends and I could do for the other attendees! Since we couldn't attend the workshops, Tina scouted out the best places to take visitors and we escorted groups of conference attendees and/or their spouses with a little time on their hands on tours of Denver. Tina and I had vehicles so transportation was not a problem. We investigated the light rail system in Denver with great fun and success. We tried the free shuttle service in downtown Denver to make the most of our Friday evening excursion to Ted Turner's Montana Grill.

Of course, night time gave me the opportunity to socialize with the Seekers and other conference attendees. How fun was that! I mingled with friends, authors, agents, editors and anyone else who bumped into me. Hi Margie Lawson! Great seeing you!!

Okay, truth to tell. I haven't stayed up until one in the morning for 4 consecutive nights in a long time. By Sunday afternoon, I was cooked. But I had a smile on my face : )

I attended the booksigning and purchased books. Since we had so many Seekers signing their books that afternoon, I took tons of pictures while they did their jobs : )

One more perk. In these days of additional fees on airlines, I loaded up my SUV with extras from the conference for my buds and mailed them out the next day so they didn't have to lug them onto the airplanes and pay far more than postage just to bring goodies home.

What did I get out of my conference experience? A lot. I found it good for the soul to just kick back and socialize without the rush of trying to get your money's worth out of the event. I had nothing to pitch, so I chatted with editors and agents on a social level. I loved providing entertainment for those visiting Denver.

All in all, the ACFW conference was an event not to be missed.

And I didn't : )

Writing Larger Than Life

2009-10-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

When I settle into my seat at a theatre, or snuggle down with a new book, I'm anticipating a story that’ll whisk me away from my world. I want characters, plot, setting and conflict to be bigger, bolder, brighter.

In fact, even most commercials today are larger than life, and the good ones take you on a short ride. I'm sure you all have seen the Caddy whizzing through a tunnel which turns into a blur of colors as Kate Walsh murmurs, "...when you turn the car on, does it return the favor?" I'm pretty sure I want a car that does that, and I've never salivated over a Caddy in my life.

So how can we write larger than life?
1) By making the ordinary...extraordinary.
2) By not forgetting that EVERY BEAT of the story has to show the character's goal and conflict. EVERY BEAT. Good conflict makes good drama.
3) ...see below.

Here's two examples of taking ordinary events and making them larger than life.

Good Night and Good Luck, is a slice-of-life movie about Edward R. Murrow, starring David Strathairn, and written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Shot in B&W, the story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It wasn't heavy on action, adventure or FX. It was plainly a great story about a momentously black period in our history.

Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) has to make a decision, something we all do countless times on a daily basis. But by using one of Murrow's more famous moments, the McCarthy hearings, the movie took us on Murrow's journey as he struggled to keep the trust of the American public by not compromising his integrity or bending to the will of CBS studios that wanted him to keep a lower profile and not take on such a high powered Senator.

The story never let the tension of that conflict diminish. Murrow's newsroom hummed with crisis. You inhaled the smoke and felt the sweat. I wanted Murrow to win because his integrity meant everything to him, it was his life, it's what his viewers expected of him. The screenplay writers never let up, never let me forget for a minute how important this was.

Okay, on to print. I recently read an older Nora Roberts series; the Key trilogy. The internal crisis in the Key of Knowledge was Dana Steele's broken relationship and subsequent lack of trust. Nothing new in that crisis, right? But Nora made me weep and cheer because Dana fights so hard against falling in love again with the same guy, and the risk being so broken that she could never again be whole.

Since this was a romance, I knew Dana would find her all important love, but until she did, every argument, every tear was bigger because the risk of pain was so great. Dana wasn't me or you, she was smarter, sassier and bolder. And all this was woven into the plot, because without the love relationship, Dana couldn't solve the puzzle of the key.

Nora made the ordinary, extraordinary.

How did these writers accomplish this? I'm not pretending I know their secrets or am privy to their methods, but I do think this kind of vibrant, larger than life writing is as simple and as difficult as remembering that when we're writing, we're not in Kansas anymore.

By that I mean, we live everyday, go about our lives, deal with dramatic life crises and then we pour all that hard won experience onto paper. Great. But then you must go from Black and White everyday Kansas Farm Life to the Technicolor Land of Oz with your conflicts, plots and characterizations, while keep your character's goals simple.

Dorothy wanted to go home again. Dana Steele wanted love and Edward R. Murrow wanted his integrity intact. It's how they got there that sweeps us away in beautiful, bold Technicolor.

In my opinion, this kind of larger than life writing is what will win over our audience and keep our careers moving straight up the charts.

Oh, yes...lesson number 3? Learning to stop when you see too much purple on that Technicolor page. That's not writing larger than life, that's just overwriting.

~LA

Haunting Jordan: An Interview with P.J. Alderman

2009-09-29T16:44:00.001-07:00

In 2006, P.J. Alderman steamrolled onto the writing scene with RITA-nominated A KILLING TIDE. Now she's back with HAUNTING JORDAN, the first book in the Port Chatham mystery series. Described as "The small-town charm of Jan Karon meets the time-bending crime solving of Kate Atkinson. Haunting Jordan hit the bookshelves yesterday, and P.J.'s spreading the word. Please welcome her to The Five Scribes.

Here's the blurb! Jordan Marsh left L.A. for the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Port Chatham in pursuit of some much-needed R&R. As the prime suspect in her cheating husband's murder, she had been hoping to immerse herself in the restoration of the charming Victorian she'd just bought--and put all talk of homicide investigations behind her. But as she soon discovers, the coldest of cases cry out to be solved, too.

For this old house comes fully furnished--with two garrulous ghosts who have a century-old murder of their own they'd like her to look into. Now, if Jordan can keep the L.A. police at bay and sort through a suspect list of shady characters circa 1890, she might just clear a wrongly accused man's name--and her own.

D.B.: P.J., it's so good to talk to you again. I've been looking forward to this book since I read the draft pages and had lunch with you and another writer friend in the beautiful Northwest. Obviously Port Chatham is a fictional town. Where did you get the idea for your book, how is it like A Killing Tide, and how is it different?

P.J.: Hi, everyone! It's great to be here chatting with you.

My fictional town, Port Chatham, is based on the real and very charming town of Port Townsend, Washington. I've always been fascinated with the town's history. For most of the 19th century, it was the largest seaport in the Pacific Northwest; in terms of crime its reputation rivaled San Francisco's Barbary Coast. And yet today, Port Townsend is a charming, sleepy seaside resort, filled with beautiful gardens and Victorian homes, and host to world-renowned jazz and wooden-boat festivals. I ask you, what author can resist such a contrast, LOL? I dove into several local history books, rubbed my hands with glee, and started typing!

For those of you who read A Killing Tide you'll find my addictions to research, dark and dangerous settings, and suspense heavily indulged!

D.B.: Bantam has turned this book into a mystery series. Was that your intent to develop the series, or did you write it first as a stand-alone novel?

P.J.: I originally proposed the book as either a stand alone or a series. A few years ago, I had jotted down the idea for a book with parallel plots running concurrently in two different centuries. When editors began asking agents for more historical fiction, I pitched the idea to my agent, Kevan Lyon, as a melding of the kind of suspense I love to write with the current demands of the market. She loved the idea, and we agreed to send it to both romance and mystery/suspense editors. I was thrilled when Kate Miciak, editorial director for Bantam Books, pre-empted. Kate edits suspense and mystery authors, and she has been looking for a mystery series like mine for a number of years.

D.B.: The evolution of Haunting Jordan meant you had to delve into the contemporary setting of the Pacific Northwest and the historical aspects of the area--the draft I read felt like it was two different stories. And then, of course, there was the paranormal element. How difficult was this to transition through? Do you outline, do you write the book in order, or did you write two separate stories and then incorporate?

P.J: I write the book in the order the chapters appear, and I only have a general idea of the story as I begin to write. For Haunting Jordan, I knew the high-level definition of each plot, who the suspects probably were for each murder (there are two murders, one in each time frame), and what each solution to the crime might be. I also knew I wanted ghosts in present day, because I couldn't write about that setting without including a few, LOL.

As I wrote the book, I basically followed the flow of the story back and forth in time as it seemed most natural to me. When I felt that readers needed to know what was happening next in current day, I left history behind and wrote about what Jordan was up to. If someone in present day asked Jordan about her research or pressured her to find more answers to the questions her research had uncovered, I moved back in time to write the next historical chapter.

D.B.: I imagine there are quite a few legends and ghosts stories surrounding this region. Did you bring any into the book? Talk about what was the most difficult aspect of writing Haunting Jordan, and on the flip side, what was the most fun?

P.J.: Yes, most of the small port towns in the Pacific Northwest have local legends about haunted houses and ghosts, and I draw on these to come up with the paranormal elements in my book. I decided that two of the characters, the sisters, would appear as real characters in history, yet ghosts in present day. When I proposed the series, I had only a general understanding of how intricate the plotting would be as I interwove the two stories throughout the book. I banged my head against my desk a lot, sorting through the tangle of clues and events, but in the end, I had a lot of fun writing about characters who lived in the past but loved their home so much that they never wanted to leave, even after they died!

D.B.: Haunting Jordan addresses sailors being shanghaied. Obviously, this was the case in the 1800s. What kind of research went into Haunting Jordan, and did you have an opportunity to tour the tunnels? Were there any other aspects of that time period you put into the book, and will you give us a glimpse?

P.J.: Port Townsend, as well as many of the seaside towns in the Pacific Northwest, is very anchored in its history. During the latter part of the 19th century, the West Coast from San Francisco all the way up through Portland, Oregon, to Pugent Sound, was comprised of bustling seaports that came with their own brand of lawlessness. Shanghaiing was the most notorious of the criminal activities that occurred, but the region was also rife with smuggling, which is the subject of my next book in my series.

The tunnels used by shanghaiiers run for six square blocks under the waterfront, and though you can still find entrances to them today, they are blocked off and unavailable to the public. Therefore, unfortunately, I wasn't able to tour them. However, I did locate maps and descriptions of them that were very detailed. For my research, I rely on a variety of sources from books written about shanghaiing and smuggling, to local historical documents and newspaper articles chronicling Port Townsend's history and development, its waterfront, and its most influential citizens.

D.B.: Your ghosts who haunt Jordan are quite the characters. I found myself laughing as well as empathizing. How did you develop them? Are they based on any historical characters you read about?

P.J.: Hattie and Charlotte's backgrounds are partially based on a movement at the time to bring eligible women of good families from back East out West to marry the region's businessmen. It was easy to imagine the culture shock for a young woman coming from the larger, civilized cities of the East Coast to a town so lawless that one couldn't walk safely down the streets. What would happen, I wondered, if one of those women were to lose the only protection she had, the husband who had married her and moved her out West? Could she survive?

In terms of humor in the present-day story as the ghosts try to deal with their new homeowner, well, I admit it came mostly from my own twisted mind, LOL.

D.B.: How much is Jordan like P.J. Alderman?

P.J.: We may have a few personality traits in common! I have an educational background in psychology, and Jordan is a therapist. Also, my friends will tell you I lean toward a dark and sarcastic sense of humor.;)

D.B.: What have you been up to since A Killing Tide was published, and what else have you been working on?

P.J: A Killing Tide was published in December, 2006. Haunting Jordan, along with the second book for the mystery series, tentatively titled Ghost Ship, was contracted in 2007. I'm currently working on Ghost Ship, due to be published in 2010. In addition, I'm working on proposals for romantic thrillers and a second mystery series.

D.B.: Any advice for aspiring novelists?

P.J.: If I have one bit of advice for aspiring novelists, it would be a paraphrase of Woody Allen's quote, which is that most of the job of a screenwriter involves simply showing up every day. What Woody was trying to say--and I've found to be the case--is perseverance is 9/10ths of the job. Continue to write, continue to enter your stories in contests and continue to study the craft of writing. Make every story you write better than the last, even after you are published. I never take for granted how much I have yet to learn.

D.B.: Thanks for joining us, P.J. Before I let you go, fill us in on any signings you'll be attending.

P.J.: For those of you living in the Pacific Northwest, I will be signing Haunting Jordan at the Emerald City Book Fair on October 10th. Details about this book fair can be found on the Greater Seattle RWA website, www.gsrwa.org. I will also be appearing as a guest on several blogs. To find out where and when, visit my website early next week at www.pjalderman.com

It's been great to be here! Please feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer them.

There you have it, readers. Ask a question or comment and you'll be entered in a drawing to win HAUNTING JORDAN. Winner to be drawn on Friday October 2nd. Thanks, everybody!

ATTENTION PAT: PJ ALDERMAN DREW YOUR NAME AS THE WINNER OF HAUNTING JORDAN. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT BELLSON@COMCAST.NET TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE

Writing Mysteries & a Little Help from my Friend

2009-09-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when I was down to the wire on my book, I was stymied. I'd followed Donald Maass's fantastic advice in Writing the Breakout Novel about turning the villain at the end, and though I fought his advice from beginning to 3/4s through my WIP, when I finally found the motivation for a different killer, my beta readers were astounded at who it turned out to be. So if anyone says to me... I saw your antagonist coming half-way through the book, they have to be psychic--because even I didn't know ;).

The reason I decided to blog on this topic was because unless you're very, very talented and have a natural gift and perception at writing mystery, I think this has to be one of the hardest genres. When I'd finally decided to turn my antagonist, I wasn't sure if I should use his/her/it ;) POV (I'll never tell) so I consulted my friend Allison Brennan, who is a constant when it comes to helping us unpubs, and hasn't forgetten her time in the trenches. Allison had this to say about mysteries, and I asked if I could share her response with you. She agreed, and I think her answer was very wise. I hope you agree.

Mysteries rarely go into the villain's POV. People are anal about POV, but mostly just writers. If there is no good reason to go into his POV in the course of the book, don't. It will seem odd to the reader. You might want to revisit the other character's POVs to see if they are necessary, and if they are just make sure you wrap up whatever their concerns/fears were when they were in POV. There's nothing wrong with going into a POV at the end of the book (as long as you introduced the character earlier and there was no reason to be in his POV) but you need to make sure that there are enough clues for the reader that he COULD be guilty otherwise you don't give them a fair chance to guess who the killer is. But there's also no reason to go into his POV if your h/h can explain his motivations or he can verbally.

Make sense?

A

Allison Brennan
CUTTING EDGE on sale now!
www.allisonbrennan.com

It made all the sense in the world to this writer, Allison, and I'm very grateful. Thanks!

B.R.E.A.T.H.E. -- Combining Massage Therapy Skills with the Writing Life

2009-09-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

I recently completed my fifth manuscript, and while I’m so excited about this book, mentally, my body is no longer speaking to me.

I’m literally in traction. My chiropractor says my back muscles are in spasms. What causes this, I asked him? Innumerable problems he said: poor posture, improper ergonomic setup, nutrition, life stresses. And trust me, with both my mother and my mother in law living with me this summer (another blog topic), while trying to finish my novel, I fall into every one of the above categories.

So rather than trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong all these many months, I contacted fellow Colorado Romance Writer member Tiffany James, who in a former life, was a massage therapist. She shared some great advice and it's my turn to share it with you.

DB: Tiffany, first thanks for being here. Are you still a working massage therapist, and if not, why did you give it up?

TJ: Thanks for having me, Donnell! I’m an avid Five Scribes reader, and I’m thrilled to be on the other end this time around.

Two years ago I decided to give my newly discovered dream of becoming a published author a go. As I tried to manage a handful of roles, I realized I was spread too thin. I wasn’t doing anything well and experiencing a lot of stress – more than normal. That’s when I knew I had to give something up. After almost ten years of working as a massage therapist, I made the difficult decision to let it go and really focus on my writing (furious nail biting).

DB: Knowing when to say when--you sound like a very wise woman. What techniques did you bring from your massage training background and incorporate into your own writing?

T.J.: Great question! I’ve been writing since I stumbled upon National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) in the fall of 2007. I completed that year’s challenge as well as contracting a serious case of I-have-to-write-itis (a potentially debilitating condition in which the person afflicted has to write or risk turning into a cranky, chapfallen, just plain creepy freak. It’s not pretty – take my word for it!).

At first, I didn’t bring anything from my MT background into my writing practice. I thought they were two completely different worlds until I had a very enlightening conversation with my husband.

One day last year I was whining to him about how my back and neck hurt, and how that pain seemed to be moving into my shoulder. “Well, you have been sitting at the computer a lot lately,” he answered, oh so helpfully.

It was a “light bulb” moment for me. Nothing we do happens in a vacuum. We can always take lessons, techniques or thought processes from other vocations with us into our next adventure.

To make a long story even longer (sorry, Donnell), I started applying my MT skills to my writing life. Eventually, I developed a little system I called “Just B.R.E.A.T.H.E”. It’s an acronym that reminds me of the things I need to address in order to create a physical foundation for my writing.

B – Breathing
R – Rest & Relaxation (which addresses stress relief)
E – Ergonomics
A – Atmosphere
T – Timer (Use it!)
H – Healthy eating
E – Exercise (Ugh, yuck, ewwww!)

For more information, check out my “Just B.R.E.A.T.H.E” page on my website: www.tiffanyjames.net .

D.B. LOL, I knew I'd come to the right place, Tiff. When you worked on people in chronic pain, what would you say was their number one complaint?

T.J.: They had a myriad of complaints: tight necks and shoulders, low back pain, headaches, wrist pain and tingling fingers (carpal tunnel-like symptoms). But I believe that, in most cases, those complaints related back to one thing…working at a desk for eight, ten sometimes even twelve hours a day.

D.B.: Were any of their ailments preventable?

T.J.: I’m no M.D., but I do believe that, with basic changes in their daily routine, those problems could be significantly improved, if not completely resolved. These changes are simple, but don’t get me wrong, they are never easy!

D.B.: I appreciate the tips, and plan to incorporate them. As for massages, they're expensive. Any suggestions on where we authors on a budget can get one?

T.J.: Oh, yeah! Massage schools are an excellent resource. Before massage students can receive their certification or licensure (depending on their state’s regulations), students have to complete a specified number of client contact hours. Many massage therapy schools have a student clinic available. The students are usually in their last semester of study and the rates are reduced, often by fifty percent. Some schools even have professional clinics where the teaching staff treats clients, again at reduced rates. Make sure the school or professional clinic you attend is associated with an accredited massage therapy school.

Check with your local massage therapists as well. Many have reward programs that offer a complimentary massage if you refer clients or a reduced rate if you schedule your massages at regular intervals.

Speaking of regular intervals… in my practice and my own personal experience, I find that consistency is the key to effective massage therapy. It doesn’t necessarily matter how often you get a massage. What matters is that you stick with a regular schedule. For example, I’ve found that if I get a massage every six weeks (every four weeks during particularly busy or stressful times), I’m able to maintain the positive benefits. Experiment with your timeline and find what interval is best for you.

Visit www.massagetherapy.com for more information about massage therapy or to find a registered or licensed therapist in your area.

D.B.: After every massage I’ve ever received, I’m told to drink water. How important is water to the average writer sitting at a keyboard?

T.J: I don’t think there’s a yardstick long enough to measure the importance of it! ;)

Getting a massage gives your circulation a kick, revs it up so that toxins can be cleared from your body and nutrient-rich blood can be carried throughout it improving your overall health. Being well hydrated aids that process, which is why massage therapy clients are encouraged to drink water.

However, as most of us know, our circulatory systems are always working - even when we’re sitting at our desks. So drinking water all the time is important for the same reasons.

Here are a few more reasons to keep the water flowing:

* Water makes up 75% of our body, and we are constantly losing it through breathing, sweating and going to the bathroom.

* Not being properly hydrated can cause problems with everything from dry eyes to muscle cramps to decreased concentration and light headedness.

* In various studies chronic (over an extended period of time) dehydration has been connected to everything from constipation, headaches and allergies to asthma, depression, joint pain and premature aging (think of a plump grape full of water versus a dehydrated raisin)!

On a side note: The recommendation used to be 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water. I’ve recently heard that if your urine is clear, you’re properly hydrated. So take a peek at what you excrete!

D.B.: Here’s the next question: Does coffee, fruit juice etc. count? ;)

T.J.: It used to be that those things didn’t count, but I heard not long ago that we could count them. My personal recommendation would be to get most of your daily fluid intake from water. Remember, coffee and teas are diuretics so they increase the amount of water you lose, defeating our purpose. That’s not to say you can’t have your coffee and tea. I love my caramel lattes! I just don’t include that in my daily count. If you’ve had enough of the taste of water, you can add a slice of lemon, lime, or orange for a change of pace.

D.B.: How about exercise, and can you give us some tips about some stretches to do?

T.J.: Ugh! Just the word makes me want to hide under my desk. :)

Like many of you, I’m obsessed with my writing. It’s as essential to me as breathing. So I figured if I could apply that loathed chore of exercise to my writing I might be more inclined to do it. Guess what? It worked! Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m huffing and puffing up the hill near my house, and those nagging plot points that I just can’t figure out often work themselves out during my daily jaunts.

I’ve also found a way to get a little stretching in during the day without even realizing it. As you saw above (and probably wondered about) is that the “T” in my “Just B.R.E.A.T.H.E.” approach is my timer. Every time I sit down at my desk I set it for 30 to 45 minutes. I type madly as the minutes countdown then, when the timer goes off, I take about three minutes to stretch. By the end of an eight hour day, I’ve gotten a 24 minute full-body stretching workout! Not bad for a few minutes here and there. ;)

Here a few of my faves that I can do right from my chair:

FOR NECK & SHOULDER: Sit tall with your feet on the floor and hold the bottom of your chair with your left hand. Pull up slightly. Tip your right ear toward your right shoulder. Feel that stretch? It’s intense! Drop your chin to your chest then do a half circle to the right with your head, stopping at particularly tight spots for a few breaths. Now do the other side.

Shoulder and gentle neck rolls are great too.

FOR UPPER & MIDBACK: Sit tall in your chair. Place your right hand on the outside of your left thigh. Reach your left hand behind you, look to the left and twist your body gently to the left. Hold for a few breaths. Switch to the other side.

ARMS: Pull your arm across your body. Hold for a few breaths. Now reach up to the ceiling, alternating reaching higher with one hand then the other (great for all of those muscles running through the sides of your upper body). Next, bend one arm, letting that hand reach “down” the back. You can use your other hand to increase the stretch. Repeat on the other side.

WRIST & JOINTS: Circle ‘em! Roll your feet around in all directions. Do the same with your hands. Place your palms and fingers against each other then gently push your palms away from each other. This stretches out all of those hardworking typing muscles in your hands and fingers.

I try to alternate stretching breaks from my chair with stretches that require me to “get up off a’ that thing”. Do you hear James Brown?

One of the best full body stretches I’ve found is the yoga series “Sun Salutation”. It would take me forever to explain it so check out this site: http://www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm . Be especially careful with hands up and upward dog. They can cause pain and injury to the back if you overdo.

*** Whenever you’re exercising, remember that pain is your body’s way of communicating with you! If it hurts, don’t do it or lessen the intensity.

D.B.: I can't wait to check out the site and try these exercises! I take my first hot yoga class next week. So, Tiff, how important are breaks from the keyboard?

T.J. If I could convince today’s readers to do one thing, it would be to take breaks from that keyboard! And not just to get up and move around like I talked about above – although those are really important. Even taking a mini-break and gazing out the window, at a favorite picture or art piece can relax your eye muscles and lessen eye strain.

D.B. And if you could sit down with a group of writers, what kind of advice would you give them regarding keeping their bodies healthy so they can have a successful career?

T.J.: I would encourage them to think about it like this: We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t draw water from an empty well”. It’s the same with your writing. Your body is the well, your creativity and inspiration the water. If your brain can’t function because it isn’t getting enough oxygen because you’re not taking full, deep breaths; if you’re burned out because you’ve been working non-stop; if you’re in pain because your desk set-up doesn’t jive with your body; if you can’t produce because the atmosphere in which you’re working isn’t conducive; if you’re unable to concentrate because you didn’t eat or stay hydrated or exercise then you’re trying to draw excellence in prose from an empty, uninspired, creatively void well.

Fill it! Take some time each day to “Just B.R.E.A.T.H.E.”.

D.B.: Tiffany, my body thanks you, and I bet there's some sore writers out there who thank you, also!!! Before you leave, tell us about your writing, what you’re working on and how it’s going?

T.J.: (Clapping hands like an overjoyed child) I’m so excited! I just finished the final edits on One Season, a contemporary romance and the first book in my “Girls of Keegan-Bentley” series. Here’s the log line for One Season:

It’s said you can never go home again. But if returning means forgiveness and stepping back into the land of the living, is it worth the risk?

Hayden Questra is about to find out.

T.J. Thank you for having me, Donnell!

D.B. My pleasure, Tiff. Okay, readers. There you have it. Tiffany and I are going to award $25 to one lucky commenter that ideally you'll use for a massage. But here's the rub.... you must comment on WHY YOU NEED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE. And "BECAUSE I'M SORE" doesn't count. Tiffany and I will review the responses and insert the creative ones into the drawing. Personally, I think I'm way ahead... A mother and a mother in law moving in with me??? Who can beat that? We're listening....And we'll announce the winner on Friday September 25th.

Here's to Happy Pain-free Writing!

Multi-tasking Woman

2009-09-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

At last, in her own indubitable style, Author/Agent Lois Winston tells us about multi-tasking. Please welcome Lois Winston...

I recently learned of a study regarding multi-tasking, especially as it concerns today’s youth. The radio report made it sound like this was a new phenomenon, something invented by Gen Y kids who are simultaneously plugged into their iPods and surfing the ‘Net while they’re Twittering, texting, updating their Facebook pages, and doing homework.

I laughed out loud. The scientists running that study had to be all guys. Multi-tasking is nothing new. Women have been multi-tasking since the beginning of time. That’s why we have two X chromosomes. We’re born as clones of ourselves, able to multi-task from the moment of conception.

Sigmund Freud hypothesized that the reason men became the hunters and women stayed back at the cave, tending the fire, was because males had an uncontrollable urge to pee on the flames. Women may have wanted to pee on the flames, too, but their physiology kept them from doing so. This was back before our ancestors learned how to make fire. All they could do was keep the home fires burning. So it was really important to make sure the guys stayed beyond peeing distance of the flames. Hence, the division of labor.

Freud got it all wrong, though. The reason men went off in search of saber-toothed tigers and other gastronomic delicacies while the womenfolk stayed back in the cave was because the women could tend the fires, tan the hides, sew the clothing, look after the little ones, and tidy up the cave all at the same time. Men are incapable of doing more than one thing at a time because they have no double “anything” chromosome.

My life is all about multi-tasking. I’m both an award-winning author and a literary agent who has never given up her “day job” as a needlework designer. In addition, I teach online workshops on writing. People (usually of the male persuasion) often ask me how I manage to juggle so many careers. It’s easy.

I’m a WOMAN -- double U O M A N.

It also helps that my kids are grown. I never suffered from empty nest syndrome. I merely replaced all those kid-centric duties that are no more with additional careers. Now instead of one career plus “mom” duties, I have 3+ careers and no “mom” duties. Writing is a lot more fun than carpooling.

I’m wondering, though, with Gen Y guys developing the ability to multi-task, will this new skill spill over into other areas of their lives? Imagine a guy who’s capable of burping the baby and letting the dog out at the same time! Nah. Never happen. He’ll wind up letting the baby out and burping the dog while he’s texting his Fantasy Football picks for the week.

* * *

Award-winning author Lois Winston writes humorous, cross-genre, contemporary novels and romantic suspense. When not writing or designing, you can find Lois trudging through stacks of manuscripts as she hunts for diamonds in the slush piles for the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency where she handles romance, mystery, and women’s fiction authors. If you’d like to read more about Lois, the author, check out her website at http://www.loiswinston.com. If you’d like to query Lois, the literary agent, email her at lois.graysonagent@earthlink.net . And if you’d like to learn more about Lois, the teacher of online writing workshops, check out http://beginningwriterworkshops.com .

Joseph FInder's Top 14 mistakes of Best Selling Authors

2009-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

1) Passive Hero

2) Stick Figure Hero--weak characterization--cliche' characters

3) Overwriting--trying to be too literary

4) Messing up POV- Finder's advice is one POV/scene--un-less, you are brilliant and can be the exception.

5) Overuse of Prologue--He advises trying to avoid prologues.

6) Long Windup--taking too long to get the story started.

7) Weak 2nd act= Sagging middle-- to avoid this escalate conflict. Hero needs to fail, recommit, and try harder. Here's where you introduce the subplot. Raise the stakes. Complicate the story.

8) All plot with no people=BAD- the best books--even thrillers, are about PEOPLE. Human characters readers can identify with. Readers don't care about the survival of the world . . . just the people.

9) Too Much Action-- In a book, car chases are deadly--works in movies, but in a book action without emotion is boring. And give the reader some variety. After a long action sequence, let the reader breathe. We need to rest to appreciate the action.

10) Predictability- Do NOT underestimate the reader. Do not be cliche'. Avoid predictability.

11) Backstory Dump--filter it in sparingly in bits and pieces throughout the story.

12) Lousy Ending- Don't let the book peter out. Don't give endless explanation to "wrap up" the loose ends. Surprise the reader--but play fair; it has to make sense. Harlan Coban has great endings.

13) Showing off Research--DON'T do it. You need to research FAR more than you include. Just include the tip of the iceberg--the least amount you can get away with. Don't show off. Exceptions are Tom Clancy, 'cause, well, he's Tom Clancy and it's expected. Use research for revelation and surprise elements.

14) Overly Explicit Dialogue- write natural dialogue

Sound advice, I thought. Now don't do it! Though . . . I was tempted to bemoan the point that they DID do it and not only got published, but made it to the best seller's list. But we're aiming for perfection, right? RIGHT!

Colorado Gold Conference Highlights

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just back from the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference where I had a terrific weekend. I spent an inordinate amount of time networking ie making new friends, Charlotte Cook of Komenar Publishing, loyal Sandy entrant, Sheree Noble, Stef Blooding, Megan, Frank & Lavinia, Beth, Elizabeth and several others. I met my Crested Butte pal and CB conference co-coordinator, Barbara Crawford, there as well as some old pals from the CB Writers conference, Merrie Wycoff, Grace Larralde, Tina Forkner & Kevin Wolf--among many other old writing friends.

I confess I networked far more than went to workshops. I did make time to pitch to Sally Kim, executive editor at Harper Collins, and she advised me on how to refine my pitch, had very positive things to say about two of the three agents considering the full manuscript of The Road Between, offered a name of an agent I had not submitted to whom she thought would enjoy my story, and said she'd like to read the manuscript when I settled on an agent. So that was very positive and productive--AND to those shy (or procrastinating) people, take note. I went right upstairs and queried the agent Sally recommended and told the other 3 agents considering the work that Sally was interested in reading it once I signed an agent. No grass growing under these Rizzo feet people!

Now onto something more important to all you authors--Oh, but first, CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin Wolf whose book, Broke Heart won the Colorado Gold--and just about every other writing contest he entered it in this year. Woohoo! Kevin had the eminent good taste to join the Crested Butte Writers group after he attended our June conference and won first place in the Fantasy/SF category of The Sandy. Kevin is a very talented, very tall, very nice writer who is so close the the brass ring that I had the uncomfortable urge to rub his head for good luck--like one rubs a Buhdda's belly for good luck. I didn't. I kept my hands to myself--except for lightly swatting the shoulder he had surgery on--I didn't know! Honest. There are several people I'd love to intentionally cause pain to, and I am not above resorting to violence when provoked, but Kevin is not one of them.

I enjoyed several workshops, but keynote author, Joseph Finder's, took the cake. And that's F-soft i--nder. Fin--like the thing on a fish we don't want to eat. Or the way to identify one of the great white sharks stalking the East coast shoreline. I regress. Anyhow, he had words of wisdom concerning the Thirteen Biggest Mistakes Even Best Selling Authors Make--which I will share with you tomorrow as I'm disorganized and out of time right now. Until tomorrow!

Words of Wisdom

2009-09-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 11, 2009

Words of Wisdom
"It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop." – Vita Sackville-West

"Words -- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them." – Nathaniel Hawthorne

From CS Weekly; http://creativescreenwriting.com/

~LA

There Is No Magic Bullet

2009-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

What? Are you kidding? What do you mean there's no magic bullet?

Sorry my friends, there isn't.

I've been to countless classes and seminars, taken copious notes, listened intently and hoped that this person would tell me or show me that one elusive thing I was missing or hadn't yet grasped that would make my writing stellar and oh-so saleable. That this "rule" or that formula would be THE MAGIC BULLET.

Any of you been there? Do you know the feeling? Come on, fess up, I just did.

What I've gleaned is that every seminar, book, lecture, CD or DVD can offer you nuggets...nuggets that can help you hone your craft or shine a bit of light on a dark corner of a story problem.

THE only magic bullet I know is to write. Write through the puke, the crises of confidence about your skill level and the sinking plots in your manuscript or screenplay.

Finish that WIP, give it to good friends who will be honest yet kind in their critique, then rewrite, rewrite and maybe again.

Then stop.

And start a new story. Move on and upward. Your skills will get better, you'll find those nuggets, you'll learn by writing, then learn again by rewriting as you find ways to tweak the most out of every scene, every bit of dialogue, and layer in a bit more subtext.

So by all means, take courses, listen and watch and mine for those nuggets, but please don't think this person or that formula or this concept will make it magically happen.

You will make it happen by continuing to write every day and by believing in yourself, not a magic bullet.

Write on,
Ciao

~LA

Romantic Times Gives Scribes Contributor' 4-1/2 Star Review

2009-09-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

http://tinyurl.com/qpef59

"Readers will rejoice at the return of one of the romance genre's special
talents! Stover is back and jumping right into the romantic suspense game,
while giving it a paranormal twist. Stover's heroine is competent yet
damaged, both by the past and her "gift". This melting pot of murder
mystery, passion and ghosts makes for an outstanding storytelling stew!"
~ 4 1/2 Stars! Jill Smith, RT BOOK REVIEWS

Fall's Coming and The Sandy Update

2009-09-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Happy September 1! Fall, my favorite season, is just around the corner. The kids are all back in school and I can get back to a more regular writing schedule. I'm looking forward to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in just ten days; not so much to learn more about the craft (though I'm always grateful to learn something new that helps elevate my writing) or to pitch my books, but to hang out with my writer pals. Conferences so often reenergize and inspire me, and I could use a little of that right about now as I begin my sixth book.

As for The Sandy . . . I'm excited to announce that Megan McKeever from Pocket has graciously agreed to judge the romance category and Senior Editor of Ballantine, Mark Tavani, will judge the suspense/thriller category. So polish up those pages--oh, and spend some time reading. Lots of time reading. Read from the current bestsellers in your genre and learn from them. What is it that they do so well, that you could do better within your own work?

I just finished Jeffery Deavers's book, The Sleeping Doll, and not only is it very fast paced, but it has terrific plot twists, and it has something I can learn from. The heroine is a specialist in interrogation and kinesics, a widow, and a mother. Deaver masterfully and constantly reminded us of these things on just about every page, through dialogue and her internal thoughts.

Sometimes I think we less experienced authors get distracted by the beauty of stringing words together, by the plot twists, by the craft and forget to actually climb into our POV character's head and look constantly and continuously look at the world/situations through ALL the facets of the POV person's personality.

Sure, I do these things with my characters, but I do them more intermittently than this best

seller--and more intermittently than Sandra Brown does in her most recent book, Smoke Screen. It would enrich and deepen my characters to maintain a more consistent focus on who they are and how they would always be considering the world--not just the obvious places when I remembered to accent it.

I think this is just a more advanced writing skill that distinguishes the best sellers from those good writers. The good news, is that I can do it. I can improve my writing by enhancing this aspect of craft and I will. But I never would have known that I could do better in my own books if I hadn't taken the time to read current bestsellers.

So even though it feels a bit self-indulgent to me to spend time reading when I could be writing, it is important. It's fun, but it needn't be a guilty pleasure. It's an important part of my growth as a writer and nowhere is it written that we have to suffer for our craft. Sure, we are writers, but I've always maintained that it should be fun. I'm not published yet. I only have self-imposed deadlines. I don't need the money to live on--and let's be honest here; it's not about the money for the vast majority of us--there are VERY few writers who can actually support themselves from income earned writing. So it had better be fun and gratifying.

Life's too short to spend time torturing yourself. So read books. Enter contests. Go to writing conferences. Learn and improve in your craft any way you can--any LEGAL way you can--no plagiarizing people. But most of all . . . enjoy the journey.

Happy fall!

Script Contributor Ray Morton Responds to Blog Question!

2009-08-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers of Five Scribes,

I didn't know how to answer Audra's question regarding the blog I did on Script Magazine, http://fivescribes.blogspot.com/2009/07/script-magazine.html and specifically Ray Morton's article, so I went straight to the source!!

What a great guy, he didn't even blink---metaphorically of course, since I emailed him my request.

Read on.....

Hello Leslie, Audra and Five Scribe Readers,

Reader Audra Harders posted this question in response to your blog entry about my SCRIPT magazine article Going Global: Screenwriting in the International Marketplace:

"Also, you mention remakes of our movies as hits in foreign countries. If that happens, does the original screenwriter get any compensation?"

To answer Audra's question -- under the terms of the Writers Guild of America's Minimum Basic Agreement, the credited writers of a movie that’s being remade (no matter where that remake is being done -- in the US or overseas) are entitled to compensation depending on their final credit determination (e.g. "Story by," "Based on a screenplay by," etc.) on the new film.

For example, if the writers of the original film end up receiving a “Story by” credit on the remake, then the Guild’s MBA requires that they receive (or share with others if the credits determine it) the minimum story rate.

In the past, most remakes used the original script as a departure point to work up an entirely new approach to the material. In these days of rather (IMHO) unimaginative remakes, in many instances much more significant pieces of the original screenplays are often used, earning the original writers a more significant credit (for example, Phillip Dunne, author of the screenplay for the 1936 version of Last of the Mohicans, received a co-author credit on the 1992 version and Halsted Welles shared credit with Derek Haas and Michael Brandt on the 2007 version of 3:10 to Yuma, which was based on his 1957 original).

Sometimes so much of the original screenplay is used that the original writer ends up receiving sole screenplay credit on the remake (e.g. 1998's Psycho and the recent redo of The Omen). In these instances, the writers (or their estates) were entitled to the minimums for those credit levels.

However, many writers have what are called “overscale” terms in their original contracts which guarantee them a higher-than-minimum rate for their story if their work is remade. That rate would be negotiated at the time the writing contract for the original film is negotiated. This is usually is something "getable" only by upper echelon screenwriters -- it's unlikely that a first timer would have the clout to negotiate such terms.

Hope that helps.

-Ray

Ray Morton is a writer and script consultant.

His books Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg’s Classic Film and King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson are available in bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, among many other sites.

Morton analyzes screenplays for production companies, producers, and individual writers. He is available for private consultation and can be reached at ray@raymorton.com.

~LA

Writing for Multiple Publishers

2009-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Each time I see Beth Cornelison's signature line, I have a good mind to lie down from exhaustion ;) How does she write for so many publishers? And win so many awards while she's at it? Please welcome Multi-published Author Beth Cornelison.

Looking at my publishing credits might lead one to believe I'm a smorgasbord author (as one friend put it). I've done a little bit of everything, publishing in many formats and with several publishers. This scattershot approach to publishing was not my original intent, but along the way, each publishing choice was, at the time, what met my needs for my books. Before I tell you what it is like for me to write for several publishers, let me first explain briefly how I ended up with six publishers in eight years.

My publishing story isn't much different than that of most published authors. I wrote for several years, submitting and getting rejected as I learned the ropes in the publishing world and honed my craft. Along the way, I wrote a variety of books of different lengths, different styles, different focuses as my wandering muse gave me a myriad ideas to test out. While Silhouette Intimate Moments was where I made my first print-publisher sale (second overall sale) and where my publishing focus has been since then, I had stories that didn't work for the shorter category line.

My single title romantic suspense Chasing A Dream (2000 Golden Heart finalist) was the first non-category book I shopped to single title houses. I received good feedback from these publishers, but because CHASING A DREAM had been epublished in 2000 (publisher 1), many of the New York publishing houses were reluctant to take it on. Five Star Press, however, buys only selected rights, and I was able to sell the hard cover rights to the Five Star Expressions line for publication in 2006 (publisher 3). By keeping my audiobook rights, I was able to sell the audio rights for CHASING A DREAM last fall, as well, to Books In Motion (publisher 4). Five Star met my need for Chasing A Dream, but as a publisher of primarily library books, distribution and marketing was limited.

So a couple years later when I was looking for a home for my single title romantic suspense UNDER FIRE, I suggested to my agent that we submit to Samhain Publishing. Having epublished before, I had been keeping an eye on the growing epublishing market and had talked with several epubbed friends about what they liked and disliked about their publishers. Samhain had several things going for it that I liked— primarily their print release program and a reputation for publishing books with elements outside the normal parameters of books published by New York houses. So for UNDER FIRE, a book that had too much suspense for this publisher and too much romance for that publisher, Samhain (publisher #5) fit the bill for UNDER FIRE.

Not long after that, I met Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks at a conference. I liked what she had to say about Sourcebooks and their unflagging support of their authors and emphasis on marketing. I'd heard great things from other Sourcebooks authors about the publisher, so I took an appointment with Deb. I pitched a book I'd written years ago, one of those not-right-for-Silhouette-Intimate-Moments books I wrote when I was still figuring out what I wanted to focus on (now Silhouette Romantic Suspense). She loved the pitch and the book, and I ended up with another publisher (# 6).

At present, I'm actively publishing with three different publishers. And how's that working for me? It's great...and sometimes chaotic. While it is wonderful to have several avenues to reach readers, publish books and get to know other authors and editors, juggling multiple deadlines, line edits, author blogs, and marketing demands can be daunting at times. Publisher X couldn't care less what deadlines and edits I have due for publishers Y and Z. They need their edits back when they need their edits back so that they can keep their production schedule. Publisher Y needs their art fact sheets when they need their art fact sheets regardless of what author blogs I'm scheduled to write for that week. Keeping three sets of deadlines and publishing schedules straight can be a juggling act as well.

As far as royalty statements from three different publishers, coming in at different times of the year... well, thank goodness for my awesome agent and the staff at the Knight Agency who keep financial matters straight for me! Finances are not my forte.

Writing for multiple publishers offers me first person knowledge of how different aspects of the evolving publishing industry work. By epublishing UNDER FIRE (now also available in trade paperback), I learned a great deal about issues unique to digital publishing and the current emphasis on online marketing through blogs and reader-oriented email loops. For example, ebook piracy is a growing concern for ebook authors, but ebook authors are not the only targets of this online form of theft. Print published authors, whose books are being reformatted to be sold through Amazon for the Kindle, are also finding copies of their books available for electronic download through these pirate site— whether or not their print publisher has officially released an ebook version.

Publishing through Five Star taught me a great deal about how libraries choose books for their inventory. (A good review through a national trade journal or patron requests helps a lot!)

So my experiences with multiple publishers are giving me a hands-on tutorial in the many aspects of publishing and marketing of books.

As with any venture, balancing the needs and schedules of more than one publisher is a mixed bag. While it can get chaotic, I love the broader audience I'm reaching, the industry contacts I'm making, and the education and experience I'm gaining. Writing for several publishers and publishing in multiple formats (Audio, ebook, trade paper, hardcover, category and mass market) was what worked for me.

Is it right for you? Only you can say.

Award-winning author Beth Cornelison writes from her home in North Louisiana where she lives with her husband, one son and a constantly changing number of cats. Her romantic suspense UNDER FIRE recently won the grand prize for best overall novel in the Lories Best Published Novel contest as well as finaling in several other contests in 2009. Watch for three new releases from Beth Cornelison in Fall 2009- HEALING LUKE (September), THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER (October) and STRANDED WITH THE BRIDESMAID (part of the BLACKOUT AT CHRISTMAS anthology- November).

Trust: Why bestselling authors can and we can't

2009-08-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've got my hands full. As an aspiring author, I'm expected to write the very best book that I can, know the market, keep abreast of the break out novels and authors out there, as well as keep up on my reading of best selling authors and why they keep ending up on that best selling list time after time. I'm also expected to hone my craft, get my name out there and support my fellow writers, both published and unpublished. Simple, huh?

It is if you have unlimited time, don't have a day job or don't require much sleep at night.

At RWA National this year, the Golden Network did an outstanding job of preparing a panel of experts to review query letters written by Golden Heart finalists. The moderator would read the query letters and the agent or editor on the panel would say *stop* whenever she would lose interest in that particular query letter. It was widely illuminating and instructive, and, at the same time, disheartening. Because as the moderator read some well-written query letters, I found myself thinking, That's a book I would love to read.

Unfortunately, I may never have the opportunity. Here's what I discovered. Chances are if your story revolves around sports figures, Hollywood stars or rock musicians, an editor or agent is going to deep six your query with very little chance of perusing your partial or full.

And that's a darn shame. Because some of the most unforgettable stories I've read involve those very characters. In Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Natural Born Charmer, she not only has a pro athlete as the protagonist, the protagonist's father is a rock star!

In Sandra Brown's Play Dirty, her protagonist is a down- an-out quarterback who has served five years in prison for throwing a game.

Why do these best selling authors get away with writing a novel that most editors and agents wouldn't represent -- er -- if they were paid to? Probably because we're talking about Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Sandra Brown.

Phillips and Brown have already earned the readers' trust. If I pick up a book by these authors, it's pretty much implied that I'm in for several hours of quality escapism. As an unpublished author, and as unjust as it may seem, I haven't earned that right or that trust. I also wonder after these marvelous books are written, how many not-so-hot stories involving celebrities land on an agent or editors' desk--enough for them to so vitriolically holler, "Stop!"

In the meantime, perhaps we aspiring authors should keep studying the market, learning our trade, and writing the best book that's in us. Just be aware if your protag is a pro athlete, Hollywood star or a rock musician, it could be a long shot, and may be the book that comes out after you *arrive*.

Why not instead make our protagonists handymen.

Oh, wait -- Linda Howard's already done that one.

Keep the faith, fellow writers. It's all about trust. Write the best book that's in you.