Writers’ Campaign Groups

One of the reasons I joined the Campaign was in the hopes it would help me get into a more frequent blogging schedule. Something I’ve wanted to do since starting the blog but with all four of the wee beasties home for the summer…well, family trumps blog. But all four went back to school yesterday thus the timing of this Campaign, in a word, perfect.

The Campaign is broken down into a number of groups aiming for about 25 participants in each. You can get the details on Rachael Harrie’s blog. Sign-ups close tomorrow. I elected to join two groups this first time around. (This list will likely get updated over the course of the week as the groups won’t be finalized until Friday.)

The Romance/Contemporary Romance/Sweet Romance/Historical Romance genre groups:

1. Raquel Byrnes
2. Dora Hiers
3. Liz
4. Cassandra
5. L’Aussie Denise
6. Julie Fedderson
7. Melanie Stanford
8. Angela Cothran
9. Sheery Hall
10. Francine Howarth
11. Angelina Rain
12. Katie Dodge
13. Brittany
14. Debra Erfert
15. Myne Whitman
16. Marcia Richards
17. Maggie Fechner
18. Claire Robyns
19. Trisha
20. Vanessa Hancock
21. Madeleine
22. Bri Clark
23. Meika
24. Gwendolyn Gage
25. E Barrett
26. Brynne Betz
27. The Writing Well Project
28. Melanie
29. Kerrin Hearfield
30. Ann Ormond Fennell
31. D.J. Kirby
32. Allie Wilde
33. Tracy Krauss
34. Misty Moncur
35. Heather Justesen
36. Tara Watson
37. Romance & Beyond
38. Kerry Freeman
39. Nadja Notariani

The Erotic Fiction genre group:

1. Tiger Gray
2. Miho Li
3. Jamila Jamison
4. Vivien Weaver
5. Lucy V Morgan
6. Romance & Beyond
7. Sasha Conte
8. Jana Denardo
9. Kerry Freeman
10. Kharisma Rhayne

Of these people, I only “know” Angelina Rain whom I’ve been following for awhile (sorry I haven’t been better about commenting Angelina), so lots of new-to-me people. I spent a good chunk of the weekend following on Twitter, friending on Facebook, getting all these blogs set-up in my Google Reader, and visiting to say, “Hi.” I’m looking forward to this challenge and getting to know a whole bunch of new folks.

Do you love a challenge? I’d love to hear your favorites.

Writers’ Platform-Building

A weekend post from me.

Shocking.

Pick yourself up off the floor. Dust off your bum? Good.

Earlier this week blogger friend Liz Fichera talked about a writer challenge. I love a challenge and was intrigued so hopped over to Rachael Harrie’s blog.

She’s is sponsoring her third Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign. It sounds like a great opportunity to meet and connect with other writers and bloggers. She has challenges and contests planned, each group is encouraged to plan activities as well, so this should be fun. Sign-up closes on the 31st so hurry on over.

Hope to see you there!

Transitioning From Here to There

Numerous sources say the best way to learn the craft is to deconstruct and analyze novels.

The reader in me fights that advice because I like to read fiction for the escape. I’m better at analyzing movies, hitting pause on the DVD remote to make notes, but the two mediums handle transitions a little different. I aim to see my name on the cover of a book one day. What’s a poor writer to do? Sit down with pen, paper, and a book or dozen…

I’ve been studying scene transitions lately while reading.

My favorite authors make it seamless…or at least it feels that way when I’m reading. One scene flows artfully into the next. Whereas I find myself marking each scene with a # or something. Fine and dandy in the first draft. And some of those breaks naturally become chapter breaks.

What about the rest?

In The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Marshall calls these connectors.

Think of your novel’s sections as pearls in a necklace. The best-made strands of pearls have tiny knots in the string between the pearls, to hold them tightly in place and keep the necklace strong.

In your novel, the knots between your pearls are called connectors. They’re devices to connect your sections as effectively as possible.

• The Space-Break which is great for shifts in point of view and heightening the dramatic impact of an action scene failure. Marshall also talks about using it to indicate time has passed.

• The Run-Together which Marshall talks about using between two sections featuring the same point of view character when connecting text isn’t needed. An action scene to a reaction scene or a reaction scene to an action scene. Check out Alison Kent’s excellent post: Scenes & Sequels: a mini workshop.

• And, the Summary which is used when a Space-Break is too dramatic but the Run-Together would be too abrupt.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

The goal, of course, is for the transition to happen so readers don’t even notice it. My favorite authors nail it, I bet yours do too, which makes studying it a challenge. Yep, I’m far from done with this aspect of the craft. How do I know? I was rubbish coming up with examples for this post (and I deleted them all).

What I’ve learned:

1. The Run-Together transitions are the hardest for me to spot when reading.
2. The Summary transitions are the easiest for me to write during the revision process.
3. And, even after revisions, I rely on the Space-Break transitions like a crutch.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on scene transitions.

Readers: Do you notice the transition from scene to scene? Do you have a favorite method?

Writers: How do you handle your transitions?

You might also like:
Transitions in Story
Getting From Here to There: Transitions

A Phantom (of the Opera) Love Affair

A couple weeks ago I brought up the Phantom of the Opera in my What’s Your Inspiration post and I thought I’d share my love affair with the Phantom.

One night during high school, I believe it was, I stayed up way past my bedtime…shh, don’t tell!…and watched The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney.

I fell in love. The Phantom will always be the ultimate tragic hero to me. (The closest I’ve come to a similar reaction to a character would be Joely Sue Burkhart‘s Gregar.)

The fact that a movie — and a silent one at that — made almost half a century before my presence turned a stick blue, almost a decade before either of my parents were glimmers in my grandparents’ eyes, and spoke to my teenage self on such an elemental level, still resonates with me. Lon Chaney also had to have been one hell of an actor to convey all the layers of the Phantom without saying a word!

Thus started a love affair that’s been going on nearly thirty years. (Wow, I feel old now!)

I think I’ve seen every movie incarnation out there, including a bunch of foreign ones complete with subtitles. Of course, I’ve seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber version. The Broadway incarnation once or twice, the Vegas version once, and The Phantom of the Opera movie too many times to count. (If I was Christine, I’d have no problem being locked up with Gerard Butler’s Phantom for the rest of my life )

I listen to The Phantom Of The Opera CD a lot, too.

And what good reader, in the middle of a love affair, would miss reading The Phantom of the Opera? Not I. Sadly, I speak not a word of French, so have to rely on the translated version of Leroux’s work. *le sigh* I remember falling in love all over again the first time I read the book.

I’ve not got into all the reincarnations of the book — a little too fan-fic for my tastes — but do plan on reading Phantom by Susan Kay once I can lay hands on a copy. I’ve heard nothing but good things about her take on the original story. I’m on the fence about Love Never Dies. Though the music I’ve heard sounds amazing, sequels rarely live up to the hype.

I’d love to hear what story/character captured you mind, body, and soul?

Don’t Skip the Sex

Do you skip the sex scenes in stories?

If so, do you know why?

I’ve been reading romance since I was in high school (way too many years to mention). The sex has certainly gotten racier over the years. I can honestly say, in all those years, I never skipped a scene.

Then I started learning about this craft of writing. Perhaps, simple maturing makes us pickier?

I remember vividly the first time I skipped a scene. And I blame it all on Joely Sue Burkhart.

From the email I sent Joely~

You’ve ruined me for Tab B in Slot A romances with your transformative sex

I’m happily reading along. Hero has literal and figurative inner demons, nicely developed. Heroine fears her past, good layers. And then the sex scene…and a Joely Devil shows up on my shoulder.

What happened to their fear?

“What?”

He’s been having an inner dialogue about his demon hurting her if he has sex with her. She’s just seen his demon for the first time in the light of day. And they’re just having a grand ol’ time on the forest floor?

“Crap.”

*poke*

:points to page: “See, his brother mentions the change in their relationship.”

*raises eyebrow*

:ignores Devil on shoulder:

A few pages later…next day in story…

*poke, poke*

“What, now?”

Where’s the growth? The change? What’s the point?

:ignoring:

*poke*

:glares at Joely Devil:

You just skimmed.

“Did not.”

Did, too.

“I don’t skip or skim.”

*poke* You just did it again.

:looks at page: “Damn, I did.”

*Joely Devil sits, crossing ankles, and merrily swings legs*

“I’m going to have to get rid of half the books on my romance shelf.” :whine:

*whistling*

“Okay, I get it. You can go back to Joely now.”

Didn’t you get another bodice-ripper in the mail yesterday?

:headdesk:

Joely Sue Burkhart opened my reader eyes and sex scenes will never be the same for me again. That’s not a bad thing as a reader. It is, however, a challenge I strive to meet as a writer.

Because Joely has already done articles on this better than I ever could, I’ll refer you to her guest post on Tia Nevitt’s Writer Wednesday feature where she does a great overview plus has all the links (including a couple I had forgotten about).

On Writing Sex

I’d love to hear what makes you skip or skim a scene, sexual or otherwise?

What’s Your Inspiration?

Ha! The dreaded interview question. At least that’s what I’ve gleaned from reading various author interviews.

I was asked this question earlier this week.

Was that a shiver of dread?

NO!

For me, it meant someone was taking me seriously.

Yes, my bio says “aspiring romance author” (which Kristen Lamb says is a no-no) but for me that’s more I’m aspiring to become a published romance author. I’m a writer. And having someone ask me the classic “where do you find your inspiration” question…well, shiver of excitement moment, folks.

Where does any artist find their inspiration?

Um, in the world around us!

The weather.

After a recent thunder storm I captured this…

The Eye of God? The Universe? Or something darker?

All sorts of inspiration came from this one photo. I free wrote ideas for fifteen minutes after I took it and when I’ve got time to explore a new shiny I’ll pull that paper out.

Art.

Happening across this drawing, Selkie Moon, by Jade N. Bengco prompted me to write a Selkie story for National Novel Writing Month a few years ago.

The story sucks rocks at the moment (didn’t make NaNo that year). However, I love the Selkie myth. I plan to revisit it and hopefully rewrite it one day.

Drawings and sketches, collages, etchings, pottery, pictures, sculptures, etc. Perhaps even crafts like cross-stitching, crocheting and knitting, quilting, and certainly scrapbooking.

What about music? Movies?

(I’m a Phantom fangirl. Not just the Gerard Butler version — though admittedly he’s not hard on the eyes — but that’s another post.)

Nature.

How about this one?

I was sitting at my parents, enjoying that first cup of coffee before everyone woke up, and happened to see this out the window. (Yes, they live in a log “cabin” on a river.)

People.

People watching. Family.

I’d love to hear where you find your inspiration

Tuesday Book Talk

Let’s talk books!

This is my version of Lynn Viehl’s 3 Books feature.

Just Read

The Devil To Pay (Second Chances) by Maria Zannini, E-Book

Why I picked it up: Maria sent this to me though I would have bought it anyway as Maria is a go-to author for me.

What I liked: I love Maria’s voice. I enjoy her world building and character development. She has a way of making each word count. This story has two delicious heroes (even if they perhaps don’t see themselves that way), an imp, and a lost soul, and the potential for a love triangle…quadruple? Quadruplet? (I’ve mentioned I’m a sucker for a menage before, right?)

What I disliked: It was too short, LOL. I was a little disappointed in the ending but I know this is the set-up for a series and trust the author to deliver the goods.

Reading

Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer by Kristen Lamb, E-Book

Why I picked it up:I’m still trying to find my groove and trust Kristen to deliver the facts with a good dose of humor.

What I like: It’s delivering exactly what I expected.

What I dislike: The first half feels like a rehash of her first book We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. It’s all awesome information, and if you haven’t read the first book this one will give you a good overview, but having read the first book fairly recently I’m left with a bit of an overload.

Will Read

The Spiritualist: A Novel by Megan Chance, Paperback

Why I picked this up: This was a recommended read from Alison Kent and experience tells me I can expect to enjoy what she recommends.

What I expect to like: In Alison’s words:

To be blunt, there are not a lot of authors who do this for me, but Megan Chance is one. She’s one I wish wrote faster, so I could selfishly gobble up more of her books, but instead I anxiously await word of new works because I know the time it takes her is the reason her books sweep me away. I finished this one on Sunday and am still caught up in the world of Evie and Michel and 1856 New York. That is Megan’s skill.

What I expect to dislike: The historical aspect worries me a wee bit. I used to read historical fiction till it oozed out of my pores and I think I overcompensated by going in a completely different direction.

• And I’m looking forward to Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera just released last week!

What are you reading and loving at the moment?