Cyn

Collette glanced behind her.  Nothing.  She was sure she heard footsteps, but if someone had been following, she couldn't see them now.  Walking back to her apartment, after the restuarant closed was the worst thing about being a business owner. More than once she wished that Harlan Hamilton would offer to escort her the four blocks to her apartment, but not once in the eighteen months he'd been security for La Roca had he done so.

Around her the cold night air acted as a cloak.  How many times had she seen a scene like this in a movie?  A lone woman walking down a nearly deserted street without near enough streetlights.  Fog rolls in, blanketing everything with an air of mystery.  The quiet of the night gets quieter.  Then, the eerie tap, tap, tap of footsteps.  Footsteps that increase thier speed when she picks up hers; footsteps that decrease in speed when she slows.

Just like tonight.

She pulled her spring jacket a little closer and picked up her pace. Two blocks to go, and then she could bolt herself behind her apartment door, turn on all the lights and chase the fear away once more.  The reassuring thought did nothing to calm the eratic pounding of her heart or the raised hairs on her arms. 

She picked up her pace.

The tapping footsteps behind her sped as well.

Swiveling, Collette was sure she'd see who stalked her, who filled her with fear.  But, as before, nothing.

She turned her attention back to getting home.  Not far at all.

A figure loomed in the dark. 

Collette screamed, dodged to the right and ran.

Footsteps followed.

Not one pair, but now she could hear two.  Two distinctive pairs of pounding soles coming closer in the dark night.

 

Frosting was good. In fact, it was extremely good when painted on Graham Weston’s body. But nothing tasted like the chocolate Sandra had spread on his fully erect member and which she was currently licking and sucking off the same. If his moans were any sort of indication, Graham liked frosting too.

With a final smack of her lips, she released his cock. “Yummm.”

“Tell me you haven’t done that with another man.”

A smile crossed her face. The statement was the first he’d given her that indicated he was interested on a bit deeper level. “Graham, is that jealousy I hear?”

“You bet your ass,” he hissed. “I couldn’t be your first, but I sure as hell want to be the last. I’d have to hurt another man who received such personal attention.”

Could it get much better for so early in their relationship? Confirmation that he wanted more than a night or two of sex? “You’re the only one I’ve tried that particular recipe on, Graham.”

The chocolate cake she’d scraped frosting from sat on the nightstand. The sensuous cop reached down and grabbed her arms, dragging her over his muscular body, his erection poking her in the stomach. Close, Sandra could see a wicked gleam in his eyes.

I was thinking today that although I love writing, writing is also work.  Just like a job, you have to prioritize different components of the work. 

The biggest priority I see is time.  If you were working a traditional job, you would work set hours.  We need to do this with our writing as well.  It is too easy for other things to steal into our writing time so we must make it an unshakeable priority.  No excuses.

With a lot of jobs, you need to prepare as well.  Sometimes this is taking refresher classes, or getting certifications, maybe meeting a new educational requirement.  In writing, we need to prepare also.  We need to prepare our characters, knowing them inside out, as well, if not better than we know ourselves.  We also need to seek out further education regarding our craft.  There is always something to learn, someone to read or study to find out more about how we can be better writers.  Right now I am reading Story by Robert McKee and am learning, or perhaps relearning some basic tenets that belong in the concept of story.

We also need to know when to quit for the day.  Just like punching out, quiting at 5 to go home, writers need to learn to set some limits on their time so they can get away from the computer, refill their wells of creativity and relax.  As writers we need to read and we need to keep expanding our experiences.  Can't do that fastened into the desk chair.

As writers we are lucky.  We are lucky because we love our jobs.  We love sharing in our particular way our own truths through the vehicle of story.  We have one of the best jobs in the world.

My family and I are real movie fanatics. If it is remotely interesting to us we make plans to see it, often on opening day. We’ve seen all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, all the Lord of the Rings movies, all the Bourne movies, all the Die Hard movies. Action adventure, historical, fantasy, futuristic…the genre doesn’t matter.

Why? It’s the story.

The kids are coming to realize that a lot of the excellent films they view were novels first. My youngest read Eragon and critiqued the movie on all its flaws. My middle child decided to see the Harry Potter movies first, because she knew the books would be even better.

Why do movies like The Blood Diamond, The Wizard of Oz, Sense and Sensibility and Children of Men stand out in our memories? It’s the story.

There is much to be learned from films. Many of us have read Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon and have seen how she’s dissected the film, The Wizard of Oz. Many of us have attended an all day seminar with Robin Perini and Laura Baker to Discover Story Magic and have dismembered the movie, Jerry Maguire. And for sheer mastery of example upon example, the information divulged by Robert McKee in Story is unrivaled.

If you look carefully at your favorite film, you can see the various plotting techniques used. It doesn’t matter if you use a “W”, a grid, an outline, note cards, a synopsis or even Vogler’s The Hero’s Journey.

Yet, saying it’s the story that brings you to view a movie or read a book more than once isn’t totally accurate. Because, what is really resonating with the reader or viewer isn’t whether or not Dorothy gets home or Jerry lands a client or the last dragon survives, it’s the emotion that is evoked by the characters’ struggles that we can relate to. It is the ability to be in their shoes, to live vicariously through their efforts and learn the lessons they learn.

Some call it the theme, the point, or the purpose of the story—whatever you find to be your universal truth. If you can state this element in a single sentence you are well on your way to tapping into the emotion necessary to make your work stand out. It’s the difference between making something read like a history textbook and a private journal.

So, you have story, and you have emotion. You’ve studied and applied craft (You have figured out a way to deal with that pesky backstory, haven’t you?). Your writing is technically perfect.

But sometimes that isn’t enough. Something is missing. That missing something could very well be you.

You?

Yes, you.

Are you passionate about what you are writing? Are you writing to fill someone else’s expectations of what you should write in order to sell? Are you writing passionately because it is something you absolutely love?

If you believe the ghosts of a cruise ship haunt the vessel, attacking adulterers as the spirits seek a way to be reunited and thus free their souls; if you are passionate about this story idea, have written it filled with the potential emotion such a situation can create do NOT let anyone tell you that the story would be “okay if only you would” change the ghosts to vampires, keep them from attacking the adulterers, put them in Manhattan and not on a cruise ship etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

If you make such changes and your heart doesn’t support those changes, the reader will know.

Now, that is not to say that you should ignore the structural changes an editor gives you. If something doesn’t make sense, is out of sync, illogical or has other issues, trust your editor to guide you. However, should your editor request changes as mentioned above that fundamentally change the vision you had of the story, you must decide on two things: 1) do you want to change the story that much to keep it with that house and 2) have you submitted your story to the right house to being with?

Your passion for the story and its theme must show through. Passion for the story is what takes an unknown Christopher Paolini from self-publishing to a three book contract with Alfred A. Knopf. Passion is the essential ingredient to make your book stand out when all other writing elements are in place. Passion is what helps writers give believable, multi-faceted characters that a reader emotionally connects with, is the very thing that makes them read a novel over and over.

“The secret of success is dazzling readers—spinning them a story they will never forget.” Donald Maass.

Believe in yourself, in your work, in your theme. Let the passion and emotion pour through each and every paragraph and you will create an unforgettable story.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about being an author?

There are several misconceptions people outside the writing community have about being an author. One is that we make oodles of money. Writing and selling is a lot like being an actor and acting. Most people aren't mega stars and need to supplement their writing with other work. A few are lucky and have a significant other that enables them to pursue their dream.

Another misconception a lot of authors hear is "I could write a book too, if..." I think for a lot of writers this is a real burner. Writing a novel is not easy. It takes a lot of perserverance to finish a story, a lot of bravery to let another person read your work, even more guts to send it off somewhere, and then to survive rejections. Even those fortunate enough to miss being told their work isn't right at this time have to go through the huge learning curve regarding contracts, edits, getting the next novel written and doing promotions. Writing takes a lot of time. And that's when you have a clue what you're doing. Terry Brooks, John Grisham and others, before they were "discovered" got up in the wee hours of the morning, wrote, then got ready for their 40+ hour work week.

A third misconception is that of the life of ease and that writing itself is easy. Sure, maybe some writers have it easier than others; perhaps they dictate to a secretary, a tape recorder, or maybe their computer, but those writers paid their dues getting there. They had to learn like the rest of us; had to find work arounds for carpal tunnel, they read books about the craft, maybe attended seminars and workshops and conventions. Writers don't sit at home eating bon-bons. Frequently, especially for beginning writers, the work is lonely. You don't realize there are organizations to help you connect with other writers, people who can be your friends, mentors, and role models.

Make no mistake. Writers work hard. It takes guts and perseverance to finish a work and submit it and even more work to promote a novel.

Aspen Mountain Press is launching a new paranormal series and is asking for submissions.


Word count: 15K–100K
Format: eBooks
Editor: Nikita Gordyn
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Can be a heterosexual couple, GBLT, ménage, etc.
Mainstream with romantic elements will be considered.
Very sexy/sensual is what we’re looking for. Both graphic and non-graphic will be considered.


Story Guideline:

The main characters have to do something at the bar to tie it together. They know the proprietor, who is a vampire (Cody Warren was turned while in the military serving in Afganistan). Humans can go in to see the paranormals or two (or three) paranormal characters, meet outside the bar, etc, but at some point both the bar and Cody must be in a scene.


Bartending Tales

Stories from Del Fantasma in Vista Loma, California


Bible

Del Fantasma is a bar just north of Point Loma, California, known for its ghosts and other-worldly experiences. The owner and bartender, Cody Warren knows a thing or two about the supernatural. While stationed in Afghanistan, Cody was rescued and later turned into a vampire.

Not that he minds. He is the sole owner of Del Fantasma and the hours suit him just fine. He has both human and other-worldly clients, and a knack for matchmaking that would rival any bona fide yenta. After ten years of bringing couples together, not much surprises Cody. He’s certainly heard every tale of love gone right and wrong over the years. In fact, he can recall a tale for nearly every drink he mixes.


Examples: Sex on the Beach: a mermaid and her true love (general idea only), Kentucky Tornado: the city meets the country in a tale of horse-trading (general idea only), Harvey Wallbanger, White Russian, Kiss in the Dark, Fuzzy Navel, Tequila Sunrise, Three Wise Men, Stormy Weather, Sea Breeze, Long Island Iced Tea, Pain Killer, Singapore Sling, Alabama Slammer, Aztec Punch, or any other drink that the author would like to do.

Please submit complete stories or a synopsis with the first three chapters electronically only. Be sure to include your name, mailing address and contact information to Dragoness@cogeco.ca or submissions@AspenMountainPress.com with Del Fantasma in the subject line of the email.


__._,_.___

These questions were asked by Elisabeth Keatley early this morning

Q) What is the definition of a “Romance” book?

Q) Does there always have to be a”happy-ever-after”?

Q) What type of genre is the best for “Romance”………..

Chick-lit,
Sci-Fi
Horror
Fantasy
Historical
Contemporary
Shape-Shifter
Murder-Mysteries
Comedy
A Battle of the Sexes
Thriller………………….and does it matter?

First, I believe there is going to be a different answer for nearly every different writer out there

For me a romance novel is about the course of true love. Two individuals that find each other and discover happiness by being together. But we all know the course of true love never runs smooth, and few of us are with the person we first fell in love with. So, does a romance story have to have a happy ever after (hea) ending? N0. But, I believe it does need a happy for now ending at the very least.

Any genre can work for a romance. This really depends on the interest and skill of the writer. Currently, even though I’ve been asked, I can’t write comedy, so that sort of romance novel would not be one I’d atttempt. I’m much more adept and murder, mayhem and life/soul threatening situations. Maybe its my military background, maybe its because I enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy, maybe it was because I thought Basil Rathebone as Sherlock Holmes was about as cool as you could get when I was a teen. But comedy is out for me…right now.

No writer knows quite where they will be taken in the future. I won’t rule out comedy forever, because you know as soon as you say you will never do something you have to.

Recently, I've severed ties with one of my publishers, who from now on shall be called, "The Publisher that shall not be named".  This publisher misled and abused many of its authors by shoddy business practices, but more importantly withholding important information.  As information came to light, I realized how important it is to have a sense of honor.

In the past two years I've learned a lot about honor.  I've seen it in the sacrifices made by soldiers, by firemen, by police officers.  One such man is what prompted me to write in my blog today.

There is a police officer in my city who kindly answered several questions I had regarding the authenticity of a work I am considering for publication.  I told him in an email that I really don't like it when information is wrong.  He quickly, efficiently responded answering my questions and closing with a willingness to answer any more questions I may have.  He did so expecting nothing in return.

He knows I write, and I believe he knows I currently write erotica.  If he doesn' t he will as soon as he visits my web site.   And I'm pretty sure he'll be surprised that my most popular works aren't the science fiction, or even the romantic suspense that "The Publisher that shall not be named" recently let go.  Instead, he'll find the heroes I truly like to write about, the men that I put on the pedestal of my fiction pages are men who risk their lives, most particularly police officers.

Yesterday, the news was filled with video of a police officer beating a female bartender in Chicago.  There are always abberations to every chosen field, those who abuse and take advantage of those in their sphere of influence.  That man acted without honor.  Honor, to me is defending the weak, being truthful, keeping promises, doing what is right especially when others would do what is easy.

Which led me to think about what my acquaintance would think about what I write.  Would he consider it porn?  One friend I have calls my writing hot...what would you expect from a fireman though...but he doesn't consider it porn.  I think the biggest difference, and I know there are a lot, is that with my writing I do have a hero who has honor.  His or her life isn't solely focused on sex but my hero doesn't deny his sexuality either.  My characters are full-bodied individuals with lives that are multi-faceted.  They have real problems.  They create real solutions-some that work and some that don't.

But my heroes, in real life and in my fiction all have honor.  They tell it the way they see it.  They don't say, gee if you complain you'll get replaced.  They don't lie.  They don't mislead.  They don't say, gee you've never been rejected, its time you learned.  "The Publisher that shall not be named" has done all this and more under the guise of saying this is how the real world of publishing does it.  Pfft. 

It's time the real world of publishing learned some manners and how to treat people as intelligent human beings.  It's time "The Publisher that shall not be named" learned that in corporate America, treating employees the way they treated the authors recently let go would result in a huge lawsuit and send any sound human resources department running.  Maybe "The Publisher that shall not be named" needs to go work in the real world for a while before they determine that's how all businesses are run.

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” Later, a bumper sticker company, BumperTalk, modified the quote to read, “Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

You want a dragon. That’s right, you want a dragon. But such a powerful beast can destroy you if you are not careful. They often breathe fire, slice through people with their long talons, swoop out of seemingly nowhere to raze the poor village they attack, carrying off hapless, helpless victims.

So why on earth would anyone want a dragon? Your brows furrow. “What does a dragon have to do with my dream of being published?”

Because the dragon you intend to catch is none other than an editor or agent, the very person who determines the fate of your manuscript and guards the pile of gold called publication.

As an experienced dragon hunter...wait, you’re not experienced? Well, then you need tools and weaponry to help you find the dragon you seek. You will go far in your quest if the proper weapons are in your arsenal and are combined with the knowledge of how to use them.

One of the first items you need if you are going to capture and hold onto your editor-dragon is a map. One cannot capture a dragon without knowing where to search. Publishing companies provide you charts called “submission guidelines.” Seek these guidelines out and make sure you understand them. Sometimes, a trusted companion can be called upon to explain unusual markings and phrases in the map. Failure to heed to the directives of the publishers’ guidelines immediately disqualifies you from attempting to capture your dragon.

If the guidelines state you should send the first three chapters send no more, nor no less. If you send to a specific editor make sure you know what genre s/he acquires. You cannot count on an editor to pass your manuscript on to another editor. Adhere to the word count. Countless manuscripts are passed over because they are too long or too short.

Many manuscripts are immediately tossed into the rubbish pile because the author chose to ignore the guidelines. Your ability to follow a publisher’s or an agent’s rules influence their decision.

Your compass to finding an editor-dragon is the dreaded synopsis. Never fear, most editors don’t look at the synopsis to judge your writing. They use the synopsis as their own map of you. Did you follow the instructions they requested? Did you tell, in synopsis form, the complete story? Keeping secrets from the editor or agent plays no part in a synopsis. These dragons need to know the entirety of your story, not your personal evaluation of the manuscript, nor your life history and how it played into the story coming into existence. They focus on one thing—your story. Make it as palatable, nay, rather make it as tempting as the richest dessert offered by the best chef of the land.

Hone the sword of your pen, your most important weapon in finding a dragon. Your best whetstone for keeping the blade sharp will be your critique group, writing partner, writing association or a contest that provides feedback.

Be prepared to wear your armor, another helpful tool in defending you on your quest. When you ask for someone to truthfully evaluate your writing some of the comments will sting; others feel like you just lost a limb in a major skirmish. Pay attention, though, because if you have an open mind you will find ways to make your writing sparkle. Being in contact with these people will also help you read your map. They can help you avoid pitfalls as well as help you interpret publisher’s requests.

Put your best manuscript forward. Send a clean copy of your story (and please, make sure you have your own personal copy, preferably on a medium such as a computer). Keep the copy you send free of fingerprints and chocolate smudge marks (and all other smudges). Use white paper or if submitting electronically the file extension requested (usually RTF – rich text format which prevents the attachment of a virus to your document). Put the document in the font and print size the potential buyer requests.

Make sure there are no spelling errors. Use the spellcheck on your computer but do not rely on it solely. It makes errors. Learn how to properly punctuate, including the correct use of quotation marks. Hint—the punctuation for dialogue goes inside the quotation marks.

Cut the backstory, that explanatory material that you feel sets the story up. It is boring and is best served in small bites (with ketchup) throughout the novel. Be ruthless, your editor will cut what you won’t. You certainly don’t want to be the midnight morsel a dragon snacks on.

Be unique, in terms of both your story and your style (voice). This applies to your characters and the events you plot out for them. Make things plausible. If your heroine is afraid of flying and is now on an airplane thirty-five thousand feet in the air, you better have an excellent reason for having her there. There are truly no unique plot ideas, just ways of executing them. Execute your story like a master dragon catcher.

If you have followed the map you may be quite near the dragon’s lair. You will be long months ahead of those who submit without using the provided guidelines, who ignore the counsel of colleagues.

In fact, the dragon has been tempted to offer you the most sought after relic of the kingdom—a request for a full (your story in its entirety) or even a contract.
You have dutifully studied and have affixed your mark to the document, having sent off the editor’s request with all due and prudent haste. You have captured the attention of the dragon; perhaps have made him or her yours. But for how long? This is where the proper care and feeding of the editor comes into play.

Of course, here we do not speak of food in the literal sense. Your editor has plenty of authors already. You still loom as the tasty morsel. It is up to you not to be consumed by the power of the dragon.

You will feel the flames of your dragon’s breath should you again ignore the basic items provided you long ago in the submission guidelines. Do not pester before the appropriate time. Dragons are irritable and overworked. If the publisher states they respond in six months, do not ask for the status of your complete in three. If the editor states she would like this revision done, or that plot point expanded, do not argue. If he says delete this segment, do so. A reputation of being difficult to work with is something you should avoid.

Does this mean lay down and be trampled underfoot? No. It does mean listen carefully. Editors are not in the business to be your friend (although that may happen), but rather are in the business to make their company money.

Thus, they would not intentionally ask you to do something to weaken your story. If you feel strongly about edits, be respectful. Choose which items, which battles are truly critical for you to risk your neck over. Do not argue over minor details.

You will feel the effects of your dragon’s talons. Those claws will rip through your manuscript until you feel fortunate to see a single page spared of a comment or correction. This is especially true in regards to the overall story. Your editor will want more tension on this page, more character development on that. Your editor, in most cases, will not be correcting your grammar and typing mistakes (but of course, there aren’t any because you submitted that wonderfully perfect manuscript long ago). He or she will tell you that this scene must go as it doesn’t advance the plot or ask why the hero did this particular thing without motivation. If you are wise, you will not have removed your armor and will receive the force of the strikes with little injury to your person.

You will be tempted while waiting for the blows from your editor to change the story. I will deepen the conflict here; expand the description over there, you think. This will guarantee a swipe of the dragon’s talons and perhaps a blast of fiery air. Dragons work off the page and rely on page number when going through your document. Changing the submission disrupts their orderly world. In taking care of your dragon, a writer must engender the quality of patience in copious amounts.

Perhaps the hardest item of all to understand from your dragon is the request to raze the entire manuscript or large portions thereof. If so much is wrong, you lament, why did you take it? The answer to that question is as different as the sword Excalibur is to a Cat o’Nine Tails. The editor or agent saw something in your writing. Perhaps your voice, perhaps your unique twist on the old story of ‘boy meets girl.’ The company just purchased another similar story but wants you. Only your dragon knows.

Beware though. Unless told otherwise, simply moving a block of text to another location in the tale is not what your editor requested. Insisting on keeping large pieces of your prose will once more mark you as an amateur, a person so in love with their own words that you simply will not adjust to make your story better. This is very bad and will encourage your dragon to seek other warriors better suited to handling the requests made of them. Many times, a person so in love with their own work will not be offered a second contract with the same house.

Maintaining a professional attitude will go far in the care of your dragon. Respecting the time, space, and responsibilities of your editor will garner accolades and other positive responses to the sort of person you are—the sort of person another dragon could work with should this one move on.

Small things matter to your dragon. The care and feeding of your editorial dragon is vital to the growth of your career as a novelist. Take heed of the simple tools and weaponry available in seeking, acquiring and keeping your editor-dragon. Remember, you do taste good with ketchup.

Writing is our business...

 

How can we show we are taking this career seriously?

 

In "Guerrilla Marketing for Writers" author Jay Conrad Levinson and associates offer this bit of advice...

 

Prove You're a Pro.

 

How do you do that?

 

Make sure your printed materials are perfect. This means you need 100% accuracy. Sure we all make typing mistakes, especially on the Internet when we're posting excerpts and answering loop emails, but we still need to be aware and catch as many of those errors as we can.

 

When you make a serious grammar mistake, like misusing "your" for "you're" your professionalism is questioned. So is the company you represent.

 

This is especially important if you are providing answers that are going to be more or less permanent. Whether it's a newspaper interview for the local independent or an interview in an author's online newsletter, gross mistakes stand out.

 

In online versions, you also want to make sure you provide the purchase link to your story. Many people are lazy and so it is up to you to make the purchase of your story as easy as possible.

 

Other things you can do:

 

1)Act like a professional.

 

2)Continue to learn your "craft" and perfect it.

 

3)Answer questions simply.

 

4)Don't be a know it all. Honesty goes a long way. If you don't know something, admit it.

 

5)Keep promises.

 

6)Use a signature line.

 

7)Participate in loops for more than just posting excerpts.

 

8)Participate with groups associated with your writing niche.

 

9)Say thank you! That's to editors, supporters, reviewers, whoever has helped you in even the smallest of ways.

 

10)Keep your goal in mind. A lot of us know, in order to do that, we have to have goals set, and we have to strive toward those goals. We need to keep track of our progress.

 

11)Listen to the voices of writing wisdom around you.

 

12) Practice, practice, practice. Translated: write, write, write. Apply what you learn.

 

Much love and success to all of you.

 

Lucynda
www.LucyndaStorey.com
Now available at Loose Id Refugee