I've been thinking lately about Michelle's advice re my characters being reactive as opposed to active. At least that's what they were in my original synopsis. I never really thought about this before - of course they were active, they were walking and talking and making decisions, right?
But that is not being active. They didn't take charge of the story. They sat there and waited for stuff to happen to them.
I found this happened with chapter 1 of my re-write. I was feeling unhappy with what I'd done and I couldn't figure out what the problem was. And then the light dawned: my hero was looking at the heroine waiting for her to come to him. The heroine was looking at the hero, too bound up in her conflict to actually take that step. The consequence was lots of staring but not much doing. No action at all. What needed to happen was one of them needed to act.
Had to be the hero - my mountain climber wouldn't stand around staring, he'd get out there and get what he wanted. So this my hero did. He got out and took charge of the scene, making the heroine have to act intstead of her just sitting there waiting for something to happen. And it's a much, much better scene now. It has movement. It's more pacey. And sets off a whole chain of choices and actions that bring both characters slap bang up against their internal conflict. Phew!
Anyway, this kind of thing is new to me so I'm going to have to keep thinking about it as the book progresses. I have to say, being conscious of having your story flow from the choices your characters make, certainly makes things more dynamic. Which for me - a very waffly writer - is a very good thing. And it makes me more certain than ever that they were right to reject my earlier manuscript. The first half was so slow compared to the second half! Nothing a complete re-write wouldn't fix however. ;-)
Okay, I'd be interested to hear what anyone else thinks of this. Any insights?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Fine Art of Synopsis Writing
Right, forget flowery phrases. Sentences that scream 'look at me!'. Paragraphs that read well but don't actually tell you anything about the story. Throw them out of the window. Why? Because all your synopsis needs is the setting, the internal/external conflict, the evidence of growing attraction, the black moment and the resolution.
Yes, I have been thinking more about Michelle's advice, especially when it comes to writing the synopsis. The first one I did was full of the flowery phrases. It said nothing about how the characters grow and what they learn. It was full of 'he realises' and 'she realises' but nothing about why they realise that. So I wrote another one, and this was full of the 'why's, the internal conflict, what the heroine liked about the hero, what he liked about her, what they learned from each other, why they fell in love, why they couldn't be together and why, in the end, they were. But this one missed the turning points in the story, how it actually unfolded. Wrong again.
So this time I've done a third. And this time - I hope - I've done it right. This time I've actually included the 'hows'. Like instead of just saying ' he shows her that a little risk isn't a bad thing'. I've said how he does this by taking her bungy jumping and rock climbing. And when he comes to realise he needs the heroine in his life, instead of saying 'he suddenly realises....' I've given him some bad news about his father that the heroine is able to help him through, thus showing him what it's like to have support when he needs it.
Okay, it's not perfect, and until I get the okay from the editors, it may not be right, but it's SO much better than my previous effort. And this is a typical two page deal. Michelle said I should be able to write a synopsis in one page and let me tell you, it was difficult exercise. But I managed it! I would actually recommend everyone give this a go. It certainly boils your story down to the most basic nuts and bolts, and it's a great way to see if there are any plot/conflict holes. In much the same way as writing a synopsis centered just on the conflict can be useful too.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth today. This may be self evident to others but it was certainly a big step forward to me. As a pantser extraordinaire, doing a synopsis before I actually start writing is a huge acheivement. Who'd have thought it would help? :-) And it's given me a great start for writing the rest of the story - two chapters down and one to go before spit, polish and send. :-)
Yes, I have been thinking more about Michelle's advice, especially when it comes to writing the synopsis. The first one I did was full of the flowery phrases. It said nothing about how the characters grow and what they learn. It was full of 'he realises' and 'she realises' but nothing about why they realise that. So I wrote another one, and this was full of the 'why's, the internal conflict, what the heroine liked about the hero, what he liked about her, what they learned from each other, why they fell in love, why they couldn't be together and why, in the end, they were. But this one missed the turning points in the story, how it actually unfolded. Wrong again.
So this time I've done a third. And this time - I hope - I've done it right. This time I've actually included the 'hows'. Like instead of just saying ' he shows her that a little risk isn't a bad thing'. I've said how he does this by taking her bungy jumping and rock climbing. And when he comes to realise he needs the heroine in his life, instead of saying 'he suddenly realises....' I've given him some bad news about his father that the heroine is able to help him through, thus showing him what it's like to have support when he needs it.
Okay, it's not perfect, and until I get the okay from the editors, it may not be right, but it's SO much better than my previous effort. And this is a typical two page deal. Michelle said I should be able to write a synopsis in one page and let me tell you, it was difficult exercise. But I managed it! I would actually recommend everyone give this a go. It certainly boils your story down to the most basic nuts and bolts, and it's a great way to see if there are any plot/conflict holes. In much the same way as writing a synopsis centered just on the conflict can be useful too.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth today. This may be self evident to others but it was certainly a big step forward to me. As a pantser extraordinaire, doing a synopsis before I actually start writing is a huge acheivement. Who'd have thought it would help? :-) And it's given me a great start for writing the rest of the story - two chapters down and one to go before spit, polish and send. :-)
Monday, June 22, 2009
You Learn Something New Every Day
Well, what a weekend it's been. My poor husband has been in despair. Mainly because I am being very mono-manic about my writing!
Why? Because I've been inspired! After the wonderful Michelle Styles offered to look over the synopses of my next two subs, I have been having lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment. I think I must be very slow with learning all of this stuff because Michelle did point out things that Anna has already said to me, but for some reason I didn't see it in the manuscripts I've already written. Maybe it's to do with having new eyes to see the wood in spite of the trees, or maybe it's because I only focussed on fixing one thing to the detriment of all the rest, but whatever, the main thing is that it will mean RE-WRITING BOTH ENTIRE MANUSCRIPTS! Argh.
So? What were the problems? I'll point out the things from my climbing story:
1. The internal conflict was complicated for the heroine (again) and my hero was too self aware. There was no clear reason why they couldn't be together.
2. The two characters must grow from the experience. They must learn things from each other. Again, it wasn't clear what the h&h learned from each other or how they were changed at the end.
3. I didn't give any reasons as to why my hero was willing to give up the thing that made him who he was for my heroine. Neither did I make it clear why my heroine would overcome her fear of commitment for my hero other than the fact that she loved him. Why did she love him? Why did he love her?
4. My story was episodic. One scene didn't lead particularly well into the next.
5. My characters were reactive not active. In other words they reacted to stuff that happened to them, they didn't drive the story along by taking action themselves.
Phew! Quite a bit of stuff. And those were just the main points. There were other problems too. Fixing all of this was actually surprisingly easy once the faults were pointed out. To fix things I:
1. Gave my heroine some internal conflict that made getting involved with my hero her worst nightmare. Made my hero peripatetic and loving his freedom, who finds my heroine's need for security claustrophobic.
2. My heroine will learn stuff about herself from the hero and will use what she's learned to eventually get the hero. My hero will learn he can't live without the heroine, that her qualities are what's missing from his life, that he can't do without them, and what happens to make him realise this.
3. I gave them both qualities that each find attractive in the other. The heroine loved the excitement that the hero's risk taking brought into her life. The hero likes my heroine's bravery in how she goes along with one of his schemes even though she deems it risky.
4 & 5. I made the characters decide the flow of events rather than letting lots of outside forces determine the action. This makes them drive the story forward.
I've also learned HEAPS about synopsis writing. It really is an art. I thought I had it but no, I didn't! I am still fiddling around with the current synopsis but it's much better than it was and is certainly a great blueprint for how the story will follow.
Anyway, I'm all energised and desperate to get into writing. I want this story to be the one!
Once again, huge thanks to Michelle for her time. I really feel like I've come a long way since last week!
Why? Because I've been inspired! After the wonderful Michelle Styles offered to look over the synopses of my next two subs, I have been having lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment. I think I must be very slow with learning all of this stuff because Michelle did point out things that Anna has already said to me, but for some reason I didn't see it in the manuscripts I've already written. Maybe it's to do with having new eyes to see the wood in spite of the trees, or maybe it's because I only focussed on fixing one thing to the detriment of all the rest, but whatever, the main thing is that it will mean RE-WRITING BOTH ENTIRE MANUSCRIPTS! Argh.
So? What were the problems? I'll point out the things from my climbing story:
1. The internal conflict was complicated for the heroine (again) and my hero was too self aware. There was no clear reason why they couldn't be together.
2. The two characters must grow from the experience. They must learn things from each other. Again, it wasn't clear what the h&h learned from each other or how they were changed at the end.
3. I didn't give any reasons as to why my hero was willing to give up the thing that made him who he was for my heroine. Neither did I make it clear why my heroine would overcome her fear of commitment for my hero other than the fact that she loved him. Why did she love him? Why did he love her?
4. My story was episodic. One scene didn't lead particularly well into the next.
5. My characters were reactive not active. In other words they reacted to stuff that happened to them, they didn't drive the story along by taking action themselves.
Phew! Quite a bit of stuff. And those were just the main points. There were other problems too. Fixing all of this was actually surprisingly easy once the faults were pointed out. To fix things I:
1. Gave my heroine some internal conflict that made getting involved with my hero her worst nightmare. Made my hero peripatetic and loving his freedom, who finds my heroine's need for security claustrophobic.
2. My heroine will learn stuff about herself from the hero and will use what she's learned to eventually get the hero. My hero will learn he can't live without the heroine, that her qualities are what's missing from his life, that he can't do without them, and what happens to make him realise this.
3. I gave them both qualities that each find attractive in the other. The heroine loved the excitement that the hero's risk taking brought into her life. The hero likes my heroine's bravery in how she goes along with one of his schemes even though she deems it risky.
4 & 5. I made the characters decide the flow of events rather than letting lots of outside forces determine the action. This makes them drive the story forward.
I've also learned HEAPS about synopsis writing. It really is an art. I thought I had it but no, I didn't! I am still fiddling around with the current synopsis but it's much better than it was and is certainly a great blueprint for how the story will follow.
Anyway, I'm all energised and desperate to get into writing. I want this story to be the one!
Once again, huge thanks to Michelle for her time. I really feel like I've come a long way since last week!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Moving On - The Next Sub
I'm posting quick smart because I don't want my rejection post to be the first thing people see on my blog. It's been a hell of a process but it's done now and I'm moving on. And what better news to move on with than an email from Anna. After telling her that I had four manuscripts ready(ish), she told me to send her partials of the two I thought were strongest. Two!! Yay.
So now all I have to do is choose the two strongest. Not so yay because which one do I go for? One of them the conflict is still niggling at me so probably not that. It's another classic case of me having a set-up without really thinking through the internal conflict. However, the other three are all potentials. They are all very simple stories in that that there is no immediate, gimmicky set-up. The emphasis is entirely on the internal conflict. I've also steered clear of the stereotype trap I fell into with the previous stories in that they're fully rounded characters and not just a bunch of character quirks. At least, I hope I have.
But you know, it's funny. I was running through one of the stories with my husband last night and he said 'wow, you really problems with your heroines don't you?'. And I thought no I don't! Surely not. But he's right. My heroes conflicts are all clear cut, I find them simple to write. But my heroines always seem to take me ages to figure out. I wondered if it was because men just aren't that complicated - at least, that's what I told my husband - but actually, I think it's because my heroes are more important to me. I love writing them. And my heroines tend to suffer because they're just a foil for my amazing guy. Which was why my manuscript was rejected. The second half of the book was great, Anna told me, because it was all about my hero. The first half was about my heroine and just didn't work.
So, the next submission will have to concentrate on getting my heroine right. Argh! Choices, choices... :-)
So now all I have to do is choose the two strongest. Not so yay because which one do I go for? One of them the conflict is still niggling at me so probably not that. It's another classic case of me having a set-up without really thinking through the internal conflict. However, the other three are all potentials. They are all very simple stories in that that there is no immediate, gimmicky set-up. The emphasis is entirely on the internal conflict. I've also steered clear of the stereotype trap I fell into with the previous stories in that they're fully rounded characters and not just a bunch of character quirks. At least, I hope I have.
But you know, it's funny. I was running through one of the stories with my husband last night and he said 'wow, you really problems with your heroines don't you?'. And I thought no I don't! Surely not. But he's right. My heroes conflicts are all clear cut, I find them simple to write. But my heroines always seem to take me ages to figure out. I wondered if it was because men just aren't that complicated - at least, that's what I told my husband - but actually, I think it's because my heroes are more important to me. I love writing them. And my heroines tend to suffer because they're just a foil for my amazing guy. Which was why my manuscript was rejected. The second half of the book was great, Anna told me, because it was all about my hero. The first half was about my heroine and just didn't work.
So, the next submission will have to concentrate on getting my heroine right. Argh! Choices, choices... :-)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Final verdict is in and the jury decided: guilty.
In other words they didn't want my manuscript. Clearly the second opinion the EA got found too many things wrong with it and the fault was largely with my heroine. To be fair, I did write this last year before I knew all that I know now and I found it very difficult shoe-horning believable conflict into a premise that probably shouldn't have flown in the first place. I probably should have rewritten the whole thing from the start.
Anyway, all is not lost. They told me they saw great potential in me as a writer and that I didn't need the pitch slot I had booked for the RWNZ conference because I already had their attention and continued feedback (I'm hoping!). And basically I should send them whatever I'm working on now. I emailed Anna back and told her I had four completed manuscripts and which one did she want to see? :-) Bit cheeky I guess.
So, today, I need to have a good wallow, and deal with my disappointment - which is mainly focussed on having to begin the waiting process again. It's been very hard and it will be hard to face another year while they decide on something else.
You guys have been great with all the support you've given me. And - this is silly I know - but I feel like I've disappointed everyone. I hope I haven't. I hope I'll be able to post something a lot more positive in the future and repay all that good faith, because obviously I'm not giving up. Not in the slightest. I'm going to do this no matter how long it takes me.
In other words they didn't want my manuscript. Clearly the second opinion the EA got found too many things wrong with it and the fault was largely with my heroine. To be fair, I did write this last year before I knew all that I know now and I found it very difficult shoe-horning believable conflict into a premise that probably shouldn't have flown in the first place. I probably should have rewritten the whole thing from the start.
Anyway, all is not lost. They told me they saw great potential in me as a writer and that I didn't need the pitch slot I had booked for the RWNZ conference because I already had their attention and continued feedback (I'm hoping!). And basically I should send them whatever I'm working on now. I emailed Anna back and told her I had four completed manuscripts and which one did she want to see? :-) Bit cheeky I guess.
So, today, I need to have a good wallow, and deal with my disappointment - which is mainly focussed on having to begin the waiting process again. It's been very hard and it will be hard to face another year while they decide on something else.
You guys have been great with all the support you've given me. And - this is silly I know - but I feel like I've disappointed everyone. I hope I haven't. I hope I'll be able to post something a lot more positive in the future and repay all that good faith, because obviously I'm not giving up. Not in the slightest. I'm going to do this no matter how long it takes me.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Wobbly Moment
To all those lovely people who have offered advice and support over the past week or so, thank you so much. You've made me feel hugely better about this waiting game that I'm playing. For someone who absolutely loathes waiting and who is naturally impatient, this has been a real lesson and I'm just so grateful to have understanding ears to pour all of my whines into. :-)
So, I'm feeling much better about waiting on Anna to get back to me, although I had a wobbly moment on Saturday when I found out I didn't final in a contest I had high hopes of. It's funny how the fact of not finalling suddenly made me doubt my writing and doubt the stories I had entered. Maybe they were boring? Maybe I'm not as good as I think I am? Maybe I was arrogant in thinking I would final in the first place? Sigh. Whatever, it's a good lesson in humility and just goes to show that even when you think you're doing quite well, there will always be people who don't agree.
It actually got me thinking that that it won't be any easier if I'm published. You'll always be worrying about whether the editor likes your next book, whether anyone will buy it, whether they'll like it, and if they don't like it, how to cope with bad reviews. Scary stuff. Obviously I need to start growing a thicker skin.
That wasn't a blatant play for sympathy, by the way, merely a little sulk. I'm over it now - retail therapy courtesy of Great Uncle Visa certainly helped, as did large amounts of chocolate. :-)
Speaking of contests, I just wanted to say a big woohoo to Rach! She finalled in the Valerie Parv and the Great Beginnings contest! That girl's got talent and if she doesn't sell soon, I'll eat my cotton socks. WTG, Rach.
Oh, and you know I mentioned I computer game I bought for my birthday? Well, it's called The Sims 3 and it's kind of like a real life simulator. You manage the lives of virtual people. The reason I'm telling you this is that in the game, you can make your little people become writers and make money by selling books. And do you know which books make the most money in the game? Romance books!! If only that were as easy in real life... ;-)
So, I'm feeling much better about waiting on Anna to get back to me, although I had a wobbly moment on Saturday when I found out I didn't final in a contest I had high hopes of. It's funny how the fact of not finalling suddenly made me doubt my writing and doubt the stories I had entered. Maybe they were boring? Maybe I'm not as good as I think I am? Maybe I was arrogant in thinking I would final in the first place? Sigh. Whatever, it's a good lesson in humility and just goes to show that even when you think you're doing quite well, there will always be people who don't agree.
It actually got me thinking that that it won't be any easier if I'm published. You'll always be worrying about whether the editor likes your next book, whether anyone will buy it, whether they'll like it, and if they don't like it, how to cope with bad reviews. Scary stuff. Obviously I need to start growing a thicker skin.
That wasn't a blatant play for sympathy, by the way, merely a little sulk. I'm over it now - retail therapy courtesy of Great Uncle Visa certainly helped, as did large amounts of chocolate. :-)
Speaking of contests, I just wanted to say a big woohoo to Rach! She finalled in the Valerie Parv and the Great Beginnings contest! That girl's got talent and if she doesn't sell soon, I'll eat my cotton socks. WTG, Rach.
Oh, and you know I mentioned I computer game I bought for my birthday? Well, it's called The Sims 3 and it's kind of like a real life simulator. You manage the lives of virtual people. The reason I'm telling you this is that in the game, you can make your little people become writers and make money by selling books. And do you know which books make the most money in the game? Romance books!! If only that were as easy in real life... ;-)
Friday, June 12, 2009
We Apologise for the Delay - Normal Service Will Resume in a Fortnight
Yes, I have heard back from M&B. It was a lovely email letting me know that there has been a delay and that I'll get my feedback within a fortnight. Sigh. It's very nice of them to let me know this - they certainly didn't have to send me anything at all - so I'm very grateful for the heads up.
But I admit to feeling a tad...tortured! The email only mentioned 'feedback' so I have to say I'm expecting the worst. This may seem premature and fatalistic but at this point that's how I feel. I was wondering if they can't just give me a hint - rejection or revisions! But I assume they can't tell me anything more because no one has made an official decision yet. Until the 'second opinion' has let the editorial assistant know the verdict, she can't say anything either way. Which is only my assumption of course, not knowing how these work, but I guess that's the reason. And I understand. I wouldn't want to be told 'yes, you're having revisions', only for her to come back and say, 'scrub what I told you, the official word is no'.
So,I shouldn't assume what they'll tell me because I don't really know. I guess I'm doing what I always do - assuming the worst so I won't be disappointed. This, by the way, never works! I should also resume my NTAI which I have to admit, is getting very hard. But forgetting about it is clearly the way to go. If only I could! :-)
Anyway, given the delay, I have emailed the editorial assistant to ask if it's appropriate for me to pitch another ms at our conference. I'm hoping she'll get back to me because I don't want to take up a slot if I don't need it.
Okay, that's my news. Anyone got anything good to share? I need some good news today. :-)
But I admit to feeling a tad...tortured! The email only mentioned 'feedback' so I have to say I'm expecting the worst. This may seem premature and fatalistic but at this point that's how I feel. I was wondering if they can't just give me a hint - rejection or revisions! But I assume they can't tell me anything more because no one has made an official decision yet. Until the 'second opinion' has let the editorial assistant know the verdict, she can't say anything either way. Which is only my assumption of course, not knowing how these work, but I guess that's the reason. And I understand. I wouldn't want to be told 'yes, you're having revisions', only for her to come back and say, 'scrub what I told you, the official word is no'.
So,I shouldn't assume what they'll tell me because I don't really know. I guess I'm doing what I always do - assuming the worst so I won't be disappointed. This, by the way, never works! I should also resume my NTAI which I have to admit, is getting very hard. But forgetting about it is clearly the way to go. If only I could! :-)
Anyway, given the delay, I have emailed the editorial assistant to ask if it's appropriate for me to pitch another ms at our conference. I'm hoping she'll get back to me because I don't want to take up a slot if I don't need it.
Okay, that's my news. Anyone got anything good to share? I need some good news today. :-)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
No News is Good News
No news this morning. Honestly, after all my nervousness and drinking of chocolate martinis the night before... Anyway, I kind of thought something like this might happen so I'm not too worried. I've waited over 3 months now so I can wait another couple of days. If it is a couple of days. Actually I hope I hear back before the end of June though. Got a pitch session booked for the RWNZ conference and I was hoping not to need it...
No doubt all will become clear in the fullness of time. :-)
No doubt all will become clear in the fullness of time. :-)
Friday, June 5, 2009
Happy Birthday To Me
Guess what day it is today? Yes, my birthday! And also - brace yourselves because I'm going to tell you how old I am - the last year of my thirties. Which is sad! I have loved the thirties - not the beginning bits because some crappy things happened then - but the last five years have been rather good. Especially the last year.In fact, this has been a pretty momentous year all round. This time in 2008, I subbed my first ms to Mills and Boon following recieving a compliment slip after the Instant Seduction Contest. I was also feeling annoyed with my library job and wondering if it was at all possible to have a decent career while having a young family. Even working 30 hours a week put huge stresses on our family - my husband has a fairly demanding job and what with me trying to carve out my own career, it was just hell on wheels. And so that's when I thought, dammit, writing has been my dream since I was 12 years old. It's all I've ever wanted to do. So why not take the leap - quit a job that was only frustrating me and write full time. It took me months to do this because giving up a career I'd spent 10 years in wasn't easy. Neither was being dependent on income from my husband. But honestly, it was the best thing I ever did. Not only did it take away the stress involved with managing school hours and school holidays, but it meant I could do what I've wanted to for years. I'm very lucky and my husband is a small god for making it possible.
I also want to thank you all for being such great friends. If I'd never made that leap, I would never have met such a wonderful lot of people. Even though I've never met any of you in real life, I feel like I know you, and that's something I never, ever expected from full-time writing.
Anyway, that's my deep and philosophical thoughts for the day. Tonight we're going out for dinner and in order to NTAI, I am being a complete computer geek and playing the new computer game I've just bought. No writing will be done.
Next year it's going to be the big four oh and I am planning big things. Until then, happy birthday to all you other Geminis out there and let's hope this year is the best ever!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
News - Revisions R Us!
I had an email from Anna today! No, not a sale but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be asked to do a second round of revisions!! Why am I not sure? Well, the email was kind of an apology because she mistakenly sent me my ms when it should have gone to a colleague she was wanting a second opinion from. A second opinion so she could send me some revisions! At least, she mentioned that but then the rest of the email talked about 'feedback'. Do you think 'feedback' is revisions? Or am I being an idiot and over-analysing??
Oh well, I'll find out next week because apparently I'll get my feedback by Tuesday. Argh!!
Oh well, I'll find out next week because apparently I'll get my feedback by Tuesday. Argh!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Desperately Seeking a Title
I need a title. My Feel the Heat entry has been completely and utterly rewritten and now needs to be called something. Kate'n'Alex sounds like the title of a sitcom and although I could stick with Chasing Kate - which was the title I used for FTH - I'm not sure if it fits with the story anymore.
To show you how useless I am with titles, here is a list I came up with:
a) Chasing Kate - Again
b) The Millionaire Property Developer's Secret Bulldozer
c) The Hippy and the Property Developer Have a Weekend of Hot Sex and Live HEA
d) For the Love of Gardening (cos there is gardening in it)
Hmmm, somehow I don't think I'll be using any of the above (though I do have a hankering for the secret bulldozer). ;-)
Anyway, here's where you guys come in. Can you help me think of a title? To get you thinking, here's a quick blurb I wrote about it:
It's lust at first site when Kate meets Alex. Pity he's arrogant, rude, and worse, about to buy her much loved house with the sole purpose of knocking it down. But then he offers her way out of her money woes - he'll buy her house and let her live there, no demolishing required. For a price: one weekend with her.
Alex wants Kate like he's never wanted anything in his life. She's passionate and challenging, the perfect combination. But he's not a settle-down type of guy and so there's only one way for him to get what he wants: he'll have her for one weekend and one weekend only. However he'll soon find that one weekend with Kate isn't enough. Not nearly enough...
Okay, my blurb probably sucks (I hate writing 'em) so the other things you need to know are that secret babies, brides, virgins and/or billionaires do not feature anywhere in the story. A commune, a nice vegetable garden, an island hideaway and an old Mini do.
Anyone got any good ideas??
To show you how useless I am with titles, here is a list I came up with:
a) Chasing Kate - Again
b) The Millionaire Property Developer's Secret Bulldozer
c) The Hippy and the Property Developer Have a Weekend of Hot Sex and Live HEA
d) For the Love of Gardening (cos there is gardening in it)
Hmmm, somehow I don't think I'll be using any of the above (though I do have a hankering for the secret bulldozer). ;-)
Anyway, here's where you guys come in. Can you help me think of a title? To get you thinking, here's a quick blurb I wrote about it:
It's lust at first site when Kate meets Alex. Pity he's arrogant, rude, and worse, about to buy her much loved house with the sole purpose of knocking it down. But then he offers her way out of her money woes - he'll buy her house and let her live there, no demolishing required. For a price: one weekend with her.
Alex wants Kate like he's never wanted anything in his life. She's passionate and challenging, the perfect combination. But he's not a settle-down type of guy and so there's only one way for him to get what he wants: he'll have her for one weekend and one weekend only. However he'll soon find that one weekend with Kate isn't enough. Not nearly enough...
Okay, my blurb probably sucks (I hate writing 'em) so the other things you need to know are that secret babies, brides, virgins and/or billionaires do not feature anywhere in the story. A commune, a nice vegetable garden, an island hideaway and an old Mini do.
Anyone got any good ideas??
Monday, May 25, 2009
WIPS and Agents
I suppose everyone has seen my word counters on the side of the blog and has noticed that yes, they all stand at 100%. It's true, I have finished all three of my WIPs. Now I truly, truly don't mean to be smug. It's just that I am very lucky in that this is my day job. And having one kid at school and the other at creche means I do get quite a bit of time to write. And I do write fast when the mood takes me.
The other thing to bear in mind is that although I may have three finished mss, it doesn't mean that they are, in fact, any good! They could all be complete crap! If and when I finally do get to submit any of them, I could be soundly rejected or be told to completely rewrite them. In which case it's back to the old drawing board.
However, I'm fully of the belief that it actually doesn't matter if they are all complete crapola. They were all great practise. Old Coot (mountain climbing hero) is one that I wrote the start of, realised I had no conflict to speak of, and then completely rewrote. Kate and Alex is my Feel the Heat entry, minus the stereotypes and with added internal conflict. And Panic Attack...well, actually that was the latest one I started and the only one where I felt I actually knew what I was doing when I began it - meaning I had the internal conflict worked out first. So even if they are all rejected, I figure that each ms was a great learning experience. Nothing is ever wasted!
And now the fun really begins. Editing! So now I have to contemplate which one to start editing first (and finding titles for since I can't really submit something called Old Coot!) . While I do that, the other thing I'm wondering about is whether to pitch to an agent at the RWNZ conference. Sadly we're not getting an HMB editor this year but we are getting an agent from the Knight Agency who is actively seeking category projects. I don't know whether to pitch or not. I'm thinking not, because you don't really need an agent to write for HMB. What does everyone else reckon? To agent or not to agent?
The other thing to bear in mind is that although I may have three finished mss, it doesn't mean that they are, in fact, any good! They could all be complete crap! If and when I finally do get to submit any of them, I could be soundly rejected or be told to completely rewrite them. In which case it's back to the old drawing board.
However, I'm fully of the belief that it actually doesn't matter if they are all complete crapola. They were all great practise. Old Coot (mountain climbing hero) is one that I wrote the start of, realised I had no conflict to speak of, and then completely rewrote. Kate and Alex is my Feel the Heat entry, minus the stereotypes and with added internal conflict. And Panic Attack...well, actually that was the latest one I started and the only one where I felt I actually knew what I was doing when I began it - meaning I had the internal conflict worked out first. So even if they are all rejected, I figure that each ms was a great learning experience. Nothing is ever wasted!
And now the fun really begins. Editing! So now I have to contemplate which one to start editing first (and finding titles for since I can't really submit something called Old Coot!) . While I do that, the other thing I'm wondering about is whether to pitch to an agent at the RWNZ conference. Sadly we're not getting an HMB editor this year but we are getting an agent from the Knight Agency who is actively seeking category projects. I don't know whether to pitch or not. I'm thinking not, because you don't really need an agent to write for HMB. What does everyone else reckon? To agent or not to agent?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cliches and How to Avoid Them
Lorraine has been discussing conflict and cliche on her blog after an interesting editorial post on the Mills and Boon UK site. It's all about how conflicts can become cliches if they are used to create a character. Thought I might put in my two cents worth as it's something that the editors have pointed out to me about my own writing, so I've had a bit of experience with it (hope you don't mind if I nick your topic, Lorraine!).
The way I understand it, a conflict becomes a cliche if that's all there is to the charcter. An example would be my Feel the Heat entry. Kate was a cliched hippy set against Alex, the cliched developer. And that's all. There was nothing behind their conflict, nothing that made them anything more than cardboard cut-outs. Another example (yes, I have a few!) is the current ms that I revised. My heroine in the initial draft was a cliched geek. Again, that's all. That was her conflict. She was two dimensional. Her conflict made her a cliche. I have another heroine in another WIP who also started out like that - the prim accountant who doesn't like losing control. Another cliche. There wasn't anything more, anything that made them real people rather than ciphers. Does that make sense?
To get past these cliches, I think the answer is, as the editor put in her post (paraphrasing here), imagine your character as a real person and ask yourself: what life has this person lived that makes them who they are today? What experiences have they had that have added to their character? Okay, so your hero's mother died when he was 5 and it scarred him, but that isn't the only thing that has ever happened in his life.
For example, in my current WIP, the main conflict for my heroine is that her mother never got over her father leaving them. So she has spent years trying to make her mother's loneliness better but never succeeding (because it's her father her mother wanted, not her). She's very caring so this need to make things better has leaked into other areas of her life, namely her relationships with men. She's attracted to tortured souls so she can 'heal' them. Now, if that was all there was to her, it would make her very one-dimensional (in fact, make her a nurse and I have a cliche just waiting to go). But I have learned my lesson so her need to help people isn't all there is to her. She's developed a fear of flying after a bad flight experience, her much loved grandfather introduced her to photography which she loves, she used to go out with musicians and likes going to a good gig, she's trying to be a bit more selfish about her own needs... All facets of her, some of which are related to her conflict, some are not. But they are all part of the life she's lived up until now and make her the person she is. Her conflict does not make her a cliche - I hope!
Again, this is just my take on it. I could be wrong. Anyone else have any ideas?
The way I understand it, a conflict becomes a cliche if that's all there is to the charcter. An example would be my Feel the Heat entry. Kate was a cliched hippy set against Alex, the cliched developer. And that's all. There was nothing behind their conflict, nothing that made them anything more than cardboard cut-outs. Another example (yes, I have a few!) is the current ms that I revised. My heroine in the initial draft was a cliched geek. Again, that's all. That was her conflict. She was two dimensional. Her conflict made her a cliche. I have another heroine in another WIP who also started out like that - the prim accountant who doesn't like losing control. Another cliche. There wasn't anything more, anything that made them real people rather than ciphers. Does that make sense?
To get past these cliches, I think the answer is, as the editor put in her post (paraphrasing here), imagine your character as a real person and ask yourself: what life has this person lived that makes them who they are today? What experiences have they had that have added to their character? Okay, so your hero's mother died when he was 5 and it scarred him, but that isn't the only thing that has ever happened in his life.
For example, in my current WIP, the main conflict for my heroine is that her mother never got over her father leaving them. So she has spent years trying to make her mother's loneliness better but never succeeding (because it's her father her mother wanted, not her). She's very caring so this need to make things better has leaked into other areas of her life, namely her relationships with men. She's attracted to tortured souls so she can 'heal' them. Now, if that was all there was to her, it would make her very one-dimensional (in fact, make her a nurse and I have a cliche just waiting to go). But I have learned my lesson so her need to help people isn't all there is to her. She's developed a fear of flying after a bad flight experience, her much loved grandfather introduced her to photography which she loves, she used to go out with musicians and likes going to a good gig, she's trying to be a bit more selfish about her own needs... All facets of her, some of which are related to her conflict, some are not. But they are all part of the life she's lived up until now and make her the person she is. Her conflict does not make her a cliche - I hope!
Again, this is just my take on it. I could be wrong. Anyone else have any ideas?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Life Imitates Art
I blame my heroine. In my current WIP my heroine decides that she needs a helicopter ride to overcome her fear of flying. So off I go like an obediant little author and write her the scene she wants. Next day, my brother-in-law who is training to be a helicopter pilot rings me up to see if I want to go for a fly. How exciting yes? Well, guess where my heroine got her fear of flying? Yes, sadly, from me!So, having written a wretched helicopter scene, I could hardly refuse an actual ride in an actual helicopter now could I? Especially since I've never been in one..
Talk about suffering for my art! Anyway, as you can see, the helicopter was tiny! It was a Robinson R22 for those who know/care about such things (and no, my daughter did not go with us - I could barely fit me and my jersey in there!).
However, I am pleased to report that despite little wobbles about how the wretched thing stays in the air and a few 'oh look, is that plane coming directly at us??' moments, it was fantastic! Flew right over Auckland and over our house (the roof is in dire need of a paint), and it's definitely a trip a heroine in need of getting over her fear of flying requires.
Have decided for my next WIP, my hero shall fly helicopters. Actually scrub that. The heroine can fly the damn helicopter. :-)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Some Perspectives
I'm feeling sick and grumpy today. Got a vile cold and aren't fit company for man or beast. Anyway, thought I needed a bit of perspective on - yup, you guessed it - waiting. Here's a quick list for you:
1. Penelope waited 20 years for Odysseus to return.
2. Pharaoh Kufu waited 20 years for the Great Pyramid at Giza to be built.
3. The average wait time for a new heart is 6 months (UK).
4. The Count of Monte Cristo was in prison for 14 years.
5. Heathcliff was away from Catherine for 3 years.
6. It takes 6 months to become a New Zealand citizen.
7. It took JK Rowling's agent a year to find a publisher for her Harry Potter manuscript.
8. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering.
9. Getting to Mars would take between 7 and 9 months depending on how fast you were travelling.
10. Keri Hulme (NZ writer) spent 10 years writing her Booker Prize winning novel, The Bone People.
In comparison, my ms has been in London for 9 weeks, which is no time at all. Nuff said, I think.
Oh, and the above facts may or may not be true - my research could be (and probably is!) highly suspect.
1. Penelope waited 20 years for Odysseus to return.
2. Pharaoh Kufu waited 20 years for the Great Pyramid at Giza to be built.
3. The average wait time for a new heart is 6 months (UK).
4. The Count of Monte Cristo was in prison for 14 years.
5. Heathcliff was away from Catherine for 3 years.
6. It takes 6 months to become a New Zealand citizen.
7. It took JK Rowling's agent a year to find a publisher for her Harry Potter manuscript.
8. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering.
9. Getting to Mars would take between 7 and 9 months depending on how fast you were travelling.
10. Keri Hulme (NZ writer) spent 10 years writing her Booker Prize winning novel, The Bone People.
In comparison, my ms has been in London for 9 weeks, which is no time at all. Nuff said, I think.
Oh, and the above facts may or may not be true - my research could be (and probably is!) highly suspect.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Heroine Wore A Housecoat
Okay, so last post I complained about the clothing dilemma in terms of the hero. And I also wondered just what on earth a housecoat was. Thanks to Lorraine and Joanne(who has posted a lovely You Tube clip of Hilda Ogden on her blog), I now know! Yes, it is - as I feared - something my nana would have worn if she were still alive (RIP). Otherwise known as a 'pinny'. Attractive no? Can you imagine dressing your heroine in one of these? I guess they were probably thought of as hip and up to the minute in...I was going to say the seventies here but surely by the seventies they would have had fifties housewife written all over them?
Anyway, thank God the housecoat is no longer to be seen because I'm not sure I could take a heroine who wore one entirely seriously. Which brings me to another item of clothing dearly beloved of romance heroines (the ones I've read anyway): the shirtwaister. Now, I have puzzled long and hard about exactly what a shirtwaister is. I have always thought it was a little bit between a housecoat and a dress, and you know what? It is! All you have to do is add a belt!Seriously, the shirtwaister isn't too bad all things considered. At least, it's little sexier than what I thought. Still, I can hardly talk - my heroine is wearing leather trousers at the moment. Not sure why since she's not really a rock chick and I'm not hugely fond of leather trousers myself. It just sort of...happened. She had all her clothes nicked and the hero's seventeen year old sister took her shopping and...and... Look, she's just wearing them because she likes them okay? ;-) But hey, at least she's given up her strappy sandals, a cliche according to Jenny Hutton's tips on the Mills and Boon boards...
So, what's your favourite heroine outfit then? Housecoats? Shirtwaisters? Leather trousers? :-)
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Hero Wore Pink Trousers
I've been working on my WIP today and ran into the clothing dilemma. What, you say? Clothing dilemma? Yes, indeed. The clothing dilemma frequently happens to me when I'm describing what my characters are wearing and an incredibly cool, styley outfit ends up sounding like something an old man/woman would wear. For example, I saw a picture of a fab Ralph Lauren outfit for my hero and it came out sounding thusly: "He wore a pale grey, pinstripe suit, with a bright pink pinstripe shirt, and a pink and yellow paisley tie." The outfit looked great and the guy wearing it looked really hot. Honest. No? Okay, what about this one: "His black shorts showed off his powerful thighs, the purple jersey he was wearing a nice contrast to the bright green lapels of the shirt he was wearing underneath it." Still no? All right, what about this: "The pink trousers he wore hugged his rear nicely, a pale green jersey stretched across his broad chest." No? Hey, this is Ralph Lauren. Okay, then I guess I definitely wouldn't be able to get away with the fabulous World Man outfit I saw in the shop yesterday. World (NZ designers) do great men's clothes but if I dressed my poor hero in baggy black pants, spotted shirt and a waistcoat with horses on it, it's going to sound naff.I guess it all comes back to being scarred by reading an old 80s Mills and Boon where the hero wore a cream jacket with brown box pockets and epaulettes, and the heroine a housecoat. Ever since then my heroes have to stick with jeans and a t-shirt. Or a suit. Cut offs at a push. No patterns. Easy to describe, easy to envisage. And don't even get me started on what the heroine wears.
Anyone else have this problem or is it just me? And just what is a housecoat anyway??
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Finished
Yep, finally finished the first draft of Kate and Alex. Well, when I say finished, I do mean that incredibly loosely. I got to the last chapter, wrote a couple of pages, then got entirely sick of all the explanations and arguments and put '...and then they get together, HEA'. Slack eh? Told you I was crap at endings. Anyway, the actual, professional plan is to leave the story to fester for a week or two, then haul out for a major edit and a final, proper re-write of the last chapter.
Which leaves me now with two completed manuscripts and two more halfway there. Of course, they could ALL be utter pants and in no way acceptable but sadly, the only way to tell whether this is the case would be to submit and this I cannot do until I hear... But as you all know, I am NTAI. :-)
Anyway, for those of you who are wondering at my ability to finish two mss comparatively quickly, know that the only reason I can do this is that writing is my day job (while oldest is at school and youngest is at creche) so I do tend to have the time. Plus, a great tip that I learned from doing the Nano (novel in a month), was to do a chapter plan beforehand so I know exactly where I'm going, then write without editing. This does mean an incredibly rough first draft - there are scenes that aren't finished 'cause I've got too bogged down - but at least the whole thing is down on the page. Works for me at any rate.
What about the rest of you? Where is everyone at with their current WIPs?
Which leaves me now with two completed manuscripts and two more halfway there. Of course, they could ALL be utter pants and in no way acceptable but sadly, the only way to tell whether this is the case would be to submit and this I cannot do until I hear... But as you all know, I am NTAI. :-)
Anyway, for those of you who are wondering at my ability to finish two mss comparatively quickly, know that the only reason I can do this is that writing is my day job (while oldest is at school and youngest is at creche) so I do tend to have the time. Plus, a great tip that I learned from doing the Nano (novel in a month), was to do a chapter plan beforehand so I know exactly where I'm going, then write without editing. This does mean an incredibly rough first draft - there are scenes that aren't finished 'cause I've got too bogged down - but at least the whole thing is down on the page. Works for me at any rate.
What about the rest of you? Where is everyone at with their current WIPs?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
You Gotta Say Boots, Not Shoes.
Herewith the boots.
Yes, the picture is crap. They are black suede so kind of boring but then so is NTAI. I'm hoping that when I get the big yes/no, I'll splash out to celebrate/cry with something totally ridiculous and pretty, that I will never have any opportunity to wear like....
these.....
On the other hand, I could just continue to write lots of books. :-)
Friday, April 24, 2009
New Boots
One must never underestimate the value of retail therapy. To help me NTAI (see previous post), I went out today and got myself some new boots. With a heel. Now, I don't normally wear heels. They hurt my feet and they make me feel overdressed. But now, as I edge closer towards the big four oh, I've decided to hell with that. I don't want to be on my death bed thinking 'man, I really wish I'd got myself some killer heels'. Hence the boots. They were also going to either be my 'Woohoo I sold my book' boots or my 'Wah, they rejected my book' boots. Sadly they are neither. Today they're my NTAI boots.
Okay, I'll stop wibbling about the boots. On more important matters such as writing, I have nearly finished Kate and Alex. Again I find myself charging towards the finish line, wrapping the whole thing up in seconds flat. I think it'll take at least 5k to finish and then end up finishing in 1! What's with that? I suspect it's because I don't like endings. The whole let-me-explain-why-I-acted -so-badly explanation thing is very tiresome to me. Plus I don't like mush. I know, odd for a romance writer, but I can't stand it when things get too syrupy. And inevitably, there's always a certain amount of syrup required for an ending.
What about everyone else? Do you like endings? Or do you prefer buying boots? :-)
Okay, I'll stop wibbling about the boots. On more important matters such as writing, I have nearly finished Kate and Alex. Again I find myself charging towards the finish line, wrapping the whole thing up in seconds flat. I think it'll take at least 5k to finish and then end up finishing in 1! What's with that? I suspect it's because I don't like endings. The whole let-me-explain-why-I-acted -so-badly explanation thing is very tiresome to me. Plus I don't like mush. I know, odd for a romance writer, but I can't stand it when things get too syrupy. And inevitably, there's always a certain amount of syrup required for an ending.
What about everyone else? Do you like endings? Or do you prefer buying boots? :-)
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