Bits & Bytes: Romance...The Writer's Way

Ninety Thousand - My Magic Number (Melissa Robbins)

2012-01-24T01:00:00.002-06:00

This year, WARA has challenged their members to a word writing contest. The winner will be based on percentage completed, so the writer who struggles writing 25,000 words can compete with the published authors who have several book contracts.

Ninety-thousand words. That's my writing goal for the year. Seems pretty daunting, doesn't it? How did I come up with this magic number? Most of the stories I write have 85,000 words, but I have 70,000 words for a story I should finish and 20,000 for one I started last November for Nanowrimo. Ninety-thousand might just finish both stories or at least one!

But 90,000 is still a big number, so I broke it down. Being able to break a goal down in manageable mini-goals is key or you'll go stark-raving mad. I created a spreadsheet with equations. My engineering husband is so proud. For a yearly goal of 90,000, that's 7,500 words per month, 1731 words a week, 246 words a day (Hey, it's a leap year! We get an extra day!). Two hundred forty-six words is less than a page a day. That's doable, right? Okay maybe not for me last week, but editing can really slow a writer down and that's what I was doing. I rocked the word count earlier in the month, so I should still meet my monthly goal. Correction, I will meet my monthly goal.

Since the group is tracking their percentages, I added an equation on my handy-dandy spreadsheet that tracks my monthly and yearly percentage goals. I have reached 78.29% of my goal for January and 6.52% for yearly goal. Another trick I found helpful for tracking are the number rows. One for January 1^st and down the column.

We'll have to see how I do. I'm not one to keep New Year's resolutions, but I prefer to write than exercise, so I may just keep this goal.

Goals? Resolutions? What's a Writer to Do? (Penny Rader)

2012-01-22T07:00:00.138-06:00

http://bit.ly/z2ooX0

I poked around the Internet for some wisdom on the subject. Here's a bit of what I found (including excerpts from the articles):

New Year’s Resolutions: 6 Ways to Stick with Writing Goals (Alicia Sparks)

1. Determine your writing goals.
2. Write resolutions related to those goals.
3. Make sure you can outline specific steps for your goals.
4. Be realistic as you write your resolutions.
5. Ask for help.
6. Reward yourself.

How to Set SMART Writing Goals (Dustin Wax)

http://bit.ly/A9XMi6

The idea of the SMART goal was conceived by a business psychologist named George Doran. SMART is an acronym, standing for goals that are:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant, and
• Time-bound.

Why Writers Must Set Goals And Track Progress (And How to Get it Done) (Tracy O’Connor)

http://bit.ly/wwa0qY

Tracking your progress can be as simple as checking off boxes on a to-do list or crossing off dates on a calendar, to more elaborate methods like complex spreadsheets and graphs. You can choose any method that makes sense for the specific goals you are working on and your own particular personality.

Be faithful in tracking your progress and be sure to check in regularly to see what you’ve done and what remains. It’s important not to beat yourself up over a lack of progress, instead look at it as an opportunity to troubleshoot and look for ways to improve your performance. Give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve done and reward yourself for milestones. Staying motivated comes from feeling good about what you’ve accomplished and making the decision to look at valleys and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow.

http://bit.ly/wEzM5c

The Most Important Thing You’ll Write This Year (Suzannah Windsor Freeman)

The most important thing you’ll write this year is a list of goals. …

A few things to keep in mind about your goals during the process:
• Write them down and keep a copy where you can see it every day
• Don’t commit to anything you don’t truly believe you can accomplish
• Keep them to a minimum
• Make sure your expectations are realistic
• Don’t give up when you fail temporarily

http://bit.ly/wsAIqY

Your Approximately Perfect Writing Life (Kristi Holl)

…I reviewed my goals for the year and saw that I was moving fairly steadily toward each one. Mostly that made me happy.

But two goals I’m moving toward make me uneasy. I realized I really didn’t want to reach those goals. They were things “the experts” said I needed to do to be a successful writer, but they appeal to me less and less, the closer I get to the goals.

~~~~

http://bit.ly/yUUFVa

My writing goal this year is to finish a rough draft of a book I started a couple years ago.

My personal goal is to de-clutter my home. And drink more water.

Care to share your goals for 2012?

http://bit.ly/AFht62

Gentle Resolutions for a Writer

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year when many of us make New Year's Resolutions. There are always the standard "I will eat healthier," "I will exercise daily," and so many more that a lot of us work hard on for the first month or so and then our enthusiasm fades. Writers, too, sometimes make resolutions or set goals. Beware setting lofty goals that are unrealistic and end up making you depressed. Be kind to yourself. Make resolutions or set goals that won't drive you crazy as you attempt to meet them. Remember that you have other facets to your life: family, work, community commitments, and more.

Gentle Resolutions for a Writer
• Train your brain to write on a consistent schedule, whether it is daily or weekly.
• Figure out what causes your writer’s block and learn to overcome it.
• Don’t let unfinished works drain your energy. Either bite the bullet and finish them or put them far, far away and forget them.
• Set a modest goal for pleasure reading.
• Make your writing space workable instead of a headache. Clean up your space, add things to inspire you or that make you happy to look at.
• Make realistic goals for the number of projects to write, submit, and promote for the year.
• Try writing a new genre or sub-genre.
• Focus on your accomplishments and reward yourself for them.
• Fight back being jealous of other writers, be proud of who you are as a writer, and keep working to improve your skills.
• Help other writers.
• Promote your writing skills daily in a blog post, on Twitter, on Facebook, or wherever…but don’t focus only on selling. Learn to be subtle and interesting to readers.

Tougher Resolutions for a Writer
• Update your website at least monthly.
• Update your blog at least weekly.
• Post on your social networks at least every other day.
• Learn to speak in public.
• Contact local libraries or local organizations about being available for speaking engagements.
• Attend as many writing conferences or workshops as you can afford.
• Be a speaker at writing conferences.
• Do at least one thing every day to self-promote.

What's the Point in a Goal?

2012-01-11T22:56:00.003-06:00

First: What's a goal? It is a desired outcome.

Second: Why are they important? Because if a person, plant, or animal cannot muster up the candlepower of mental wattage to desire enough for an outcome, there is no need to bother breathing.

Last: What do we do with them? We work toward them. And I believe the best first step is to write them down.

Why? Because if you can think clearly enough to define a goal well enough to write it down, then your subconscious can help make your goal a reality. I have proof!

When I was in school, I watched as flurries of notes were passed about the next heartthrob and the comparisons thereof. Idiotic, I though it. After all, who can define love in fourth grade? Eighth grade? High school? I watched as those around me seemed to flitter here and there, defining their newest date as a love. From fourth grade on, I vowed never to tell anyone I loved them unless it were really true. No fly-by-wind-change love for me. Did I wish to date, kiss, carry on with a less than my true love? Of course. That I called dipping a toe in the lake of life. However, true love would have to wait for a true love in my heart.

But, I did dip a toe in the lake of life. And when I did, I discovered a banquet of options that I would need to choose from. I needed a list of likes and dislikes. By the time I was nineteen, I had noticed that people put more actual thought in the features of a stereo system or a car then in the loved one they hoped to acquire. This little issue I thought the height of, shall we call it foolhardy carelessness? So, in a cabin, high in the Rocky mountains, one day I made the list. Yes, a list of what I best required in a true loved spouse. A shopping list as it were. I still have that list. My husband has all but two requirements. He doesn't like to dance, although he can manage a bit. He isn't always a snappy dresser, although he is capable of it. The list was as simple as a height requirement (for ease of kissing). And as testing as the question about dogs. He had to interact with dogs well. For, I thought, if he does well with dogs, it will tell me how he will treat his wife and his children. I don't like dogs all that much. This was merely a test. He is wonderful with dogs. He can't help but play with them and likes to give them treats. I once watched him talk a huge, not-too-happy guard dog to his hand for petting. It took about twenty minutes, but was incredible to watch. He also likes to play and give treats to those he cares for. Does it get better? I'm spoiled.

What was that list? It was a goal. Did I refer to it often while dating? No. But my subconscious didn't let me stop looking until I found the guy who fit the list slipper. I repeated the same with my two daughters. There was a lot of eye-rolling, stubborn grumbling, and I think some under-the-breath name calling, but I made them put some thought one afternoon into completing a list. One had what I thought was out-of-the-box thinking that was likely to fail. And yet, her list did not fail her. She got what she wanted. Yes, she shed tears over other men, but when she found the one that fit the list, she stuck like a burr. Same with her sister. Not too long ago, I found their lists and sent them a copy, for fun, to show them how close they came. Their choices too, were almost spot on.

Is a goal important? Is it important to write it down? Obviously our answers are YES!!!

Lesser goals than personal happily-ever-after goals are also very useful. A few years ago, then WARA president Pat had us write out goals out for the year. I then lost the list for a while. It was a few months after the year was over I found the goal list. I had managed to meet many of them. Not that they were simple things--like getting dressed most days, no, they were writerly related. My subconscious had used the goals as a map that it used to make choices that led me to achieve better that year than any other.

Conclusion?

Write yer durn goals down!

Write down lesser goals that get you going the direction you feel you need to go!

Don't forget goals in other areas of your life as well. You're a well rounded person, right?

The time you spend writing down goals is NOT a waste of time. If you have the time, spend some time thinking about and listing lesser goals that will get you closer to the big goals. The big girls call that planning. I call it essential.

Resolutions or Goals? Just Do It

2012-01-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again. In fact, we're starting the second week of that time of year. Did you make your New Year's Resolutions? Or are you like me and run screaming from the mere thought of doing it? If I had made resolutions, I'd have already broken one by being late this morning with this blog. It happens.

I admit it. I find the words "New Year's Resolutions" totally frightening. That's probably because I've never been able to carry my resolve to do something past the first week or two of the year. But look at it this way. Another definition of the word resolve means to disintegrate, and I'm obviously good at doing that to my resolutions.

But none of that means that I don't try to set goals and work toward them. Sometimes there are things that come along--life things, career things--that make changes in those goals, but I still have something in mind. The word goal carries a more positive ring for me...probably because of that resolve thing and carpet cleaner.

With all that in mind, I wrote a blog post for my own blog last September and thought some of the information I found while researching it could be shared here today. Besides, I need a nudge to keep me honest and working toward my own goals, New Year's or not. ;)

First, ask yourself some questions.

Is your goal realistic?
For writers, this is one of the biggest blocks that can keep them from reaching their goal. For instance, if your goal is to become a published author, setting a goal to be published in a year or any other specified amount of time, isn't realistic. You have no way to control whether an editor/publisher will buy your manuscript. Once you've written your book, researched the right publishers to submit to, and slipped your baby into the mail or an email, the control is in another court. Outside of writing is the same. You can't control what another person will do. Make certain your goal is something you can control. You should also give yourself the time needed to reach your goal and add a little wiggle room. Realize that life can sometimes throw curves and be prepared.

How badly do you want it?
It takes wanting something enough not to give up at the first sign of problems to keep working on a goal. Don't quit too soon. In fact, if you've set a specific time period in which to reach your goal, see it through. Why? Because even if you don't reach your goal, you've made progress. Celebrate it. You can always try for that brass ring again. If you decide to do that, you're already a step ahead, because you've seen some of the things that can trip you up, and you can adjust your plan in accordance.

There are all kinds of goals, not only for writing, but for making life easier, healthier, and more fun. Whether it's getting more exercise, losing weight, organizing your home or life, or taking a vacation, setting goals can help you be a success. You can find some great tips online to help you along the way, from planning and the process of working on goals to reaching them. Here are just a few:

WebMD's How to Reach Your Goals has some great advice on goal setting to help you make reaching your goal a success.
Not sure you're ready to set a goal? Do you see too many obstacles? Susan B. Wilson, Facililitator and Coach has tips on how to remove those obstacles.
Are you in need of long term goals for living, not just short term goals for specific projects? Mind Tools - Personal Goal Setting can help you along the way.
The title pretty much says it all. Dr. Phil's Seven Steps to Reaching Your Goals.

Harlequin author Susan Meier also has a great workshop on her blog about Goal Setting that began in December. Check it out for more tips and tricks on making and keeping both writing and other goals.

It begins with It's Monday Morning...Do You Know Where Your Goals Are? (Scroll down the page until you get to it.)

This year WARA has decided to take on the task of not only urging members to set writing goals, but to keep track and encourage each other individually and as a group. To change things up a bit, we've chosen word count, instead of page count, and will announce our goals for the year at our first meeting of 2012...TODAY! We'll be posting our combined progress each month here and on our website in the form of a meter.

The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain. Kahlil Gibran

Goals and Shoals by J Vincent

2012-01-06T06:00:00.004-06:00

January. The month of resolution-making, of setting goals. Doing this is never difficult. Keeping goals from sinking on the shoals of life is excruciatingly tricky at times. Like last week. My goal was to write this blog. The shoal that goal hit was a virus striking my computer. Traumatic! I had actually managed to remain a virus virgin these many years. The aptly named "Trojan" somethingorother slipped right past my virus protection program which was the first thing to disappear--but let's not go there. What turned out even more painful happened after I handed over my laptop to be "scrubbed" and have a different virus protection program installed. It was then I realized why I should have replaced my old desktop that died in October. Sans computer there is no word-processing--i.e. writingmanuscript, email, or otherwise; there is no email reading. There is no internet, no google directions to the new doctor, no browsing. I can hear you thinking that anyone can live without the internet. Many do. BUT, there is always a but, I had changed all my bills over to paying online and not automatically. I am also going to be taking a trip and need to finalize arrangements and print out several things that they used to mail the traveler. Enough of those shoals.

Back to goals in a roundabout way. Making them is easy. Keeping them is more difficult (see above). Reaching them revolves around the degree of sincerity. No, seriousness. Nope, determination and desperation (a new insight after the computer withdrawal) are much more accurate. Remember the no email reading? I solved that by figuring out how to do it on my Nook. Same for browsing and googling although word processing and printing is sadly out of the oop. To get this blog written I went to my son and used his computer/printer. In the end I will solve all the problems by buying a new desktop. I momentarily thought "Never again will I be high and dry" as fools do but something will come along and throw a road block up along my personal computer highway in the future. To prevent one of the major ones I also bought an external hard drive and set it up to automatically backup any new or changed file. Remember I did say this was a roundabout approach so back to the topic.

Another difficulty in meeting goals occurs if they are too nebulous, too indistinct. The more concrete, the more specific the better. One of my major writing goals for 2012 is to get the first book in my Honour series up through Smashwords. If I write just that as my goal I can almost guarantee it will never happen or take many many months to implement. So I broke it down into specific steps.
1. Find an editor---check
2. Sketch out a cover and find someone to draw or paint it--check
3. Implement the changes necessary after the editor goes through the manuscript--check
4. Download the Smashwords manual on formatting and study it --in progress
5. Format the manuscript
6. Format the cover art
7. Upload to Smashwords

My other major goal is to write the fifth book in the Honour series. I've broken that goal down into research steps, plot realignment (I started this book over a year ago and it has mostly lingered in a doc file--a non-growing file), and scene and chapter goals. Staying on track is not easy but setting small obtainable goals week by week insures more success--at least for me. My "goal" is to finish the book. My set goal at the moment is to finish a chapter. Small is better in goals, like building a two thousand piece puzzle. You can only do it one piece at a time but each piece builds the picture. Each small goal builds the story until one day there is a completed manuscript!

Happy New Year! Happy Goal Making and Keeping. May the shoals in your life be but minor ones!

MILTON BRADLEY AIN’T GOT NOTHING ON US by Reese Mobley

2012-01-04T08:53:00.005-06:00

If you’re reading this then pat yourself on the back for surviving another year. Whether 2011 brought you misery and heartache or triumph and happiness, be thankful you made it over the threshold to 2012. There's just something about a new year that brings renewed hope. Maybe we’ll finally lose that extra weight. Finish our first manuscript or our fifteenth. Organize our home and office to make ourselves more productive. Weed out the unnecessary brick-a-brack in our way to being more productive writers.

Set some goals.

Where do you start? It’s quite simple. All you have to do is move your personal game piece to the next square on your game of life. Plan your next move. Roll the dice. Don’t be afraid to take a chance. What’s the worst that could happen? Forward progress is the only way to get the job done. All you have to do is put one foot ahead of the other.

Good luck. I'll be rooting for you all the way.

Hugs,

Reese

2012

2012-01-02T08:54:00.002-06:00

Pat Davids here wishing everyone a Happy New Year. I've never been so glad to put any year behind me as I was to 2011.

So, are you making New Year resolution? I'm not. I've decided not to do that anymore. I used to be an avid list maker. I'd plan the steps I needed to accomplish my goals. Some I did manage to make. Others, like regular exercise, went by the wayside before the first week was over.

So this year I've decided I'm not making resolutions. If I eat better, great. If I exercise more, terrific. If I write lots of words, paragraphs and pages, I'll finish a few more books. I will not resolve to do, I will just do.

That's my secret to writing three books a year.

Flex Your Writing Muscles - Childhood Memories (Penny Rader)

2011-12-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

http://sites.google.com/site/vwnesler/RenoirChildWriting.gif

Since we've been discussing the impact our childhood might or might not have had on our writing, I thought it could be fun to use writing prompts to delve into our childhoods. Might give us great fodder for stories. I hope you'll join in. Feel free to share.

Free Creative Writing Prompts: Childhood (Bryan Cohen)

How did the following things affect you during your childhood: music, books, the weather, money, love. You can combine them all into one story or do separate entries on each.
Write a poem about [y]our earliest childhood memory.
You have been given the opportunity to go backwards. You can pick an age and start over again from that age. Do you pick one or not? What age would you go to? Describe your first week with your "old person" memories in your younger body.

How to Write about Your Childhood — Autobiographical Writing (John Hewitt)

"Autobiographical Writing is an excellent way to work on your descriptive skills. When you describe items or memories from your past, you are able to provide details that are often lacking in more purely imaginative exercises. With autobiographical writing you learn how to describe what was rather than what isn’t."

Here a few examples of prompts given by John:

What was family life like as a child? How did you feel you fit into your family?
Write about your best friend as a child and the experiences you had together. What has happened to that friendship since childhood?
Describe your nemesis growing up. Who made your life miserable and what did they do to make it so rough?
What was the biggest trouble you got into as a child? Describe what you did or didn’t do to deserve what happened to you.

http://www.innertuitionlifecoaching.com.au/files/innertuition/photos/rope%20swing.jpg

Reawaken Your Creativity By Revisiting Your Childhood Pleasures (Aileen McCabe-Maucher)

This week, honor the small child within yourself by revisiting the activities that brought you the most pleasure as a child. In your journal, make a list of all of the activities that you delighted in when you were a youngster. Think of the things that you used to do that made you lose track of time.
This week, spend at least thirty minutes doing the activity that brought you the most pleasure in your childhood. Give yourself permission to be silly and spontaneous.

What do you remember from your childhood? (Jo Middleton)

"I’ve always thought of myself as a person with a fairly poor long-term memory, but one exercise we did on my recent Arvon course made me realise that there are actually a lot of interesting sounds, sights and smells buried in the murky depths of my brain, if only I can dig around enough and find them under the layers of daily life."

and

"... exercise was based on an extract of a book called I Remember by Joe Brainard. We were asked to close our eyes and imagine being ten. We then wrote down everything we could remember about how being ten tasted, how it smelt, how it sounded and how it felt. It was amazing how easily one memory triggered another, and before long we were all reciting the most amazingly evocative childhood memories. You should give it a go, see what you come up with."

Writing Triggers for Family Memories (Virginia Allain)

Virginia provides "a fresh memory prompt or writing trigger each week here. Use it to prod your memory, then write down what you discover. Your memory writing may be just a paragraph or it could be five or six pages. As you find the memories flowing again, take advantage and get it into written form. ... You don't have to write about every aspect suggested. Choose a part that interests or inspires you and start writing the memories from your childhood."

Here’s one of her triggers:

Remember Something Precious to You

Think back to some object that was important or precious to you as a child. Describe it. Do you still have it or was it lost or broken or given away? Tell why you considered it special. Who gave it to you or how did you get it? Where did you keep it?

This could be something simple like a feather you found or something valuable like a ring given to you by your grandmother. Think back to something you treasured.

http://salvacion.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/box-of-treasure.jpg

~~~

What do you think? Care to share a memory or fictionalize a memory? Do you have any prompts or exercises to creatively mine your memories?

Events that kicked my writing bum (Melissa Robbins)

2011-12-24T01:00:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve to you all!

I've been a writer since childhood, but when this month's topic came up, four events stuck out in my mind. In college, I took three English classes. My first two teachers hated my work. I learned the concept of subjectiveness early on and the fact that I'm not a non-fiction writer. Although my third English teacher didn't like my writing either, he called me into his office and said I should try this, this, and this. For the life of me, I can't remember what he said or even his name, but the fact that my teacher took the time to help me did wonders for my passion to write.

Fast forward to almost a decade later. My son, Duncan was born with heart defects and remained in the NICU for five weeks. With a new baby and a two year old, writing was put on the back burner, but now I had plenty of time to write. After spending a vacation in Scotland the year before, a story and characters started forming. While my mom watched Emma in the afternoons, I sat in Duncan's hospital room and wrote about a WAAF in WW2. Her background and name are different than the Wren in my stories today, but Jack, my cheeky fighter pilot, never changed his ways, much to the delight of the rest of us.

A couple of years later, my writing had stalled again. My story was going nowhere and I gave up on it. Not my characters, though. Finding the time to write seemed impossible. Then one day after starting a new plot with the same characters, I discovered Fran, a fellow Irish dancer was also a writer. I hadn't found anyone to share my story with that I wasn't related or married to before. I was thrilled. We exchanged first chapters and Fran gave me that kick in the pants I needed to start writing again.

I can't remember how long after that that my computer died and I lost everything I wrote. I know. I learned my lesson. As Fran can attest to, the loss was probably a blessing in disguise. My story was in third person, but since I had to start all over again, I tried first person and found my voice.

My fourth event, fifth if you count the computer crashing, was when I joined Sisters in Crime and WARA. I decided that year I wanted to be a serious writer. I finished that story I spent years working on. Writing is a pretty solitary life. The critiques and encouragement I receive from fellow writers help me immensely both with my writing and in life in general.

Childhood + ? = Writing Career (Penny Rader)

2011-12-22T07:00:00.118-06:00

My brain froze when I saw the topic for this month's blog. I'm not one of those writers who has written since childhood...except for a couple failed attempts to keep a journal (which I stopped after someone read it and repeated the info in front of me).

For weeks now I've been trying to decide what could've possibly happened during my growing-up years that molded me as a writer. I considered accidentally-on-purpose forgetting to write my post, but then I came up with two things:

My love of reading. When Sister Mary Renee told my first-grade self I was going to learn to read, well, panic surged. I thought she was going to give me a huge, thick red book and expect me to know what all those squiggles meant. Once I learned what they meant I was happily hooked and I never stopped reading...which many moons later led to writing.

Playing. When I was a kid (way back in the Dark Ages) we didn't have cable TV or computers or gaming systems. We played outside. A lot. And used our imagination.One of my favorite things to do was play on the swing set and pretend I was being carried away by a bad guy (though what the 'bad guy' might actually do never occurred to me) and was then rescued by one of the current hotties of the day.

I know, not very heroine-like, waiting to be rescued, but as a kid who was bullied I needed to pretend that Bobby Sherman or Michael Landon rushed to protect me, to save me.

~~~

Did a specific event during your childhood inspire you to become a writer?

A Nest of Songbirds

2011-12-20T09:00:00.002-06:00

While we look back on what inspires us, I wanted to take a moment to include the members of WARA.

For me, members of WARA are like songbirds. Each has a different song to sing, but together they are a symphony of support, encouragement, and most of all actually wish each of us well. Do you know how rare that really is? I'm not saying that jealousy doesn't burn my buttons, but it is a good kind. The kind that says I get to talk to genius because I am a part of our group. I get to mine their brains for knowledge. I get to ask questions and because of who they are as people, their kindness overflows and I am bathed in truth.

Truth has many facets, like the faces of WARA. Each with their own tale of work, worth, and wisdom. Each voice raised, sometimes in dissent, but often in assent, is a part of the whole. Without the occasional dissent, there is no truth.

There is an incredible volume of talent and kindness in all of WARA members.

WARA is exactly what I need to inspire me forward. They always have been. As writers they seem to understand exactly when my writerly brain needs a new battery. Sometimes I am pitiful. A helping arm comes around my shoulders via e-mail or phone. Sometimes I run forward full tilt, full of so much enthusiasm that I have been advised to consider toning it down a bit. The writing world isn't one to conquer, but to enchant. When I try to enchant and miss. I'm told not to worry, but to try again.

Try thinking a different way.

But always try again.

Always I listen to our nest of songbirds.

How lucky I am to be a part, however minor, of such a talented group.

Thank you.

The Gift of My Dad

2011-12-20T07:00:00.002-06:00

I wasn't sure what to write in response to this month's topic: What one event in your childhood had the greatest affect on your writing career? Then I read all of the other great posts, most talking about memories of their fathers or family and their support.

There wasn't "one event" that affected me and led to my writing career. But there was a man. I was blessed with the gift of being the daughter of Jack Linus Tolliver. He was interested in anything and everything. And seeing the "what ifs" about so many things in turn allowed me to see them as well.

He was never afraid to try something that most people would think a bit odd...okay, borderline nuts. One of my favorite memories comes from the time when he was focused on the "magical" abilities of pyramids. He made a small pyramid to put his razor blades under so they would re-sharpen themselves. Bizarrely, they actually did. Then he made a pyramid big enough to set on his head like a hat, this was supposed to make him smarter (or something, I can't remember the outcome he actually wanted). He was always smart to me, so I don't know if that changed at all. But the picture of him wearing the hat is a family favorite.

My imagination runs wild at times and always has. From the childhood days of covering a table or a group of chairs with a blanket, then sitting underneath it and being in a world of my own making. To wearing a ruffly slip over my head, so that I could become a beautiful young woman with long hair. To spending time on my back, staring up at the ceiling, and imagining a whole different setting to the world around me.

Those childhood experiences have only allowed my imagination to continue running along the "what ifs." After all I have published 41 novels and novellas and 6 anthologies. I've created all kinds of settings and more characters than I can even remember. And, most imaginatively, I've created a romantic/daring cow (Blossom) with a bullfriend (Ferdinand).

Thanks for sharing your gift of a wild imagination, Dad. Your memory will stay with me always.

Nope, Nada, Nothing....

2011-12-11T13:31:00.004-06:00

Writing? Childhood event? Nope. Nada. Nothing. There was nothing in my childhood as any kind of event that precipitated a writer such as me. Then I realized. Maybe.

Would reading the science fiction section in it's entirety when I was about fifteen fit the bill? Because all of that futuristic reading, as well as other novels had me thinking. It was obvious to me that we needed to find a way to limit human population before we turned the planet into a giant feedlot, like we have for cattle. But who do we trust the decisions to? Hitler had a final solution and no one trusts him anymore. No kidding. But all that shows is that man has his own agenda at who is more fit to procreate than others. Fortunately for man, mother nature and luck has been in charge of who survives and who does not for most of our human history. They need to stay in charge.

Since I'm scientific by nature, and influenced by the power of love, I found a solution and wondered how it could ever be implemented.

Only a handful of years ago, it became a story. Or rather the result of my internal ruminations became a story. The Proving Zone: Tory's Story. And then another, her brother's story--In the Zone: Pitin's Problem.

What are these stories about? How to survive the Proving Zone where you have to walk a thousand miles and survive before you're allowed to have children. You also have to survive your preconceived ideas of love, other people, your own abilities as well as primitive conditions. Each story has a happy, satisfying ending. Why? Because the real world can kick you in the head enough. Everyone deserves their stories to work out--we call that hope in action. We ought to be able to rely on that in our fiction.

Romance means hope. The world is a better place for it.

Thank You, Daddy

2011-12-08T09:02:00.000-06:00

It wasn't an event that affected my future and what has become my writing career. It was a person.

My dad was one of the wisest and kindest people I've ever known, in spite of having only a 7th grade education. When he was ten years old (in 1920), his father died, and he stepped up to help his mother and younger brother by working odd jobs. Over a lifetime his work involved selling magazines door to door, as an usher at the Orpheum Theater (where he met and obtained autographs from many famous people), as a soda jerk, and other jobs. Later on he worked at Fox-Vliet Drug Company and at Boeing Aircraft, where he was a supervisor in the purchasing department and retired after almost 25 years. Not bad for a man who never attended high school, much less college! And throughout working all those jobs, he read.

While on vacations that took us through 48 states, my souvenirs were always books, usually Little Golden Books. I even have a book we bought in Havana, Cuba, when I was three. Before I was able to make out the letters and words, my dad would read to me. But even that wasn't always enough, and I'd read them by the light of my nightlight. It's no wonder I wore glasses by the time I was six!

National Geographic Magazine was a favorite source of reading to my dad. He liked to keep up with what was going on in the world...and in space. Being a part of Boeing meant being a part of building rockets to the moon, and his interest turned to the stars. The wonderful thing was that he never pushed the knowledge reading gave him on anyone, but if asked, he always had an educated answer. He never limited his interests or his reading to one or two things, and he continued to read and learn until his death at the age of 76 in 1987.

There's no way I could ever be able to thank my dad for the gift of reading he gave me. If it hadn't been for all the time he spent reading to me and the quiet encouragement he always gave, I wouldn't be here sharing this today. He was gone before I began to write seriously. But I know that he's watching over me, smiling and proud. Thank you, Daddy, for the gift of reading, because without it, I never would have written.

Cataclysmic Event Led to Writing? No! by J Vincent

2011-12-06T06:00:00.005-06:00

“What one event in your childhood had the greatest effect on your writing career?” is this month’s topic. If it had been cataclysmic I’m certain I would have remembered it. Unfortunately it was not. After much consideration I’ve come up with one thing.
It’s not really an event; I’m not even certain it happened as I think it did.

But there came a day in my in my childhood when one of my younger brothers or sister asked me to tell them a story. I don’t recall if it was to make up a tale about the clouds which I know became a favorite of theirs. Or was I asked to make up a saga about the stars! Perhaps they asked for an adventure using the articles and maps found in the Reader’s Digest.

We had chicken houses and a tool garage north of our house. A single lane size track circled these and connected to the road. Across the road was a milk barn, a sheds for the cattle and huge hay and equipment storage shed. There were wonderful maps to be found in the Reader’s Digest about ancient Egypt for example. Various buildings around the farm would become Thebes, Giza, or Alexandria. The Red Flyer wagon mom used to pull the laundry baskets to the wash line so she could hang up the laundry became our papyrus boats or a dahabeya, a luxury pleasure boat for the Nile. The calves in the calf pen were camels. A side benefit to this was that we knew any country we “explored” better than any of the kids we knew.

So I was asked to tell stories. I found I enjoyed doing so. I still do. Merry Christmas!

NOTES FROM THE JOHN AND THE GREAT BEYOND by Reese Mobley

2011-12-04T09:46:00.002-06:00

Unlike Miss Pat, I wasn’t raised on a farm with a lot of animals. My entertainment came from my older sister (not the least bit animal-like) and a brain that operated like a runaway train. Back then, I drove my parents and my sister crazy with my colorful imagination and nonstop energy. Probably still do, but they’ve gotten used to me by now. I hope.

Anyway, there were two events in my childhood that fed my writing dream. Both were followed with huge doses of encouragement that I gathered up close to my heart for safekeeping. You see, as aspiring novelists, we hold our dreams together with these threads of encouragement.

I must have been about eight or nine when I wrote this silly poem about our toilet. This is where the crazy part sneaks into the picture. My folks thought it was so good, so creative and entertaining, they scotch-taped it to the shiny tile above the roll of two-ply Charmin. You couldn’t help but see it when you finished your business. I was so proud. For the first time in my life, I felt like a real writer. No one bothered to tell us how weird it was or how their second born daughter might need special care some day. Seriously, what kind of child writes about their bathroom? I’ll bet my dear mom still has it saved it in her scrapbook. Now, that’s pride.

The other memory comes from this story I wrote a few years later about this young family who is waiting dinner on a loved one when they get a call from the police. You see, the roads were icy. And there was an accident and their beloved is missing. The family, of course, is distraught beyond words. They fear the worst. Then the dearly deceased man turns into an angel, says his goodbyes through a frost covered window and goes to heaven. The end. Pretty morbid stuff for a child—I know. But, the point of this is, my folks had me read it to everyone who stepped foot in our home. I remember handling those pages of notebook paper so much they started to get thin around the edges. Again, the pride my family felt in me was enough to keep me going. And it still is. I only wish my dad could have lived long enough to see my first novel on the shelves when it does happen.

Hugs,

Reese

What one event in your childhood had the greatest affect on your writing career

2011-12-02T07:43:00.005-06:00

Pat Davids here.

This is the topic for December. First and foremost, I had a great childhood. I lived on a farm. I was the only girl with four brothers. Okay, that part wasn't so great but I learned not to throw a softball like girl. We had chickens, as you can see, but best of all, I had my own horses. Three of them, Tammy, Trixie and Shawnee. I had great friends in school and I learned that books could take me anywhere.

I think the single event that had the most influence in all of my life, not just my writing, had nothing to do with books. It had to do with horses. My father had agreed to bring the neighbor's stud to our farm to breed to my first mare, Trixie. Since we didn't have a horse trailer and it was only a few miles away, we just drove over. I had learned to ride without a saddle and by that time I thought I was skilled at staying on the back of any horse. My big failure was being unable to stand on the back of a galloping horse. I was twelve and it was heartbreaking.

When we arrived at our neighbors to collect the stallion, I stood beside my dad holding a bridle while he did the talking. The neighbor frowned as he looked down at me. He asked my dad, "Who is going to ride this horse to your place?"

Dad pointed at me. "She is."

The man leaned close. "Clarence, I wouldn't let a little girl like her on this stallion. He's wild and he has a bad temper."

My dad's eyebrows shot up. "If she can't ride him, I'm sure as hell not going to get on him!"

Oh, I was so proud. My father thought I could handle a horse that he couldn't. From that moment on, I knew that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to because Dad believed in me. (Okay, I never learned to ride standing up, but it wasn't for lack of trying.)

Our neighbor didn't have the same confidence in me. His eighteen-year-old son rode the horse to our place while we followed him. As soon as we got home, Dad looked at me and said, "You are not to ride this horse. He is dangerous."

Yeah, right. I could do anything I set my mind to, remember? No way was I going to pass up the chance to ride a flashy stallion like him. The first time my parents left together, I caught the big pinto, climbed on his back and discovered that some horses have a terrible and uncomfortable gait. Riding him was like sitting on a jackhammer, plus, he seemed intent on biting me. No fun at all. I never rode him again. His colt, however, was an adorable brown and white pinto filly who grew up to have a much smoother gait than her papa.

So, that is the event that shaped my writing life. I learned to believe I could do anything I set my mind to accomplish. And, I learned that sometimes, what I thought I wanted wasn't the best, after all. That made me flexible. If it doesn't work, don't beat a dead horse, just find another horse to ride.

Riding stories anyone? What is your favorite or least favorite horse story, real or fiction?

By the way, I want to wish my grandson a happy 18th birthday.

It's Raining (Regency) Men!

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000-06:00

Fran wasn't able to post today, so I thought I would steal her date this month. Who doesn't like men in Regency attire? This link/video from Victoriana Magazine cracks me up every time I watch it. Love me some Mr. Darcy, although my favorite Regency hero is Fran's duke.

And since we're talking about heroes, one of my favorite tumblr sites introduced to me by my Canadian friend is called Hot British Men. What is it about those English accents?

Heroes Dating Game (Melissa Robbins)

2011-11-24T01:00:00.006-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Much to my delight, we have been discussing heroes this month. Since my stories take place during WW2, I have loads of heroes running around, so I thought I would interview three of my soldiers with a bit of dating game fun. Hopefully their girls don't mind.

Bachelor #1 American, First Lieutenant Jackson Spencer, U.S. Army Air Force fighter pilot

Bachelor #2, Englishman, Squadron Leader Basil Godfrey, Royal Air Force fighter pilot

Bachelor #3 Englishman, Warrant Officer Seamus O'Malley, Royal Air Force policeman

Mel: Hi boys!

All: Hello Mel!

Mel: Let's jump right in, bachelors. Where would you take a girl on a first date?

Basil: A picnic to the Sandwick Castle ruins. The view is marvelous and we'll have champagne and delightful desserts.

Mel: Desserts? Wow, that would be cool with all the rationing going on.

Seamus: There's an Italian restaurant in town. I would take my girl there for a romantic candlelit dinner.

Jack: Antonio's?

Seamus: Why are you snickering?

Jack: No reason. Great choice. I hear they have a great chicken fettuccine Alfredo. [kiss] Perfetto.

Mel: What about you, Jack? The theme seems to be dining. Would you take your date to Antonio's?

Jack: Of course, I love Italian, but it would depend on the girl and what she likes. For a first date, I would love to take her swing dancing, but if she's up for anything, I would fly her in my plane.

Mel: Wow, a plane ride? That would be a memorable first date. Next question, what three things do you never leave the house without?

Jack: Clean underwear. That doesn't count as one of my three, does it? That should be a given. Let's see, my ring and a picture of my girl. My third would be my whistle and flying jacket. The whistle is attached to the jacket, so those two count as one.

Mel: A whistle?

Jack: Technically, pilots blow on the whistle when they bale out in the Channel and need to be rescued, but they have become lucky charms. Mine was a gift, so it's extra special.

Basil: Pilot gear, a cigar, and keys to my Bentley.

Seamus: All of us should bring our identity cards. If we're stopped and can't identify ourselves, we could be detained as spies. My other items are my cross and pocket watch.

Mel: What are your best qualities?

Basil: Debonaire and a great pilot

Jack: [laughs] I hear I'm a fantastic kisser.

Seamus: Lalalalala. I don't want to hear that.

Jack: I heard you're a 'ruddy brilliant' kisser, O'Malley.

Seamus: Who told you that?

Mel: Seamus, your face is the color of your hair! Jack, who did tell you that?

Jack: [shrugs] Girls talk to each other and don't always notice when guys are listening, but to get back to the question, I would like to add that I'm fiercely loyal to the people I care about and would do anything for them and I mean anything.

Seamus: You would do anything. No doubt about that. Did she really tell the other girls that? Blimey, I can't think right now. Can I skip to the next question?

Mel: Why are you still blushing? Okay what's your favorite quality in a woman?

Seamus: Trust

Jack: Hey, what's that look for, O'Malley? I'm all about trust too. For me, it's a woman who isn't afraid to be herself, even if it goes against the norm and I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but an hour glass figure doesn't hurt. My girl has nice curves. Ooo, la, la.

Basil: Loyalty to king and country and a nice bum.

Jack: Oh yeah, a nice bum.

Seamus: You lot are terrible! She is going to kill you when she sees you, Jack.

Mel: At least they're being honest. Next question, you've just been told you have a few months to live, what do you do?

Jack: Darlin', we're soldiers. Basil and I are fighter pilots and Seamus is a policeman. We could die tomorrow. I, for one, live every day like it would be my last and enjoy it with the people I care most about. Then hopefully, when I die, I could take a few Krauts with me.

Basil: Spencer is right. If I knew I was going to die, which is a strong possibility nowadays, I would spend my days fighting the Jerries to my last breath.

Seamus: I would be with my family and my girl.

Mel: With today being Thanksgiving, how do you make the holidays special?

Jack: I'm thousands of miles away from my family. So the holidays would be special if I could spend it with them. If not, I would celebrate in the officers' mess with my soldier friends who are like brothers to me. Hopefully, my girl will be there too with lots of mistletoe hanging around.

Basil: Before the war, my family held the grandest parties for holidays in London or at our country estate.

Seamus: I love spending Christmas with my family. Dad plays his fiddle and my sisters dance. Mum cooks a goose. Hmm, Christmas pudding.

Jack: Stop O'Malley. You're making me hungry. Roasted turkey with dressing. Green bean casserole. You're evil, Mel asking a question like that with rationing going on. Can we go back to talking about girls?

Mel: Okay, I'll put you out of your misery. For our final question, so the ladies can know just how dishy you boys are, which actor would you like to play you in a movie?

Jack: I would want to play myself, but if I had to choose, Justin Hartley. He'll have to wear colored contacts, though. I have handsome baby blues. [bats eyelashes]

Basil: Ben Barnes

Mel: Ooo, Prince Caspian.

Basil: Yes, but shorter hair in back.

Seamus: Simon Woods

Jack: With or without the crazy Mr. Bingley hair?

Seamus: Not funny, Spencer.

Mel: Thank you boys for answering my questions. So, ladies, which hero would you choose? For you Connor fans out there wondering where he is, Connor is in the manor library snogging his girl, but he might come up for air and stop by in the comment section, along with my other boys should any of you have more questions for them.

Now writers out there, did you see what I did? Imagine your heroes and other characters on a dating game and ask them questions like these. Their answers may surprise you.

Creating a Hero (Penny Rader)

2011-11-22T07:00:00.150-06:00

Since our theme this month is Heroes, I poked around the internet for hints about creating a hero. Here's a bit of what I found. Enjoy!

Build Your Own Romance Hero (Nicole Jordan)

Hero appearance
Hero name
Basic personality type
Making him human and unique

Characterization:Writing Romance Heroes (Aisa Morela)

Challenge stereotypes.
What matters isn’t WHO your character is, it’s HOW you’ll write him.
Be wary of the too-perfect hero trap.

Creating Your Hero’s Fatal Flaw (Laurie Schnebly Campbell)

Laurie gives an awesome program on creating characters using enneagrams and says “It's easy to find ideas for the fatal flaws our characters will have to overcome, because the enneagram theorists say that each of the nine types has a deadly sin within them. Although the math is off, because there are seven deadly sins and nine enneagram types, so they made up two more sins which fit the types.”

Find Your Hero in Category Romance (Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock)

Give him flaws.
Give him quirks.
Make him studly.
Give him an element of danger.
Make him worthy of the challenge.

Hero, Some Assembly Required (Cynthia VanRooy)

So if writing your hero as a sexy, take charge kind of guy makes him merely ordinary, how do you create a hero so unique your reader is going to fall for him in a big way?--By showing the little boy within the man.

I don’t mean you should have him exhibiting childish, immature behavior, but rather show what hurts him, excites his enthusiasm, makes him proud. Show his soft spot. Is he a sucker for kids, does he love animals, worry about his mother? You can get away with a lot in terms of macho behavior (romance heroes tend to be larger than life in this aspect) as long as he demonstrates what Suzanne Brockmann refers to as the save-the-kitty factor.

How to Be aRomantic Hero (Diane Perkins)

1. Be flawed.

2. Be self-assured.

3. Be tough.

4. Be controlled.

5. Be trustworthy.

6. Be ethical.

7. Value equality.

8. Be physically fit.

9. Be sexually generous.

10. Finally, be sure to have dark-as-night hair with a habit of falling waywardly across your forehead.

Romance Writing: Heroes (Loribeth Swanson)

He must be well defined by the author to the reader.
He is strong whether it’s obvious or subtle.
He acts with integrity.
If his actions are bad, then he has a good reason to act so.

Ten Steps to a Yummy Hero (Vicki Lewis Thompson)

Does he reflect current social values?
Does he possess universal hero traits?
Does he compare favorably with current movie and television heroes?
Does he compare favorably with the heroes of best-selling authors?
Does he conform to the specific kind of romance you are writing?
Does he reflect your personal style?
Does his behavior seem well motivated?
Have you put him in heroic situations?
Do you have a clear picture of what he looks like?
Have you fallen in love?

What attracts you to a guy? I usually notice eyes first. And dark hair. (You probably figured that out from the pics.) A great smile. And a bit of a five o'clock shadow. Yum.

What traits are non-negotiable for you in a hero? I'd love to hear your top three. Or five. Mine? Hmmm. I'm going to go with brave/courageous, selfless, honorable, smart, and a sense of humor.

Heroes: A Sampling of Heroes, Starla Kaye Style

2011-11-20T09:30:00.004-06:00

Essentially my view of fictional heroes is similar to what has been previously said by Nina, Rox, and Reese. So I’m not going to add yet another definition. Instead I will share tidbits about some of the heroes from my Decadent Publishing stories.

Maggie’s Secret Wish, part of the 1 Night Stand series from Decadent Publishing, gave me a chance to meet and fall in love with Ian MacDonald, just as Maggie did. Sometimes it is nice when a reviewer sees your characters and their conflicts they way you do. In this case, the reviewer from Sizzling Hot Reviews did and these are her thoughts:

Maggie has always picked out losers when it came to boyfriends. Her last one left her after a night of sex and made her doubt her own worth. Her best friend encourages her to send an email to Madame Eve to get back on the dating horse, but Maggie has been having a fantasy that she only shares with Madame Eve…and Madame Eve finds the perfect man to make it happen.

Ian MacDonald is a dashing Scottish man with a darling accent who is able to make any woman swoon. He writes erotica novels for a living and services women as a Dom part time. Jaded with his life, he takes his friend up on the suggestion to apply with Madame Eve and 1 Night Stand Dating Agency for a hot night with no commitments.

Maggie’s Secret Wish is an amazing story of a woman who wants to explore her sexuality. Madame Eve seems to know just what Maggie needs and sets about to make it happen. But Maggie is nervous and tries to back out. Even Ian takes some prodding to agree to it. Yet when the two come together, it is combustible! The idea of having a person know you so intimately that they can take care of your every need is a fantasy that everyone has. Maggie’s Secret Wish explores this concept in an exciting and tantalizing way. Just the idea of a man like Ian made me short of breath! I couldn’t imagine having him at my fingertips!

Starting Over was my second book in the 1 Night Stand series for Decadent Publishing. In this one I had a chance to explore another romance sub-genre that I hadn’t tried, GLBT. I wanted to try this, but I didn’t want to write your typical gay romance. I wanted to show men that any romance reader could feel strongly about, feel the pain they had suffered in the past, and pull for them as they struggled to move forward with their lives. As before, I will show you how a reviewer successfully understood the type of heroes I meant to create. Speedy from The Reader’s Roundtable After Dark said:

Starting Over is a coming of age story for Corbin Bradley who has already come of age. He’s been married and now, as an established and successful businessman, he’s finally come to terms with the fact that he can’t avoid his homosexuality. Through a push by his ex-wife, Corbin reaches out to a high-end matchmaking service and is paired off with Matt DuCharme. Matt had lost his lover and business partner in a tragic accident and had not moved on with his life. Through prodding of friends and his own inner voice saying “move-on” he also reached out to this same matchmaking service and the structure framing the story is set in motion.

Corbin and Matt each have unique histories and each has believable reasons to feel nervous and skeptical. Corbin is starting a new chapter of his life. As he explores the physical side of being gay, he takes to is it like a sex-starved teenager. Matt, still grieving, struggles with the guilt he feels as his attraction to Corbin unfolds. What I liked best about this story was how sweet and innocent the emotions were, each man experiencing pure, raw thoughts and feelings; one’s we can all relate to. Yet the sex between them was red hot and unapologetic. It was the perfect mix for me as a reader who loves an emotional journey but who is tantalized by the descriptions and visions evoked when reading sex scenes. What can I say? I love a heart-tugging romp fest.

My point is that fictional heroes vary so much and yet they all share something: they all touch a reader’s heart. Or they should. If they don’t, then the author hasn’t done his/her job.

What's In a Hero?

2011-11-10T18:04:00.003-06:00

Every person, every reader, and every writer thinks they know what a hero is. But. What is a hero when it comes to romance?

Let's take a look.

The list of usual heroic attributes:

Something about him is out of societies' norm.

Could be he perfers not to wear wigs when wigs are the fashion.

Hair. Rarely is a hero bald.

Teeth. Heroes usually have most of them.

Height. Rarely is a hero short.

Legs. Rarely is a hero short-legged or knock-kneed.

Clothing. A Hero wears clothing that distinguishes him in some way.

Heroes save or protect something weaker or smaller.

Heroes are busy. Even stricken with ennui, they seethe about it.

Things. Heroes own something they treasure deeply.

Thinking. Rare is the hero who is short on brains.

Oddly, romance heroes can be blind, crippled, or crazed, but are rarely deaf.

What's this list all about? It is about definition. We think we have men around us who we watch and think we could be attracted to, but when the reality of story romance heroes begin to be put on paper, if they don't match the norm of expectations, they will fall flat. On the other hand, if they are not also distinguished in an expected form that is actually unexpected for our every day life, their story will also fall flat. It is the combination that intrigues the reader.

I thought of many of my storybook heroes and spent some time thinking about my life's heroes. They had few things in common. But then, one is fantasy, the other is real. I hope this article sparks some thoughts about how we think about heroes and what our expectations are in our fantasy ones. As well as our writing, we need to read, to understand and enjoy stories from a reader's perspective, for what we write becomes someone else's fantasy. Does your writing really contain a heroic person?

Types of Heroes

2011-11-09T13:03:00.000-06:00

Like Reese, I'm running late. Unlike Reese, I can't claim blindness by mascara wand. (Hope your eye is better, Reese!) But I'm here and eager to blog about heroes and the different types we write about and read.

There are many different types of heroes, making it difficult to pick one or even two. But like plots, there are standards on which heroes are based. In The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines- Sixteen Master Archetypes, authors Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders list 8 hero archetypes.

The CHIEF
The BAD BOY
The BEST FRIEND
The CHARMER
The LOST SOUL
The PROFESSOR
The SWASHBUCKLER
The WARRIOR

The list is definitely a good starting point, and each archetype has strengths and flaws. But don't stop there, because nobody, not even the heroes we create, should be pigeonholed into a specific "type." For instance, what's wrong with a swashbuckling (fearless and exciting) professor (expert and analytical)? Absolutely nothing! Or what about a lost soul (devoted and vulnerable) chief (goal oriented and responsible)? Or any other combination that suits the type of hero you like or would like to create.

My favorites to write are crosses between the Charmer, the Swashbuckler, and the Bad Boy, sometimes all used together, and sometimes used with other archetypes. My favorites to read probably fall into those same archetypes, but I haven't yet mentally tagged them that way. I have three super favorites that have never been dethroned, along with several others that made me sigh happily. Those three include:

Nick DeAngelo in Only Forever by Linda Lael Miller. Nick is an unforgettable hero for me. He's a charmer, for sure, and although I was often not happy with the heroine's wishy-washy-ness where he was concerned, he's one of my top three favorite heroes.
Houston Leigh in Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath. Although I haven't read a lot of historical romances in more recent years, this one touched my heart. Houston is a wounded hero (an archetype that's left out of the above list), both physically and emotionally. In spite of it, he's a beautiful character and totally unforgettable.
John Lee Carter in A Sparkle in the Cowboy's Eyes by Peggy Moreland. John Lee the Bad Boy had me gritting my teeth at his macho maleness, yet the Charmer in him kept me reading...and laughing. It's a great balance of characterizations, and all in all, John Lee is lovable. The moment his cluelessness evaporates and he realizes he loves the heroine is one of the best aha! moments I've ever read. Peggy writes with emotion and a wonderful sense of humor. I love all of her books, but John Lee leads the pack.

We each have our favorite type of heroes. Some like a take-charge and noble Warrior. Others may have a special fondness for a brooding lost soul. Whatever they are, they must have three-dimensional characteristics that make them real to us. And no matter what odds they face or how much the heroine denies her feelings for them, they manage to bring us to a more than satisfactory happily ever after ending.

“Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart.”

-Proverb

My Magnificent Seven by J Vincent

2011-11-06T06:00:00.001-06:00

In my Honour series--Napoleonic spy-mystery-romances--I have what I think of as my Magnificent Seven. The movie by that name starred Yul Brenner in 1960. There was this scene of the seven men reining to a halt atop a rise as shown on the dvd cover on the left. Instead of cowboys imagine five English cavalry officers from the 15^th Light Dragoons during the Napoleonic wars, specifically the Peninsular War (war in Portugal and Spain). Add two English spies--a serious young Englishman and a young French émigré who pretends to be a fop (an effeminate fribble; a name borrowed from a celebrated character of that kind, in the play Miss in her Teens (1746) by David Garrick and you have my seven. Just like the men who made up the Magnificent Seven my heroes have a variety of character flaws and strengths.

Take Major Quentin Bellaport from the first book, Honour’s Debt. He’s a fairly ordinary man who quarreled with his father as a young man, stormed off to join a regiment and has never made peace. Not that he hasn’t tried. In the stubbornness department the apple didn’t fall far from the tree as they say. His father has been recalcitrant when it comes to letting by-gones-be bygones. Quentin has a strong sense of honor which he follows despite inconvenience and obstacles. He’s trustworthy, courageous, and determined to repay a nonmonetarya debt. His main flaw is an ability to see a problem from another’s point of view. Fortunately for him, the heroine in Debt is more than ready to teach that.

In book two, Honour’s Choice you’ll find the serious young Englishman. Hadleigh Tarrant, who orphaned as a child was raised by his uncle, the Earl of Tarrant. Interested in beetles, Hadleigh collects and studies them. The more easy going emigré and fellow orphan also raised by the Tretains, André Ribeymon (the pretend fop), convinces Hadleigh to join him in becoming a government agent. Captured, Hadleigh is tortured but reveals nothing. He is near death when discovered by the heroine of Choice. Recovering, Hadleigh becomes depressed, turns to alcohol as a buffer but then realizing he is in love fights his way to sobriety and the decision to pursue his love. That she is eight years older, a bit of a dowd, and stubbornly resistant to his courting does not deter Hadleigh. He gives up believing it best for her until André hints she is in danger.

In book three, Honour’s Compromise you’ll find Lieutenant James Vincouer. A young man, brash and bold, he is also courageous and willing to give his life for his friends during the dangerous retreat through Spanish mountains in the dead of winter when the English army is pursued by a force five times larger led by Napoleon. He is almost captured but saved by Spanish guerillas and begins sending intelligence reports to the commander of the English army in Spain which is led by the future Duke of Wellington. Beneath his bravado Jamey hides a broken heart. He of course would disagree with that assessment. Hasn’t he after all given the woman who broke his heart the sobriquet of The Glacier? Aren’t the battle royals they have proof there is no love lost between them? If he has gone out of his way to rescue her, it is only because he is a gentleman, he protests. Jamey doth protest too much but he proves remarkably stubborn in admitting the truth of the matter until Cecilia faces extreme danger.

Captain Lucian Merristorm is a regency bad boy. He is known for drinking, wenching, and galloping into battle with no regard for death. Most do not realize it is what he desperately seeks.

Major Lord Blake Danbury, youngest son of a duke. He is besieged by ennui—extreme boredom—and cannot be troubled to be bothered by anyone or anything. Ordered by Wellington to escort a young French lad to England he has no idea how far from lethargic detachment he will come before he discovers the lad is a lady.

And what of young naïve Lieutenant Samuel Goodchurch who can be taken in by one and all and goes through life quoting from the Bible? Molded, hardened, and scarred by the battles in Spain will he retain the gentleness, the kindness that first guided others to protect him?

Seven very different men who all share an underlying goodness even when they don’t realize it. Some are more flawed than others; some have longer journeys to travel to the truth of whom they are and what they hold most dear. All share a love of country, the desire to protect the women they love, and a willingness to go to any extent, accept any hardship to do so. Are their flaws more important than their strengths? What characteristic do you consider the most important in your heroes?

HUNKA-HUNKA BURNING LOVE by Reese Mobley

2011-11-04T10:41:00.002-05:00

I have to confess something. I’m a slow writer so why I put off writing this blog until the last minute, I will never know. I started composing this while getting dressed and putting my face on. Normally I can multitask with the best of them, but today, not so much.

That’s why I’ve got on one dark blue sock and one black sock. And I’ve got one eye closed. You see, I was attacked by the mascara wand and now, may or may not be permanently blinded in my left eye.

Note to self: Separate my socks better and under no circumstances DO NOT type and attempt to apply make-up at the same time.

Now to the blog topic. Heroes. Pause for the appreciative sigh………… and batting of my one good eye. How do you take your heroes? Tall dark and handsome with magnificent hair they sweep away from their piercing blue eyes, chiseled jaw lines and full lips ripe for kissing, broad shoulders, a dusting of chest hair veeing down to their rock-hard abs, narrow waists and just enough hip action to hold up their pressed Wranglers.

Unless your heroine is Barbie, you should shoot from something a little less Ken-like.

Some might argue that we read to escape reality, and I’d have to agree, but I love reading and writing about men who’ve been tossed headfirst into the throes of real life and escaped with their dignity intact. I love men with battle scars and life experiences under their belts. Having said that, I believe it’s our job as writers to make these regular Joes interesting enough for us to fall head-over-heels in love with as much as a the picture perfect man in the listed above.

If you want to read about an on-the-run hero who is so beat up and unrecognizable the heroine calls him Frankenstein for the first half of the book, read Walking After Midnight by Karen Robards.

The hero in my latest work-in-progress is a small town sheriff. Ho-hum right? What if I tell you he’s an on-the-wagon alcoholic that he struggles to keep secret? And his brother owns the local bar. The sheriff plays the saxophone in a weekend band—at the bar where everyone is more than willing to buy him a drink. A little more interesting, right? What if I told you the sheriff always seems to need a haircut, a shave, an ironing board, and just rescued the heroine from an amorous pig hours after he arrested her for having a gun the bank parking lot? A little more intriguing? Hmmm. Still lacking that awe factor. What if I add that the sheriff gave up his dream to raise his ex-girlfriend’s teenage son—a kid that’s not even his—just to give the kid a better life?

Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and degrees of hotness. So, tell me, how do you like your heroes?

Hugs,

Reese

My writing year. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

2011-11-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

Hello from Patricia Davids.
2011 has been one of the worst years of my life, but as we all know, nothing lasts forever. Not even bad years.

My writing career has taken a hit, too, because of my personal loss. It's hard to write romance when the love of your life is gone. Still, I love the idea of people falling in love. Losing my husband didn't destroy that.

Writing through the hard times is something almost every writer will face in their lifetime. Be it the loss of a job, a divorce, the death of a spouse, a parent, or a child, we all get to ride the emotional rollercoaster as we continue to balance work, family and writing.

How can we keep our plates spinning in the air while we're on such a wild ride? The secret is knowing what's important.

1. You are important.
Your emotional and physical well-being is important not only to you but to everyone in your life. If you not well, how can you take care of others? Make time to take care of yourself. Eat well, park in the space farest away from your work or the supermarket and walk that extra little bit. Go to bed and get some sleep. (Did you know people who get eight to nine hours of sleep have an easier time losing weight? I may just stay in bed for 12 hrs.)

2. Your love is important. Share it.
Make sure the people you love know that you love them. A text, a phone call, a note in the mail, a dozen roses, it doesn't matter how you say it, just say it. Hugs are a powerful way to convey the message and they improve the mental well-being of the hugger and the huggie.

3. Do the things you love to do.
Read, paint, write, take a drive, ride a horse, play bingo or hopscotch. If you enjoy it, you need to do it. Me-time is sometimes the hardest thing to find. It seems that everyone needs a piece of our time and before we know it, the day is gone. Make an effort to gift yourself with a piece of your own time. Let the answering machine pick up that phone call, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside of your door to let your family know you need this time and stand up for yourself when they interupt. Let's face it, we're normally at their complete beck and call, so they may have a hard time adjusting to leaving you alone. If you allow the interuptions, no one will take your needs seriously and you will eventually resent the fact that you give and never seem to get in return.

4. Consider what's really important to you.
In ten years, what do you want to look back and see that you have accomplished?
A clean house?
Folded laundry?
Happy kids?
College or additonal education?
Amazing vacation memories?
One completed novel?
Ten completed novels?

5. Be realistic.
Know that what is important today may not be important to you tomorrow. Don't be afraid to change your goals. You can put one plate down and pick up another. Life will throw major and minor hurdles at you that you have no control over. When you fall off the horse, you don't always have to jump back on. First, make sure you and horse are okay.

I know what I want to look back and see in ten years. I want to look back and see that I've continued to grow as a writer. What do you hope to see?

NaNoWriMo Tips & Resources (Penny Rader)

2011-10-31T06:00:00.118-05:00

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NaNoWriMo starts in a few hours. Need a few tips? Check out these links:

National Novel Writing Month

From their "About" section: What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

NaNoWriMo: Quick Preparation Tips and Resources (Suzannah Windsor Freeman)

Lots of tips, resources, articles, and a last-minute checklist!

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NanoWrimo Tips (Simon Haynes)

• Write in 500 word chunks, 4 per day. Should only take 20-30 mins each. One first thing, one at lunch, two in the evening with a break.
• If you write less than 1700 words one day, don't stop until you've written 1700 + double the difference the following day. That way, when you're thinking of giving up for the day you know you're getting double the work for your reward.
• Each evening, after you've written the daily 2k or so, outline a few scenes for the following day.

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NaNoWriMo Tools & Tips (Nienke Hinton)

Neinke has links to several tools and tips on the link above and here.

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NanoWriMo Veterans Share Their Secrets

Sakrua – Having a simple ten to thirteen point outline (one page) will keep you on track and inspire you when you get lost in the intricacies of your plot and run out of words.

Deanna – …never, ever, stop having fun. NaNoWriMo is a race to write, not a road to perfection.

Kelly – Write something every day, even if it’s only one sentence. Read the forums for entertainment and encouragement. Have fun!\

Jenn J – Take breaks once an hour. Don’t get eye strain or muscle fatigue. Drink lots of water. Getting dehydrated is easy.

Top 10 Tips for NaNoWriMo (Dina Ely)

10. Write longhand
9. Go on the road.
8. Don’t be yourself.
7. A rest is OK.
6. Eliminate distractions.
5. Prep your environment.
4. Write without editing.
3. Write every day
2. Research first.
1. Make an outline.

~~~

Anyone here going to participate in NaNoWriMo 2011? Go forth and NaNo. May you all win.

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/284/e/e/nanowrimo_2011_calendar_by_kiriska-d4c3lzj.jpg

Sparking My Creativity by Sketching (Melissa Robbins)

2011-10-24T01:00:00.004-05:00

Before I dive into my topic, meet U.S. Army Air Corps First Lieutenant Jackson “Jack” Spencer. This is my favorite Jack sketch. Feel free to play with his blond locks. He won't mind at all. Even better, focus on his lovely blue eyes and not the disaster of the plane behind him. Bad angle on my part. Connor's plane turned out so much better. The nose art is Bacon, Jack's beagle, by the way.

Anyway, this is what I do to spark my creativity. Some of you have photographs of people resembling your characters. I have those too, (boy do I love looking at old photographs of RAF pilots, such camaraderie), but I also sketch my characters or buildings as you guys saw last month. However, truth be told, I didn't draw this Jack for creativity reasons. When I received my first rejection letter, I was pretty bummed, so I sketched Jack. Seeing his crooked grin made me feel loads better. I could just hear him say, “Cheer up, Mel. Don't let one letter stop you from doing what you love.” Jack would never let his friends give up, no matter the odds and he would support them in any endeavor.

I usually draw my characters from one of my favorite scenes, a scene I'm working and/or struggling on, or just by themselves. That reminds me. I need to sketch Jack showing off his tattoo. Hmm...where was I? Oh, right. I'm particularly fond of sketching couples. It helps with the romance aspect. Nothing racy mind you. Sweet interactions. If I can draw what's in my head, it makes describing it on paper easier.

Doesn't Wren look glamorous? I like this sketch, but she will kill me for posting it. Wren grew up with three brothers in the Depression. Wren is more comfortable in her uniform or men's clothes and not the fancy dresses Vivian puts her in. Having sketches, like this one, in front of me when I write, remind me how my characters feel at that point in time and I can convey those feelings on paper. Poor thing spent several chapters in this dress and you can't see the shoes, but they caused her such misery.

If I'm completely stumped on what to write, I'll sketch fanart for my writing friends. For her birthday, Fran received fanart of her Regency couple from me. I had great fun drawing her duke, too, but man oh man, those Regency boys' clothes are hard to create. Not versed in Regency male attire, I made a few a mistakes. I think I'll stick to my boys in uniform.

Speaking of boys in uniform, for those of you who met Wren's brother Connor last month, here is the cheeky guy and his pilot mates. Hmm, I think Connor is slouching. He's taller than he appears. Sometimes our characters go off and do their own things in our stories. That rule applies to sketches too. Sorry ladies, Mac isn't wearing his kilt in the picture. That's another sketch I should put on my list. I love drawing the Irvins. (those bomber jackets) Don't you just want to cuddle up with one? I was talking about the jackets, not the pilots, but that would work too. Finley will let you borrow his Irvin. You'll have to wrestle Fran for Connor's, though.

Any other artists out there who sketch their characters? Do photographs of your characters help with creativitiy?

Start a Creative Fire with a Spark (Penny Rader)

2011-10-22T07:00:00.182-05:00

Need some help fanning the spark of inspiration into a blazing fire of creativity? Me, too, so I went poking around online. I hope you find these excerpts helpful.

101 Ways to Spark Inspiration [Parisa Roohipour]

Parisa has a lot of fun ways to get that creative fire going. I especially like Part 3, which is the link above, because it gives ways to engage all your senses.

56. Find your favourite smell. Sweeten your world with it.
61. … staring out the window on a bus or train is blissful, restful and perfect day-dreaming territory.
69. Sit and listen. Close your eyes and just take in where you are right now.
70. … Dive your hand into that bag of grain, puddle of mud, basket of yarn.
82. Can you taste the words as they come out of your mouth?

13 Ways to Spark Intense Creativity [Dayne]

  1. Brainstorm.
  2. Change your approach.
  3. Draw a mind map.
  4. Check out other industries.
  5. Free write.
  6. Use an online idea generator.
  7. Ask for suggestions.
8. Start at the end.
  9. Become an idea collector.
10. Be someone else.
11. Reword the challenge.
12. Cube the challenge.
13. Carry a notepad.

34 Unexpected Places to Find Writing Inspiration (And Become a Better Writer) [Tracy O’Connor]

Tracy has some terrific ideas. I’m going to try these:

6. Ask the children in your life to tell you a story or explain how they think something works.
14. Visit Internet forums where people share their stories and experiences.
18. Listen to the music you loved as a teen or young adult.
33. Ask friends about the oddest story that happened in their family or their hometown.

I’m glad she mentioned these because I already find them helpful:

10. Read every day.
29. Make a collage by cutting words and pictures from magazines and newspapers.

7 Dazzling Ways to Ignite Your Creative Spark [Marelisa Fábrega]

1. Toss in the kitchen sink.
2. If You See a Good Idea, Bend Down and Pick It Up
3. Release Your Need for Recognition
4. What Will They Think
5. Create a Shrine
6. Use Affirmations
7. Build a Mystery Box

She elaborates on each of these so I hope you read her entire post.

Can’t Start a Fire without a Spark [Leah Piken Kolida]

Bits of song, dream images, short phrases, little bits of shadow, and memory will often be the spark behind an idea that leads to a creation. A spark is just the starting point. It won't always develop the way it first began, just like a fire won't always spread the way you expect.

Be sure to check out the reader comments for more tips.

How Do YOU Use Music for Writing Inspiration? [Alicia Sparks]

We all know music can act as one of the best sources of writing inspiration. My “Hazard” story is just one way music has acted as inspiration for writing for me. Sometimes I turn to music for writing certain scenes, or getting inside the heads of certain characters; other times, I turn on music in hope of breaking my writers block.

Then, there are unexpected times, like with my “Hazard” story, when music works like writing prompts.

Inspiration [Juliet Marillier]

…inspiration – the spark that lights the fire, the yeast in the mix, the potent ingredient in the alchemist’s brew. Inspiration makes us want to write even when times are tough. It wakes us up at night with a head full of ideas. It alerts us to the special moment of beauty, something we will capture later in words, images or music – the rising of a hazy moon, the singing of frogs in a pond, the odd shadows cast on a city street at nightfall, the utterances of a two-year-old lost in her imaginative world. It draws our attention to the sad, the pitiful, the heroic, the cruel, the paradoxical nature of human existence, and compels us to write about it.

Is Your Muse a Spoiled Brat? [Christine Tyler]

… I know you feel affectionately about your Muse. I know you think it's cute. But if you let this imaginary friend (who is really just YOU, mind you), walk all over you and make a bazillion demands before you can get any work done? You are a bad Muse-momma. You have spoiled your child.

Discipline, people. Make your Muse sit down and be good. If your Muse reminds you that you forgot the pretzels?

Sorry, but we're writing anyway. It's too bad. Grow up.

Rekindling the Romance of Writing [Jocelyn Anne]

Try a new tactic to rekindle the spark. Write about something you never write about. …it’s going to get you back in the groove, back into the place where it thrills you to see the words form on the screen before you and where you sit back amazed that those just came from your mind.

The Spark of Inspiration

…inspiration, as well as passion, (like any fire) will inevitably die out if not nurtured or fueled properly. In order to keep it burning within you, you must stoke it every once in a while. For this, you can do many things.

Here are just a few ideas:

Keep a journal
Refer to inspirational quotes
Make a vision board
Meditate on your goals
Confer with others who share your passion

Let’s finish off with 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember
and Affirmations by Rita Rainville and Writer’s Affirmations and Day Twenty-One of NaNoWriMo, Writer's Affirmations and Affirmations for Writers.

Pick one or two, five or ten and say them out loud every day. Better yet…write them own every day. I’m going to start with these:

I only need to sit and write – the rest will work itself out.

I am a talented writer.

Words flow easily to the page.

I am a writer! I am a writer!

I AM A FREAKING GREAT WRITER!

P.S. Remember: “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lee Cook

~~

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

INSPIRATION

2011-10-20T16:56:00.003-05:00

Music moves me but I find myself unable to think when it is playing. My little brain can get stuck on a ripple of notes and I can't think of anything else until I'm able to repeat it. Sometimes it takes days. Or some songs seduce my entire attention--like the Chicken Dance. Then I'm unable to put the little gray cells to anything else but another chorus of the song. Even humming it under my breath to the dismay of those other people in the meeting...

Paintings or other visual things make my eyes play with the shapes as my mind gets lost playing in the sparkle, colors, and shapes. Yes, I like paisley.

I'd like to say there are things that inspire my imagination and spark my writerly creativity, but I haven't found out what they are. If I did, I would invoke them. Regularly.

However, being a bit short on being able to rely on actual inspirational material that I know will do the job, I have to rely upon my tricky little mind. It seems to work best when I'm not under pressure to think of things I must do. It seems to need to be relaxed and then I must put my body to doing mindless things. These mindless things, so far, are sleeping and driving long distances between turns (our nearest town of any size is Garden City or Dodge City--both about a hundred miles. There are six corners from my garage to Garden City and six to Dodge City also.) So I guess I live in a good spot for those driving miles. Vacuuming and showering have been good for a few good notions. None of the mindless activities are reliable. Even when engaged in these actions, ideas are like lightening strikes--few, far between, but fraught with extremely high voltage.

Thank God for the voltage. It is what powers me through until the story gains a life of its own. Like a newborn baby, the idea grows, becoming a wondrous being of its own, able to run, skip, and cry. Eventually, if I'm really lucky, the power stays with me until the story ends. Maybe a a fizzle or a sputter occasionally, but still, 'the end' finally comes.

I doubt if this true story is inspirational to anyone, but I hope it will let other know that you're not alone when stories don't flow or wonderful ideas ignore you. We are all writers and come to our talent in various and curious ways. Be gentle with yourself. But keep writing--no matter what on or if the material is drivel. It improves your grammar skills and keeps the finger muscles flexible--if lightening strikes and your story moves ahead, you'll be ready.

Overactive Creative Juices

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I don't know when to calm down my overactive creative juices. They drive me to work on too many projects at once. I write multiple stories for my different publishers and struggle sometimes to keep each character assigned to ONLY his/her story. Sometimes these characters want to jump into someone else's story just to drive me nuts, contrary people that they are. In this instance, I think they're using their own creativeness by wanting to see themselves somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else. Nutty characters! (Oh, no, maybe that's me for even thinking this way.)

Recently I went to and joined a quilt guild where I ran into a couple hundred truly amazing quilters. My meager skills really looked bad, but I'm still learning. These people create some beautiful quilts, most of them from familiar patterns (to them, not to me). But the lady doing the program that day was so entertaining, so enjoyable as she showed off about 40 of her collection of finished quilts. She started off by asking the crowd of long-time quilt fanatics if they had fabric stashed in their closets, under their beds, in various nooks and crannies. I don't, but my sister does.

Anyway, this reminded me of writers. Most of us talk about having early works stashed away under beds, in boxes, on flash drives, etc.

She went on to show us her first quilt, less than as perfect as her newer ones but still far better than my first one was. She retired from IBM (a big dog with the company) and decided she wanted to quilt. She got a book, skimmed through it, and dived into making that first quilt. Then she took it to a quilting group and they asked her, "Did you wash the fabrics first?" Of course, she gaped at them, not having known this RULE.

Again, this reminded me of a new writer. We read how-to-write books, then dive in and create our first book. Missing a few gazillion of the "rules."

The lady went on to show us quilt after quilt, each with some kind of history of her stepping stones in her quilting career. Making mistakes, learning the "rules," but not giving up. Over 400 quilts later she is still whipping these babies out. Now she is designing some of her own patterns, using her creative talents in another way.

That's how I see my writing career. Writing, learning the "rules," and continuing on my merry way.

I also do this with my quilting, of which I prefer to do quilt photo art projects. Meaning I take a photo from a favorite place I've been, sketch it out, plan what fabrics to use, and then create a one-of-a-kind quilt project. They're not perfect, probably never will be...but I don't care. They mean something to me. This is one I'm still working on, the Tuck Box, which is a funky little restaurant in Carmel, CA and a favorite place for my daughter and I to go. Forgive me if I've shown you this before.

When you can't wait for the spark.

2011-10-16T04:46:00.000-05:00

Pat Davids here.

One of Joan's comments this week really struck a chord with me. She said she was truly amazed by people who consistently wrote 3 to 4 books a year. Most years, I write three books. I have written four in one year, but that was tough. How do I do it? Not by waiting for the creative spark, that's for sure.

Multiple contracts and deadlines force a writer to understand that creativity does not come from somewhere else like the movies, music, or other books. The creative fire is, and always has been, inside the writer.

I'm not saying such things fail to inspire, I'm just saying I can't wait for inspiration. Every time I sit down at the computer, I face the blank page and the blinking cursor with the belief that once I start typing, creativity will follow. Sometimes, I write quite a bit of trash before the good stuff shows up, but it almost always does. Hey, there's nothing wrong with using the delete key.

Seeking outside inspiration is all well and good. My recent trip to Maine flooded my brain with inspiration and a desire to write. When I got home, I wrote like mad, not about the rocky coast and tree covered islands, but about an Amish school teacher daring to go against her faith to find justice.

I encourage everyone to use the tools that have been discussed here about sparking creativity as long as you remember that a spark is only a small piece of fire that can easily be snuffed out. The smoldering embers of your talent, however, lie waiting to flare into a bright blaze the moment you stir them. So, stir them often by simply sitting down to write. Let your inner light and warmth create the story you dream of telling. Write to music if that helps, write in a crowded coffee shop, write on your lunch break, just write. The world needs the story you have to share.

Creativity?

2011-10-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Many non-writers believe that authors can jot down words easily and smoothly at a moment's notice. Not true. Composing is hard work. The old saying "If it was easy, everyone would do it," rings true. You have to love writing in order to master it. There's no quick method around it.

That said, "What sparks your creativity?" is not an easy question to answer.

For me, it depends on the situation.   For instance, when I attended my 25th high school reunion a few weeks ago, the feeling of youth, energy and giddiness resurfaced and the memories of unrequited love, dances and a less complicated life sent my muse flowing. My high school crush was standing before me and I thought of all the things I could have said and done, if I had been as brave as I was now! I was desperate to sit down and write, write, write.

Another time, I was feeling rather good after a workout and when I looked in the mirror, I felt sexy. Yeah, I did. My hair was mussy, my heart was pounding and I felt good! I smiled and thought, "I could write a really cool love scene at this moment."

Sometimes, with the rain falling is a soft whisper, my fingers tap, tap away at a sad point of my plot.

There are episodes when I am with my family at the park, a cool breeze rustles by and the sinking sun warms my skin.  That's when the mood to write itches once again.

Of course, the mountains always call to me. Anytime I am in Taos, New Mexico, my need to create stories seems to overflow lik the water cascading down the rocks into the base of the ski valley.

Music! Music is key! I play tons of music when I write, but it matches the scene. If it's scary, I play the soundtrack from Signs or The Village. If the scene called for sadness or poignance, it's Adagio in G Minor. If it's holidayish, the strains of Manheim Steamroller's "Silent Night" or Trans Siberian's Christmas pieces can be heard.

Basically, beautiful moments in my life spark my creativity.   When this occurs, I quickly jot down or voice record the moment and the feelings I am experiencing. I either compose it in one of my blogs or it's filed away for a future or current manuscript.

Each writer is different. You just have to choose what works for you!

What Sparks Creativity?

2011-10-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

cre-a-tiv-i-ty
[kree-ey-tiv-i-tee, kree-uh-]
noun
1. the state or quality of being creative.
2. the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships,or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination; the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.
3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity (dictionary.reference.com)

On the surface the question What sparks your creativity? might seem simple, but in truth, it can be complicated. For the purpose of this blog, creativity has to do with writing, and depending on where I am in my writing--at the beginning while looking for a new idea, in the middle while I'm juggling to keep the story interesting, or near the final chapters while knowing that characters and a story that have become part of me are about to come to an end--I'm going to use different things to spark the creative elements I need.

The idea for a story is usually sparked by a character or an incident. Both of those can be sparked by different things, including lyrics of a song, a mention of something in the news (print or other media), a movie, a book, a photo, or a snippet of overheard conversation. In other words, anything.

Before I begin to write the first words of the story, there are things I have to know, and those things spark creativity in a different way. Although I didn't do it in the past, I now search for pictures of my characters. Some have come from magazines, and others are ones I've found online. If a house is going to be integral in the story, I might search for a photo with floorplan and save & print both. I've researched areas of the country that have netted some great information, opening up new possibilities for a story or future stories. I start creating a music playlist, and while I don't constantly listen to it or other music while writing, when I hit a spot that's giving me trouble, I'll key up the playlist and listen to the songs I've chosen for that character or storyline.

If an idea strikes at a time when I'm not able to write--which happens often--I'll make short notes so I don't forget. Struggling with aspects of one story can do this, as will coming to the end of writing the one I've been working on for some time. If I'm having problems with any aspect of writing the story, I brainstorm with one or both of my brainstorming buddies.

And when there are times that I absolutely cannot find anything to spark even a shred of creativity, I let it go and take a breather. Creativity has never failed to return. Because it's been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember, I'm not too worried. :)

Sparks Creativity a prompt does as Yoda would say. J Vincent

2011-10-06T06:00:00.009-05:00

So what is a prompt that gets one writing? For me it can be one of many things. A word list, a phrase, a sentence, a photo, an old barn or house you drive by, an unusual rock formation, an overheard conversation, a memory, a dream, even another story. I’ll give some examples of some that have worked for me:

Word Promts: In Mission Possible a list of words is sent out and the object is to write a story with all the words.

A phrase prompt: Penny is very good at providing these. Check out her May and her August 31^st blog. She gave a list of prompts and invited us to play . Mine was

"After the door shuts and the footsteps die there will come the moment you know you are truly alone. Alone and safe.

“What if I don’t shut the door?”

“That’s a choice. Consider a door. Open. Anyone, anything can intrude, can disturb, can overwhelm you.”
“But to be alone forever . . . “

“To be safe forever.”

“But then you’d be gone.”

“Never. I am always with you. Am I not enough?”

“Enough?”

“With me you touch and stay on the edge of sanity. That is what you wanted? After all you’ve done all I’ve asked.”

“Yes, the room is empty.”

“Then take the knife and close the door.”

The woman gripped the handle of the knife. All she had to do was make one swipe across each wrist. Just one. She knew how. She knew it would close the door. Still she hesitated. Would the voice still be there is she did it? She needed the voice.

A photo: You’ll find the story I wrote from this photo about a Garden Bench

A Memory: This is what I wrote after recalling a favorite Christmas memory. Santa’s Hand

An unusual rock formation: In Colorado from La Junta to Walsenburg runs a very barren seventy miles. About half way to Walsenburg outcrops and steeply cut hills start to appear. They made me think of Roman Breton hill forts. Because of this scenery I wrote a Roman Breton romance---not yet published. You can read a rough draft of Chapter 9

These are a few of the things that inspired me. What type of prompt do you find most inspiring!

YELLOW SNOW & STEAMING PILES by Reese Mobley

2011-10-04T05:53:00.004-05:00

This month we're blogging about what sparks our creativity. Are you kidding me? My brain never stops. Like most writers, I see potential material in literally everything. Doesn't everyone get giddy after watching a really good movie—or a bad one you think you could have written better. A good book gets the creative juices flowing more so than a rotten one because there is no reason to finish a book that stinks. Once, I was inspired to write a ghostly short story after inheriting my great grandmother’s rocking chair. A silver dollar moon was the catalyst for a story about a young soldier going off to war.

Newspaper stories that tug at your heartstrings, people arguing in the street, the impatient lady you stand behind at the bank or the stick-thin man walking his overweight dog can all be jumping points.

For example:

The newspaper piece could be about a drop-dead sexy man with amnesia who turns up on the steps of the sperm bank and his foiled kidnappers are getting ready to duke it out by the curb about whose fault it is that their get-rich-quick plan turned sour and their not-so-silent partner, the irritated female, is trying to cash the ransom check before the dog-walker/private eye can park his pooch and call his employer, the crafty cobbler who had his best foot model kidnapped while he lingered over a mocha latte last Tuesday.

See what I mean? The possibilities are endless. You just need to open your mind, don’t eat yellow snow and steer clear of steaming piles.

And take a break from the caffeine.

So tell me, what sparks your creativity?

Hugs, Reese

Desperation, Oklahoma

2011-09-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Desperation, Oklahoma,

where hearts meet at the most unexpected times.

Location: West Northwest of Oklahoma City
Population: ~~2003~~ 2004 and growing!

I can't remember why I chose Desperation for the name of the town or even when, but it worked well, once I started writing about it. You see, I happened to uncover a history behind the name.

In my first book set in Desperation, Jules Vandeveer, the heroine and a visitor to town, has encountered Tanner O'Brien, the hero of the story, in the local post office, and he's asked her to wait so he can walk with her. Because this is a romance, she does. :)

“So what do you think of our little town?”

Most of the downtown business area was spread out ahead of them and stretched almost two blocks. Buildings, mostly one-story, but a few with two, lined both sides of the street. Quaint and unique were the words that came to mind, as each connected building had a design and character of its own.

“It’s a very nice town. Pretty and charming. But I’m wondering...”

“About what?”

When she turned to smile at him, her knees weakened at the smile he flashed her in return. Shaking off the reaction, she focused on what she was saying, not on the man. “I’m wondering where the name came from. Desperation is a little odd.”

“Odder than Monkey’s Eyebrow, Arizona?”

“Not quite,” she said, laughing.

“How about Hygiene, Colorado?”

Still laughing, she shook her head.

“Yeehaw Junction? Krypton? Mudlick?”

“Okay, you’ve got me. Those are odd. But why Desperation?”

Before he could answer, they were forced to stop when a man and woman stepped out onto the sidewalk from the Chick-a-Lick Café.

“Excuse me,” the man said, realizing they had stepped into someone’s path, and then recognition lit his eyes. “Hey, Tanner.”

“Hello, Cal,” Tanner greeted the man, before turning to the woman and touching the brim of his hat. “Wilma. Have you two met Jules Vandeveer, Dr. Beth’s friend?”

The woman directed a friendly smile at Jules. “I haven’t had the pleasure. I heard Beth had a friend visiting. You’ll be in her wedding?”

“Yes,” Jules replied. “In her wedding, making sure all of the arrangements are made, setting it up...” She laughed, thinking of all the things on her list. “The date is quickly approaching, and there’s so much to do yet.”

“That’s the way it is with weddings,” Wilma said with a knowing nod. “It’s good to know Beth has a friend who can help.”

“We’ll see you Friday?” Cal asked Tanner.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he replied.

Cal took his wife’s arm. “Wilma has a bride party this afternoon, so we’d better get going. Don’t want her to miss it or be late. Nice to meet you, miss.”

When the couple crossed the street, Tanner turned to Jules. “You asked about Desperation.”

She nodded, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“Well, the story goes that people began moving into the area during the land rush in the late 1800’s, but the town was really settled after oil was found in these parts a few years later. Those were wild times, before Oklahoma became a state. People swarmed here in droves, desperate to find their own little patch of black gold. As it turned out, the pool of oil in this area was only a small one and didn’t last very long. Eventually people either left the area, disillusioned, or they stayed and homesteaded.”

In Harlequin American Romance books, of which my Desperation series is part of, the towns or neighborhoods are as much a character as the people who live there. Having spent my pre-teen, teen years and later in a small town only a little bigger than Desperation, it wasn't much of a stretch to create a fictional one. As references, I stole from many other small towns around the area to keep Desperation from being a carbon copy of just one.

Here are just a few places in Desperation that make it a town:

The Chick-a-Lick Cafe, where everyone goes to see and be seen, and to catch up on the latest news and gossip
Lou's Place, the local tavern
Sheriff's office, located in the building that houses all the municipal/city offices
1st Bank of Desperation
Post Office
Grain elevator, because, after all, the town is surrounded by farms and ranches
Drugstore
Grocery store
Feed store
The Commune, a retirement community where everyone wants to live.
Opera House - There aren't a lot of these left in small towns, and those that are still standing aren't always in good shape. I researched until I found one in McPherson, KS, that has been restored and was perfect for what I'd imagined for Desperation!

McPherson Opera House Restoration

Desperation's Opera House is the home to a real estate office, an attorney's office, a tax preparation business, and the very favorite Sweet & Yummy Ice Cream Parlor, not to mention a beautiful ballroom and theatre.

This month my 6th book set in Desperation, BACHELOR DAD, is available, and my editor has asked for more. That means more heartache, weddings, babies, and happily ever afters. So if you like small towns and haven't visited Desperation, Oklahoma, now's your chance.

The Antebellum-South (Lori Whitley)

2011-09-26T08:00:00.026-05:00

When I think of setting, I'm drawn to Southern Louisiana. My imagination leaps from the legendary French Quarters or the Vieux Carre`, to south along the Mississippi River, to the antebellum era before the Civil War, when cotton and sugar plantations crossed the land in abundance. Majestic homes sit watch over the river banks, and the surrounding grounds have moss-draped trees and bushes trimmed neat. A sea of green grass splashes all the way to the circular drive where carriages arrive all festive and gay, trunks in tow, dragged behind by the footmen. They stay for days. Hoop skirts of the newest fashions were worn and horses whinnied with a stomp of the hoof.

Then my writer's mind peels back the first layer to see what lies beyond, why Nathan didn't see to his wife Cassandra emerging from the carriage, as she peered on with tearful eyes while he moved away to warmly embrace the mistress of the plantation. What secret thoughts did these people have and what secret thoughts did they share?

Before the Civil War one of the greatest differences in the U.S. was slavery in the South. Northern farmers didn't need as much labor as did the Southern farmers because of the crops they grew, grains. the crops Southerners grew were more labor intensive such as cotton, rice, sugar and tobacco. The great majority of slaves were in agriculture, the dominant economic activity in the South. Slave owners constituted the wealthiest class in the nation. The average slave owner was more than five times as wealthy as the average Northerner, and more than ten times as wealthy as the average non-slave holding Southerner. The great majority of white Southern families owned no slaves. The approximately four million slaves in 1860 were owned by about 385,000 individuals, about 72 percent of slave owners owned fewer than 10 slaves, only about 10,000 owned more than 200 slaves.

Slaves could never forget their status as property no matter how well their owners treated them. The relationship between the masters and slaves varied greatly, it ran the compass from compassionate to contemptous. But master and slave never approached equality. Only in the slave quarters were they allowed to be themselves without worry of punishement. Slaves formed communities within the plantation setting, they married, had children and worked hard to keep their families together. The fear of being sold off, always weighed heavy on their minds, never to see one another again. They taught children how to hide feelings to escape punishment and be skeptical of anything a white person said. Men were unable to protect their women if the master of the plantation or his overseer decided they wanted to bed them.

Life wasn't much easier for the women of the South than that of their slaves. When men made the rules and women abided by them. A time when a broken engagement meant scandal for the young girl and her family. One could be disgraced for life and her father's credibility ruined. So therefore, the father's controlled every aspect of their daughter's lives from education, to social events and courtship. After marraige the control transfered to that of her husband. The elite men of the Antebellum-South worked hard to maintain their status and their women's actions directly reflected the status of the their men.

And now almost two hundred years later when I look upon the stately antebellum mansions often abandoned to the ravages of time I see the ghostly apparitions, begging me to tell their stories.

War Torn England in 1940 (Melissa Robbins and Wren and Connor Buchanan)

2011-09-24T01:16:00.008-05:00

Hello, my name is Sergeant Wren Buchanan and Melissa asked me to give you a tour of my home. After signing the Official Secrets Act, you have been granted special permission to be here. Traveling to the English southern coastline is restricted. If any of you tried looking for Sandwick, England on the map, you won't find it. The name was changed for secrecy reasons. We don't want the Germans to know what we're up to. I hope all of you wore comfortable shoes. With petrol rations, we can't drive, so this will be a walking tour. Now, if everyone has their gas masks, I'll begin.

Sandwick, England had been the destination for holidays through the years, but the Jerries put a stop to that. Uniforms have replaced swimsuits, not that the women around here are complaining. The Royal Air Force airmen look quite dashing in their uniforms.

Here is my favorite spot, the cliffs of Sandwick that overlook the English Channel. Yes, they do resemble the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Just smell that salty air. On clear day, you can see all the way to France which means we may not be able to stay long if the Germans start shelling us. Sadly, the view is marred by the barbed wire. Please don't go down to the beach. It has been mined to discourage invasion. I would like to avoid showing the hospital ward, although the injured airmen would appreciate seeing a pretty face or two.

To our right, is the Sandwick Castle ruins. A perfect place for picnics in the summertime with all the wildflowers growing about. Down there nestled between this cliff and the Thaddington estate is the village. Don't you just love all the colorful buildings? We'll go down there next.

Many of us WAAFs, that's stands for Women's Auxiliary Air Force, have billets in Sandwick. Sorry billet means a place where we stay. I forget many of you may not be familiar with our RAF slang. It's like learning another language. Here is my billet that I share with two other WAAFs. Mrs. Cavendish, a Great War widow, owns the townhouse and allows the WAAF to use it. She decided to stay with her sister in Scotland during the duration of the war. I'm fortunate I don't live in a Nissen hut with several other women on the aerodrome. Beastly buildings made of steel and one lone wood burning stove to heat up the place.

If we walk down this road, we'll come to the Sandwick Library. Another favorite place of mine. Doesn't it look like a church instead of a library? The arched windows let in loads of light to read by. This brick building around the corner from the library is the village hall. That's where the town holds their dances for the service men and women.

Now, let's walk up this hill to Thaddington Hall. Air Commodore Nigel and Lady Evelyn Thaddington offered part of their large house to the Air Ministry at the start of the war. All sorts of operations go on here. Some so secret, I don't even know what they do.

The Bingham aerodrome has become its own little village. Our huts contain all sorts of facilities to accommodate the daily activities of running an aerodrome. Over here, this delightful thatched cottage may look unassuming, but it has been converted into the Royal Air Force Police station where my dear friend Seamus works. Don't break the rules while you're here. Seamus, God love him, will arrest you. He takes his job very seriously.

If we continue down this lane, we'll get to the airfield where you can see the Spitfires. Depending on what's going on, the pilots may be lounging on the ground or playing cricket waiting for the Jerries to attack.

That's the dispersal hut over there. We won't go in. Imagine a place ruled by men without their mums or wives to clean up after them. It's a disaster!

The hut isn't that bad at the moment.

Hello Connor. Everyone, this is my brother Flying Officer Connor Buchanan. Let me guess, the dispersal hut isn't a mess, because you just cleaned it for your Jankers. What naughty thing did you do this time?

Nothing was proven. They just assumed it was me.

I can't imagine why they would think that.

Who are these people? New recruits?

I'm giving a tour of Sandwick and the aerodrome. Fellow writers and readers wanted to see the scenery of our home.

The scenery?

Why are you laughing? Sandwick is a beautiful place.

You have a lot of women with you. I'm sure the 'scenery' they want to view is right over there in uniform. Let's see. We have several dark-haired chaps, myself included, a few blonds, and a couple of gingers if you like those freckled faces. Maybe you can introduce one or two to George. Fine chap, George is. A bit shy, but you didn't hear that from me. Too bad Mac isn't wearing his kilt today. He's always going on about how the fairer sex loves it. Such a shame I can't put that to the test.

You are so cheeky! Some of these women are serious romance writers that are interested in settings of stories.

Romance writers? I can help in that department.

They could teach you a thing or two about romance.

Ooo, is that a promise? Crikey! You didn't tell me Fran was going to be here. Hello Gorgeous! Big fat smooch. Did you get the picture I sent? Come with me and I'll give you a personal aerial tour in my kite.

You can't do that. You'll get in trouble again.

If you don't tell the Wing Co, I can and like you haven't flown in a fighter plane with a certain pi--

Shouldn't you already be in your Spit, alone?

Trying to get off the subject of you, eh? I'm on standing alert and may get moved to 30 minute alert any time now. Oh bugger! Of all the rotten luck!

That would be the air raid siren. The Germans are on their way here. If everyone will follow me, you'll get to see the inside of an air raid shelter. Be careful Connor.

I always am. My offer still stands, Fran! I'll see you later. Kiss, kiss.

Colonial America as a Setting (Penny Rader)

2011-09-22T07:00:00.016-05:00

My novel, Sapphire and Gold, takes place in Colonial Philadelphia and Williamsburg, so I thought I'd share some fun facts about these two settings.

Philadelphia

"During colonial times Philadelphia was one of the greatest American seaports handling a rapidly growing volume of trade. It had a well established foreign and domestic trade, and it served as the commercial trade port for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the first purchasers of tracts of Pennsylvania land were merchants, shopkeepers, and artisans and, the settlers of Philadelphia created commodities for Philadelphia merchants to export as well as a market for imports. Craftsmen were also attracted to Philadelphia and they practiced about thirty-five different trades. Among the most common were carpenters, sawyers, bricklayers, plasterers, weavers, dyers, tailors, shoemakers, bakers, brewers, maltsters, butchers, potters, clockmakers, cabinetmakers, barbers, physicians, tavern keepers, and carters." (AWM)

"Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, William Penn laid out roads on a grid plan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart, allowing them to be surrounded by gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants did not follow Penn's plans and crowded by the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots. ... The city soon established itself as an important trading center, poor at first, but with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s. Benjamin Franklin, a leading citizen of the time, helped improve city services and founded new ones, such as one of the American Colonies' first hospitals." (Wikipedia)

"Penn dispatched his cousin to lay out a city, which he called Philadelphia, from the Greek for 'brotherly love,' and which Penn envisioned as a haven for his fellow Quakers to enjoy freedom of worship and the chance to govern themselves. He charged his cousin with laying out a 'greene Country Towne, which will never be burnt, and always be wholesome.' The city was laid out in a grid, with large lots, wide streets, and a provision for five city parks, four of which still survive. Historians note that Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the New World built according to a plan." (Philadelphia History)

"In colonial times, Philadelphia was the largest, wealthiest city in North America. It was the center of philosophy, drama, music, art and science. The first American magazine was published in Philadelphia (1741)." (Wikipedy)

By 1750, Philadelphia was Pennsylvania’s largest city, with 15,000 people of the 20,000 people that lived in Pennsylvania as a whole. (The Middle Colonies)

Williamsburg

"Williamsburg was one of America's first planned cities. Laid out in 1699 under the supervision of Governor Francis Nicholson, it was to be a 'new and well-ordered city' suitable for the capital of the largest and most populous of the British colonies in America. A succession of beautiful capitol buildings became home to the oldest legislative assembly in the New World. The young city grew quickly into the center of political, religious, economic and social life in Virginia." (Williamsburg VA)

"The charter King George I granted Williamsburg on July 28, 1722, officially authorized markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the same sentence, the king established annual fairs December 12 and April 23 'for the Sale and Vending of all, and all Manner of Cattle, Victuals, Provisions, Goods, Wares and Merchandises, whatsoever' free from local tolls or taxes." (Colonial Williamsburg)

"For most of the year, Williamsburg was a small college town and market place, but twice annually, during 'publick times,' the planters' capital sprang to life. It was then that the legislature usually met, and the courts were in session. A crowded social and political calendar attracted men of every pocketbook and profession from all parts of the colony. The population of the town doubled almost overnight, and every available inn, tavern, and private house was packed to overflowing. On some occasions, the rooms were insufficient to accommodate the visitors; at such taverns ... guests might be awakened after only a few hours of sleep to make way for others." (Colonial Williamsburg)

"Williamsburg was a thriving center of commerce and government by the middle of the 18th Century. On the eve of the American Revolution nearly 2,000 people, half of whom were slaves, called the city home. Tailors, carpenters, bakers, gunsmiths, coopers, wheelwrights, merchants, clerks, and their slaves all worked to form the economic nucleus for the governmental system being developed by the capitol city's growing number of politicians and lawyers. In retrospect there is a strong argument that the most important institution in town was neither those of the tradesmen or the politicos. It was the taverns. Taverns were not just for drinking. They were the heart of political, social and cultural discourse." (Williamsburg)

~~~

And thus we conclude our mini-tour of Colonial Philadelphia and Williamsburg. :D

Do you have favorite settings? Are there settings you'd rather not read about?

Life's Fun Surprises

2011-09-20T12:26:00.004-05:00

I'm running behind on my blog, especially with the time difference since I'm in Kauai, Hawaii at the moment. I know...sad for me. I love it here! This is my absolute favorite of the islands. Beautiful, peaceful...and with lots of life's fun surprises.

Feral chickens is one of those fun surprises. I've been to some of the Caribbean islands and had forgotten how chickens run free everywhere. I hadn't expected to find them roaming the resort, the beaches, racing across the few roads. They particularly like to come in a big group and stroll among the sunbathers by the pool later in the day. Interesting creatures.

We had another "fun surprise" the other day when my daughter and I drove up to the top of what is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific: Waimea Canyon. We got all the way there and it had been lightly sprinkling. But we couldn't see anything! A big, stupid cloud covered the whole canyon!!! Grrr. We're going to take a helicopter tour later this week and hopefully will see it then.

Yet another "fun surprise" happened yesterday. We were trying to go up one floor in the elevator...and it got stuck. We were there for 10 minutes at least, but it seemed like days. Let me tell you, it was suffocatingly hot. All those movie scenes flash through your mind where the "captives" climb out through the top of the elevator (so NOT happening), or they start being unable to breathe (I was thinking that WAS happening). Anyway, steering clear of that elevator from now on. And I don't think I ever want that experience again. Not fun.

This little sharing probably wasn't on topic for the month, but I wanted to share the good times that life can give you now and then. Plus all of these can be used in future story ideas. You never know when a story idea or scene pops up. And, yes, I am going to base a book here...maybe several.

My Spirit Travels To The South West

2011-09-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

Settings for stories are just as crucial as the plot. If the location doesn't match the tone of the story, it could lose the interest of the reader.

My towns are fictitional, but usually have a central description: small, tight knit communities at the base of a mountainous region.

The heritage that I come from is the exact opposite of my creations. The southern state of George is humid with a beautiful landscape, but not one mountain. The majority of my life, though, was spent in Oklahoma City, since my father was a member of the Air Force. My brief stint of three years in the Philipeans is just a flash of memory, so setting a story in that area would be difficult.

When we moved to Kansas, I eventually met my now husband. His mother is Spanish, his father "gringo." Michael was literally born between the mountains of Taos, New Mexico. When I made my first visit there, the tall mountains nestled my grandpa and grandma's home, near the Indian reservation. When we had the chance, we went up to Taos Ski Valley and I was hooked.

We travel there every year and spend some time either there or in Red River. The gentle winds through the trees, the cold mountain streams, and my favorite thing: the silence. It seems fitting to set a story in this type of place if I desire my characters to have limited access.

(Now, that being said, I also set my stories in Kansas, but I haven't quite developed the knack for it yet. I'm still researching the eastern part of the state and I plan to visit someday to gain a better picture in my mind)

I write what I know. I develop landscapes from where I have traveled and then create my make believe world, that has some truth to it.

Since I am not published, my experience is limited as of right now, but if I ever finish that manuscript and receive "the call" I'm sure my settings will change with each story.

The pictures I have posted are from Taos and the ski valley. If you ever get the chance to visit...

The Proving Zone

2011-09-10T17:59:00.004-05:00

This month we're blogging on locations, favorite ones. How can anything be more favored than what seeps out of my own imagination for it is everything I dream it to be?

In the Proving Zone, I can languish under trees as sun dapples my face. A playful breeze teases my ears. My nose is beguiled by scents that cannot be described by words on paper. The sweetness of my gaze lingers on...never mind, that is for my viewing only.

The Proving Zone is a place where my imagination runs free, my body unfettered by achy joints, my gaze clear, the details as tiny or as large as I wish. It is the place where all people of the planet who wish to have children must pass a test. A test of survival. One must walk a thousand miles from the entry gate to the last step in Randar. Then, and only then may they have their sterilization implants removed without blowing up.

No known modern machine works there. Even time pieces go odd when taken into the zone. There are savannas, mountains, and desert areas to avoid, endure, or delight. There is the weather and the wild animals to contend with, but the most frightening of all are....

There are people who live in the Proving Zone. People who want to avoid the outside world for different reasons--some are crazy.

The thrill of adventure beckons as well as the world where everything works as I think it should. I have the joy of being all of my characters for just a bit, feeling the anguish of fear, the triumphant moment of success, the tedium of distance, the loneliness, the sure knowledge of what a lack of toilet paper means, another rip in your precious clothing, and even wishing you could smell wet pavement instead of more mud.

Is that smoke I smell? Dang! Supper burns while the Proving Zone lingers in my head.

Location, Location, Location (Rox Delaney)

2011-09-08T04:57:00.001-05:00

I was going to use a pretty picture of Sedan, Kansas, and then I got to thinking about what words I wanted to use to begin my blog post today. I planned it to go something like this:

When I was 12 years old, my parents decided to move from not only the neighborhood in the city where I was born and had lived all my life up to that point, but from the city itself. They chose a small town southwest of here, where my mother's family had traveled to from Bavaria, Germany, and settled in 1884-1886. Because the town is only a twenty minute drive from the city, I'd spent holidays at family gatherings and a few summer weeks staying on my aunt and uncle's farm. Still, except for a few cousins, I was a newcomer and a fairly dorky 7th-grader, but in spite of being a "new kid," it didn't take long to learn I was related to about 1/2 of the town. I was HOME.

I lived there for almost thirteen years, before marrying and moving to a farm not far away and made sure that my daughters attended and graduated from the same high school I did. After 24 years on the farm, I returned to the small town and took my daughters with me. We lived there for another two years before we left, and I returned full circle to the city where I was born.

I've written books set in Montana and Louisiana, Texas and Kansas City. But when I switched from Silhouette Romance to Harlequin American Romance, the first book I submitted took place in a small town modeled after the one where I'd spent my teen and early adult years. The location of the next six books--a series I've come to think of as Hearts of Desperation--has moved south, out of Kansas and into Oklahoma, where the name of the town is different, but the heart of it is still much the same. I've loved writing the series and revisiting my favorite characters, but I hadn't set out to write more than a couple of books. Maybe three. Or four. And now it's six!

While it will be hard when the time comes to say goodbye to Desperation, there'll always be a little bit of it--and that small town where I went from child to grown-up--in each small town where my characters live and grow and love.

Yes, that really is a photo of the small town where I finished growing up. Fall Festival 2010.

And if you'd like to see my idea of what Desperation, Oklahoma, is like and meet some of the people who inhabit it, check out Hearts of Desperation. Oh, and the sixth book in the series, BACHELOR DAD, is available this month. ☺

LEWES, BLEWBURY, AND WHITBY, OH MY!

2011-09-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

Regency Historicals are almost always set in what we know as Great Britain. Back in my time period unity had not yet arrived and we had England (with Wales absorbed), Scotland, and Ireland. The internet has made researching locations fantastically easier than it was in the 1970’s when I started writing. Most towns now have websites or businesses that have websites and all of these usually have a “Contact” button. When I was writing Honour’s Choice I set the first half of the book in Lewes in the shire of Sussex in southern England—it has boundaries on the English Channel. Lewes at that time didn’t have a website but their historical society did. I “contacted” them and found a treasure trove of information. One of the curators mailed me a book on the history of Lewes, A walking map, a copy of an 1810 map and several typed sheets of information from the early 1800’s. For instance it had a population of 5200 in 1801 and that grew to 6500 by 1811. I was interested in shops and got not only shops, but addresses. The Palmer family were hatters starting with Grandfather Richard in 1750 and going through his grandson John in the 1820s. Thomas Marten on Fisher Street Corner authored “Quakerism No Delusion” and bartered hats, bedcovers and Dowlais (I think this means iron products made by the ironmonger in Dowlais Wales).

For Honour’s Redemption I needed information on Blewbury (in 1810 in Berkshire) now in Oxfordshire England where the story began and also on Whitby in Yorkshire in England where it ended. I researched both places and found little on Blewbury until I came across the local newspaper’s website. I again clicked on “contact” and subsequently received an email for the editor recommending I contact his wife, Audrey. When I emailed her I learned they had just moved from Whitby to Blewbury so I an information source on both places. She mailed me a book This Venerable Village Blewbury along with several xeroxed pages on St. Michael’s Church in Blewbury—the father of my heroine was the vicar there. The actual vicar at the time of my story was John Keble whose father was the John Keble of the Oxford Movement This was a group of high Anglican clergy who eventually turned to the Catholic Church. Newman University here in Wichita is named for one of their more famous members John Newman.

While Audrey gave me invaluable information on Whitby in Yorkshire – northern most England . Here is part of an email from her

Here's a short description of the weather in Autumn (or Fall) in the Whitby area. Down here the days will be gettting shorter, with the sun setting by 7 at the end of the month. There will almost never be any frost though the temperature could get quite low by early morning. There'll be rain of course, but not usually really heavy. The leaves will be turning colour, though the vivid colours don't usually occur until early November - an early frost can bring the leaves down overnight then. During the day we can often have brilliant blue skies, but the temperature is usually under 20 deg. Celsius. Sometimes there can be slightly foggy days, with low-lying mist. There is a road from here which goes along the edge of the Downs, towards Reading, and I've several times come to the top of Kingstanding Hill and looked down towards the Thames Valley, looking down at a beautiful white cloud totally obscuring the valley while at the top we are in brilliant sunshine.
The weather in the Whitby area is almost always a degree or two colder, and Spring comes a little later and winter a couple of weeks sooner. The main difference is the wind. We lived for a time in Saltburn, which is on the coast somewhat North of Whitby, and the wind there had a biting edge to it which could chill you to the marrow in next to no time. The other peculiarity about that whole coastline is the Haugh, the sea-mist or fret which can cover the whole coastal area for 2 or 3 miles inland from the sea. It can stay for days at a time even when only 5 miles inland there could be clear sunshine.

Actually, we love Whitby and that area. It has an air of independence because it is cut off from any other large cities, and it has the most dramatic Abbey on the hill above the town. These days I personally find its mixture of seaside tat and Kiss-me-Quick hats and fish and chips with the more up-market jet shops and the Abbey very appealing!"

One problem I had with Whitby was that I needed very detailed information on the abbey ruins there for running battle through it. From one web site contact I received all the maps etc I could ever want and gorgeous photos. I just have to buy the gentleman that sent them a “brew” whenever I visit Whitby which I hope to do one day!

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW, NEAR THE INN & NEXT TO THE DINER by Reese Mobley

2011-09-04T06:20:00.003-05:00

Even though I live in a metropolis, I’ve decided I’m a small town girl at heart. And my writing reflects just that. I love tiny towns, itty-bitty burgs and charming little communities full of interesting people. Besides, writing about small towns makes it easier to let my quirky cast of characters out to play since they don’t have far to go in their fictional settings.

Plus, and here’s the peculiar thing, in nearly every manuscript I’ve completed, the heroine owns either an inn or a bed and breakfast and/or they own some sort of food establishment. Understand that this was not intentional and was not decided after some outrageous bribe from the secret society of caregivers. Apparently, it comes from some deep down place in my soul and only realized after one of my critique partners brought it to my attention. You don’t suppose it was her polite way of saying “get out of your butter-flavored Crisco-induced writing rut” was it?

Here is a random sampling of some of my towns and the heroine’s that reside there.

In The King of Hearts the town is named Angel’s Cove, Kansas and the heroine, Bailey, owns a small bakery named Angel Bites. The smell of her chocolate is what leads the hero to her shop after dark. Think Pied Piper with tight jeans and bulging biceps.

Faith Hope & Gloria features the youngest of the three heroines running the diner in the best bowling alley/beauty shop in Heartbreak, Kansas. After being rescued by the hunky fireman, Gloria makes the world’s best chili to put a little spark in their relationship.

After Santa Claus sends his twin sons to Pottersville, Texas, in Make Me Believe, they transform this ho-hum community into a Christmas theme city and change the name to Tinsel Towne. Naturally the heroine, Holly Wood, runs the cozy bed and breakfast the good-looking twins are staying at. The brothers are there incognito, so she unknowingly fattens the future Santa with her excellent cooking. Good thing, he’ll need a little meat on his bones if he’s going to fit into the red suit. And drive the big sleigh. And get the girl.

So when it comes down to it, I guess I'm proud to be a small town girl at heart and I’ve got the flour-smudged apron to prove it.

Hugs,Reese

My favorite setting for a book

2011-09-01T22:33:00.016-05:00

Pat Davids here.
My favorite place to write about is a place very dear to my heart. I know you think I’m going to talk about the setting for my Amish series, but I’m not.

No, much as I like Hope Springs, Ohio, I’m a Kansas gal at heart and I love, love, love the Flint Hills.

I love the wind-swept treeless expanses of rolling hills covered with prairie grass for as far as the eye can see.

I love them in the spring when the great fires turn the night orange with their glow.

I love them in the fall when the grass turns amber and gold like the fire lives inside of it.

I love them in the winter when the snow-covered hills look like gigantic loaves dusted with powdered sugar.

The Flint Hills look the same today as when covered wagons first rolled across them. Oh, the buffalo and pronghorn antelope are pretty much gone, but the bluestem grass that fed millions of them now fattens thousands and thousands of steers who will make their way to your kitchen table and BBQ grill in the coming year. Some of those cattle belong to my dad and brothers.

My current release, Balancing Act, takes place outside the town of Council Grove, Kansas. A real town with heavy ties to the old west. It's the story of a New York dance with a shameful past and a single dad rancher with twin daughters and a cat named Bonkers.

Cowboys are as common as pickup trucks in Council Grove.
Some of those fellows are cute enough to make a romance authors heart go pitty-pat.

By the way, the guy in this photo is my brother. He’s a true cowboy and he loves the Flint Hills even more than I do.

I hope to one day set more stories in my beloved hills, but truth be told, I’d rather visit them than write about them. There is this one beautiful, spring-fed creek lined with trees where the bass bite like there is no tomorrow.

I know we’ll be discussing our favorite places to set books this month, but where is the one place you’d love to go visit and why?

Writing for Fun (Penny Rader)

2011-08-31T12:22:00.007-05:00

Having one of those days or weeks where you just can't focus on your novel or novella? Consider taking a play break - choose a topic or two from Write Source and see where it goes.

A few examples:

I know a lot about...
Sometimes I wish...
Something I don't understand
What makes me special
I'll never eat another...
Grandma's attic
If I could be someone else, I would be...
We got caught!
The toys I'll never give up.
If I were a superhero, I'd be...

~~~

I saw this on Twitter and it really spoke to me. Maybe it'll speak to you, too.

Today — do not be angry.

Today — do not worry.

Today — be kind to yourself and others.

Today — be honest to yourself and others.

Today — work diligently.

– Usui Sensei, 1865-1926

You can find the complete article by Nora Dunn here.

~~~

Anything you care to share?

"What's On Your Mind?" (Frances Louis)

2011-08-29T22:00:00.010-05:00

There are a host of things that prevent me from actually engaging in the craft of writing. Laundry, kids, my bevy of exchange student placements and LIFE in general, all compete for the precious 2.5 hours of solitude I carve out every weekday afternoon. But the crutch I struggle with the most, the largest demon that continues to seduce me with its promise of easy entertainment, is by far and large, social media, especially Facebook.

It has become a routine, a daily ingrained habit that I must adhere to, lest I be left out of someone's gossip or another's vacation pictures. Of their own accord, my fingers automatically type out the website address and I find myself scanning the status updates of people I haven't seen since my days in high school, which, without divulging my age, was a long time ago.

I don't need to know silly things like what people ate for lunch, or what grade their kids made on the latest spelling test, especially from people I haven't seen in 10+ years, but I can't help myself. I am hopelessly lulled to the website and to the senseless and easy entertainment it provides in my otherwise quiet and rather lonely day.

I'd like to blame Mark Zuckerburg for inventing one of the biggest time suckers known to man, but it isn't Mark that sits at my laptop, chatting with my friends, or updating my status on Facebook. It's me, myself, and I that wile away precious writing time knowing full well the consequences of such behavior.

I can conjure a slew of excuses as to why I NEED to participate and engage myself in the world of social media. But the real reason I immerse myself into other's business and why I blab about my day for the entire world to see, is because, simply put, I'm lonely.

Writing is a solitary and sedentary career. I am the only one that can write my story. I am the only one that can sit at the laptop for hours at a time creating the world that I see in my head. While I find myself a rather social and amiable sort, being alone for hours at a time gets dull, boring, and rather lonesome. The idea that someone, even a virtual someone, is only a status update away, is more than alluring. It's downright comforting.

Which is why I suppose, I will always have to fight the demons and focus on not what everyone else is doing, but what I am (or am not) creating.

(Not) In the Mood

2011-08-28T17:42:00.000-05:00

This month we've been blogging about the writing problems we struggle with and how we solve them. Some problems are solved permanently, some are solved temporarily, and some are never solved. The reasons can be anything from a change in our lives that happens because of outside circumstances or it can be from something inside ourselves. Sometimes we have control, and sometimes we don't. The trick is discovering whether we fool ourselves into blaming things out of our control, when we really can do something about then, if we make a change, either in ourselves or the world and people around us.

Every one of us has been through those not-in-the-mood-to-write times, whether it's a good time or a bad time. I've been going through that since early this year, and I've found that I have had to sit down and make myself write. That means literally sitting myself in my chair at my desk, putting my hands on the keyboard, and bringing up the Word file I need to work with. And even then I have to trick myself into doing what needs to be done. I'll be honest. Even that doesn't always work.

Sometimes even trying to trick myself doesn't work. I just don't feel like writing. Today is one of those days. I know I should. In additional to this blog post, I'm working on some old manuscripts, trying to decide if any are worth reworking and revising or if they should be put back under the proverbial bed and forgotten. I'm not making much progress. I'm just not in the mood.

Not wanting to write can be linked to not feeling our writing is worthwhile. Do we feel guilty for taking time away from family to do something for ourselves? Has someone said or done something that tells us they think writing is a waste of our time? Have we recently received a rejection or entered a contest where a judge's comments have made us doubt ourselves? There are thousands of things that can open the door to doubt, but the only one who can close that door is ourselves.

If, like me, you're struggling with not being in the mood to write, take a look at what's going on in your life. If you find whatever it might be that is causing the non-writing mood isn't something that can be changed, then wait as patiently as possible, without beating yourself up, until an opportunity, no matter how small, presents itself. And if that non-writing mood is caused by something within, it's time to take a close look, be honest, and do whatever is necessary to change it.

Good luck! (I know I need it!)

IMAGINATION INSPIRATION ENCOURAGEMENT MOTIVATION

"If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On." - William Shakespeare (Melissa Robbins)

2011-08-24T02:00:00.004-05:00

This month, we have been discussing problems writers face. I'm going to discuss inspiration. If we want to write, we find the time and push away those fear demons.

What inspires me to sit at a computer for hours on end (besides my characters wanting to get out and me going crazy until they do)? Music. I have a playlist on my computer that plays along while I write. My husband mocks my “soundtrack” for my stories, but listening to certain songs when I'm writing helps with the emotions that go into a scene.

So here is my playlist made up of songs from movie soundtracks and swing music since my story takes place in 1940.

Page 47 – National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets - This song has that epic quality to it. I picture fighter planes flying over my heroine's head or Wren standing on that beautiful spot on the cliffs overlooking the Channel.

Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman - I can't have a playlist for a story set in 1940 without including this classic. Sure makes it easy to write a dance scene in a village hall filled with fun and forgotten cares. It starts as soon as my heroine and her friends walk through the door.

Jumpin' Jack – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – This is my hero, Jack's swing theme song. The boy loves to dance. My kids love this song and request it when we are driving in the car.

First Class – X-men: First Class – There are some amazing songs on this soundtrack. Similar tunes run through all the songs, but to me they convey so much emotion and it is sure fun to picture Jack sauntering sexily to this song.

503 – Angels and Demons – A sorrowful song; there is a war going on.

(I Would Do) Anything for You – Benny Goodman – as a former clarinet player, I'm a big fan of Benny (not that my band director let us clarinet players play any of his stuff). This song is Wren and Jack's fast theme swing song. I always found the title appropriate.

Goodnight, My Love – Benny Goodman – Wren and Jack's slow theme swing song; Jack sings it to her. My kids love this song, too. They all sing it in the car. I caught Becca (my three year old) belting the song out in the living room one day without the music playing. She could only remember two lines, but it was cute.

Kingdom Dance – Tangled – I LOVE this movie. It is my favorite Disney one. How does this song figure into my story? It has an Irish dance flair to it and I have a scene where one of my character's dad is playing his fiddle during an air raid.

Sky Battle – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – What can I say? I have Royal Air Force pilots in my story. There are one or two 'sky battles'.

X-Training – X-men: First Class – I wrote this romantic scene that Fran loves. When she asked me how I did it, I told her this song inspired me. Fran doesn't believe me. She thinks this song is more action than romantic, but to me it is one sexy song. My favorite on the list.

Rage and Serenity – X-men: First Class – Did I mention how much I like this soundtrack? This song is short, but I LOVE how it starts off quiet and gets louder and more powerful. Perfect for a kissing scene when it is so not the time for my characters to be kissing.

Forest Battle and I Claim Your Sun – Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen – I love the Transformers soundtracks. When I hear these songs, (they are pretty similar) I picture a scene from my story where my characters are first riding on motorcycles through bombed out London and then they have to run when the debris gets too bad. I haven't written that scene yet, but it's in my head.

Arrival to Earth – Transformers - Did I mention I like these soundtracks? This song is perfect for the final air raid at the end of my story. Planes, bombs, explosions, etc.

Optimus vs. Megatron – Transformers – This is beyond sad. Since I associate this song with a scene from my first story, when I see the part in the Transformers movie where this song is, I start crying.

Now We Are Free – Gladiator – This song makes me happy and sad.

Mutant and Proud – X-men: First Class – This is a kissing song. What? The title doesn't sound like it, but to me it is. This is the longer version of Rage and Serenity, when my characters have more time to kiss.

Obliviate – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1– When I hear this song, I picture several of my characters reacting individually after the previous scene. Since my story is first person, most of these scenes aren't actually in the story, but it helps me with their feelings for later. I can just feel the coldness of that train window through my skin.

I See the Light – Tangled – Such a romantic song and this is Jack's singing voice. Sigh. Wren won't be singing with him. She couldn't sing to save her life.

Something That I Want – Tangled – Just a fun song. Flynn is my favorite Disney hero and he just happens to share his name with Jack's middle name.

Silver Wings March - There is one song that hasn't made it on my actual playlist yet because my dad is still trying to figure out how to get the music onto a CD. I asked my dad to compose an Army Air Corps song reminiscence of Bell Bottom Trousers (the sweet, nice version) and he did. I have the lyrics, Shiny Silver Wings. They made it into the stories. Dad promises to sing it too.

There you have it. My Wren and Company Playlist. Maybe one of these songs will inspire you. Does music inspire you to write? Do you have songs that you like to listen to when you write? Perhaps we should say instead, "If writing be the food of love, write on!"

Writing Amid Chaos (Penny Rader)

2011-08-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

This month we’ve been talking about what gets in the way of our writing. Fear? Check. Procrastination? Check. Time Management? Check. Distractions? Check. Myself? Ch—no one wrote that post, but I’m the one who gets in my own way.

In addition to the fear that the words just won’t come and frittering away my time by procrastinating and indulging myself in all sorts of distractions, my other obstacle is writing when all around me is chaos. Or rather, not writing.

There've been several health issues in my family this year. Nearly lost my mom in May. My dh has another surgery scheduled this week. A separate, highly emotional issue is also pulling us in all directions and might go on for another month, maybe indefinitely.

During times like these my brain freezes. I’ll jot down things the doctors, etc. say so I won’t forget…but creative writing? Doesn’t happen. My brain is just mush. I can read (to momentarily escape), but I’m unable to create, unable to lose myself within my own writing. I remember hearing a story as a kid about tigers chasing each other around a tree. Around and around they went. Faster and faster and faster until they turned into butter. That’s my brain. Butter. A messy blur.

I’ve read that many, if not most, writers write through emotional chaos. That writing helps them through trying times. Are you one of those people? How do you do it? Or are you like me and unable to write when your life is a stressful mess, especially emotional stress?

Distractions - The little things that draw my attention

2011-08-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Look up distraction in the dictionary and you get three examples of noun definitions:
1. The act of distracting or the condition of being distracted.
2. Something, especially an amusement, that distracts.
3. Extreme mental or emotional disturbance, obsession; obsession: loved the puppy to distraction.

Yes, I know...what could a picture of a huge wine bottle possibly have to do with my article? Well, nothing. Your point?

Okay I am ruled by distractions and being weak when I come face to face with them.

In relation to my writing, I am a master at creating complicated schedules of What needs to be done, Why it needs to be done (contract), and When it must be done. I color code my Outlook calendar by publisher, my writing business, promotional stuff, release dates, and personal stuff, too. It looks so good, so pretty. And when I get finished updating it all, I am so impressed with myself. I am determined to start working through it all.

BUT along comes a post on one of the groups I follow online about using Kindlegraph for autographing Kindle books…and I have to check it out. Then someone else tells me what great PR they’re getting by doing giveaways on Goodreads. Yep, I’ve got to check into it and set up my own giveaway. Oh, and someone mentioned Wikispaces in the latest RWR magazine and what a useful tool a writer can have there. I barely finished reading the article before I was out there creating my own massive database in Wikispaces.

What happens by getting so easily distracted? I have to shift my pretty colors around on my calendar. Everything that was so nicely spaced out and gave me plenty of time to finish whatever it was is now squished together. I suddenly need 48 hour days instead of 24 hour. (heavy, heavy sigh here)

My daughter and I started a travel writing website for our adventures, which, of course, keeps getting put on the “Do tomorrow” list. Anyway, I love the caption she put on it: We believe a map is merely a suggestion…until something “shiny” catches our attention.

Apparently all of my life is that way, filled with mere suggestions about the “when”s and too easily distracted by “shiny” things. I’m obsessed with loving all of those spur-of-the-moment distractions.

Wake UP and Smell the.....

2011-08-18T17:38:00.003-05:00

Writers are strange creatures. They make stuff up in their heads. Then they write it down. Then, if everyone is really lucky, they share their creations with others. How can anything go so sadly awry with that?

Becaaaassse. We're all different. We mix methods and proceedures together differently from each other and there is no way to know in advance of actually writing and completing a body of work to know how our individual mind will function in the creative process of writing.

For example let us take those pansters and plotters. Pansters are supposed to fly by the seat of their pants which is supposed to mean that each day brings new material to their heads and therefor their fingers. Yeah right. In reality, their minds have been very busy thinking this way and that. They have tacked the big problems, and some of the minor, by allowing their subconscious brain to figure out the plot and characters for them. I have yet to hear of a panster who did not have any idea whether their characters and story were going to be an adventure or a contemporary story before they began writing it. There is a little bit of structure in mind before the fingers hit the keys. A panster might not know how a story will unfold, but they usually begin with at least one character, a place or situation for that character to be in, and an idea of where the character will end up whether physically or mentally.

Those of us who are plotters are amazing creatures of planning. Plotters decide in advance who does what in who's alley, when, and why. They string together pearls of moments for their characters to complete. One new writer that I sometimes talk to discovered last week that writing 3x5 cards with plot points on them and then playing with them to create order has suddenly let her writing ability soar. She's written over a hundred pages in four days. More than she's ever completed before. The only thing slowing her down is having to work for a living. This breakthrough is after more than ten years of writing. She carries the cards to organize her life and the transfer of her ideas of her story into a pile of cards added to what she keeps on her was an epiphany.

How long does it take a writer to complete a project? Some writers can complete a novel-sized project in a few weeks. Other writers complete one only after decades of work on it. Some writers take course after course attempting to memorize enough grammar and structure from various instructors to be able to express themselves fluidly. The frustration of attempting to take an amorphous idea, notion, or emotion and explain it in the words of the author's language, which is regularly too imprecise for satisfaction, often causes author hair loss and vague growling sounds to be uttered.

How, then, do we figure out how our individual writing processes work if the art of writing is not consistent? Because it is consistent. If you interview enough writers a body of commonality forms in a smorgasbord of writer traits. The most important trick of all as a beginning writer is to stay true to your own story. Do not let others who are confident in their opinions to overly sway your work. Trust your writer's gut. It is a sensitive organ and will let you know if a piece of advice or methodology rings true for you. Do not scoff at other writer's notions or paths. Their own individual expression in the story world cannot ever be yours. It may be similar. It may be very dissimilar. Writing is much like learning to run. First you have to figure out how to crawl, toddle, walk, and then run. Yes, we fall down and cause ourselves to bruise, but not to move at all means a large part of a potential writer's world is missing.

I once read that a story must have so much dialogue. I put dialogue in. I then had to go back and pull it all out as it was wrong for the characters and the story. I should have stayed true to myself and expressed what happened in my own way. Then the story would have flowed and all would have been right in my world. However, without the attempt, how would I have ever figured it out? There is no one who can teach a writer to write expressing his own talent. It cannot be done as a writing talent is too individualized in its expression.

What do we do? We wake up and smell the morning beverage. That's what we do. We plug along with baby steps, asking for advice, trying out different methods, write our stories, and as we gain experience and understanding we can begin to fly.

Are you awake? Then join WARA so that you have all the help you can ask for on the writer's path.

Time Management

2011-08-16T21:14:00.003-05:00

I noticed when I visited the blog this evening that I had missed my post date. Hence, I realized another obstacle I face as a writer. My lack of time management skills.

I have enough hours in the day. I get 24, just like the rest of you, but there are days when I have to wonder what happened to the 18 or so hours that have passed since I woke up. What did I do all day? Why didn't any of those hours include writing?
Sure, I work 12 hrs shifts at the hospital and those night shifts play havoc with my engery level and productivity, but that's only two nights a week. Five days a week I should be writing at least 6 hrs a day. I'm not. I've tried making schedules, checking off boxes of most important to least important items that have to be done, but the morning passes and all I've accomplished is to sip two cups of coffee and watch the news. Talk about depressing.

So, I'm at my wits end. I really have no idea how to manage my time and my writing is suffering because of it. Any suggestions? Any sure fire helpful hints? If you can help, I'll name a character after you in my next book.

Writing Obstacles

2011-08-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

The phrase “writer’s block” is misconstrued by many. The belief that it connotates one who has nothing to write about is far from the truth. “Writer’s Block” can be defined as someone who has SO much to write about, that the author cannot filter the numerous topics and choose one.
This is one problem with writing: I have a ton of plots swirling in my head and choosing just one can pose conflict.
So, what to do?
Jotting down the ideas is one step and then selecting the one that piques the interest the most is the next.
After the top choice is determined, the dilemma that I face is actually sitting down and writing. I constantly think about my story, the characters and the outcome. My mind dreams up the beginning, the middle and the end, but placing the words on paper is almost inhibiting.
My life is chaotic. It is filled with grading, grading, grading, not to mention carting my children to ballet, boxing, guitar lessons and squeezing in something that is necessary in my life now: exercising. It is not an option any longer. My health must be improved and maintained in order to participate in the milestones of my daughters.
Writing problem? Not sure if that’s a precise phrase any longer. Writing obstacles seems to be synonymous.
When the window of opportunity arises, I seize it and write. I may not finish a book, chapter or page for that matter, but the happiness I feel at accomplishing a bit of writing is bittersweet.
Eventually, my life will settle down a bit and composing my stories and completing it will happen one day. I don’t have a set time for my pen to paper, and maybe I should pencil it in, but for now, it’s one baby step a day.

Problems? What problems?

2011-08-10T18:27:00.002-05:00

When I started writing, the whole world of writing was amazing to me. Every aspect was sparkly or scary. Scary because I couldn't understand what was happening in my head. How could a story unfold from it without conscious thought on my part?

With research, understanding, time, and two novels out, now I'm asking myself, what happened? Why doesn't a story unfold without conscious thought on my part? More than that, why is it the same struggle for others? Authors with little work finished and authors whose body of work is huge?

I have absolutely NO IDEA!!

That is what is driving me crazy.

I thought it was little time to write. I cleared some time.

I thought it was lack of discipline. I sat in the chair and stared and cursed at the cursor.

I thought maybe it was lack of inspiration. I inspired myself with, new paint, a new computer, new music, new clothes, new shoes, a new cat, a box of donuts, a pocket of chocolate, a pot of custom blend coffee, a framed note from an agent, nothing worked for over three minutes. All work in that time had to be redone.

I thought it was a lack of direction. I turned my desk around. (Ok, I didn't really, but I was getting desperate.)

I thought maybe I was suddenly unable to write so I took a sentence course on how to make interesting sentences. Now I'm totally confused as to how to string all of those interesting sentences together into one meaningful story. Meaningful? Never mind. How about interesting?

Then I thought maybe it was my regular life interfering with my fake one. So I took a look at what was happening this last week.

I had to approve, disapprove, rewrite, then approve the main ad for our business. It will run 13 weeks and cost roughly nine thousand dollars. Let's not get it too wrong, OK? Then don't forget the left-over containers for after the caterers after two customer dinners in two towns. Sister and mom are here to work over the family pictures and documents for three generations and include the family archive book and stories and give lessons making homemade biscuits. Hired girl gets here and begins to empty the kitchen cabinets so that they can be relined with birch veneer. Mom decides to begin working on the drip system that will allow the fish pond water, the patio containers, and two trees to actually get watered regularly and she's weed-eating random places around the yard (God help us.). Husband decides to cook but decides to make triple batches so he can help a friend who has chicken pox for the third time. How many apples does he need to buy for apple crisp and would I come and look at it to see if it is done? The darned cat can't get to the cat food because the barrier to make the door smaller so that the bobcat that has been getting in the green house and slashing the cat food sacks all open can't get in there. But now the human door won't latch. Better look into that. When will the pickup get to be in the garage again? Can we do something about the boxes of stuff mom has brought from Tucson for a garage sale in Walsh in October? The guy refinishing the dining room table sanded right down through the surface of the veneer, can we do something about that? The new veneer came in lets get it installed so meet me in Manter at nine in the morning and we'll give it a try. The man to replace the hailed out roof on the rent house has never shown up. The fellow that is painting the other one has charged all the materials to the accounts but hasn't done anything but remove the shutters on the other rent house. Yes, let's get new ones, but paint them black to match the ones we don't need to change. Rain? Nope, that's dirt in the wind. Yes, bug man, please spray the crickets in the seed building office. Did anyone water the new trees this week? Commerce bank called, they're missing a payment. Uncle Milon died. He fell down stairs and broke his ribs. At the hospital, he couldn't keep his lungs clear and died of pneumonia. Mom's friend's husband has had a heart attack and may not make it two more weeks. Is there anyway to get them help? Yes, Washington state has hospice care that is not only in the home, but also helps council those who have never gone down this path before. Cell signal is spotty. Air fares from Denver are only three hundred five dollars round trip and it would only take twenty four hours to get her there. Don't come yet? Ok. Town day, gotta buy some groceries and get finish for the inside of the cabinets since what we have will turn yellow. Yuk. Table finish took a dark turn, but will come out ok and will be delivered back on Saturday. There are four more blouses ready to pick up. The left rear tire on the car is flat. Trash is piling up in the garage and will be dealt with tomorrow morning when we go get the flat fixed. Called to find out how to stake the three new trees. What is the anniversary date of our company insurance so the secretary can schedule knee surgery? I'll find out. We took an inventory of our baseball farmer hats and we don't have any! Order some immediately and try to get them here as soon as possible. Yes, the pocket notebooks came in. I'll bring them to the seed meetings myself. Who parked the car in the garage at such an angle I can't get the front passenger door open? Yeah, buttons selected and put on two new blouses. Why don't I have any clean underwear? Why is the computer coughing up hairballs and giving me repeat messages that said I don't have enough virtual memory? Where are the sponge sticks I bought to put bleach on the mold I'm allergic to on the corner of the shower door before I cough up both lungs? Yes, mom, I found a place you can dump your dark water tanks in your motor home on Friday when you go to town. My new sandals rubbed sores on the top of my feet. We spent two hours waiting to get through the line at the hospital for the health fair. Then we spent two hours looking at dismal crops of ours drougthing out on the way home. The student I tutored in math is doing an excellent job and bounded ahead this Monday. He's also doing pretty good at getting my bank statements balanced. He has three out of five accounts up to date.

No, just a regular week.

I can't figure it out.

Somehow I will get a little forward in the story. Maybe I should plot a little instead of relying on the seat of my pants?

(Title)

2011-08-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

No, the title of this blog post is not a mistake. Titles are one of many things I struggle with in my writing. How do I solve it? Uh... Obviously it isn't solved today and is one of the reasons my post is late. (Tardiness being another problem I haven't come to terms with, not only in writing but in life. Let's save that for another time.)

It's the title of a piece of fiction or non-fiction that invites and entices a person to read what's been written. A perfect example is Reese's title on Thursday. Or Pat's. Or Joan's. Each of those had an element that pique a reader's interest.

While my title above has no enticement, except to wonder why I didn't title my post, it pretty much conveys my struggle. I hate trying to think of titles.

Of my twelve published books, only two have kept my original titles. His Queen of Hearts (Sil. Romance 4/2006 and Family by Design (Harlequin American Romance 1/2008) miraculously made it through the editorial process. Which is not to say the original titles of the others were bad. Personally, I think Darlin' in Disguise has a better ring to it than The Truth About Plain Jane, but someone with more experience didn't agree. And, in truth, the official title isn't far off from one of probably fifteen or so others that I later suggested.

Fifteen? Yeah, fifteen. Because authors are given the chance to suggest more titles.

With the last six books--part of a series--I made it a habit not to give them a title. Not a real title, anyway. The original titles included the name of the hero or heroine and a key word that told me something about the story. Here's the list of my working titles and the books' published titles:

Tanner's Prize - The Rodeo Rider

Taming Kate - Bachelor Cowboy

Morgan's Pride - The Lawman's Little Surprise

Nikki's Secret - The Reluctant Wrangler

Tucker's Homecoming - The Maverick's Reward

Garrett's Woman - Bachelor Dad

130 titles total were sent. 5 of the suggested were chosen. But I have to be honest. I didn't think of all 130. I'm part of a great group of authors with a talent for titles, so thanks to the Ditzy Chix, my books haven't gone untitled...like this post.

And now you know the whole story, at least about this particular struggle. One down and an infinite number to go. ☺

Writing Problem du jour by J Vincent

2011-08-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

My writing problem du jour or rather de l'année is simply writing. The actual physical task of pen to paper, fingers to keyboard. I struggle with how to get myself back on track to daily meaningful—let’s even skip meaningful— to writing. To be a writer one must write. Now running through my mind is the caution that one must not have word repetition. Are five forms of “write” too much repetition? Ahh, distraction.

Distracted writers do not write. Distracted writers cook, clean, sew, quilt, babysit, do laundry, organize anything and everything etc. etc. We make lists on things to do and even on how to get back to writing. There are many legitimate distractions. Emergencies happen, circumstances change in a flash and schedules only seem made to be disrupted. For me it is truly an ongoing struggle to find time to write. No, I need to be honest since the first step in recovery is to admit the truth. I do have time to write. The problem is I do not when I choose to do something else. It was such a struggle that I did have the internal debate about giving up writing. But I blog here because it makes me write. I post a monthly “Coze” on my website because it ensures more writing. I’m never truly happy not writing so it isn’t time to give it up.

Then how can I make sure I do it? Better stated, how DO I make sure I do it? What I should do is set an image of a leprechaun—a leprechaun with a really big gavel in hand, on the top shelf above my computer. She should bear a striking resemblance to a very successful author who happens to be our intrepid leader. Every time I am tempted to drift away from my writing task she whacks the shelf and shouts “Set and KEEP Goals!” Seriously, this is an excellent if not THE point.

Setting goals is key to keeping on track and gaining writing success. Every time I’ve been prodded into doing so I have accomplished something. So I’ve been setting very small goals and reaching them for the most part. Large goals overwhelm. I am easily drawn into my “impossible” mode with large goals these days. So my goals are writing for an hour; planning a specific scene; writing that scene; editing; and then continuing to the next part of the book. It’s like stacking toy blocks into a building, except I get pages filled with sentences and paragraphs. Which lead to more pages. Which leads to goals met. Achieving goals breeds and feeds success. Following my goals, which are progressive, leads me to a completed book. This blog post proves goals work—due to setting a goal it was written a full two weeks before I had to have it up—not the day before like sometimes happens.

No plan is fail safe. I love, no I need, back up plans. Please share how you get edge or better yet, blast your way through the temptation to not write.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO WEAR UGLY UNDERWEAR by Reese Mobley

2011-08-04T08:46:00.002-05:00

Wait. Wait. Waaaaaait. Hold those itchy trigger fingers and don’t click away from this site. This is not one of the web pages your momma warned you about. This is WARA’s writing blog and our topic this month has to do with writing problems. Still confused about the title? Double check the color of your undies, (hot pink with white and yellow daisies) grab something cold to drink (iced tea) and let me explain.

My biggest struggle when it comes to writing is myself. There. I said it. I feel like a huge weight has been shifted from my shoulders to this page. Please understand that I’m not apologizing. I’m just admitting it to you, the faithful readers, writers and otherwise curious title pursuers.

My motto is and always will be that if you get a chance to do something or see something really cool and extraordinary then you have an obligation to yourself to do it. There are some experiences that only come around once and I don’t want to miss anything. We only get one shot at this life and I want to make the most of it. I go and I do until my calendar is full and my checkbook is empty.

As a writer, I’m curious by nature and I’m not claiming to live like Indiana Jones. Not everything I do is movie-worthy but it is vital to who I am. I recently lost a very good friend to a tragic accident. She was only 33. Her death made me realize how very short and precious our time is. We should all live like today could be our last day.

How do I strike a balance? Make time for everything I want to do with everything I have to do? I’m not sure. I celebrate a milestone birthday in a few months—gasp—and I wanted to have this current WIP finished by then. I have a long way to go but I’m going to try. It’s important. I will find a compromise between where I am now and where I want to be.

So, tell me. If life is so short why would you want to waste a single day wearing ugly underwear? Pull out the good ones. The colorful ones that make you secretly happy when you wear them. The ones that make you feel like you can conquer the publishing world. I know that’s asking a lot from a pair of undergarments, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. You owe it to your manuscript but most importantly, you owe it to yourself.

Hugs,

Reese

procrastination

2011-08-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, Pat Davids here. This month on our WARA blog we are going to be talking about writing problems we have and how to solve them.
Oh, if only there was a way to solve my writing problem.

My problem is procrastination. Not a small amount of procrastination. I am talking about procrastination the size of Mount Everest. An enormous, five-mile high, thin-altitude, ice-covered hunk of a mountain’s worth of procrastination that I may never be able to climb over.

What!! You all exclaim. Pat, you've written 15 books! How can you claim you suffer from procrastination? I don't just claim it, I can prove it. Right now, it is ten fifty-five p.m. on August 1st and my blog is due to be posted after midnight. See, I procrastinate. When did I look up what I was to blog about? A single minute prior to starting this post. When I think of how much preparation time Penny puts into her posts I'm almost ashamed to admit mine are off-the-cuff.

Earlier today I was expecting a call from my agent. Because I was unable to meet her at the RWA conference, we didn't have a chance to discuss my writing plan for the year, what projects I wanted to work on, who I might want to target with new work or where I wanted to take my career. I was DREADING her call. Why? Because I had next to nothing planned and no idea what direction I wanted to take my career.

In true queen-like style, I have been telling people my new goal is to become famous. To make the New York Times bestseller list. How am I going to achieve such a lofty goal? I don’t have a clue, but it sounds good.

My actual goal is to meet the looming deadlines of the books I have under contract. How much have I written? Fifteen pages. First book is due Oct 1st. In a bout of gloomy soul-searching just ten minuets before her call (notice once again my glaring procrastination) I discovered a disturbing underlying cause of my affliction. I'm not afraid of failure. I'm not afraid of success. I'm not afraid of bad reviews. I'm not even afraid of being thought unreliable by my publishers. I mean, what the heck, I'm still a good nurse. That job is not going away.

No, I realized that I'm afraid I don't have anything meaningful to say.

That's it. That's the fear that holds me back.

People can tell me my work is meaningful, my work is funny, or my work is endearing, or even that it sucks. If I don't believe it in my heart, then what someone else says doesn't matter.

Perhaps the recent sad events in my life have skewed my perspective. I don't know. I do know I have always loved to tell stories and I always will.

In the end, I have to believe I will conquer this fear now that I recognize it. Why? Because I hate roadblocks. I hate letting something else keep me from getting where I want to go. If I want to hit the New York Times bestseller list I really have to write more books. I really have to write better books, books with something meaningful in them.

And do you know what I just realized? What is more meaningful than LOVE? Wow! Why didn't I think of that before?

So, do you suffer from procrastination? How do you fight it? I'd love to hear.

A Smorgasbord of Writing Resources (Penny Rader)

2011-07-31T07:00:00.016-05:00

Our prez, Pat, asked me to put together a list of general writing sites to give to new members. I thought I'd post the list here, along with a few hints of what you'll find at each site, just in case you're interested.

102 Resources for Fiction Writing (C.S. Swarts)

You’ll find a multitude of articles divided into the following categories:

• Character, Point of View, Dialogue

• Plot, Conflict, Structure, Outline

• Setting, World Building

• Ideas, Inspiration

• Tools and Software

Alicia Rasley’s Articles of the Month

As of 7.24.11 Alicia had 58 archived articles on topics on ranging from scenes to POV to emotions to dialogue to plotting to conflict to characterization. She is an amazing teacher.

Her current Article of the Month can be found here.

Charlotte Dillon’s Resources for Romance Writers

Here you will find a ton of info separated into the following categories:

• Links for writers

• Building characters

• Manuscript preparation

• Writing a synopsis

• Writing a query letter

• Articles about writing

• Research links

• Writing prompts

• Publishers and agents

• How-to promote your work

Fiction Factor: Writing Articles

You’ll find a plethora of articles on the following subjects:

• Writing basics

• Honing skills

• Getting started

• Worldbuilding

• Motivation

• Editors and agents

• Writing – Nuts and bolts

• Characters

• Writing fiction – Novels

• Creating conflict and sustaining suspense

• Writing short fiction

• Promotion and marketing

Forward Motion: Holly Lisle’s Writing Pages

Holly has a great deal of info available:

• The writing life

• Professionalism

• How-to’s

• Workshops – 21 of them, on subjects ranging from conflict to characters to dialogue to plotting to wordbuilding, etc.

Gabrielle Luthy: Where Romance Writing and Attitude Collide

Gabrielle has links to numerous articles divided into categories such as:

• Agents & editors

• The career writer

• Characters

• Conflict & motivation

• Creativity & inspiration

• Dialogue

• Finding time, setting goals

• Plotting & structure

• Point of view

• Promoting your novel

• Query letter & synopsis

• Rejection

• Research

• Revising your novel

• Sensuality & erotica

• Software for writers

• Submitting to publishers

• Writer's block

• The Writer's Life

Happily Ever After (Terescia Harvey)

• Tips for writers – extensive collection of article links organized by subject

• Writer resources

Links to resources for writers
Favorite website for writers
Links to personal favorites

The Passionate Pen (Jenna Petersen)

• Links to publishers and agents who accept all kinds of romance

• Other resources and websites for writers of all skill levels

Craft of writing
Learning the industry
Research links
Marketing

• Articles written by Jenna on a variety of writing-related topics

Preditors and Editors

Here you will find A-Z listings of agents and publishers, writer organizations and resources.

Writing-World.com

Here are a few of the categories you’ll find articles for:

• Beginner’s world

• Becoming a better writer

• The business of writing

• The writing life

• General fiction

• Romance

• Mystery

• Promoting your writing

~~~

Have fun exploring! I hope you find something that will assist you with your writing career.

Do you have a favorite site you'd like to share with us?

Reading other genres, but not truly getting away from romance (Melissa Robbins)

2011-07-24T01:16:00.000-05:00

As a member of WARA that writes more mystery than romance, I tend to read genres outside of romance. But as any great reader knows, romance is in almost any book.

Reading Young Adult books makes me feel young. I'm currently reading Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. It's Book Two of the Kane Chronicles about a brother and sister who are saving the world using Egyptian magic. Along with his Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Greek Mythology) and Heroes of Olympus (Greek and Roman Mythology) books, Riordan has gotten a generation of kids reading again. Kids want to pick up his books and (shh don't them) might actually learn something in the process. I still get my romance fix with them. In Throne of Fire, poor Sadie likes two guys, Walt, a fellow magician who is dying from the same affliction King Tut died from and Anubis, yeah that Anubis, the God of Funerals or as Sadie calls him, the God of Toilet Paper (humor abounds in the books). For those of you who are familiar with Egyptian mythology may be scratching your heads. Anubis doesn't always have the head of a dog. He's a god. Anubis can be a handsome teenager in a black leather jacket if he wants to be, although Sadie says the kilt and kohl around the eyes, which would look weird on some guys, really works for him. ;0) Talk about your crazy love triangles. I'm dying to know how Riordan solves this girl's romance issues.

Also on my new Nook color shelf to be read is Headwind by KK Brees a mystery about Professor Katrin Nissen, a spy for the OSS in the early days of WWII. Haven't heard of Brees? This is her first published mystery book and a fellow Sisters in Crime Guppies writer (the 'Great Unpublished'). We Guppies are all about reading fellow Guppies' work. I'm all over it, because it features WW2. I have a shelf dedicated to WW2 books, fiction and non-fiction. Other great ones on my WW2 shelf are by Connie Willis, Blackout and All Clear. The story starts in Black Out and finishes All Clear. Waiting for that second book just about killed me. Willis normally writes science fiction and these two books do involve time travel as the characters travel back in time to WW2, but as a writer who is also writing a WW2 mystery, Willis' research is amazing. And guess what? There's romance in that one too. As Polly is stuck in WW2, Colin, who Polly didn't care for at first, tries desperately to find her and bring her back. Tears, people, tears.

Another favorite series of mine is the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I know. I know. I've mused about this series before on this blog. Jace is the snarky hero the reader can't help but love. Since the YA fantasy book has demon hunters trying to save the world, I wouldn't call it a romance book with all the demons, vampires, werewolves, warlocks and fairies running around, but it definitely has romance in it. Love is a theme of the book, but not completely for the reasons you might think. If my writing buddy Fran wants to know how I wrote that one chapter (she knows which one), a particular airfield scene, or the scene involving a motorcycle from my work-in-process, it's because I read this series. Learn from the masters, people.

With the joy of being a writer, I also have the privilege of reading work-in-process stories by fellow writers. Although Fran's WIP is a Regency romance, it has mystery in it, so I get the best of both worlds and Cheryl's paranormal mystery has romance in it too, because as she says, a book without at least a little romance would be dry and no fun to read.