I'm Guest Blogging This Week

This week I'm over at Judy Nickles' blog on April 27, 2011. I'll be taking my turn with other Class of '85 writers from the Wild Rose Press to talk about my contribution to the series, a story I call "The Girl Most  Likely".  Have you ever attended a high school reunion, either your own or someone else's? Tell me your story (or just say hello) and you'll be eligible to win a copy of my latest release, "Flawless". Come on by! I'll return to Jana's Journey on May 5 with a new blog.

Plotting With Friends

This past Sunday I got together with friends on MSN for a live plotting party. Despite a myriad of problems with MSN and Internet connections, we managed to hash out some issues with a new story I’m putting together. I find it very helpful to have input from trusted writing friends when putting together a plot. They can pick out any glaring plot holes, point out questions of character motivation that I haven’t addressed (or even thought of), or shine a light on any weaknesses they see in the conflict. I find that having others look at the plotting at this stage, before I actually start the writing, saves a ton of time later in revisions.

This is the second time I’ve used this method. Back in January of 2010 I assembled the same group for an instant messaging session to discuss my then work-in-progress “Flawless”. Of course at that point, the story didn’t have a name. Actually it didn’t have much of a plot yet either. But with the enthusiastic help of my friends I was able to put together a plot, and eventually the story that became my World War Two romantic suspense set in occupied France came to life.

I highly recommend the plotting party. Not only do I find it extremely useful, it’s a lot of fun. There’s nothing I like more than brainstorming with other creative people.

But some rules need to be observed. Here’s my thoughts on what makes a plot party, or any plotting group work:

1.       Choose your group wisely. Use trusted writing friends you feel in sync with and whose work you admire. You want different points of view but if the ideas and opinions are counter to what you want to write, your plotting session will end in frustration.

2.     2.   Do some legwork ahead of time. Sketch out a rough synopsis, lay down the most important elements of the plot, do some preliminary research, if necessary. For instance in “Flawless”, because I was writing with the goal of being added to The Wild Rose Press’s Jewels of the Night series, the most important elements were that the story be a romantic suspense that somehow revolves around a blue diamond. I envisioned a story set in World War Two in which a reformed jewel thief is recruited to help the French Resistance steal back a blue diamond from the Nazis. I came up with a very rough plot and a “curse” that was attached to the diamond. Since we were meeting online, and I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time typing out all this information on the day of the party, I emailed whatever information I had ahead of time. Your friends are there to help you smooth out the edges of your plot and add depth. It’s not fair to ask them to write the whole thing for you.

3.       The person whose story is being discussed should lead the discussion. Christine Rimmer, whose blog post about her plotting group inspired me to form one of my own, says if the discussion goes in a direction you’re not comfortable with, speak up and lead it back to where you want to go. For instance if one member of the group argues for your story to take on a paranormal bent with vampires and slayers and you’re really not into that, speak up. It’s your story. You must take the lead and the rest of the group must respect that.

4.       Save the session! I always save a copy of our instant messaging session to my hard drive so I can refer to it later. There are so many ideas flying back and forth that it’s impossible to write everything down. And I can’t trust my brain to remember everything (or anything, for that matter). Christine Rimmer says that in her plot group, which gets together twice a year in Vegas, they use two tape recorders to record each plotting session, just in case there’s a technical failure.  The writer then gets to take her taped sessions home with her at the end of the weekend.  

I will definitely do this again. We talked on Sunday about how great it would be to be able to get together in person like Christine Rimmer’s group does. I really hope we manage it, but with the four of us living in three different time zones it’s going to be difficult. In the meantime, instant messaging remains an inexpensive if sometimes frustrating alternative.

Have you ever participated in a plotting group, either live-and-in-person or through your computer?  Would you participate if you had the chance or do you prefer to go it alone? 

Next week I’ll be out of town on a bit of a retreat, working on the new story I’ve just plotted out. So I’m taking a break from the blog. I’ll see you at the end of the month!

My Virtual Assistant

I am not good with technology. I never did learn how to program the VCR. Luckily, the PVR we have now is almost idiot proof (almost), but I still get my daughter to operate it if I want to record a TV show.

So it’s no wonder that I needed help when my blog went wonky. My right sidebar developed a huge space between the first piece of information, my website address and the rest of the gadgets. The labels and blog archives were located at the bottom of the page where no one was going to see them. Nothing I tried managed to fix it. And then my preview function suddenly quit working! I was ready to pitch this whole stinking blog!

I checked the yellow pages in my phone book to see whether I could find someone local to help me out. I found plenty of people who could set up a website for me, create an advertising campaign, or market a business using traditional and social media. After checking out several websites for these businesses, I came to the conclusion that a) they all were way too expensive for me, and b) none of them addressed my specific needs. I wanted someone who would take me by the hand and show me how to fix my blog or go in there and do it herself. And I didn’t want it to cost a lot of money.

And then the answer came to me in the mail.  The March 2011 edition of RWA’s Romance Writers Report carried an article entitled “Is it Time to Hire a Virtual Assistant?” by Jenel Looney. A virtual assistant can help a writer with dozens of tasks, freeing up the writer’s time to do what she really wants to do—write. A virtual assistant can help with marketing efforts, such as coordinating social networking efforts to make sure the writer is taking full advantage of the promotion these sites offer. A VA can help with updating a website, or can assist with design. She can set up a blog tour for you, which I know from experience can be time consuming. She can also contact review sites to set up book reviews on the writer’s behalf, if her publisher isn’t already doing that. A VA can help brainstorm the types of marketing materials such as bookmarks, sticky notes, pens and other goodies you want to give away as prizes for contests or as gifts at conferences. And speaking of contests, your VA can keep track of entries, draw a random winner and mail the prizes.

The great thing about this article was that it not only extolled the virtues of virtual assistants and listed what they could do for me, it told me where I could find one. Ms. Looney provided the website of the International Virtual Assistants Association (http://IVAA.org) She also offers this sage advice:

“I recommend starting with one small project to test the waters. Find out for yourself whether your VA has the skills you need, and whether she follows through on her promises. Limit your commitment in the beginning to give both of you the opportunity to determine whether you’re a good fit.”

Following Ms. Looney’s advice, I posted a request on the IVAA website, outlining my problems with my blog. Within 24 or hours (or less) I had a couple of replies. I chose to work with Amy Moore of Amy’s Winning Ways (http://blog.amyswinningways.com) For a reasonable fee, she fixed my blog problems and gave me some advice about some other issues. I hope to work with Amy again sometime in the future.

Have you ever had technical problems you couldn’t fix yourself (or am I the only inept one?) Do you ever wish you had an assistant to help you with the many non-writing tasks a writer needs to do? Have you ever hired a virtual assistant or some other kind of outside help?

In totally unrelated news, please join me at http://theromancestudio.com/party this weekend, April 8, 9, & 10 for a chance to win a Nook ereader! All you have to do for a chance to win is to comment on my posts or on the posts of any of the authors attending. There are tons of other giveaways as well. I hope you drop by!

A Writing Marathon

I’m not much for the running type of marathon, but I do participate in the writing variety. I’m in the midst of one now. For this week, until next Monday, I will be writing my face off. With any luck, by next Monday I will have the first draft of a new story.

So why would I take time off work and subject myself to this abuse? Because it works for me. I have found that I am not a “small chunks” type of writer with the ability to write a few minutes here and there on lunch hours and before work to get the job done. (Click here for a discussion of big chunk writers versus small chunk writers) I need to immerse myself in my story for long periods at a time. This helps me really “feel” the story and the characters. Working on a manuscript every day builds an excitement and a connection for me that I just can’t get by working in small chunks.

The other advantage of a writing marathon for me is (hopefully) completing my manuscript in a shorter amount of time. A writing marathon is an intense several days, but at the end of it, I have, if not a finished manuscript, one that is well on its way to being done.

This week I’m working on a project that I hope to turn into a series. In this three book series, each book begins with someone being left at the altar. The first book in this series, “Her Best Man” is already written and published, and has been since 2007. As you can tell from that date, I’ve been working on this for a long time. Don’t let anyone tell you that writing a series is easy. For some reason, the other two books just didn’t come together. The second book, “There Goes the Groom” has been written, rewritten, rewritten again, and revised to within an inch of its life. I got to the point where I had no idea what I was doing anymore, so I had to set it aside. I conceived a plot for the third book “Always a Bridesmaid”, but I was never happy with it. The heroine seemed weak, and the hero lacked critical motivation. This week I’m working on “Always a Bridesmaid”. It’s probably weird to write the third story before finishing the second, but I feel a new spark for this story. I came up with a new plot that I’m excited about and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

How is my marathon going? It’s had its ups and downs. I started a little slow last weekend. I got sidetracked watching the Women’s World Curling Championship. Team Canada, skipped by Saskatchewan girl Amber Holland, came from behind to get into the Sunday final. Unfortunately, she came up short in the final and lost 7-5. But it was a great run and fun to watch.

Unfortunately, watching the curling meant I wasn’t sitting at my computer typing. And then on Sunday we decided to take a look at new show homes. It was the last weekend for the Parade of Homes, and it’s always fun to tour homes I have no hope of ever being able to afford. It was fun, but again I wasn’t writing all day. Still, I managed to get a couple of thousand words written over the weekend.

Monday and Tuesday went a little better, even though I took some time off on Tuesday afternoon to hit some golf balls with my husband at the indoor golf dome. By the end of Tuesday I had just over 9,000 words of a required 50,000 words written.

Wednesday’s been my best day so far. As of this writing, I’m up over 12,000 words. While you read this I’m typing my fingers to the bone, moving my way toward the finish line. I hope.

Another favourite of mine is taking my writing on the road. For my next marathon, I’m going to combine it with a retreat when I go with my husband on a business trip in April. I get to write all day in the hotel room. This is my favourite place to write; someone else makes my bed, vaccums the floor and cooks my meals while I get to spend all day writing. It’s the best.

Have you ever participated in your own writing marathon or a writing retreat? Are you a big chunk writer like me, or can you write in small chunks? If you have a choice between the two methods of writing, which do you prefer?

Welcome Guest Blogger Marilee Brothers

My guest today is fellow Awe-Struck author Marilee Brothers. A former teacher and school counselor, Marilee lives in Washington state and writes full time. Her books include The Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam, winner of the 2010 Booksellers Best award for romantic suspense and Moonstone, Moon Rise and Moon Spun, the first three books in the YA paranormal Unbidden Magic series. Castle Ladyslipper, a medieval romance with paranormal elements was published by Awe-Struck Press in January, 2011. Marilee is a member of RWA, Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Visit her website at http://www.marileebrothers.com/  and follow her on Twitter.

Sharing Laughter Between the Sheets

The romance genre has dozens of categories. To name a few . . . sweet romance, erotica, chick lit, hen lit for women no longer “chicks, Christian and inspirational romance. However, the premise remains the same. The plot must include a passionate attraction between two people (possibly three or more if you write erotica). In some cases, the word sex is never mentioned. It merely simmers beneath the surface. In others instances, sexual encounters are described explicitly and may go on for pages.

Yes, sex is serious business in the world of romance. But, should it be? Think about it, there are only so many ways to insert tab A into Slot B. And, because we’re human and some of us are klutzy, unbridled ecstasy is not always a guaranteed outcome. The result may be painful, frustrating and possibly downright funny. Here are some real life examples of intimacy gone awry: 1.Physical Trauma.  An accidental knee to the family jewels. A tender “bit” of female anatomy pinched between the mattress and a masculine forearm. 2. Emotional Trauma. Murmuring “Oh, Barbara, that was wonderful,” when your wife’s name is Joan. 3. Downright Shocking. A vase filled with daffodils and cold water sliding off a galloping headboard onto the participants below. The last example is from personal experience and, trust me, it tends to spoil the moment. Thank God I wasn’t burning a candle.

 What does this have to do with writing? Early on, I decided if I needed to write a sex scene, I would add elements of reality and, if possible, humor. Live, love, laugh . . . right? With this in mind, I wrote my first book, Castle Ladyslipper, a medieval romance. My female protagonist, Emma, is forced to marry a studly but arrogant knight, Garrick of Hawkwood, vassal to King Henry II. In the Twelfth Century, a highborn woman had two duties. 1. Marry a man who would bring wealth to the family coffers and/or provide an alliance against common enemies. 2. Bear him a son.

Garrick is sent to Fairfield to marry Emma’s step mother, Helene. When Helene is nowhere to be found, the practical king orders Garrick to marry Emma and protect the northern border of England against the encroachments of Scotland’s William the Lion.

Emma and Garrick’s first attempt at intimacy is a disaster. Even though Emma is attracted to Garrick, he’s a virtual stranger. With their marriage, Garrick became the new lord of Fairfield, taking all that was hers.  Picture this: An impatient King Henry pacing the hall outside the bed chamber, shouting, “Get on with it, man, I have places to go!” Garrick, caught between an impatient king and furious woman, has no time to woo his new bride. Emma wants nothing more than to be left alone. Garrick, sweating bullets, delivers the coup de grace. A resentful Emma shrieks and chomps down on his invading tongue. Garrick lets out a roar of pain. The only person happy with the outcry is the king who assumes his orders have been followed and swiftly rides away. Fortunately, things get better for Garrick and Emma. They even learn to laugh together.

Oh yes, there is a bit of a problem with requirement # 2, bearing a son and heir.  Emma and her female relatives are victims of a curse and can have only girl babies. Hence the castle full of women and Fairfield’s nickname, Castle Ladyslipper. As if Emma didn’t have enough problems, it is up to her break the curse.

Feel like commenting? I hope so because I have a copy of Castle Ladyslipper to give away.

Here's a blurb and an excerpt from Castle Ladyslipper:

When a chauvinistic knight lands in a castle full of women, somebody has to change . . .

Soldier of fortune, Garrick of Hawkwood, is ill prepared for the women of Castle Ladyslipper; especially its hostile mistress, Emma d’Arcy. Garrick is haunted by the spirit of Emma’s great-great grandmother, Rose, who brought on the curse plaguing Emma and her female relatives. Though clearly at odds, Emma and Garrick cannot deny the sultry heat rising between them. Liberally laced with humor, Castle Ladyslipper resonates with a timeless theme: love can flourish even when sown in the rocky soil of misunderstanding.

Excerpt:

“This way, Sir Knight,” a smiling woman called out. The chattering crush parted to form a living aisle. At its head stood a tall, slender woman watching him approach, her face an unreadable mask. 

Surely this could not be the Lady Helene, with manure-stained boots, bits of wool clinging to her kirtle and hair the color of summer honey bursting from a thick braid in a wild halo of curls! A huge wolfhound leaned against her leg, his sides vibrating with ominous growls.

As Garrick drew closer the woman glared, her hands curled into fists. A sullen-faced boy clutching a wooden sword pushed his way through the crowd and stood in front of her.

Garrick pulled Rufus to a stop in front of the woman. She flinched as his shadow fell across her face. He waited for words of welcome: words that never came.

Garrick dismounted and handed his helm to Toby, unable to look away from the woman’s strange glittering eyes. All at once, the heady scent of roses flooded his senses, and a wave of dizziness swept over him. His knees buckled. He grabbed Rufus’s saddle to keep from falling. Bloody hell! Was she some kind of a witch?

Thankfully, the powerful aroma and its debilitating effects left quickly. He took a deep breath to clear his head and reached into a saddlebag, fumbling for the document bearing the king’s seal. Why were his hands shaking?

Gathering his wits Garrick said, “I bring orders from the king.”

An enthusiastic “Ohhhh” rippled through the crowd. Silence from the woman. Was it possible she couldn’t speak?

“Tell her!” A woman spoke directly into his right ear. Garrick whirled toward the voice and came face to face with Roland.

His friend leaned forward on his mount. “Everything all right?” he murmured, looking tense. He wasn’t the only one.

Garrick gave a brief nod. Too long on the road. Aye, that’s it. Why else would he hear a disembodied voice? A hot meal and a soft bed would put things right.

He unrolled the parchment and cleared his throat. “I, Henry the Second of England, by the grace of God and the authority vested in me do hereby assign the hand of Lady Helene d’Arcy, widow of Matthew d’Arcy to my vassal, Sir Garrick of Hawkwood. Furthermore, I grant Sir Garrick guardianship of William d’Arcy, ward of the crown, until such time that he is deemed fit to undertake his responsibilities.”

Garrick paused and looked at the woman. She remained silent. Her dog continued to snarl. The boy stroked his wooden sword and glared.

“You are the Lady Helene?” Garrick prompted.

Finally, the woman spoke in a low, husky voice. “Nay, my stepmother has returned to France. You’ve made your journey for naught. Please feel free to sup with us and rest your horses before you begin your journey back. I’ll send my steward to see to your needs.”

She turned and walked toward the keep, the boy trailing behind. His duty complete, the dog disappeared into the crowd.

Garrick fumed at her abrupt dismissal. Who was this woman and why did she think she could flaunt the king’s orders? He covered the distance between them in two steps and caught her arm. With a gasp of outrage, she whirled to face him. He let his gaze trail over her features – her slanted green eyes, haughty nose and stubborn chin. “You have me at a disadvantage, my lady. Who are you?”

She tried to tug free of his grip. Failing, she stiffened. “I am Emma, daughter of Mathew d’Arcy.”

“Ah.” Garrick tried to hide his surprise. Why hadn’t the king told him of d’Arcy’s daughter?

Guest Blogger Marilee Brothers

My guest on Thursday, March 24 will be Marilee Brothers, author of the new release from Awe-Struck Press, Castle Ladyslipper. A former teacher and school counselor, Marilee lives in Washington state and writes full time. Her books include The Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam, winner of the 2010 Booksellers Best award for romantic suspense and Moonstone, Moon Rise and Moon Spun, the first three books in the YA paranormal Unbidden Magic series. Castle Ladyslipper, a medieval romance with paranormal elements was published by Awe-Struck Press in January, 2011. Marilee is a member of RWA, Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Visit her website at http://www.marileebrothers.com/ and follow her on Twitter.

I hope you can join us here on Thursday. Marilee will be giving away a copy of Castle Ladyslipper to a lucky commenter!

Working With Your Editor

I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some really excellent editors. After the last round of edits I went through, I started to wonder what’s it’s like for them to work with us. What makes a writer someone they enjoy working with, and what are their pet peeves? So I asked three of my editors for their input and they graciously replied.

Jude Glad is an editor with Uncial Press and has edited three of my books. Sarah Hanson edits the Faery Rose line for The Wild Rose Press, and Nan Swanson edits the Vintage Line, also with The Wild Rose Press. All three have helped bring out the best writer in me. I started out by asking them a few questions:

Jana: Talk about the ideal author to work with. What sort of qualities would he/she have?

Jude Glad: First of all, a great story teller. Small writing problems can be fixed, but if a story isn't a grabber, there's not much you can do about it. Someone with a good handle on the language (it would be nice if she knew what a past participle is, for instance), and a large vocabulary (there are lots of better words than 'looked'). A nitpicker, who catches inconsistencies before she sends in her manuscript. And finally, someone who thinks we are the best publisher in the world.

Sara Hanson: I prefer an open relationship with an author. I like to keep the line of communication open. Be willing to ask questions and make comments. I don't bite, really! Every author has their quirks, but it is nice when they are willing to compromise and keep their sense of humor.

Nan Swanson: LOL. The ideal author would submit a perfectly crafted, spell-checked, grammatically correct manuscript, of course! Aside from that, he/she would pleasantly agree to whatever changes or corrections the editor, the copy editor, or the publishing company would require, happily accept the cover provided, and refrain from asking to have the release date set at a certain time in order to meet requirements for a contest or award. Naturally, all the authors I’ve worked with have had these qualities, you understand.

Jana: Have you ever turned down an author because they were too difficult to work with? Has an author ever refused to do requested revisions?

Jude Glad: So far we've not encountered anyone too difficult to work with (knock wood).

We've been extraordinarily fortunate in our authors, who are all wonderful.

I've heard horror stories... Yes, one author did refuse to make revisions, and we released her from her contract.

Sarah Hanson: Not solely on the basis of being too difficult. Certainly, it makes me think twice. The manuscript had better be darn near perfect, because I would rather not deal with tantrums. I get enough of that at home! As for refusing to do requested revisions, not after contract. If there are major revisions, I usually make myself clear and ask for those prior to contracting. It's a way to see how willing that author will be to work with me and help me perfect their product. I have made suggested revisions prior to contract and had them refuse. And that's okay, hopefully someone else's vision will match theirs.

Nan Swanson: Whether an author is difficult to work with is (a) not immediately apparent, and (b) not a criteria in evaluating his/her manuscript. I’ve never had an author refuse to do requested revisions, but some don’t seem to read my comments and suggestions thoroughly and do only a partial job, or they will apply what I’ve said to only the first part of the manuscript and leave the last half full of the same errors as before. However, an author is free to use my suggestions or improve upon them, or to keep their writing as it was originally—the work is the author’s and my job is simply to help polish, to point out possible ways to better the writing and make the story ready to hit the reader as the best she’s ever experienced.

Jana: What's your biggest pet peeve about authors?

Jude Glad: Pretty much my biggest pet peeve about anyone who emails me with silly questions instead of looking the answers up herself.

Sarah Hanson: Not listening or making an attempt to understand. I spend a lot of time explaining and showing what needs to be done, and if you send me something back that doesn't reflect that, it makes me feel as if you are wasting everyone's time. As I said earlier: if you don't get it, ask. I am always willing to explain further. Talk to me!

Nan Swanson: My biggest pet peeve about authors? Hmm. That they are so doggone likable it’s hard to tell them we are not able to accept their manuscripts for whatever reasons! About their work, probably it’s misuse of words and language, whether malaprops or homonyms or current slang given to characters of a hundred years ago.

Jana: If you had one piece of advice for authors on how to successfully work with their editor, what would it be?

Jude Glad: Meet deadlines. Ours do (knocking wood again), but I worked for another publisher a few years ago. There was this author who not only didn't meet her deadlines, she would go for weeks without checking her email. I'm a finisher-ahead-of-time, so people who put off until the last minute and apologize for being late make me crazy.

Sarah Hanson: Be flexible. Sometimes what you want won't work, and sometimes what I want won't either, but together we may craft a solution that is even better.

Nan Swanson: Consider every suggestion and every correction, even when you disagree with it, as something done to help you have a better manuscript, as a gift toward polishing your work to perfection.

Jana: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jude Glad: One more thing. Each house has certain styles, and sometimes ours will not agree with what an author learned elsewhere. We are fairly strict about certain things, but open to discussion about pretty much everything else. When an author disagrees with me, I ask her to tell me why, because it's her story, not mine. "I wrote it that way and I like it that way" isn't a good enough reason, but "I want to create a certain mood, and using those words will help" is.

Jana: Thanks ladies! I appreciate you stopping by and telling us a little about what’s it’s like to be an editor.

The editors promised to stop by and answer any questions you may have so ask away.