Yin and Yang
Monday, August 06, 2007
As I said yesterday, this idea of balance hit me out of the blue. I was thinking about heroines I like. My favorite heroine is the “fish out of water” type. An ordinary person in an extraordinary situation. I love those. But I also have on my bookshelf a number of titles featuring the “kick-ass” heroine. Those ladies rock. They take chances that I would never dream of, as an individual or an author. My brain doesn’t seem wired that way.
Then I started thinking about why I prefer some kick-ass chicks to others. Why some resonate with me and some make me cringe. And I realized that my favorite action stories have balance and it’s not all about the heroines giving up some vital aspect of themselves to be the “girl.”
Let’s take, for example, Eve Dallas. I’m a JD Robb fan, though fairly new to the stories. I’m sure I’ve skipped a few, but I’m pretty well caught up on her exploits.
Eve is not soft. Eve doesn’t know how to be soft. She never has been and she never will be. But JD/Nora was smart enough not to pair her with a man who is her equal in harshness. Roarke provides the balance to Eve. He is not, himself, soft in any way, but he provides the means for Eve to experience the yin to her yang. He understands the balance that’s necessary for her to be a whole person.
Another writer who gets it right is Marjorie Liu. Not all of her heroes are violently kick-ass, but she’s written her share. I love them because they’re often incredibly primal, but in that state, they instinctively understand that all of life is not about power and strength and beating the living shit out of the other guy. They find balance. My first experience with her writing was as part of the Crimson City series, A Taste of Crimson. Her heroine, Keeli Maddox, was a powerful player in the werewolf hierarchy that Liu built and she had several opportunities to kick ass in the story. Yet, for all her power, Keeli had things around her – not necessarily within her – to provide a balance to the harshness of her life.
So even if a heroine is completely focused on being tough, I think the best stories build in a set of circumstances that provide a cushion – some sense that this character can be a whole and balanced person, at ease with all sides of herself.
Labels: Random Questions, Reading, Writing
Writing and Colds
Thursday, August 02, 2007
First the writing.
I don't juggle well. If I have edits to do, then I do edits. If I have writing to do, then I write. I should probably learn how to do both at once, but it hasn't been necessary, thus far. Now that my edits for
Let's Dance and
Heart of the Sea are done, what's left to do?
Write!
I really wasn't planning on starting WWWB in earnest until the kids were in school (2 weeks from today! Not that I'm counting or anything.) but there was nothing else to do. It's still a touch early to start promo on Heart, so I figured, why not write? I tried to get some work done during the day, but it was a no-go. I hauled Bertie to Tae Kwon Do and by the end of the hour, I had 484 words!!!
Yay Me!!
Now, I haven't looked it over this morning and I have no idea if it's suckalicious or not, but I wrote! Feels like the end of a drought.
And oh yeah. My cold is better. Just a little stuffiness left.
Labels: Writing
Very Gentle Happy Dance
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
More of a slight butt-wiggle, in fact. Lots of movement makes my head pound.
It's official. I'm sick. Just a cold, but I tend to get nasty ones -- fever, body aches, sensitive skin, nasty headaches.
Still, I rock for the following reasons:
1. Yesterday, I finished edits for "Let's Dance", the D&D story.
2. Today, I finished edits for HEART OF THE SEA. Yay me!!
(gentle butt-wiggle)3. I mailed off contracts for both stories.
4. I cooked dinner. It would have been a crock-pot thingy, but I forgot to start it early enough. So it was tortellini with tomato sauce (cut up leftover pork chops and added them to the sauce) and sautéed garlic spinach.
Labels: Writing
Monday Morning
Monday, July 30, 2007
Freaking early on Monday morning, too. I've been up since 5:30. In fact, I've been getting up that early for a couple of months now. It's weird. And unwanted. But once I'm up, I can't get back to sleep anymore.
Anyway, I'm feeling not so hot since last night, but I'm functioning. It's a good thing because I've started a housecleaning challenge with a friend of mine. It's like a writing challenge, but with cleaning. Clean for 20 min, check in for a few minutes, clean again. We should probably intersperse writing and cleaning.
I've got two deadlines this week. I'm turning in a short for the next edition of DREAMS & DESIRES.
Freya's Bower has decided to make it an annual event, which is fantastic. I'll let y'all know more as I do.
And I need to turn in my second round of edits for HEART OF THE SEA, asap. I'm going through it with a red pen and noting my dependence on the word
"just." It's a throwaway word -- meaningless 90% of the time, inserted to make something sound more imminent or important, when really it does nothing.
So I don't have time to be ill today. Too much to do.
Labels: Writing
Task List
Thursday, July 26, 2007
What's on your Writing To Do List?
I need to polish up a flash fiction for the next edition of
DREAMS & DESIRES.
I need to do the penultimate round of edits for
HEART OF THE SEA. Angie asked me one of those "logical" questions and I had a Homer moment. D'oh! Ummm, cuz I'm the writer and I said so? Yeah. I didn't think that would work. Still, it shouldn't be that difficult to fix.
Oh hey, did I mention that I've seen the cover for the
LOVE & LORE anthology? It's beautiful. Gorgeous. It just hints at the Celtic roots of the stories and it's very eye-catching. I'll show you as soon as I get the ok from Samhain.
I need to write a review for Lois McMaster Bujold's
THE SHARING KNIFE: Vol 2. It was good, but difficult to define. If you read and loved the first one, then I definitely recommend this, but the expectations need to be different.
The Household To Do List is too scary to enumerate.
Labels: Writing
Names
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
How many names do y'all have?
For me, there's my real name and my pen name and the two meet but rarely. I signed up with my RWA group under my real name, which was a mistake. It's easier for me to be Sela in all things writing related.
But I know writers who, aside from their real name, use up to four or five different pseudonyms! How do they keep it all straight? How do they promo for every name? And if everyone knows all the different names anyway, then what's the point?
I can see different names if you're writing children's lit and erotica, but I don't understand a new name for going from romance to romantic suspense. Or even from romance to erotica. Why? Is your target audience so terribly different? Not really.
There are reasons to get a new name, I suppose. If your sales are tanking badly as Stinky Writer, then it might be worthwhile to let SW go and reinvent yourself as Sexy Author. But that doesn't seem to be the case for a lot of writers with multiple names.
I know
PBW has used at least five different names over her career. A couple of them, I understand. SciFi is a vastly different audience than Christian Fiction. No problem. But she's got three names for romance writing, including her latest incarnation as Lynn Viehl for her urban fantasy Darkyn series (total fangirl, btw -- love those books). Career reincarnations? Perhaps. She's been around long enough that new names bring new audiences.
So help me out. If you use more than one pen name -- why?
Labels: Writing
Steampunkishness
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Actually, this post isn't about Steampunk, per se, but about the story's progress. Which is to say, pretty darned poor.
I'm working on it, though. The thought of those editors, when my ms crosses their desk and they raise their brows and go "Yeah, I remember talking about this" is very, very motivational. But my process, as we know, sucks. There are things I need to know as the story progresses. Not necessarily beforehand, but as they come up, I need the details.
For instance, I was tapping merrily along last night at Tae Kwon Do and bam! Realized that I needed to describe my hero. But I had no clue what he looked like. I mean, generally, yeah. He's tall and rangy and good looking, but that covers a lot of ground. So I've spent the better part of today looking at pictures of gorgeous men. I even had the Divas brainstorming with me, but nothing really clicked until I happened upon a site I bookmarked months ago.
My new hero.
Toby Stephens, aka Jem Fullman.
So he's a Brit. So he's a little on the pretty side. I can pull this off. Trust me.
Labels: Writing
The RWA Thing
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
For the good run-down, I defer in all ways to
Angela James, who is a calm and reasonable person and able to cut through the crap to find what's really important in the recent changes. Also, see her comments at
Dear Author. Again, she explains the e-publisher side of the equation beautifully.
However -- this is the point that bothered me the most -- people are saying that the Board isn't intentionally showing disrespect to e-published authors and I am forced to disagree. The moment Jill Limber said that I didn't really write a book because I didn't get enough of an advance, that's when I lost all respect for them.
They earned my scorn for that. She didn't try to backpedal, either. She said what she meant and she meant what she said.
I didn't write a book.
I'll continue to belong to RWA because I enjoy both my local chapter and the national conference. I'll continue to try to help them understand e-publishing. I'll even consider entering the RITAs next year.
But I won't let anyone forget what they said. They don't get to have their opinion forgotten, dismissed, and brushed under the rug. They won't recieve any leniency from me. They don't deserve it.
Labels: Writing
Conference Diary
Monday, July 16, 2007
Dear Diary,
WednesdayDon't Cry For Me, DallasI packed up and dh dropped me off at the airport where I found two fellow MORWA members at the terminal --
Kim Price and
AnnMarie McKenna. We had a fun time getting ready for our flight and although
Kim is a BAD flyer, we made it through and got to the hotel in Dallas with no mishaps. I even poached a spot on their shuttle.
Once there, I did all the fun registration stuff and found myself grateful that I found my old Reno conference badge holder -- much nicer than the Avon ribbon thing they had this year. Also, it had my Diva pin on it still. Whew! I set out to find Divas.
Found several at the bar (where else) and settled in with
Loribelle for a little chat and a Mojito. Shortly after, the stress caught up with me and I broke out in hives so I took a Benadryl. In retrospect, this may not have been my smartest move. I was sllleeeeeeepy!
Then someone said, "Hey, we're going to a bar!" Naturally, I dragged myself up and said, "OK!" Somehow I missed the "gay" part. Or was it the "tranny" part? Anyway, I was still game.
Oh. My. God. Those poor people didn't know what hit them. The gay guys sang really well.
RG sang beautifully -- she's got this amazing, smoky, bluesy voice. People kept hauling me up on stage and I wasn't nearly drunk enough. In fact, I drank amazingly little the entire conference.
I finally found enough courage to pick a song and apparently I picked a doozy. Who knew
"Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" was a tranny anthem? They were all up on their feet and one even pulled out his wig!
What else? I got hit on by creepy guys, but that's become the norm for me. If there's a creep within a thousand yards, he's going to pick me to hit on. RG's hubby was wonderful and protected me from him. (((Hugs)))
ThursdayThere's Not Enough Coffee In the WorldThursday was all about meeting people and hanging out. That was the morning of the Samhain Breakfast and it was so nice to sit and chat with people I'd only ever met online. What was funny is that most of the table was military wives! Sat next to
Larissa Ione, who is a real hoot.
Went to the luncheon (rubber chicken), accidentally spilled my coffee into
Gemma's vegetarian lunch. Mmmmm coffee and cauliflower! Not! I bailed before the speaker because I have a really hard time sitting through those things.
Then I went to the AGM. It. Was. Horrible. I left half an hour early just fuming. I found
Maggie and vented to her. She was able to put a better face on some of the reasoning behind their decisions and, put that way, I'm not so angry. But the sheer indifference and arrogance of the board in general still pisses me off. My bit of conference gossip? The Western Region may soon be represented by e-published authors. Maybe then they'll see that #1, I actually did write a book and #2, erotic romance is easily defined.
In addition, the decision to force editors to choose between editing and writing may have a serious impact on most smaller publishers. Not pretty.
The Diva Dinner was a blast. I won
Smart-Assed Diva -- by a landslide! And was informed that some of you added a caveat, "Don't tell her I nominated her." CHICKENS!!!! I'll get you...and your little dogs, too! I won a copy of
Deidre Knight's Parallel Heat and I'm looking forward to reading it. Also, I wore some seriously kick-ass shoes.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't accompany the more adventurous Divas to Coyote Ugly that night, but it was my first full night's sleep in a week, so I don't regret it too much.
FridayDon't Wear Heels To Be The TimekeeperFrom 8 to Noon, I was a timekeeper at the editor/agent appointments. Awesome, awesome job. By the end of it, my feet were killing me, but
I looked fantastic and came away with 3 informal "send it to me when you're done" requests from
Heather Osborne at Tor,
Chris Keeslar at Dorchester and
John Scognamilio at Kensington. Very cool. Notice how I highlighted the part where I looked fantastic. ;)
Had lunch with
Kristen, Grace and hubby, Maggie and Gina (and of course, precious
baby Niley, who is the best natured infant I've ever encountered.) It was so nice to kick back with friends for a few minutes.
Afterwards, I really, really, really needed to take my shoes off. They're pretty comfortable for heels, but there's not a high-heel on earth that can withstand four hours of non-stop walking. The balls of my feet were badly bruised. I changed and considered just resting in my room for a while, but decided to go down and get a cup of tea and write. Nope. Didn't happen. Got my tea, but fell in with a group of older ladies from LARA. There was an awkward moment or two when they discovered I was a Diva, but it all worked out.
Then I went to moderate the Sex is a Baby Boomer Business workshop. I was really too young to hear all that. My innocent ears will never be the same. Then off to a workshop on
Worldbuilding by
Linnea Sinclair and
Robin Owens. Great information and I got tips on useful links. I met a few Divas on my way out and we ended up heading to Hoffbrau's for a truly awesome steak.
Dh drove in later that night, too. :)
SaturdayPain is Beauty and Beauty, PainThat morning, I attended a workshop on
Subplotting for Success by
Alesia Holliday. But the real bonus? Getting to talk to
Angela Knight afterwards. I was so glad she was there! When I met her I was really polite and calm, but on the inside I was squeeing like a 12 year old girl at a Hannah Montana concert. :D Anyway, I've followed her career and I know she made the leap from novellas to novels, so I wanted to talk to her about it. She had some really good advice and she's just a genuinely sweet person. Also, she looks fantastic!
Then, another luncheon where I ate, then skipped out on the speaker. Schmoozing, yakking, smiling, talking until the
Spotlight on Samhain. So much fun. Did an impromptu bit as moderator since the real one never showed. Nodded furiously when
Angela talked about the in-depth editing process. :)
After that, I went to the publisher signings for Bantam and St Martins so I could pick up
Lisa's book, which I hadn't had an opportunity to do earlier. Also got a few more, including
PC Cast's new YA with her daughter. We talked about
Robin McKinley and agreed on her crusty awesomeness.
Then
Jax took some headshots for
Angela James and I. I trust there will be one that isn't too hideous. All of
Angela's should turn out beautifully. She's so pretty!!
Then off to get dressed. Did I mention that, like an eejit, I wore heels again that day? Yep. Linen ankle strap stilettos. Gorgeous, yes. But after the last few days, incredibly painful. I took those off only to step into another pair of great shoes to go with my Rita dress. It was a fun evening -- I was early through no fault of my own, trust me -- and got to hang with
Dana, Shawn, Crystal and loads of other Divas while we waited.
Dh, by the way, was sooooo handsome! We hooted, clapped and cheered for our gals, then dh went back to the room and I went straight to the bar. It was a great wind-down.
Mel talked
Michael Hague into coming to our table, so that was interesting. I think he had fun, too. ;) One lowly Lemon Drop made my lips go numb, so I was more than ready to fall into bed by midnight.
SundayDallas Goes On ForeverWe took our time leaving, but finally got on the road. Dallas has now stretched to towns that I know used to be in the middle of nowhere. Suburban sprawl. Whaddayagonnado? We were home by 8:30 and I jumped right back into Mom mode. The kids are in various camps this week and I had to head out to WalMart at 10:00 pm to pick up shin guards and a new soccer ball since the dog ate the last soccer ball.
But now, as I wait to go out on another errand, I'm glad I've taken the time to write down some of the events of the last few days. I didn't take too many pictures, but I'll see what I can pull off the camera later on.
DIVAS ROCK!!!!
Labels: Writing
Romance Divas Not Going To Nationals Cyber Conference
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Not going to Nationals? Don't worry...Romance Divas is doing the next best thing!Romance Divas announces the first annual "Not Going to Nationals Cyber Conference" from July 11-15, righton the forum.
Best of all, it's FREE!Just register for Romance Divas--membership is free, you just need to sign up! www.romancedivas.com if you have trouble with registration email night.diva.maria (at) gmail (dot) com
There will be workshops, Q&As, and giveaways each day. All you have to do is participate!!!!
Schedule:
July 11:
Workshop: Character Development with
Sophia Shaw NEW WORKSHOP!
Q&A: TBA (either with an agent from the Larsen-Pomada Agency or a panel on multi-cultural romance)
NEW DATE!
July 12:
Workshop: Book Signing 101: Tips to Help Make your Signing a Success by
Jackie Kessler
Q&A: Legal Issues for Writers by
Amanda BriceJuly 13:
Workshop: What to Expect After You Sign the Contract by
Marley Gibson
Q&A: Erotic romance with
Portia da Costa and
Madelynne Ellis NEW DATE!
July 14:
Workshop: Writing Novellas and Short Stories by
Sasha White
Q&A: How To Write Both YA and Adult Romance by
Berta PlatasJuly 15:
Workshop: Trim That Fatty Writing! by
Rhonda Stapleton
Q&A: TBA (either with an agent from the Larsen-Pomada Agency or a panel on multi-cultural romance)
Plus,
Deirdre Savoy will also be doing a workshops for us (topic and date TBA)! So there will be two days with not one, but TWO fabulous workshops, plus a Q&A!!!!!
We also have loads of great giveaways, including books, critiques, coaching, and more!
Labels: Writing
Two Things
Sunday, July 08, 2007
First, I had a blog post up last Friday at Beyond the Veil on the
Gods of Central America. Check it out!
Second, I'm back! From South Carolina, at least. It was a long trip and we really only got to spend about 8 hours with our friends, but it was worth it. Even though I hate road trips. I read a lot.
I finished
Moonlight and Vines by Charles de Lint.
I think...it's very Canadian. In such a way that although I can appreciate the beauty of the stories, many of them don't really resonate with me. I think Americans, in our innocent arrogance, don't realize that Canadians are NOT just like us, only colder.
There were stories that I liked. I think that my favorites were, unsurprisingly, the ones with distinct plots. The ones where things happened. Where there was a goal to be reached.
Wild Horses and
China Doll. Those were also stories that weren't necessarily part of the web he created in the anthology. No connecting characters (ok, there was one in
Wild Horses, but on the periphery.)
I suppose that proves something about my writing as well. I'm plot-driven. I don't handle navel-gazing too well. I'm impatient with a lot of stories that people tend to call "beautifully crafted." I can see the craft, I can appreciate the beauty, but I want something to happen.
I also finally read
Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It was one huge "meh." Depressing, preachy and superficial. I never could bring myself to care about any of the characters because he kept
telling me about them, but he never
showed me. The POV was shallow all the way through the book. As for Elphaba, I don't have to like the main character, necessarily, but I need to care. I didn't.
And I read
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine, the first in the Weather Warden series. It's a lot like
the Dresden Files, except for she's a chick. Overall, I'm not upset that I bought it, but I probably won't be picking up the rest of them.
I wrote maybe a hundred new words on Wild Wild Western Bride, but I really still need to do some more research on my setting. Next week.
Tonight -- the laundry!!!
Labels: Blogging Elsewhere, Writing
Beginnings
Friday, June 29, 2007
How do y'all start writing a new project?
Every time I do this, I learn new things about my process, which, btw, is still utter crap.
But I have discovered that even though I pants, I still need to have some research done. Something to fall back on while I lean into the wind.
It's usually costumes or setting. In this one, it's both. I spent all day yesterday looking at Victorian clothing, getting a feel for it. Since I'm not writing "real" history, I can play around and mix up the styles a bit. Take a bustle skirt here and a hobble skirt there. As long as I'm within a decade or so, I figure I'm good.
Corsets took up a fair bit of my time, too. I'd love to own a good corset, but the good ones are wicked expensive!
Blouses, shoes, jackets. Gloves, handbags and hats.
Now that I've finally got my heroine kitted out, I need to turn to my hero. Despite it being a Western, it's not a cowboy story. More in mining territory, so it's a different feel.
Then there's the fictional town of Rock Creek, Nevada. Mountains? High desert? Is Rock Creek a real river or a dry creek bed? Is it big enough for a train station or just a stop on the stage coach run?
So I'm writing very slowly while I try to work out some of these things. Because once they're set in my head, the whole picture becomes more clear. I can write about the story and the setting will appear more naturally.
What do you need to know before you start a new story?
Labels: Writing
The New WIP
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
I've officially begun a new story. I wrote an opening scene a little over a year ago, then didn't know what to do with it. Since then, I've discovered a niche genre of writing, art and technology called
Steampunk. Historical science fiction, usually set in the Victorian/Edwardian era.
You're probably familiar with it, though you may not know it by that name. Anyone remember the old TV show
Wild Wild West with Robert Conrad?
Steampunk.
How about the movie
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?
Steampunk.
The earliest pioneers of Steampunk were just writing science fiction. Jules Verne, H.G. Wells. Essentially,
Steampunk is where science fiction meets steam-powered technology.Because it's so frickin' weird, however, I didn't really know what to do with all this stuff floating around. So I designed a new blog. Over at Ning. It links to a lot of research, information and ideas about Steampunk. And I'll probably do most of my story-related chattering over there. This blog will still remain active for regular yakking about writing and life in general.
So if you want to know more, you can check out my new blog at:
Writing the Western Steampunk RomanceSee y'all there!
Labels: Writing
Thinking Out Loud
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Just got back from my RWA Chapter meeting. Today's guest was agent Jessica Faust from the
BookEnds Literary Agency. She's the primary contributor to the
BookEnds blog, which is a totally worthwhile read.
I'm so glad I got to go and listen. She's probably still listening to pitches as I write this, but I didn't have anything ready, so I didn't want to waste her time. I got to casually chat with her and ask her a couple of questions about the direction the paranormal market is headed. I think what I write -- funny paranormals -- are on the downswing. There's always room for a really well-written book, naturally, but they'll be a harder sell to publishers.
And you know what? I need to put on my big girl panties and write a novel.
I know. Kicking and screaming all the way. But the thing is, the idea I have that'll best translate into a novel is so outrageous and out there, it's bound to catch someone's attention. And that's what this is about. I can write a good story, it's just that it has to catch the right person's attention at the right time.
I'm guessing that if I write full speed ahead (think turtle with a roman candle up his butt) it'll still take me at least seven to nine months to finish the story. That's an awful long time for me to concentrate on any one project.
But I can't think like that if I want to succeed.
So. Now what do I do? Do I even bother finishing Big Bad Wolf? It's a novella. I like it. I can probably sell it once it's done. I'd really like to write Richard St Ivraie's story -- another novella -- because I just should. He deserves it. And I can probably sell that, too.
But how do I prioritize? Novel? Novellas? Writing those novellas would pretty much fill up the rest of 2007. And I don't think I want to wait that long to start the novel.
Yeesh. Any ideas? Any helpful hints? I'll take 'em.
Labels: Writing
Ta-Dah!
Monday, June 18, 2007
I finished! I finished!
I look like an idiot dancing around my office like a 300-lb linebacker who caught a miracle pass in the endzone, but I don't care!
HEART OF THE SEA is officially out of my hands. Late, but done. Exhausting, but done.
It's done! It's done!
Now I have to leave it to
my lovely and patient editor to discover what fresh, new plot holes I may have opened up. Ugh. That'll give me
agita.
Labels: Writing
Pique. The word is Pique.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
This is more than a pet peeve. Actually, it's a major annoyance. We're writers, right? Words are our tools. Our stock in trade. So if we're using the wrong words, then, really, what's the point?
Pique. Not peek, not peak, but PIQUE.
The heroine
piqued his interest.
She did not
peek his interest, which implies that she looked in on his interest through a basement window.
She did not
peak his interest, which implies that she brought his interest to its highest point ever. She warranted a second glance. Maybe a third. But he didn't go all Nancy Drew on her. "OMG! She is the most fascinating object I have ever encountered and I only just laid eyes on her halfway across a smoky bar. I'll never be so interested in anything ever again. Everything in my life is now secondary to this moment. Even having sex with her will never reach the complete fulfillment of how she has peaked my interest." Actually, if your hero does think this, you may want to reconsider your definition of heroic to include idiotic.
They might do other things that reach a peak, but, really, this ain't* it.
She
piqued his interest. According to Dictionary.com:
To excite (interest, curiosity, etc.) or
To arouse an emotion or provoke to action.See? That's what she did. She excited some emotion in him. Her appearance snagged his consciousness so that his curiosity focused on her. Seeing her in that smoky bar provoked him enough to stand up and walk over to her. That's it.
She piqued his interest.The thing is, it's not like these words are even easy to confuse, except for the pronunciation. They're all completely different words.
Please, I beg of you. Know your words. Use them wisely. Be a wordsmith. It matters.
* For those of you who have been beaten too roughly with the literal stick, yes, I meant to say "ain't."
Labels: Writing
