All About the Writing

No No NaNo

I really wanted to join the manic celebration of writing known as NaNoWriMo. I flirted with the idea for a day or two, reminding myself of the crazy exhilaration of finishing a 50k book in the month of November.

I had first done it several years ago with Bad Sex Karma, the book I've been highlighting recently for Six Sentence Sunday. It was the first time I learned I was a pantser, and that writing 2k words a day was a comfortable, and enjoyable, pace. I'd discovered the joy of writing that month, after several years of not writing, and being unhappy that I couldn't be a plotter. And I completed those 50k words, "winning" NaNo the first time out of the gate.

I've tried NaNo a couple other times too. My upcoming contemporary release, I Do. . . or Die, was a NaNo book, but life and the day job conspired to keep me from getting very far with that NaNo experience. And Lord Wastrel, a Regency that I'm finishing, was another "winner" from a couple years ago, although it requires a few k more than the 50 I did that year before it's complete.

So you can see why I have such nostalgia for this event. It's wild and unpredictable and fun, yet it requires devotion and dedication and determination to get that daily word count in, especially when there are times you get a little behind and have to double up to catch up.

On the other hand, there are several projects I want to finish, stories that have waited patiently while they were set aside, and I have no doubt they will let me know of their intense resentment as soon as I return to open their Word doc. (Actually I can feel them glaring at me now, when I haven't even gotten Word up on the computer yet.)

It's possible I can do both. I mean, after editing both I Do. . .or Die AND Back on Track at the same time, I have a new definition of "multitasking" -- not to mention a weird empty feeling just working on one thing at a time.

The projects I'm working on include:

Lord Rakehell's Love -- This novella is nearly complete, and it's the start of my Regency series known as The Curse of True Love, where the Greek goddess Aphrodite tries her hand at matchmaking, with unpredictable results.

Lord Wastrel -- The first full-length book of The Curse of True Love series. I've posted a couple excerpts of it, and the first chapter is included in Lord Midnight.

Driving Miss Crazy -- This is a romantic comedy that I've also posted for Six Sentence Sunday. There's a spirited heroine who's finally ready for some adventure in her life, and a hero who is ready to retire from his adventure-filled life. Their road trip in her convertible is a fun one. In fact, this couple seems to be driving around in my brain quite a lot lately.

Bad Sex Karma -- This contemporary mainly needs revising/editing/polishing, which takes a long time since that process requires a great deal of precision and focused attention.

Now that I've written all of these down, I can definitely see that doing NaNo is not a practical choice. So my plan is to finish up these projects, without jumping in on a new one just because all the fun people get to do it with NaNo.

However, it might just make it more enjoyable to peek in and see what they're doing once in a while. The enthusiasm is contagious, and after all, that's the way writing should be. 

Any thoughts on what should move to the top of my To Finish list?

Six Sentence Sunday: Bad Sex Karma #12

Delia is convinced that Bad Sex Karma has turned her into a human wrecking ball when it comes to men. However, there's one who doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects from being around her: the guy she encountered at the farmstand a couple of Sundays back. Still, she's superstitious enough that she won't admit she's interested, in case the curse decides to smite him.

In this scene, the man comes into the winery where Delia works, and she's just given him a Chardonnay to sample:

He closed his eyes as he breathed it in, and dear Lord, it was so unintentionally erotic, I had to grab on to the edge of the tasting bar for support. He lifted the glass to his lips and let the golden liquid flow into his mouth, taking his time while he savored the individual flavors.

I could feel my legs start to melt, and I leaned against the counter, casually, as if I wasn't using it to keep from sliding to the floor.

Finally, when I thought I couldn't take any more of his obvious enjoyment, he set his glass down and smiled. "That was amazing."

"Was it ever." 

Thanks for stopping by for Six Sentence Sunday. I hope everyone is safe and secure as Hurricane Sandy starts working its way up the coast. 

The Lure of the Other WIP

Every writer has them. Those stories that tempt us to abandon the manuscript we're desperately trying to finish.

Even though we've committed ourselves to this particular Work-In-Progress, the siren song of that new idea can be irresistible. It sounds so perfect. It's fresh and flawless, and it promises to spill forth onto the page without needing any editing or revision. It flat out adores us, and understands our writerly needs, unlike that cranky WIP we've been struggling with.

No wonder we can't resist when this sweet thing beckons.

So we set the WIP aside, promising we'll be right back, believing ourselves when we say we're not serious about this new idea all dressed up in its most seductive manner.

Before we know it, we're sucked in, unable to return to the WIP waiting patiently on the hard drive for us to come to our senses. Even worse, the temptress idea reveals its true self, transforming into pure evil right in front of our disbelieving eyes. Scenes fall apart before they're even half-formed. Words that once crooned to us in such a melodic fashion now screech and clank and deride us for our lack of skill.

This WIP-on-the-side acts worse than the one we left it for.

Now we're caught between two manuscripts, both of them vying for our attention while we struggle to ignore yet another beguiling story idea crooking its finger at us.

What to do, what to do.

Some writers absolutely refuse to acknowledge a new story's presence. They block off their brain to anything new while steadfastly finishing the current work. I respect that philosophy. It does not work so well for me, however. The more I ignore a potential WIP-on-the-side, the more it will keep poking me, like a little kid that keeps yelling "Mommy" until Mommy gives him her attention. I just scribble notes about the new idea in its own Word doc and that usually quiets it down, allowing me to remain faithful to the work-in-progress.

Other writers choose to devote themselves to the new idea, leaving the pesky WIP stranded on the roadside. Again, I can understand that choice. I've even advocated it in order to get the WIP to cooperate. Nothing like a little healthy competition to get the characters to start working as a team again.

But it can also be a slippery slope. Chasing after the shiny new idea, while blaming the old WIP for your tendency to stray, can leave you with a string of half-finished projects.

Sometimes it's best to remember you and the WIP are in it "for better or for worse". It can keep you going during the tough writing and revising times, and it allows you to celebrate when you finally make it together to "The End".

That's when you can give your undivided attention to the WIP-on-the-side, free of guilt, and filled with the promise of a happily-ever-after ending.

Six Sentence Sunday: Bad Sex Karma #11

While Delia is trying to convince her friends Brooke and Carly that it's dangerous for men to date her, thanks to the Bad Sex Karma, they are trying to find some way to restore Delia's confidence so that she will want to date.

In this snippet, Brooke has insisted they take their daily walk at the local college, where the lacrosse players are having their practice:

I peeled off my sweatshirt, keeping a hand on the shirt underneath so I wouldn't get arrested for flashing the young men who would be financing my Social Security checks one day. My ponytail holder got caught, so I yanked it out, and gave my hair one of those sexy swings back and forth to fluff it up.

I heard a whistle, and nearly smacked Brooke—until I realized it was coming from an adorable, sexy young man on the grass in front of us. When he said, "You're hot", I laughed, and then blew a little kiss his direction.

Next thing I knew he was on the ground, under a pile of his teammates, who'd plowed into the back of him when he'd stopped to admire me.

"Now do you believe me?" I asked my friends, but they were too busy waving their hands at me in an unmistakable "we're not worthy" fashion.

Thanks for stopping by on this Six Sentence Sunday. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's posts today!

How Do Your Characters Fight?

Most of us don't like conflict, and do our best to keep it to a minimum.

Some people enjoy a good wrangle, though, and they willingly go into battle for a host of different reasons. It's possible they like the adrenaline surge that results. Or maybe they enjoy the frenetic exchange of words with a worthy foe.

But for the person who doesn't like to fight or argue, when they do clash with someone, it demonstrates what they value, or even what they fear. Since they will fight only when pushed to that point, or when their usual dispute resolution methods are no longer keeping the peace, it's clear this is something very important.

So when characters do fight, and we know why, the next thing we learn is how.

Do they flare up? Do they smolder, biting their lip to keep hurtful words at bay? Do they shout, speak quietly, mumble under their breath? Perhaps sarcasm is their weapon of choice, or getting in the last word in every argument. Or maybe they refuse to engage at all.

Also, as the character's romantic relationship progresses, there is more at stake if they fight and lose, or if they fight and rupture the growing trust between them and their beloved. Does this change how they argue? Or when?

All of these things give us a great deal of insight into the characters. It reflects their history, as well as areas of potential growth, and even possible conflict in the future. It provides an important piece of the personality puzzle, knowing how characters will react in certain situations, especially highly-charged emotional ones.

I was re-reading one of my manuscripts recently, and I realized my characters didn't yell and carry on like a lot of folks do when they disagree. The hero and heroine are hurt by the untenable situation they're in, and one of them even feels betrayed by the other's actions, but it would not be true to their personalities if they raged or did something dramatic. They use their words to express their feelings, and try to advance their position, but without deliberately wounding each other.

Characters with other fighting styles might disagree with this method, but this is how my hero and heroine responded to the threats to their happiness and well-being. Some disagreements were more easily resolved, while another heated discussion led to the black moment in the story.

I learned a great deal about my characters by watching how they disagreed with each other. I plan to throw new characters into the ring to see how they square off against each other. They may not like this strategy, but I'll just have to convince them how beneficial it is, for them, and for me.

How could they possibly argue with that?  

~~~~~~~~~~

This is a repeat of a post from last fall. I've just finished up edits for TWO different books, and I'm worn out! I should be done with edits for a little while, so I hope to have a brand new post for you next week.

Six Sentence Sunday: Bad Sex Karma #10

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday again! Here's another snippet from my WIP, Bad Sex Karma.

Delia is convinced she's cursed with bad sex karma, ever since her boyfriend dumped her at their anniversary dinner, after their first episode of bad sex. She's just gone on a blind date set up by her two best friends. It didn't go well, for several reasons -- one of them because the waiter managed to slip and fall after showing some interest in her. Delia's sure it's a sign that it's not safe to date:

"Yeah, well, if you guys had picked better the first time, we wouldn’t be negotiating ‘Man B’ right now."

That earned me a couple of fierce scowls, which I ignored. Instead, I let them plot who they were going to come up with for the next victim—I mean, date.  With any luck – for me and my unsuspecting date – the evening would not involve the numbers "911" or a ride to the ER in an ambulance.

Besides, if the Bad Sex Karma gods decided something should happen to the next guy I dated, I’d rather it not be somebody I had picked out.

As they always say, it’s all fun and games until your date ends the night with a brain injury.

My friend, and fellow author in the Samhain Stranger on a Train series -- Samantha Hunter -- is doing her first Six Sentence Sunday post today. I got to beta read the book she's highlighting, probably because I asked about Garrett after reading the previous book he'd appeared in. (Okay, this is probably a more accurate depiction: "When is Garrett's book coming out? Pretty soon? Boy, I sure can't wait for his book. I wish it was now. When did you say it's coming out?") Anyway, he's a yummy hero, and he's a bodyguard. . . and well, just check out her post here!

And if you didn't get a chance to check out my interview this week with Mae Clair, whose debut, Weathering Rock, just released, you can click here to read it. We had a lot of fun, so feel free to join in the merriment!

Interview with Mae Clair

Today I'm thrilled to introduce Mae Clair, a writer I've "met" through the Six Sentence Sunday snippets, and she's an absolute delight.

She has a beautiful way with words, which you can see in her intriguing posts about mythical creatures and her Six Sentence Sunday contributions. She also writes spectacular book reviews and the best interview questions. Now you can also experience Mae's writing in her debut novel, Weathering Rock, which just released October 8th.

Donna: Welcome, Mae, and thanks for being here today. Tell us more about Weathering Rock, and your scrumptious hero, Caleb.

Mae: Thanks, Donna. I’m delighted to be here and excited to be able to talk about Weathering Rock. My hero is Caleb DeCardian, a former colonel for the Union Army during the Civil War. He’s a man who’s used to being in charge and having others respond to his orders without question.

Shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, he’s transported to the 21^st Century by a shower of ball lightning. When the novel opens, he’s already been living in the present for three years, hunting for the man who doomed him to life as a werewolf. Seth Reilly is his former friend, now a bitter rival, and the man responsible for cursing him with lycanthropy.

For someone who thrives on being in control, Caleb finds himself at the whim of a curse he’s powerless to resist, while facing the challenges of a new and confusing century. He has a highly defined sense of right and wrong; is noble at heart, but conflicted by what he’s become.

Then he meets Arianna Hart, my heroine, and suddenly he’s battling a different set of feelings. Romantic feelings. The path to true love and an HEA is never smooth, but these two have enormous odds stacked against them!

Donna: This has so many great things in it! I'm always intrigued to hear how a story comes into being, since it's wildly different for each writer. How did this story start in your creative brain?

Mae: I think I was probably reading a lot of non-fiction on the Civil War at the time but, I don’t have it in me to be an historical novelist. As much as I love history and reading about it, as a writer I’d rather toss around what-ifs, than research what-was.

Given I’ve always been attracted to “shivery” things and folktales, I decided to marry my love for werewolves with my passion for the Civil War and move everything to modern times. It seemed like a good way to create a tortured, romantic hero.

Donna: I think you came up with an excellent combination. So what has been your favorite part of the publishing process so far?

Mae: Getting the acceptance contract from my publisher, LOL! No, actually it’s been venturing into the blogging world, a necessity for promotion. I’ve made so many great friends that way *grins at Donna* and it’s something I love to do. It’s becoming an addiction. Those little snippets and posts I share are like sparkly gems I pull from a jewelry box each morning.

You mentioned my Mythical Monday posts, and they’ve become a favorite. So many creatures, superstitions and nuggets of folklore to choose from. I’m like a kid in a candy store!

Donna: I know exactly what you mean about all the great friends, just from sharing our writing online. I can't imagine it any other way now. Okay, tell me, do you have a favorite writing spot?

Mae: I love to write outside on my back porch, but I’m most productive in my den. It’s much easier for me to tune out distractions and concentrate.  It’s the one room in the house that is utterly, totally mine so I’m surrounded by all the things that inspire me.

Donna: Well, I'll just sneak on in and use the porch so it doesn't go to waste. *grins* When the writing gets tough, what keeps you going?

Mae: Ambition, I guess. I don’t like to do things halfway. By nature, I’m pretty driven. My biggest hurdle is finding time to write. Like many authors, I work a full-time job, have a family, and home life. Toss in social media and promotion, and it’s a challenge to squeeze those extra hours out of the day. Fortunately, I’m married to a wonderful man who understands the importance of writing in my life. At this point in my writing career, there’s a lot of sacrifice and exhaustion involved.

Donna: I understand the exhaustion part! If only we could upgrade to the 36-hour days. LOL You have some fascinating posts on otherworldly mystical creatures. What was the first one to spark your interest?

Mae: Wow, that’s a tough one. I’ve been in love with myth and superstition since I was a kid. I know I was intrigued by werewolves (I blame Quentin Collins of Dark Shadows) but I think the first mystical creature to snag my attention might have been Pegasus. When you’re a little girl, what else could be more enchanting than a noble flying horse? Well…except for a dark, brooding werewolf named Quentin. ;-)

Donna: And I was a fan of Barnabas Collins, the vampire. So if you could play hooky today, what would you do? Where would you go?

Mae: That’s an easy one - - I’d write! It would be heaven to spend an entire day working on my latest WIP! Currently, that’s the sequel to Weathering Rock.

Donna: A sequel? Squee! If you could sit and have a drink with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? (Obviously we'd have you time travel so the writer wouldn't be dead. . .you have options!)

Mae: I like options. There are a lot of authors I’ve admired through the years. Tolkien and Bradbury rank high on that list. I’d probably also consider Charles Dickens, and Dan Simmons, who wrote THE TERROR, my all-time favorite book. But, to sit and chat, I’d pick the author team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child who write the Aloysius Pendergast series of novels. I am head-over-heels pathetically in love with that character!

Donna: *adds another series to the TBR mountain range* What are you working on next?

Mae: Thank you for asking. I just signed a contract with Lyrical Press for a contemporary romantic suspense novel called Twelfth Sun.

It revolves around a treasure hunt for a valuable marine artifact. My heroine, Reagan Cassidy, has been asked by her uncle to work with a friend who’s a renowned authority in the field of marine archeology. She agrees, thinking he’s going to be a stodgy old man, close to her uncle’s age. Instead, she gets Dr. Elijah Cross, a quirky twenty-five year old who looks like a grunge musician and who has held a Ph.D. for several years. Reagan is an ‘older’ woman at thirty-five, but once they start working together, the sparks and attraction fly.

Donna: Well, hurry up and finish it, because I know I need to read that one! Mae, thanks so much for being here. I wish you all kinds of success with this as well as your future books. I can't wait to see what else you have in store!

Mae: Thanks, Donna. I really enjoyed my visit here. Doing the interview with you was a blast! And given how much I loved your novel, Lord Midnight, may I just say - - *performs sweeping bow* - - thank you, Milady!

WEATHERING ROCK BLURB:

Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to
defeat an ancient curse?

Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting America’s Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He can’t deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.

Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets--some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.

Finding a decent guy who'll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?

VIEW WEATHERING ROCK BOOK TRAILER 

AUTHOR BIO:

Mae Clair knew from the time she entered grade school that she wanted to be a writer. She credits her parents with instilling in her an insatiable love of reading through weekly trips to the library when she was a child. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create characters and make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.

Inspired by folktales, legends and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, she loves to blend the fantastical with the ordinary. Her heroes are known to be flawed and complex, her heroines capable, independent and sexy.

Throughout the years she has been actively involved in various writing and critique groups and is a past President of the Central Pennsylvania Writers’ Organization.  She lives in Pennsylvania and is married to her high school sweetheart (a.k.a. the Love of Her Life). In her downtime she enjoys reading, digital scrapbooking and unwinding with her husband by the pool when the fickle PA weather permits. A self-admitted idealist, Mae is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

LOOK FOR MAE CLAIR AT THE FOLLOWING HAUNTS:

Website

Blog

Twitter (@MaeClair1)

Facebook Author Page

Lyrical Press Author Page

Goodreads

Book Blogs

Buy WEATHERING ROCK at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Lyrical Press

iBooks

Wednesday Will Be Observed on Thursday This Week

I will be interviewing Mae Clair this week, author of Weathering Rock, a fun time-travel involving werewolves and a hero from the Civil War era. I'm reading it right now and really enjoying it.

Originally Mae and I had planned for her visit to be this Friday. But as luck would have it, both of our schedules changed since we made the original date, so Mae will be here Thursday instead. It works out perfectly because I have been editing TWO books at once, so I couldn't quite squeeze a new blog post into today's schedule!

So come back on Thursday, when we will be celebrating Wednesday, as well as the original Friday. That makes perfect sense, right?

Six Sentence Sunday: Bad Sex Karma #9

For my Six Sentence Sunday this week, I'm returning to Bad Sex Karma, which is the WIP where Delia was dumped by her boyfriend at their anniversary dinner.

She's moved into her new apartment, and she's trying to move forward with her life, even though her friends can't convince her yet that dating is a good idea.

In this snippet she's at a local farmstand, and she spies a cute guy who interests her, but she isn't brave enough to approach him:

All of a sudden I could smell the most delicious scent, even better than fresh-baked bread or newly-minted money. I turned, and the source of that intoxicating aroma was standing next to me, smiling.

He leaned forward to peek into my shopping basket, which I'd optimistically filled with field-grown tomatoes and cucumbers and a massive head of red leaf lettuce that looked like a mad scientist's experiment gone awry. "What are you making?"

"Nothing short of a miracle," I answered. "Or maybe unintentional gazpacho for the garbage man to haul away next week."

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by each week. It's always great to see your comments, and I'm looking forward to reading your posts!

Reviewed and Interviewed: Indie Books R Us

I'm interviewed today by Lexcade at Indie Books R Us. She had some fun questions for me, so stop by and see what we chatted about.

While you're there, make sure you check out the great review she did of Lord Midnight. It is fun and funny, and has some intriguing insights about the deception in the story.