Why is it that all the bad-ass heroines wear black? Long trench coats cut open to allow mounting a motorcycle or horse with a short cape . Sleeves are baggy to allow for weapons. They can hide the sawed-off shotguns in their flowing coat, I guess.
The women bad asses ALWAYS wear tight leather pants, or spandex equivalents and tall boots. And the graphic heroines always wear stilettos. Now, I'll grant you that it looks way cool on the movie screen or in the video game, but in real life--I don't think so! Have you EVER run in heels? I have and I guarantee I couldn't outrun anything! Of course, the women are always Angelina Jolie or Mila Jovovich (of LeeLoo and Ultraviolet fame), or Jennifer Garner. They are hot, freakishly model hot with long arms and legs up to their boobs.
Granted being tall, leggy and . . . army (I suppose?), (how about reachy?) gives them the advantage of a longer stride and arm reach. And I know all about having a short arm reach. Taking a college fencing course as an elective taught me all about that. I have to admit that I lasted long in the matches, mainly because I was bouncing around like an ant on a frying pan trying to stay out of the Amazon's reach! Yeah . . . lost every bout.
So, I wanted a heroine who is a little more like me. I want her to be ignored, to blend into the background, and have nothing remarkable about her. Oh, and I want her to have a weird fetish--it's clean, and it ain't shoes!--i want her to be a fan of 'the mouse'. yes, Mickey. Don't mess with Mickey or you'll see the bottom of her shoe when she kicks your teeth out!
Okay, I did make her over twenty years younger than I am and about fifty pounds lighter. All in all she is pretty close to my ancient past as possible. I was in pretty good shape then. I had no social life so I had time to ride my horse, workout, and eat healthy. Now, I'm just lazy. That and having a family takes time that had been used for other things.
I like my character, Danica Hunter. She's got the kick-ass thing going for her, except she tends to get overlooked and has a greater maturity than many twenty-somethings. She's a sneaker and Levi's kind of gal who is into Mickey Mouse.
That's who my kick-ass heroine is, now I just have to finish the story and convince someone to buy it!
Write on!
1/16/09
1/14/09
Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies... Oh, my!
I tried. I did. Honestly.
I really tried to listen to the sermon in church last Sunday, but the priest had such a heavy accent that he lost me when he was trying to relate a parable to tigers in India. I don't know why he used this comparison.
So, I went to my happy place to figure out how to kill a zombie.
Yeah, when I told hubby. He responded that I'm going to fry. But I already knew that considering I'm writing a story involving demons.
Zombies: Hubby flipped the TV to Resident Evil the other night. I don't usually watch horror flicks, but this one had me wondering how you would go about killing a zombie. He informed me that these creatures weren't zombies, rather humans infected by 'something' making them undead. Okay, so what? It's all semantics. They are rotting corpses with chunks falling off as they groan and moan walking stiff-legged toward healthy human food. Uh, zombies.
He told me that a bullet in the head kills these things. This got me to thinking. Their brains are rotting as fast as their bodies, why are they still moving? What or who is the power behind the zombie? Wouldn't a zombie keep heading toward its target against all odds? I'm thinking along the lines of the first Mummy movie here in the tomb scene at the end.
So, wouldn't a zombie collapse if its animator dies? But if you don't know who the animator is or if you can't get him, how do you kill the zombie? Personally, I don't think shooting it would work, and it's too simple. Drown it? No, zombie would walk out--no need to breath. Chemicals? only if they can immobilize it, like hardened cement. Acid/bases would take too long to dissolve it. Fire? It gets my vote. Incinerate the thing until it's a crispy critter and crumbles when it walks.
But be sure to hold your nose, 'cause there's nuthin' worse than the stench of burning flesh.
--uh, don't ask. Which leads me to the next header. . .
Weres: I don't really have as strong of opinions about weres. I'm lumping all sorts of were's in this group. If you call it a were make sure it changes with the full moon, pleeze! Don't have a were shape-shifting when ever he feels like it UNLESS you set it up that way. Jim Butcher did this in FOOL MOON as Bob, Dresden's air element, tells him the difference between shape shifter weres, true weres, and a loup-garou. Remember, readers will believe anything as long as it is presented in a logical manner.
Vamps: I was weaned on reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. This is the gold standard for vamps. Personally, I think vamps are evil blood suckers. If they are nice, then they want something from you, usually your blood. So, if you make you vamp a day walker, you better have a damn good reason he can do this. The movie Blade is a good example of this. Blade has to inject serum daily to allow him to walk outside in the sunlight. Butcher writes his vamps very well also. When he intros his vamps, he pays tribute to Stoker by keeping his Red Court and Black Court vamps true to Stoker. He even mentions how the book, Dracula, almost killed out the entire Black Court at the turn of the century. By using what most people know as 'true', he sets up his own world by drawing upon the reader's knowledge base.
Wrapping up: Use the knowledge most readers consider to be true and manipulate it to fit your story, but you better have a good reason for your were to survive a silver bullet to the head, or a vamp bleeding to death or seeing himself in the mirror.
Because if you don't write it well, readers won't believe you. I know, I've judged more than my share of contests where the writer didn't provide enough information for their character. Don't make this mistake.
What is your pet peeve when writers get it wrong?
Write on!
I really tried to listen to the sermon in church last Sunday, but the priest had such a heavy accent that he lost me when he was trying to relate a parable to tigers in India. I don't know why he used this comparison.
So, I went to my happy place to figure out how to kill a zombie.
Yeah, when I told hubby. He responded that I'm going to fry. But I already knew that considering I'm writing a story involving demons.
Zombies: Hubby flipped the TV to Resident Evil the other night. I don't usually watch horror flicks, but this one had me wondering how you would go about killing a zombie. He informed me that these creatures weren't zombies, rather humans infected by 'something' making them undead. Okay, so what? It's all semantics. They are rotting corpses with chunks falling off as they groan and moan walking stiff-legged toward healthy human food. Uh, zombies.
He told me that a bullet in the head kills these things. This got me to thinking. Their brains are rotting as fast as their bodies, why are they still moving? What or who is the power behind the zombie? Wouldn't a zombie keep heading toward its target against all odds? I'm thinking along the lines of the first Mummy movie here in the tomb scene at the end.
So, wouldn't a zombie collapse if its animator dies? But if you don't know who the animator is or if you can't get him, how do you kill the zombie? Personally, I don't think shooting it would work, and it's too simple. Drown it? No, zombie would walk out--no need to breath. Chemicals? only if they can immobilize it, like hardened cement. Acid/bases would take too long to dissolve it. Fire? It gets my vote. Incinerate the thing until it's a crispy critter and crumbles when it walks.
But be sure to hold your nose, 'cause there's nuthin' worse than the stench of burning flesh.
--uh, don't ask. Which leads me to the next header. . .
Weres: I don't really have as strong of opinions about weres. I'm lumping all sorts of were's in this group. If you call it a were make sure it changes with the full moon, pleeze! Don't have a were shape-shifting when ever he feels like it UNLESS you set it up that way. Jim Butcher did this in FOOL MOON as Bob, Dresden's air element, tells him the difference between shape shifter weres, true weres, and a loup-garou. Remember, readers will believe anything as long as it is presented in a logical manner.
Vamps: I was weaned on reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. This is the gold standard for vamps. Personally, I think vamps are evil blood suckers. If they are nice, then they want something from you, usually your blood. So, if you make you vamp a day walker, you better have a damn good reason he can do this. The movie Blade is a good example of this. Blade has to inject serum daily to allow him to walk outside in the sunlight. Butcher writes his vamps very well also. When he intros his vamps, he pays tribute to Stoker by keeping his Red Court and Black Court vamps true to Stoker. He even mentions how the book, Dracula, almost killed out the entire Black Court at the turn of the century. By using what most people know as 'true', he sets up his own world by drawing upon the reader's knowledge base.
Wrapping up: Use the knowledge most readers consider to be true and manipulate it to fit your story, but you better have a good reason for your were to survive a silver bullet to the head, or a vamp bleeding to death or seeing himself in the mirror.
Because if you don't write it well, readers won't believe you. I know, I've judged more than my share of contests where the writer didn't provide enough information for their character. Don't make this mistake.
What is your pet peeve when writers get it wrong?
Write on!
1/12/09
Cross-genre Reading
I'm going to digress a little here, and yes, I will relate this to a writing matter. Before I started writing, I rode. Over twenty years, I owned three horses in succession and each of them taught me something.
Princess, a quarter horse, taught me the basics of how to ride and jump.
--Learning the craft of writing
Abe, the psychotic thoroughbred, taught me how to survive. Trust me, this pig-headed boy worked hard to get out of doing anything. He was the master of buck, spin and rear, and when I learned to sit through his shenanigans, he started mixing them up. I learned tenacity from him, sitting deep and riding as one with him. I lost count of the times he dumped my ass, but I'd get back on the damn horse and ride through it. Oh, yeah, he also caused a cervical ruptured disc, but that's another story.
--Dealing with rejection, red-lined critiques, terrible contest scores. Get knocked down, get back to writing! The only way to learn is to keep writing.
And then there was Buster, an appendix quarter horse, who was a lovely combination of the two. I bought Buster when he was two and green broke (willing to take a rider, but had zero steering or brakes). Over the years, Buster would get bored working in the arena so I would gallop him into the cleared woods, up and down hills, jumping into and out of the pond. Once a dog attacked us. At first, Buster was scared and wanted to bolt, but I kept facing him to the dog urging him forward. He got the idea and we played 'chase the mongrel' as his cow herding quarter horse genetics kicked in. BTW: the dog never bothered us again. Guess we were the only ones to chase it!
--Taught me perseverence. Everyone has an opinion, but the one that matters (pre-pubbed) is yours. It's your story--make it your own!
Now, how does all this relate to cross-genre reading?
Well, for one, a well-balanced and sane horse is cross-trained.
So, in my mind, a smart writer is always learning, especially when you pick up a book.
Princess, a quarter horse, taught me the basics of how to ride and jump.
--Learning the craft of writing
Abe, the psychotic thoroughbred, taught me how to survive. Trust me, this pig-headed boy worked hard to get out of doing anything. He was the master of buck, spin and rear, and when I learned to sit through his shenanigans, he started mixing them up. I learned tenacity from him, sitting deep and riding as one with him. I lost count of the times he dumped my ass, but I'd get back on the damn horse and ride through it. Oh, yeah, he also caused a cervical ruptured disc, but that's another story.
--Dealing with rejection, red-lined critiques, terrible contest scores. Get knocked down, get back to writing! The only way to learn is to keep writing.
And then there was Buster, an appendix quarter horse, who was a lovely combination of the two. I bought Buster when he was two and green broke (willing to take a rider, but had zero steering or brakes). Over the years, Buster would get bored working in the arena so I would gallop him into the cleared woods, up and down hills, jumping into and out of the pond. Once a dog attacked us. At first, Buster was scared and wanted to bolt, but I kept facing him to the dog urging him forward. He got the idea and we played 'chase the mongrel' as his cow herding quarter horse genetics kicked in. BTW: the dog never bothered us again. Guess we were the only ones to chase it!
--Taught me perseverence. Everyone has an opinion, but the one that matters (pre-pubbed) is yours. It's your story--make it your own!
Now, how does all this relate to cross-genre reading?
Well, for one, a well-balanced and sane horse is cross-trained.
So, in my mind, a smart writer is always learning, especially when you pick up a book.
- Non-fiction and reference provides the info to ground your characters in a particular time or place.
- Reading romances will help you learn to delve into the emotions of the characters and how you can use them for or against your character's best interest.
- Mysteries will teach you how to plant clues, and pacing the information delivery.
- Fantasies can teach you how to weave an impossibility into a believable story.
- Children's books show how simple doesn't always mean dumber.
- I don't read literary or any non-fic--sorry, just don't like it--not my thang.
- Craft books are good up to a point as they provide many methods that have worked for others, but ultimately, you will have to figure out the system that works for your writing.
- Sorry, forgot this one, Classics--good for a grounding yourself in writing over the decades, but these books aren't what is being bought in the 21st century, so don't think the techniques exhibited will help you sell--they won't.
I'm certain that I've missed something obvious. But this is my list for today.
What do you read, and why?
Write on!
1/8/09
It's Golden Heart Judging Time!
A heavily anticipated box landed on my doorstep last Monday. My fingers trembled as I tore open the UPS box. The smell of fresh manuscripts waft through the air and I'm jittery with excitement as I dumped the entire contents, six partial manuscripts, onto my desk. The anticipation of discovering new authors, reading new stories, and helping writers discover their dreams resides in my hands.
And it is a heady power that I do not treat lightly.
I love this time of the year. And I especially love judging Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest. Why, you ask? What makes this contest so special?
I love judging the Golden Heart because I don't have to follow any chapter prescribed score sheet. I don't have to award individual points for the hero, the heroine, their first meet, dialogue, the plot, or any individual element of the story. I can let the story do what a good story is supposed to do, as it sucks me into another world. I can walk in the protagonists footsteps enjoying their adventures, and always to wonder if the hero and heroine will be able to get together in the end.
--Yes, I know it's a romance, and they all end with some sort of HEA (happily ever after), but romance, and many other awesome stories, is all about the ride.
But what I love most of all is that I get to judge the entire story on its own merits. We do have to give each manuscript a score, between 1 and 9 to the nearest decimal, as an overall score for how we liked the manuscript. This year I got some really good stories to read (YAY!), and if I do say so myself, I tend to be a harsh critic. I scored two 9's this time, two 7/8's and two 4/5. Now this isn't to say the one I scored 4 was hideous, it wasn't, but it wasn't ready to get published. It had some real problems, but it also had a fun premise and decent plot. The problem is that the author needs to learn more of the craft of writing. The story isn't ready yet.
I wish all the authors well and hope the two 9's will final, but it's out of my hands as RWA plugs the numbers into some weird algorithm along with the scores from the other judges.
Now it is time to get back to my poor neglected manuscript that I abandoned to read six new stories.
Write on!
And it is a heady power that I do not treat lightly.
I love this time of the year. And I especially love judging Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest. Why, you ask? What makes this contest so special?
I love judging the Golden Heart because I don't have to follow any chapter prescribed score sheet. I don't have to award individual points for the hero, the heroine, their first meet, dialogue, the plot, or any individual element of the story. I can let the story do what a good story is supposed to do, as it sucks me into another world. I can walk in the protagonists footsteps enjoying their adventures, and always to wonder if the hero and heroine will be able to get together in the end.
--Yes, I know it's a romance, and they all end with some sort of HEA (happily ever after), but romance, and many other awesome stories, is all about the ride.
But what I love most of all is that I get to judge the entire story on its own merits. We do have to give each manuscript a score, between 1 and 9 to the nearest decimal, as an overall score for how we liked the manuscript. This year I got some really good stories to read (YAY!), and if I do say so myself, I tend to be a harsh critic. I scored two 9's this time, two 7/8's and two 4/5. Now this isn't to say the one I scored 4 was hideous, it wasn't, but it wasn't ready to get published. It had some real problems, but it also had a fun premise and decent plot. The problem is that the author needs to learn more of the craft of writing. The story isn't ready yet.
I wish all the authors well and hope the two 9's will final, but it's out of my hands as RWA plugs the numbers into some weird algorithm along with the scores from the other judges.
Now it is time to get back to my poor neglected manuscript that I abandoned to read six new stories.
Write on!
1/7/09
Professional Organizations
Speed blogging today.
I have to get my Wii Fit hour in before I can work on my edits--alas, personal edits, not professional editor edits of those who reign in the 212--Even though I clock an hour on Fit time you have to add at least an accumulated 30-45 minutes of 'trainer chat' time. And, no, I haven't found a way to fast forward through it. They probably have the slowdown to prevent lawsuits from idiots having heart attacks by working out too aggressively.
I just attended a local chapter of SCBWI last night. All the ladies were very lovely and nice, but I don't think attending local 'schmooze' sessions will work for me. Now this isn't to say that beginning writers shouldn't join a local writer group. I did when I thought I was a romance writer. I like writing romance and sex in my books--as a subplot. I don't really get the internal/emotional angsting of why they can't be together, though I LOVE reading it!
Anyhoo, local writers are exceedingly helpful and supportive, especially when they write in your genre. I learned a tremendous amount about writing, publishing, critiquing, judging, etc. from the ladies of RWI, and I will always be thankful for the time I spent with them. But I moved on into other genres: picture books and urban fantasy.
Yeah, tell me about it. When I go diverse, I go all the way.
Right now at this point in my writing career I don't need someone to pat me on the back or cheer me on. Shoot, I have over 200 rejections on four manuscripts--I have a tough shell. What I need to do is write. I can find almost everything I need on the Internet, and intend to exploit the heck out of it when I'm serious about querying my PB's.
So will I belong to professional organizations? Yes.
Most of them have very helpful info that can be had on their websites. Many times you can join as an associate member if you are not published, but can only gain full membership, and access to their site, after you sell. Most writing organizations host conferences regionally or nationally that are beneficial.
If I decide to pimp my PB's, I'll need to join SCBWI.
When I finish my UF, I'll have to join SFWA
And I'll still keep my membership to RWA, considering I still have two full romances written, and five beginnings.
So, yes, I do think a beginning writer should belong to a professional organization. But it is up to the individual as to whether or not a local support group is worth the effort
I have to get my Wii Fit hour in before I can work on my edits--alas, personal edits, not professional editor edits of those who reign in the 212--Even though I clock an hour on Fit time you have to add at least an accumulated 30-45 minutes of 'trainer chat' time. And, no, I haven't found a way to fast forward through it. They probably have the slowdown to prevent lawsuits from idiots having heart attacks by working out too aggressively.
I just attended a local chapter of SCBWI last night. All the ladies were very lovely and nice, but I don't think attending local 'schmooze' sessions will work for me. Now this isn't to say that beginning writers shouldn't join a local writer group. I did when I thought I was a romance writer. I like writing romance and sex in my books--as a subplot. I don't really get the internal/emotional angsting of why they can't be together, though I LOVE reading it!
Anyhoo, local writers are exceedingly helpful and supportive, especially when they write in your genre. I learned a tremendous amount about writing, publishing, critiquing, judging, etc. from the ladies of RWI, and I will always be thankful for the time I spent with them. But I moved on into other genres: picture books and urban fantasy.
Yeah, tell me about it. When I go diverse, I go all the way.
Right now at this point in my writing career I don't need someone to pat me on the back or cheer me on. Shoot, I have over 200 rejections on four manuscripts--I have a tough shell. What I need to do is write. I can find almost everything I need on the Internet, and intend to exploit the heck out of it when I'm serious about querying my PB's.
So will I belong to professional organizations? Yes.
Most of them have very helpful info that can be had on their websites. Many times you can join as an associate member if you are not published, but can only gain full membership, and access to their site, after you sell. Most writing organizations host conferences regionally or nationally that are beneficial.
If I decide to pimp my PB's, I'll need to join SCBWI.
When I finish my UF, I'll have to join SFWA
And I'll still keep my membership to RWA, considering I still have two full romances written, and five beginnings.
So, yes, I do think a beginning writer should belong to a professional organization. But it is up to the individual as to whether or not a local support group is worth the effort
1/5/09
To Pseudonym or not
Many authors angst over their pseudonym before they even finish a manuscript. There are a few reasons to think about it at this point in your career.
1. Name recognition--if you are active writing or commenting on bl0gs, yahoo loops, twitter, etc. then you want people to get to know the 'new you'.
2. Domain--buy it before you become famous and having to deal with some idiot holding it hostage.
3. Multiple genres--if you write in drastically different genres, it would be wise to keep the two separate. For example, I've written numerous children's books (PB's or picture books), romantic suspense with paranormal elements, and dark urban fantasy. The PB's will definitely be under a different name! And hopefully, will never be mixed with the other two!
4. Sexual genres--goes along the lines of #3. For example if you write erotica, live in a small town married to the local pastor, or teach at the local elementary school, then it would behoove you to use a pseudonym.
5. Use a short name--remember all those author signings you want to do? You have to write your name A LOT! Make it easy on yourself.
6. Use a name you will answer to--people will be calling you by your 'new name' be certain you will actually answer to it! Don't go totally weird and different unless you already answer to the totally weird and different name.
That's all the advice I can think of for now. If you have any additional ideas or suggestions, please respond in the comments.
Write on! Time to exercise on the Wii Fit before writing my daily word count!
1. Name recognition--if you are active writing or commenting on bl0gs, yahoo loops, twitter, etc. then you want people to get to know the 'new you'.
2. Domain--buy it before you become famous and having to deal with some idiot holding it hostage.
3. Multiple genres--if you write in drastically different genres, it would be wise to keep the two separate. For example, I've written numerous children's books (PB's or picture books), romantic suspense with paranormal elements, and dark urban fantasy. The PB's will definitely be under a different name! And hopefully, will never be mixed with the other two!
4. Sexual genres--goes along the lines of #3. For example if you write erotica, live in a small town married to the local pastor, or teach at the local elementary school, then it would behoove you to use a pseudonym.
5. Use a short name--remember all those author signings you want to do? You have to write your name A LOT! Make it easy on yourself.
6. Use a name you will answer to--people will be calling you by your 'new name' be certain you will actually answer to it! Don't go totally weird and different unless you already answer to the totally weird and different name.
That's all the advice I can think of for now. If you have any additional ideas or suggestions, please respond in the comments.
Write on! Time to exercise on the Wii Fit before writing my daily word count!
1/2/09
Goal vs. Resolution
In my tiny mind, goals are doable than resolutions. If you don't achieve a goal you can keep trying, whereas you fail to meet a resolution--YOU FAIL. At least that's the way my mind categorizes it.
I'm not going to go into details about SMART goals, but go to this link to refresh your memory of how to set a good goal. Make your goals attainable--not easy, but doable and within your power. For example: Don't write down on your goals to sell to a NY publisher--it's out of your hands. This could be listed as a 'dream' goal or you could rewrite your goal in more appropriate language. 'Write the best damn book I can' Doable? Yep. You still might not get picked up by NY, but you did the best you could at your current writing ability.
One of my yearly goals is to read 40 books, fiction and writing craft. I also write them down on my goal sheet, which forces me to revisit my yearly goals every week or two. It doesn't do you any good to have a goal and never look at it again. This keeps me in the goal loop, but doesn't nag me on a daily basis.
That's it for today.
Write on!
I'm not going to go into details about SMART goals, but go to this link to refresh your memory of how to set a good goal. Make your goals attainable--not easy, but doable and within your power. For example: Don't write down on your goals to sell to a NY publisher--it's out of your hands. This could be listed as a 'dream' goal or you could rewrite your goal in more appropriate language. 'Write the best damn book I can' Doable? Yep. You still might not get picked up by NY, but you did the best you could at your current writing ability.
One of my yearly goals is to read 40 books, fiction and writing craft. I also write them down on my goal sheet, which forces me to revisit my yearly goals every week or two. It doesn't do you any good to have a goal and never look at it again. This keeps me in the goal loop, but doesn't nag me on a daily basis.
That's it for today.
Write on!
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