Vanquish Cartoon Villains – The Crux of a Crucial Story Relationship by Alice Orr @AliceOrrBooks #MFRWauthor #AmWriting

I love a good villain. He does so much for a story. He gives the reader someone to hate, which engenders emotional involvement, commitment to the story, pages turning. He gives your hero someone to struggle against. He personifies the conflict that electrifies your narrative.

With so much weight to carry, your villain must be formidable. Otherwise, your intelligent, active, resourceful hero would make short shrift of this adversary and be on her way. The story is over then, because, when the conflict resolves, reader interest wanes, your tale is done.

Introduce your adversary situation early. Get the conflict started straight off. If this is a mystery, don't reveal his identity till almost the end to keep the tension hook set deep in the reader. If this is suspense, unmask the villain earlier on, at least in part, to establish how formidable he is.

We see this evil force on a collision course with the protagonist. The character we have come to care most about and with whom we identify. She doesn't share our insight and has no idea who her adversary might be. She only knows she's in serious trouble, maybe physical danger too.

Our hero may know this person, may even trust him. Our apprehension for her mounts as she unwittingly exposes herself to peril. The story hook digs deeper into us with every page. Meanwhile, we must be just as deeply captured by the villain's motivation.

For this reason, a wise storyteller avoids the Devils-Made-Him-Do-It Villain. He's a psychopath or a sociopath, or on whichever path his sick psyche compels him to take. He's propelled along that path by his demons. He does evil because it is in his nature to do evil, and that's that.

He's scary for sure, but his motivation lacks complexity. What further fascinating depths does a head case provide for your writerly imagination to explore? And, we have seen him too often. There are far too many like him in the real world, and in the work of aspiring novelists.

The prevalence of human monsters in contemporary life encourages authors to portray them. But this villain has become fictionally boring. We've read so many like him that he's dejà vu. Your twist on his twistedness must be truly original to stand out from such a crowd.

Plus, I repeat for emphasis, he behaves the way he does because he has no real choice. No nuanced confession is legitimately required. He's a nut job, end of story, which makes him two-dimensional. He does evil because he gets an insane kick out of it. He is a cartoon.

What distinguishes a cartoon from a credible villain who shivers along our nerve endings? The difference is that we understand, on a mentally engaging level, the reasons for the credible villain's behavior. We don't have to sympathize with him, but we need to comprehend him.

You must conjure for us the genesis of this character's twistedness. You make him real, and, consequently, scarier than ever. Then, you must present him objectively. Your role is not to judge your adversary but to give him life on the page, which means you tell his story as he would tell it.

Here is my secret for imagining your way into the evil soul. Every villain is the hero of his own story. He is convinced his actions are justified because, in the world as he perceives it, they are. He has motivations that are clear, strong and believable, but warped.

The specific nature of that warp is yours to create. Brainstorm the possibilities. Choose the most original option. Think as your villain thinks. Dare to go there. Such characters are illuminated in dark places. The result is the opposite of a cartoon. He lives with chilling authenticity. Your reader longs to turn away, but cannot. There is no more riveting story hook than that.

For more insights into writing and publishing – Visit my blog at www.aliceorrbooks.com

ALICE ORR is the author of 16 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. A former book editor and literary agent, Alice now lives her dream as a full-time writer. Her latest novel is A Time of Fear and Loving: Riverton Road Romantic Suspense - Book 5. Alice has two grown children and two perfect grandchildren and resides with her husband Jonathan in New York City.
Author Website: www.aliceorrbooks.com
Author Blog: www.aliceorrbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliceorrbooks
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Orr/e/B000APC22E

When you have the wrong idea about story ideas by Alice Orr @AliceOrrBooks #AmWriting #AmEditing #MFRWauthor

Tell strong stories. That's what every writer longs to do.

What are strong stories anyway? To conquer an audience and make it your own you must tell a story that moves them. A story that moves them emotionally. Emotional Power is the impact your story must have.

Tell Strong Stories – How to Create the Most Important Person in Your Plot

The key to an emotionally moving storytelling is Character.

The success of your story hangs on the strength of the main character you create and the way you employ that character as a storyteller. Your main character must move your story forward emotionally.

Why is your main character so important?

Because your protagonist's story is what connects you with the reader. You draw the reader in and make her care. That's how you hook a reader. Mastering the art of the story hook is essential to writing a successful novel. You set that hook by creating a story in which the reader cannot help but become emotionally involved.

Which means that the reader must care about what happens to your character.

The reader must begin to behave as if the Protagonist of your story were a real-life person they know personally. Your character's defeats are the reader's defeats. Your character's triumphs are the reader's triumphs. When you make your readers feel this connection you have them hooked. And they will stay hooked from beginning to end.

For example, I was hooked by both Rick and Ilsa in the film Casablanca (the example I've been loving to use in these columns) and wanted both of them to triumph. The conclusion turned out to be more complicated than that. Which hooked me deeper still. Those screenwriters knew how to Tell Strong Stories.

Here's how to begin creating characters as real as Rick and Ilsa.

#1. First the character must hook you. You as author must be as emotionally involved with your character as you want the reader to be.

#2. Which requires that you as author must know your character intimately. You must know your characters – especially your main character heroine or hero – from the Inside Out. Which means you must understand as deeply as you possibly can what it's like to be your protagonist.

Why do you need to know so much about your protagonist?

In practical terms you must know enough to keep your readers reading. You need to know a lot about a character to make her sufficiently complex to carry the weight of your story from the beginning to the end of a book.

You must know enough about this character to bring him to life on the page and make the reader care about him. For example, Charles Dickens brought Ebenezer Scrooge to life on the page in A Christmas Carol, and made us care what happened to him as well. Dickens knew Scrooge from the Inside Out.

Here's an exercise for getting to know your character from the Inside Out.

Project yourself into your main character. Become your main character in your imagination. Then ask yourself the following five questions about that character.

#1. What does my main character want in this story?

Is this desire significant enough to make a reader also want this thing for my character? Is this desire significant enough to make a reader want it for my character all the way through the length of an entire book? Or at some point does this desire pale into "Who cares?" territory for the reader?

#2. How much does my main character want this thing?

Is this the most crucial need my character has ever experienced? Have I effectively communicated my character's sense of urgency? How in specific scenes, action and dialogue can I turn up the story heat on the intensity of my main character's desire?

#3. Why does my main character want this thing?

Are her reasons – her motivations – admirable? Are these motivations logical in this story situation? Are her motivations believable to the extent that a reader will accept them as legitimate enough to motivate an intelligent, independent, principled protagonist throughout the entire length of my story? Will a reader not only believe these motives but also adopt them on behalf of my character and root for her to achieve her desires?

#4. What does my main character not want?

Is my character running away from something? If so what is it and why is he on the run from it? Is my character avoiding something? If so what is he avoiding and why? What is my character afraid of? Why is my character afraid of this thing?

[Here's a secret to upping your story's ante in terms of drama, intensity and power.

Make sure every character fears something. Especially your main character. For example, what does Scarlett O'Hara fear in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind?]

#5. What's at stake for my main character in this story situation?

What will happen if she fails to achieve what she wants or needs? Are those consequences dreadful enough to make a reader dread them as well? Who in my story besides my main character could also be adversely affected? How in specific scenes, action and dialogue can I intensify these stakes by making the potential consequences more devastating, pervasive and far-reaching?

Brainstorm every possible response to each of these questions.

Always push yourself beyond the first, most obvious possibility toward less expected, more original ones. The farther reaches of our imaginations are the place from which we Tell Strong Stories.

Alice Orr – adapted from my blog at http://www.aliceorrbooks.com.

ALICE ORR is the author of 16 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. A former book editor and literary agent, Alice now lives her dream as a full-time writer. Her latest novel is A Time of Fear and Loving: Riverton Road Romantic Suspense - Book 5. Alice has two grown children and two perfect grandchildren and resides with her husband Jonathan in New York City.
Author Website: www.aliceorrbooks.com
Author Blog: www.aliceorrbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliceorrbooks
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Orr/e/B000APC22E

How to Write Characters Inside Out: The Exercise by Alice Orr @AliceOrrBooks #AmWriting #MFRWauthor #AmEditing

My Holiday Gift for You is an Alice Orr How-To! Write in the first person, using "I." Answer as your character. Speak with her voice from her experience. Record the ways you feel (as her) about how each exercise item relates to you. Answer from your gut, not your head. Be specific.

My Full Name is….

I was born in (place name)…. My heritage is (racial, ethnic),,,,

My birth (or adoptive) family's financial situation was…. Their community status was….

The family I grew up with consisted of (member names and relationships)….

The family member I am closest to is…. because….

The family member of my family I am most distant from is…. because….

As a Child.

I would describe myself as…. My most memorable childhood experience was….

As an adolescent, I was…. My most memorable adolescent experience was….

My first sexual experience was…. My attitude toward sex then was…. And now is….

My Appearance.

What I like about the way I look is…. What I hate about the way I look is….

I believe that other people think I look like…. My style of dress is…. because….

If you ask me what I am like as a person, I would say I am…. because….

My religious or spiritual beliefs are…. My political beliefs are….

My overall attitude toward life is….

My Self.

The most significant thing I have ever discovered about myself is….

I feel that my greatest talent is…. The thing I believe in most strongly is…. because….

The thing I have enjoyed most in my life is…. The thing I disliked most is…. because….

My most important goal in life is to…. because….

My Emotional Life.

My biggest inhibition is…. because…. My superstition is…. because….

My greatest disappointment in life is…. because…. I was most joyful when…. because….

My greatest frustration in life is…. because…. My biggest regret in life is…. because….

I was most enraged in my life when…. because…. I was most terrified when…. because….

I was most humiliated when…. because…. I was most heartbroken when…. because….

My deepest fear is…. because…. My darkest secret is…. because….

The biggest lie I ever told was…. I told it because…. I yearn most for…., because….

More Areas to Explore.

Friendships. Sexual history. Romantic history. Professional history. Educational history. Hobbies and leisure time activities. Health issues. Plus, anything else you should know to get inside your character and write her from that very intimate place.

Use the Above to Dig Deep into Each of Your Big Three characters.

Protagonist (hero), secondary protagonist (mate, sidekick, foil), antagonist (villain) – and any other character you need to know Inside Out. Do this and you will create the most compelling characters who have ever flowed from your imagination onto the very powerful pages of your best stories ever.

For more insights into writing and publishing, visit my blog at www.aliceorrbooks.com.

Alice Orr is author of 16 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. A former book editor and literary agent, Alice now writes full-time. Her latest novel is A Time of Fear and Loving – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 5. Find all of Alice Orr’s books at amazon.com and other online retailers. Alice has two grown children and two perfect grandchildren and lives with her beloved husband Jonathan in New York City.
Author Website www.aliceorrbooks.com
Author Blog www.aliceorrbooks.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
Twitter https://twitter.com/aliceorrbooks
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Orr/e/B000APC22E

Five Idea Engine Kickstarts – Just to Get You Writing by Alice Orr @aliceorrbooks #MFRWauthor #writingcommunity

Every Now and Then the Idea Well Runs Dry. That's what it can feel like anyway. And it is likely to give a writer what, where I come from, they used to call a conniption fit. Not to worry. As Anne Lamott says, "Help is on the way. One hundred percent of the time."

Get Out Your Writer's Journal. Remember the Writer's Journal? I talked about in my last column, "Your Life as Idea Central." A notebook that is special in some way for you personally. If you don't have one, get one. If you have one, open it up. Either way, prepare to be gifted with help ala Alice.

Read Through the Following Story Idea Kickstarts. Do so quickly. It's a gut reaction you're after, not a head one. Pick the possibility that strikes you hardest. Maybe because you'd love to write it. Maybe because you dread writing it. Either way, your gut is engaged. Your imagination is sure to follow.

Here we go. Five Story Kickstarts.

You have a particular fear. What would happen if that fear materialized? For example, what if those brakes you've been meaning to repair on your car gave out? Think of all the possible consequences of that occurrence. Make the absolute worst of those consequences into a story situation or a scene for a novel.

Make a list of people who frequent a place with which you are familiar. Your neighborhood laundromat, your favorite deli or diner, the place you most enjoy stopping for a cocktail or a beer or a diet soda. Choose the three most intriguing, or potentially most intriguing, of those people. Imagine past histories for them and present circumstances. Go way beyond what you actually know about them. Specifically, give each of them a serious life problem they are struggling with, and write how those pressures cause them to interact in a story or a scene set in this place.

Choose a favorite, or better still, a least favorite relative. Recall an incident from that person's life, or create an incident that could have happened to that person. Choose a situation that puts this person in extreme conflict, maybe even life versus death. Build a scene or story around this person, that incident, and what happens to her or to him.

Think of a close relationship you envy. A family relationship, or a romantic one, or a friendship. (The envy lends emotional intensity on your part.) Imagine a situation that alienates these individuals from each another, maybe causes them to hate one another, or even makes one want to kill the other. Build a story, or the beginning chapter of a story, around what happens. Maybe make yourself a character in that story.

Go through photographs of people and scenes. Choose two photos. Imagine a connection between them, and build a story or scene around that connection. Make sure there is something disturbing or unsettling or even dangerous involved in the way these people and scenes connect. Make that threatening element the heart of your story.

If You are Using Real-life People or Situations, Change the Details. The names, the physical descriptions, anything else that would make these folks recognizable to themselves or each other. In other words, fictionalize everything, for your own safety. Never forget we are an extremely litigious society, and this story or scene might get published someday.

Consider Yourself Kickstarted. Don't worry. It won't leave a bruise. But it could lead to an injection of imagination juice straight into your psyche. Now, there's one thing left for you to do. JUST WRITE!!

For more insights into writing and publishing – Visit my blog at www.aliceorrbooks.com.

About Alice Orr

Alice Orr is author of 16 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. Hero in the Mirror: How to Write Your Best Story of You is in progress. A former book editor and literary agent, Alice now writes full-time. Her latest novel is A Time of Fear and Loving – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 5. Find all of Alice Orr's books on Amazon. Alice has two grown children and two perfect grandchildren and lives with her beloved husband Jonathan in New York City.
Author Website www.aliceorrbooks.com
Author Blog www.aliceorrbooks.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
Twitter https://twitter.com/aliceorrbooks
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Orr/e/B000APC22E

A Dozen Tips for the Art and Science of Editing, by Kayelle Allen @kayelleallen #AmEditing #MFRWauthor

Editing is an art, and some have a better knack than others. However, editing is also a science. There are rules in grammar regarding form and content. That means every author can take steps to strengthen the ability.

Here are a dozen things I keep in mind when I'm editing my final draft. After all, I'm writing for a very picky immortal king. I have to be careful. I mean, look at this guy. Would you want to make him look bad? Ok, here we go.

12 Editing Suggestions

1. Edit for passive construction. Omit words like am, was, were, be, being, been.
2. Use an active verb rather than a conditional one. Example:
   He would do anything his lord asked, without quarrel or quibbling.
   He did anything his lord asked, without quarrel or quibbling.
3. Substitute concrete terms for abstract ones. Thought vs. mused, guess vs. hypothesis.
4. Omit vague and abstract terms such as would, could, some, anything, about, only, better, less, etc.
5. Look for long phrases and shorten them.
6. Watch out for sentences that begin with conjunctions. (as, because, but, and).
7. Count the number of times you use the words has, had, and have. Change the tenses of verbs around to eliminate their need.
8. Make a list of your personal no-no words. These are words you use as crutch words to move you from one point to another as you write, but edit later. Go over your list before you submit it to your editor, critique group, or beta readers. What kinds of words? I've provided a link to a pdf I created for my critique group that contains 128. http://kayelleallen.com/media/WordstoWatchWhenEditing.pdf Feel free to pass it along to friends.
9. Ask yourself what is the worst thing that can happen to a character, and then focus on words that fit that description.
10. Grab a good tool. Try the Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. This book provides phrases, terms, and other descriptors you can use to convey character emotions. No author should be without this tool. When you grab your own copy, start making a list of phrases you use as well. Each of us has something good to offer. Make the most of your own ability and record these phrases in a workbook, notepad, or document on your computer for later reference.
11. Any rule can ignored. If you are writing a complex, well-spoken character, you may need his/her speech to contain larger words, or a timid character to use a more passive vocabulary.
12. Edit with words that fit what your readers understand. It doesn't hurt to have a character who uses words that are difficult or complex, as long as there is context so readers can figure out what's going on. It can help strengthen the complexity of the character to do so. In my Bringer of Chaos series, Pietas is immortal, far beyond "well educated" and a brilliant scientist. Six, his constant companion, is far less knowledgeable. Here's a snippet to illustrate:

"Six, look! These tracks are from ungulates." Pietas knelt and ran his fingers along the tracks. "These are popular with terraformers. They put them on every colonized world. Artiodactyla, to be precise. Bovidae. I suspect a derivative of aepyceros melampus."

"You know, Pi, when you say things like that, you think you're explaining, but you're really not."

"Animals with split hooves. Even-toed. Lightweight impalas. Antelopes."

"What, you couldn't say antelopes?"

Pietas got up, dusting off his pants. "I just did."

Edit with the end in mind

What is the mood of the story? Explore ways to make your writing match it. Use good tools, and take notes about how other authors handle scenes and situations. Find a passage of a book that you enjoy and rewrite it in your own words, trying to make it stronger. See if you can improve it. Then, take a passage of one of your previously published books, and try the same thing.

Editing is a science, but it's also an art, and art takes practice. Never stop trying.

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 Kayelle Allen is the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers. She pens Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She's also a US Navy veteran and has been married so long she's tenured.

https://kayelleallen.com

Rules for Humble Writers (Yeah, Right) by Kayelle Allen @kayelleallen #Humor #MFRWauthor

Christmas is finally over and we're settling in for winter. The new year is making itself at home. So I decided to share some "rules" I've learned over the years about humble writers. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, here we go...

Rules for Humble Writers

1. Being humble is rule #1. Never tell anyone you wrote a book. It's okay to write it, but keep the news to yourself. If you wrote a good book, people will find it without you saying a word.

2. Don't post any information about your book online, especially on places such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or blogs. If in doubt, see #1.

3. If someone wants to buy a copy of the book from you, sell it for no more than what it cost you to obtain. It's not humble to expect people to pay more than you did.

4. Cover art is not necessary. A book's quality should never be judged by what is outside. "Never judge a book by its cover" is an axiom.

5. Do not set goals. A true writer only writes when inspired, therefore, goals are counterproductive.

6. Wait for inspiration. Be ready to write, but don't worry about muses or looking for inspiration outside yourself. True inspiration comes from within and should not be sought. When it's real, it will come.

7. Editing is for those who don't get it right the first time. Don't write anything down until you know it's correct. This will save you time and energy, not to mention paper, ink, and erasers.

8. If your computer is on, you should be writing. Remind yourself of this. Guilt can help you stay focused.

9. Games are counterproductive to writing. There is a school of thought that they are helpful by enabling you to relax. However, this can also lead to indulgence, and should be avoided by a hard-working writer.

10. Physical exercise requires time away from your desk. Avoid it.

11. It's all right to eat all your meals at your desk. Dinner or lunch with the family is time consuming.

12. Cleaning house is maid's work. Writers write. 

13. Believe all the writing advice you get on the web.

Gotten any really bad advice lately? Other than #12, I can't agree with anything posted here.

Happy New Year everyone. =^_^= Here's to success in 2019!
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By the way, that gorgeous blond on the left is the hero of my Bringer of Chaos series. The model is Nik Nitsvetov. The books are awesome. You should buy them. I'm not humble at all. 

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Kayelle Allen writes Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She is the author of seven books, three novellas, and multiple short stories. She's also a US Navy veteran and has been married so long she's tenured.
https://kayelleallen.com

CONNECT with Other #MFRWauthors for #NaNoWriMo!

Are You NaNo-ing?
November is National Novel Writing Month, also known as #NaNoWriMo. It happens each November and many authors, both old and new, find it motivational.

It pushes authors to increase their word count higher for the month - and typically spurs on higher word counts for a few months afterwards too.

You can SIGN UP here. You should set up a profile and bookmark it because this is where you will go each day or so to update your writing stats.

You'll also earn badges and be able to see your writing progress, along with connecting with other authors.

Let's CONNECT with other MFRW Authors!
1. After you register, come back HERE and put your NaNo Link in a comment.
2. Scroll through comments and follow others.
3. You can also find NaNoWriMo on these social media sites:

• On Facebook: @NaNoWriMo
• On Twitter: @NaNoWriMo
• On Tumblr: @NaNoWriMo
• On Instagram: @NaNoWriMo
• On Pinterest: @NaNoWriMo

Wordy Phrases and How to Find Them #MFRWauthor #amediting @kayelleallen

I'm going to wear my editor hat today and share tips I use on finding words that don't work as hard as you want them to. Every writer has pet phrases used to get the story from the head to the screen (or paper) such as "she rolled her eyes" or "he wet his lips." Some phrases are clichés; others are stock fillers we use while we're developing a scene. We figure we'll edit them later.

The problem is, we forget they're there. They become part of the background noise, and we fail to see them. Sometimes, even helpful words can slow down our writing, and take away the punch of a well-written sentence. How do we find them when they become invisible because we've seen them too often?

One good way is to use a program like SmartEdit. This software provides things such as an adverb list, repeated phrases, words, and usage of clichés. It shows dialogue tags and more. The Author's Secret is not affiliated with them, but I recently found this program myself and feel it's tightened up and strengthened my writing. I recommend it.

While a program is helpful, a simple list of your own no-no words will come in handy. I compiled a list of oft-used phrases that author friends report are their crutch words. Some of them are mine too. Here's the list. 

Phrases to Consider

Substitute gender pronouns (his/her, etc.) when searching.

• all the (also all of the)
• back against
• back to the
• be able
• both arms / hands
• can't wait
• come to
• did you
• do you think / want / need
• ducked his head
• every part of
• going to
• have no (look for: have no time, have no idea, have no reason, etc.)
• he opened / pulled
• his cheek
• his fingers / fingertips / hands
• I have
• I / you want
• I / you will
• look at
• on the floor
• outside of (outside is fine on its own)
• up against
• wet his/her lips
• you want (also look for what you want, what he/she wants, etc.)

Whatever you write, don't forget to run a spell check, and have a peer check your work. A good editor can help you find and eliminate crutch words, and suggest precise language, but your own experience and attention to detail can make their job easier, and save you money in editing fees.

Do you have a list of your own? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments. If you've found this post helpful, please share it on your social media.
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Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
YA (older young adult), action adventure, science fiction, military science fiction, genetic engineering, space opera, space marineHeat level: Mainstream
Download the first full chapter.

Two enemy warriors: one human, one immortal. Different in belief, alike in spirit, marooned together on an alien world.

Imprisoned and in isolation over a year without food or water, the immortal Pietas survives. Though broken in body, his intellect and will are intact, thanks to Six, the special ops warrior who captured him, but kept him sane. The warrior had no hand in his deprivation and, like Pietas, was betrayed by his own kind. When Pietas is abandoned on an alien world with nothing but his honor--and Six--he must find and rejoin other immortal exiles. After centuries of war, Pietas detests humans and kills them on sight, but he is too damaged to continue on his own. Though he despises needing help, he allows Six to nurture and restore him to full strength, and then accompany him. As they cross the planet together on foot, the immortal begins to wonder if he has found his first human friend, or if Six is loyal only because Pietas could keep the others from tearing him to shreds. This human will either be his closest living friend, or the one whose betrayal will trigger all-out vengeance by the most powerful immortal ever born.

Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
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Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb
Amazon print http://amzn.to/1SSmueB
CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-cspGoodreads http://bit.ly/boc1-good
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Follow Kayelle Allen's Amazon Author Page and get one alert from Amazon when a new book is available. Sign up for AuthorAlarms and the app will send you one email when Kayelle releases a new book. You can add and remove authors at any time.

A Day in the Writing Life of #MFRWauthor @Jill_Blake_

I'm a type-A personality. I make lists and plan things out to the very last detail. When all else is chaos, my systematic approach to writing is often the only thing that keeps me sane. (Not to mention it’s cheaper than therapy.)

I start with a character or premise that strikes my fancy. Around this, I build a world, populating it with composite portraits of friends and neighbors, family and coworkers. I fill in my characters’ histories, make family trees, create life plans. Often I do a lot of background reading on whatever topic or environment is relevant to my story.

Then comes plotting. True to form, I keep timelines of important events in my characters’ lives, and use an actual calendar to keep track of their activities in the ongoing present.

Then I go back and write. Each session begins by re-reading the last scene or chapter, making a few edits if needed, and then mapping out a bare-bones outline of the next chapter, fleshing it out, and finally jotting some notes for the following writing session. This continues—two to three sessions a week, each several hours long—for four to six months. That’s how long the process takes me from start to finish for each book. The editing, beta-reading, cover design, formatting, and marketing all come later, often overlapping with the planning stages for my next book.

Sometimes I look around at fellow writers who are incredibly fast and prolific, and wonder how they do it. Some are pantsers. Some are able to multi-task, or write despite distractions. 

Alas, that is not me. I need complete quiet and freedom from interruptions in order to write. That’s hard to come by in a house with husband and three small kids. Not to mention the time constraints imposed by my day job. Did I mention I’m a physician? I average fifty hours a week seeing patients, and also take (thankfully infrequent) call.

So, slow and steady it is. At least for now.

Contributed by Jill Blake
Jill Blake loves chocolate, leisurely walks where she doesn’t break a sweat, and books with a guaranteed happy ending. A native of Philadelphia, Jill now lives in southern California with her husband and three children. During the day, she works as a physician in a busy medical practice. At night, she pens steamy romances.

blog: http://jillblake.blogspot.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jill.blake.3386
twitter: https://twitter.com/Jill_Blake_
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00B1ZIHKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6899971.Jill_Blake

Beyond the Ivory Tower... coming in November 2015

PRE-ORDER LINK
If there’s one thing math professor Anna Larazev believes in, it’s the value of higher education. So when her younger sister announces she’s dropping out of college, Anna places the blame squarely on the man who inspired her sister’s rebellion.

Venture capitalist Ethan Talbot claims the US academic system is broken. His solution? Pay top students to “opt out” and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams without wasting time and money on a university degree.

In a passionate battle for the hearts and minds of a new generation, Anna will do whatever it takes to prove Ethan wrong. But when his demands take a more personal turn, will she sacrifice her principles to come out on top?

EXCERPT

Ethan ignored the first few emails. Likewise the faxed letter, the phone message slips, and the envelope delivered by registered mail.
Ever since his usual assistant, Margaret, went on medical leave, he’d been saddled with a series of temps who had neither the wits nor the will to guard his inner sanctum. What he really needed was someone who not only knew how to organize his schedule and take dictation, but could also screen out and deflect all the noise of the outside world. There were simply too many people asking for money, or looking for a job, or hoping for an interview or sound bite, or just eager for the opportunity to rub elbows with the man of the moment.
Frankly, he was tired of it. But until Margaret returned from getting her hip replaced, he was unlikely to catch a break.
Maybe, after this weekend’s summit, he’d take some time off. Fly down to Belize and do some diving. Or visit his parents in upstate New York. He hadn’t seen them since Christmas. And even then he’d spent most of his time taking meetings by Skype and reviewing business plan executive summaries, financial projections, and capitalization tables.
Sighing, he turned away from his contemplation of San Francisco’s skyline. He needed to make one more pass through his PowerPoint presentation for tomorrow’s keynote address.
He was nearly halfway through the slides when the door burst open and he found himself facing an interruption he couldn’t ignore.
She was five foot five--but that was the only average thing about her. She swept into the room with rapid, angry strides, dark brows drawn together over almond shaped eyes, nostrils flaring. Her hair was caught in a casual twist from which glossy black strands escaped to tumble past high cheekbones and bare neck. A V-cut T-shirt that stopped just short of displaying any cleavage was tucked into a pair of close-fitting jeans.
Ethan’s latest assistant—Tina? Trisha? something with a T—scurried in after her. “Dr. Larazev—”
The woman shook off the restraining hand and continued to advance.
“Ma’am, please.” The assistant cast Ethan a nervous glance. “I’m sure we can schedule you in for an appointment. If you’ll just come with me…”

Why #MFRWauthors Write Romance... @ColleenSMyers #amwriting

Have you ever read a Romance novel and then been disappointed in the ending?
That is why I decided to write. I remember reading a book that I shall not name. I loved the characters, the plot, everything and then end just totally sucked. At least to me it did. And i decided then and there that I wanted to write my own.  I had written for years for pleasure but at that moment, it became my calling.

I think that no matter what you write, there is a little bit of the writer in every aspect. Knowingly or not, we tend to include real life quirks of ourselves and those around us in our writing.  I try to hide this from my family with varying degrees of success.

I write Fantasy and Romance in contemporary settings. I think everything needs a bit more love and whimsy in their lives.

I write what I like.

My first book comes out November 2nd and I can't wait.  I honestly don't know where the idea came from but before I started writing the first book, I had all three plotted out and the 'ending' ready. I created the lore of my world first and went from there...

Coming Soon...
Must Remember
Erotic New Adult Romance
Champagne Book Group

Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth ‘Beta’ Camden is a survivor.

When the E'mani—those pale alien freaks—destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the ‘lucky’ ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them.

Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost—the E'mani’s ancient enemy.  Their war with the E'mani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the E'mani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she’s developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.

But the E'mani took her for a reason and they want her back—dead or alive. If Beta doesn’t remember that reason soon, they’re all going to die.

ABOUT Colleen S. Myers
Colleen plays many roles. Not only is she a veteran, a mother, and a practicing physician, but she is a writer of science fiction and contemporary romances. Colleen’s dreams include surviving her son’s teenage years, exploring every continent on this planet, except Antartica, cause that’s way too cold, and winning the Nobel peace prize. Dream BIG! Currently she is getting ready to publish her first novel, MUST REMEMBER in November of this year (cover reveal soon.)  Until then look for her at Three Rivers Romance Writers, at Facebook, Pinterest, and on twitter at @ColleenSMyers.

Where Do Book Ideas Come From? ASK #MFRWauthor @VellaCMunn

What became the Seasons Heartbeat series started the fall afternoon a dear friend and I were watching a fierce storm head our way. Fueled by a glass of wine and the wind whipping the evergreens while the sky became dark purple, I started thinking about how much I'm impacted by the wilderness. In only a few minutes I had the series' basic concept in mind. I wrote four books with each one taking place during a different season plus a novella that covers a single day. Hopefully I've created flawed and complex people who allow their peaceful mountain surroundings to free them from their pasts and open them to love. 

Seasons Heartbeat:Spring
by Vella Munn
Contemporary Romance
Seasons Heartbeat Series

Alisha Hearne must decide whether to sell the family's mountain cabin or stay and tackle the necessary repairs and face painful memories. The nearby resort represents one thing to Nate Quaid—where he earns a living. Nothing means more to him than freedom and forgetting his past.

Despite their reservations, loneliness and need bring them together but are they capable of revealing their deepest secrets and exposing their vulnerabilities?

Do they dare risk falling in love?

BUY LINK

REVIEWS
Amazon: Seasons Heartbeat: Spring is romance at its best. Ms Munn's vivid descriptions of Lake Serene and her family's mountain cabin made me feel as though I was right there in that beautiful setting.
Amazon: The author's love of nature comes through so clearly in this book that I can almost imagine myself at Lake Serene. She has made the environment another character in the story and the book is richer for it.

EXCERPT
Taking her cue from the older man who’d already started toward the shore, she trailed behind him. Doc was right. The crazy boat driver appeared to be checking out the fifty-some small docks belonging to private cabin owners. At least he’d slowed to trolling speed. At the rate he was going, he’d reach her dock in a couple of minutes so she planted herself as close to the listing structure as she dared. She didn’t care what he thought of her dock. She just wanted to give him a piece of her mind about his disregard for what this high mountain lake stood for. As she waited, she studied Mount Steens across the lake. The top was still buried under snow and thus intimidating to her. By late summer the sharp edges would show. She'd never climbed it, but when she was growing up, she used to tell herself she could tackle it no problem. She just wasn't sure whether she'd have to carry a sleeping bag and plan on having to stay the night.
Night alone near the top of the area's most imposing mountain. Away from all responsibility.
The motor’s high growl triggered something inside that she didn’t want to examine. She’d been under a lot of tension lately and didn’t need this idiot adding to it. She wanted him gone and the quiet back. Not just quiet. She needed to smell what was left of the snow, the water, pine and dirt. To be renewed.
Now that he was close, she realized this wasn’t one of the nearly-derelict boats she remembered the resort renting out. At least twenty-feet long, it had both a trolling motor and an outboard she figured was least ninety horsepower. Judging by the shiny sides and immaculate pedestal fishing seat, the craft was new. Envy nibbled at her. Being in control of the craft would be a ball.
As it eased around partly-submerged trees and closed in on her dock, she forced herself to stop imagining she was putting it through its paces and concentrated on the man with his hand on the steering wheel. It was hard to be certain, but she guessed him to be in his early thirties. The wind had been having its way with his longish dark brown hair while his slightly canted nose and cheeks were wind-chapped. He had a square jaw, deep-set eyes shielded by shaggy brows, and a serious slant to his mouth that made her wonder if there might be more to him than a hell-raiser after all.
Over a blue T-shirt sporting a motorcycle logo he wore an unsnapped grey windbreaker that speed had pushed away from a chest made for physical labor. This was no indulged teenager, not this man with his broad shoulders and big, strong, tanned hands. Because he was sitting low in the boat, she couldn’t see his lower half.
“Where’s your life vest?” Doc called out.
When the man didn’t immediately respond, she wondered if he was debating answering. If he gave Doc a hard time, she’d give him a piece of her mind.
He shifted into neutral and indicated behind him.
“Crazy as you’ve been driving, I’m surprised you thought of safety,” Doc grumbled. “There’s a speed limit here.”
The man shrugged. She wanted to examine his expression, but now that the wind was in charge, the boat had started to turn away from the shore. It swayed with the waves it had created. She imagined him a drifter, a lost soul without any idea how to put his life on course. He spent one week here, another week there, never planning beyond following impulse.
Then he put the motor back into gear and came alongside the dock, making her decide he had some sense of direction after all. He stood and reached out so he could grab the one remaining cleat. He wrapped a tie rope around it and sat back down.
“This yours?” he asked Doc, indicating the listing dock.
“No,” she said. “It’s mine.”
“Needs work.”
The understatement almost made her laugh. “Thanks for pointing that out. Winter’s been a little rough on it.”
He’d turned his attention to her while she was talking, surely time enough for her to get used to the intensity in his eyes. There was something arresting about him, something on the wild side perhaps. She half expected him to jump out of the boat and take off at a dead run because that was his way of dealing with the energy boiling inside him. This wasn’t a man for sitting and contemplating his navel. Just sitting inside a motionless boat was testing the limits of his self-restraint.

ABOUT Vella Munn
Vella Munn has been writing ever since she created a comic book with a horse as the hero. She has had over 60 books published and can't imagine doing anything else. She lives in rural Oregon with her family and two rescue dogs.

http://www.vella-munn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/vella.munn
http://www.amazon.com/Vella-Munn/e/B0047Q6IB8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1433111489&sr=1-2-ent

What's Your Critique Group Experience? @kayelleallen #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Tarthian Empire Companion 

I live in a small town in Georgia, and honestly thought I'd never find a writer's group where I would fit. I write non-fiction, contemporary romance, scifi, scifi romance, gay romance, and I'm moving into mainstream with all my books simply to broaden my reader base. So instead of erotic content, I'm writing with a focus on character relationships and other story aspects.

When I found a group on MeetUp that brought together local writers, I intended to stay "in the closet" as far as my erotic writing went. I was focusing on other aspects anyway. They'd never see my spicy scenes. Members knew going in that I wrote gay romance, and that was never an issue with anyone. Considering it is such a small town, I was a little surprised when no one even blinked when I said what I write. About three months later, we got a new member from California who was writing a lesbian romance series. It's literary fiction with characters who happen to be lesbians. She's an incredible writer -- one of the most gifted I've ever read. She's become my friend.

When she asked if the group could meet an additional day of the week just for critiques, we took a vote. Everyone who was interested began meeting on the new day as well. Later, we gained another writer who writes romance, but who has a serious love for gay romance. I'm still amazed at how diverse this group is for such a tiny town. I never expected to find this. We have one writer in her 70s who's probably the most open-minded person I've ever met. She just isn't shocked at anything, unless it's us saying something nice about her work. We have a 20-something guy who's a new writer honing his love of pony fanfic. And we have a serious literary writer who uses multimillion dollar words and you would think is pretentious until you realize he's being himself. He speaks the way he writes. If I made these characters up for a book people would think I had an outrageous imagination. But they are real, and I get to hang out with them every week.

My point is that no matter where you live, there is probably someone like you, looking for a writer friend. Ask at the library if you can put out flyers to start a writers' group. Take out an ad in the local paper. Reach out on social media. Try MeetUp like I did, and see what happens. But get out there and meet writers. The fun and camaraderie of working together is too good to miss.

What is your experience? Have you belonged to a critique group in the past? Are you in one now? Please share in the comments.

--- 

Kayelle Allen, author of the Tarthian Empire Companion
A World-Building Bible and Guide to Writing a Science Fiction Series
Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az Smashwords http://bit.ly/companion-smw
Website http://kayelleallen.mobi Blog http://kayelleallen.com/blog
Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+KayelleAllen/

The Writing Process: Meeting Your Editor - Part 2

The editing process is a very in depth topic and not one I feel should be crammed into one blog so I'm going to spread this out a little. :D

Here we go with the next installment:

Some publishers will introduce you to your editor by sending you both an e-mail. That way you and the editor will have each other’s e-mail address. This doesn’t mean you’re supposed to e-mail her/him all the time, asking where they are in your work. Other publishers will leave it up to the editor to contact the author.

Full time editors work on more than one manuscript at a time. Depending on how fast they can edit they could be working on five or more when they are working on yours. If they are part-time they might only work on one at a time, but most of us will edit one, send it to the author and pick up another one. As an avid reader I always want a book to read.

Your editor also has a life. They have family, some have children, some have elderly parents they take care of. They get sick, have a bad day, work a day job, have bills to pay. Understand we’re not perfect. I’ve had have times were it has taken me a long time (almost a month) to edit a book because of things going on in my life. Please know your editor is working as hard and as fast as they can to get your book back to you.

They want to make your book the best it can be and to rush would defeat that purpose. I know you have a deadline and it’s approaching fast but which would you rather have? A decent book put out on time or a great book that is a little late? Something to think about.

Next month I’ll be talking about what little I know about self publishing...Then we’ll get into the actual editing process.

Barb:)

Bio:
Barbara Donlon Bradley wears many hats. She’s a mother, wife, care-giver, author, and editor. She’s a senior editor for Melange Books, and writes for Phaze and Melange books/Satin Romances with over twenty titles under her belt.

Author Sites:

Website: http://www.barbaradonlonbradley.com/

Publisher: http://www.phaze.com/author.php?author=21

Blog: http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Donlon-Bradley/118673448173249

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbbradley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbaradbradley/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7773192-barbara-bradley

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0072OTZJE

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Barbara-donlon-bradley

ARe:http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Barbara+Donlon+Bradley

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Search?Query=Barbara%20Donlon%20Bradley

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/search/books?Keywords=barbara%20donlon%20bradley

Author-to-Author: On Writing Erotica @SuzDeMello #MFRWauthor

Scenes are the building blocks of your story, for acts are comprised of scenes. They're nothing
more than events, most often interactions between your characters. Scenes should fulfill at least one or two of the below purposes—best if you can include all four.

•Advance plot
•Reveal or develop character
•Complicate or resolve conflict
•Express setting, mood, theme

Everything in your manuscript should have a function, even every comma or em-dash.

How does this apply to the writing of erotica?
Too often, sex scenes are shoehorned into a story to increase the word count or the heat level, while those scenes don't fulfill any other function. To quote from Plotting and Planning again, Everything in a story should contribute to it, from the biggest monster to the tiniest comma.

If a scene doesn't contribute to the story, it doesn't belong there. It doesn't matter how well-written it is. It doesn't matter how hot it is. It doesn't matter how much you, the author, may love the beautiful prose or the scorching hot, kinky sex.

There's a piece of writerly advice out there: Kill your darlings.

No one's quite sure where this phrase originated, but it's been repeated often, by such notable authors as William Faulkner and Stephen King. (SOURCE)

But it doesn't matter who originated the phrase--it's great advice. We often fall in love with our prose and are loath to cut it, especially when we may have slaved over a particularly well-turned clause or exhaustively researched, say, the eating habits of the lesser lemur of Madagascar.

Fiction is no place to be a smarty-pants. Leave that for term papers, book reports and theses.

In terms of writing sex scenes, what do we leave in and what to we cut?
We leave in those scenes that fulfill at least one of the above purposes. Ideally, a well-written, thoughtfully planned encounter will fulfill more than one purpose.

Here's a brief example, from a story I wrote called Gypsy Witch. The backstory is that the heroine is dating a cop.

Ben propped himself up on his elbows to better see the naked woman beneath him. Sheened with sweat, Elena’s lush curves glowed in the reddish half-light of her bedroom, curtained in exotically patterned swaths of gauze and silk. A curl of smoke from a lit incense stick scented the air with sandalwood. Otherworldly New Age music flowed out of a boombox in the corner, irritating the hell out of him. 

Though the paragraph is very sensual, there’s quite a bit of characterization and even a little conflict—and this is only the first paragraph of the story. We see that Ben is very “feet-on-the-ground” while Elena, his lover, is exotic and New-Agey. So character is described, setting is related and the romantic conflict is shown.

If you like what you read, find the story here: http://www.ellorascave.com/gypsy-witch.html.

As a romance novelist, I believe firmly that erotic scenes should never be gratuitous. If a writer keeps the purposes a scene must fulfill in mind while writing, the sex is never out of place but is a seamless part of a well-written story.

From my writing treatise, Plotting and Planning, available at http://tinyurl.com/deMelloPlotting.

ABOUT Suz deMello
Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com
--For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com
--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzdemello
--She tweets @Suzdemello; https://twitter.com/SuzdeMello
--Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/
--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads
--Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

#MFRWorg ASKS: Are You a #NaNoWriMo Newbie? @MaeClair1 #MFRWauthor

Are you a NaNo Newbie?

I was last year. A close friend of mine faithfully tackled NaNo every year but I resisted tossing my pen into the ring. The timing was always wrong, I was too busy working on a WIP, or had some other excuse in the pipeline. Then last year I decided NaNoWriMo was something I should experience at least once in my lifetime. A rite of passage.

So in September, I started thinking about my project and pre-planning. My normal style is to wing scenes as I go, something that I knew wouldn’t fly if I wanted to churn out 50,000 words in November. I also have a regimental habit of editing as I write, making sure everything is polished before moving ahead. NaNo is the exact opposite of that—plan before you start, then write like a warp-drive engine.

Could I do it?

As an A-type personality , I hate to fail. I planned my story, devised intricate character worksheets, sketched out my town, and outlined the first four chapters of my novel scene-by-scene. I didn’t have the whole book plotted, but had a good hand on the story and was pleased with my pre-prep. I even took the time to write and schedule all of my regular weekly blog posts for November so I wouldn’t be distracted.

November 1st rolled around and I burst out of the starting gate with a rush of exhilaration. The excitement was overwhelming, everyone racing along with me. Mid-month rolled around and I settled into a steadier gait, my eye on endurance and hanging in there for the long haul. By the closing week, I was exhausted, wondering if I would last, certain I would never attempt such creative madness again.

The result?

I walked away with a 50,500 word rough draft of a novel that was far was from finished, but taught me the value of plotting and put me further ahead as a writer than I’ve ever been in 30 days. I’ve since added an additional 8,000 words on my goal toward 20,000 more. The book is shaping up to be the best I’ve ever written and will likely be ready for submission early 2015 if not before.

So am I doing NaNo again this year? You betcha.

Like last year, I’ve already picked my project, lined up my characters and plotted as much as I can, including the first four chapters, scene-by-scene. It worked for me last year, so I’m hoping the formula proves true again this year. Most importantly, I know that when November 1st rolls around, I need to write like a steam locomotive, focused on accomplishing the goal of 50K. Turn off the editor, turn off the polisher, and know that a host of other writers are sloughing through those same trenches with me.

I’m no longer a newbie, but feel every bit as giddy as I did when attempting NaNo for the first time. I hope you’ll join me and experience the madness!

About The Author

Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.

Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.net

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Twitter  |  Google+  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Amazon Author Page  |  Goodreads