Critique_This_WIP

Author Interview: Roh Morgon

2010-10-25T23:16:00.001-05:00

Courtney: Hello all and welcome back to CritiqueThisWIP! Today’s author interview is with the beautiful and talented Roh Morgon. Before we start, I’d like to thank Roh for being so patient as this interview as it has been pushed back not once, not twice, but three times! Roh—you’re a saint and I’m so glad this day has finally come! Now, want to know a little bit about her?

Roh Morgon tends to keep her head in the clouds, whether they're clouds of her own making or those of others. When she does touch ground, she does her best to bring a little fantasy with her. Exploring Middle Earth at an early age spawned an interest in costuming and renfaires, where she learned how to handle a sword and a bow. She's hitchhiked across the country, ridden on the backs of Harleys, and driven a train. These days she writes urban fantasy. Roh shares a home in the Sierra Nevada foothills with three mustang horses, two herding dogs, and a patient husband who wonders if she'll ever find time to sleep again.

Courtney: Thanks for stopping by today Roh, we are so excited to have you! Can you tell us a bit about your writing life and your daily life?

Roh: I’ve been an escapist my entire life. Whether through reading, or costuming, or renfairing, I’ve found that periodic immersion into other worlds is the key to my coping with this one. That being said, it should come as no surprise that the genre in which I’ve chosen to write is fantasy. The only limits in fantasy are those of one’s own imagination, the only rules one needs to abide by are those one creates oneself. Unless, of course, one needs their work to be published. Then it’s back to reality.

Speaking of reality, my real life is actually pretty fantastic. As a child growing up in a remote Southern California canyon, I explored the wild hills barefoot with my brothers and rode my horse bareback at top speed whenever I wasn’t reading. A wicked youth spent hitchhiking across the West and perching on the backs of Harleys eventually gave way to soccer mom duties and full-time college studies—at the same time. In my spare moments, I learned how to herd cattle, sew costumes, swordfight, and plant an arrow or a knife in a target—not necessarily at the same time.

The art of writing is a joy I’ve only recently discovered. The elation I feel as a scene unfolds behind my eyes and magically transforms into words is indescribable. The phrase “witching hour” comes to mind as I think of my favorite writing time, between 11:00pm and 4:00am, when I fall under the spell of the characters in my head. The conscious brain turns off and I succumb to the unending flow of imagery and conversation as they live out their lives. I feel more like a translator than a writer, a liaison between their world and ours. And I feel honored that they’ve chosen me as the conduit through which to tell their stories.

The settings of those stories are a combination of the fantastical and the real. My years spent in the lofty mountains of Colorado and the stark plains of Wyoming, the red canyons of central Arizona and the rolling hills of California, provide some of the diverse stages upon which my characters re-enact their lives.

My life is currently set in the Sierra Nevada foothills and is shared with three mustang horses, two crazy herding dogs, and a very patient husband who wonders if I’m ever going find the time to sleep again.

I have Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter accounts, but the only site I manage to update regularly is my blog, musings of a moonlight writer. It can be found at http://www.rohmorgon.com/blog

I also have a website that is currently being revamped (I'm so excited!) and will be hitting the e-waves with a brand new look very soon.

Courtney: First off—to pen name, or not to pen name? Which side are you on?

Roh: Pen name. In fact, Roh Morgon IS my pen name J. I'm kinda old-school and prefer to keep personal things personal - unless, of course, I decide otherwise! And Roh is a nickname I've gone by for a number of years. It seemed natural to use it as my pen name.

Courtney: Oh I know exactly what you mean. I’m still trying to make “the switch” from real to pen. It isn’t working out so well for me…When did you start writing?

Roh: I started writing Watcher in January 2009, and finished it a few months later in May. Not only was it my first novel, it was the first fiction I'd ever written. Since then I've started learning HOW to write, and have spent the last year revising and editing it. I've also completed a number of short stories and am working on a young adult novel now.

Courtney: The HOW is the hardest part of it all! Good luck with the edits J What’s your favorite genre to write?

Roh: Paranormal. Love the shifters, the vampires, the not-so-human, and the outcasts -- beings whose problems have elements that surpass normal human ones. I write both adult and MG/YA.

Courtney: Yay! Another paranormal author! It’s only the best genre ever! What’s your favorite genre to read?

Roh: Fantasy - all types. Swords and sorcerers, dragons, magical, paranormal - anything that doesn't have to do with reality! Oh, and I like a bit of sci-fi and historical fiction here and there.

Courtney: Excellent choices =) How do you come up with your characters?

Roh: They come to me. Several of my main characters (Sunny from Watcher, and Jade & Sanders from Breaking Through) were in my head when I woke up one morning. As I sat down to write about them, they showed me their stories, kinda like watching a movie in my head. Other characters have slowly surfaced, a little bit at a time, during random moments.

Courtney: I know just what you mean. Some of them are stubaborn, others won’t leave you alone! Where have some of you best ideas come from?

Roh: Showers! I have a writer friend who refers to 'shower inspirations.' But seriously, I don't truly know. My characters show me their stories, and I have no idea where they come from. I'm just transcribing their lives as they reveal them to me.

Courtney: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Roh: Complete pantser, all the way. I'll know the beginning, and soon after I begin actually writing the story, I'll know the end. Middle scenes will float around in my head and I'm never sure which one is coming next. I'm at the mercy of my characters - once they start pouring their story out, my fingers can hardly keep up. And they amaze me all the time. In Watcher, Sunny discovers a new sculpture (a very heartbreaking one) in the garden, and I was every bit as surprised by it as she was. I recall looking up from the screen in shock and asking the air, "Where did THAT come from?"

Courtney: Haha! That must be entertaining to say the least J What project or projects are you working on now?

Roh: Watcher is a completed dark fantasy, the first in a trilogy. Here's the latest tagline for it:

No longer human and forced to live in isolation to protect her secret, Sunny Martin's lonely existence changes when she meets Nicolas, the enigmatic leader of a hidden society--but as they're swept into a whirlwind of passion, betrayal, and murder, she faces an agonizing choice: give up her soul for the one she loves, or spend eternity alone.

It's just about ready to start submitting to agents. I've worked with a couple of professional editors and feel pretty good about the latest revisions. Its sequel, Runner, is half-done and is on hold for the moment while I focus on Watcher.

I'm also working on a YA paranormal series called The Forbidden Doorways. The first novel, Breaking Through, is about two-thirds complete. A novelette from the series, Fur Before Feathers, is appearing in I Dreamed a Crooked Dream, a collection of short stories by the Fresno Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers. The anthology is scheduled for release after Thanksgiving. In addition, due to interest from several school districts, I'm self-publishing the novelette as a standalone, with really cool cover art by my friend, Paula Zima.

Courtney: That is so cool! Congrats to the Anthology and to the novelette! And your tagline sounds amazing! Can I hire you to write mine?!
What’s in a name? How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do?

Roh: Names are incredibly important. They help define a character's personality and appearance in subtle ways. Nicolas sounds far more suave and debonair (and he is) than George or Bob. I did do a little research on his name - it's an Anglicized version of his Hungarian name, Miklos. And Sunny...I argued for months with her about changing her name. But a strange incident convinced me to keep it. I have a whole blog post on that.

Courtney: Now I’m tempted to go read about her name instead of finishing our interview! Curiosity is not good for me!
How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else?

Roh: Music definitely helps set the mood. I have a whole soundtrack I've assembled for Watcher and Runner. Hearing one of those songs (including while driving) can throw me straight into the story. My favorite time to write is late at night, between 11pm and 4am. That's when my logical brain shuts off from exhaustion, and the creative brain opens the doors to wherever my stories come from. I usually sit in a rocking chair with my laptop, but sometimes I'll sit up in bed propped against pillows.

Courtney: Do you have a writing playlist? Admit it—what’s on yours?

Roh: Oh yeah. I have a lot of Nine Inch Nails (the quieter, deeper stuff) and NIN remixes, and quite a bit of Incubus. I also have Blue October, Kings of Leon, Chevelle, Loreena McKennitt, Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows...I could go on and on.

I recently started a feature on my blog called ~this week's musical treat. The songs I post tend to be from musicians who are aren't widely known or are unpublished (like me!) One of my favorites is a young man named Justin St. Charles who I discovered through a Nine Inch Nails remix website. His songs (both remixes and originals) are quiet introspections with an element of heartwrenching sadness and longing - perfect for the world of Watcher and Runner.

Courtney: He sounds amazing. I have a similar blog, To Keep It Going where I post pictures, poems, lyrics—inspirations tidbits—for writers. It so funny how we writers think alike!
Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Roh: Yes. I belong to the Fresno Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers (FSFW). We meet three times a month to review each other's stuff. And a few of us exchange works on the side. I've learned so much about writing from the members of our group. I recommend every serious writer join a critique group.

Courtney: I agree 100%. Critique groups are invaluable. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see things you would otherwise miss.
Speaking of crit groups, how do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Roh: Depends upon how it's delivered! J Seriously, though, I appreciate all feedback. It allows me to try to see my work from another perspective.

Courtney: Blogfests: Do you participate? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Blogfests! Yes, I like those (too much, I think). But they make great writing exercises. I generally write a new scene, but will use a minor character from a WIP. I did use a scene from Watcher in one blogfest.

Courtney: What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Roh: Writing! It's a bit like an addictive drug. I love the creative high that happens when the story is streaming through my head and out my fingers. It's magical. And I love editing, too. Arranging and re-arranging the words to craft sentences and paragraphs with rhythm and flow, to find the cadence that carries the reader along, is a very satisfying part of the writing process for me.

Courtney: What’s your least favorite part?

Roh: Writing queries, which are accompanied by the fear that my words or my voice aren't strong enough to stand out from the hordes of others that inundate agents every day.

Courtney: That’s pretty much everyone’s least favorite part. Haha!
Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Roh: I work full-time. Whatever time is left over goes to blogging and writing. I hit the gym twice a week and the movies once in awhile. Oh, and Thursday nights are date night with Damon (you know, The Vampire Diaries). He's one of the coolest vamps on the screen. At least until Johnny Depp hits the theaters as Barnabas Collins in his upcoming film Dark Shadows. I also play around with photography, and do a little jet-skiing, riding (I have 3 mustang horses), and occasionally hit the goth-clubs on weekends.

Courtney: Favorites? Books? Authors? Movies? Songs?

Hmm. The Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy by Patricia McKillip is one of my all-time favorites. I loved The Hunger Games series (Suzanne Collins), and Shiver and Linger (Maggie Stiefvater). And yes, I enjoyed Twilight and all its sequels. A couple of my favorite authors are Morgan Llywelyn (Celtic historical fantasy), and George R. R. Martin (gritty medieval fantasy) and of course, the writer that begat my love of fantasy, J. R. R. Tolkien.

Fav movies? The Black Stallion (I grew up reading the books), The Mask of Zorro (great sword fighting and a hot cast, including the horse!), The Three Musketeers (more great sword fighting), and all the Pirates movies (Johnny Depp, along with even more great sword fighting!) I love swords and actually know how to use one!

Songs? Too many to list, but my favorite bands are Tool and Nine Inch Nails (especially their later stuff).

Courtney: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Roh: Only one? You're kidding, right? Probably one of my favorites is the opening line from Watcher:

I watch my daughter, sunlight dancing across her dark hair, kneel down to place the flowers on my empty grave.

But this snippet of dialog between Sunny and Nicolas later on in the story is also a favorite:

"You waited here," I whisper. "All that time. For me."

"Yes. I could do...nothing else."

Courtney: Oh wow! Intense! I love them both! Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Roh: I recently met Nathan Bransford at the Central Coast Writers Workshop in San Luis Obispo. He is just as encouraging and supportive in person as he is on his blog (and funny, too!) His workshop, Getting Published: Let’s Play Query Mad Lib, was both entertaining and quite educational. For more about my experiences at the conference, you can check out these posts (Part I & Part II) on my blog.

The day after the conference I shared a booth with my artist friend, Paula Zima, at the Central Coast Book & Author Fair. Paula did the fantastic cover art for my novelette, Fur Before Feathers. Our booth featured Paula's artwork and copies of Fur Before Feathers that I sold (or sometimes gave away) to both kids and adults (I almost felt like a real author!). I also participated in the Reading in Public program and read excerpts from several of my works.

I learned quite a bit about promoting my writing at both the conference and the book festival, and encourage all writers to attend at least one per year. The education you can gain and the contacts you can make are well worth the expenses of time and money.

Courtney: Nathan Bransdord?! Really?? He’s a phenomenal agent! I’m so jealous! I need to take his workshop now—I could definitely use the help. And that cover art is awesome! Makes me want to pick up that book and read!

Readers: How do you compare to Roh and her writing ways? Do your story take over your witching hour? Do you believe in playlists? Pen names? Post a comment and let us know!

Author Interview: Christopher S. Ledbetter

2010-10-12T00:20:00.002-05:00

Courtney: Hello everyone and welcome back to CritiqueThisWIP. Today’s Author Interview is with the 1^st place winner of our 100 Followers Contest, Christopher S. Ledbetter. Christopher, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Christopher: I grew up in Durham, NC before moving to Charlottesville, VA in 11th grade. After high school, I attended Hampton University where I promptly joined the marching band. I carried the bass drum for four years, something my back is not happy about now. After a change of heart and major, I enrolled in Old Dominion University and earned my degree in Business Administration.
I've worked in various managerial and marketing capacities throughout my life. While teaching high school for six years in Culpeper, Virginia, I taught business management, business law, marketing, and sports marketing. I also coached football. Currently, I am an author moonlighting as a Volkswagen sales and finance consultant. I can help you find the perfect car while describing the perfect sunset. I am an ancient world enthusiast and an incurable dreamer of things just beyond my grasp. I love mythology and fantasy, two great influences on my writing.
I had always wanted to write, but never found my creative muse until late in 2006 when I moved back to North Carolina. That is when I began work on Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis, a young adult historical novella.
I now live in Wilmington, NC with my wife and daughter. I have several writing projects going, including turning my Caenus novella into a trilogy of full length novels. My blog, The Oracle and The Muse, at http://www.caenus.blogspot.com is where you can get the most up to date information. Also, please follow me on Twitter: @Chris_Ledbetter

Courtney: I’m officially impressed—a drummer, writer, and business major?! I won’t ask how you found the time, just know, I envy you your success. Alright, now let’s get to the really good stuff—the interview! First off—to pen name, or not to pen name? Which side are you on?

Christopher: I think using a pen name can be useful for branding purposes with different audiences. It could also be useful with someone who’d rather his or her real name not be associated with a certain type of writing (eg. Erotica). I do have a pen name for romance and erotica I write: “Scott Noir”

Courtney: When did you start writing?

Christopher: Well, I wrote a short story in grade school that won 1^st place in my class (circa 1985) But, 2006 is when I really began what I call my writing career.

Courtney: What’s your favorite genre to write?

Christopher: Fantasy.

Courtney: One of my favorite genres! What’s your favorite genre to read?

Christopher: Fantasy (sword and sandal).

Courtney: Go figure, you write what you love to read =) I’m the same way—except switch Fantasy with Paranormal Romance. How do you come up with your characters?

Christopher: They kind of come to me as I need them for my stories… I haven’t done full character sketches or anything yet. But for my books to come I will create full dossiers for each.

Courtney: A man after my own heart *swoons*. I could spend days working on my own character sketches… In fact, there are a few people in the writing community that know me –and by know me, I mean make fun of me—for my numerous character files and spreadsheets.
Now where have some of you best ideas come from?

Christopher: Laughs, my best ideas come out of my waaay over active imagination.

Courtney: I know exactly what you mean! If we weren’t writers, we’d probably be arrested and thrown in the looney-bin. As it is, we just get the “crazy-writer” stereotype ;-P
Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Christopher: I’m a total plotter!!! I have just gotten involved with a collaborative project that has been a “pantser” type of story and it’s a bit unnerving. In my own stories I HAVE to plot it out. That doesn’t mean it can’t change, but I need a roadmap.

Courtney: Finally! Another crazy plotter! I swear, we are a dying breed. It seems like everyone I interview is a hippie-pantser. It’s just crazy if you ask me…
What project or projects are you working on now?

Christopher: I have a finished full novel out with critiquers and a finished short story recently submitted. Beyond that, I’m working on 3 short stories (two romantic and one fairy tale re-write) and one novel (2nd book to finished novel) at various stages of completion.

Courtney: Are you published? If so, what is the name of the novel?

Christopher: I self published 1 novella- “Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis.” I am currently revising it into a book and trying to get it published as a novel.

Courtney: Congratulations and good luck with the revisions! Which of your characters do you most relate with?

Christopher: What’s funny is I don’t know if I truly relate to any of them. I love them all for differing reasons even the evil ones are sympathetic. it’s funny… someone asked me if my title character for Caenus was representative of “me” or if his story was biographical in some way… and it’s not.

Courtney: What’s in a name? How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do? Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Christopher: I do agonize over names. They must fit the person. I spent a great deal of time researching every name in my “Caenus” story (every name except Caenus).

Courtney: I do the same thing. It can be such a struggle to find the perfect one, but once you do—BAM! It’s magical!
How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else? What is your writing environment like?

Christopher: God, I wish I could find a perfect writing environment. I work full time at a car dealership and I have a 3 yr old and wife at home so my writing usually comes in short bursts. One thing I am good at is if I get about a minute and a half of no one talking to me, I can fall into the world I need to be in no matter what is going on around me. In a perfect world, I would try to leaf through pictures of my setting and then maybe go to the beach and just dissolve into my writing world.

Courtney: How great would it be to write at the beach?! Of course, I’d probably be way to distracted by everything going on to actually write, but still…
Do you have a writing playlist?

Christopher: I don’t listen to music when I write. I actually find that I shut out everything so completely when I write. Yeah, my wife is really happy about that.

Courtney: I’m the same way—need my own thoughts to hear the story I’m writing. Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Christopher: I do have a few that I use. There’s no way to see all the nuances of a story you’ve written.

Courtney: As a member of a critique group, I agree 100%. How do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Christopher: I love criticism. Sometimes it stings a bit… but if the person delivering it is well heeled then it will make your writing better.

Courtney: I couldn’t have said it better myself. Criticism is one of those things that helps even if it hurts a bit. How many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Christopher: I have a few things going at once. Mostly it’s that I have big novel projects that take longer. Then I’ll find open calls for short stories that have hard and fast deadlines, so I’ll attack them too. Two of my short stories are projects that were novels that I’m simply going to trim to SS length.

Courtney: Blogfests—do you participate in them? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Christopher: I just got turned onto blogfests! I’ve been participating since June 2010. And yeah all my scenes are from various WIP’s.

Courtney: I love blogfests too. They’re fun and can even be a nice writing exercise. What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Christopher: Disappearing into my mind to see what comes out!

Courtney: What’s your least favorite part?

Christopher: The query and submission process. Ugh!

Courtney: Yeah, that part is not nearly as fun as the writing process. Do you ever have trouble with writers-block?

Christopher: No, because I plot everything. My outlines have outlines!

Courtney: And once more, my heart skips a beat! We need to talk plots after the interview.. I can’t figure out how to keep track of all of my spreadsheets!
Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Christopher: Spending time with family, reading, working, playing Wii, watching movies

Courtney: Favorite books? Authors? Movies? Songs?

Christopher: Books: The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Lord Of The Rings, Dante's Inferno, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Da Vinci Code, Gods, The Richest Man in Babylon, The Book of Five Rings,

Movies: Gladiator, Heat, The Italian Job, Casino Royale, Under the Tuscan Sun, Drumline, The Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Point Break, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, The Count of Monte Cristo, King Arthur, 300, Troy

Music: anything from Jay-Z to Dave Mathews Band to Franco Corelli

Courtney: Excellent choices. I’m a huge fan of several of those. Have you read Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield? I’m reading it now and it seems like it’s right up your ally. Think Gladiator meets Spartacus—with women.
Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Christopher: Writing brings me an immeasurable joy and I hope that it passes through to the reader.

Courtney: Thank you for stopping by today, Christopher. It’s been a pleasure talking to you. Good luck on your writing endeavors.

Readers: Alright guys—time to pitch in your two cents! How do you’re writing habits compare to Christopher’s? How much time do you spend researching your character’s names? What’s your least favorite part of writing? Your favorite? Do you use a writing playlist or enjoy the voices in your own head? Post a comment and let us know!

Author Interview: Karen Bell

2010-10-04T02:38:00.004-05:00

It’s October 4th and we are officially back to CritiqueThisWIP. Kinda. Over the next week, you’ll be seeing some changes around here—no, not bad changes; good changes! So keep your eyes peeled and your browsers open, because we’ll be posting new group info on the blog by the end of the week!

Now, since it’s Monday, we’re going to cut right to the good stuff.

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS ARE BACK— EVERY MONDAY!

This is Karen Bell. Karen has been on my radar for a few months now and today she’s agreed to do a sit down with CTW for an interview-turned-conversation with none other than ME! Okay, I realize I get the honor of doing many an author interview, but still—this is exciting stuff!

Courtney: Hi Karen and welcome to Author Interviews on CritiqueThisWIP. Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Karen: WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS is my first novel, although I am not new to writing. I was a theater critic and celebrity interviewer for a weekly tabloid in Jacksonville, Fl and I earned a Master’s in Mass Communication from Oklahoma State University. For 15 years I was an editor/writer at a major accounting firm. I also was a technical editor for an accounting magazine that published monthly. I am married with four children, three of whom are married with children. My youngest daughter is a trained opera singer and beginning her career. My husband is a professor and we live in Ponte Vedra, Fl.

I am in the rewrite stage of my second novel, SUNSPOTS. It has been a slow process because life has a way of getting in the way of my writing projects. When I stay away too long, I forget the names of my characters, so rewriting is also a way to refresh my memory. I’m hoping to finish this fall. If my debut novel gets any play it might make publishing this one easier.

I like to write about women, ordinary women and how they cope with all the complexities of life. I always seem to throw in some humor because one must always have a sense of humor even in the darkest of times. What also appeals to me are the unknown elements, the vibrations of different dimensions that lurk about us. I think we all have unexplained experiences, windows to a realm that we cannot interpret with our five senses. In the worlds I create, I can make anything happen, and so I do. Extraordinary events of the paranormal happening to ordinary people—but not scary stuff—enlightening stuff.

For my third and probably last novel, I will use aspects of Greek and Roman mythology either in the plot or characters. I have to study up on that before I can start.

I am on Twitter and Facebook and my website is www.karensbell.com. I don’t have a blog because I don’t think that anyone would read it—don’t really know how to bring people to it. But maybe that will change.

Courtney: When did you start writing?

Karen: [I] Had bouts with writing my entire life—worked as a theater critic and celebrity interviewer, took a writing class and wrote a short story, got a MS in mass communication, and became a business writer and editor—it comes easily to me.

Courtney: Sounds like a classic case of ‘love at first write’. What’s your favorite genre?

Karen: I dislike the genre thing—I really don’t fit into any genre per se but if you call women’s fiction a genre than I’m in that one. I write how I feel about life from a woman’s perspective because guess what—I’m a woman, my own personal laboratory. I also am extremely interested in the paranormal, unusual experiences and the miracle of humanity. That aspect seems to pop into most of my fiction work, kind of magical realism.

Courtney: Now that sounds like my kind of fiction. Paranormal is my cup’a tea! So when you start of a new WIP, how do you come up with your characters?

Karen: My characters have been caged, trapped, in my subconscious for years waiting to break free. They emerge of their own accord as the story progresses; push their way into existence and I am powerless to stop them.

Courtney: Your characters sound just as stubborn as mine! I swear, they have a mind of their own…
What’s in a name? How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do? Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Karen: In SUNSPOTS the name, Aurora, was pivotal because she was conceived during a solar maximum when her parents traveled to see a fabulous display of the aurora borealis in the Canadian Yukon. I think that my character’s names are very important just like in real life. Your name sort of sets your destiny. I ruminate over different names and sometimes they just come to me as if the character has told me that. In SUNSPOTS, Viola Parker totally gave me her name.

Courtney: Where have some of you best story-ideas come from?

Karen: I try to be present in observing the world around me and that gives me ideas. Sometimes when I am in the zone at the gym a thought will pop into my head. I became inspired to write WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS, my first novel, by my work experiences. I had a “aha” moment when I saw a woman pumping her breast in the ladies room at work and thought, “There’s a baby somewhere crying for her right now.” Somehow our society has screwed things up for families. We don’t give nearly enough maternity leave. We are not enlightened on this dimension. There are countries that give women two years maternity leave. Somehow the feminist movement got side tracked. I think so anyway. I personally was quite lucky and didn’t have to work when my kids were little. But I paid for it afterwards in the workplace—a late starter is a nonstarter in this world. In my second novel, a character came to me while I was trying to take a nap—and she even told me her name—weird...huh?

Courtney: Wow, two years?! Now why haven’t we gotten around to that? Oh— and don’t worry, I’ve heard of stranger things; characters naming themselves is a relatively normal occurrence (of course, that may put you in the category of “crazy writer”, but you have plenty of company). Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Karen: If pantser means seat of your pants then that’s me. I have a general idea of a story but creating a beginning, middle, and end just evolves and sometimes changes during my rewrites. I am constantly combing back through, rereading, massaging, working on consistency. It’s amazing how many plot holes you can create without realizing it when you write this way.

Courtney: Ah! I love that you said “massaging”. It really does take some massaging, whether you’re a pantser or a plotter.
Are you published? If so, what is the name of your novel?

Karen: Yes, literaryroad.com just released my debut novel, WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS. It is available in trade paperback, for Kindle, and iPad.

Courtney: Congratulations! Readers—go ahead and click on the link to see what WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS is all about.
Now Karen, what project are you working on now that WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS has been released?

Karen: My second novel, SUNSPOTS. It’s a study of woman who loses her husband after just two years, the mystery around it, the ghosts of his past—literally and figuratively and how she gets herself and her life back.

Courtney: Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Karen: No need for that. The publishing process is brutal as well as informative. I had several editors at big New York houses and smaller houses that gave me good feedback, rewrite suggestions, and seemed interested in extending an offer. I responded to the suggestions that felt right. Tried to rekindle interest, but just like sharks, they kept on swimming ahead. But that process was quite helpful. Renee Fitzgerald, my publisher, worked with me on the final version of WWE. Helped the pace. A writer is always in love with her own words. So, you definitely need another perspective. Deleting paragraphs is like a death. In fact, I still am in mourning for those deletions in the book. But they are saved on my computer.

Courtney: Once an agent looks over something, it’s nearly impossible to get them to see it again. This is where a critique group or beta reader comes in handy. They catch those extra little things that we writers don’t see. Now, I agree, the publishing industry can be brutal, but when you have every Tom, Dick, and Harry (plus their mothers) trying to write a book, you have to be. And then there’s always “the fit” with editors… How it all gets done, I have no idea.
How about Blogfests? Do you participate? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Karen: This will give away my age. Have no idea what is a Blogfest. Took me a while to figure out that a blog is just a more detailed self-centered posting than Facebook or Twitter. We are all writers of editorials now, and all our diaries are for public consumption. We can trash celebrities and get a following based on the meanness of our thoughts. Ain’t the Internet grand? I have a rule for myself. I don’t like to put my cherished work out there unprotected. There is too much piracy. I even copyrighted my MS before I sent it to agents and publishers.

Courtney: Amen to that—piracy abounds. Lucky for me, I have a copyright on everything that goes up on my beloved blog. Most of what I post online is not intended for my novel. It’s all writing exercises or bits of writerly advice, but you never know.
What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Karen: Playing God. Being in control of a world I create and then losing that control when my characters decide for themselves what happens next and they let me know. Take over their world. Like the Old Testament. LOL.

Courtney: What’s your least favorite part?

Karen: The solitude. I can’t be having dinner with friends, shopping at the mall and be writing at the same time—unless I get an iPhone or iPad—haha.

Courtney: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Karen: I have four grown children and grandbabies. The grandbabies don’t live close, so there is lots of flying to and from. Wherever my daughter performs, I try and go. I just moved after 21 years of living in the same place and there was much settling in. My husband gets invited to speak all over the world and I go. Side benefit—my characters really enjoy the places I have sent them. I love to swim, walk, watch movies and right now I can’t believe I am hooked on the Real Housewives of New Jersey. My youngest daughter is horrified.

Courtney: Oh! A nice big family with splashes of traveling thrown in. What more could a woman want?!
Care to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Karen: This is the opening line from WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS:

“I have always believed life is a mysterious journey through chaos. And so far, for me, chaos has brought forth nothing extraordinary.”

Courtney: Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Karen: Current wisdom tells us that it is the journey that is more important than the end result—win or lose. That we learn from the trials and the successes along our way. What I have learned from becoming a writer is that the act of writing is fulfilling in itself. That I take great pride in choosing just the right word, creating the right timing and cadence in my sentences. Making my dialogue sound real. So that when I reread my work it hits me as, “this is really good” and that brings me pleasure.

Now I’m on to a new phase. My book will be available to lots of people and so my baby is born to the world. It has a life of its own and I can only marvel that hanging tough for all these years brought me to this day. But to me…really… knowing that I could actually do it, that I could complete a novel, write a cohesive story, well it just knocks my socks off.

Life is good!

Courtney: Excellent advice. Thank you for dropping by today, Karen. We enjoyed having you!

Readers: What did you think of Karen’s interview? Most of you are writers. How did Karen’s responses jive with your own? Do you pants your way through a novel? Use critique groups or beta readers? Do you do the blog thing? How do you come up with your characters and story ideas?

Post a comment and let us know!

UNPLUGGED

2010-09-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,

As a group, we've come to the decision to focus on our writing for now, catching up on things needing taken care of, and improve on a few things. This means that we're going to UNPLUG our group blog for a couple of weeks. When we come back there will be changes made, making us stronger and better.

So please bear with us while we take care of these things.

RaShelle Workman: The Interview!

2010-09-06T01:48:00.001-05:00

Hello my dearies,

Today I have the honour of introducing you to RaShelle Workman, who’s novel Distorted is set to be published June 2011. Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourself. Who is RaShelle Workman?

I grew up in a military family. I’m the oldest of five kids and I’ve lived all over the United States, including Guam. Since I’ve never lived in one place long, it’s tough for me to stay put. I’m an okay cook, but love to bake desserts, including cupcakes and toffee. I have a super-secret recipe for toffee that has brought men to their knees, literally. I’ve seen it and left them alone, to give them a moment with their toffee. Heh heh. I plan to use it to take over the world someday (if the whole writing thing doesn’t work out). My first novel, Distorted is set to be released by Canonbridge LLC in June 2011.

Tessa: That’s so cool that you’re book is coming out next year! Want to tell us something about it? The blurb?

RaShelle: Sophie Berkeley is convinced of three things. First, she needs to escape her destructive marriage. Second, strange dreams haunt her sleep and an unexpected illness is making them worse. And third, someone wants her dead. There are several suspects. It could be just one, or all of them combined. Whatever the circumstance, her life is: Distorted.

Tessa: That sounds great! I love the cover art, too. Did you do it yourself or did your publisher do it for you?

RaShelle: It’s a smaller publishing company, but they have an a graphic designer. His name is Steven Novak. He’s fantastic-- an artist, graphic designer, and an author too. He’s written and had published his first in a series of middle grade novels through Canonbridge as well. He’s very talented. Once he had the synopsis for Distorted, he had some ideas. We discussed them and then he came up

with this cover. I’m so happy with the way it turned out.

Tessa: So now that Distorted is going to be released soon, what project are you working on right now? Do you work on them one at a time? I know I always have more than one story going at a time (not that I’m anywhere close to published). How does that work for you?

RaShelle: I have no more than two projects running at any one time. I’m actually in edits for Distorted. And I’m in edits for Charity Can’t Die. I’ve completely plotted out When Earth Freezes Over, which is a YA paranormal. I’ve completely plotted out Carnaby’s Magic, a middle grade novel and I’ve also completely plotted out another YA paranormal entitled Call Me Sunday.

Tessa: So you DO have more than one thing on your desk, too! And two of them are plotted out? I take it you're a plotter, then?

RaShelle: I am a big time plotter who pants her way from point A to B. What I mean is: I like to know how things are going to go within the story and then I let things happen and change accordingly. I give my characters leeway. If I’m writing and a character changes and I like the change, I’ll go with it.

Tessa: Ah, so you’re a half-way-ser (ok I just made that up)! How do you come up with your ideas, your characters?

RaShelle: All of my best ideas come to me in the shower and when I first wake up. With my characters, a lot of times, they find me. There is this story I’m writing called When Earth Freezes Over where the two main characters just showed up in my head. I don’t know where they came from, but they MOVED IN one day and said, “Okay, we need you to write our story.” They are camping out inside my head right now. I’m hoping they’ll continue to be patient. *fingers crossed* Other times, I’ll start with a story idea and then I’ll build the character. Once I start writing, the character will evolve from there.

Tessa: LOL I get characters camping out in my head, too. It’s both inspiring and annoyingly distracting at once, depending on the character. How do you relate to them? Your characters, I mean. Do you have favorites?

RaShelle: In Distorted, I guess my favorite character is Rina. She always says what’s on her mind and doesn’t have a problem telling it like it is. Also, she has a potty mouth. I like getting to swear a lot-- through her.

In Charity Can’t Die my favorite character is Sloan, hands down. He’s a tortured, angry soul with the heart of a . . . well I can’t tell you that or I’ll spoil the story. But he’s gorgeous.

Tessa: How do you come up with the names for your characters? I spend absolutely ages coming up with mine, and then I usually change them halfway through because they don#t suit the character anymore. How important are names in your writing?

RaShelle: In Distorted, it wasn’t as big a deal. I did spend some time. There were certain names I didn’t want. I couldn’t tell you what they were now. *laughs* In Charity Can’t Die, I researched for hours. Names are important, depending on the time they are born. Where they are born. What type of character. What type of book Yes, names mean a lot.

Tessa: I guess in writing, a rose by any other name doesn’t smell quite as sweet, huh? Speaking of names *grins* do you use a pen name? We (the Critique This team) are having a major pen name discussion right now. I myself used a pen name for my blogging right from the start. How about you?

RaShelle: I went back and forth on this for a long time. If there is another author with your name and he or she is famous-- definitely keep your name -- immediate best seller, right?!! Okay, I kid. In all seriousness, you need to think about the fact that the name on your novels is your brand name. Make it memorable.

Tessa: *wags finger at RaShelle* Aha! You haven’t answered the question. Are you writing under a pen name?

RaShelle: Oh, I sidestepped the question? Whoops. LOL No, I don’t use a pen name. RaShelle Workman is my actual name.

Tessa: So when did you start writing? Most of us have been making up stories all our lives, but we discovered actual writing at different stages in our lives. How about you?

RaShelle: I’ve enjoyed writing all my life. I completed one children’s story about a bright blue bouncing ball and sharing. Other than that, I couldn’t seem to finish anything. Then, five years ago I found a

creative writing class, took it and wrote my first novel - all 85, 000 words in four months. Since then, it’s been my passion.

Tessa: That’s great! Only four months? Wow. I haven’t finished anything serious yet but I get the feeling of having found your ‘calling’. It’s exhilarating and a little scary all at once. What is it you like best about writing?

RaShelle: The creative process. Going into that new world.

Tessa: I love it when you can just vanish into your writing, into the world you’re creating! But there’s always a flip side, isn’t there? What is it for you?

RaShelle: The work. The re-writes. I will say though that there is nothing better than finding that perfect word and making it fit and knowing it’s right.

Tessa: Do you ever find yourself stuck? Under attack by the Evil Writers’ Block?

RaShelle: Yes, that’s when my house is sparkling clean.

Tessa: Hehe Feel free to come visit me whenever you’re stuck. So do you write full time? I know most of us don’t. How do you spend your non-writing time?

RaShelle: Hanging out with my kids, my husband, sleeping, blogging, reading, twittering, doing the dishes, grocery shopping, taking a shower, seeing a movie, watching TV, checking out FB, having se - , um, you know I could go on and on, but I won’t.

Tessa: *green with jealousy* What, no noxious day job? No fair! Ok, so all of that probably takes up a lot of your time. When you do write, do you have anything that helps you get into the ‘zone’?

RaShelle: I NEED SILENCE!!!! =D When I’m “in the zone,” I can enter into my characters world so thoroughly. If I’m inside, I can see everything, right down to the spider in the corner. If I’m outside, I

can see the worm six inches underground.

Tessa: So I guess I can strike out the question about writing playlists?

RaShelle: You can indeed. Music distracts me.

Tessa: Do you write alone or do you use a critique partner/group/beta reader? What’s your policy on letting friends and family get their hands on your (unfinished) writing?

RaShelle: Yes! Yes! And yes! Don’t use friends and relatives. Unless they are writer friends. You wouldn’t ask a mechanic to give you a manicure, right?

Tessa: That’s a great argument! I’ll have to remember that next time my family wants to read my stories. So tell me, how do you respond to criticism? I know I always find it excruciating but useful...

RaShelle: You know the first time I read this question I was all pfft - I love it! It doesn’t bother me AT ALL. But then about a month ago someone made an offhand comment that literally sent me spinning. It

wasn’t even about my current novel. And I realized, “Man, I’m a wuss!!!” No, but I DID realize that it can be tough! I did learn from the experience too. The main thing I learned is that I have A BUNCH of COOL, REALLY AWESOME PEOPLE around me. The other thing I learned is that while I may not be Hemingway, I’m ME and my publisher picked my manuscript out of the slush pile and said “I LOVE IT!!!”

Truthfully, I do love criticism. It is very helpful, especially from someone like an editor or a publisher, an agent or even another writer. I’m grateful for it.

Tessa: How do you keep your writing muscles limber when you’re not actually working on a specific project? Do you use writing exercises? What about blogfests?

RaShelle: I do use writing exercises. And Blogfests? I. Love. Blogfests. I write new scenes sometimes and sometimes I use stuff from my WIP’s.

Tessa: LOL. I’m kind of a blogfest addict myself. So. I know Distorted is a romantic suspense. Do you write in other genres, too?

RaShelle: I love romantic suspense, but I write in other genres, too. Charity Can’t Die is YA, urban fantasy and I love it. I think as long as I can swear, at least a little and there is romance, I’m good. LOL

Tessa: Most of us read what we write. Is that true for you, too? What do you read?

RaShelle: Fantasy!!! Dystopian!! Also, chick lit!!! Mystery!! Suspense!

Tessa: *laughs* So you kind of read what you write, with a few extras. Anything in particular you’d like to recommend? Favourite books? Favourite something else?

RaShelle: I loved, loved the Hunger Games and have you ever read THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova?? It’s a story about vampires, written for adults. Wow, SOOOO good!!! Authors? My all-time favorite author was/is Michael Crichton. I’ve read every one of his books. Have you read Prey? Probably my most favorite ever was State of Fear. Next was awesome. Movies? Inception! Inception! Inception! Songs? Oh boy - I am a music FREAK!!! “I Like to Move It. Move It” by: Will. I. Am. To

the entire Phantom of the Opera CD.

Tessa: LOL that’s a lot of favourites! I’ve read some Michael Crichton but I have to say he isn’t my favourite. I’m in the middle of Catching Fire now, so far Hunger Games seems great for me, too, and no, haven’t heard of The Historian but I’ll go check it out! *grins* So you do listen to music, just not when you’re writing, huh?

RaShelle: Yes, mostly in the car and when I’m making dinner. Dancingand dinner-making go hand in hand.

Tessa: Do you have a favourite line from one of your books, too?

RaShelle: This is the first sentence of the first chapter in Distorted.

“There are some cruelties a person can’t take back.”

That’s so serious.

Here’s a little conversation between Phillip and the MC, Sophie.

“Thanks,” he smiled warmly. “It’s this really expensive stuff I buy.

I’m glad you finally noticed.” His hazel eyes were full of mischievousness.

“Oh,” she said, not falling for it this time.

“Yeah, it’s called soap. Irish Spring,” he chuckled. “I’m glad you like it.”

Tessa: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

RaShelle: Don’t give up!!! Follow your heart. Above and beyond that, be a good listener. Learn. Learn. Learn. Be teachable. =D And thanks for having me. This was so much fun!!!

Also, if anyone wants to check out my blogs, you can find them here:

www.rashelleworkman.blogspot.com

www.chooseordie.blogspot.com

Twitter: RaShelleWorkman

Facebook: RaShelle Workman

Books vs. Movies and Series

2010-09-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

*CHANGE IN PROGRAM TODAY*

Sorry guys no Friday Fiction today. Instead, you get my most brilliant post... ; P

***

The other day a friend of mine asked me about True Blood. In and of itself not surprising - I'm a definite fan of the show. Obviously I was the person to ask for advice on the matter. But then I told her I loved the books, too, and all I got was a blank look.

There's a book?

What??

How could she not know?

Well, lets just say that little piece of ignorance sparked a rather lively discussion between me and my friend (yes, we're still friends) about the merits of books vs. movies (or tv-series, as the case may be). It brought up several questions that I'd like to share with you.

If you've seen the movie, would you still read the book?

I tend to avoid reading books I've already seen the movie for, unless I hear from a reliable source that it's worth it. Even then I sometimes stop halfway through the book (normally a cardinal sin in our household) and just leave it at that. I'm not sure why, though. I guess that what I really enjoy about reading is imagining things and being surprised by what I find when I turn a page. That gets lost if I already have some actor's face stuck in my head.

If you've read the book, do you go see the movie?

I tend to form some very firm images in my head when I read. You might say a movie runs through my head as I turn the pages. The actual movie usually pales in comparison, and somehow bleaches out the memory of the reading experience. I invariably end up disappointed when the Hollywood vision doesn't match what's going on behind my eyes.

What's your take on the whole "based on" this or that book idea?

Can go horribly wrong, can be absolutely brilliant. Impossible to tell beforehand - TV producers are strange (almost as strange as writers, I guess). True Blood, for example, is a stroke of genius if you ask me (dissenting opinions accepted, but only because I'm polite). It doesn't entirely follow the storyline in the books - just touches the general points and adds creative little bits and pieces, so there's no problem with reading the books AND watching the TV series. Neither one ruins the other (that's a personal opinion - sorry if it wasn't true for you).

What are the attractions of a book over those of a movie?

Well, this is acually more difficult to answer than I thought it would be. I'm a book person - that's the first thing I'd say if you asked me. After some reflection I have to admit, however, that it's not entirely true. It totally depends on the genre for me. I LOVE romance novels, but mostly just cringe my way through romance movies. Why? No clue. I find them, with some notable exceptions, trite, obvious, overly hollywood-ised and just too predictable to be fun.

Horror movies on the other hand... hmmmm I love those. And I'd much rather watch a horror movie than read a horror book. I think the reason behind that little idiosyncracy of mine is my rather overactive imagination. Books freak me out a lot more than movies (all those pictures in my head, I guess).

So, what's your experience with books-made-into-movies? Do you like them? Had some disappointing experience? Avoid them when you can?

And here's a really tricky one:

If someone wanted to turn your book into a movie, what would you do? Celebrate because you'll be rich or fight tooth and nail to retain some control over what they do to your story?

The Organized Writer: No Longer an Oxymoron

2010-09-01T03:50:00.005-05:00

On the consensus – as far as I’ve understood it – writer and organizer do not go hand in hand. Something about the right side of your brain battling the left side. I don’t really know. What I do know… I fit in with the majority here. I’m very disorganized, even when I try desperately to become organized. The idea for this post came to me as I posted on my blog the other day.

So below I’ll go through the most popular ways I’ve heard/tried/seen to get and stay organized, and why they didn’t work for me (but very well may work for you). Then I’ll tell you the one thing that has worked for me – thus far.

How about color-coded folders, dividers, sorters, and binders? Not a bad idea, truly. You can use a different color folder for each aspect of your writing – for example red for sexy, blue for hero, pink or purple for heroine, etc. As well as different colored sorter (in filing cabinet) for submissions (green), rejections (red or black). The options are only limited by the number of colored articles that you own. And this way worked for me, for a short period of time. Then it became more of a hassle to keep up with and organize then it was worth. I’d file something and then have to dig through tons of loose-leaf papers in a single folder or file. When I did finally find the “area” I needed then I had to read through paragraph after paragraph to find the one little tidbit I was looking for.

Try Post-It notes for quick access to tidbits, you say? Been there, can’t do that. While I am disorganized, I am also a perfectionist (talk about an oxymoron, right?!) I hate clutter, it drives me insane. Not to mention the sticky on Post-It’s wears off, they curl up and you have to tape them down. Don’t get me wrong. I love Post-It notes… for certain things. *Side note coming on* I recently read a post on Rachel Vincent’s blog and read her post titled This is How I Plot that detailed her plot methods using Post-It’s and a dry erase board. While I’ve found lots of different ways to plot, her method has helped me find my method more than any other (before I’d stumbled onto her post I was using Index Cards to write down scenes... using the Post-It’s and dry erase help get me more organized pre-writing). I digress. Unless I’m using Post-It’s for plotting, they’re out of any current MS/WIP’s tidbits for me.

Okay, what about spiral notebooks? They’re bound together, pages can’t get lost (easily)… you can even get them pre-divided in 3 or 5 subject sections, right? Yeah, you can. But then I’m back to my original problem… searching for a few words of information in pages upon pages of written words.

Excel, a program offered by Microsoft general in most – if not all – of their Office programs. After a stint in business school, I was all about Excel. I loved it. And I still use it. For managing my household budget. But that’s it. The amount of time it takes to get everything set up and arranged (not to mention the various tweaking when certain entries become larger than previous ones) is frustrating and takes time away from my writing. Quite a bit of time, actually. If you stick with it and you get everything you want for quick reference on Excel, then you have ten or twenty or however amount of saved files on your computer. Again… you have to shift through each one… open and close until you find exactly what you are looking for.

Then there’s Microsoft Word. I think we all know this program. It’s the one we write with. True, you can create tables within Word’s documents, but we’re back to the same issues with Excel. Time consuming, lots of files, shifting through endless data to find that one piece of info. Next.

And now for what – to me – is a God send to us writers. A truly “Gotta-Have” for writers. As Kaye Dacus commented on my blog “You're correct---this is the Must-Have Writer's Tool of the century (so far)!” And what would this marvel be, you wonder? Well, none other than OneNote – yet another program offered by Microsoft (2007/2010 Home and Student and higher editions or purchased individually).

In this one program you can add and save multiple “Notebooks”. Inside each Notebook you can add individual tabs; in each of those tabs you can add more tabs. You know what that means? Tons of information right at your fingertips, under one file, inside one program. You can add pictures, copy and paste from the web (it will automatically show where the info was pasted from for future references or whatnot).

Within each Notebook (in my case, MS/WIP) you can keep track of submissions, houses, maps, characters, plot points. Whatever you need. Having found OneNote so far already into No Shame for the Wicked’s MS I’m having to spend more time adding information then I would like, but I truly believe the program – and the convenience of having all my info right at my fingertips – will far outweigh any inconvenience entering data will provide.

Already I’ve found a couple of plot issues that would have passed my attention until much later. Oh, and creating tables inside OneNote? Piece of cake. Really and truly. A simply click of the tab key creates a new column, when you're done with that just hit enter. Ta-Da. Instant column's and rows... as many as you need.

This is a picture of information for No Shame for the Wicked saved inside OneNote. I’ve pointed out various tabs to help explain what I meant by earlier comments. For me, OneNote is proving to be the one tool that can keep me organized and focused on my writing. I can tell you, from this day forward, OneNote will be on every computer I own, just as Word is.

Suzanne Frank Interview

2010-08-30T01:00:00.006-05:00

Mondays are for Author Interviews!! And guess what?! Today's a Monday! Ready to see who's next in line for an interview? Of course you are---so what are you waiting for? Scroll on!

Here is Suzanne's bio:

Suzanne Frank is the author of the internationally bestselling Chloe and Cheftu series, and as Chloe Green wrote a fashion-based mystery series. She is the Director of the SMU CAPE Creative Writing Program in Dallas, Texas. At the moment she is juggling projects and preparing to launch her NF career. Friend her at Suzanne Frank, or follow her (which might encourage her to actually TWEET) on Twitter: J Suzanne Frank.

Books: Reflections in the Nile, Shadows on the Aegean, Sunrise on the Mediterranean, Twilight in Babylon (as Chloe Green) Going Out In Style, Designed to Die, Fashion Victim.

Jill: It is great to have the honor of interviewing you today, Suzanne! I’ve read/loved your Chloe series and have taken your classes at SMU so I have first-hand knowledge of your talent. Let’s get started with pen names---what is your position, to pen name or not to pen name?

Suzanne: We live in such a transparent world, I guess I would ask why have a pen name, unless it’s to differentiate between markets. I do have a pen name, but it was spurred by legal/contractual stuff.

Jill: Good point, we are mega-transparent these days. When did you start writing?

Suzanne: I don’t remember starting; it’s just always been there. Throughout my education my writing was praised, but it wasn’t until I got a degree in Journalism that I thought about writing for a living. (Ha! Cub reporter’s salary = not much of a living.) My first book was predominantly a desire to read the book I hadn’t found on the shelves. Then I fell so in love with the characters that I didn’t want to let them go – fortunately, my editor felt the same way!

Jill: What is your favorite genre to write?

Suzanne: The one I’m writing in at the moment – my process tends to be immersion and when I’m on a project, it’s all-consuming … and sort of the only thing I see or recall.

Jill: What is your favorite genre to read?

Suzanne: I don’t read by genre, I read by fascination. That changes depending on what I’m researching, or what author I’ve just discovered: it’s run the gamut from Regencies with spy characters (a LOT of those out there!) to science fiction that deals with mental slavery.
Fortunately, I read very, very fast.

Jill: How do you come up with your characters?

Suzanne: All different ways. Chloe Kingsley is an incarnation of a character I always had – in my childhood I built her family, her room, her wardrobe. Not as she was published, but the germ of the character is the same. Others have just appeared, fully fleshed and ready to rumble. Still others are based on the story idea and then crafted for it.

Jill: Where have some of you best ideas come from? (dreams, real life, music, tv, books, etc…)

Suzanne: History. Questions. Images. Music. Everything goes into and comes out of story, for me. I just returned from the store and was compelled to buy this poster copy of a Klimt. I don’t know why, but it’s humming in there. I love the discovery!

Jill: You inspired me to go look at a few Klimt images. Can’t wait to see what you come up with if the humming turns into a full out composition! What is your position on plotting? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Suzanne: A strange combo – After months of character study and outlining, I craft characters to answer questions, and then plot the reaction. I ride out writing the first draft, read it, see what I actually wrote, then refine and rewrite a dozen more times.

Jill: What project or projects are you working on now?

Suzanne: I have a YA fantasy series I’m excited about and am working on. I’m also completing a NF “guidebook” about applying the Hero’s Journey to one’s life. I’ll be doing speaking gigs and workshops and all of that … it’s about becoming your own hero. I’ve got a sexy and complex futuristic time travel about Cleopatra that is looking for a home …

Jill: Very exciting. Fantasy is starting to intrigue me as well and it is definitely something my crit partners know and love! And please let us know where/when your Journey speaking gigs are. It is interesting to think of applying the Hero’s Journey to my own life, definitely makes sense as it seems life is full of calls to adventure and mentors and conflicts and I love to think of myself as a hero! Which of your characters do you most relate with (please give a brief explanation of why you relate to him/her)?

Suzanne: Chloe Kingsley is probably the closest—just because she’s first and we share a Southern heritage and military childhood.

Jill: I enjoyed getting to know Chloe through your work! What’s in a name? (How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do?) Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Suzanne: I think names are essential and if I rewrite a character, I will change his or her name to fit his or her new persona. I think names are keys and speak to us on symbolic and archetypal levels, too. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure someone’s named their kid Zeus – and I can’t imagine the pressure that would bring!

Jill: You are definitely raising the bar for me. I tend to develop the character and then roll names around on my tongue until the taste and image connect. I need to start challenging myself more! How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else? What is your writing environment like?

Suzanne: I think the trick is once you get there, never fully leave. I have whole behaviors that keep part of my mind with the work, always. It’s all of that … but also being very selective about what I feed my mind and vision with as I’m working. Staying in the zone requires a little bit of crazy and a lot of diligence.

Jill: Do you have a writing playlist? Admit it—we all do it. What’s on yours?

Suzanne: I think of them as soundtracks, and what’s on it depends on the project. I’m also very superstitious/committed to coffee cups. One per project, and then it’s retired. (None of the mugs at my house match.) A band that never seems out of rotation is Muse … endless layers to their songs, and perfect for sci fi/time travel/fantasy amalgams.

Jill: I’ve heard other authors listen to Muse also. I think it’s time I get my head out of the seventies and eighties and have a listen! Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Suzanne: Absolutely. The people around me see in ways I don’t, have expertise I don’t and can point out my blindspots. I value them immensely and try not to wear them out. There’s a hierarchy of critique level and smiley faces and as I rewrite I move away from the smiley faces (the people who tend to encourage and gently prod) to the people who are laser-eyed and coldly logical and sharp-tongued. Once I can soar material past them, I know I’m ready.

Jill: How do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Suzanne: All of the above. It takes a while for me to actually hear it, let it sink in. I’ve come to realize that the criticism that stings the most is the thing I feared would be weak. So it’s also reassuring, in a sick, twisted way.

Jill: How about writing exercises, do you use them?

Suzanne: I teach writing, and will often do the exercises or assignments that I give my students. Writing is a muscle and the more you exercise it, the better you get. At least, that’s my belief and my practice.

Jill: What’s your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Suzanne: Favorite: Getting to write/read/live the story. Least favorite: Falling into my own expectation gaps; seeing my lacks. When a story doesn’t find a home.

Jill: Do you ever have trouble with writers-block?

Suzanne: I have; it spurred an entire investigation into why I write, what I want from it, etc. It caused me to choose writing and commit to it – like a relationship – and to work with and listen to my creativity when it puts on the brakes. I used to be very militaristic in my approach; it moved me into a love affair with the process, not just the project.

I’ve seen from students, etc. that when they hit blocks, it’s oftentimes because they don’t know the character/story well enough and literally … just … stop. They run out.

Jill: Hmmm, that may explain some of the blocks I’ve had. Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Suzanne: I teach writing and I am the director of a continuing studies program for adults on how to write. (smu.edu/creativewriting) I’m very fortunate that I get to live in a story-based world.

Jill: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Suzanne: I don’t remember lines, exactly, but I do have moments when I recall how a character felt or what they experienced. Chloe Kingsley cracks me up – wandering through an ancient Egyptian temple, craving a diet Coke … Or Dallas O’Connor, clinging to the edge of the building, thinking, ‘OH, this all makes so much sense now … ‘

Jill: Let’s wrap this great interview up with a final reflection. Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Suzanne: Support your bookstores and libraries. Teach your children to love words.

And my favorite quote about being a writer:
“Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living.” Anne Morrow Lindberg

Jill: Thanks so much for sharing yourself and your time with us Suzanne. I know the readers will enjoy your interview and I encourage them to go experience your work!

Friday Fiction #20

2010-08-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

It's Friday Fiction time again! If you're new to Shane & Erica's story, go HERE for the past installments.

***

Shane stared at the old hippie, not sure what to say. He glanced over at Erica but her chin was somewhere in the region of her chest and she looked spitting mad, besides, so no help there.

“Ehm...,” he tried, then cleared his throat. “Maybe?”

That was such a cop-out, but what was he supposed to say?

Yes, Erica here, who just so happened to pick me up from the side of the road, stumbled upon my former partner in crime whilst using the restrooms? And then the other partner just so happened to get shot and, oh, sorry, we accidentally burned the RV?

Anyway, his head hurt. He couldn’t think right now, ice or no ice, so he didn’t say anything.

“We didn’t do it! I swear we didn’t!”

Right. So maybe Erica was going to say something.

“No problemo, my friends, I believe you,” Mako declared with a generous wave of his pipe. The pungent smell of something that was most definately not tobacco made it’s way into Shane’s nose. He sneezed, earning a chuckle from Kasa.

“Here, sweetheart,” she said to Erica and offered her a green tupperware box full of misshapen chocolate chip cookies. At least they looked like chocolate chip cookies. “Have a few of these. I always say there’s nothing in this world that can’t be fixed by a really good cookie.”

Mako leaned over and stole a cookie, alternating crunchy bites with puffs from his pipe. “Everything except a flat tire. Cookie won’t do you no good there.”

Shane had’t been in any state to examine the car when Mako dragged him over here, so he staggered to his feet, ice firmly pressed to his temple, and had a look.

Not one flat tire, but two that he could see. He had the horrible feeling that the view from the other side of this rolling love shack of a car would be similar.

Great.

He watched Erica munch on a cookie and would have sworn he could see her pupils dilating right there.

“Might not fix the tires,” Kasa said, offering Shane the box, “but it’s the Great Spirit’s own wisdom that they’re good for the soul.”

***

Tune in next week to find out if Shane eats a cookie!

; P

What Qualities Make Good Writing?

2010-08-24T22:21:00.005-05:00

I'll be stepping into a university classroom as an instructor for the first time on Wednesday, to teach freshman composition. No, it's not rocket science, but it's also not so easy to sit down and bang out a good paper, especially if you don't know anything about the nuts and bolts of writing. So as I've gone about writing my syllabus, I've been thinking about the writing process in general and, specifically, what are the qualities that make good writing?

These are questions I'll be discussing with my class. Part of learning how to put the puzzle pieces of a good academic paper together is understanding the underlying purpose of whatever you're writing and getting at the meat of how to know if it's good.

What qualities make good writing? It's a big, open-ended question which will have as many different answers as people who answer it. With so many different kinds of writing - fiction, nonfiction, academic, technical, business, poetry, and, and, and - it seems like it would be impossible to identify a comprehensive set of qualities that define goodness for any and all varieties of writing...and it is.

But there are some basic, foundational qualities that apply to any type of writing:

1. Ideas/theme/story/meaning that is interesting and/or important: This is the heart of the piece - what the writer has chosen to write about.

2. Form/structure/organization that is logical and effective: This is how the items in number 1 are put together and flow. Is there a beginning, middle, and end? Does everything the writer has written make sense to the reader?

3. Language that is smooth and expressive: Good writing uses just the right words to say just the right thing. Do the words paint a picture in the reader's mind? Is there sufficient description and appropriate vocabulary? Are sentences fluent and easy to understand?

4. Voice that is individual and has style: This is the expression of the writer's personality through words. Is the voice consistent throughout? Is it distinctive?

5. Conventions that are correct and appropriate: This is includes punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure.

As I start discussing the nuts and bolts of building an academic paper, I want the students to also be thinking of these ideas of what makes good writing. I want them to think about how writing well will elevate the importance of the content over the form. I was thinking of this analogy earlier: When you build a house, you hide the framing, the electric wiring, and the plumbing inside the walls. And hopefully your plan is laid out so that it flows logically. These are all essential parts of the house and you wouldn't want to live in a house without them. But you don't want to see them or think about them every day, either. You know they're there doing their jobs, but what you really want is to enjoy the aesthetics and comfort of your home.

The same can be said for writing. Whether it's academic or creative, your plan, framing, electrical wiring, and plumbing are your organization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If those things are done properly, you won't see them in the writing. All you'll see is the story, theme, ideas or meaning. So thinking about what makes good writing while you write will help you lay the foundation, no matter what your writing project.

What do you think makes good writing? I've only given you five things to think about. I'm sure everyone has their own opinions, too. Do you agree with mine? What would you add to the list?

Tuesday Tag by Erica Woolridge

2010-08-24T04:22:00.001-05:00

Today's Tuesday is brought to us via Erica Woolridge at Elevator Musings. And since we love to feed you tid-bits of anyone that will offer them up... here's a bit about Erica.

I'm Erica, I work as a Speech-Language Pathologist at a school for medically fragile children by day and write way too much at night. I'm Canadian, a Newfoundlander, and freakishly close to turning 25. I'm a little scared of that number.

I mostly write young adult urban fantasy and romance, and lately a whole lot of angsty contemporary. You can find me at Elevator Musings or Twitter at Twitter. I hope to be published one day and am learning to enjoy the long and twisty journey :)

For more about Tuesday Tag, or if you'd like to read previous scenes, click here. If you'd like to participate in Tuesday Tag, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com.

And now, the Rules. Yes, I know. Groan away. They're not bad. Really. Keep reading.

TT Rules:
1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.
2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.
3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*
4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're okay with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.
5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.
6. Have fun!
*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

On to this weeks scene by Erica:

****

A year can change a man in many ways.

As Jocelyn sat across from the Prince, she couldn’t help but admire how his jaw had sharpened, voice deepened, and shoulders broadened since their last meeting—the moment of their first kiss. She could not decipher if James himself had become more desirable, or if she had spent so long in the company of her ex-fiancé Gregory, that she forgot these feelings ever stirred within her. She certainly missed how it felt to be desired in return.

He had declared his intentions to marry her, and while the thought elated her, it equally left her troubled and unsure. One did not simply walk out on the Pope, much less for a girl betrothed to another. There was no shortage of women biding for the Prince’s attention, and his infatuation with her, while flattering, had Jocelyn’s mind racing. What else could have prompted the Prince to flee Italy intent on rushing into a marriage?

They sat in the parlor room, in audience with her mother and the very crafty Colin Davis. He finally made Ms. Whitely aware of his presence minutes after Jocelyn and James entered the house. He had banged theatrically on the door, and once permitted inside, bid his best friend a very long condolence on the ending of her engagement. His false tears and indulgent show of emotion left the four of them sipping tea in the parlor in awkward silence. Jocelyn glared at Colin, while Colin looked smugly at the Prince.

“How was your time in Italy?” Colin asked in forced joviality.

James frowned, not enjoying the new guest that infringed on their afternoon. Jocelyn held her breath. Infatuated with her or not, the man across from her was still a Prince, and one never knew when a Royal’s temper would flair. She learned that quickly from her mother.

“Dreadfully dull,” he sighed. “I never wanted to travel there.”

“So you will not be returning?” Ms. Whitley questioned; eager to know what had transpired between her daughter and the Prince.

A smile flitted across his face. “I certainly hope not.” He reached out and grabbed one of Jocelyn’s delicate hands. “I’m counting on being otherwise engaged.”

Her mother’s face lit up in glee, while Colin scowled and slammed down his tea cup, cracking the porcelain saucer. All eyes turned to him.

“How are you feeling, Jocelyn? It’s been, what, two days since Gregory left you?” Colin asked, his voice dripping in false sincerity.

Jocelyn could not ignore the edge to his voice.

“Perhaps we should give these two old friends a chance to catch up,” James answered for her, placing emphasis on the words “old friends.”

“Nonsense,” Ms. Whitley replied vehemently. “I’m sure our dear Colin has other people to visit this fine afternoon,” Ms. Whitely stated, rising to escort Colin to the door.

The Prince rose and offered his hand to Ms. Whitley. “I actually have a few important matters to discuss with you, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Ms. Whitley beamed proudly at Jocelyn. “Not at all.” She grabbed James’ arm as he escorted her out of the room.

Colin wasted no time in moving to sit beside Jocelyn. Despite the thick layers of clothes that lay between them, the heat radiating from where their thighs touched, and distracted her. Jocelyn’s attempt to move away was thwarted when he brushed along her jaw with his fingers and caressed her cheek until she looked at him. “Tell me, how are you Jocelyn?” he asked, his voice unbearably sad.

“I’m fine,” she replied, preoccupied by his hands on her face and the heartbroken look in his eyes.

“You know, I could grow to like James.” His warm breath cascaded across her face.

“And why is that?’

“He gave me this opportunity,” he answered entangling his hands in Jocelyn’s flowing blonde hair. “And I don’t intend to waste it.”

Before she could reply to his words, Jocelyn’s lips were stilled by Colin’s on hers. It was nothing like the soft and easy kiss she had shared hours before with James. This was needy and passionate, a claim on Jocelyn’s mouth as his.

One of Colin’s hands disentangled from her hair and made its way slowly down her back. Jocelyn anchored her hands on Colin’s thighs and continued to kiss him.

A forced cough resounded behind them. Their lips stilled but neither of them dared to turn around.

****

That's this weeks tag by Erica Woolridge.

Thanks for taking part in our weekly Tuesday Tag.

Be sure to tune in next week and find out who walked in on Jocelyn and Colin.

Want to join in on the fun?

Email us at critiquethiswip @ gmail dot com

Author Interview: Charity Bradford

2010-08-23T01:40:00.007-05:00

Mondays are for Author Interviews!! And guess what?! Today's a Monday! Ready to see who's next in line for an interview? Of course you are---so what are you waiting for? Scroll on!
*To see some of our past interviews, click here.*

Courtney: Hello all! Today on CritiqueThisWIP I have the pleasure of interviewing sci-fi novelist Charity Bradford! Welcome to CTW's Author Interview series, Charity! Thank you so much for being here (and suffering through all of our endless questions)! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Charity: I’m the mother of four wonderfully active children. Married for 14 years, I’ve been lucky enough to stay home with my children. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education that I have never used. My loves are writing (of course), reading, cooking, running and dancing.
My first polished novel SENDEK is ready to query. July found me possessed with a new idea that I’ve been playing with. It’s a new twist on the faerie idea and how they are connected with humanity. I write mostly science fiction, fantasy, or a mix of the two, but everything has a strong romance subplot. My goals in writing boil down to two things: write a book I would want to read, and write a book that sucks the reader in emotionally and take them on a fast paced ride. I read to escape and live in worlds different than my life, so I write the same way.

You can find me on twitter at @charitybradford, facebook (Charity Broeringmeyer Bradford), and my blog—My Writing Journey.

Courtney: Wowsers! Four little kids, huh? I won't even ask you how you manage to keep track of four kiddos AND write. But I will ask you a ton of other questions ;-P When did you start writing?

Charity: I’ve always written. There are files of story ‘bits’ from my high school days, and I’ve wanted to see my name on the cover of a book since I was 12. However, I became serious about getting published two and a half years ago.

Courtney: What’s your favorite genre to write?

Charity: That’s a funny question. I read mostly YA, so I thought that would be the kind of writer I would be, but when I started writing it didn’t turn out that way. The manuscript I am ready to query is an adult science fantasy novel with a heavy dose of romance. Everything needs romance, don’t you think? I do have a new idea that might work as a YA though.

Courtney: I’d have to agree with you there—I love a good romance =) What’s your favorite genre to read?

Charity: I love to read. PERIOD. I do read more science fiction and fantasy, but I enjoy just about any well written book with a fast paced story.
Courtney: How do you come up with your characters?

Charity: Each character has introduced themselves in different ways. Some have come to me in dreams, others while I people watch at the mall, and there are always those versions of my real life acquaintances that keep popping in to visit.

Courtney: Ohh, another “people-watcher” huh? Me too—I swear it’s actually a curse… Where have some of you best ideas come from? (dreams, real life, music, tv, books, etc…)

Charity: The ideas I get the most excited about have come from dreams. Early morning dreams to be specific. I don’t know if that means something, but I just realized that is the case. Music is also a huge influence on me and my mood. There have been some songs that just speak to me and say, “write the whole story.”

Courtney: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Charity: I’m a bit of both. Mostly pantser in the beginning until I find a story or character that grabs my attention. Once that happens, I stop to plot and research. I’m still looking for the happiest medium, but so far this is working for me.

Courtney: What project or projects are you working on now?

Charity: I just finished editing SENDEK my 84K word science fantasy. There are two short story ideas I’m working on that are strictly science fiction, but I’m the most excited about my modern faerie fantasy. I’m a little over 10K into it and the ideas just keep multiplying. This is great, but I should really be writing book 2 of the 4 book Sendek series. Oh, well, go where the muse takes us, right?

Courtney: Congratulations on the completion! I’d like to say that was the hard part, but I’d be lying. You still have querying to fight with… So tell me, which of your characters do you most relate with (please give a brief explanation of why you relate to him/her)?

Charity: There is part of me in all of them, but I want to be the most like Talia. She starts out alone because she wants to protect people from sharing her death, but as she learns to accept Landry’s help and then his love, she grows stronger and more confident in her abilities. I want to make everyone happy, often at my own expense. However, I know there are hidden talents waiting to shine if I will take the time to nurture them. These things will allow me to become more than I am, and more than I even dream I can be.

Courtney: Don’t you just love how little parts of ourselves find their way into our WIPs? It’s so amazing when you read something that you’ve written and think “hey! That’s totally something I would do! Oh wait—duh.”
What’s in a name? Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Charity: I learned that names are everything writing Sendek. I actually started writing it 8 years ago and met a dead end. Why? My character’s name was Elizabeth. This is my favorite girl’s name ever, but Elizabeth could not do what I wanted/needed her to do. The sound of a name conjures certain qualities and characteristics whether we know it or not. My book didn’t work until I found a stronger name to fit the character I needed. Don’t worry though, Elizabeth is starring in one of those short stories I mentioned.

Courtney: Do you have a writing playlist? Admit it—we all do it. What’s on yours?

Charity: My playlist changes for each emotion I want to convey. I have one for intense battle or chase scenes, and then for the quiet romantic moments. I also try to find a theme song for each character, but that’s really hard sometimes. I’m on Playlist as xsolstice1974x

Courtney: How many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Charity: I try and concentrate on just one idea at a time, but we all know that isn’t always realistic. When a new idea screams at me long enough, I’ll pause to write a scene or two. Writing down the characters and the general idea usually allows me to calm those voices and return to the work in progress.

Courtney: What do you think about Blogfests? Do you participate? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Charity: I LOVE blogfests, and last spring did tons of them. Some were scenes from my WIP, and some were written just for the blogfest. I hope to jump back on the fest wagon this fall.

Courtney: Do you ever have trouble with writers-block?

Charity: Yes, and no. When I get blocked on one project, I simply write on another until the block dissolves. I believe writers block is our minds way of saying, “take a break.” So, I do, sort of.

Courtney: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Charity: Taking care of my family, cooking, teaching cooking, serving/teaching in my church, and editing our neighborhood newsletter. Oh, and I decorate cakes when the opportunity comes up.(http://cakesftheart.blogspot.com)

Courtney: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Charity: This was hard! I have favorite scenes, but don’t know if I can pick one line. Here is a line or two that I love from Talia because it gives a glimpse of her personality.

“My hair was a soft brown with gold and copper highlights. I actually liked the color of my hair, but not the stigma that came with it… Even if I dyed my hair to blend in, I refuse to wear contacts to hide my eyes… Under the sunglasses, they sparkled with the same shades of violet as the crescent shaped amethyst necklace hanging around my neck. I touched its reassuring warmth with my fingertips. My mother bought it after my birth because it matched my eyes. She loved my eyes, and I did too. My shoulders squared and I felt my chin lift. Just because ninety-eight percent of Sendekians had brown eyes, did not mean I was cursed or a danger to society. I did not need their acceptance or companionship.”

Courtney: Amazing selection, Charity, and just enough to make me want to read more! You tease! Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Charity: Whether I become a published author or not, I have found great joy in this writing journey. Writing has filled the holes in my life and made me a stronger person by allowing me to live out my greatest fantasies. I have met wonderful new friends and learned many valuable lessons. Because of this, I’ll keep moving forward, no regrets.

Courtney: Well put! I think that's something we writers need to remember. Just because one of our projects doesn't make it into the "completed pile" doesn't mean it wasn't worth the ride. Thank you so much to talking with me today, Charity! Good luck on you querying, and have fun along the way!

We love to talk shop with other writers. In fact, we have a series full of them--posted every Monday. If you'd like to be part of our Author Interview series, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com. We'd love to sit down and pick your brain =D

Friday Fiction: Scene 19

2010-08-19T17:10:00.001-05:00

It's time for Friday Fiction! Dying to know what's going to happen next to Erica and Shane? Read on and you'll find out.
***************

Erica crouched beneath the arm of a cactus at the top of the rise and she raised a hand to block the sun. She peered across the rugged terrain in a desperate search for faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Though she hadn’t known Shane long he’d worked his way into her heart as smoothly as he’d made his way under her blanket last night. The air felt thin and her chest heavy as a shiver of dread crawled its way from the pit of her stomach to wrap itself around her heart in a tight fist.

Where is he?

“Your man will be fine.”

The low timbered voice gave Erica a shock that sent her careening into the cactus. “Ouch!” She collected her wits, stood up and turned. Twenty feet away stood an old man in a pair of jeans and a buckskin shirt. A pair of moccasins covered his feet and stretched to his knees. His grey hair was loose to his shoulders and he wore a beaded dear skin headband.

For a moment Erica forgot to be afraid as she was mentally transported to an ancient time when Apache Indians roamed the lands of Arizona.

“He’s not my man.” Erica realized the ridiculous nature of her response simultaneous to it leaving her lips. “What have you done with him? Where is Shane?”

“The winds carried the sounds of love to our camp last night. The great spirit knows he is your man.” His wrinkled face made no expression but his eyes carried a hint of amusement as he squatted and scratched Rags behind his ears.

She felt the heat in her face and suspected she’d turned three shades of red. “Yes, well, the great spirit shouldn’t practice voyeurism and should mind its own business.” She frowned. He didn’t look like a serial killer and the dog seemed to have taken to him. “What have you done to Shane?”

Rags cocked his head to the side and his tongue lolled out in contentment.

The man grunted and stood. “It is not my fault your man is uncoordinated.” He turned and walked down the hill.

Rags took off after the old man and Erica shrugged her shoulders and followed.

Around the turn she saw an old beat up Volkswagon VW covered in seventies style painted graffiti complete with peace signs and with the words love and groovy showing up more than once.

This man can’t possibly be dangerous.

The back door of the van was open and Shane sat on the seat with his head down and a bag of ice on his temple. An old Indian woman in a buckskin dress wearing a beautiful turquoise necklace leaned against the van with her arms crossed and a toothpick sticking out of her mouth.

The man nodded towards the woman. “This is my wife, Kasa. I am Mako. You two came close to our camp last night.” He gave a short laugh that sounded more like a grunt. “We heard someone take a fall and scream like a goat. You two are a clumsy pair. And you burn rabbit too.” He grimaced.

Shane took down the ice pack and grinned at Erica. “We’re new to camping.”

Mako grunted again.

Erica raised her eyebrows at Shane and nodded to the old man.

Shane cleared his throat. “Listen Mako, Kasa. We’ve run into a bit of bad luck and could really use a lift into town.”

Mako pulled a pipe out of his shirt pocket and lit it. After a few puffs he glanced over at Kasa and she nodded. Looking back at Shane, he said, “Would the bad luck have anything to do with the RV burning up last night about five miles back or the murder back at the Rusty Nail Saloon?”

Tuesday Tag

2010-08-17T07:53:00.003-05:00

This week's Tuesday Tag is brought to you by the lovely Sugar Whiting - Thank you, Sugar, for joining in our game! Why don't you tell us something about yourself first?

My name is Sugar. Really. Given to me by my mama. I grew up in Wyoming with horses and everything. I moved to Utah in 6th grade and have lived here ever since. I love to read. I recently discovered I am sort of good at writing. I mainly work on erotica. I love it! I am good at it! I love writing short stories and flash fiction. I usually wait until the last minute, I seem to do best under pressure. My love of scrapbooking has led to my overtaking of the dining room and is now overflowing to other rooms in my home. I make and sell cards and altered items. I am mommy to two awesome girls. They are the biggest drama queens I know, but I love them!

For more about Tuesday Tag, or if you'd like to read previous scenes, click here. If you'd like to participate in Tuesday Tag, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com.

TT Rules:
1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.
2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.
3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*
4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're okay with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.
5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.
6. Have fun!
*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

**Note: This piece is not historically accurate. Instead, it is a prime example of Creative License.**

**********************

The day was lovely and warm. The sun shone down on the horses and glinted off the shiny silver of the harnesses. Jocelyn concentrated on the reflection of the sun when a throat-clearing interrupted her thoughts. She jumped and turned to her carriage partner. His face was intent on hers as if he was trying to see into her soul.

She felt the slight squeeze on her hand as he took hers and held it, anchoring her. She gazed into his eyes. Not sure what she was seeing in them, she looked down. James smiled, grabbed her chin with his warm hand and raised her lips to his.

His kiss was so soft and easy. Jocelyn relaxed, closed her eyes and leaned into him. Everything was forgotten. The wedding, the stress of her mother, her headache. Colin. Colin? She jerked away from James and blushed.

With lowered lids Jocelyn whispered “What do you want with me James?”

“Jocelyn, I find you desirable, intelligent and compatible. We will make an excellent couple. Our marriage would make wonderful changes and partnerships for the country.”

“Compatible?” Jocelyn asked. “That’s what you see me as? Someone who’s compatible? Why not your true love?”

Tears flowed freely. She couldn’t hold them back any longer. James took her face in his hands again and looked deeply into her reddened eyes.

“Jocelyn, I do care for you. I do. But we need to take time to get to know one other. That’s why I’m here.”

She felt her cheeks pink and turned away from him.

“I’m just confused, James”, she admitted. “I need time to think.”

“Understandable. I will give you all the time you need.” He paused. “Just don’t take too long, our parents may have to marry each other in the mean time.”

This made her smile. Feeling better, Jocelyn was able to enjoy the rest of the ride. James made it easy to relax and be herself again. They talked about everything and nothing. They were like old friends. Comfortable.

Finding their way back to the stables after a few hours of exploring, they were flushed and smiling. Colin greeted the carriage, not meeting Jocelyn’s eye as he helped her out. He didn’t acknowledge her until she and James were on their way to the house. As if she could feel his eyes on her back, she turned and caught his stare. It was filled with pain and love.

Had she lost her chance?

******************

And who's in the hot seat next week? None other than:

Erica Woolridge!

TAG!

You're it!

Stay tuned next week to see what kind of spice she adds to the story!

Author Interview: Belinda Kroll

2010-08-16T01:55:00.001-05:00

It's that day of the week again! Monday... and you know what that means - at least here at CritiqueThisWIP! Author Interview day!

Today I got the pleasure of getting to know a very smart, creative lady who writes historical romances. Grab your cup of coffee and get ready to meet Ms. Belinda Kroll!

I’m Belinda Kroll, author of historical romance, published under multiple names. My background, oddly enough, is in computer engineering and human computer interaction design.

I’m currently working on a historical romance with paranormal elements, called Haunting Miss Trentwood. It is about a woman who is grieving the loss of her father to illness… until she watches his ghost crawl out of his grave.
You can find me at my blog/website, Twitter, and Facebook. I also provide free stories at Scribd

Suzie: Welcome to CritiqueThisWIP! Thank you for allowing our readers a peek into your life and mind! Before we get to the seriousness of an interview, let's begin with something purely for the fun of it! :)

How about a little either/or!

Would you rather write and sell one Novel. Get rich and famous from the sale of that novel but never be able to write another Novel again…

Or would you rather write and sell a hundred novels and only make enough money from the sales to eek by?

Belinda: Definitely write and sell a hundred novels and only make enough money from the sales to eek by. Storytelling is in my blood. When I don’t write I become moody, cranky, and generally unpleasant. It’s better for the world if I write and make a little money. Plus, it’s never been about the money for me. It’s been about the story. Always the story.

Suzie: *laughs* I agree 100%! Let’s start off with some of the easier questions to answer and get to know a little more about you before we dig into your writer’s brain. Writing seems to be in my blood, as it does yours. What’s your favorite genre to read?

Belinda: Oooh, tough question. I enjoy historical fiction and historical romance, of course, but I also love fantasy, paranormal, and mystery. I think this is why my writing tends to be historical romance with other influences. I read just about whatever I can get my hands on.

Suzie: When you’re not behind the computer screen where can you usually be found?

Belinda: I work as a usability analyst, which is a form of research but relating to digital artifacts. I like to find discarded furniture and apply new paint and fabric. I play a little piano, I practice my violin, I draw, paint, sing. I attend tea tastings, swing and lindy hop dances, practice yoga and t’ai chi. I’m a busy woman. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Suzie: Favorite books? Authors? Movies? Songs?

Belinda: Books - Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
Authors - Jane Austen, Brandon Sanderson
Movies - You’ve Got Mail, Beetlejuice, Stargate
Songs - “Any Other World” by Mika, “Prelude for Time Feelers” by Eluvium

Suzie: Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of writing. What inspires some of your best ideas?

Belinda: Mainly real life. I let my life inspire me, by taking a step back and allowing time to dull wounds or passionate emotions. With the gift of time, I’m able to abstract out the lessons I’ve learned from the event or person, and often those lessons become the theme of my work.

Suzie: What’s your favorite genre to write?

Belinda: Historical fiction. I love the research that comes along with the genre.

Suzie: Where did your love/passion for creative writing come from?

Belinda: I have a very visual imagination, and reading historical fiction and fantasy gave me the best use of it. Writing seemed to be the natural extension, and when I would tell my stories to friends and family, they never failed to be entertained. So I suppose it’s the entertainment factor that has always drawn me to creative writing. It’s a way for me to pull out the minutia of life and poke fun at them as a way to cope with the tougher days.

Suzie: Some writers plot. Some writers prefer a “write by the seat of their pants” style. And still, others are a bit of both. What’s your plotting style?

Belinda: A bit of both. I have a plot where I outline the big plot turns with sticky notes, but I “pants” the scenes that transition between them.

Suzie: Are you a pen-name kinda gal? Or do you prefer to publish under you’re legal name?

Belinda: I use a pen name, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. I use a pen name because I’m publishing in my profession as well, which has nothing to do with my chosen writing passion, historical fiction and romance. Some people have implied that I use a pen name because I’m ashamed that I write romance, which is bunk. The fact is, I don’t write steamy romance; if I did, then maybe that implication would be a little more accurate. Really, I use my pen name to separate the purposes behind my writing. Is it academic? Or is it to provide an escape for my readers?

Suzie: I agree. I’ve seen several authors’ use different pen names for different sub-genres. That’s what I’ll be doing. When did you first begin writing?

Belinda: I think I was about six years old when I wrote my first story. I was nine when I wrote my first novella, and eleven when I began my first book, which eventually became published as Catching the Rose.

Suzie: How great that your first novel, one that you began at eleven was published!

Belinda: I am published! I have a book out called Catching the Rose. I suggest people wait until I release the second edition in print. It is currently available as an eBook.

Suzie: Not many writers want readers to wait to read their novel. Why suggest they wait for the print release?

Belinda: Well, I’m pretty proud of this edition. I did the page layout, cover design, everything. I’ve been studying the structure of books for years and I think that work is starting to pay off.

It’s trade paperback, so it’s about $15. The eBook is only $2.99. However, the trade paperback is down five dollars from the original price because I did everything, and honestly, it’s just better quality this time around. It feels good in your hands. I don’t know if an eBook can do that.

Suzie: Wow! I bet that is a major sense of accomplishment! What writing project(s) are you working on now?

Belinda: I’m in the middle of releasing the second edition of my first novel, Catching the Rose. I published it under my real name for the first edition, and there were some glaring grammatical errors. I took the time to learn more about the publishing industry, cover layout, page design, etc, and for the second edition, I’m self-publishing. I fixed the beginner mistakes, repackaged the product, and have it out for eBook and soon, print.

I’m in the middle of writing my second novel, Haunting Miss Trentwood. I’m using the awesome website to make sure I write at least 750 words a day. It helps me maintain good progress on the story while I’m busy releasing the other book.

Suzie: How many writing projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Belinda: I write a book at a time. I have so many other projects that don’t pertain to writing that it’s difficult to balance my time as it is.

Suzie: Now for the word most writers dread to even read. Writer’s Block! Do you ever suffer from it?

Belinda: I used to.

Suzie: Used to! You’re amazing, Belinda! Okay, I’m going to ask what most all writers would love to know! How in the world did you get writers block to become a “used to” for you?

Belinda: I reverted to writing in a journal. I found if I wrote by hand, I got out all the crappy writing, so when I typed it into the computer, it was like writing a second draft. I’ve also come to rely on 750 Words. My theory is that I used to do marathon writing sessions, thinking it was better to blast through the work as soon as possible before I lost hold of the topic. Using this website, I’m able to pace myself. There’s no incentive to write more than 750 words a day, so there’s always a little bit of creativity left over for tomorrow.

Suzie: I always thought I was a weirdo because I feel most creative with a notebook and pencil! It’s great to meet other writers that are similar. As for characters, what process do you use to come up with your characters?

Belinda: It’s not a definite process, that’s for sure. I sometimes dream about my characters, or will have a conversation with someone and that sparks a character idea, or I meet someone in passing and wonder about their life…

Suzie: Which of your characters do you most relate with?

Belinda: Right now, it’s my current heroine, Mary Trentwood. She’s had a rough couple of years which have dampened her once ebullient spirits. She doesn’t even realize that she’s lost her energy, her vivre; she needs someone to remind her. I had the same happen to me over the last year; I had my family remind me who I actually am, but it took my wanting to regain my energy that influenced the change.

Suzie: Naming your character – How important is finding the right name for your characters?

Belinda: It’s so important to get the right name. There’s a reason why one of the romantic interests in this book is called Hartwell.

Suzie: What process do you use to name your characters?

Belinda: I will give characters a filler name while I scour the internet for meanings behind names until I find the perfect one. My current character has changed names three times, I think. She was originally named Mary Wilson. Then I had a dream that Mary wasn’t a servant but rather the daughter of a viscount and she became Mary Winslow. Now she is Mary Trentwood.

Suzie: How do you “get in the zone” when writing? What’s your perfect writing setting?

Belinda: I always thought I needed music or background noise to write, but it turns out I need quiet. I lock myself in my bedroom for an hour and am able to blast out a thousand words, which is all I hope for at the end of the day. I write at the end of the day, because I tend to do a lot of my plotting in the back of my mind as I go through the workday. Depending on how I feel, I’m either writing in bed with my laptop in my lap, or at my desk, with my research notes strewn around me.

Suzie: Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Belinda: I would love to have a critique partner, group, or beta reader. But I haven’t had the time to find one. I don’t really trust internet critique groups because I don’t know the level of writing. And many of the local writing groups are kind of like the blind leading the blind, no offense to them.

Suzie: I understand. It takes quite a while to find the right person or group of people to compliment your writing and that you can trust. I was very fortunate when I stumbled on CTW’s contest. *sly grin* Well, the info about the contest stumbled on my comments. But, ya know - either way. I was fortunate. When you do get criticism how do you respond to it? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Belinda: Criticism always stings the first time around, so I always wait a week after reading the critique before acting on it. That’s when I’m objective enough to learn from it.

Suzie: That’s a very good idea. Everyone handles criticism differently, at least you’ve found a
way to stay objective. What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Belinda: The thrill you get when you hear through the grapevine that someone loved your story.

Suzie: And your least favorite part?

Belinda: The marketing and competition.

Suzie: What are some of your favorite lines from your books?

Belinda: “Veronica laughed at Brad's tendency to study her as though she was something interesting.” Belinda Kroll, Catching the Rose, Chapter 7
“[Anne Elliot] had been forced into prudence in her youth; she learned romance as she grew older: the natural consequence of an unnatural beginning.” Jane Austen, Persuasion, Chapter 4

Suzie: Is there anything else you would you like to share with the readers?

Belinda: I’ve released the book trailer for Catching the Rose, and I’m really excited about how it turned out. I’m blogging my process with my new book, Haunting Miss Trentwood, as well as the re-release of Catching the Rose. I invite questions, critique, suggestions, etc. If you’re an author, I can help with cover design, page layout, and book trailers. If you’re a reader, help me help you: tell me what you’re interested in; how do you decide what you’re going to read next?
Thanks for having me!

Suzie: You’re very welcome! Thank you for taking the time to let us interview you! I know you are super busy!

That's it for today's interview. Come back next week and meet another author. Want to be interview for our Author Interview Series? It's real easy, just shoot us an email at critiquethiswip @ gmail.com

The Ravings of a Lunatic Writer

2010-08-11T01:00:00.002-05:00

For me, writing is a forced hobby due to the reality of life and I find it both joyful and sad. It is joyful because my spare time is spent doing something I love. It is sad because I have to put the keyboard away and move on to the things that pay the bills. It is also sad because writing doesn’t burn calories and it isn’t easy to write on a treadmill.

My real life job is demanding and full of pressure and problems and I never know from one day to the next whether I’ll be working an eight hour day, or an eighteen hour day. This is the nature of my reality beast.

So for my blog posts, I have to be organized. I have to plan ahead. I have to be anal about getting things done early because I know my life will get in the way if I don’t.

Well, I failed this week. I wanted to post something witty, crafty or inspiring today. But I had my head in the clouds last week and buried in work this week and my post crept up on me today and hit me over the head and is now laughing at me hysterically. Now my hobby slash life dream has become an albatross and it is squeezing my neck and taking my oxygen and sucking out my life force.

Procrastination and real life got in my way today I’m not feeling the joy of writing.

So, instead of putting out some thoughtful reflections on writing techniques or some food for thought on how to inspire, how to organize, how to characterize, how to plot or not plot, or talking about muses or sharing music to write to…all of the things that help and prod and let us all feel we’re in the same boat and encourage us to keep going…I’m just ranting, complaining, suffocating and most of all apologizing.

I’m so sorry.

And I’ll leave it at that except to share a few writing quotes I found and I must say they brought a smile to my face on this day of self-loathing (courtesy of http://www.quotegarden.com/writing.html).

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury

Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always before or behind. ~Catherine Drinker Bowen, Atlantic, December 1957

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler

Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum. ~Graycie Harmon

What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he's staring out of the window. ~Burton Rascoe

If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves. ~Don Marquis

As to the adjective, when in doubt, strike it out. ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894

Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head. ~From the movie Finding Forrester

Sit down, and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. ~Colette, Casual Chance, 1964

The most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes. ~André Gide, Journals, 1894

It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. ~Robert Benchley

Tuesday Tag by Kelly Freestone

2010-08-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Tuesday Tag is brought to you by the lovely Kelly Freestone - Thank you, Kelly, for joining in our game! Why don't you tell us something about yourself first?

I love to write stories, but not till recently have I been determined to publish. I live in a small town in Florida and I'm married to the greatest man in the world. I'm also the mom of two sweet little boys. I hope one day soon to publish several stories just for the love of sharing them. Read my blog and find out more about me!

For more about Tuesday Tag, or if you'd like to read previous scenes, click here. If you'd like to participate in Tuesday Tag, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com.

TT Rules:
1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.
2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.
3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*
4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're okay with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.
5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.
6. Have fun!
*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

**Note: This piece is not historically accurate. Instead, it is a prime example of Creative License.**

***

Joceyln hurried her handmaid along. Before she could hear her mother calling for her, she rushed out to the stables. Colin was hooking up one of the carriages. She came to her favorite horse, and soothed the magnificent creature with a hand on his nose.

Colin spotted her when he rounded the corner, his jaw became tight. She glared over the horse's snout. "Why are you readying the carriage?"

"I've heard the Duke of Waldrick is to come this afternoon, Miss Whitley."

She glanced at the stable boy only a few feet away. He was saving face for her sake.

"Why, yes, he is coming this afternoon. He's on his way here as we speak, so I've heard."

He requested the stable boy leave. Once out of earshot, he leaned in close, too close. "Didn't your mother tell you she planned your full day with the Duke?"

Jocelyn breathed through her red-faced embarrassment, "Of course she told me, I just-"

"Don't." He pet the horse, the large animal grunted and neighed.

He looked to her with unreadable eyes, the intensity in them forced her to look to the hay under her feet. "Your horse is ready, you can still run. Run away with me, Jossey."

She focused on the reins of her favorite horse, "You know I can't, Colin."

"I know you won't, Jocelyn"

He came near, breathing on her cheek, in her hair. Memories slid like hot butter into her mind. "Let's go right now. Just me and you."

Pulling herself out of the memory-induced stupor, she glared at him. Just then the stable boy ran into the stables. Colin quickly pulled himself away from her side and hurried with the horses.

"Cook asked me to send for you, Miss. The Duke of Waldrick is here."

She reluctantly turned to walk slowly inside. She didn't want to be sweaty and clammy when she saw the Duke.

Cook peered above the sink at her, "You'd better hurry, child. Your mother isn't very patient."

Jocelyn leaned in close, "Do I smell like the stables?"

Cook sniffed one good time, "No, ma'am."

Jocelyn squeezed her dear friend's arm, "Thank you, Mavis." She walked out, letting the cook get busy on the feast Mother had her prepare.

The Duke stood at the door greeting her mother. He was very handsome. His face lit up with delight as he turned to her.

"Ah, good afternoon, Jocelyn. Your mother has just informed me we are scheduled for an afternoon on the town. Shall we?" He held out his thick arm for her.

With an easy smile, she agreed. He was able to lighten her mood, thankfully.

She looked back to see her mother delighted at the sight of her and the Duke. No doubt money was flashing in her mind. Jocelyn felt it as well. It was very wise to marry James. He could provide for her and her mother, and their future.

They stood in the heat of the sun as they waited for the carriage to be brought around. He spoke amiably about his trip to see the Pope.

She heard the team rounding the corner of her house. Colin kept his eyes low as he reined the horses to a stop in front of them.

He jumped off the driver's seat and helped her in.

The stable boy jumped down from the driver's seat as well. Jocelyn was shocked. "Are you not driving us?" Her eyes begged Colin to be with her.

"The boy is more than adequate, Miss. He's been trained by me and I feel he's ready." His eyes seemed to see straight through her high-class poker face. "Have a lovely time, Miss."

Jocelyn bit her bottom lip at the obvious hurt in the low timbre of his voice. She was doing the right thing, she was convinced. It just hurt to see Coling so down. She would sneak out later and they'd go for a late evening ride together. That brought an even easier smile to her lips.

***

That was the Tuesday Tag by the lovely Kelly Freestone

Thank you, Kelly!

Want to know what's going to happen?

Tune in next week!

Want to make things happen?

Email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com to join the game!

Author Interview: Marc Vun Kannon

2010-08-09T01:50:00.001-05:00

The CTW 100 Followers Contest is officially over; today, the winners will be announced on CritiqueThisWIP! Want to know who won the prized critiques? Check the sidebar on the left side of our blog. That's right, over there ------>
**Winners will be posted by 8pm (CST).

Happy Monday, everyone! No--don't fret! Monday's aren't bad over here at CTW, I promise. See, we like to do this little thing called Author Interviews...so we do, each and every Monday. To see some of our past interviews, click here.

So far, we've had a blast meeting writers from all over the globe, and today is no exception. Because Margaret is taking a little business trip to the East Coast, I had the opportunity to take over (steal) her interview with a writer who's both witty and charming, Marc Vun Kannon. Before I dive right in, here's a little bit about the Sci-Fi/Romance/Fantasy novelist...

Marc Vun Kannon was born in Bethpage, Long Island, and grew up with a complete collection of Oz books in his room, and Star Trek on the TV. After surviving his teen age years, he entered Hofstra University. Five years later, he exited with a BA in philosophy and a wife. He still has both, but the wife is more useful.

A series of minor jobs followed, which allowed him to enter Graduate School for Philosophy. Although he chose not to complete the degree, his studies inspired him to write his first novel, Unbinding the Stone. His wife inspired him to have children.

He went back to school, and completed a Computer Science degree. He also wrote his second novel, A Warrior Made, and a variety of short stories. Currently he is employed as a Tier One support engineer at Bottomline Technologies, a father to his three children, husband to his wife, and author to his books.

He, and they, now reside in Wading River, Long Island, New York.

Courtney: First off, you’re published! Can you tell us a little about which of your books made it to publication?
Marc: I have two novels, Unbinding the Stone and A Warrior Made. I also have a number of short stories published and more on the way. ‘Chasing His Own Tale’, ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘Off the Map’, as well as ‘Struck By Inspiration’, ‘Ex Libris’, ‘Undermind’, and ‘Bite Deep’. ‘Bite Deep’ and ‘Ex Libris’ have already been out in the world in anthologies and will soon be released individually as e-book short stories.

Courtney: Very impressive! Did you use a pen name for publishing?
Marc: I use my own name, Marc Vun Kannon. If I was named Bob Smith I probably wouldn’t.

Courtney: When did you start writing?
Marc: About 15 years ago. I was attacked one night by some dreams. I told my wife about them the next day, since I usually don’t remember my dreams at all, and she said ‘That sounds like it would make a good book.’ At some point the first sentence appeared in my head and I built from there.

Courtney: Oh yes, I write from my dreams too. What’s your favorite genre to write?
Marc: Fantasy, although I recently finished a futuristic paranormal with some strong romantic elements.

Courtney: Oh, Marc! That’s the kind of thing I love to hear! As a matter of fact, I’ve recently started plotting a new book with those exact parameters—could this be fate? What’s your favorite genre to read?
Marc: Fantasy, although I will read anything with good strong characters. Fortunately my publisher, Echelon Press, doesn’t seem to produce anything else, which is good. I’ve read about 90% of the books they make, in all genres. And by the way, I don’t plot. I’m a complete pantser. Just so you know.

Courtney: How do you come up with your characters?
Marc: I don’t. They come up with me. Honestly I don’t know. Sometimes I turn around and there they are. One character actually did that to me twice. I don’t know where the story will go when I start, so I add people as required by the scene, but most of my books will start out with just one man doing one thing and grow from there. I didn’t intend for Candace to become a love interest, or for that little triangle to end up ruling the story the way it did. If my daughter hadn’t suggested putting the ghost in one scene it might not have happened.

Courtney: Haha, sounds like something out of a horror movie! I love when those characters just reveal themselves. You don’t need to worry about a thing—they know just who they are. So, where have some of you best ideas come from?
Marc: Dreams, or they occur to me while driving. Times when I’m not really trying to be creative but I’m ready to be surprised. I’ve had a number of ideas from reading other books, usually because I didn’t like what happened and I thought of something I’d rather have seen.

Courtney: I’m familiar with the feeling…some books would be such a waste of time if they didn’t help us to create a new book of our own. Back to the interview… what project or projects are you working on now?
Marc: I have a paranormal story currently being edited, a novel called St. Martin’s Moon, about a werewolf attack on a lunar colony. My novel WIP is a fantasy sequel in my series, The Flame in the Bowl. My short story WIP is a SF entry for the current PARSEC contest.

Courtney: Which of your characters do you most relate with (please give a brief explanation of why you relate to him/her)?
Marc: My main characters are Tarkas, sort of a Bard, and his nephew Janosec, who is a keeper of lore and a teller of tales. I relate to both, but probably Janosec most. Most of the time I feel as if my stories are coming from somewhere outside of me and I’m just telling them, as he does. All my characters are parts of me, though.

Courtney: I feel the exact same way about my own characters, whether it is good parts or the bad. But Marc, how do you name your characters? Do you spend much time finding their names?
Marc: Not much. Tarkas’ name I never thought of at all. It was in the first sentence that popped into my head, and I don’t know where that came from. Some characters got names that I took from friends, like ‘Lori’ became ‘Irolla’. As I got more experience I made them up out of whole cloth as needed. I usually have a naming convention defined, then I play around with existing names until something fits the convention while sounding ‘normal’.

Courtney: Now this sounds interesting. Can you elaborate on this for the readers (and me)? What is a naming convention and how does it work?
Marc: A naming convention is simply a loose definition of a name. For example, the hero of my first novel is named Tarkas tel Kwinarish, which looks like a lot. ‘Kwinarish’ is his village, and tel means ‘from’. His parents are Tarmel and Tarsis, so ‘Tar-‘ is the family name, and ‘-kas’ is the individual identifier. This tells you a bit about how the culture he comes from is structured, as names often do. They’re a very compact way of transmitting this sort of information.
Anyway, in the course of the story, he goes to a different realm entirely, with a different naming convention, and he ends up as Demlas Tarkas, where ‘Demlas is a clan name. I modeled this after a number of societies in our own world, often warrior cultures, where the clan or family name comes first, followed by the individual’s name. So Demlas Tarkas is actually three names.

Courtney: Wow, now that's really interesting. I have several different races in my paranormal series, and I can tell you, I absolutely hate finding the right name for a specific character. It's amazing how detailed your work is. How do you “get in the zone” when writing? What is your writing environment like?
Marc: I write in my living room, which is where the computer is. I usually write early in the day, when no one else is around. Having music or the TV on completely disrupts my process.

Courtney: Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?
Marc: No. It never occurred to me to look for a group like that.

Courtney: Wow! I don’t know what I’d do without my crit partners. I really need to learn your “process”. It sure would cut down on my time restraints if I was CP-less. Just kidding girls! You know I love CritiqueThisWIP!! So, Marc, how do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?
Marc: I’d like to receive more comments than I do. Most of what I hear is positive. I do learn from it when it’s bad, as I stated in one of my blog posts somewhere.

Courtney: Beta readers could help with that, and the Web is full of them. So, tell me, how many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?
Marc: I have a few going, depending on what story feels like getting written that day. Sometimes I get ideas and I make a quick write-up for further work later. My novel WIP is open-ended, time-wise, but the short story I’m currently doing is for a contest, with a deadline, so I’ll try to push that one more.

Courtney: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?
Marc: I write computer software for my day job. Occasionally I do craft and gift fairs, or conventions, with my bookselling operation, Author Guy.

Courtney: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?
Marc: “Events may be horrible or inescapable, but men have always a choice—if not whether, then how they may endure.” No, wait, that’s from Lois Bujold’s Curse of Chalion. From one of my books, let me see.

Courtney: Haha—I’ll let you get back to us with one of your own ;-) Would you like to share anything else with the readers before I wrap this up and put you out of your misery?
Marc: No misery at all, it’s been a pleasure. My website is http://www.marcvunkannon.com and I have several blogs. The one I write in most is http://authorguy.wordpress.com . Oh, wait, here’s a little scene I like, Marquand looking at Candace being happy, in St. Martin’s Moon:
Marquand indulged himself in beholding her, every brain cell in his head fogging its glasses simultaneously. "Well yeah," he replied, surprised witless. "Who hasn't?"

Courtney: Great websites, by the way. I had a chance to browse through them earlier, and Marc has some great “writerly” posts on his blog. Check out his post on “Loglines”.
Marc, thank you so much for volunteering to be a part of CritiqueThisWIP’s Author Interview series. I’ve enjoyed torturing—I mean, interviewing you. I know some of my questions got a little…nosy. You’ve been a great sport! Thanks for stopping by!

We love to talk shop with other writers. In fact, we have a series full of them--posted every Monday. If you'd like to be part of our Author Interview series, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com. We'd love to sit down and pick your brain =D

Friday Fiction #18

2010-08-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

It's time for Friday Fiction! Dying to know what's going to happen next to Erica and Shane? Read on and you'll find out. First time reading the CTW Friday Fiction feature and want to catch up on the story? Go here to read from the beginning!

********

"What is that noise?" Erica whispered, taking hold of Rags by the collar in an effort to restrain the little dog who was, at this point, growling low in his throat.

The noise was a faint rustling in the dried brush beyond their camp, and Erica thought she could also hear a car radio in the distance.

"Not sure," Shane said. "Stay here and I'll take a look." He lifted the leg of his jeans and slid a hunting knife out of the side of his boot and hefted the handle in his palm. Where did that come from? she wondered. He was a walking weapons locker between the two pistols he'd had in the RV and now the hunting knife.

He stalked the few steps up and over the low rise beyond their camp and into the scrub. Erica sat by the fire, her muscles tense and the bile roiling in her stomach, waiting for Shane to return. She strained to hear anything, but there was only the occasional crunch of Shane's footsteps on gravelly sand and rock as he got further away from camp.

She scratched Rags behind the ears, as much to comfort herself as to comfort him, but he was alert and squirming, not at all interested in her attention.

The wait was interminable. What's taking him so long? she thought. And then she began imagining all the horrible things that could have happened to him, leaving her stranded alone in the middle of the desert. Snakebitten? Lost? Fell in a hole? Captured by drug runners? She wondered if she should go look for him. But what if nothing had happened to him and he was just being careful about his reconnaissance? If she went crashing through the brush looking for him she'd ruin his lookout.

But just sitting and doing nothing as the minutes ticked by was driving her crazy. Patience wasn't something she was good at. She strained to hear anything, and could still pick out the car radio in the distance, but the rustling had stopped.

Rags was restless. Erica stood, intending to top the rise and at least survey the scene. Maybe she could see something.

As she took her first step she heard a distinct thud. Then another and another, followed by a grunt and a strangled scream.

She charged for the top of the rise. "Shane?!" she called.

There was no answer.

A Contest and a PRESENT---for you!!

2010-08-04T01:00:00.005-05:00

Hello all! Courtney here—and today’s post is going to be very short and to the point. I know you were expecting another awesome writing Wednesday post, but *tear* you won’t be getting one. Instead, I’m going be talking about two (2) very important things-you-need-to-know.

1st—The party is STILL going on! CritiqueThisWIP is celebrating its milestone **100 members** by hosting a contest in your honor! The contest is judged on a point system so ANYONE and EVERYONE has a chance to win. All you need do is decide how much you want to win, then go after those points!

Here’s how to earn some points…
Leave us a comment on THIS post (1 point)
Already a CTW follower? (2 points)
New CTW follower? (1 point)
Sign up to be interviewed as part of our Author Interview series (1 point) [email critiquethiswip@gmail.com]
Sign up to participate in Tuesday Tag (1 point) [email critiquethiswip@gmail.com]
Tweet about the contest using #critiquethiswip (1 point - 3 points max)
Follow CTW on Twitter (1 point)
Blog about the contest (2 points)

AND—and this is the mother of all point-system-winners—because we're all writers, if you write us a little story in the comments containing the following words: "critique", "romance", "fireworks", "odalisque" and "insouciant", you get 1 point for each word you use, 1 bonus point for using all of them, and 1 bonus point for a flash fiction-type story (max. 7 points).

**Make sure you let us know how many points you have, just to make sure we don’t miss any. You can leave your name and points (and what you got each point for) in the comment section.**

2nd—Remember that book review we did a few weeks back on Minder by Kate Kaynak (aka Dr. Cyborg)? Well I have good news for you! Kate—doll that she is—emailed us a link to view 80 pages of Minder FOR FREE! But don’t worry, I’m not rubbing it in anyone’s face; all CTW readers get access to the link too! Will you look at that?! Follow us and you’ll get super cool incentives for reading through all the [insert expletive here] that we post! Minder is a great book and I’m stoked (yes, I did just say that) to read the sequel, Adversary =)

Visit Ganzfield and you can be a super-human too! ((Don't mention my name..))
www.ganzfield.com

*Note: I might have fibbed a bit about CTW members being the only people allowed to read the 80 page excerpt of Minder. What? You don’t like to feel special?!

Tuesday Tag: Scene 5

2010-08-03T01:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the next installment of Tuesday Tag – a serialized story wrote each week by someone new. Last week Courtney tagged me to write the next scene. If you’d like to get in on the fun it’s real simple to do so. All you have to do is know the rules (listed below) and inform us that you’re interested.

So, these are the rules of the game:

1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.

2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.

3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*

4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're ok with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.

5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.

6. Have fun!

*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.
**Note: This piece is not historically accurate. Instead, it is a prime example of Creative License.**

Here we go:

Jocelyn’s eyes flashed to Colin and he gave her a slow wink before he sauntered across the room to the dresser and poured water from the porcelain pitcher into the wash bowl. She perused his backside from the top of his Y-back suspenders down the fitted white flatiron shirt tucked firm into the navy striped trousers and she admired the strong curve of his buttocks.

“What a good girl you are, fulfilling your mother’s dreams of elevating her station.” He dropped a wash cloth into the basin and poured water into a tumbler, then tore a small packet and emptied white powder into the drink. “It’s a shame, though, that you’re afraid to think for yourself.”

“Don’t start, Colin.” Jocelyn sighed and leaned back against the pillow, an arm thrown over her eyes. “I am not in the mood to listen to your American lesson on independence and freedom of choice.”

“Ah, but this is a perfect time.” Colin stirred the water with his finger and sat down on the bed beside her. “Here, drink this. It will chase that hangover away within minutes.”

Jocelyn dropped her arm to her side and raised an eyebrow. “And you just happen to carry a hangover remedy in your trouser pocket?”

Lines crinkled the sides of Colin’s eyes as he smiled. “I do when I hear my best friend missed her wedding party due to an empty decanter of whiskey.”

With another long sigh, Jocelyn said, “I knew the walls had ears but how word reached the stables is troubling. I assume it was the stable boy who filled you in on my drunkenness?”

“Oh I have spies everywhere, my dear. Your secrets are never safe with me nearby.” He rubbed his hand up and down Jocelyn’s arm before taking the empty glass and setting it on the bed stand. “Your duke had a case of the jitters.”

Jocelyn tried to ignore the flitter of awareness that pulsed through her body. “He had the guts to do what I couldn’t.” She shook her head, resigned. “I know you think I’m weak Colin. But you don’t understand. You’re just a renegade who thinks nothing of nobility. But this is how I was raised. It’s important to me.”

“It’s important to your mother.” Colin left the bed and strode across the room. He took the wash cloth from the basin and wrung it out and returned to her, his touch gentle as he laid the cool cloth against her forehead. “Damn your bloody English nobility.”

“You don’t understand – “

“I’m a bastard of the Duke of Devonshire, Jocelyn . Of course I understand.” A trace of bitterness colored his tone.

“A rich bastard and you don’t give a damn about that. Or so you always tell me.” Jocelyn raised a brow at Colin. It certainly sounded as if he gave a damn now. “Mother and I are noble, yes. But we’ve barely a penny to our name after Father emptied our coffers. I need to marry, Colin, as much as I wish I didn’t.”

“And your knight in shining armor is riding in to save you. Your prince.” Colin leaned close and removed the washcloth from her forehead, replacing it with his lips. “And what will your prince say when he finds out you’ve already given yourself to a commoner?”

A loud knock sounded at the door. “Miss Whitley, we have your bath, Miss.”

“Just a minute.” Joselyn called, and then narrowed her eyes at Colin. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh wouldn’t I?” He had a devilish glint in his eyes.

The maids knocked again, louder this time.

“Get out, Colin Davis.” She put as much anger in her voice as she could muster. “I never want to see you again.”

The look in his eyes told her he knew she didn’t mean it and he took his time crossing the room.

At the open window, he said, “Enjoy your prince, m’lady.” He gave a roguish smile and disappeared, onto the ledge and down to the grass below, no doubt.

Author Interview: Myne Whitman

2010-08-02T04:19:00.000-05:00

Tessa: Today we’re going to talk to fellow romance writer and published novelist, Myne Whitman. Myne, why don’t we start with you telling us a little about yourself?

Myne: I am a Nigerian blogger, writer and poet. I am also the author of A Heart to Mend, my first novel. I live in Seattle with my husband and write full time. I write mostly romance and love poems though recently I have been trying my pen at literary short stories. I am currently working on my next novel, also a romance manuscript. I blog at Myne Whitman Writes and I am on Twitter and Facebook.

Tessa: Do you use a pen name when you write?

Myne: I do use a pen name, which I have been using since I completed my first story while in high school. For me, it is a way of channeling my creativity and retaining my privacy at the same time. I reserve my real name for official and professional stuff.

Tessa: That’s more or less what I do, too. Would you recommend the use of a pen name to other writers?

Myne: I think every writer should choose whatever works for them.

Tessa: So you said you’ve had your pen name since high school. How long have you been writing?

Myne: I have been writing from about 12 years old but I started completing and saving my manuscripts from maybe 20. I started with Children’s adventure mysteries and then later moved on to romance.

Tessa: That’s quite a switch in genre, there. What’s your favourite genre? To write, that is?

Myne: That would be romance or better put, romantic suspense. I just like writing about love and all the obstacles a relationship may have to surmount in order to get to that happily ever after, lol. It makes me happy to write, so it’s easier to guess that my readers will love it too.

Tessa: Ah, so it wasn’t that much of a switch. You’ve moved from childrens’ adventure mysteries to adult adventures. *grins* Love is a great adventure, after all. What about reading? Do you write what you read or are your reading tastes different?

Myne: The same as I write actually, I used to like just romance but now I’ll prefer if there’s something thrown in. I also enjoy some psychological thrillers and a little horror.

Tessa: I love it when you get books that combine romance and suspense or even thrillers! Shame I’m no good at writing them *giggles*. So. Writing. When you’re writing, Myne, how do you come up with your characters?

Myne: They come to me, lol. Really. For instance in A Heart to Mend, I was walking along the road one day – running an errand for my parents – when the main male character came to me. I think it was a glimpse of a man in the backseat of a car that triggered it. When I now have this character, I fantasize their background and what they could get up to if they were real persons.

Tessa: Hehe, my characters do that, too. I see something, hear something, and before I know it someone’s there clamouring for my attention. Which of your characters do you relate to most?

Myne: Funny thing is, it’s my male protagonist in A Heart to Mend. He is a man that though kind and loyal is emotionally unavailable and wants to protect his heart at all costs.

Tessa: I tend to relate better to my male characters, too. Strange, isn’t it, how real they can seem? I often spend weeks agonizing over my characters’ names, because they start complaining to me if I leave them with one that doesn’t fit. How important is the naming of your characters for you? Do you spend a lot of time on that?

Myne: I think this is very important. My plotting usually determines the names of my characters, knowing what they look like and what they will get up to. The background is also very important. I like to make my stories very real and I have found that in real life, where we come from may determine our names. I recently changed the names of some characters in my WIP and then had to change a lot about the story because their personalities changed.

Tessa: Ha! I do that too - change the names if they no longer fit, that is. What about ideas in general? What inspires you? Is there something in particular that gives you ideas?

Myne: They come from all over. Mostly real life, an amalgamation of some of my experiences. TV, books and movies have also come in handy, I might have this idea and then see how it is handled in this TV series or movie or something. Or I have this character running around in my mind and then I come across the perfect scenario to try her out in. Then at times, I have these very funny dreams, where I dream up whole stories or at least scenes an even character backgrounds.

Tessa: That’s so cool, I never remember my dreams! No fair. So what do you do once a character or an idea is right there in your head? Do you plot out your stories or are you a pantser?

Myne: I am usually a plotter. I try to have an outline of all the chapters to include in a manuscript, but after that, it’s freewheeling all the way for the scenes or what could happen.

Tessa: Do you have any particular projects you’re working on right now?

Myne: I have my work in progress, a romantic suspense novel which I hope to complete the second draft this summer. The working title is Ghost of the past. I also produce a Chain story blog, where I edit and review contributions for the Cupid’s Risk Series, www.cupidsrisk.blogspot.com , something like written weekly webisodes. The complete eBook is now ready and can be downloaded free from the website. I also manage a story sharing site at www.naijastories.com, a social networking community for Nigerian writers.

Tessa: So you have more than one project going?

Myne: I have a few going on at once. Like, it was while finishing up A Heart to Mend, that I started on my current WIP. I have started on another two now. They’re in very infant stages though.

Tessa: Where you born there? In Nigeria, I mean?

Myne: Yes I was born in Nigeria and spent most of my growing up years there. I first moved to the United Kingdom four years ago and over here to the United States in the Spring of 2009.

Tessa: Are you very involved in the Nigerian writers’ community, then? Wasn’t the first African Nobel Laureate for Literature from Nigeria? Is the literary community in Nigeria well recognized?

Myne: I am very involved in the writing community, especially since I started writing full time and had my book published. The literary community is just rejuvenating again after some years of a slump due to some wider economic problems. Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Laureate in the hey days, now some younger authors are leading the renaissance with Chimamanda Adichie in the forefront. My novel, A Heart to mend has also made great inroads, being the first novel in the romance genre in recent years.

Tessa: As far as I know the official language of Nigeria is English. Do you also speak or even write in one of the other recognized languages - Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, I think they’re called?

Myne: You’re correct, English is the official language of Nigeria. I speak Igbo, which you have listed and also learnt to write it. However, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to use it since English is the most widely used. Most writers in Nigeria therefore write in English.

Tessa: Do you use critique partners, groups or beta readers to help you with your story?

Myne: Yes I do. I find them very helpful. I belong to a writing meet-up group, where we meet about 2 or 3 times a month to critique our WIP. They’re awesome. My blog followers act as my beta readers, I use drafts from my WIP as giveaways on condition that they send back thoughts, edits, whatever they can. It worked really well for A Heart to Mend. My husband is my co-plotter, editor and reviewer. He knows the story almost as well as I do and plot discussions with him will usually see me through some blocks.

Tessa: The internet and blogs in particular are becoming indispensable for writers, aren’t they? It’s so great to be able to get feedback from all over the world. Even better, you have family you can rely on for feedback. How do you respond to their comments, or rather, their criticism? And how would your husband answer that question for you? ; )

Myne: I love the internet. Honestly I love being read and that is the opportunity I appreciate most of all from blogs. Whatever comes after that is a bonus for me. I want to learn and get better and this is the perfect way. Not all criticism is positive of course but one has to learn how to handle it. I try to accept most criticism in good faith and if a particular comment raises issues I do not understand, I usually ask further questions. It does help that I can discuss these comments and feedback with my husband who is more patient than I am.

Tessa: Now I know you’re also part of the illustrious community of Published Authors. Where and when were you published?

A Heart to Mend

Myne: I was published in December 2009 via Authorhouse. My novel is titled, A Heart to mend. It is available internationally through Amazon and in bookstores across the USA, UK and Europe. It is also being marketed in Nigeria. Chapter one of A Heart to Mend, is free to read and comment on Freado.com.

Tessa: When you’re writing, do you have anything that “gets you in the zone”? What’s your writing environment like?

Myne: My writing environment is pretty basic. My desk and my laptop and I’m good to go. I usually blog a bit before I start writing, something about reading all that different styles and stories. Sometimes I also like to listen to slow ballads while I write some emotional or love scenes.

Tessa: So you have specific writing songs? A writing playlist, even?

Myne: Do I really have one? LOL…OK I call it the Toni Braxton Playlist. I didn’t actually collect it myself. I have these radio stations or playlists on Pandora where you use a musician or a song to find similar ones, ad infinitum.

Tessa: Do you use writing exercises to keep the writing muscles limber?

Myne: Not a lot. I did earlier when I first started writing seriously. Now I prefer to focus on my WIP.

Tessa: So do you participate in Blogfests?

Myne: Yes, I have taken part in quite a few blogfests. I have only written a new scene for one fest, most times I use scenes from my WIP, or a draft for a scene that is not yet finished. I enjoy Blogfests not only because of the writing involved but the feedback you get from fellow writers.

Tessa: What’s your favourite part of being a writer?

Myne: I love travelling into the minds of these new characters I’m creating. I imagine them and there they are, lol. I love the experience of falling in love through them all over again. I love when readers come back to me saying, I love this character, I hate the other one, can we find out more about the other one? And so on.

Tessa: It’s great when you can evoke emotions in your readers, isn’t it? What about the bad parts? Is there something you don’t like about being a writer?

Myne: It can be emotionally draining especially when you are writing about human relationships. Also it takes a lot of time and effort to get a story to a stage where others can appreciate it. Such research can become tedious after some time.

Tessa: Do you get hit with writers’ block?

Myne: What writer doesn’t? I am actually going through one right now. I haven’t written in a couple of days and I feel so tense.

Tessa: I know the feeling. For me, everything sort of bottles up, nothing wants to show its face on paper - it can be so frustrating....On that note, most of us have some sort of day-job we have to deal with along with the writing. How does that work for you?

Myne: I actually write full time, but when I am not writing, I volunteer part time to a charity. I teach English as a second language to non-English speaking immigrants. It’s a nice way to keep my grammar shiny too.

Tessa: Do you have any favourite writers? Particular books, movies or songs?

Myne: I read a lot and have so many authors I love. They include several Mills and Boons writers, Barbara Cartland, Francine Rivers, Sidney Sheldon, Robert Ludlum, Leon Uris, John Grisham, and Micheal Critchton. And in Africa; the Pacestters writers, African Writers Series, Flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, Cyprian Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe and more recently Chimamanda Adichie and Jude Dibia.

Tessa: That’s a great mixture. I’ll have to check out the African writers, I admit I’m not familiar with those at all. Do you have a favourite line from your own books you’d like to share with us?

Myne: This is a line from A Heart to Mend, Edward’s thoughts to himself on page 47.

“Life was much better this way; you wanted something, you went after it and you got it, if you became tired of it, or it became tired of you, you let it go.”

Tessa: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers?

Myne: To the aspiring writers, I will say that you should keep at it. A lot of upcoming writers are actually very talented and just have to continue polishing their craft till opportunity knocks. I wish everyone the best. To my fans and readers, I love you all and say a great big THANK YOU! Thank you too to Critique-This-WIP for this opportunity.

Tessa: You’re most welcome, thank you for granting us this interview. It’s been great talking to you.

Friday Fiction #17

2010-07-30T03:59:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week again, time for the next installment in Shane and Erica's story! If this is all news to you, you can find the previous installments here.

***

Shane busied himself pouring his own coffee, several versions of “why me” running through his head. He should have known better than to take that ride.

This whole thing added a new layer to ‘hitchhiking is dangerous’.

He watched as Erica took a sip from her mug and spewed it right out again. Rags jumped up with a yelp and padded over to sit by Shane, giving Erica a thoroughly offended look.

“Sorry, no milk. We forgot about sugar, too,” Shane said, hiding his smile behind his own cup. It really was awful coffee, but Shane was used to bad coffee.

He wasn’t used to dragging innocent...He stopped himself, thinking of last night. He wasn’t used to dragging innocent bystanders along, just because they played good samaritan and helped out a stranger on the road.

“What we need to do now is head for Salado and figure out what’s going on,” he said, dumping the last of the coffee into his mug. “We can’t stay out here forever, can we?”

Erica frowned down at her coffee, or whatever the black sludge in her mug actually was. She really wasn’t the camping type. She’d only bought the RV because it was such a radical change from her life, a chance to start over.

Well, that had turned out great, hadn’t it?

She got up to pour the ‘coffee’ into the nearby shrubbery. “You think it’s a good idea to go into town, after what happened with Alyssa? And what about Frank? Will anyone miss him? What if someone saw the fire?”

She sat back down and picked at the slightly scorched bits of rabbit on her plate. “What are we going to do about us?”

Shane took a piece of meat and started chewing to gain some time. How on earth was he supposed to know? Sure, Erica was cute a hell, even if she was a little scruffy after spending a rather active night outside.

And what a night.

“You want an ‘us’, Erica?” he asked, then cursed his loose tongue. He really wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

Erica stared at him. Had he actually just asked her that? After what they’d done last night? She was about to ask him if he was serious when Ragsie jumped away from Shane and started barking, gaze fixed somewhere behind Erica.

“What?” she asked the dog, turning around to see what excited him so. “Is there something there, Rags?” She put the plate down and stood to get a better view, but couldn’t make anything out. Ragsie wasn’t shutting up, though.

“Shane? Do you see anything?”

***

That's all for this week my dearies, tune in next week to see what has Rags all excited!

Contest Time!

2010-07-29T08:05:00.008-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Today's a special day at CTW. Why, you ask? Well, look over there in the right column. Go ahead. Yeah, over there. -> ->

A little lower.

You see it?

We have 100 followers!

*throws confetti*

That's 100 people who love us!

That makes us all warm and fuzzy.

In fact, it's something to celebrate, so we're having a party here at CTW today!

And because we're so grateful to all our lovely followers, and we love each and every one of you so much, we've decided to have a contest in your honor!

Will there be prizes? Of course!

Because we're all about critiquing and helping each other become better writers, we thought, what better prize than to offer up what we do best? So here are the prizes!

**First Place: Three (3) chapters critiqued by CTW members!

**Second Place: Two (2) chapters critiqued by CTW members!

**Third Place One (1) chapter critiqued by CTW members!

What do you have to do in order to win a coveted CTW critique? It's very easy!

Leave us a comment on this post (1 point)

Already a CTW follower (2 points)

New CTW follower (1 point)

Tweet about the contest using #critiquethiswip (1 point - 3 points max)

Follow CTW on Twitter (1 point)

Blog about the contest (2 points)

AND...because we're all writers, if you write us a little story in comments containing the following words: "critique", "romance", "fireworks", "odalisque" and "insouciant", you get 1 point for each word you use, 1 bonus point for using all of them and 1 bonus point for a flash fiction-type story (max. 7 points).

When you leave your comment, please be sure to add up your points for us so we don't miss any. We want you to get all the credit you're due!

The contest will run through Friday, August 6th and we'll announce the winners on Monday, August 9th.

So hurry and don't miss out!

Your Story's Climax: Make It Satisfying...

2010-07-28T01:30:00.003-05:00

Source of Pic

With the art of writing reaching increased levels of growth and facing more demands from our readers, we – as writers – are under the pressure to meet and exceed high and ever-changing expectations. We’re always learning new ways to keep those readers turning the pages and – hopefully – turning first time readers into lifetime readers.

So, you’ve gotten your novel nearly complete. You’ve wrote a plot-twisting, page-turner of a novel. You’re characters are sympathetic and believable, and the readers love them. Now all you have to do is write the climax (or Black Moment, as some call it) and type The End.

Great!

So what do you want to add as you’re story’s climax?

Your story’s climax is just that. (Wikipedia’s description): In general, a climax is a point of greatest intensity or force in an ascending series; i.e., a culmination. This is the part of your story that has the ability to completely satisfy your reader or leave them feeling as if their lover left them moments before release. Not a pleasant feeling. And certainly not a feeling we want to invoke in our readers, and not a good way to grow your reader base.

What can you do to ensure you don’t leave your reader unsatisfied?

Serve Up A Little Poetic Justice:

The punishment should fit the crime. Every antagonist (villain) can’t be killed just to get rid of them, just as some don’t deserve to simply go to prison. And what about the womanizing bad boy who finally found the woman he loves? Of course he’ll realize it when he leaves her behind and can’t find happiness in any other woman’s arms *yawn*. We’ve seen those played out a hundred times. Which means editors and agents has seen them about a million times.

Serve up a little poetic justice to keep things fresh. Play off your characters, instead of a carbon-copy lesson that we’ve all read about time and time again. However you serve up the poetic justice, keep it true to your story and not just for the sake of.

Increase Reader’s Emotional Involvement (using powerful emotions):

Your reader must feel the danger as your hero and/or heroine’s life hangs in the balance. They must feel the sense of loss and despair that true love is slipping through your characters fingers. That way, once your climax resolution is complete, they’ll have that sense of satisfaction.

A drawback to writing romance is your reader already knows that –even during the darkest of your “black moment” – somehow, someway, your hero and heroine will be safe, in love, and if not actually living happily-ever-after, they will at least be on the right path for such a ending.

Even if your hero or heroine is on their “death bed”, bleeding profusely and about to take their last breathe, and still your reader knows something will happen to save your character’s life so that the hero and heroine will have that Happily-ever-after moment. That makes it tougher for us romance writers to surprise them and makes it even more vital that we play on their emotions to give them a satisfying ending.

Character’s Development and Growth:

What better time for your character to learn and grow then in the time of life’s trials and tribulations? Isn’t that when, we – as humans – grow and learn?

Let’s say your heroine’s always been soft-spoken and done as her mother and father suggest. She’s been thrown together with the town bad boy on a community project to clean up graffiti. While she knows her family wouldn’t approve, she starts a brief affair and ends up falling in love with him.

But, she keeps their affair hidden from her parents. On several occasions her parents have seen them together, and she uses the excuse that she’s his sponsor. She must learn to stand up for herself, for the man she loves, but it truly terrifies her to go against her parents’ wishes. They’ve done so much for her…

If she wants a shot at happiness with the man she loves, she’ll have to grow a backbone and face her parents. She’ll have to learn and grow to overcome years of natural character traits.

Surprise Your Reader:

That moment right after all is lost if vital for resolving the climax and leaving your reader satisfied. Give them something they didn’t see coming. Think outside the box, but keep it realistic. Perhaps something that was hinted at throughout the book, but didn’t cause the reader to think too much about it. The suddenly, all those little pieces make sense and it leaves your readers surprised.

The degree of the surprise is all dependent on what type of novel you’re writing and your own personal writing style. Whether big or little, intense or subtle, give your reader more then what they were expecting!

Which brings me to the next, and final, element.

Make the Novel Whole & Fill-in the Gaps:

With our readers increasing acceptance and new found outlook on entertainment, everything doesn’t have to be spelled out in big, black and white letters anymore. Now days, you can add shades of grays, blues, and pinks. But you’ll still have to fill in the gaps and resolve conflict to have a complete novel.

Make sure you’ve answered all those questions and hooks throughout your novel. If your core conflict was your hero clearing his name from a dirty FBI agent, you can’t leave that hanging. The core conflict must be resolved and cleared up before you type “The End” and begin submitting.

But other conflicts – such as sub-plots and romance (only through certain publishers and “line” is this acceptable) can sometime simply be hinted at or implied through clever writing. The core conflict must be solved, and all others must be – if not fully resolved – at the very least, hinted at.

What books has left you feeling unsatisfied and why? What books offered the greatest surprise in climax resolution? What are the things you, as a reader, look for most in your reading pleasure?

Tuesday Tag: Scene 4

2010-07-27T02:59:00.007-05:00

Hello lovelies! Welcome to the next installment of Tuesday Tag, a serialized story written by someone new each and every Tuesday. Today, you get to read my scene-- I know, you're super excited! I won't waste any time on writing down my bio. You can find me here on CTW each and every week. Of course, if you'd like to read more about me, click my link at the top of the page ;-)

For more about Tuesday Tag, or if you'd like to read previous scenes, click here. If you'd like to participate in Tuesday Tag, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com.

TT Rules:
1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.
2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.
3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*
4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're okay with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.
5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.
6. Have fun!
*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

**Note: This piece is not historically accurate. Instead, it is a prime example of Creative License.**

“Mo—mother! What…what are you—”

“Gracious, Jocelyn, open a window! It smells like the stables in here,” Mother said, pinching her nose in an exaggerated gesture.

Oh no, Colin! He must have tended to the horses before he came to see her.

“Mother, I—”

“Does your maid not air out your room once you come back from your afternoon rides? You really must punish the girl. How do you ever expect to run a house when your own staff is as lazy as a beggar?”

“Yes, Mother, of course,” Jocelyn said, perhaps too quickly. Her heart was racing in her chest; she needed Mother to leave. If she found Colin—

Don’t think about it. She won’t find him. Just get rid of her.

The older woman was impeccably dressed, even in the wee hours of the morning, and likely after very little sleep. Her hair was pulled back neatly, every strand in place. Gliding to the window, she jerked open the curtains and pushed the glass panels forward, letting in a rush of fresh air and faint morning light.

“What is it, Mother? Why are you waking me so early?” Jocelyn said with a hint of annoyance.

“What is it? Haven’t you heard? Everyone’s talking about it, Dear, it was all anyone spoke of at the party last night, and that’s saying something, given how your wedding went.” Jocelyn flinched at the jab but Mother didn’t notice. She waved her hand in dismissal, then muttered, “Not that you would remember. The servants practically poured you into bed, you were so taken.”

“Mother, what is it?”

“The Duke of Waldrick is here, in the city! He arrived just last night.”

Oh dear God. At the very mention of the name, all thoughts of Colin hiding under her bed vanished. In fact, all thoughts of Colin vanished.

“Waldrick? Prince James? The king’s younger brother?”

“Is there any other Duke of Waldrick?” Mother scoffed.

“But the Prince is in Italy. He’s been at the Vatican for nearly a year on the king’s business. They say he isn’t due back to London–”

“He just returned from Rome. According to Mrs. Richmond, whose husband is the financier of an Italian wine distributer, the Duke left unexpectedly after receiving news of an upcoming wedding. Apparently, the prince was in such a hurry to leave, he didn’t even bid farewell to the Pope! He left in the middle of the night and without completing the king’s business,” Mother shrieked in delight.

“King Charles won’t be as thrilled as you are, I’d expect.”

“He’s the King of England! He’ll find someone else to finish his talks with the Pope. Meanwhile, get up! He’ll be here in no time at all. You must get dressed. Have your maid spend extra time on your appearance. We want everything to be perfect.”

“What are you talking about?” Jocelyn asked; dread knotted itself in the pit of her stomach.

“James will be calling on you this morning,” Mother squealed, grabbing her by the hand. “He intends to court you, Jocelyn. You’re the reason he’s returned to London against his brother’s wishes. You’re the one he means to marry.”

“Marry… Mother, my wedding was just last night. You can’t expect me to go through all this again, not so soon.”

“Are you mad? Jocelyn, this is a Prince of England we’re talking about. Do you realize the kind of life you’d have? The kind of privilege you’d give to this family? Perhaps I’d understand if it were a lesser suitor, but the Duke of Waldrick? Prince James?” Jocelyn hesitated and her mother continued. “You remember the Prince, don’t you? I thought you got along rather nice with him at court. He is a fine looking man.”

“I remember him,” Jocelyn whispered, her mind flashing back in time. They’d met exactly three times before, always at court. Their first meeting had been only two months before James had left for Rome. Jocelyn was new to court life but he’d made her feel special. Before that, she and her mother lived outside of London while her father spent the majority of his time in the city. But just over a year ago, her father moved them all to a house in London and insisted that she attend court. No one had dreamed that Prince James would ask her to dance, and no one knew of the kiss they’d shared afterward in the gardens.

“I’ll summon your maid,” Mother said with a slight smirk. Within moments, the door shut and she was gone.

“So, first an Earl, now a Duke—a prince, no less.”

Colin.

Do we have a nice little love-triangle in our future?? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

TAG JILL! You're it!

Author Interview: Suzie Bethell-Thompson

2010-07-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Author Interview is with CritqueThisWIP member, Suzie Bethell-Thompson. Here is a little Suzie bio:

"I’ve lived in a small town west of Oklahoma City. I’ve lived in California, Missouri, and Texas but dream of running away to Colorado. I’ve been blessed with a husband that puts up with far more from me then most men would, three kids that drive me insane, but love my insane ass just as much as I love them, and a close family that sometimes makes me what to go ahead and run away to Colorado, but I’d die without them because they are as much a part of me as my fingers are."

To read a little bit more about Suzie, click on her tab at the top of the page.

Jill: Hi Suzie! I’m looking forward to getting to know you today. Let’s dive right in. To pen name, or not to pen name…what is your opinion?

Suzie: I’m not sure if it’s considered a pen name or not, but I write my novels under my maiden name, simply because my married last name (Thompson) is so common. I did research on my name and learned there is already a Suzie Thompson website. Now, Bethell… much less common, much easier to remember… I’m hoping.

I’ve written several articles under a pen name, but as for my novel writing – for now, at least – I’ll just stick with my maiden name. Since I dabble in several genre’s I may one day take up a pen name for genre’s not related to paranormal romance or romantic suspense.

Jill: So spill, when did you start writing?

Suzie: I started writing many, many years ago. At first it was poetry, then I moved on to short stories. Actually, No Shame for the Wicked is the first full-length MS that I have completed… you know… beginning, middle, end.

Jill: What’s your favorite genre to write?

Suzie: So far, paranormal is my favorite to write. The possibilities are endless, and the only limits are in your imagination. But I love to write suspense also. Something about good versus evil in a more “realistic” setting is very exciting. Then you have to come up with more believable plot twists.

Jill: What’s your favorite genre to read?

Suzie: As with most people, I’m sure. I write what I read. Since paranormal is my most recent obsession, I’d say that’s my favorite to read, as well.

Jill: How do you come up with your characters?

Suzie: Creating characters varies for me. Sometimes it’s the character that comes to me and then I work on the plot. Sometimes it’s the plot and I develop characters that would best be put in that plot.

As for coming up with characters, it’s a variety of different things – sometimes a simple phrase I hear someone say, or an action that I see someone do. I’ve even come up with characters because of a traumatic event I seen on TV.

Jill: Where have some of you best ideas come from? (dreams, real life, music, tv, books, etc…)

Suzie: A majority of my ideas come from everything in my life. Same as when I'm creating characters, life – hell, mine and everyone’s around me – gives me ideas on a daily basis. No one is safe when I’m near!

Jill: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Suzie: I’m a both-ster! Which is a new concept for me, because before I started NaNo last year, I was a panster through and through.

Having to wait a month before I could actually start writing the novel for NaNo, with an idea rattling in my head, demands some action. I started with an idea and began plotting it. By the time NaNo started, getting the fifty thousand words were pretty easy, on the days I got to really sit down and write.

Now, I essentially start every idea – whether it’s a character or plot idea – as a panster. I write and write and write until I have absolutely nothing left in me… no idea where to go or what to do next. Then I sit down with a notebook, sticky pads, highlighters, pens, and printed out copies of everything I've wrote so far and start plotting.

Jill: What project or projects are you working on now?

Suzie: I’m more devoted to working on No Shame for the Wicked and getting it edited. But I have several others that I’ve worked on here and there. I hate editing. And the urge to drop No Shame and work on the others is very strong. But, perseverance is the only way to complete a novel, right? And complete isn’t just beginning, middle, end… it’s the polished beginning, middle, and end. So that’s what I’m trying to focus on right now.

Jill: Are you published? If so, what is the name of the novel?

Suzie: I’m not published. Not yet. But I will be. I want publication too badly not to become published one day. I’m hoping for one day soon. That’s my dream. I’d love for No Shame to be my first published book. We’ll see what Fate has in store for me and No Shame.

Jill: I can’t wait! Which of your characters do you most relate with…and why do you relate to him/her?

Suzie: The character I most relate with is from Secret Denied. The female MC, Mariah Sullivan. She’s known love, loss, and pain but she’s too damn stubborn to admit defeat. She’s a little bossy, a lot pushy, and always looking for that “happily-ever-after” – even though she won’t admit it for quite some time. I found my happily-ever-after… and she will, too.

Jill: I love a strong woman! How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do? Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Suzie: I believe names are very important to character development. Any good writer can make any name mesh with the character traits and have the reader agree with it. But you don’t want to name you’re hero Wilfred if he’s supposed to be some badass vampire assassin. At least I don’t. Because then I’d spend more time trying to “man him up” to make up for the name.

I name my characters like I name my pets (yes, in real life… not just in novels). I let them tell me what their names are. Most times, shortly into the characters back story, they will tell me their names. I tend to struggle the most with last names. While the characters will tell me their first names…very, very few (I mean, like a handful, maybe) will tell me their full names. When they don't, I’m left to find out what it is.

Jill: How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else? What is your writing environment like?

Suzie: My writing environment varies. Some days it’s me sitting on my bed with my laptop and other days it’s me at my desk in the living room at my PC.

Sometimes, being in the living room with the loud TV and louder kids and hubby is a challenge. On those days, I hightail it to the bedroom in peace and quiet. But other days, the background noise of my family motivates me.

It’s weird. I believe my muse is bipolar as well. She changes her likes and dislikes more than I do… one consist thing is, she will not be anywhere in the room with me if there is music playing. I don’t know why she hates music, but she does. If I’m listening to music while I’m at the keyboard, you know I’m flying solo doing character development, plotting, or editing.

Jill: Do you have a writing playlist? Admit it—we all do it. What’s on yours?

Suzie: If I’m in character development, I listened to whatever my character would listen too. If they’re big into country… I am. Thankfully, Luc and Olivia are into the same kind of music as I am.. . for the most part.

If I’m editing or plotting, I listen to my own music. Everything from Shinedown, Blue October, Papa Roach or Rob Zombie to Eminem, Nelly or Tupac to Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith, Reba, or Carrie Underwood.

I’m not a single genre type of girl in any aspect of my life. I like variety.

Jill: Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Suzie: Ha! Trick question! I’ll skip the critique partners and groups because we know I use those! Though I do have to say, the feedback I’ve received from you girls here on CTW is invaluable and I couldn’t imagine not being a part of CTW from now on.

As for Beta readers… I know this is gonna sound silly… but what the hell is that? No, seriously. I have no clue what a beta reader is.

Jill: Suzie, don’t feel bad, I don’t know what the heck a beta reader is either! So how do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Suzie: I wouldn’t say I love criticism… does anyone? I appreciate it, that’s for damn sure. Anyone that takes the time to read my work and tell me their honest opinion is part angel, in my opinion. That is something they've done out of the kindness of their hearts to help see you realize your dreams.

And I have a very thick skin. I don’t get my feeling hurt easily at all. Unless someone is intentionally trying to be mean, any criticism I received doesn’t faze me. If they are intentionally being mean… well… that’s another story.

When I critique another person’s work, I critique as I’d want my work to be critiqued. And I would never, ever, try to hurt someone’s feelings. Even if it was something that bored me to tears… they put their heart and time into it and that alone deserves respect.

Jill: I know what you mean and I love to hear I’m part angel in your opinion. :) It’s all about making our dreams a reality and I can’t wait to see your work in the bookstore! How many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Suzie: I rarely have only one novel going. Though right now, as I mentioned earlier, I’m only working on No Shame’s edits. I have several others on the back burner, but when I’m in the process of writing, I write on a couple. Aside from No Shame, I have Secret Denied and Broken Edge that are my other two dominate ones. Then I have a contemporary that is nearly 30k words and about six other suspense and contemporary “starters”.

Jill: How about Blogfests? Do you participate? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Suzie: OMG! I’m hooked on Blogfests. Seriously. Being new to the blogger world, I found my first blogfest not to long back and joined every blogfest I could find! You know what I learned… you join that many blogfests and you don’t get ANY writing done!

I’ve used scenes from my WIPs in them; it’s a great way to get feedback on your story. But I’m thinking from now on I’ll just write something new for each blogfest. Kind of like a writing exercise.

Jill: What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Suzie: Creating. Whether it’s character development, plot or world development… I love the creating aspect of writing. The learning something new to add to what you already have. That little moment of excitement when you put another piece of the puzzle in place. That’s awesome!

Jill: What’s you least favorite part?

Suzie: Editing. Hands down. I hate editing. I’d rather just do it right the first time.

Jill: Do you ever have trouble with writers-block?

Suzie: Oh yeah. My muse is a touchy lil’ bast- uuuhhh… Yes, Yes I do.

I also get “novel block”. That’s when I can write anything creative, come up with new ideas, start an entirely new novel… just not come up with one single new word for my existing novel.

Jill: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Suzie: I’m fortunate to have a supportive and loving husband, so I don’t work outside the home. When I’m not writing I’m refereeing two brawling boys, answering to the whims of a three year old princess, trying to potty train said princess and new puppy, keep the house from looking like a tornado hit it and actively battling the intuition to become one of those hermit people that lock themselves in one room for the rest of their lives just to simply write, write, write!

Jill: Favorite books? Authors? Movies? Songs?

Suzie: My favorite books would have to be V.C Andrews, some of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series, most anything by Debra Webb, and Karen Templeton’s What a Man’s Gotta Do. And I think Beverly Barton is truly a gifted author. I love most anything she writes.

Favorite movies are much easier to list. The Notebook, Gone with the Wind, Young Guns, The Sweetest Thing and Goodfellas.

My favorite songs are the most difficult. I like too many to list. I’d Come For You by Nickleback, Not Afraid by Eminem, Call Me by Shinedown, Reckless by Papa Roach and The One by Gary Allan would have to be my top five.

Jill: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Suzie: Wow. You’re gonna make me think, huh… Hmmm… Okay. This scene is from Sara and Ben’s story. One of the contemporary romances I’m working on. It’s dialogue between Sara and Ben.

“We used to be best friends, Sara. You were my best friend for most of my life. I want that back.”

“I’m sorry, Ben. That was a long time ago. That girl, that Sara, she don’t exist anymore. And I think it’s best if we both act like the past never happened.”

Jill: Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Suzie: Follow your heart and it’ll always lead you to your dreams. And thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about me. :D

Jill: Thank you Suzie! It has been great chatting with you and getting to know you better. Texas isn’t far from Oklahoma…maybe we can have a coffee shop writing session one day. :)

Freaky Friday: Scene 16

2010-07-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Written by: Jill

Here's the next installment of Friday Fiction. If you'd like to read the previous scenes, or see what Friday Fiction is all about, click here

His lips found the way back to her mouth and she opened for him as their tongues tangled in a dance as old as time. All doubts fled as Shane unzipped her jeans and when his hand reached her the heat of it drove her to the edge with a need unlike anything she’d ever known.

“Shane.” Her voice was hoarse and desperate. “Please…”

“Shhhhh…” Shane’s breath was hot in her ear. “Wait for me, honey.”

He pulled her shirt off, then tugged her jeans down and tossed them aside. When he moved to shed his clothes the cold air snuck beneath the blanket and she trembled. But soon the heat of his flesh warmed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing her lips against his, she let her tongue tell him exactly what she wanted. What Shane did after that told her the message was well received and he was only too willing to oblige.

Hours later, Erica spooned against him with muscles lax and heavy as if the skilled hand of a masseuse had kneeded the stress away. Shane’s wounded arm cradled her as he slept and the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest loosened the nervous tension better than a hot bath and aroma therapy ever could. Rags plodded onto the blanket and sniffed out a spot and he scratched for a few minutes before he circled and settled at her feet.

The corners of Erica's mouth lifted in a weary smile and she drew a deep breath. Snuggling her butt closer to Shane she pushed away the doubts that tried to creep in and ruin the moment. Problems and questions and guilt could wait until morning. For now, all was right in her world.

*****

The smell of smoke and meat awakened Erica and she opened her eyes to see Shane at the fire in a pair of faded jeans and a white t-shirt. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, holding the blanket to her chest.

“What the heck is that?” she asked.

Shane’s eyes touched hers for a moment and then shot back to the fire. “Rabbit. We got lucky with the trap last night.” He stirred the fire with a stick. “Coffee’s ready. You better get dressed so we can eat and get the hell out of here.”

So that’s how he’s going to play it. We’ll pretend last night never happened. With a shrug, Erica grabbed her bag and pulled out a change of clothes.

After she dressed she poured a cup of coffee and narrowed her eyes at him. “Where are we going?”

With a last turn of the spit, Shane took the cooked meat off the fire and pulled a Swiss army knife out of his front pocket. As he sliced, he said, “We’re about fifty miles from Salado. If we get a move on we’ll hit another highway in about two hours. Hopefully we’ll get cell phone reception so I can call for a ride. If not, we’re gonna to have to hitch.” His eyes met hers when he handed over the paper plate full of meat.

With a long, heavy sigh, Erica took the plate and sat down on the blanket. The futility of her situation came back in full force as she chewed and thought about all she had lost. The weight of it slumped her shoulders and she glared at Shane. “And what then, Shane? What the hell are we going to do?”

The Write Time

2010-07-21T17:07:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes, I find it excruciatingly difficult to make time to write. I've just returned from a long holiday in Spain, and being back at work is...well... a lot of work. So other than this blog post, not much writing for me this week.

Or so I thought.

As it turns out, I seem to find MORE time to write when I'm actually at work than I did on holiday. It seems that relaxing takes a lot of time.

Go figure.

That just goes to show how important structuring your time can be. When I was in Spain, I slept late, I had a very, very slow breakfast, I went to the beach, shopping, to town for a coffee, nothing at a set time, no fixed dates. I did some writing, but not as much as I'd planned on doing. There was no structure to my days. This isn't a bad thing when on holiday, but in order to find the time to write, I've now figured out that I need some semblance of a time plan at least.

And then I can write anywhere.

Ten minutes extra at breakfast before going to the office? I get out my notebook and jot down a few lines. A coffee in town as I pick up the mail? Perfect! Sit down and write a bit. Back home from work? The weather's beautiful, so I sit on the terrace, watch my dogs make fools of themselves trying to catch a mouse, and write some more. I'm writing this blogpost right now while the news are on TV.

I guess it's the limits placed upon my time when I have to work that make me MAKE time to write.

Limits, it turns out, are a good thing.

Especially for me. I have this recurring problem with consistency - consistency in my writing, consistency in my characters, my storylines, consistency in pretty much everything. If there's nothing that structures my time for me, I tend to not do it at all.

Bad Tessa.

So now I'm back at work, back in the structured 'normal life' (although to be fair my job isn't all that structured in and of itself...), and - oh! - there it is, the Write Time, all there for the taking. And I grab it.

Good Tessa.

Mr Muse would be so pleased. And yes, Margaret, my Muse is a Mr Muse. At the moment he chooses to look like Jim, here. Cute, isn't he?

He does it just to distract me, of course. Mr I'm So Good Looking You Can't Possibly Help But Be Inspired By My Glorious Self.

Sorry, I digress. Margaret did a post on Muses yesterday.

Back to the Write Time. So, apparently I can find time when I'm already busy with work, but not so much when there's nothing else to do. Weird, huh?

How do you find yours? Do you find it easier to write when your time is structured? Does your Muse (male, female, other, they all count) prefer holidays, when there's nothing but you and your writing (and family, and housework, but never mind that)?

Do you have a strategy to secure your writing time every day? A set limit for the week, the month?

Does your system really work for you, or are you like me, setting either no limits/goals or unreachable ones?

On the Nature of Muses

2010-07-21T07:56:00.004-05:00

About a week ago, as I sat staring at a blinking cursor, I began to wonder about the nature of muses. Mine was clearly on vacation which gave me plenty of time to think about the concept of muses in general.

The muses, of course, originated in Greek mythology beginning as a trio then tripling to nine. The Greeks believed them to be goddesses or spirits whose purpose was to inspire the creation of literature and the arts.

But nine muses just aren't enough anymore. Take writers, for instance. We're a demanding bunch. Nine muses could never handle the intensive labor involved in inspiring every modern writer. So the Muse's Guild must have gone on a massive hiring spree because nowadays, every writer seems to have their own personal muse. I know I do...when it decides to show up.

I've read a lot of writer's blogs wherein they talk about their muses. Traditionally, muses were women, but with the onslaught of so many new muses, and one would like to think a reverse twist on equal opportunity employment, it seems that male muses have been thrown into the mix.

My CTW crit partner, Tessa Conte, claims that her muse is a male, as does Simon over at Constant Revision. Mine? Well, mine is an animorph. Some days she's a kind, generous grandmotherly type who helps me to write thoughtful, beautiful prose; other days he's a cranky cigar-smoking curmudgeon who barely acknowledges me and forces me to struggle for every word; then there are the days when she's a selfish bikini-wearing bimbo who's more interested in tanning on the beach than inspiring my writing. Recently, as I've been working on my latest WIP, he's been a hard-driving, leather-wearing, Harley-riding rebel.

As any writer knows, muses are a fickle bunch. They come and go as they please and often are more interested in insipiring you to write something entirely different than what you thought you wanted to write. They're unpredictable in both form and content. Sometimes they show up when it's impossible for you to take notes, like when you're driving or showering. Other times you're sitting patiently in front of your computer or notepad, ready to work on your WIP and the muse shows up with a bright shiny new idea, tempting you to stray.

Unfortunately, as writers, we're all at the mercy of our muses. Of course, you can write without your muse, but often whatever you write ends up sounding uninspired or forced. Never fear! With practice you can get better at writing without your muse, but I think it's safe to say that most of us prefer that our muse at least put in an appearance.

I was lucky this weekend, my Rebel muse was fully engaged and I added just about 3500 words to my WIP. After a week or so of staring at this WIP and wondering what the heck was going to happen next (it's a panster novel...no plotting here), I was glad the muse showed up. I'm fairly dependent on the muse to guide me through this story, so I hope he decides to stick around for a while and doesn't morph into the beach bimbo any time soon.

In the interest of...well...my curiosity, let's do a poll: What's your muse like? We all have one, so c'mon! Tell me - is your muse male or female? Do you have a good working relationship?

Don't hold back. I'm dying to know!

Tuesday Tag

2010-07-20T04:43:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the next installment of Tuesday Tag – a serialized story wrote each week by someone new. Last week Margaret tagged me to write the next scene. If you’d like to get in on the fun it’s real simple to do so. All you have to do is know the rules (listed below) and inform us that you’re interested.

Simple, right?

Of course… so, these are the rules of the game:

1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.

2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.

3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*

4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're ok with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.

5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.

6. Have fun!

*we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

So, here's a little about me:

I have three kids, two dogs, and one cat… as if my life wasn’t hectic enough, I dream of becoming a published author. Romance makes everything in life better, in my opinion. If the guy gets the girl, I’m a happy camper. The movies where that don’t happen are deemed “stupid movies” to me and never watched again (sorry, Nights of Rodanthe… I know I rushed out and bought you as soon as you were released and you’ve collected dust ever since. Hey, I don’t like wasting Kleenex… so sue me.). Aside from here at CTW, you can also find me at my personal blog, Writer Junkie.

Okay, I’ll stop torturing you with my sleepy attempt at humor… on with my scene!

***
Jocelyn awoke to loud, insistent pounding. The sound barged inside her skull and forced all other thoughts but shutting up the pounding from her mind.

“Go away!” The words echoed between her temples, intensifying the pounding. She cupped her temples in her palms, moaning as the pain lessened slightly.

“Hang over, Princess?” A deep, masculine voice penetrated the intense thump-thump-thump between her palms.

She squeaked, grabbed her coverlets and pulled it to her chin, as her eyes popped wide. Through the blurry image – and shooting pain – she recognized Colin reclining on her bed. Looking way more relaxed then he had any right too.

A lock of his wavy brown hair rested on his forehead. Blue eyes sparkled in the morning light streaming through her white lace curtains and those dimples that made her weak in the knees graced her morning wake up call.

“What are you doing in here, Colin?” She whispered. Not only because mother would likely have him skinned alive if she found out Colin was in her home, much less her daughter bedroom, but because the headache that woke her was still beating a vicious melody behind her eyes.

“I heard about the wedding that never was. How could I not come here? What are best friends for?”

“Mother would not accept that as a reasonable excuse for you to be in my bed at-” she glanced at the alarm clock, “-six o’clock in the morning?”

Oh, my God. He had to show up at six? He couldn’t have let me sleep until noon?

She relaxed back against the thick pillows. The horizontal position eased the headache, but only slightly, as she turned to look Colin in the eyes.

He traced his forefinger across her jaw-line to her chin, his eyes held understand and something much more intimate. Something she wasn’t ready to identify while he was lounging in her bed.

“What kind of friend would I be if I left you to deal with the emotional fall-out of Marie Claire all on your own?”

“An alive friend?”

“That’s not-”

“Jocelyn.” A knock – unrelated to her hangover – sounded from the seating room section of her private quarters.

“Oh, my god! It’s mother.” She shoved at Colin’s chest. “Get out of here! No, hide somewhere!”

Colin ducked beneath the satin bed-skirt in the nick of time. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she turned from where he disappeared to her setting room. Mother strolled into the room with all the grace of a queen entering her throne room.

“Exactly what do you think you’re doing, young lady?”

****

Our next scene on July 27 th, will be written by…

Courtney Reese of Critique This Wip

Tag! You’re it!

If YOU want to be tagged in the near future (and get in on the fun!) please let us know via comments or e-mail at critiquethiswip(at)gmail(dot)com.

Author Interview: Jill Callahan

2010-07-19T00:21:00.000-05:00

Today's Author Interview is with CritqueThisWIP member, Jill Callahan. To read a little bit about Jill, click here or on the tab at the top of the page.

Courtney: Hi Jill! Thanks so much letting me pick your mind today. Let's get right to the good stuff, shall we? My favorite opening question… to pen name, or not to pen name? Is Jill Callahan your “real” name or an acquired one?

Jill: What’s in a name? I googled myself and found that my name is not the least bit unique and even found an author. So I have to say I’m still undecided on this one. I’d like to have my name in print, but if there are a thousand other me’s, perhaps it is not so special. Also, I do have a day job; I’m not sure how well it would go over for corporate execs to find out about my hot torrid love scenes :-)

Courtney: I know exactly what you mean! It’s a tough decision. So, when did you start writing?

Jill: In the eighth grade a very special English teacher, Mr. Elliot, brought me into his office at least once a month to tell me how much I could accomplish if I focused on learning versus class clowning. He challenged me to apply myself in an oratorical contest and I came in second. From that point on I believed in myself, and from that point on writing became a passion whether it be a diary entry (which I’m now embarrassed about as my teenage daughters have found and read them all), love letters, a story, an email, a poem, or business writing.

Courtney: Oh no! I can only imagine the laugh-fest that came with reading your old diaries…but to have your girls read it *shudders*. What’s your favorite genre to write?

Jill: I like contemporary romance/woman’s fiction and usually find myself drawn to the coming of age story when romantic love is full of tension and passion and faith and hope. I fell in love when I was seventeen. Perhaps that is why this age is where I’m drawn to. My husband thinks I’m just stuck in adolescence.

Courtney: Who isn’t? We all think about what it would be like to go back to those high school years. Right? Right?? Where have some of you best ideas come from? (dreams, real life, music, tv, books, etc…)

Jill: Definitely dreams. I’ve also gotten some ideas from the news when I hear an interesting story and wonder how the person could have gotten to that point in their life or had a certain experience. If I see a story about a plane that almost crashed, I might think about what if they were flying over a vast ocean and an island pulled the plane and it crashed and the others were there and the survivors had to…oh wait, that one has been done already.

Courtney: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jill: A bit of both actually. The general idea gets me started and then I get to thinking about the journey and try to throw in the elements of a good story.

Courtney: What project or projects are you working on now?

Jill: I’m working on a contemporary romance set on the coast of New Hampshire where a young girl comes of age and faces head on the twists and turns life throws her way. I’m falling in love with my heroine and my hero and the story that is evolving.

Courtney: Are you published? If so, what is the name of the novel?

Jill: Not yet :-) Though I did have a chapter of a book published as part of an SMU (Southern Methodist University) publication. It sold at a local Barnes and Nobles and it was great fun seeing my name in print.

Courtney: Which of your characters do you most relate with (please give a brief explanation of why you relate to him/her)?

Jill: I think there is a piece of me in most of my characters, or a piece of what I’d like to be or wish I was. I’m writing about a heroine much younger than me right now so I’m not sure I relate to her in a let’s go for coffee type of way. But I think if I were sixteen or seventeen again, I’d want her as my friend.

Courtney: What’s in a name? (How important is it for a character to have the right name, or will any name do?) Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Jill: I think character’s names are quite important, I’m not really sure why but I know I went through several names for the characters in my current work before the right one stuck.

Courtney: How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else? What is your writing environment like?

Jill: I can work in a coffee shop, on an airplane, in my office, in a doctor’s waiting room. I get into the zone and everything else fades away. I haven’t tried writing to music or getting inspired by art. The only time I can’t write is when my children are tired of seeing me glued to my keyboard and start having a sock war around me. When I get a pair of socks thrown at my head, I know it’s time to start paying attention to the family :-)

Courtney: I am SO jealous! If only I could work with distractions all around me… How do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Jill: I can’t read the criticism too soon after I’ve written a chapter, it’s too new, too fresh. But when I have a work well in progress and a good bit of material, the red pen and scissors don’t hurt so much and I enjoy and learn from it.

Courtney: How many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Jill: I’m a monogamous writer. I can’t have more than one love at one time. I stick with one project until its done.

Courtney: What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Jill: When an idea is there and the story takes hold there is nothing quite like seeing it come to life.

Courtney: Least favorite part?

Jill: I don’t like to come to a stop without knowing where I’ll go next.

Courtney: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Jill: When I’m not working I spend time with family and friends. My kids are amazing, my husband keeps me interested, and we have a handful of family friends who help cushion the bumps and celebrate the successes. I enjoy a good bottle of red wine. Oh, and girlfriends rock!!

Courtney: Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Jill: If you’ve made it this far into my interview, thanks for taking the time and may you have luck, love, prosperity, health and happiness :-)

Courtney: Thank you, Jill. I really enjoyed getting to know you better =)

We love to talk shop with other writers. In fact, we have a series full of them--posted every Monday. If you'd like to be part of our Author Interview series, email us at critiquethiswip@gmail.com. We'd love to sit down and pick your brain =D

Friday Fiction: Scene 15

2010-07-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the next installment of Friday Fiction. If you'd like to read earlier installments of
Shane & Erica's story... click here!

Erica’s mouth crushed into his, her soft, eager lips meeting Shane’s in a rush of blind passion. She was breathing as fast and hard as if she’d run a mile. For a moment, Shane was frozen, his mouth firm and unmoving. Just when she started to have second thoughts, his lips relaxed, parted, and he kissed her back. Hands trembling, she reached up and pressed against him in a tentative sweep to gauge his reaction. Shane was hard; his skin stretched tight across muscles that had mesmerized her all day and well into the night.He didn’t pull away but he didn’t yield to her touch the way she expected him to either.

Damn, she was making a fool of herself. What was she thinking? ‘Live for the moment’ was not a motto meant for girls like her. She was more of the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ kind of gal. This was a mistake; she’d read the signs wrong. Clearly, he wasn’t interested; he —let out a groan as her fingertips brushed over his nipple. She’d been trying to pull her hand back, to get away from him, resolved to face the fact that she was a horrible judge of men…and sexual situations.

But that groan had gotten to her, vibrating in her ear and down the side of her neck, awakening a very primitive side of her. Her nipples tightened, heat blossomed in her belly, and she was ready for anything. No, she wanted it; all of it. She wanted Shane. And when he ran his hand up her back to pull her closer, she knew he wanted her just as badly.

Shane pulled her in, kissing her with far more desire than he had only moments earlier. His lips devoured her, his tongue slipping inside her mouth to taste her. She could have been paralyzed from his touch, but she'd simply forgotten to move. Liquid heat spread from his tongue, igniting in her a lust that consumed.

“Oh, God,” Erica breathed. She reached back up to his chest, then wrapped her arms around his back so she could pull him closer. When Shane began to trail kisses down the side of her neck, nipping at her as he went, she started to lose her mind. Digging her nails into his back, she scratched him—only through his T-shirt, but he must have felt it, because he groaned again, louder, more primal than before. He bit her, hard, but not hard enough to really hurt her. Alternately, he kissed and sucked at her neck, the feeling so intoxicating, she would have begged him to continue…if she could find her voice.

She whimpered; the sound was pathetic but there was no taking it back. It had been so long since she’d felt this kind of need, this kind of lust running through her veins.She didn't want it to end but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Rules for Writing

2010-07-15T01:11:00.006-05:00

Fifteen years ago I determined I would write and I would publish. So I set about learning the tricks of the trade and cultivated my craft. I was lucky to go to NYC for a writer’s seminar with SMU along with a dozen other local writers. When I met with agents, I was told my work was too real, people want to be taken somewhere else in fiction, no one wants to read about their own life.

So I put my half finished manuscript into a drawer to gather dust.

Then I started over from scratch, plotted what I thought was a story I would be interested in; I’m quite an avid reader. I wrote every day for six months and completed a 400 page manuscript. I did this all on my own with no critique partners. Then, once finished, I sent off query letters and checked my mailbox daily. I was so naïve.

Each responder was very sorry but they were not taking on new writers. I suppose this was either true, or a gentle way of telling me my work was not up to par. So I put my work on old fashioned disks and bound them with a rubber band and put them in a drawer. My computer doesn’t even read those disks anymore.

I put my work away and got busy with life, jobs, kids, soccer, books, the Soprano’s, Lost, Veronica Mars, 24, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and I’m embarrassed to say I TiVo’d Judge Mathis and Judge Judy.

More importantly, I broke HEILEIN’S Rules for Writing. Robert Heinlein was a renowned American science fiction writer and his rules are well known (many Google results):

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
4. You must put the work on the market.
5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.

These rules appeared in the 1947 essay "On the Writing of Speculative Fiction."

1. You must write. I stopped writing for over ten years. What a doofus I am. Imagine how many novels I could have completed. What if one of them had been “the one”? Sheez.

2. You must finish what you write. So I have half a manuscript, likely recycled into clean paper and turned into a technical manual.

3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order. Well, I never had an editorial order (I wish). Perhaps my completed manuscript may have sold had I opened it up to criticism before submission. Perhaps I “should have” revised more. The trick here is to know when to stop rewriting. When you start changing something good into something mediocre, that would be the signal to put your red pen away, I think.

4. You must put the work on the market. I did this. Woo hoo! I pulled my little book out and ini mini miny moe’d a dozen agents to send my work to. I had to save on stamps, after all.

5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold. I gave up, I got my feelings hurt and felt small and I let those feelings get in the way of my writing.
I don’t know if my work will ever be blockbuster material.

But I do know one thing.

I will never break these rules again.
Write on!

Pants!! (Or How Not to Plot)

2010-07-14T04:37:00.001-05:00

This is my second post for Critique This *YAY!!* and for this, I've decided to tackle a question most writers have to deal with quite promptly after deciding to be a writer:

Systematic Plotting

Seat of your Pants?

For those of you who've never faced that question before (what what? you actually exist? kudos to you, I guess...), let me explain.

There's two general philosophies about how to approach your story - either you plan it from front to back, or you just start writing and let the story lead the way. Most writers I've talked to fall somewhere between the two, some more organized, some more intuitive, depending on their...ehm...let's call it mental constitution.

Do you know what you are?

This is not as weird a question as it might seem...I, for one, oscillate merrily between the two extremes (hey, this is a blogpost, not a novel, I'm allowed to say 'oscillate merrily' if I want to). I started my writing life as a complete pantser. An idea would cross my mind and off I'd go, writing and writing and writing. I want to say 'without rhyme or reason' but that's not (quite) true. I just didn't plan ahead.

The inevitable happened.

I wrote myself into a corner with no clue how to get out. Some would say I got a serious case of Writers' Block - I just think of myself as stuck. So, in order to avoid that, I turned myself from pantser to plotter. I set up charts of scenes and character development, plotted story arches, character arches, plot lines and whatever else I could think of. I basically plotted my pants off.

This had mixed results. I had my story right there before me, all sorted out. It told me, black and white, what was supposed to happen in Scene 3 and what was supposed to go on in Scene 198. Only, when I actually sat down to write, I could do Scenes, 1-5, maybe, but then it was all gone.

No spark, no inspiration, no nothing. A blank mind to match a blank page. No matter how many times I went through the outlines of my scenes, repotted...ehm...replotted arches, no matter how many scenes I switched around, my characters (and my Muse) went on strike. Picture them all sitting in a miniature picket line on my desk, holding up great big signs of "NO!!".

Ok, I thought. Great. There I go again. I'm stuck. Plotting is not for me.

Now what?

Here's the rub: I don't know. I'm currently forcing myself (and yes, some days it really is a pain) to write seat of my pants-style, the way I started. I do some world building when I get my first ideas, to set the stage, but that's about as far as I go. After, it's all

write, write, write!

No more, no less. I'm going back to basics, I guess. Back to the methods (if you can call pantsing a method) that started getting my creativity flowing in the first place.

And what am I going to do when I write myself into a corner again? Note that I said "when", not "if". It's going to happen again sooner or later, I just know it is. So I've formulated a plan (and no, that does not count as plotting).

If I get stuck, I will....

skip a section of the story and continue with the next scene that occurs to me, letting it flow from there - holes can be filled later; OR
write a little monologue for the character that's giving me trouble, to try and figure out motivations, wishes or even a bit of back story; OR
do a little character interview with the trouble-maker; OR
go back to a pretty much random point (perhaps a chapter, perhaps a scene, perhaps 1000 words earlier) and start again from there; OR
do a little extra world-buildig and see if that can inspire me to get un-stuck.
NOT give in to temptation and start actually plotting again.

Which option I choose will probably depend on the mood I'm in when I get to that point. It will also depend on just how stuck I am, but I think any one of those things (I think of them as un-sticking exercises) will help to some extent.

Ok, now you. Go on, spill.

Do you have any strategies for getting yourself and your story un-stuck?

Do you consider yourself a pantser or a plotter or somewhere in between?

Tuesday Tag

2010-07-13T09:47:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone! It's time for another installment of Tuesday Tag. What is Tuesday Tag, you ask? It's a fun new game we're playing here at CTW! It's a serialized story where every week someone different adds a new scene to the story. This week it's my turn, and at the end of my scene I'll tag someone else to write a scene for next week.

These are the rules of the game:

1. Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.

2. Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.

3. Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*

4. If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're ok with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.

5. Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.

6. Have fun!

* we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

So, here's a little about me: I live in North Dakota, I'm going to be teaching composition this fall at the local university, I have three kids, and I'm halfway through my MFA degree. My current writing projects include a paranormal romance series, a science fiction adventure/romance, and a screenplay. You can also find me at my blog, Musings of a Would-Be Writer, or on twitter, and there's always my bio here on the CTW page.

Now...on to my scene!

***

Jocelyn slumped in a chair at the table in the vast kitchen where the servants usually ate their meals. It hadn't taken much convincing for the catering staff to leave the kitchen. Those who hadn't scattered at Mother's stern look were more than happy to leave when she demanded they do so. Now they had the entire kitchen to themselves.

"Don't slouch, Jocelyn. It's bad for your posture," Mother said as she poured another shot of whiskey for each of them.

Jocelyn ignored the command. It was her wedding day, she'd slouch if she wanted to. She raised her glass in a toast. "To Gregory Allen Winston the Third, Earl of ..." Jocelyn stopped mid toast, unable to recall her former fiance's full title. "Earl of Somewhere." She finished, swallowing the shot in one gulp.

"Why in God's name would you drink a toast to that coward?" Mother asked.

"Because he's my hero. He had more guts than I did, and he did the right thing." Jocelyn said, then burped in very unladylike fashion.

Jocelyn and Gregory had been a perfect match, at least on paper. He was a horsebreeder, polo champion, nobility, and a perfect gentleman. But the one and only time they'd kissed, just after announcing their engagement, it had been like kissing her brother - complete with limp lips and sweaty hands. She'd had a feeling after that, from the polite and distant way in which he treated her, that he had the same nauseating panic of wrongness eating away at his gut that she had in hers. Of course in polite society you don't announce an engagement and then change your mind, so they'd soldiered on. Until today.

Against the rules of tradition Gregory had slipped into her dressing room right before the ceremony in a blithering hysteria. He couldn't go through with it. And then he'd disappeared, leaving her with the humiliation of stepping up to the altar and announcing her fiance's change of heart.

"Well, be that as it may, there is certainly a lot of damage control to be done. As for tonight, the wedding guests are all being fed, and there will be cocktails, but the party will be cut short. After that we'll need to get you back out in circulation quickly with your head held high," Mother said.

Jocelyn poured herself another shot, intent on getting good and drunk. "I think I'd much rather visit Tibet, or sail the Pacific, or backpack across America than get back in circulation, Mother. In fact, I'm definitely taking myself out of circulation as of right now." Her voice was beginning to slur as the whiskey warmth spread to her limbs and a grogginess crept around the edges of her mind.

Mother's lips formed a firm line, "There will be no Tibet, or sailboats for you, and especially no America. You will be the lady you are and do as you are told. Now, off to bed with you."

With a little help from Mother, Jocelyn was able to make it up the stairs and out of her now dirty and somewhat ragged wedding gown and into bed. With a sigh she snuggled into the pillow and pulled the blankets tight around her as Mother closed the door and finally left her alone. It was all well and good for Mother to make her pronouncements about sucking it up and holding her head up high and all that. But Jocelyn had a secret that Mother didn't know - not an easy feat to be sure - and his name was Colin Davis.

****

That's it! The next scene, on July 20th, will be written by....

Suzie Bethell-Thompson of Critique This WIP and Writer Junkie

TAG! You're it!

If YOU want to be tagged in the near future (and get in on the fun!) please let us know via comments or e-mail at critiquethiswip(at)gmail(dot)com.

(*pssst* I've got a SECRET: we already have one tagee - so hurry to get yourself on the Tag List!)

Author Interview: Tessa Conte

2010-07-12T03:00:00.002-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers! Today is Monday… which means it’s our Author Interview Day!

For the last two weeks we’ve been letting you inside us CTW-er’s minds. Scary… perhaps, but always fun! You’ve gotten to know a little about Courtney and Margaret, and this week you’ll get to see the inner-workings of Tessa’s mind.

Since Tessa is a fellow CTW-er we’re forgoing the usually author bio, since you can read her full bio here or simply click the link above under her name.

Without further ado… Here’s Tessa’s interview.

SUZIE: First off—to pen name, or not to pen name? Which side are you on?

TESSA: Pen name! Actually, Tessa Conte is my pen name. I have a super secret identity that I keep secret because...well just because. Also, my real name is really, really hard to spell. And my family would never get it (extended family, not my parents, thank God).

SUZIE: When did you start writing?

TESSA: I’ve always been making up stories. The actual writing came when I was, oh, maybe ten or so and then it took a few years before it occurred to me to try for an actual novel of some sort. I’m still not sure my writing brain has understood the point... actually finishing stuff is something of an issue with me.

SUZIE: I feel your pain, Tessa. Completing a MS is very tough! As for writing, what’s your favorite genre?

TESSA: Fantasy. Almost all fantasy, though lately it has been largely romantic fantasy of the paranormal alternate history kind. I have a couple of ‘plain’ fantasy stories in my WIP folder along with the ones I’m focusing on right now (that would be Red and Russet Moon, two romantic paranormal type stories).

SUZIE: I know I’m a sucker for romance… and if that romance has a bite! Even better! How does your taste in reading and taste in writing relate?

TESSA: The same. Fantasy, across the board. I also have a weakness for historical romance, mainly regency (Johanna Lindsey is one of my favorites). I also have a whole load of how-to books about writing...you might call that my secret vice. ; )

SUZIE: Where do you get your idea’s for your characters?

TESSA: That’s a difficult question. Often, I start with a name I hear somewhere that appeals to me, like Cayden, for example. Or it can be a scene that appears in my head, where one of the ‘players’ catches my fancy, and I go from there. Sometimes it’s something I hear when I sit in a coffee shop, or a person I see across the street. On rare occasions my family (large and sprawling and fairly odd) provides inspiration.

Once that spark is there, though, my characters have the disturbing tendency to develop a life of their own...they dream up their own plotlines, refuse to say what needs saying, fall in love with the most inconvenient people and generally do whatever they want.

SUZIE: They have a way of acting out, don’t they! :D Where have some of your best ideas come from? Dreams? Real-life? TV?

TESSA: Hmm, I never remember my dreams. I’ll wake up, thinking OMG that was weird and then it’s gone. Real life occasionally does the job and some songs can certainly be inspiring, but I use them mainly to get into a writing frame of mind. TV rarely does it for me, though, unless we’re talking documentaries (anything from Mythbusters to History Channel to Bear Gryllis’s take on wilderness vacations).

SUZIE: Plotter or a pantser, where do you fall?

TESSA: Trick question. I started out as a pantser, just writing what came to my head. Then I began plotting properly - spreadsheets, character timelines, plot graphs and all that stuff. I even did charts to note down how long it would take the characters to come from one place to another.

And then I got stuck. Lost in the plotting, the preparation of it. So now I’m back to pantsing it, forcing myself back into the write...ehm...right mode of doing things. Right for me, that is. I hope. We’ll see, at some point I’m sure I’m going to start plotting properly again. In the end I will probably be half-and-half.

Though let me tell you the pantsing thing is rather inconvenient when you’re trying to explain to your critique group where your story will be going...

SUZIE: *Grins* Yes, it does tend to make things difficult that way, huh! :D What project(s) are you working on now?

TESSA: Oohh, that’s a hard one. Okay, I’ll give you a list...

The Russet Moon, werewolf romance
Red, paranormal romance
Merle and the Waiting Queen, fantasy
The Shadow Prince, fantasy/mystery
Beriael, fantasy

I could go on... don’t misunderstand; I’m not actually working on all of them at once. They are just stories I have in my head. Which one I’m working on usually depends on which character is shouting the loudest in my head.

Right now, that would be Rory, the MC from Red.

SUZIE: Have you been published yet?

TESSA: Nope, not published. But hopeful.

SUZIE: Which character do you relate to the most?

TESSA: That’s actually a rather frightening question. I’ve recently come to the realization that the one MC I’m most stuck on, the one that does everything right but somehow seems so flat, the one who’s issues I can’t seem to fix, that’s the one I’ve put most of myself into. I guess I’m not quite ready to psychoanalyze myself...

SUZIE: Do you believe character names are important? How much time do you spend finding the right name for them?

TESSA: Names are majorly important to me. In fact, I have to say that names define characters, for me. I spend a lot of time on them, figuring out meanings, looking them up in whatever reference material I can come up with.

Sometimes I even change names halfway through because I think the character has outgrown it.

SUZIE: How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? What is your writing environment like?

TESSA: Music is a great helper. Visual arts are more a source of inspiration for me than anything else. My writing environment varies...notebook and fountain pen in a coffee shop, laptop at home in front of the TV or at my writing desk, it really depends on my mood.

SUZIE: Do you have a writing playlist?

TESSA: I do indeed. Currently on it:

Last Resort (Papa Roach)
Control (Puddle of Mudd)
She Hates Me (Puddle of Mudd)
Piece of Me (Britney Spears)
Boom Boom Pow (Blackeyed Peas)
The End is the Beginning is the End (Smashing Pumpkins)
The Hunter gets captured by the Game (Massive Attack)
Poison (The Prodigy)
Before I’m Dead (Kidney Thieves)

SUZIE: Since we know you use critique groups *smiles* Let’s ask a tougher question… How do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

TESSA: Hate it and learn from it. It’s a necessity, and I’m glad I now have like-minded people to share this necessity with!

SUZIE: How many projects do you work on at once? Are you a one-WIP-at-a-time person or do you work on several at once?

TESSA: Usually two that I’m actually working on. Like I said, depends who’s shouting loudest.

SUZIE: How do you feel about writing exercises? Do you use them?

TESSA: Yep. I like writing prompts. I set myself a time limit and just write...very liberating, that is.

SUZIE: I agree, it gets those creative juices flowing! Do you participate in blogfests?

TESSA: Also yes. Do you know what the local chapter of Blogfestaholics Anonymous is? Because I think I should pop in at some point. If I have a scene from a WIP that fits, I’ll use it. If not, I’ve been known to write one up (works kind of like writing exercise).

SUZIE: They are quite addicting! I’ll join you at BFA! What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

TESSA: Losing myself in the story. And I do, on occasion. It’s almost like a runners’ high.

SUZIE: You knew this question would come next, right? What’s you least favorite part?

TESSA: Getting stuck. There are days when writing is nothing but work. I hate those, but I guess you just have to work through that.

SUZIE: Like writers-block?

TESSA: Yep. That’s what I call getting stuck.

SUZIE: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

TESSA: Working. …..Ok, ok I’ll spill...I work for a property management company...well, it’s my little company (and I mean LITTLE). I also function as a kind of personal assistant to my dad, doing administrative stuff for him.

SUZIE: Uh-oh… a glimpse into your super secret identity! Okay.. something a little less intrusive. :D Would you like to share a favorite line from one of your books?

TESSA: As in one I wrote myself? Hmm... how self-absorbed am I if I have one of those? Ok... the hero has just backed the heroine into a corner (her office/bedroom). She’s got her freshly washed laundry all over the room, including bras and panties. He looks at her with that indulgent smile men sometimes get...which really pisses her off.

“It’s laundry day,” I snarled, crossing my arms.

SUZIE: OoOohhhh… I like her! Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers?

TESSA: Never, ever stop reading!

SUZIE: Great advice! We’ll end Tessa’s interview there… Don’t forget to come back next week and get to know another great author/CTW-er!

Friday Fiction: Scene 14

2010-07-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

Here's the next installment of Friday Fiction. If you'd like to read earlier installment's of Shane & Erica's story... click here!

Shane stared at the stars from his make-shift bed, feet from Erica. Desire burned deep inside him, urging him to simply close the distance and take her in his arms.

Hell, a little coaxing on his part - a touch here, a caress there, a few whispered words - and she'd fall into his arms willingly enough. Since that one insane moment when that sexy little moan escaped her lips he'd been plunged into a fantasy of "What if".

He folded his hands behind his head, using them for a pillow. The graze on his shoulder, freshly bandaged after they ate, offered a weak protest when his muscles bunched beneath his head.

He might be a con-artist, but he wasn't a complete shmuck. Erica's life had been turned upside down because she was kind enough to give him a ride. He didn't feel like wearing World's Biggest Asshole on his forehead. Not twice in one day, anyways.

"This isn't going to work, ya know."

He turned to face her. Head propped up by her hand, she lay facing him on her own bedding. the dying fire danced across her skin, giving it a deep golden glow.

"What's that?" He asked.

"You. Me." She paused, her gaze glanced around their campsite. "With all this... distance between us."

"Beg your pardon?" Was he hearing things? He went from semi-hard to full on. Was she suggesting what he hoped she was?

Erica sat up and took a huge breath. "Well, the thing is... I'm sort of... well, I'm scared of the dark, okay?" She brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "Not really the dark, exactly. Just... open wilderness dark."

Laughter bubbled in his chest and erupted before he could hold it back. Here he thought she was about to seduce him, when in reality she was scared of the things that went bump in the night.

"You find that funny?" Her voice held an irritated edge. Rag's head perked up from his spot on her blanket near her feet. "What's funny about being stuck in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hungry animals that can eat you in your sleep?"

More laughter slipped out. He couldn't help himself. "I'm not laughing at you, honey. Believe me."

"Whatever." She plopped back on her bedding, her back to him, and pulled the lightweight blanket clear to her chin.

Stifling the urge to laugh, he patted the ground beside his bed. "Come on. Grab your pooch and get over here. I'll protect you both." He couldn't hide the humor in his voice.

"Pfft. I'd rather be eaten by dingoes." She called over her shoulder.

Could he not stop making an ass out of himself around this woman? Well, he sure wasn't going to tell her they didn't need to worry about dingoes in Arizona, but should focus their concern on rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Silence filled the night air. For several seconds she tossed and turned, keeping her back turned towards him. Once she settled, even Rag's turned his back on Shane.

Traitor, he thought with a smile on his lips.

Exhaustion finally won the battle, Erica's even breaths reached him within minutes. He gathered his bedding and carried them to where she lay asleep. He'd take his chances with her anger in the morning. Maybe, if he were lucky, she'd forgive his humor at her discomfort and appreciate his attempt to make things right.

*****

Erica awoke sometime after their fire died out. The temperature dropped dramatically while they slept. She shivered in the cool night air. The dying embers from the fire offered little to nothing for warmth or protection. Moonlight illuminated her surroundings, but did little to tamp down the feat that threatened to cut off her oxygen.

Pride be damned, she'd gather her things and -

Her elbow bumped into something warm and solid, something far too large and unyielding to be Rags. She froze. "Please be Shane. Please be Shane."

With slow, measured moves, she turned only her neck to glance behind her. Shane, fast asleep, sprawled out behind her. His blanket mingled with hers.

She released a sigh of relief.

Now she wouldn't have to relocate her and Rags to be closer to him. She couldn't even muster up enough anger at him over his invasion of her personal space. She was too glad he was near.

She settled back on her bedding and scooted closer to him. Inches from his face, she took the opportunity to study his features. Wisps of blonde hair lay across his forehead and cheeks. Not thinking better of it, she brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.

His hand shot out and grasped her wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Uh," she couldn't form words. Heat from his palm, mixed with the cool night air that caressed the rest of her body, sent waves of desire through her. She fought to ignore the flare of heat that originated from his hand on her flesh. "When did you move over here?"

"After you went to sleep." He stated the obvious and released her wrist. "You didn't answer my question. What were you doing?"

Her mind worked for an answer. Now that she was free of his touch, she felt lost. that shocked her. She should feel relief. Right?

"I saw a spider crawling on you." She lied.

"Honey, don't try to con a con man."

She opened her mouth. To deny, refuse what he claimed - she wasn't really sure. The words died in her throat as he pushed aside his blanket and reached beneath hers. Before she could utter a protest, his arms draped around her waist and tugged her closer to him. He settled both their blankets atop their bodies, the warmth from his body welcoming and disturbing. Shane aligned his body flush against hers. Even with the layers of clothing between them, his touch generated tingling warmth that began a slow spread through her body.

The situation was too intimate. She wanted to shove him away. Tell him to keep his distance. He was practically a stranger who had done nothing but get her in the deep of it since she met him.

And in the same breath, she longed to lean across the short distance and taste his lips. She yearned to be wild and free, for the first time in her life. To experience everything life had to offer, even if that was a momentary affair with this dangerous and sexy stranger.

Would his touch be gentle or demanding? Was he an attentive lover? Or would he be selfish, as Richard had been? Could she throw away a lifetime of preconceived notions about sex and love? Just to live in the moment and enjoy a brief affair with Shane?

"Oh, to hell with it!" She leaned into Shane and pressed her lips to his.

"Minder" by Kate Kaynak

2010-07-08T00:01:00.011-05:00

"Minder" by Kate Kaynak
A Ganzfield Novel (Book 1)

Cover Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams...
Stars: 4 out of 5

# of pages: 250

Rated: PG-13

Buy Minder from Amazon

About the book: Minder is the first book of the Ganzfield Series, a Young Adult/paranormal book series about teenager Maddie Dunn. Maddie is the victim of a would-be horrendous crime and is a newly discovered telepath (AKA, Minder). Because of her special ability, Maddie is taken from her home in New Jersey (did you catch the author similarity??!) to a boarding school called Ganzfield. Ganzfield is filled with psychic students and is run by Dr. Williamson (also a Minder), but the good doctor isn't much of an administrator. The kids--and by kids, I mean bullies--run the show. Minder is a book that depicts Maddie Dunn as she discovers her new mind-reading talents and falls in love...and joins the fight to save Ganzfield from the students, and from the outsiders who wish to destroy it.

My Review (spoiler-free): The hardest part about starting a new book is getting into the story. Chapter one is usually boring, confusing, unmemorable... Chapter two is slightly better. Chapter three is ... By chapter four, I'm usually a bit more okay-I-can-see-this-working. But as I started Minder, I was pleasantly surprised. My first thought as I read page one: Wow, Kate sure knows how to start a book off running. Literally! This book snatches your attention from the first paragraph and doesn't let go until it's too late to stop yourself. Don't believe me? Read the free, 2 chapter preview!

The Pros--

Awesome beginning.
The main character, Maddie, is likable and easy to relate with.
Easy, fast read.
The concepts of the book are explained very well, everything makes sense.
The storyline is believable.
The writer has a nice variety of characters, but she doesn't let you get them mixed up or forget them.
"Young Love" is captured in a realistic way.
The love interest is pretty cool. I'll admit, I have a literary crush on him =P
Ended strong. I'm looking forward to book 2, Adversary.

The Cons--

Loads of adverbs. Don't get me wrong, I talk with adverbs and I blog with adverbs, but writing a book should be different. Save the adverb usage for essential moments; take the time to write a stronger sentence without the ly.
This is a YA (Young Adult) book, but the writing style has a more MG (Middle Grade) feel to it... until you get to a steamy make-out scene. That kept throwing me off.
Too many ooey-gooey make-out/you're-the-very-air-that-I-breathe scenes. Seriously...I'm gagging here.
During the middle, after the hero and heroine hook up, the book starts to drag and focuses more on the couple. There are a few "couple scenes" that could be cut out completely.
The big ending is pretty short. I would have liked it to be drawn out longer--especially since there was so much time devoted to the young lovers.

About the author: Here's what I've been able to dig up... Dr. Kate Kaynak was born and raised in New Jersey. Yep, New Jersey, and since nothing much happens in NJ (kidding) we'll fast forward a bit...now a bit more...right there! Perfect. Okay, picture this: Kate leaves NJ for college--but not just any college. She heads on up to Yale University *insert swoon here* and begins her study of Psychology. After earning her BA, she goes after her MA and PH.D from Rutgers *insert second swoon here* where she dabbled in several different specializations. I know, I know--I'm green with envy too.

But that's not all! Somehow, in the midst of all that uber-schoolage, Kate manages to snag a hunk, marry the hunk, bear 3 babies with said hunk, and live in a foreign locale (Istanbul). Don't interrupt, I'm still not done! So then, Kate decides she's done enough work from the student side of life; now to start on the teaching side. Mmhmm, you read that right. Dr. Kate starts teaching psychology *spews drink at computer monitor*.

Now, I'm not exactly sure when she found time to sleep (or say, eat) but she did. And not only did she find time for mundane things, such as showers and feeding times, but she also found time to write--lucky for us! Now, I for one am convinced that this woman is some sort of cyborg, but hey! Just sayin'...

You can find Kate on her blog, Disgruntled Bear, and on her website, katekaynak.com.

The Hero's Journey

2010-07-07T01:01:00.011-05:00

The “Hero’s Journey” is a plot pattern coined by Joseph Campbell and detailed in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. I won’t get into the details here (you can Google it) except to share the following quote:

"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man."

A Google search of the “hero’s journey” returns pages and pages of results; it is a topic well read, explained and discussed. The same holds true when I Google “plot methods and styles” because writers around the world share the methods to their madness.

How the journey relates to stories like The Wizard of Oz or Harry Potter I clearly understand. But does it apply to romance? Does my story need to follow the hero’s journey in order to capture my reader’s interest and leave her satisfied?

And what of the stories that come to us in our dreams, the ones that start out as big chunky pieces and then spread into details night after night? What of these plots, dreamed up and set in our subconscious before they spill onto paper?

I decided to take the test, to see if my “dream work” backs into the “Hero’s Journey” as best I understand it. I wonder if the journey rests deep within us, we who have read tens of thousands of books over a lifetime. Hmmmm.

Act I:

Does my hero/heroine start out in an ordinary world? I think so. My heroine is a 16-yr-old girl whose ordinary world is full of rules and punishments where she is stuffed in a neat little black and white package and beaten when she shows a little color. In spite of the confinement in her life she manages to have a strong spirit and a sense of adventure and she believes in love. My hero is a 17-yr-old boy who had a troubled youth and whose ordinary world is full of loss and betrayal and he has no faith in love and commitment.

Did my hero/heroine get a call to adventure? My hero’s call to adventure is a plea agreement sending him to live with a family friend where he meets my heroine and where he must stay out of trouble else his punishment will be hard time. My heroine’s call to adventure is when she sees my hero for the first time and suffers an immediate attraction.

Are they reluctant to go on the adventure/refuse the call? My heroine knows she should ignore the attraction but can’t deny it. My hero is sentenced to his adventure and when he meets my heroine he feels the pull of her attraction but denies it.

Do they have a mentor? My heroine has a grandfather figure that helps her deal with obstacles life throws her way, and a best friend who helps her transition from a plain girl to a beautiful young woman. My hero shuts himself off to others because of past hurts, and relies on no one but himself until he confides in my heroine.

Do they cross the first threshold? My heroine and hero go on a school trip and are thrown together as partners. The attraction and discovery begins to stitch together their souls. They share secrets and fall in love. The first kiss seals the deal; they’re committed to the journey.

Act II:

Do they encounter tests and helpers? Obstacles are thrown my heroine’s way but she doesn’t allow them to defeat her. My hero is afraid of what he is feeling and has second thoughts.

Do they approach the innermost cave? My heroine has not consummated a physical relationship with my hero because of her morals, but is overcome with passion and love and decides to risk everything. My hero stops himself from taking her because he knows when the passion cools she’ll have regrets. She’s sacrifices her morality; he sacrifices his cynicism and freedom. His heart now belongs to her.

Do they endure the supreme ordeal/secondary conflict? The week after my heroine almost gave herself to my hero; she is hurt by a villain. She blames herself for what happened and punishes herself by breaking up with my hero. She lies to my hero and tells him she’s found someone else and doesn’t want him anymore.

The villain taunts my hero who loses control and beats up the villain. My hero is betrayed and imprisoned.

My heroine reaches out to him to tell him the truth, but he denies her. She is thrown a big obstacle that gets her thrown out of her home and cut off from her parents.

Do they seize the sword/reward? My heroine is a survivor and against the odds she has made a good life for herself. But something is missing. My hero was released from prison with the help of a mentor. He has made a good life for himself. But something is missing.

Act III:

Do they have trouble on the road back? My heroine has a life threatening problem and must turn to my hero for help. He feels betrayed again and rejects her, but agrees to help her to save a life. She tries to explain why she hurt him, he refuses to listen.

Is there a resurrection? My hero learns the truth, my heroine didn’t betray him. My heroine is hurt but knows it all started with her lie; she is grateful for his help and forgives him.

Insert passion scene here.

Do they return with an elixir? The heroine gets the guy, the hero gets the girl, and the life is saved. They return to the ordinary world and live happily ever after.

Did I force fit my story to the Hero’s Journey? Did I get it right? Where did I go wrong? Is the Hero’s Journey essential to a good story? Is it relevant to a romance? Do you use the hero’s journey to plot your stories?

Tune in next month when I dissect a popular bestselling contempory romance to help answer the "to hero's journey or not hero's journey" question.

Introducing Tuesday Tag throws sparkles

2010-07-06T06:46:00.000-05:00

Hello my dearies,

This is my first ever post on the Critique This WIP Blog, so I'm kind of excited *jumps up and down a bit*! And not only is this my first blog here, I also have the honor of introducing a new feature, the

Tuesday Tag!!

Tuesday Tag is a serialized story that you - yes YOU - can take part in. Basically, it's an online version of a game called Writers' Tag or Story Tag. It will provide both writing practice AND a way to introduce new writers on our blog!

It works like this: this week I write the first scene of the story, starting us off. At the end, I'll tag someone who will then write the next scene in a week's time. Every week, we will tag somebody else, and see where the story goes...

These are the Rules of the Game:

Read the previous Tuesday Tag Posts so you know what the story's about.
Write your scene - suggested word count is somewhere around 500 words.
Make sure your scene doesn't contain anything offensive and that it continues on in a sensible way from the previous post.*
If you're tagged (and we will make sure you're ok with it beforehand), you must write the scene in time for the Tuesday Tag Post - that means you'll have a week, no more, no less.
Tell us a little about yourself so we can do the introductory post right here, on Critique This WIP.
Have fun!

* we reserve the right to de-tag you if your scene is unacceptable.

So here I go, starting the game off...

My name is Tessa Conte and I'm a new member here on Critique This WIP. I'm two years away from thirty, a lawyer if you believe my university degree and a writer if you've ever seen my office. You can find me here and at Tessa's Blurb, my personal blog, and on twitter. I write mainly paranormal stories and fantasy, preferably with romance as a major theme. You can find out a little more about me if you click on my name in the header of this site.

Here's the first scene of our Tuesday Tag Story - enjoy!

***

picture source

“Joscelyn Mariam Whitley, don’t think I can’t see you there, young lady!”

Joce cringed and quickly wiped the tears from her face. The bottom of the servants’ stairs had seemed like such a great place to hide. Dark, dusty and abandoned, it had been a childhood favorite. They hadn’t had any servants for as long as Joce could remember, and her mother avoided this part of the house like the plague. Well, normally she did.

Apparently wedding days were an exception.

“I’m coming, mom,” she shouted up the stairs. Very unladylike behavior, but surely it could be forgiven today of all days. Joce gathered the white ruffles of her dress around her and hobbled back up the narrow steps in her broken-off white stilettos. It wasn’t worth the effort to shake the dust off the dress. Not like she’d ever wear it again. Thank goodness she’d dissuaded her mom from giving her the family veil. It would have been ruined by now.

Her mother was waiting on the ground floor landing, an older, impeccably groomed version of Joce, smooth and perfect in her vintage Dior dress. Even her little pillbox hat still sat at a perfect angle on her ash blonde hair. Marie-Claire, Dowager Duchess of Whitley, was never less than perfect.

She held a box of tissues in one hand, a glass full of suspicious-looking amber liquid in the other. The tissues were an obvious choice, but surely her mother wasn’t offering her whiskey. Mother disapproved of alcohol. Passionately.

“Drink,” she told her daughter.

“Mom...” Joce started, but her mother’s expression was implacable. “Ok, fine.” Nobody won staring matches against her mother, anyway. She grabbed the glass and downed it.

“Gracious, mother,” Joce coughed out. That had to have been a leftover from Dad’s secret stash of whiskey. “This isn’t that big a crisis.”

“What do you mean, not that big a crisis?” her mother huffed, and repositioned her hat. “Surely this is the ultimate crisis? Why else would you be hiding?”

She had a point. Even for Joce, being left at the altar wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

“Right,” she sighed. “So where did you put the rest of the bottle, mom?”

***

There! That's the first scene, next one to follow on Tuesday, July 14th, written by

*drumroll*

Margaret Bail of Critique This WIP and Musings of a Would-Be Writer

*tag* you're it!

If YOU want to be tagged in the near future, please let us know via comments or sent us an email to critiquethiswip (at) gmail (dot) com, we look forward to meeting you (virtually speaking).

Author Interview - Courtney Reese

2010-07-04T23:42:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone! We've been doing author interviews on Mondays here at Critique This WIP, and this Monday is no exception (if you missed any of the other interviews you can check them out here and here). We've had the chance to get to know some pretty interesting writers, but we realized that you don't really know much about us as authors. So we got the brilliant idea to interview each other! Brilliant, huh? So last week Courtney interviewed moi, and this week I'm interviewing her!

We usually get a little bit of biography from each of our authors, but we've provided that for you already. You can check out Courtney's biography here or by clicking the link up above that says "Courtney."

Margaret: One of the questions we always like to ask, because it's one every writer has to consider at some point, is do you use a pen name?

Courtney: As of right now, I don’t use a pen name, even though I completely see the wisdom in having one. In the future, if I switch genres, I think it’d be a good thing to look into—so as not to confuse my paranormal readers ;-) (And it’s always fun to make up new names!)

Margaret: What is your favorite genre to write?

Courtney: Paranormal is my favorite to write because it lets me get uber-creative and make up my own little worlds. Want a character to be able to read minds—go for it. Want a shapeshifting, hybrid vampire—have at. There are no rules, no set guidelines. You get to think outside the box, and that’s always fun.

Margaret: And what's your favorite genre to read?

Courtney: I’m a sucker for the romances. I like my “investments” to pay off. I don’t always get a lot of time to read, so when I do, I plan to reap the rewards of a happy ending. If I don’t get that happy ending, I’m one pissed off puppy. There’s something satisfying in knowing that everything was tied up nicely.

Margaret: I like happy endings too! How about some craft questions? What inspires your characters?

Courtney: God only knows. Maybe they come to me, or maybe I just have a busy imagination. One way or the other, I have quite a few of the little buggers.

Margaret: And where have some of your best ideas come from?

Courtney: Dreams have influenced the majority of my novels—or even just a scene. They come in very handy when you’re least expecting them. Other ideas have stemmed from music, but that’s a little less frequent.

Margaret: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Courtney: 100% plotter. Although all of my ideas start with one scene, then branch out from there, I always have a little outline that I follow/add to like crazy. I'm the kind of writer that has spreadsheets for my spreadsheets.

Margaret: OMG, that's way too anal for me! Tell us what projects you're working on now?

Courtney: Primarily, I spend my time working on the first book in a paranormal romance series called Nightlings. Other than that, I can be found toying around with different ideas, playing the plotting game, finding the perfect character name, researching different settings, etc.

Margaret: Do you use writing exercises?

Courtney: Not often.

Margaret: Are you published?

Courtney: God no. I haven’t even begun to clear that hurdle yet—I’m still writing the book!

Margaret: How do you "get in the zone" when you're writing? Listen to music? What's your writing environment like?

Courtney: I like to write in silence, which means shutting the door and closing out the rest of the world. I turn on a fan or a “water” sound machine, just to give myself a little background noise, but I can’t write to music lyrics or tv shows. It’s wayyyyyy to distracting.

Margaret: Which of your characters do you relate with most?

Courtney: I’m a firm believer that each one of my characters has a little piece of me in them. That being said, of course there are those that have a larger chunk, just like there are those who have the kind of qualities I wish I had. If I had to name just one that reminds me most of myself, I’d have to say Kate, the main character in Nightlings, because she’d awfully moody and has a snark-tastic view of life ;-)

Margaret: How important are character names for you? Do you spend a lot of time naming your characters:

Courtney: Names are a personal pet peeve for me. I like a certain kind of name, but some names just don’t mesh well with a particular character. Sometimes, you have to leave your comfort bubble and find the name in the character. I’ll spend days finding the right fit…weeks even!

Margaret: Now this is a loaded question since you're part of a critique group...but why do you use critique partners/groups as part of your writing process?

Courtney: Oh yes =) Love my girls at CritiqueThis and my CP, Ashley Tenille Remple. Out of the 5 of them, they each find something different that needs changing. It’s crazy important to have people on your side, helping to polish your story. Invaluable!

Margaret: Whew! That's a relief! So how do you handle the criticism of your work?

Courtney: I love it, much like I love a dentist appointment or a tetanus shot or a pap smear. *grins* It’s not my favorite part of the writing process, but after the initial read though of “Seriously?!” and “This sounds STUPID!” and “I’m not sure this makes sense…”, I can usually take a step back and absorb the advice. It’s not like my critiquers are trying to be rude. They are trying to help make my writing as good as it can possibly be. Long story short—criticism hurts but is worth its weight in gold.

Margaret: How many projects do you work on at once?

Courtney: Several at once, but I always have my primary WIP. I like to keep several ideas on the back burner...which means I like to play with them from time to time, just to keep them fresh in my mind.

Margaret: What's your favorite part of being a writer?

Courtney: Creating new worlds! Woot!

Margaret: What's your least favorite part of being a writer?

Courtney: It depends on the day...sometimes I love to edit, other times, I hate it. Sometimes I love to research, other times I can't stand it. It all depends on what I'm in the "zone" for.

Margaret: Do you ever have trouble with writer's block?

Courtney: You could say that. *snorts* Doesn't everyone? Gotta keep on truckin'.

Margaret: How about blogfests? Do you participate? If so, do you write new scenes for the fests or use scenes from your WIPs?

Courtney: I love blogfests! I try to write new scenes to make it into a little writing exercise, but sometimes time works against me. If I have to use a prewritten scene, blogfests are a great place to gauge reader-reaction =)

Margaret: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you're not writing?

Courtney: I work as an after school teacher for an elementary school, five days a week. When I’m not working —or writing— I spend time with my fiancé, with my family, and (as much as I can) reading.

Margaret: Would you like to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Courtney: This is a line from Nightlings. The Dark Goddess Sarelle is heading down to the dungeon to work off a bit of steam…

“The smell of rot and feces permeated the air, reminding Sarelle why she hated coming down here. Waste buckets and blood soaked mattresses did not make for pleasant air fresheners. Not to mention that her captives hadn’t bathed since…well, since before they were captured.”

Margaret: Well, we'll end the interview on that...um...ahem...note. It's been awesome getting to know you better, Courtney!

Don't forget to check back in next Monday for another author interview!

Friday Fiction - Scene 13

2010-07-01T22:07:00.007-05:00

Here's the next installment of Friday Fiction. If you'd like to read the previous scenes, or see what Friday Fiction is all about, click here

Shane's hands were strong and soothing and it wasn't long before he'd worked the cramp out of Erica's leg. She'd always been susceptible to severe cramping, sometimes at the most embarrassing moments. The really bad ones could be crippling. But under Shane's ministrations her muscles loosened and she laid back on the sand, relieved.

But now that the pain was gone and her mind was clear she became acutely aware of his touch. On her thigh. She lay still, holding herself stiff and trying to remember to breathe. He caressed and massaged, tracing a trail of sizzling heat along her leg that bled to her deepest places and threatened to spread even further. An appreciative groan escaped her lips before she could bite it back. She cringed. That came out somewhat more lustful than she would have liked. She opened her eyes and ventured a glance at Shane who was staring at her, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Feeling better?" He asked, continuing to stroke her leg.

"Much better," she said, her voice tight. She cleared her throat. "Um, thanks."

"No problem." He didn't move. What was he doing? Erica squirmed a little in the awkward moment. She really should just scoot away. He was a criminal of some sort, had just burned her RV along with a dead body, and was clearly dangerous on many levels. But the heat of his touch was intoxicating.

Shane grinned at Erica's reaction to his touch. What had started out as first aid had turned into something much more sensual. When she finally sat up, her leg still in his lap, a sweaty curl fell in her face. Without thinking, he brushed it back and tucked it behind her ear. Even in the moonlight he couldn't see her eyes very well, but he could hear her breath coming in shallow puffs. He would have found it mildly amusing that she was so obviously hot for him if she weren't having the same effect on him. He needed to keep a tight focus on getting out of this mess and ignore the growing desire that her groan and panting was rousing in him. But he knew himself well enough to know it was too late to win that battle.

"We'll camp here for the night," he finally said.

Literary Crushes Blogfest

2010-06-30T11:14:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the lovely Frankie Diane over at Frankie Writes for the Literary Crushes blogfest. We here at CTW had a different post planned for today, but we simply weren't prepared so it's been put off for a bit.

So I'm taking this opportunity to fill the void with love letters to a few of literary crushes. Frankie had originally conceptualized this blogfest as a way to express reader love for YA literary crushes, but mine tend to run more toward the adult (with maybe a couple YA thrown in)

1) Beowulf from Beowulf

Dear Beowulf:

Even though I have a hard time understanding what the heck you're saying, and you're all about male bonding and violent bloody monster killing battles, I find you irresistably hot in an erotic S&M sort of Viking way.

Just sayin'

Love,

Margaret

2) Dirk Pitt from Clive Cussler's multiple Dirk Pitt novels

Dearest Dirk:

Your wit and charm are aphrodisiacal, as is your chiseled body, your suavity, your devilish nature, and your encyclopedic knowledge of all things nautical. You make me swoon.

Cheers,

~Margaret

3) Edmond Dantes, Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Dear Edmond:

I find your single-minded determination and your noble purpose to be both attractive and intriguing. There's a mystery about you that is magnetic and dangerous. My heart is yours should you wish to claim it.

Love always,

~Margaret

4) Sidney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens

My Dear Sidney:

Your sacrificial devotion breaks my heart. I only wish you could realize your own worth before you throw it all away on a gesture.

Love,

~Margaret

5) Artemis Fowl, from the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

Dear Artemis:

I know you already know your own best qualities so I won't enumerate them for you. However, I find your evil genius intoxicating in a braniac sort of way. If you ever take time out from joining forces with the - ahem - mythical fairy realm, look me up and we can conjugate some verbs or solve some theorems or something.

Love,

~Margaret

I could go on and on but I'll spare you the suffering. I'm hoping my fellow conspirators here at CTW will post their own letters to literary crushes. But if not, be sure to check out the rest of them at Frankie Writes!

Author Interview: Margaret Bail

2010-06-27T21:45:00.004-05:00

You guys know how much I love to do the author interviews, right? Last week, I reigned in my excitement and gave Margaret a go at it—and she did phenomenally. But this week, we’re going to do things a little differently. Today, I get to interview Margaret! I know, I know—brilliant! So lets get this thing started, shall we?

Courtney: So Margaret, tell us a little about yourself, eh?

Margaret: Well, for my bio I refer you to the link above with my name on it.

Courtney: Easy enough ;) Okay, so now to the interview questions… First off—to pen name, or not to pen name? Which side are you on?

Margaret: I still haven't resolved this question for myself, actually. Because I want to write in several genres, I've been leaning toward using pen names. But honestly, I'm afraid I'll forget who I'm supposed to be. I know. It's sad. The other problem is I don't really like my actual name – It's not snazzy or fun or cool. It sounds like an old lady, not an author you want to read. So I guess I'll have to come up with something that's close to my real name so I won't forget it, but still sounds less granny and more "author."

Courtney: Less granny, huh? Margaret, you crack me up. So, when did you start writing?

Margaret: I started writing when I was a teenager. I wrote the standard angtsy teen poetry and some really crappy short stories. Okay, so the style and form were crappy but there's still a kernel of something good in some of them (and yes, I have saved many of them). Then, sadly, when I graduated high school and went to college my parents discouraged me from pursuing writing as a career because it wasn't "practical" enough and since they were footing the bill for my education, I listened to them. *sigh* I ended up dropping out of college and didn't start writing again until about 5 or 6 years ago when I decided to finish my degree. All those years of aimlessness and when I started writing again it felt like I had finally come home.

Courtney: What’s your favorite genre to write?

Margaret: That's a tough question because I want to write as much of everything as I can. I really like to experiment and try new things. Right now, romance is my favorite because that's what I'm writing. But I think my favorite will always be whatever genre I'm writing at the moment.

Courtney: What’s your favorite genre to read?

Margaret: I don't have a favorite to read because I'll read almost anything. I can tell you my least favorite – horror. I don't like to be frightened or grossed out. Otherwise, I'll read anything else.

Courtney: *snorts* I love horror stories—and movies! Okay, so here have some of you best ideas come from? (dreams, real life, music, tv, books, etc…)

Margaret: All of the above! I've always got my senses on high alert looking for ideas from any possible situation or medium. As it turns out, my Hubby is an awesome idea man, too. We often have really productive brainstorming sessions. He's working on a physical education degree, but he likes to write too. We work pretty well together and we are pretty good at bouncing ideas off each other.

Courtney: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Margaret: It depends on the project. The paranormal romance I'm working on now is mostly plotted because it's a 5-novel series I need to have some concept of the overall story and the plot for each individual novel or I'd go insane trying to keep it all straight. The sci-fi adventure/romance I'm working on is, at least so far, completely panster. I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen until I sit down to write on it, and I think that's working well to keep it edgy and fresh.

Courtney: What project or projects are you working on now?

Margaret: Well, I kind of previewed this answer in my answer to question 7! I'm working on a 5-novel series of paranormal romance. I have complete first drafts for 2 of the novels done and I'm in the editing/revision process for book one. I'm hoping to meet with an agent at my next MFA residency in August and I'm crossing my fingers that will go well! My other project is a sci-fi adventure/romance which was generated as part of the creativity workshop I started but had to drop out of because my life is so ridiculously busy I couldn't squeeze in one more thing. So far I'm really liking the sci-fi story. It's totally different from the paranormal romance.

Courtney: Are you published? If so, what is the name of the novel?

Margaret: I don't have any novels published...yet. But I've written a number of short plays and one of my monologues was published in an anthology by the International Center for Women Playwrights. I've also had several of my short plays produced. I know it's not publication, but it's production of something I've written! Live on the stage even!

Courtney: How exciting! Which of your characters do you most relate with (please give a brief explanation of why you relate to him/her)?

Margaret: I think all of my characters have a little piece of me in them, so I guess in that sense I relate to all of them (how's that for a cop-out?!). I have favorites in my series, though. I love Rand because even though he's the bad guy, he's misunderstood. And Dusty is so sweet and funny, but he's in for a huge heartbreak. And Bamboo, of course is my kitty buddy who was named after my actual kitty who recently passed away from kidney cancer. So I have a special place in my heart for him.

Courtney: What’s in a name? Do you spend much time finding your character’s names?

Margaret: Shopping for character names can be both frustrating and fun. Some characters I really don't care about their names, especially if they're secondary or tertiary characters, any name will do. But for other characters, names need to have a certain feel to them. They need to say something about the character's personality and they need to "fit." Have you ever been to the site, www.seventhsanctum.com? It's an amazingly fun site for writers where you can generate names, plot ideas, and all kinds of stuff. A lot of times I use that site to generate names or find ideas for names.

Courtney: How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else? What is your writing environment like?

Margaret: I have 3 kids ages 17, 13, and 11, plus my Hubby. My writing environment is wherever I can find a corner. I always plug my brain into an MP3 player if nothing else to block out the family noise. As far as getting into the zone, that's often very difficult. Sometimes I reread the last chapter I wrote, then read through e-mails, blogs, check out twitter...trying to ease into it. Other times I have limited time to write so I have to just attack it.

Courtney: Oo! The teenage ages—have fun with that ;-P Do you use critique partners, groups, or beta readers to help you with your story? Why or why not?

Margaret: I love critique partners/groups, etc. Especially my girls on CritiqueThisWIP. When you write in isolation it's easy to think everything you write is perfect. Critique partners and groups help you to get a clear picture of how your writing is perceived by real readers as well as helping you with form and style. In the end, as a writer, you want to have a novel that people want to read and unless you're a writing savant you'll need input from other people to help you accomplish your goal.

Courtney: How do you respond to criticism? Love it? Hate it? Learn from it?

Margaret: Sometimes it hurts to have someone criticize your baby. But as the writer you're allowed to accept what you agree with and ignore the rest. So far everyone I've turned to for critiques has been very professional and none of the criticism has been cruel or hurtful. It's always been respectful, which helps me to learn and make my baby better!

Courtney: How many projects do you work on at once? Do you write one book at a time, or do you have a few going at once?

Margaret: I used to think I had to finish one before I could start another. But then I got kind of burned out on editing and revising my paranormal romance and started the sci-fi novel, and it's actually been a really good thing. It helps to be able to work on something different. It's like exercising a different muscle instead of the same one over and over and over.

Courtney: How about Blogfests? Do you participate? If so, do you write a new scene for the fests or do you use scenes from your WIPs?

Margaret: I love blogfests and I try to use scenes from my WIPs because it's a good way to get a broad spectrum of feedback on scenes, character, etc.

Courtney: What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Margaret: Making up people and worlds and stories. It's more fun than should be legal. It's my crack.

Courtney: What’s your least favorite part?

Margaret: The reality of revisions. Writing a shiny, sparkly first draft is such a wonderful high and then you come down and have to face the reality of editing. It can be a frustrating challenge sometimes.

Courtney: Do you ever have trouble with writers-block?

Margaret: Oh, god, yes. It's the thing I dread most - staring at the intimidating blankness of the screen, watching that cursor mocking me. It's blinking, saying "write something, write something, write something." But I find that if I let the characters and story stew long enough, an idea will come to me and I'll be over the block.

Courtney: Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?

Margaret: Struggling to make a buck. I do medical transcription, which I've done so long that I hate it now. And this summer I'm driving the beer cart at the local golf course. That is a load of fun. I'm also working on my Master of Fine Arts degree in creative and professional writing and if all goes well I should graduate May 2011.

Courtney: Favorite books? Authors? Movies? Songs?

Margaret: Like I said, I'm not much of a music person, so I don't really have any musical faves. My favorite novel (series) of all time is Stephen King's Dark Tower series. My favorite movie of all time is Galaxy Quest. I don't really have a favorite author because it would be impossible to narrow it down. There are too many good ones! The same for books, I really read anything I can get my hands on and although Dark Tower is my fave, there are so many I love.

Courtney: Want to share a favorite line from one of your books?

Margaret: It's nearly impossible to choose a favorite line! Okay, this one is from the pantser sci-fi adventure/romance. It's near the very beginning.

"Her green eyes gauge my reaction and when she sees me perk a satisfied smile slides across her red lips. I curse under my breath. I've really got to work on my poker face."

Courtney: Would you like to share anything else with the readers?

Margaret: Ummmm. Some drunk guy on the golf course was flirting with me the other day and said, "hey, can I give you a tip?" By the look on his face I knew it wasn't going to be a monetary tip, but probably something really stupid. He says, "don't fry bacon in the nude." See? I knew it was going to be stupid.

Friday Fiction: (Scene 12) In the Desert

2010-06-25T03:23:00.001-05:00

Here's the next installment of Friday Fiction. If you'd like to read the previous scenes, or see what Friday Fiction is all about, click here.

Shane spent only a few minutes tending to his gunshot wound, which turned out to be much less severe than they could have hoped for. The bullet had only grazed him. With only a few squirts of antiseptic wash and a bandage, they were on their way.

According to their map, Shane and Erica had disposed of both the RV and Frank’s body just east of Salado, AZ. Over an hour later, the trek through the dark, sandy desert had numbed Erica’s fragile nerves. The past few hours had been a nightmare—something straight out of a movie. She’d picked up a hitcher, discovered a dead body, ran from the scene of a crime, was held at gunshot by a psychopath, shot a man, burnt his body down to ashes, and sent him to his maker with fifty thousand dollars of Winnebago comfort.

Her Winnebago. Her entire life savings and the modest trust fund her grandmother had left her both went into that RV. It wasn’t new—but it was hers. Damn it all to hell! This couldn’t be happening. Erica would have pinched herself, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, but her feet were killing her. With each step, pain erupted through her feet, working its way from heel to toe. Walking across sand dunes was proving to be agony, but at least the pain in her feet kept her distracted from the ugly truth of her situation. Right now, she could recall the events of the day with nothing more than casual detachment, as if watching a TV show in her mind, though that may only be because the pain in her feet had been steadily making its way up to her calves, distracting her further.

How much further would they be walking? She could always ask Shane, but as soon as she’d seen him light the match that had destroyed her cross country dream, her vehicle, and her home, a slow burning fire—unlike the one that engulfed her Winne—began to smolder in her temples. Rage boiled within her, seething down her body and through her limbs, threatening to explode. If she never talked to Shane again, it would be too soon.

Of course, one would think that time would only strengthen one’s resentment toward the man responsible for destroying one’s dreams. And one would be right…if only one’s feet were not threatening to detach themselves from one’s body and beat her to death with a pair of overpriced Nikes.

While Erica was panting her way through the endless heaves of sand, dirt, and rocks, Shane was six yards ahead, calm, collected, and gliding over the cool desert floor as if he’d mastered the art of levitation. Rags was trotting along beside him, his head snapping at the shadows cast by the flashlights. Didn’t he realize who’s dog he was?

Hell, I’m the one that saved you from the pound, you good for nothing mutt.

Come to think of it, this whole mess could be put at Rag’s feet—er, paws. He’d been the one whining at the car window, begging with those puppy-dog-eyes for Erica to let a stranger on board. Her mother had always warned her, ‘dicks hang together’. Mom had never been more right. Yes, this was Ragsie’s fault. And Shane’s. The two made the perfect pair of chaos and mischief.

Still, if chaos and mischief were bad to have around, at least the view was nice. In the darkness, Erica could only make out his silhouette, but a silhouette was all she needed. Shane was tall and slim, but his muscles were well defined, his shoulders broad. While his hips were thin, his butt was the perfect combination of full and firm. It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed it either.

For a while, Erica distracted herself from the pain steadily creeping up her legs with the lulling rise and fall of Shane’s thighs, his hips, his ass. Left, right, left. Up, down, up. Right, left, right. Back and forth, and back and—

“Ooof!” It happened so fast, it took her body a moment to catch up. One second, she was making her way down a dune, and the next she was falling. Then she felt it. Molten heat speared through her left thigh, shooting spasms of agony down to the bone. “Aahhh! Holy mother of—”

—her words were cut off as she twisted, pulling her legs up into her chest, cradling her burning leg like a wounded child. Unstable sand gave way beneath her sudden, jerky weight, sending her sliding, twisting, and turning down the slope.

“Erica!” Shane whipped around, his flashlight making a wide arc in the night sky before he dropped it, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm. He couldn’t stop her. The force of her fall threw him off balance; his feet slid in the sand, and he fell on his left hip. Erica was rolled up tight, her body huddled in a deformed version of the fetal position. He held onto her, hard enough to leave a bruise, but if he let go, she’d never stop rolling. Pushing out with his legs he slowed their decent, keeping Erica pulled close to him as they came to a stop near the base of the dune.

Only then did he notice that Rags was barking. The flashlights were scattered halfway up the dune, each pointing in a different direction, each beam of light half buried in the sand.

“Ooh, my leg,” she cried out, clutching her left leg. “My leg, my leg!”

Had she broken it in the fall? Shane jerked up, anxiety coursing down his muscles in tight waves. Straining to see in the darkness, he peered down at her. No white bone reflected off the moonlit sky. He sent up a silent ‘thank you’, then touched her calf, gently feeling his way up the muscle, testing for any breaks hidden beneath her denim jeans.

“Where does it hurt?” He asked, his hand moving in unison around the width of her thigh.

“There!” She hissed. “It’s a cramp… Christ, I’ve never had one this bad—”

A cramp? That was it? No broken bones? Shane grinned, his shoulders relaxing as the tension fled his body. “A cramp.” He repeated. Well shit, that made sense, they’d been walking for close to 2 hours and covered about five miles of open desert. She’d kept up with him, but he hadn’t checked to make sure she was drinking plenty of water. Or stretching. Shit. He should have been more careful.

“The you go, rub it out,” he soothed, rubbing his hands up and down the length of her thigh, creating a friction that would warm her tired, aching muscle. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he felt the moment her pain started to ebb. It wasn’t just her thigh that relaxed—every muscle in her body went loose. Her arms slid to her sides as her neck and shoulders rolled back and her head rested against the sand. As the strain left her body, she let out a throaty little moan.

It was the most satiated moan he’d heard in a long time.

Introductions are in order

2010-06-23T00:12:00.000-05:00

Why hello! We're so glad you stopped by the blog today to meet the newest members of CritiqueThis. We searched for 25 days to find the right fit for Margaret and I. We even drew out the contest by 5 extra days just to be certain we had the right people for CritiqueThis. The WIPs had to go well together, their style and voice had to fit, even their personalities had to mesh, to some extent. And after 25 days...we found them. Out of all the e-mails we received, we narrowed it down to three---three people who we felt would be the best fit to our Romance critique group.

Care to meet them?

Allow me to introduce to you, Jill Callahan, Suzie Bethell-Thompson, and Tessa Conte.

Ladies? Care to tell our readers a little bit about yourselves?

Jill: Hello! I am Jill Callahan and I write contemporary romance. I’ve been writing on and off over the past fifteen years.

Suzie: Hi, y'all!! I'm Suzie Bethell-Thompson. I mainly write Romantic Suspense & Paranormal Romance. I've been writing for about twelve years, but only serious pursuing a writing career for more like the last five years.

Tessa: My name is Tessa Conte. I write (mostly) paranormal romance, with the occasional contemporary romance thrown in for good measure. I've been writing (or rather making up stories) since I first picked up a crayon, or so my parents tell me. I have since learned that writing an illustrated story on the living room wall is not such a great plan, but I am still writing. Not sure I could stop if I wanted to... ; P

I have several WIPs 'on the books' right now, one about werewolves, one contemporary and one suspense/paranormal, along with several half-baked short stories (some romantic, some not) and the odd fantasy-heavy story.

Courtney: Oh, nice! I love a good werewolves book! Can't wait to get to read it *sticks out tongue and waggles it back and forth to everyone else*.

To read more about our newest members (and CritiqueThisWIP's future bloggers) click on the links at the top of the page...you know, the one's that say their names?

See ya'll at my next post, Friday Fiction. What sort of trouble can I get Shane and Erica into this week? I mean, Margaret already burnt their vehicle down to ashes and left them standing in the middle of the Arizona desert, their only way out by good ole' fashioned walking. Poor Erica...she didn't ask for any of this. She was only trying to be a good Samaritan. Oh! Maybe her only pair of shoes are stilettos? Or she only has a minidress, since she had to burn the stuff with the blood on it. Muahhahahaha!

Critique_This_WIP

Author Interview: Roh Morgon

Author Interview: Christopher S. Ledbetter

Author Interview: Karen Bell

UNPLUGGED

RaShelle Workman: The Interview!

Books vs. Movies and Series

The Organized Writer: No Longer an Oxymoron

Suzanne Frank Interview

Friday Fiction #20

What Qualities Make Good Writing?

Tuesday Tag by Erica Woolridge

Author Interview: Charity Bradford

Friday Fiction: Scene 19

Tuesday Tag

Author Interview: Belinda Kroll

The Ravings of a Lunatic Writer

Tuesday Tag by Kelly Freestone

Author Interview: Marc Vun Kannon

Friday Fiction #18

A Contest and a PRESENT---for you!!

Tuesday Tag: Scene 5

Author Interview: Myne Whitman

Friday Fiction #17

Contest Time!

Your Story's Climax: Make It Satisfying...

Tuesday Tag: Scene 4

Author Interview: Suzie Bethell-Thompson

Freaky Friday: Scene 16

The Write Time

On the Nature of Muses

Tuesday Tag

Author Interview: Jill Callahan

Friday Fiction: Scene 15

Rules for Writing

Pants!! (Or How Not to Plot)

Tuesday Tag

Author Interview: Tessa Conte

Friday Fiction: Scene 14

"Minder" by Kate Kaynak

The Hero's Journey

Introducing Tuesday Tag *throws sparkles*

Author Interview - Courtney Reese

Friday Fiction - Scene 13

Literary Crushes Blogfest

Author Interview: Margaret Bail

Friday Fiction: (Scene 12) In the Desert

Introductions are in order

Introducing Tuesday Tag throws sparkles