Warning-potentially adult words.
There seems to be an ongoing discussion these days about language in romances and what should be said or not said. The F___ word seems to be high in contention. First, I wonder if some of the objections come from the older writers/readers who are really not into graphic language. Next would be the born-again generation.
To me, a love scene/sex scene that is rife with words like dick, penis, pussy get boring and take away some of the romance. I want to know what they are feeling, sensual stuff not an anatomical description. There are ways to write a love scene that are lovely, not pornographic. Having said that, hot sex is a turn on for some and seen more and more in romance genre's'.
Next, I go along with Rinda Elliott here. If you have a kick-ass heroine fighting a demon who's blood will burn flesh, and she is splashed with said blood, what do you think she will say--"leapin' lizards?," "Oh poopy?" The language has to fit the scene and she is more likely to scream "oh fuck" than something more mild.
At the same time, for language to be effective, it needs to be used sparingly. If your characters use the f___ word in every sentence, or every other word, they become ineffectual, boring and sound as if their vocabulary went on hold at age ten-or younger. Use your skills as a writer to convey what you want your characters to say with more imagination than say a series on Showtime. Of course, some of the series on Showtime are excellent, but you know what I mean and have seen those reality show where the people become unintelligible because every other word has to be bleeped out.
Trends change-romances have evolved from bodice rippers where the girl falls in love with the man who kidnaps and rapes them (must have been a male fantasy.) Language evolves. As writers we have to decide what's effective for our characters and our readers.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Art or The Craft
"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."--Hemingway
Are we artists or craftsmen? Where does our satisfaction come in. An visual artist can put painting on the wall, good or bad. A musician can play on the street and be heard. Even if an actor doesn't make it to Hollywood or New York A-list status, an actor can act in little theatre, regional productions and even amateur plays.
A writer is dependant upon being published in order to share their work on a large scale. Yet, most writer's goal is to be published. I'm the same way, in spite of the odds against it. If you want to make money from writing, write non fiction, so much easier to publish and pays better.
If you love fiction, make the actual process your friend, your goal and your pleasure. That is where the most satisfaction will come in.
Focus on the actual writing, not having written and now being published. Pay attention to how you feel as you create a world, bring characters alive and essentially play God. It's fun, and scary and so satisfying.
I'm not advocating writing and then putting it in a drawer. By all means, when that best seller is done, send it out. But know that for every NYT Best seller out there, there are hundreds of mid list books or small press books that never see the Times and thousands of wonderful books that never make it to either print or ebook status. Learn to enjoy the doing more than the being done. If you write, you are a writer.
Are we artists or craftsmen? Where does our satisfaction come in. An visual artist can put painting on the wall, good or bad. A musician can play on the street and be heard. Even if an actor doesn't make it to Hollywood or New York A-list status, an actor can act in little theatre, regional productions and even amateur plays.
A writer is dependant upon being published in order to share their work on a large scale. Yet, most writer's goal is to be published. I'm the same way, in spite of the odds against it. If you want to make money from writing, write non fiction, so much easier to publish and pays better.
If you love fiction, make the actual process your friend, your goal and your pleasure. That is where the most satisfaction will come in.
Focus on the actual writing, not having written and now being published. Pay attention to how you feel as you create a world, bring characters alive and essentially play God. It's fun, and scary and so satisfying.
I'm not advocating writing and then putting it in a drawer. By all means, when that best seller is done, send it out. But know that for every NYT Best seller out there, there are hundreds of mid list books or small press books that never see the Times and thousands of wonderful books that never make it to either print or ebook status. Learn to enjoy the doing more than the being done. If you write, you are a writer.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Eight Reasons to Write that Sequel
I read on Rinda's blog a discussion about continuing writing a series when the first one hasn't sold. I can see why someone might hesitate, when you don't know if the first one will sell. But, in the first place,
You have to do something while you wait to hear back from agents and editors on the first book.
You're a writer. You write. So why not write that sequel.
It's easier to write the sequel than come up with entirely new settings, characters etc.
The characters may not leave you alone anyway so just tell their story.
If that agent/editor does take you on, you can say, "Yes, I just so happen to be 50% done with the sequel, here's the synopsis for it."
It's fun to write and continue to build a world.
You miss the characters when you don't write about them because they become friends.
You are a writer, you are a masochist, so give in already.
You have to do something while you wait to hear back from agents and editors on the first book.
You're a writer. You write. So why not write that sequel.
It's easier to write the sequel than come up with entirely new settings, characters etc.
The characters may not leave you alone anyway so just tell their story.
If that agent/editor does take you on, you can say, "Yes, I just so happen to be 50% done with the sequel, here's the synopsis for it."
It's fun to write and continue to build a world.
You miss the characters when you don't write about them because they become friends.
You are a writer, you are a masochist, so give in already.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Shameless
Sorry, have to brag, Fairy Dust just received a Four Cup Review. A little excited here. Woo Hoo.
FAIRY DUST
CAROL SHENOLD
ISBN #Unavailable
December 2007
Eternal Press
www.eternalpress.com.au
E-Book
$2.95
34 Pages
Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 Cups
Ande is half fairy who works two jobs. One of her jobs is as partner with her elf friend Sierya, and the second one is as an agent for the PIU. As if she is not busy enough, now the Dark ones are after her and the amulet that her father left her.
Cal is a werewolf. He never expected that the date he arranged online would turn out to be with the half fairy he saved from a ghoul in the park. Of course, keeping his true nature quiet on the first date is not an option now.
Politics, magick, and a plethora of supernatural beings are about to collide in a big way when a fairy’s magic amulet is stolen. No one realizes just how powerful it is until it is stolen. To save the world, it must be returned right away.
This author manages to pack a lot of story in this book. From the honey drunk pixie to the power mad candidate for mayor, her characterizations are wonderful. Ande is a fun character as a half fairy with limited control over her magick. Cal is very sexy and protective of her. Sierya is also a good friend and Ajax is an interesting twist as a police officer’s snitch. The Dark King is extremely scary and the climax is very exciting with lots of action. I will definitely be looking for more of this author’s work.
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
Would Have, Could have
My last post was about writing mistakes. What your worst writing mistake might be. One person wrote that they waited until they were thirty to start writing.
I think that was the thing I should of done for my writing career also. I was in my forties before I knew I really wanted to be a writer and fifty by the time I seriously started thinking in terms of finishing a novel to market and over sixty by the time I finished the mystery and realized mystery and urban fantasy were what I loved to write. Now I'm feeling the pressure of time, however, I'm convincing myself I will be around at least as long as my mother, she's ninety.
I'm not knocking all the non-fiction I published, or the text books, but I wish now I'd put some of that time into fiction instead. Ain't hind sight great? Luckily I was published quickly. Later, will I say getting published in ebook format was a mistake, who knows?
Tell me the one thing you feel you should have done differently with your writing career.
I think that was the thing I should of done for my writing career also. I was in my forties before I knew I really wanted to be a writer and fifty by the time I seriously started thinking in terms of finishing a novel to market and over sixty by the time I finished the mystery and realized mystery and urban fantasy were what I loved to write. Now I'm feeling the pressure of time, however, I'm convincing myself I will be around at least as long as my mother, she's ninety.
I'm not knocking all the non-fiction I published, or the text books, but I wish now I'd put some of that time into fiction instead. Ain't hind sight great? Luckily I was published quickly. Later, will I say getting published in ebook format was a mistake, who knows?
Tell me the one thing you feel you should have done differently with your writing career.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Career Killers
Ten of the top ways to kill your writing career (or at least not have an editor read your stuff.)
1. Mis-spell the editor's name. (They are people and they want to know you did your research.)
2. Tell the editor what a mistake it would be to reject your project. (Scares them off right away.)
3. Fail to follow the guidelines for that publisher, editor, agent. (They want to know that you can follow instructions and that you care. Being too busy to read the guidelines or saying your other publisher did it that way, won't cut it.)
4. Leaving out a piece the editor, agent requested. (Just because you hate writing synopses and think your story should stand on it's own, don't leave it out. We're back to the business of following instructions and reading English.)
5. Bashing one publishing company to another editor. (Just as bad as bashing a former boss to a potential poss. Sounds like you are the problem.)
6. Typos-careless.
7. Sloppy manuscript, left out pages, messed up page numbering, margins and formatting that are not standard to the industry. (Making your manuscript stand out as one from an amateur will not help your career.)
8. Bad-mouthing other writers, or ignoring them. (You need networking. When writers work together to sell their work, wonderful things happen.)
9. Ignoring electronic media (Take the risk and put yourself out there, make that facebook site, web site, blog, My Space (You have to sell yourself. It's called marketing.)
10. Failing to continue learning and evolving your writing. Stretch your boundries and writing muscles. Try new things, new publishers, new publishing formats. (New York is not the only game out there.)
What is your worst writing mistake? Share with everyone by posting a comment.
1. Mis-spell the editor's name. (They are people and they want to know you did your research.)
2. Tell the editor what a mistake it would be to reject your project. (Scares them off right away.)
3. Fail to follow the guidelines for that publisher, editor, agent. (They want to know that you can follow instructions and that you care. Being too busy to read the guidelines or saying your other publisher did it that way, won't cut it.)
4. Leaving out a piece the editor, agent requested. (Just because you hate writing synopses and think your story should stand on it's own, don't leave it out. We're back to the business of following instructions and reading English.)
5. Bashing one publishing company to another editor. (Just as bad as bashing a former boss to a potential poss. Sounds like you are the problem.)
6. Typos-careless.
7. Sloppy manuscript, left out pages, messed up page numbering, margins and formatting that are not standard to the industry. (Making your manuscript stand out as one from an amateur will not help your career.)
8. Bad-mouthing other writers, or ignoring them. (You need networking. When writers work together to sell their work, wonderful things happen.)
9. Ignoring electronic media (Take the risk and put yourself out there, make that facebook site, web site, blog, My Space (You have to sell yourself. It's called marketing.)
10. Failing to continue learning and evolving your writing. Stretch your boundries and writing muscles. Try new things, new publishers, new publishing formats. (New York is not the only game out there.)
What is your worst writing mistake? Share with everyone by posting a comment.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Winner
We have a winner for the contest. AMY FROM PITTSBURGH. Amy, send your email address to cshenold@cox.net. I'll send you the download. Hope you enjoy.
Right now, we have rain, ice, thunderstorms and have snow scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see how the weekend turns out for writing and everything else. Life is interfering with writing at the moment.
Right now, we have rain, ice, thunderstorms and have snow scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see how the weekend turns out for writing and everything else. Life is interfering with writing at the moment.
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