So Here's The Problem...

"When they asked me what I liked best, I'll say it was you."
~from "City of Angels"


I realized yesterday, as I was helping my sister prepare the big meal, what my one work, One Night in Boston, is missing (doesnt' inspiration strike at the oddest times?) It's the fact that my hero and heroine don't officially meet until almost half-way through the story. I gave them both a lot of conflict up to that point, as well as some flashbacks to remind them about each other...but they don't see each other face to face until chapter 10 of 24.

Hmm...that may be a problem.

I mean, I know there are other romances where the H/H don't meet right away, but then how much *real* romanctic tension is driving the story forward? I know my story doesn't have to be totally formulaic, esp. if I want to write mainstream rather than for a Harlequin category or something, but still. When I compared it to the other work I'm actively preparing for publication, the latter one is filled with sexual tension almost without my trying, because on every damn page the H/H are running into each other, from chapter 1.

So while the realization depressed me a little, because I like ONIB and think it has a decent storyline, I think at least if I go back and tackle another revision, I might have a good idea of what needs to be fixed.

Sigh. Oh, well. Live--and write--and learn.

Giving Thanks

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.”
-- Alice Walker

I have decided that if I ever write an article about character development, it will focus on using animals to develop character traits and storylines. My writing friend Marianne does it all the time. And when I needed an extra chapter in Paradise, USA, showing the developing friendship and attraction between my hero and heroine, I tossed in (well, not literally, of course. That would bring PETA running) a kitten. A very small, very pathetic kitten caught in a downpour. And guess what happened? It turned my hero into a mush--which my heroine liked--and it turned my heroine into an assistant in the rescue--which my hero liked.

And I mean, when you think about it, you can tell a lot about someone from how they treat animals. Right?

I’ll be away for Thanksgiving but back on Friday. Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful holiday to spend with family and friends--don’t forget to tell them how much they mean to you!

I am thankful, of course, for every single person who has supported me on my writing journey. That’s all of you out there!

Making Progress

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves.”

~Rainer Maria Rilke

I love Rilke’s poetry, by the way. If you’ve never read any of it, you should.

Yesterday I got a response from another e-publisher who is interested in One Night in Boston. The editor of Samhain Publishing wrote, “I read your manuscript with great interest. You have an engaging voice and a knack for writing interesting characters. I was immediately curious about the story and look forward to reading more. If the complete manuscript is still available, I am interested in reading it. Though I am enthusiastic about the project, I am certain that you understand that this request does not guarantee that I will offer you a contract…”

Well, yeah. I’ve certainly been through that whole full-manuscript-request before, so…

Still, it's nice to get a full-ms. request. Samhain does seem to be one of the more reputable e-publishers, with quite a list of authors and genres; they also publish in print, though I’m not sure how they decide which ones they’ll do. Anyway, it’s a nice compliment and always good to explore options, so I’ll send that off later today.

Happy writing!

Thinking in Pictures

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel


Yesterday I put together my suggestions for my cover for Paradise, USA and sent them to my editor at Virtual Tales. And I have to admit, it took longer than I thought it would. It was actually a challenge, because of course we writers have these ideas in our heads of what the setting of our stories look like, and we do our best to bring them to life over the course of a story.

But think about trying to convey the world and the mood and the key elements and the most important scene of a full-length novel in a couple of paragraphs. Tough!

My writing friend, Marianne, makes collages of her works, which I’m beginning to think is a really good idea, because then you have in front of you the physical makeup of your characters and your setting. Hmm. Maybe I’ll give that a try next time around.

In the meantime, I’ll confess that I really can’t wait to see what the artist comes up with for my cover. I’ll share it with you as soon as I see it!