NEW GADGET IN MY WRITER’S TOOLBOX

    
By Shara Moon

It’s Friday. Three days before the Samhain anthology submission. I have roughly 14,000 words written but the minimum word count required: 20,000! And I have only three days to write at least 6,000 more words. Yikes!

For some, that may seem like nothing – maybe a walk in the park even. But for me, where it took six months just to get to those 14,213 words, it was daunting.

But not impossible.

In those 72 hours, I managed to complete my 20,000 word novella, Because You Love Me, with the help of my trusty new writing gadget: my BlackBerry.

How did I do it? Well certainly not without determination! But when I couldn’t sit a minute longer in front of that glaring computer screen or got too comfy with the web browser or for whatever reason found myself on the train en route someplace I knew I had no business – or time! – going, I loaded the Word application on my BlackBerry and wrote away.

There was no internet to distract me, no squiggling lines for me to obsess over grammar, spelling, etc. It was just me, my hero and heroine, and my mission to get them through their harrowing position in the middle of a hailstorm!

Though each “page” was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors (since I have yet to upgrade to the premium package), I managed to type more than 3,500 words on this tiny instrument – and all with my thumbs!

In those 72 hours I was surprised at the lengths I went to finish my story for submission. It’s a testament to what we’re willing to do to follow a dream. And I’m happy I could rely on my BlackBerry to get me to completion.

Speaking of which, I can now add blog post as another writing accomplishment on my new favorite writing tool.♥





Shara Moon is currently an unpublished member of RWANYC. She recently submitted her short story, Because You Love Me, for submission in an anthology and is steadily at work between two projects, tentatively titled A Beautiful Lie and Bewitched. When Shara is not writing, she is reading, researching, and conferring with her wayward muse.

TIE ONE ON…THE FASHIONABLE SCARF ©

   
By Polly Guerin, RWA Fashion Historian


The quickest way to give any outfit a touch of drama, a splash of color or to add punctuate your wardrobe with style and chic, is to tie one on with a fashionable scarf. Although silk is by far luxurious, come chilly weather cashmere blend wools and cozy synthetics make scarf attire the ultimate fashion accessory. It’s a reasonable investment and has become a must-have item for women around the world. As scarves grow ever popular with society’s celebrities, they convey sophistication and elegance. In addition, scarves have the advantage of flexibility in how they are worn—around the neck, tied at the waist as a flashy belt, worn as a head covering a la Jackie Kennedy or even tied to a handbag like a badge of fashion aplomb.

A STYLE OF POSSIBILITIES

Do you envy the way Hollywood stars can wear scarves and just look so trendy and cool? Duplicating the look is easier than you think and Kate and Liz of http://www.coffeebreakwithlizandkate.com/ have some easy to follow instructions:

LOOP DE LOOP: Choose a color that matches your coat or jacket. Fold a large oblong scarf in half lengthwise. Hold the scarf behind your head and bring both ends toward the front. Thread the scarf’s loose ends through the looped end and pull and wrap closely around your neck.

IT’S A WRAP: Hold an oversized oblong scarf behind your neck (do not fold—the look should be loose) Drape the scarf around your neck once to make a big loop, and let booth ends dangling one tail slightly longer than the other in front.

THE DANGLER: Start with a long rectangular scarf, looped once in front of your neck. Then make a second loop below the first loop. Take one tail and tuck it into the lower loop, dangle the ends.

HISTORICAL SCARF NOTES

Experts say that the scarf marked the rank for warriors of the Chinese Emperor Cheng. However, leave it to the French to take the scarf to new heights of importance. They became so enamored with scarves that men began to wear them, tucked into their neckline, calling them cravats, from the Croatian work kravata. Men also demonstrated their political inclination by the color of their scarf. In the 19th century European silk suppliers start to offer bands and ribbons as well as scarves, but it took the French Hermes house of luxury brands to adapt the silk used in jockey’s blouses to produce their first silk scarf, “Jeu des Omnibus et Dames blanches,” in 1937. After that the silk scarf took its turn as a fashion statement and continues its role as a status badge of fashion chic.

Don’t let the fashionistas steal the spotlight. Bundle up in scarf style and give your outfit an added dash of sophistication.♥



Polly Guerin honed her skills as a fashion writer at Women’s Wear Daily where her accessories columns dominated the Friday pages. She is a former professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Currently her historical “THE TALE OF TWO SISTERS,” will be featured in Vintage magazine’s fall/winter issue. Visit her at http://www.pollytalk.com./

BITS & PIECES: RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL

"Everything but sex and cupcakes," I said to Rachel, as soon as we were settled at Candle Cafe. She is about a lot more than sex and cupcakes--for which she is rightfully very popular. Whether it is (sadly the upcoming last) In The Flesh Reading series or one of her erotic anthologies, which I recently blogged about, it is the wildly successful cupcake blog she runs--she even manages to combine sex and cupcakes!

I almost was not sure I was going to be able to do this interview because I had not heard from her. I was dumbfounded when I read that she had lost her iPhone and asked her if she even wanted to go on...

...the show went on! Rachel was a trooper without her beloved iPhone, even though she talked about getting another one right after we met up. But we had a great conversation before that. Engaging, smart and open, Rachel started out saying how people expect her to be an expert with sex. But it was bonding over food, pantyhose from Urban Outfitters and trying to find calm in a hectic city like New York, where I connected with her, as well as our attachment to our mobile devices and apps like Foursquare!

I had interviewed Rachel before when she had just gotten a device in which she could post a blog post and a picture she had just taken at almost the same time. Dumbstruck, sitting on the floor beside her in a cupcake shop in Bay Ridge, I was in complete awe and admiration of her. She is one of the most industrious people I know and that is why she is able to get everything done -- because even though she has an unbelievable schedule, she is passionate about what she does and takes her business seriously. A consummate professional--the show went on with a lost iPhone--who does not forget to take time for herself.  We all can take a lesson from her on how to live life professionally and personally. Read below for her bits and pieces...

P.S.-- Rachel must have a new device because I see her on Foursquare again, the show continues to go on!


People think I can fix their sex problems or people say someone said that, oh she must be really good @ sex because she writes about the stuff. I think it is about being a good writer. It is not about what you have personally done. It is universal; maybe you have done y but you might have to write about x and see how those two go together. You are going to eventually write about something you have not done. Writing is informed by your life experience, it does not have to be literally what happens to you.

I am very amazed that I was that calm (about losing my iPhone). I was thinking, what can I do to fix the crisis? I have to figure out what I have to do. It is easier to buy a néw iPhone than a pair of glasses.

Some people lift weights; I am a numbers person and like to have a certain numerical goal when I’m working out. I see how many calories I am working out on the elliptical while reading Us Weekly and People. I am currently reading LORD LIGHTING by Jenny Brown, but I cannot read it on the elliptical because it will not stay open.

I am kind of a hoarder. People think I am joking. I do not buy like a hundred of everything, but I do not have enough space in my apartment to know where to put everything. I’m bad at getting rid of stuff even when I know I have to.

I love fishnets.  I think they are warm and you can wear them with everything. I wrote a short story about them called "Fishnet Queen;" it's a story in the anthology F  IS FOR FETISH (edited by Alison Tyler).

I think that New York is a hard place for keeping a schedule, for writing and exercising. Taking time for yourself seems like a commitment to yourself here.

(On checking your mobile device) I think that people who do it do not think it is rude. I conduct everything through e-mail, so it feels really urgent but it does interrupt your brain. I walk across the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges for peace, but I have my phone in my hand. I think a lot when I walk.

I will have an idea and lie under the covers and think about the sentences, but if I don’t write them down they go away. I have dozens of half started stories, and I do not know what they are but they are something. I write in my journal. You forget stuff if you do not write it down there.

I am going to write a post about my iPhone. I am going to share it even though I still feel annoyed; by the end of the writing I'll feel less annoyed. It forced me to think about it more than I would if you have that ritualistic time to do that.

I write down things because I am not confrontational. Sometimes it is not appropriate to tell someone how I feel so I write it down.

I eat cupcakes a lot so I do like have to have dessert, but I’m much more of a savory person. Potatoes and cheese are my favorite foods. If the guy at my train station sells Tabasco Cheez-Its, it is my little snack while I am waiting for the train.

I am not a calm person; I drink a lot of caffeine. I am trying to be a calmer person. I get stressed out a lot, like if I am running late and waiting on a train platform. If I am running really late, I have to tell the other person.  I am learning I cannot control everything; I cannot control the train being late.

I miss days when I can stay in bed late and write. I need three hours to get an hour of writing done.

I do not write every day or go to the gym every day, but I blog almost every day, usually about cupcakes.

My fantasy is to be on a resort or hot warm beach by myself. It sounds anti-social but I need that. It is very hard to do everything you want to do, see everyone, especially in New York, before it starts to feel like pressure.

WRITE WHAT YOU CAN

   
By Laura Curtis


You've heard the hoary old saying a million times: write what you know. I've never really believed that. Instead, I feel strongly that you should write what you can--and want to--research. If you write crime fiction, for example, you should take a class at a firing range so you can see how shooting feels. That way you don't have to rely on other people's descriptions.

Some of this you can simulate. For example, if you are going to write a car chase, you don't want to drive 100mph yourself--it's hard to write the great American novel if you're dead. But you can ride a roller coaster and see what kind of sensations the speed gives you, how it feels to be on the very edge of loss of control.

My latest research adventure started at RWA, where I got tired of answering the question: "what do you write." On a rather long night, I answered "I write whatever I get paid to write. I'd write a heroine who sells sex toys if I thought it would sell." Much giggling ensued at the table, and when I got home, I thought "why not?"

And so, my latest WIP was born.

Unfortunately, I knew nothing whatsoever about the sex toy industry. But I quickly found out that you could have a sex toy party at your house! Awesome! I went over to Passion Parties and set up a party.  I invited a ton of people. The wonderful Carol Marie came and did show-and-tell for us. We had wine and cheese and fruit and, most of all, laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

I learned a great deal about sex toys and quite a bit about some of my friends, too! I tried out creams and lotions I never would have known about, let alone been able to describe. And since my friends knew the party was for research, I carefully wrote down the funniest of their comments for future use. (I also bought some products as giveaways for when the book gets published. Think positive!)

Last night, I wrote the "sex toy party" scene for the WIP. It took next to no time because the information was all there, right at my fingertips, as it were.

If you're trying to add realistic detail to your current project, why not give in-person research a shot? If you're writing about a garden, go up to the Botanical Gardens and smell everything, for example.

And if at all possible, do your research with wine and friends.♥

Laura K. Curtis lives in Mount Kisco with her husband and three crazed Irish Terriers, which is probably why she spends her time dreaming of love and murder.  She has an online shop where she sells her glasswork, and her beads have been featured on the cover of Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine.  She has written for Art Jewelry magazine and academic journals, and will have a short story in the anthology MURDER, NEW YORK STYLE II, coming in 2011 from L&L Dreamspell.  She can be found on Twitter at @laurakcurtis and she blogs at http://www.womenofmystery.net.

PASSION: Romance Still Has a Pulse

Rachel Kramer Bussel's PASSION is a sweet anthology.

I am the kind of woman who is not fazed by reading a novel on the train with a couple whose bodies are entwined. I was told once that I am a true native New Yorker because I read so well on the train...I only read on the train. PASSION made my commute very palatable. Every story I read transported me; I was so involved with the couple--felt almost like I was there with them. As their tension mounted, I felt every insecurity and every anxiety. These were passionate and truly intimate stories, not just man meets woman, there are fireworks and an explosive orgasm. Passion is not always as immediate as that. To get to true passion there might be some fumbling, and even after you have reached it, there is still the maintenance of it.

Every story was like an Indian burfi--I was reading a story on my way back from Jackson Heights with a chocolate covered burfi that I could not resist eating, even though I do not like eating on the train the way that I like reading--so sweet and complete.

One story was especially seductive to me, in the vein on my own prized and beloved Anais Nin who inspires me to write erotica. Not in a play by play description of what is happening during the act, like sex is a recreational sport, but the play by play of the seduction. Lana Fox's "The Silver Belt" reminded me of a story in Nin's DELTA OF VENUS in which the character had a fetishized accesory as well. There was a part where the man says to the woman, who laments that she is not a poet like he is, that she is a poem--I raced to the back of the book to read the bio on Lana Fox who said that she wrote the story inspired by Anais Nin.

Then I devoured the rest of the story which has accents of so many favorite parts of mine between LITTLE BIRDS and DELTA OF VENUS. It was a bit like deja vu and yet nothing at all like Nin. Just a really distinctive sensuality and modernity that I know Anais must have smiled about herself. Lana Fox is the kind of author that writes so good it makes me jealous wishing I wrote just like her. But the green eyed monster evaporates quickly because I can read her and that is more than enough....

"The Silver Belt," like all of the other stories in PASSION, remind me of Anais Nin--daring to go in a way that a lot of erotic stories are not willing to go. Showing the flaws of trying to be intimate, the aspects of true intimacy that are scary like being afraid of losing your partner or not being enough for them, and really trying to amend that. To put it all out there not just passion but for love. A lot of erotica serves just to titillate without having any soul, while nothing is wrong with being purely titillating--lovers do not always have spiritual sex--it is nice to know that romance still has a pulse.

And that passion sometimes is veiled by it.

I’M TELLING MY FAMILY I AM WRITING ROMANTIC FICTION AFTER I AM PUBLISHED

    
by Maureen Osborne

Why?  Because my Dad thinks that the only good stories were those performed by John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. My Dad to his regret was born too late to have been a cowboy, yet old enough to have participated in World War II. My brother and I were raised on a movie diet of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “The Enemy Below”.

When Liberty Valance rode to town, the women folk would hide.  Sorry.

As a child, I recall my mother reading books that she propped against the window while washing dishes. Even then it would have been a mystery. Like the mystery of the caked on food on the dishes at every meal. Today, P.D. James propelling Detective Dalgliesh through a murder investigation or the psychological thrillers of Ruth Rendell keep her company in her retirement. Fortunately the dishes are cleaner.

My brother, on the other hand, does not read, unless you consider his perusal of Home Depot flyers reading. He is a manly man, no romance for him, unless your view of a leaking faucet is romantic.

My predominantly female cousins are nurses, educators and public servants. Their reading is more cerebral. They are strong no nonsense women. The kind of women who raised their children alone and will tell you in a heartbeat to leave that loser if he don’t treat you right.

So I will keep my romance writing to myself. And when I am published, I know they will a whoop and a holler, because after all, that’s my family.♥



Maureen continues to keep her writing a secret as hums movie western theme songs.

SOME THOUGHTS ON WRITING CONTESTS

   
by Elizabeth Palladino

One of my goals for 2010 was to enter at least one writing contest. I entered four, and my entry to a fifth is pending. It’s been a wild ride—and I have some mixed emotions.

First, I entered the Romance Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme. This British contest calls for a full, hardcopy manuscript. While I did not achieve even a second reading, the four pages of single-spaced critique I received were invaluable. My novel had been read by a published, anonymous romance author in England. Her comments were pointed, professional, and pertinent.

I browsed through RWR, and found two American contests, one asking for the first fifteen pages of a romance novel, the other asking for the first twenty-five. I literally just pasted some pages into new documents around two o’clock in the morning while in a state of near-catatonia, and pushed “send”.

One earned me nothing but some tepidly pleasant comments from first-round judges. Frankly, I discounted some of the remarks as total nonsense from folks who couldn’t review their way out of Volkswagen on a sunny day. Other comments were more useful.

The Windy City RWA’s Four Season Contest gave me the win in my historical category, and made me the winner overall. This earned me a request for the full manuscript from one final-round judge--an agent who had seen it and rejected it earlier this year. She remembered the book, and asked to take another look. The other final-round judge, an editor, asked for a proposal and the first three chapters. I emailed her that the manuscript was not going to meet her requirements for length, but she told me to send it anyway.

Then I told both the editor and the agent that I was revising the manuscript one more time, as the RNA reader’s report felt that it would be publishable with some polishing. Both indicated they would like to see it after those revisions were done. I’m working on that now, with the book also entered in Golden Heart, my fifth contest this year.

I’ve left the worst experience for last. On a lark I entered a mildly humorous mid-book love scene in our own NYC-RWA’s Love and Laughter Contest. Disaster struck. I was right up against the deadline, and when I submitted my entry, inexplicable technical problems caused four pages to appear in a bright-red, underlined font. No matter what I did, I could not get rid of it, and came close to withdrawing. With some help from fellow members, I think the problem may have been resolved, but if a judge sees that glitch, I will have to emigrate in shame and live under a rock on the planet Neptune.

Take it from Aunt Lizzie’s Agonized Advice Column: Be professional at all times, and do not get complacent and easy-breezy about anything. That is when you will make a mistake for sure. Trust me on this.

Are contests valuable? I think they’re useful if you can get your work in front of the final-round judges. You may get a shortcut to “the call” and publication, in the same way that a conference’s editor/agent appointments can help you avoid the query, submit, and slush pile routine.

I received much advice from the contest judges, and while I’ve disregarded some of it, some was valid. I’ve picked up my pacing, shortened paragraphs and also chapters, and dug deeper into the heroine’s head.

In reaching and exceeding my 2010 goal to enter a contest, I’ve pushed myself closer to my next goal—publication of a romance novel!♥

Elizabeth Knowles Palladino lives in Kingston, New York, and writes medieval romance.

Build Your Own Man: Crafting the Romance Hero

Of all the primary characters a romance novelist must create, a compelling, complex, and convincing hero is the hardest (IMHO). Too much alpha? He becomes a caricature. Too much darkness? He screams “psycho”. Yet he can’t be too wimpy – or too aggressive; too conceited – or too self-effacing. He walks a fine line, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Keeping in mind that there are always exceptions; in the hands of a talented writer, coupled with the right plot and heroine, some hero “no-no’s” can be made to work; who IS this hero? ♥ He’s “Large and In Charge”: Your hero must be larger than life. His focus is on the horizon and his eye is on the prize. He may have setbacks, but he never quits and he’ll always be victorious in his quest. ♥ He’s Rich: In wealth, character or brains. He always possesses the necessary faculties to achieve his goals and win the heroine’s trust, respect and love. ♥ He’s Moral: He may be bitter but a hero never abuses women, children, or innocents (including animals). He is not brutish, callous, or mean-spirited. He’ll always rescue a damsel in distress, or a weaker character in danger. He may be cold and calculating, but never cruel or manipulative. He may be a master strategist, but he’s never Machiavellian, He doesn’t steal, cheat or lie (unless it is called for to right a wrong and then he does it masterfully). He may kill – but only those who deserve it; if he accidentally kills an innocent, he rues it mightily and will atone. ♥ He’s Never Perfect: He can’t be or there’s no possibility for growth. In fact, a hero can definitely be scarred and flawed, internally or externally, as long as the author convinces readers these flaws do not detract from his heroic nature, and the heroine loves him in spite of, or because of them. ♥ He’s Never ALL Bad: No matter how dark, tormented, tortured, anti-social, cynical or angry, every hero has at least one sterling quality that can redeem him. ♥ He Is – Alpha, Beta or Gamma (or an amalgam?): All men have testosterone. It’s a matter of abundance. A healthy dose, you have an Alpha hero. Tempered evenly with intelligence? The Gamma male. In reserve for when need is great and brains are not enough? A Beta hero. I think every hero has a touch of Alpha in him. Even the most Beta of heroes won’t watch the heroine abused. He may turn the tables with MacGyver-like quick thinking rather than brawn, but he will fight back. He may take his licks, but he’s never a coward. The Alpha in every hero will rise to the occasion, even if his only recourse against the bad guy is a sneer and harsh language. The same is true in reverse. One hero may be able to adapt to a drawing room or boxing ring, laboratory or battlefield No Alpha hero can be a caveman, right? ♥ He’s The Heroine’s Equal & Partner: Simply put, no matter his social standing, or his rank on the macho meter, our hero is always the heroine’s equal and partner. ♥ He's Smart: It may be book smart, world-wise or street savvy. But a hero is never ignorant. ♥ He’s True Blue: To his genre, his time and environment. This means a hero can be a Regency gent with an impeccable wardrobe and an intuitive grasp of the latest ballroom craze – but those traits don’t work for a contemporary rodeo cowboy. A billionaire CEO won’t use his fists in the boardroom and a gunfighter can’t rely on suave negotiating skills when facing the black hat at high noon. A hero must be true to his time, his station, his personality, his life and the story! ♥ His Physical Traits: Anything goes. As long as an author convinces readers the heroine recognizes his worth and can reasonably be physically attracted to him. That said, he can’t be a troll. Nor can he be the Pillsbury Doughboy, have a comb-over or acne or be cross-eyed. Heroic limp, but no hunchback. A broken nose bump but no weak chin. NBA tall is dandy, but gangly arms, a duck walk, knock knees or too short to get on the rides at the amusement park – no, no, a thousand times no! Now go forth and build that hero: All it takes is a perfect blend of arrogance and humility, brains and brawn, good looks and reality, action and romance. Easy as pie.

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?

By Patt Mihailoff

We all know that when we got into the business of writing it wouldn't be easy. Then how come it seemed so darned uncomplicated for Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and Stephen King? Hell, we have stories to tell, how come we don't get a chance to tell them?

That, my friends is the beast that rides me like the witch hag in a nightmare.

Jean Luc Picard (Star Trek the Next Generation) said, "you'll soon come to realize that there are far fewer days ahead and a brief time to remember those that are behind us."

Since not many of you are as old as I am, let me tell you, I can relate.

Which begs the question each and every one of you have asked at one time or another (whether you voice it out loud or not): HOW DAMNED LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SAY NO?

You all know exactly where I am going with this. When submitting your work to publishers editors, agents, et al, that little phrase NO SIMUTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS PLEASE! Skitters up and down your literary spine like ants at a gourmet picnic.

Now if you're thirteen years old and sending your work out for the first time, this could work for you because time is what you have plenty of. But when the years start racing by (and they will youngun's) like a Nascar on the fast track, you will understand that you need to have your work read in far less time than it takes for a new universe to form.

Editors say they know what they want and in fact have given speeches and seminars on just what they are looking for, and I have often wondered why (when a detailed "as requested" synopsis) is sent, it takes so long to say yes or no?

Now before any agents editors and protectors of those therein get up in arms, I KNOW the workload they have. Everybody and their last two generations of relatives has, have or wants to write a book, and each thinks his/hers/theirs is the next great thing which adds to their slush piles (have I answered my own dumb question here? I think so).

In any case, last year Liberty States invited a wonderful multi-published author who said that she never ever lets any of her queries and/or manuscripts stay with any publisher longer than eight weeks, six being her norm. Only once (like me) did she have a problem with two publishers who wanted her work and she had to make a choice and live with it.

I know someone who submitted a manuscript and waited three years before receiving a rejection. Well folks, I just don't have that kind of time, but like you I know its a waiting game and hit or miss, and we'll continue to do what we do because we love it and hopefully be able to exhale when the word is YES!

P.S. You know some of you wanted to say this now didn'tcha?

Ciao.

Patt Mihailoff’s first fantasy, FIREBRAND, was written with her friend Kathye Quick. Patt’s first novel, RING DANCER’S DESTINY, was released in 2007. Her fourth novel, SINGLE HEART, SINGLE LOVE was just released (April 2009) by Cerridwen Press.

DEJA VU

The Dionne Warwick song is stuck in my head because it truly is like deja vu. The first two years that I did NaNo, I wrote like a fiend and there was not a doubt that I was going to win. The last two I almost thought I was not going to do it, but I did. Black Friday produced 10,000 words from me and I said to myself that I was not going to do it to myself again this year. Writing so much that I never wanted to see another word.

I am at just over 4,000 and have not written a word all day. Needing to write 1666 a day on the 10 day...you do the math.

The rest of my life has not been hyperactive, and I really just have not written. I have barely had time to write or sleep. I am writing this post just before midnight. The amazing part though is that I am not panicking. NaNo brings out a part of me that I did not know was there. I am not sure how I am going to get to it, but like the marathon this past Sunday, I am going to make it to the finish line. Bursting ribbon about my waist!

Listening to Deja Vu, I am inspired. Could you be the dream that I once knew? Could you be the dream that might come true?  NaNo has come true--four times-- for me; it is never out of my grasp. There is the fear, the nagging, what if this time...if this time I do not pull through?

I will, there is not really much of a choice for me. I perform best under pressure. My inner editor off, I have crafted one of the darkest stories I could have ever imagined that I would have. Basically all of the NaNos I have completed have all been about women in love and a bit of darkness. This one is as far as darkness goes if you were to compare it to chocolate, the ultimate dark. I am excited about getting darker! People always seem to think that romance is fluff, but it can be pretty dark stuff.   WUTHERING HEIGHTS is the ultimate example of this; Fatal Attraction--ironically enough, both have all the elements in my novel to be.

Oh yes, it will be. It is deja vu for me as Dionne sings, deja vu in dark and light ways. Just enough light with which I hope to cover the darkness....

THEY CALL ME TIFFANY: HOW TO MAKE YOUR HISTORICAL CHARACTERS, WELL, HISTORICAL

    
by Beatriz Williams

I remember well the day I gave up on historical romance. I was a sophomore in college, sneaking in a little light reading during a study break, when I turned the first page and encountered Tiffany.

Now, in real life, you could count the number of Regency women named Tiffany on zero fingers. But romance isn’t real life, and I could just about tolerate Tiffany. Her best friend was another matter. Annoyed, no doubt, by another one of Our Heroine’s spirited yet childish antics, the BFF was all, “Cut it out, Tiff!” The book hit the wall in an explosion of cheap paper, and I didn’t read another romance for fifteen years.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a stickler for historical detail. If a writer gets her dates mixed up, or dresses her heroine in a sacque gown two years after they went out of style, I’m probably not even going to notice, let alone complain. But nothing yanks me out of a story faster than a modern character dressed up in period clothing, and all the cravats and kid gloves in the world aren’t going to create a historical setting when:

(1) The names sound like a soap opera casting call. Look, I know old-fashioned names sound all boring and junk, but there’s no excuse for a Regency-era Tiffany or a medieval Chandra. Do a Google search for “baby names England 1800”. I guarantee there won’t be a Devlin or a Raven in the bunch. (And let’s not even get started on made-up names, or non-standard spellings, or females given traditionally male names such as Leslie…)

(2) The hero is “quite the” hunk. Perhaps writers are riffing off the legitimately historical expression “not quite the thing,” but the recent explosion of “quite the” (as in, Kayla considered the Duke of Dreadnought quite the rake, or Lady Topnotch made quite the fuss over Breyandra’s new hat) has the unmistakable ring of a modern person trying to sound elegant and historical. “Quite a” will do just fine.

(3) The heroine wants to, like, find herself. I mean, please. Did someone time-travel a copy of EAT, PRAY, LOVE to her bedside table? Modern navel-gazing has no place in a historical brain. (Arguably, it has no place in a modern brain, either.)

(4) The hero is either the heir or the spare. Spare me. I know it’s a hilariously witty phrase and all, but it was first coined around the turn of the 20th century by Consuelo Vanderbilt, who had just produced her second son with the Duke of Marlborough and was inspired to aphorism by the joyous prospect of never having sex with him again.

(5) The hero has no foreskin. In all the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of historical romances I’ve read, not one penis has appeared properly attired. Let me be clear: unless all the dukes of England were secretly Jewish back in the day, they wouldn’t have been circumcised. NOT ONE. So if you write historical fiction (and especially if you write erotic historical fiction) and you’ve never seen a covered wagon cross the mountain divide, I suggest you find a video. Or put an ad on Craigslist. (Or just use your imagination, but where’s the fun in that?)

As for poor old Tiffany, I hope she found her Happily Ever After, and sent her wiseass bestie back to the 20th century where she belonged.♥


Beatriz Chantrill Williams isn’t telling whether the hero of her debut novel OVERSEAS, forthcoming from Putnam, is circumcised or not. But you can read more at http://www.beatrizwilliams.com/ and decide for yourself.

MY LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH BOOK PROMOTION

by Lisbeth Eng

The absolute thrill of holding my book in my hands came on September 24 when the first shipment of author copies arrived at my office. I happened to have my digital camera with me and one of my co-workers took an impromptu photo of the happy author holding her book in her hands. I immediately forwarded the photo to members of my family, a few friends and posted it on Facebook. My brother Jonathan, proving why his is the one in the family with a PhD (in Chemistry) replied back with, “In the Arms of the Enemy in the Arms of the Author.  Congrats.” 

When I got home that evening, I found a surprise in my mailbox.  My alma mater, SUNY New Paltz, sent me six print copies of the Fall 2010 issue of the Observer, their semiannual alumni magazine.  When I had submitted the article about my novel a few months earlier, I was told that I had missed the deadline for the Fall issue, but my article would appear in the Spring 2011 issue.  No problem, I thought, and was just excited to make it into the magazine at all.  When I opened the big white envelope to find the six copies along with a cover letter that read, “We thank you for your contribution to this issue and hope you enjoy it,” I wondered if they had made a mistake.  I scoured the issue and found my article, along with a color photo of my book cover.  What a thrill, coming six months before I expected it and on the same day that I had received my author copies in the mail!  If you don’t happen to be a New Paltz alumnus, you can read the gist of the article, “Debut Novel with a New Paltz Connection” on my Yahoo Newsletter group (6/5/10 post) by signing up via my website.

The enjoyable aspects of book promotion include being invited to guest blog and being interviewed by other authors on their websites, as well as personal appearances in the form of readings and author luncheons. My niece Jeanette recently remarked that, having always considered me an introvert (which I generally am), my enthusiasm at promoting my book was rather out of character, but refreshing, nonetheless. 

So what’s the “Hate” part?  I work a more-than-full-time job as a financial services representative (that’s what pays the rent) and after having spent years of time, sweat and tears writing, rewriting, revising and editing my book, I’d like to have some “down time” to socialize, relax and perhaps even read someone else’s book during the few waking hours I have to spare! There is also the issue of my innate shyness, which must be conquered in order to promote my book and myself.

When I win the lottery (and no longer have to work for a living), I will have the time to sit back and bask in the pleasure of being a published author and do lots of promo work at my leisure (or better yet, hire someone else to do it).  Either then, or when I sell the movie rights for In the Arms of the Enemy.  Know any Hollywood producers?  Hey, I’ll even take a "made for TV" movie deal!

Lisbeth Eng’s novel, In the Arms of the Enemy, is available at The Wild Rose Press in paperback and e-book versions. Please visit her at www.lisbetheng.com.

Below are some pictures from Lisbeth's Book Launch Party on Wednesday, Nov 3.  It was well attended by family, friends and Chapter members, of course.

The cake looked just like the book!

The author, herself!

RWANYC members went to show their support.

Fidencia, Lise, Lis, Jenna, Shirley, Carolyn.

(not pictured Maria Ferrer, Rosalie Brinn and Mary Rodgers)

TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY

VISIT http://www.lisbetheng.com/

PROSE AND PROSODY

by Margaret Birth

As a writer, poetry has always been my first love. Growing up with a dad who was a professor of Renaissance English literature and who wrote a book called LYRIC FORMS IN THE SONNET SEQUENCES OF BARNABE BARNES (Mouton, 1974), I was fascinated by the multiple meanings and the rhythms and the patterns to be found in poetry. When poet Ardis Kimzey spent a week in my junior high English classroom, that old childhood fascination quickly developed into a passion for the written word—especially for poetry.

I was a young adult before I began to develop my skills as a fiction writer too. After all, poetry doesn’t pay a lot of bills, unless you’re teaching about it in addition to publishing it—and I wanted to be a writer, not a teacher. Eventually I fell in love with short story and novel writing too; those have their own multiple meanings (think of goal, motivation, and conflict, and how they’re developed and interrelated), rhythms (as we authors try to avoid the so-called “sagging middle”), and patterns (story arc, anyone?).

It took awhile—but I finally realized that I could use what I knew about prose and prosody to make the two overlap and strengthen each other. Since then, my poetry has taken more of a narrative turn, and my fiction has taken on certain poetic qualities.

How can you use poetic techniques to enhance your own prose?

● Pay attention to word lengths and word rhythms. Groupings of one- and two-syllable words sound staccato—perhaps indicative of anger or impatience. Groupings of longer words sound more mellifluous—relaxed, maybe even romantic.

● Realize that punctuation can also affect the rhythm of your prose. Commas (,), periods (.), semi-colons (;) and colons (:) are all punctuation marks that suggest brief pauses, while dashes (--) and ellipses (...) indicate longer pauses; these can contribute to making the rhythm in your prose either rushed or relaxed.

● Read your stories aloud, and listen to how your words sound. Ejective consonants, such as Q, T, P, K and S, sound sharp and aggressive; bilabial consonants, such as B and M, and labiodental consonants, such as F, V and W, sound melodious and gentle; long vowels generally sound strong, and short vowels tend to sound soft. How your words sound can affect the tone of your story.

● Use a bit of alliteration, consonance, or assonance in your description, in order to paint a vivid picture—of a character, a setting, a feeling, or an action. Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonants of words (“too, too terrible”); consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within words (“ringing, clanging, singing”); and assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (“obnoxious, off-color song”).

● Push your pace forward by making use of rhyme. Whether “straight” (for example “ambles/shambles”), or “slant” or “off” or “approximate” (interchangeable terms used to describe rhymes that aren’t exact, as in “shore/char”), placing rhyming words close together in a sentence can be a subtle way of communicating urgency.

● Intensify the power of your imagery by including similes and metaphors. A simile says that one thing is similar to another thing (“a voice like a squeaky hinge”), while a metaphor suggests that one thing substitutes for another thing (“her eyes were sapphires”); both techniques provide two images in one.

While none of us may become another Shakespeare—or even Barnabe Barnes—we should always strive to improve the quality of our writing by using whatever techniques we can find that complement our talents.♥



Margaret Birth is a Christian writer who has been widely published in short fiction, short nonfiction, and poetry, both in the U.S. and abroad; in addition to working as a freelance writer, she's spent over a decade freelancing for multiple publishers as a manuscript reader, proofreader, and copy editor. It's all of this experience on both sides of the publishing desk that has inspired her column, "The Write Stuff," which has appeared regularly in RWANYC's newsletter, Keynotes, for the past ten years.

DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTERS FOR NANOWRIMO

By Karen Cino

I started writing this blog a few days ago and kept changing my mind on what I wanted to share with you. Do I tell you about my recent requests at the New Jersey Put Your Book in a Heart Conference? Or do I tell you about my procrastination in trying to plot my book for NaNoWriMo? I decided to talk about neither. What I want to do is talk to you about inspiration because without inspiration, there really isn’t anything.

I believe in karma, and I believe that it’s our dreams that keep us alive and keep us going. Now, you have to ask yourself with NaNo starting today, how am I going to find the time and inspiration to write? Even though I have an outline all set up, I still have trouble getting those first few pages started.

Here are my tips for getting yourself to sit in your chair and find your personal inspiration and bring your characters alive.

Walk. Yes it is hard for many people who are at work, you do get a lunch break and travel to and from your job. All you need do is clear your mind and leave the work in the office. If you don’t have paper with you, the text-messaging icon on your cell phone does the same thing. Just save your thought in a draft. I do this all the time. Sometimes those few words bursts open your plot.

Look:  Look around you. There are some interesting characters around you. Take notice on how people are dressed, their facial expressions, etc.

Hear:  Listen to how the person next to you is speaking. Does he have an accent, does he stutter, clear his throat as he talks? Is his voice deep and does he talk loud? Does he speak slowly or fast? You will be surprised on what you can come up with from listening to a stranger.

Feel:   magine how it would feel to have that gorgeous man standing across from you, touch your face, run his fingers along your shoulder, touch your lips. Dream it, feel it, write it.

Surprise:  Think about what would surprise your character and how he/she would react? Go against every instinct. Do you remember the Seinfeld episode when George did the opposite of everything he usually did? That was an interesting episode, which I turn to when I have a problem with my characters.

Setting:  Create a setting that your characters can relate to. I like to place all my characters somewhere within a Staten Island setting. As you can see from my pictures, you don’t need to go far to create a believable location.

My inspiration has always come by following the steps above, and especially by taking my morning walks down the boardwalk. When I really get stuck, and I’m staring at a blank page, sometimes all it takes is an additional walk around the corner to clear my mind.

Lastly, your inspiration can come unexpectedly. While at the New Jersey Conference, I was surprised when my boyfriend came for the after- party, and then really blew my mind when he got up and sang a song during the karaoke part of the night to me. And, imagine everyone’s surprise when I joined him on stage. Hell, I can’t carry a tune, but I saw potential for my hero in my NaNo project.

I wish all my fellow members who are doing NaNoWriMo this month good luck, and to remember that even if life gets in the way and you can’t write 50,000 words, you are still one step closer to completing your manuscript.♥



Karen Cino is President of the RWA New York City Chapter. She keeps her muse alive by walking every morning down at the South Beach Boardwalk in Staten Island. Currently, she is shopping for a home for her novels, ROSES and MYSTICAL WONDERS and is working on her next novel.