Author Intrusion: How To Stay Invisible

What should be one of the key goals of an author when writing?  

To be invisible.  

Writers are the ultimate behind the scenes people.  Besides our name on the front cover, the reader should not realize that we are the ones actually telling them what's happening.  Instead, as they start reading, readers should be swept into a story told (shown) by our characters.  

The last thing you want to do is break them from the magic of the story and their "suspended disbelief" to wave a big sign in their face that says "Hey, author here!  What's up?"  Doing so is called author or authorial intrusion.  Here's a definition:

Authorial intrusion is where you express a personal opinion about a character, situation or scene. Or where you describe anything your characters could not be aware of. (source)

This technique was used often in Victorian era novels when the author wanted to state their opinion on how crappy they thought some political situation was or whatever.  It was also used in gothic horror novels to let you know something sinister was going on outside of the main character's knowledge.  However, these days, this device has gone out of fashion to the point of being considered an error except in very rare circumstances.    (I haven't read them, but I've heard the Lemony Snicket books use this device successfully.)

Now, most likely you aren't going off on long asides to share political commentary, but these AI (author intrusion) moments can pop up in much more subtle ways.  Here's what to watch out for...


 Foretelling

This is where the author inserts things like "Jane had no idea that one decision would change everything." OR 

"Little did Jane know that as she curled up in bed the killer was watching her every move from his hiding spot in the closet."

*See how this pulls us right out of the story?  We're suddenly not with Jane anymore.  Instead, we're up in the heavens looking down at the scene with the all-knowing author--distant and detached.  Plus, how much more suspenseful is it if we don't know about the killer, but instead Jane hears an unfamiliar creak of the floorboards or she gets the feeling that she's not alone?*


 Telling us things the character couldn't know (for 1st person and 3rd deep/limited POV)

Jane sat on the curb in the rain and closed her eyes, letting the deluge soak her clothes.  Shoppers hurried by her, huddling under umbrellas and giving her strange looks.

*If her eyes are closed, how can she know how shoppers are looking at her?*

Jane held the yoga move until her face turned red with strain.  OR A pained expression crossed Jane's face.

*If we're in Jane's POV, she can't see the color or expression on her own face.  You can say her cheeks heated because she can feel that or she grimaced because we know how to make our face do that.*

"We need to talk about this," Jane said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at Bill.  No way was she going to let him dodge the discussion this time.  She needed closure. 

Bill stood and walked to the window to avoid looking at her.

*We're still in Jane's POV.  She can't really know why Bill walked away--she can guess, but not truly know unless she's a mind reader.  So just describe the action and let the reader assume why.  Or, you can say something with a thought from the MC like "Bill stood and walked to the window.  God, could he not even bear to look at her?"  OR show that she's guessing "Bill stood and walked to the window, apparently too angry to even look at her."


 Describing things that the character would never notice.

Bob loved how the Vera Wang dress hugged Jane's curves.

*Okay, unless Bob is into fashion or she just told him the designer's name, he's not going to know or care to mention the dress designer.  Only describe things and parts of settings that your character would notice.  This is also a voice issue, but is related to author intrusion because it reminds us that someone else besides Bob is telling this story.*

**The above section is from a previous post, but I found a GREAT article in the Romance Writers Report (the magazine RWA members get.) So, I'm going to add author Sherry Lewis' tips to the ones I've already covered. Don't miss the full article though "There's Not Enough Room For Both of Us." Totally fab info.**


 All your characters sound the same.

This usually means all your characters sound like YOU. Make sure your characters have their own speaking patterns.


 Burly Detective Syndrome (I love Sherry's terms, lol.)

Jane climbed over the fence to get away from the man. The young policewoman crouched behind the dumpster hoping the man wouldn't see her. 

*Jane would not think of herself as the young policewoman. It's sometimes tempting to do this so we don't keep using her name or "she", but this is not the answer.


 Perky Sidekick Syndrome

This is where you have a secondary character just there to lecture the MC and to tell the readers things you think they should know about the MC.


 Information Dumping

We all know this is dangerous, but look out because it can sneak in to the narrative in so many ways. The best test is to ask: "Would the character be thinking about this in this moment and why?" Don't just toss in a memory/backstory because it's convenient in that spot. Something must spark that memory.

She threw her engagement ring at him and yelled. "This is so over!" They had been dating for nearly four years and had met at their jobs. He'd been the lawyer who had mentored her when she first started at Fancy Pants law firm.

*Dude, she's throwing the ring at him and breaking off he engagement. She is not going to be thinking about what jobs they had when they met.*

This also can pop up if you've done a lot of research on your book and you want to squeeze in all that info. Historicals are notorious for that. I don't need a history lesson. Give me the pertinent info as it applies to the character and story and leave the rest out. 


 Paying too much attention to the setting or not enough.

You want to ground your readers. Don't just jump into a scene without giving us at least a little something about the surroundings. Paint the picture. BUT also don't go into long narrative descriptions unless your character would somehow being paying that close of attention.

For instance, if your character is in thoughtful mode, staring out at the forest, they would probably notice little fine details like the different kinds of trees. However, if they are running for their lives, they are only going to know what is right in front of them--branches scratching their face, vines tripping them, whatever. 


 Lecturing

Nothing annoys me more than when I'm reading a book and then all of sudden you hear the author jump on their soapbox to lecture about some moral or societal issue via their character. If you want your story to have a moral SHOW it, don't tell it. If you want to tell teens--drugs are dangerous, show characters who make bad choices and then suffer consequences. Do not have you MC be like:

"Those kids over there are the stoners," she said to the new girl. "I would steer clear of them. All that crap they're doing is going to melt their brains. Anyone who thinks spending your day smoking weed is going to get you anywhere is crazy."

The thunk you just heard is your reader throwing the book against the wall.


 Putting the Cart Before the Horse

This is when you have the reaction or result before the action. I'm guilty of this and have to watch it. Look for the word "when", "after", (and sometimes  "as") to catch these.

She screamed when a man jumped out of her closet.

*We're in her head, she wouldn't scream before she saw what happened. Things need to happen in correct sequence.*


 Switching the Style of the Writing Around

If we're in your character's head, we're in it. So don't get all flowery and formal when describing a scene, then go back to the short clipped sentences of your detective MC. Everything is seen through your POV character's eyes, so make sure it's all in his/her voice.

Rehashing information for the sake of the reader through dialogue.

Do not have characters discussing things they would've already covered. Sherry refers to this as the "as you know, Bob" conversation. 

"Yes, Bob, as we discussed last month, the department is really struggling with this issue."

I'm sure their are more examples, but I think these are a pretty good place to start. And if you are a member of RWA, be sure to read Sherry's full article, there's much more information in there. :)

So have you seen yourself pop up in your manuscript with a big "hello, i'm here" sign?   Do you struggle with any of these?  Have you read any books that use this device effectively?

 

 

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Invisible" - Clay Aiken

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

Get A Partial Read by Agent Sara!

I know I usually don't post on Thursday, but I had to pass along this awesome opportunity to you guys. My agency mate, author Ashley March is having an killer contest. The lucky winner will receive a partial read from my super duper fantabulous agent Sara Megibow!  How awesome is that? And to enter is simple:

Eligibility

1) You must have participated in NaNoWriMo this month.

2) Your work is either romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA, middle-grade, commercial fiction, or women’s fiction (seewww.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow or www.nelsonagency.com for more info about preferences).

3) You must comment on ASHLEY'S POST (not this one) by Tuesday, November 30th.

One random commenter will be drawn on Wednesday, December 1st to submit their first 30 pages of their completed NaNoWriMo project to Sara by Tuesday, December 7th (no query letter necessary).

So get your tushies over to Ashley's blog and while you're at it, buy her book Seducing the Duchess--it's made of awesome. : )

Good luck everyone!

Development of a Reader:Why Do You Read What You Read?

My brain is fried. Not from Nano--though that hasn't helped the brain mush--but because my kidlet has decided to completely switch his personality on me overnight. One day this past weekend he woke up and decided everything he ever loved/enjoyed is now everything he hates. So we're dealing with monster, raging tantrums 2-3 times a day for the last few days. I'm starting to wonder if I should call an exorcist. *sigh* We're going to the doc's tomorrow for his 3-yr old well visit, so hopefully she'll have some insight. Everyone say a prayer that he's in a growth spurt or something and this is temporary. I miss my lovely, happy child.

So, I thought it would be fun today to do a rewind post. Below is my very first post I ever did on this blog--when I was speaking into the void and  had no followers. Hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing about your own journey to your reading tastes...

Why Do You Read What You Read? (My very first post.)

As I start this blog, I found myself wondering how I became such a book-obsessed dork and why I prefer certain types of stories to others. Looking back, I've decided that reading development is kind of like that Plinko game from the Price is Right--certain people and book experiences bump you in one direction or the other. Some of us land in the $5000 slot and become lifelong readers of every type of book, others land in zero and miss out completely, and many of us fall somewhere in between finding a particular reading niche. 

Here's how my Plinko game went:

4th grade: Inspired by my mother's love of mystery novels, I start reading James Howe's Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery  series and Betty Ren Wright's The Dollhouse Murders .

 

Result: A love of stories that scare me and make me laugh. This also leads to me being  convinced that my room is haunted by an evil stuffed monkey that has sat on my shelf since  toddlerhood. Monkey gets evicted to the attic, I sleep on the couch for six months (seriously.)

5th grade: My teacher, Mrs. Hymel, starts reading a chapter a day of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time  to the class. I'm hooked. I go to the library to get the book because I can't tolerate waiting for her to finish. I proceed to read the rest of the series in rapid succession. When I'm finished with those, I move on to The Neverending Story  by Michael Ende

Result: My love for both fantasy and series books is planted.

6th grade: We're assigned to read Where the Red Fern Grows

and Bridge to Terabithia . Amazing literary books. But both tore me to shreds. I had just lost my grandmother who I was extremely close to and books involving deaths just shattered me.

Result: I develop a respect but also a wariness for literary fiction. In addition, I acquire a lifelong aversion to novels that kill off the dog. I go on a binge of R.L. Stine horror books (such as The Baby-Sitter (Point Horror Series)) and Roald Dahl  instead. I also began to indulge my budding interest in the paranormal. My science fair projects for this year: ESP and Poltergeists.

9th grade: I dig through my mom's book collection and pull out V.C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic  and Petals on the Wind . These books were depressing, full of drama, gothic, darkly romantic, and totally addictive. (Ironically, they are now be re-branded as YA.) But why do I remember these? Because in the second book there was (wait for it) sex. Gasp. I was a very naive at fourteen and found this to be so scandalous. This is the first time I remember hiding the spine of the book while I was reading in public just in case. Of course, I went on to read like twenty more books by Ms. Andrews.

Result: Discover that romance + sexy + darkness = awesomeness

10th grade: I realize that most of my favorite horror movies started as books. I go through a Stephen King and Anne Rice phase. I also read a "based on true events" book called The Black Hope Horror: The True Story of a Haunting  that scares the bejesus out of me. I have to remove the book from my room at night so I can sleep.

Result: Decide psychics, monsters, vampires, and ghosts are by far way cooler than  normal humans.

9th grade-12th grade: My teachers beat us over the head with the classics because that's their job. I know now these books are works of art, masterpieces, etc. But as a teenager, I thought all of them (outside of Shakespeare and Poe) were big giant suckfests.

Result: I raise the stock of the Cliff Notes company (allowing me to ace all English tests and papers) and am further turned off by the term "literary."

And what do I do with the time I should be using to read my assigned books? I write my  own romance novel because clearly there is no chance of actual romantic interludes in my own angsty life. A hundred and fifty typed pages of sappy teenage indulgence is born and titled Kismet. My male protagonist bears a striking resemblance to Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block.

College: I start off with a double major: Psyc and English, but feel overwhelmed. I drop English because it's not as "practical", but still sneak in a few classes. LSU offers a Vampires in Literature class. How frigging cool is that? Not only do I get the chance to read stacks of vamp novels, I get the chance to write short stories about them, too.

Result: Regret dropping the English major. Promise myself that once I get settled in my psychology career, I will try to write in my free time.

So now, years later, where does that leave me?

Reading and writing the same things I grew to love as a child. My Plinko chip landed in the voracious reader of genre fiction slot. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not closed off to the literary side, but honestly its not the first thing I pick up. 

So, I'm curious. What books from your past guided your tastes? Can you remember that first moment or first book that really hooked you on reading? Or something that turned you away from a certain genre? 

Book Covers: What Sucks You In?

I'm heading back home after a weekend in New Orleans to stand in my sister's wedding, so today's post will be a quick question inspired by Sarah Skilton's post on this topic. Most people admit that a great cover can suck them in to buy a book, but what kind of cover do you prefer?

Do you want a full face to put with a name, like this:

Or do you prefer the body part method and leave the rest to the imagination? Like this...

Or a combo, some characters seen, some not.

Or the romance standby and a personal favorite of mine, the yummy male torso...

Or something more abstract...

What catches your eye to most? And do certain kinds of covers make you NOT want to buy a book? Which type of cover do you prefer? What do you picture for your own book?

Bad Boy Heroes: Three Types

Last year I read  Motley Crue: The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band . Even though I usually stick to fiction, I picked up the book for a few reasons. One, I'm a big fan of the band. Two, my WIP at the time had a male protagonist that was a lead singer in a rock band, so this was helpful research. I'm not going to go into a detailed review. But I'll say that I really enjoyed the book. It was an unapologetic look into the proverbial world of "sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll." So, if you like rock music, don't mind an r-rated (nc-17?) book, and can handle the overuse of the word "dude" in the Tommy Lee chapters, then I would say go for it.

But in addition to being a fun read, this book also got me to thinking about bad boys. They show up all the time in fiction, especially in romance and YA. It's one of our favorite alpha male types both in books (and for some of us, real life). After reading this true life account of four seriously bad boys, I started to wonder why we're so drawn to them and why certain bad boys are appealing and others appalling.

The Motley members were drug addicts, womanizers, and, at times, criminals. Yet women flocked to them even before they were famous or rich. Therefore, something about them was inherently appealing.

So what's the difference? Where is the line between uber hot and uber jerk? What traits make a bad boy sexy instead of scary? When writing, how do we create that delicious bad boy that will make our reader not just swoon but fall in love in with the character?

I think the key probably lies in the character's motivation. Your bad boy can't just be bad for the hell of it, just because he thinks it's cool. You have to explore the reasons why he is the way he is with your back story. He also has to have some crack in the armor that the heroine can pry into and heal. Because, otherwise, why are we reading?

Since the Motley Crue guys maintained their appeal (in my mind) even after wildly egregious acts, I'll use them as an example of some appealing types of bad boys. (I'm leaving Mick out because he is not an alpha male.)

The "I've always been pretty" bad boy (Vince Neil, lead singer): This is the bad boy who knows he's hot. Girls have always liked him. Attention has come easily. He can get whomever he wants, which can make things boring for him. It can also lead to going through girls like they're disposable. He's not used to being told no.

Crack: He ain't that confident. Sure, he knows he looks good, but he's not convinced the person underneath the looks is all that great.

Other Examples: Eric in the Sookie Stackhouse books (a personal fave of mine), Keenan inWicked Lovely, Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life (to pull out an old 90s reference), and Damon from Vampire Diaries.

What he needs: A heroine that isn't afraid to knock him down off that pedestal and challenge him.

 

The "Up for anything" wild child (Tommy Lee): This guy appears to have no fear or impulse control. Seeks thrills and fun at all times. He's ruled by the Id. Doesn't take anything seriously including silly things like rules, laws, or social mores. Sees relationships as something that would hold him back from thrill-seeking.

Examples: Jules in Erica Orloff's Freudian Slip (who is basically a good-looking version of Howard Stern), Barney on How I Met Your Mother (although his thrill seeking is limited to women), Puck on Glee

Crack: He's actually a sucker for long-term relationships. He's so passionate about everything in his life, that when he finds the right girl, he will give himself over completely to love. Tommy Lee turned lovesick both with Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson.

What he needs: Someone that can keep up with him, but is also a calming force. A heroine who incites enough passion in him that he seeks thrills with her instead of separate from her.

 

The Wounded Soul (Nikki Sixx): This is my favorite to write and read about. This guy's motto is "get them before they get me". He's been hurt deeply somewhere along the way, and now has locked away all true feelings from others. He's easily angered and shuts down when anyone gets close. He can be the most formidable of bad boys because he doesn't care enough about himself to avoid danger.

Examples: Julian in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover, Edward in Twilight, Jace in City of Bones, Wrath in J.R. Ward's Dark Lover, Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing

 

Crack: He feels unworthy of genuine love. Nikki Sixx was abandoned by both his parents early on. So later, when people in his life showed him love, he didn't believe them. He'd push them away before he had a chance to care.

What he needs: A super tough girl that can push through that seemingly impenetrable wall. A woman that will call him out on his crap and not be intimidated by his flashes of anger. A woman that will love him fiercely.

So there's my theory. The only bad boys worth writing are the ones that offer a challenge, but that can ultimately evolve. We don't just want to read about the bad boy being bad, we want to see his character heal and reform so that he can keep the good parts (fun, attitude, touch of danger, daring) while taming the undesirable parts (lying, cheating, illegal behavior, etc.).

So, what's your opinion? Do you like a bad boy character or do you think they're overused? What makes you like one better over the other? Who's your favorite bad boy?

**This is an updated REPOST from 7/21/09**

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Kickstart My Heart"-- Motley Crue

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

I've Learned Something Today...Three Lessons from Nano

So, ten days in to this whole NaNoWriMo thing, I'm almost at 15k words. Yay. I'm not sure if that's on schedule or off it honestly, but I'm happy with that output. It's definitely more than I've written in that short period of time ever. And I realized that even if I don't "win" Nano, it's definitely a learning experience.

I feel like Kyle on South Park: "You know, I've learned something today..."  But here's what I've learned.

Three Nano Lessons:

1. A goal of 1000-1500k words a day is totally doable.

Earlier this year, I had the goal of 1k a day and I thought I was all badass and it was a great "stretch" goal. And I didn't meet it. Well, you know what? It's not a stretch goal, it's realistic. If I put my butt in my chair, even with everything else have going on in my life, I can write at least 1k. So after this November experiment, I definitely feel more confident about my ability to get out a decent amount of words in a day.

2. My internal editor can be calmed, but not silenced. And that's okay.

My internal editor is a shrew and she will not go quietly into that good night. However, I've learned to slip her a little Valium. Oftentimes, I get hung up on a little minor thing--what exactly does this room look like; my character has smiled too many times so I need something else here; ooh-this is a word echo, must find another way to say it. I've learned to leave those things alone--it's stuff I can fluff and fix during revision. However, big plot changes--like I wanted to change a thread that would completely alter my MC's motivation. Even though it's against Nano "rules", I went  back and edited and changed it because moving forward without doing so would have mucked things up.

3. For all the naysayers who say Nano is a waste of time because you shouldn't focus on writing fast but writing well, I agree. BUT writing fast is a skill that every writer should hone. The key is just figuring out how to right fast AND well. 

It's no secret that unless you're the Next Big Thing, you're not going to be able to retire with one book deal. You most likely won't even be able to quit your day job for a good long while. The key to making writing a career is to write well and often. And to be able to work against a deadline. 

Check out author Lauren Dane's Upcoming Releases page. I went there the other day (because I'm a fan and wanted to see what was coming out) and was amazed. Next year she has SIX releases. Some are shorter works but still. Wow. Now this number is on the high end, but I think for most of us (especially genre fiction writers), we need to be aware that one book with one publisher once a year is probably not going to cut it. So learning to draft good stories quickly is something we all need to think about.

So that's what I've learned so far, what have you learned? How's your Nano going? And if you're not doing Nano, what are your thoughts on writing quickly and quieting internal editors?

**Today's Theme Song**

"You Learn" - Alanis Morrissette

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What Makes Romance Awesome

Today I'm guest blogging over at Operation Awesome on what makes romance awesome--both as a reader and a writer. Stop on over and check it out and be sure to leave some comment love! :)

http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-makes-romance-awesome-guest-post.html

Have a great Monday!

Writing Journey Rewind: Mourning the Death of the First Novel

So a lot has happened to me over the last few months. The goal of landing a dream agent and getting a publishing contract has come to fruition. I feel beyond lucky and excited.  And many of you have been with me on this journey from the beginning, but there are also many, many of you who have tuned in over the last couple of months when everything started to happily snowball for me so have only seen the good news.

Therefore, I thought today, I would pull out a blog post from a year and a half ago when things weren't going so well. When I had experienced the let down of the failed first novel. I'm sharing this because being a writer is full of self-doubt and will-it-ever-be me syndrome. It's a daunting task to do something as personal as writing a book, then facing rejection over and over again. So I want to share the post to show how much a year and half can change.

And I hope you take this lesson from it: KEEP WRITING! Don't get hung up on that one book. Move on, keep writing, keep writing, keep writing!

So here we go (July 16, 2009):

Mourning the Death of the First Novel

So I finished my first novel, Shadow Falls (paranormal YA) a few months ago. (Well, my first one that counts. The one in high school, well, a novel it was not.) I toiled and tweaked and edited and obsessed. I wrote and rewrote my query, frantically checking query shark to make sure I didn't make any well-known mistakes. I went through a crisis of self-esteem before hitting send on my first agent query--the oh so attractive, sweaty, shaky, I-obviously-can't-put-two-words-together-so-why-am-I-even-bothering stage. This stage was quickly followed by the "is my email working? is my spam filter too strong? why is it not dinging with new emails from agents?" phase. Yes, I know they say to expect a response no sooner than a few weeks or months, but I plugged my ears and sang show tunes to avoid accepting that knowledge.

To my surprise, many responded within two weeks, which made the immediate gratification monster inside me very happy indeed. Unfortunately, most of those responses were form rejections. However, to my great delight (and surprise), I received two request for partials and two requests for fulls pretty quickly from biggie, dream agents. Of course, I was already picturing my book on the shelf despite knowing my chances were still slim. After a few weeks (two months was the longest), I received three form rejections. Total bummer. Looped back to low self-esteem phase.

Then, this week, I received my rejection on the final full I had out. However, this time the agent personalized it. The lovely note contained the words "you are clearly a very talented writer" (woo-hoo) and that my story "had lots of teen appeal" (kickass). However, the story wasn't different enough from what was out there in a now saturated teen paranormal market. (sigh) Then, she asked that if I didn't find an agent this time around, she hoped I would query her on my next project. (Backing away from the ledge).

So, I'm considering the rejection a victory. I still have a few queries floating around, but my hope meter for this first book is definitely on low. I am mourning it's gentle death and will be burying it in the drawer soon. Perhaps it can be resurrected another day with some rewrites. In the meantime, onward and upward. I'm halfway through writing the first draft of a romance novel.

Lessons learned from novel #1: a) I don't totally suck b) I can write a query letter and c) I can handle rejection (mostly)

***

I remember feeling really down the day I wrote that, but now I am so happy I went through that experience. It taught me a lot. So what lessons did your first novel teach you? 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Move Along" - All-American Rejects

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Show Your Space Blogfest

Summer at ...and this time, concentrate! is hosting a perfect blogfest for the first day of NaNoWriMo--one that doesn't require writing! :)  So today, everyone is showing their workspace. I've seen a few so far and am impressed by your pretty, organized spaces, your lovely bulletin boards and office supplies.  Mine is um, not so much that way.  I'm at home with my kiddo, so there is no closing myself in an office.  So here's where my writing time is spent.

So this is my living room, my "desk", and my kickass netbook.

So what's your space look like? Do you have a dedicated office or a makeshift one like mine? What is always present in your writing space?  

Good luck to all you Nano-ers! And we're off...

**Today's Theme Song**

"The Chair" - George Strait

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Am I Built for Nano?

So I'm going to attempt NaNoWriMo for the first time this year after the nudging of friends and Jedi mind tricking of Tina Lynn. I'm a little apprehensive about the whole thing honestly. I'm an edit as I go person and tend to draft slower and then have less to revise afterwards. With Exposure Therapy, it took me four months to write the rough draft, but then I only had one minor revision round before querying. (Of course, I had more revisions once Sara signed me and will have more with my editor, but still.)

So the thought of busting out 50k words willy nilly gives me hives. BUT I am going to try anyway (with maybe some editing along the way, lol.) If I end up with 30k relatively polished words by the end of the month and not 50k haphazard ones, I'll be fine with that too.

If you're playing along and want to friend me.  Here's my page: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/700005

Also, for anyone who missed yesterday's post, I'm doing a Twitter experiment. If you're looking for a crit partner or beta reader, go on twitter and Tweet your genre and what you're looking for with the hashtag #betamatch to find others to match up with. :)

So, who's joining me? And for those participating--what are you most excited or worried about? Have you done Nano before?

Have a great Halloween everyone!

**Today's Theme Song**

"Thriller" - Michael Jackson

Beta Reader and Crit Group Matchmaking!

I'm doing an experiment on Twitter right now.  If you are looking for a beta reader or critique partner, sign in to Twitter and tweet your genre and what you're looking for, then include the hashtag #betamatch to find other like-minded people.

Let's see if this works because I get a lot of people emailing me to ask how to find betas.  Hope this helps some of you out! :)

The Dirty Details: Answering Your Questions

On Monday, I asked if you guys had any questions for me, and boy did y'all come up with some good ones!  Thanks so much!  Here are my answers:

Amie Kaufman said...

Was there any part of the process that you were surprised by/didn't expect? We all read a lot of blogs about these kinds of things, but every so often I'm still really surprised by some part of the process. Did it all go about the way you'd understood it would?

I’m not sure I knew what to expect honestly, but I would say the part that surprised me the most was the speed with which it all happened. I’d gone through querying before with my first book. Then with my second, I submitted it to Harlequin, they requested the full, and I haven’t heard back yet (it's been almost a year, which, from what I've heard is a pretty standard wait. They have sent update letters letting me know I'm still in consideration when I've checked in.)

So when I started querying this time and Sara requested my full—I figured I had a wait ahead of me. But she got back to me on the full in 4 days! Four! (Sara's awesome.) Then I signed with her and started on revisions. We were both uber motivated to get this on submission before the holidays when publishing slows down, so I busted out the first major revision (cutting 20k words and adding 20k new ones and changing a whole bunch more) in three weeks. Then we did one more significant revision, which took me about a week. Then it was submission time. I expected a 4-6 week wait, but then the offer came in two weeks after we went on submission. A week later I officially sold. So from query to sale: almost exactly three months. Crazy.

 Travener said...

OK, here's a question: what's your secret?

Faustian bargain—don’t let anyone tell you it’s unwise to make one. :)

 LTM said...

So did the editors call YOU or Sara? I'm thinking Sara, but I'm just asking b/c you're calling it THE CALL, and that's usually reserved for you know... the call to you.

Sara called me to tell me about the offer. Once I let her know I was interested, she set up a conference call between me, herself, and the editor to make sure we were all on the same page and that all my questions were answered.

 T. Anne said...

Thank you for sharing your great news! When is your book going to be available???

First book will be out early 2012. The second is tentatively scheduled for summer 2012. :)

 A Mom's Choice said...

Do you think your blog helped the process of finding a publisher and agent?

Yes, on a number of fronts:

• Natalie Bahm gave me a referral to her agent (now my agent) based on getting to know me via my blog and reading my excerpts on blogfests. This allowed me to get in front of Sara more quickly. So I never would’ve gotten the referral without the blog.
• Blogging has made me a better writer. When all I blog about is craft, it forces ME to learn too, lol.
• Sara is very big on web presence. It is a deal breaker for her if an author doesn’t have a professional website (meaning a dedicated site—not just a blog.) After she read my query and partial, she sent me an email letting me know how much she liked my sites. So she was researching my presence.
• Without the support of my bloggy/writer friends, I may have gone nuts by now! :)

Terry said...

As someone that writes romantic erotica, I'd like to know more how you found and landed an agent. I didn't know there were any and I'd love to know where to start looking and what your process was.

There are definitely agents who rep erotic romance and erotica. I signed up for QueryTracker.net and did my research on there. However, I also looked at the acknowledgement pages of some of my favorite EroRom authors because they always thank their agent. Sometimes it takes a little digging, but if someone says they rep romance, look deeper—many will rep erotic as well. Some agents off the top of my head besides Sara—Paige Wheeler, Laura Bradford, Roberta Brown, and Jessica Faust. But there are a good number more. I also saw recently that one of the agencies has a dedicated agent for selling to epubs.

 Karla said...
How many queries did you send out before Sara requested your manuscript?

I sent out ten total. (2 requests, 6 form rejects, 2 still pending)

Was the multi-book deal part of the initial offer, or something your agent negotiated? 

The two-book deal was part of the initial offer. :) My book is set up to be a series.

When your book comes out, what would you prefer I buy, a paper copy or a digital copy? 

I’m an avid ebook reader, but Berkley’s covers are almost too good not to buy the hard copy of the book, so I really don’t mind either way! I’ll just be thrilled that you bought it!

 KLM said...

I'd like to offer to be a model for your book cover. I've got a bustier around here somewhere and I look great in it. Last time I saw it, it was next to the snow shovel in the downstairs coat closet.*rustles about in the closet looking* Well, I'll let you know when I find it. 

You’re hired! Lol

 Murphy said...

Is this the way you imagined the journey, or what? Some of us want to know if your dream lived up to the reality, ya know? ;)

I’m not sure how I imagined it, but I have to say the last few months have been REALLY exciting. I’ve jumped up and down a lot. (Also paced the floors a lot.) I just feel so thankful to have reached this point. I know that no matter how good of a writer you are, the stars have to align—right place, right time, right genre, right story, right market, right agent, right editor, right phase of the moon, and on and on. So I feel blessed and lucky that everything lined up for me. I don’t take it for granted for sure. I’m very, very thankful for everything and hope that I get to do this for a living for a long time.

Thanks for the questions everyone!  Feel free to ask anything else in the comments.

**Today's Theme Song**

"Answer" - Sarah MacLachlan

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

The Call & Whaddya Want To Know?

So a few of you asked last week for me to give more details on THE CALL. So I'm going to do that, but I am also going to let this be an open thread--meaning, if you have specific questions for me about anything, ask them in the comments and I'll answer them on Wednesday. :)

So, the call...

Sara had told me to expect to start hearing back from editors somewhere between 3-5 weeks after submission and for me to be prepared because the first ones to come back would be the rejections. So we went out on submission on my birthday (which I hoped was good luck) and I prepared to settle in for the nail-biting wait.

Well, two weeks later, Sara tweeted something to the effect of "Okay world, we're going to get at least one offer for one client this week, go!"  And I tweeted back: "And btw, Universe, if that author could be me, that'd be great, k thanks."

No lie. Ten minutes later Sara got the call from Kate at Berkley. (So maybe there is something to that whole putting positive thoughts out into the universe--thanks Oprah.) As soon as she was done with the call, she called me and gave me the good news. We had an offer before we received any rejections!

I was over the moon excited because not only was it an offer, but it was from Berkley and from a great editor. So she gave me the details, then let me know that she'd contact the other editors who had it to give them a chance to finish reading it in case someone else wanted to offer as well. I also had a conference call with Sara and Kate to discuss what Kate's vision for the book was, why Penguin rocks and why I should go with them, and basically just getting to know each other.

After all that, I decided I really wanted to pursue the deal with Berkley. I love the Berkley Heat line and Kate was very nice and had a vision that jived with mine. So the next step was contract negotiations. And here is the lesson I learned here--I am SO HAPPY I have a fabulous agent. Not that I wasn't happy about that in the first place, but I confirmed that I am not cut out for the business aspect of the dealings. I'm too emotionally attached to the book. So Sara handled it and kept me updated while I paced the floors for a few days.

After that step, which took a few days, I was able to formally accept! :)  And here we are.

So, what questions do you have for me? Doesn't have to be specifically about the call, this is an open thread. So whatever you want to ask (within reason), I'll try to answer in a post on Wednesday. Everyone have a great day!

**Today's Theme Song**

"Call Me" - Blondie

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Building a Blog Following (and a Thank You)

First off, I want to thank everyone who sent me congratulations and well wishes yesterday on here, twitter, and via email. Y'all really did make the day all the more special for me. I feel really blessed to have met so many wonderful people in the writing community and am so glad I get to share the journey with you guys. So *big hugs*.

As some of you requested in the comments yesterday, I do plan on sharing more about THE CALL, but I'm going to hold off on that until next week because today I'm guest blogging!

I'm over at The Literary Project where I'm talking about how I built a blog following and how you can too!  (Did that sound infomercial-y enough?) Come stop by and say hi! :)

Have a great weekend!

Two Words: BOOK DEAL!!!!!!!!!

Holy dreams come true, Batman, it's actually happened!

I HAVE A BOOK DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!!!!!!!!

Here's the official announcement from Publisher's Marketplace:

Women's/Romance

Roni Loren's debut EXPOSURE THERAPY, about a therapist who chooses to overcome her own past to help herself and her missing sister while trusting her former lover with her safety and her heart, to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency (World English). 

My first book will come out in early 2012 in trade paperback!

I can't even tell you how I'm feeling except to say that I can't stop smiling (and occasionally breaking into off-key renditions of showtunes).

And to top it off, I'm not just going to be published, but I'm going to be published with BERKLEY HEAT!  I seriously heart their books and authors (not to mention their stunning covers.) Check out the rockstar authors and stories they have in their line:

Awesome, right?

I still can't believe it's really happening. I'm sure it won't set in for a while. 

So for those of you who like the journey stats, here you go...

How long I've been writing: Started being serious about it almost two years ago to the day.

Number of novels completed: Three (this one is the third).

Number of blog posts talking/whining/stressing about writing: 342

Contests: Four contests wins/placements (two with second book, two with this one).

Query wise: 10 sent, 2 still pending, 6 form rejections, 2 requests (but one came after Sara offered so didn't send), 1 offer.

Time from offer of representation to sale: exactly two months (Sara absolutely rocks! I'm so, so lucky to have such a fabulous agent.)

How long I've been waiting for this moment: Since 5th grade when I decided this is what I wanted to do.

:D

And thank you to every one of you guys, this journey is so much more fun because I get to share it with such fabulous friends and amazing writers every day!  

**Today's Theme Song**

"Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Stop Beating Me Over the Head With Your Book

Photo by Mark Wheadon

So we all know that part of our jobs as authors is promoting ourselves and our books. We hear it over and over again--build a brand, establish a presence, network with readers.

And I agree. All those things are necessary if we want to be successful in this industry. However, there are ways to do it that are effective and there are ways to do it that are ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING. *takes a breath*

Okay, I feel better.

So I thought I would look at the things that some authors have done that have worked on me as a reader and the things that turn me off completely.  

Let's start with the bad shall we?

Do Not....

1. Friend me on Twitter/Goodreads/Facebook and when I agree to be a friend, immediately send me the promotional email--Thanks for the add!  Check out my book. Here's where you can buy it.

Ugh, I hate this and will often un-friend people over it. If you've friended me, that means I went to your site to see who you are. Your books are listed there. If I'm interested, I will look into them. Please do not send these emails because it makes the "befriending" totally insincere. 

2. Only tweet or blog about your book, where to buy it, and the reviews on it.

It's okay to slip in an occasional tweet about your book and it's fine to announce when it's released or if it's hit a bestsellers list or gotten a review. That's fine and you should celebrate that. But if those are the only tweets or blogs you ever do and you never interact with anyone, you look self-serving (not to mention boring.)

3. Create a newsletter option, make people sign up for it to enter a contest, and then only send out newsletters about your book and how to buy it.

If people have signed up for a newsletter, give them something of value in it. Articles about whatever is important to your readership. For instance, my agency has a newsletter anyone can sign up for. Now, this is a chance for Nelson Lit to promote their clients' books, correct? Sure, and they will mention those books on occasion BUT the majority of the newsletter is helpful writing advice and industry information so the reader gets something helpful for signing up.

Okay, so if you can avoid those things, you're doing well. What are some you can do that work to promote in a positive way?

Things that will win me over as a reader...

1. Comment on people's blogs in a genuine way.

It's obviously hard to do this large scale, but this is where you can use the Google Alert feature to your advantage. If someone mentions you on their blog or reviews you and you see it, stop by and thank them for the mention. I've had a number of authors do this, including Les Edgerton, author of Hooked, who stopped by and commented last week after I mentioned his book. Erotic romance author Lauren Dane also commented when I picked one of her books as my favorites last year. 

And even if you weren't mentioned, but maybe the topic is related to what you write, say hi. Author Elizabeth Amber did this last year on a post I had about erotic romances I liked. I had never read her books, but when I clicked her name in the comments, I found that she writes historical EroRom and ended up buying one of her books and loving it. I went on to buy more in that series. It was totally effective. 

2. Be a real person on Twitter/Facebook/Blogging.

No, if you become a big author, you can't follow back everyone and can't respond to ever @ mention, but that's okay. If you can just be engaging in your tweets and seem like a normal, likable person, that will win you readers. And if you can interact with readers on occasion, all the better. I responded to something a big author said a while back, and she replied with a Bwahhahaha. It was simple, but made me like her even better because a) she took the time to respond and b) she liked my joke. Silly, but it's just that sense of brief connection that makes you like someone more and want to support them as authors.

3. If you can, offer something that benefits both you and the reader.

This can be a simple contest where you give away one of your books. Or, if you are so inclined, you can do something that gives back to readers or writers. Author Candace Havens, for instance, has a writers' workshop via a Yahoo group. She provides priceless writing info, runs contests to win critiques, and has great guest authors give online classes that are all free. In return, she gets an open mic via all our email addresses to reach out to everyone in the group. Therefore, if she has a new release or something going on, she can send that out to all of us. And because she's been so helpful to us, we want to help her too.

So, at the end of the day what I think it comes down to is BE GENUINE. If you are only doing something because you want to promote, then readers are going to see right through it. Don't go into something like Facebook or Twitter or blogging unless you are looking to honestly connect with other people.

Okay, so I'm curious to hear which promotional tactics annoy you. Which ones have worked? Outside of writing great books, what makes you really want to support an author?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Right Through You" - Alanis Morrissette

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

The Author Bio: Six Important Components

Photo by Randy Willis Photos

So we're writers, right? Which means throwing together a few sentences about ourselves should be no big deal, right?  No?

Damn.

So I've been working on that little thing called an author bio. You know, the thing that goes on your website/blog and eventually if you're published, in your book. It's only a few sentences but it's supposed to tell your reader something about you and hopefully make you seem...well, that's one of the issues.  How do you want to appear?  Likeable? Intelligent? Worldly? Funny? Mega-super-important?

What image are you going for? What best conveys who you actually are?

To start this process, I went and looked at some bios of other authors. For those that were multi-published, award-winning, well-established, the bios were often pretty dry. Mostly consisting of what they had published and the accolades attached to that. Well, if we're not at that point yet, what exactly should we put in it?

Based on my very unscientific research, here are the things that stood out in the best bios:

1. The author seemed relatable.

This can be something simple--they drink a lot of coffee, have a pet, like 80s music, whatever. It makes you realize, oh they're just another person like me.

2. A touch of humor

This is a biggy for me. I love an author to have a sense of humor in their bio. Now, if the person is writing serious literary fiction about genocide or something, maybe that's not so fitting. But in general, I think a little wit and humor goes a long way.

3. Some personal history

I like to know what a person was doing before they became a writer. Did they have other careers? Where did they go to school? This gives me more of a sense of who they are. Someone who majored in math is probably going to be very different from someone who majored in art history.

4. Said where the author lives (even if that's vaguely stated)

I don't know why, but for me, this is something I want to know. For instance, if the person lives in Texas or Louisiana, I already feel a bit of kinship with them. Plus, people like to support local authors, so putting your state in there can alert readers in your area that you're a native.

5. The person sounded interesting!

Every one of us has SOMETHING interesting about ourselves. Quirky jobs, strange talents, silly interests. Pick a few of those things to include. It doesn't have to be anything major. In fact, I think the smaller, random things are usually best.

6. You got a sense of their voice.

Yes, I know, it always comes back to voice, doesn't it? People who wrote serious stories tended to have serious bios. Young adult authors tended to have upbeat, funny bios that teens could relate too. Get the picture?

So, after taking all those things into account, here's what I came up with for mine. Feel free to give me honest feedback since this is still a work in progress.

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. After earning a master’s degree in social work from LSU, she worked in a mental hospital, counseled birthmothers as an adoption coordinator, and did management recruiting in her PJs. But she always returned to writing.

Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars concerts.

Alright, so what do you like to see in an author bio? Do you read the bios in the back of books or on people's blogs? Who has a great bio that stood out to you?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Don't You Know Who I Think I Am" - Fall Out Boy

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Is the First Line Really THAT Important

I've officially started the second book in my contemporary erotic romance series. Yay! (For those of you who have beta read for me, this will be Jace's story.) So I'm facing down that daunting task of writing the all-important first chapter. And what does that chapter start with? The first line of course.

Some writers think the emphasis on the first line is unfounded, believing that as long as your first page is strong, you're good to go. But others believe that first line is vital to hooking your reader. I tend to lean toward the latter.

In Hooked, Les Edgerton says:

Your first sentence or paragraph may be the most important writing in your story. They may well be what sells your manuscript to an agent or editor.

But even more importantly it can be the difference maker on a sale to a reader later on. I have to admit that I am one of those people that opens to the first page and reads the first line when I'm browsing in a bookstore. Even Amazon posts the opening line underneath the titles of many of their books. I read the blurb for the book too, but a great opening line can win me over.

It makes me think that this author is thoughtful--that if they took the time to come up with a rocking first line, the book is probably going to be good. So we may only have seconds to impress that agent/publisher/reader.

No pressure, right?

So what the heck makes a great opening sentence? Les suggests that the first sentence is "part of the whole" and should contain at least a hint of the end.

When I first read that, I was like, oh hell, that seems impossible. But then I thought through some great opening lines I've read and he's right. Many opening sentences hint at the theme or foreshadow future events if only in a subtle way.

I grabbed a few random books off my shelves for some examples:

Olivia Quinn knew she was losing her husband when she discovered his knockout junior partner caressing his crotch by the azalea bush.--When Alex Was Bad, Jo Davis

Just when I though my day couldn't get any worse I saw the dead guy standing next to my locker.--Marked, PC Cast and Kristen Cast

The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years--if it ever did end--began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.--It, Stephen King

Years later Amy would remember the day she saw inside the spider house.--Nazareth Hill, Ramsey Campbell

Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys.--Forever, Judy Blume

Great lines, right? Made me want to read more for sure. And having read these books, each one of these hints at the overall theme or the ending.

When writing a rough draft, I try not to stress about this heavily weighted line. But at the same time, I know if I can get that first line in decent shape early on, it will help guide me through the rest of the book. Will keep the theme in my head. So I end up putting a lot of time into it anyway. 

So how about you? What do you think about the whole first line emphasis? Do you wait until you finish drafting to worry about coming up with the perfect first line? What are your first lines or what's your favorite first line from a book?

*This post is a revamped version of one I did in October 2009. Thanks to Sierra, who got me thinking about this post again. 

Why Is My Muse Hiding in the Shower?

Ah, that elusive muse. It's the writer's blessing and curse. It can be the source of wildly exciting inspiration or it can be the bane of our existence when the ideas stop flowing. So how do we learn to work with this fickle part of the writing process?

Well, first there is the "butt in chair" philosophy, which means even if your muse is on a bender to the Bahamas, you still sit in front of your computer and write. The idea is that eventually the inspiration will return. This is an important method to consider because once you have a contract and are on a deadline, you won't have the luxury of taking a few weeks/months off to let your muse return to you.

However, forcing the creative process sometimes shuts your mind down even further because you're using the logical part of your brain ("I need to get this down because x, y, z."), which can choke the free-flowing creative side.

So how do we free up that creative side?

Well, different things work for different people, but the goal is to get your mind into a relaxed state where the logical part can rest and the other side can take over.  For instance, I was watching an interview on The View with Aaron Sorkin. He was talking about writing the movie The Social Network (saw it yesterday, btw. FAB-U-LOUS. Seriously. Go see it.) But anyway, he said when he was writing it, he was taking like six showers a day. The ladies of The View looked at him like he was crazy, but I was like--Oh, I so get that.

He said the reason he was taking so many showers was because that's when the scenes would come to him. So when he got stuck, he'd either get back in the shower or would go for a long drive.

And those are two of my favorite places for inspiration too. Anywhere my mind zones out and goes on autopilot--the shower, a monotonous car ride, lying in bed at night before I go to sleep, listening to music. When I'm stuck, those are the times that the words finally come.

So, if you're doing BIC (butt-in-chair) but it's just not working. Get up, go for a long walk, a drive, or hell, jump in the shower like Aaron Sorkin. Give yourself permission to relax your mind so that you can hear the muse when he/she whispers to you.

So I'm curious, when does the inspiration usually hit you? What are some activities you do to let the creativity flow? Are you a believer of butt-in chair?

**Today's Theme Song**
"You're the Inspiration" - Chicago

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Why You Should Read Debut Authors

We all have our favorite authors, the ones we go back to again and again. The ones we buy no matter what the story may be about because we know they won't let us down. And this is a great thing. We want to support those authors who always manage to sweep up into their stories and leave us satisfied at the end. That's the kind of author we all strive to be.

However, sometimes that means we can get into a pattern of only reading those go-to authors and we miss out on all the new authors breaking in. It's hard sometimes to part with money and take a risk on a new author, but here's why I think we should:

1. Debut authors offer us a glimpse into stories that captured an editor's (and usually agent's) attention. These are breakthrough books. These stories were so good, they beat all the odds and got the book deal. We can learn from that.

2. Debut authors were "one of us" (the unpubbed/pre-pubbed) not that long ago. We know how hard it was for them to get to the point they're at, so don't we want to support them and  help them be successful?

3. Because these stories got to this point, you're probably going to end up with a really great read and maybe a new author to add to your favorites list!

And if you're looking for suggestions for a debut author...

My agency-mate, Ashley March's Seducing the Duchess was released this week. I'm 2/3 of the way through reading it and it is fabulous.  So much fun.

Here's the blurb (from Amazon):

Love and marriage don't have to be strangers... 

Gambling. Carousing. Flirting. Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, will do anything to escape her painful marriage and force her husband to divorce her. But when Phillip, Duke of Rutherford, promises a divorce if Charlotte will help him become a better husband for another woman, she wonders if she really wants to lose him...

Now how can you resist that hook? :)


So what debut author have you read lately that you'd recommend? Do you tend to stick to your favorite authors or do you venture out and try new ones?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Break Out" - Foo Fighters

(player in sidebar, take a listen)