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It’s a Story—It’s a File—It’s a BOOK

August 19, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

Monica Stoner, Member at Large

My Killer, My Love was released in an e-book format on May 22, culminating decades of work and wishes. Even now, two whole long months later, writing those words give me a quick thrill of accomplishment. Then last week while I was immersed in hospital visits, long time commitments, and work, I received a proof hard copy of the book.

I have always maintained that a digital book is a book. Period. My Kindle is loaded with other writer’s stories and I have absolutely as much respect for their words on the screen as for their words on paper. Still I’m old enough and have been around books enough to feel an extra jolt of “wow” to hold my words bound together behind their beautiful cover.

All positive. And as I’m basking in the glow of loving my publisher, my cover, my characters who have become such an integral part of my life I suddenly realize: I can enter the RITA. Now how cool is THAT? Just to be sure, I pull up the RITA rules. Yep, we’re eligible, according to the RWA website:

“Eligible Novel” means a work of Romance Fiction of at least 40,000 words (as determined by computer word count) that is offered for sale in a readable or audio format to the general public by a publisher for which the author receives payment as stipulated in a written contract from a publisher, and for which the author does not participate in the costs of production in any manner, including but not limited to publisher assessment of a fee or other costs for editing, preparation, and/or distribution. A novel does not qualify if the publisher withholds or seeks full or partial payment or reimbursement of publication or distribution costs before paying royalties, including payment of paper, printing, binding, production, sales or marketing costs. The work must not be exclusively promoted and/or sold by the author or have distribution that is primarily directed toward sales to the author, his/her relatives and/or associates. The work must not be self-published.”

Now, I understand rules and the necessity of having certain guidelines for a contest. But I have to admit to being just a bit confused about the ban on self published work. If we’re supposed to be judging the story as written, why the restriction on how the book is produced? Is there some fear a self published novel will be better than one produced by a major publisher? I can somewhat understand blocking the self published from membership in PRO or PAN status, but we’re talking here about a contest to choose the best romance books published during the previous year. Wouldn’t we want that to be the absolute best, no matter what the origin?

Taking this to a comparison with my “other life”—showing and judging purebred dogs—in theory shows are judged “blind.” In other words when you enter the show ring, the judge’s job is to evaluate the dog only. Not the owner or handler, not the pedigree, not the record. The dog. Being human, that doesn’t always happen, but the principle is why someone who works fifty hours a week to pay the bills and support their canine hobby, then cuts corners just to exhibit is willing to pit themselves against the deep pocket books of other breeders and owners. They know if their dog is a good example of the breed and is presented as well as the other dogs in the ring, they have at least a fighting chance to walk out of there with a win.

Do you feel restricting the contest to only those books from the “right” source is in the best interest of writing?

Monica Stoner writes as Mona Karel.  Her first novel, MY KILLER MY LOVE was published in May by Black Opal Books and is currently available as an e-book. 

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Add Conflict to your Story with a Down & Dirty Fight

August 18, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , ,

by Jenny Hansen

Today we’re going to talk about Dirty Fighting. What is it, and why do you want to do it?

To start at the beginning, last weekend my honey was cleaning the office and he came across a piece of paper that made us laugh our faces off. This four page document he found – called, “Dirty Fighting Techniques” – helped save our relationship back in 2006.

Note: Dirty Fighting isn’t about some how-to guide on Jujitsu or Street Fighting. Nope, it’s actually a list of twenty-two items given to us by our counselor to teach us the difference between the Dirty Fighting Techniques practiced by most people and the clean-as-a-whistle fighting he wanted us to strive for.

We’ve got to understand the goal before we can turn it upside down on its head, right?

What is clean fighting?

Clean Fighting follows these basic rules:

  • Take responsibility for your own stuff. Also known as “cleaning up your own side of the street.” I know it sucks when you’re mad and you clean up your side while the other person leaves their big cow patties steaming, but lead by example on this one. It helps when someone steps up to be the bigger person.
  • Leave the other person an “out with dignity.” This is most often achieved by understanding that there might be facts you don’t know.
  • “I” statements are always going to work better when you’re pissed off than “you” statements. And don’t try to cheat with crap like, “I understand that you’re a selfish bastard.”
  • Talk about the behavior in those “I” statements, not any personality disorders you think they should address.
  • Stick to the point. Resist throwing in the kitchen sink of laments spanning back over months of why they’re a (fill in the blank).
  • Deliberately pushing buttons is REALLY dirty. The weak underbelly is to be avoided, even if you’re thinking your partner is lower than a yellow-bellied toad for siding with your mother-in-law over you.

Here is a clean fight summed up in 4 easy steps:

1. How you feel (use an “I” statement for this)
2. The behavior that prompted that feeling
3. Why it’s important/the background (i.e. what button did they push)
4. What would you want them to do differently next time

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Go try it. It’s really hard to do when you’re mad. Most people who are angry fight dirty. Clean fighting takes some rigorous training.


 Now let me ask you something. Do you really think your characters have had any of this sort of training? It’s pretty unlikely unless you’re writing about a psychologist. It’s much more likely that your character will be flawed like the rest of us.

What Makes Great Fiction?

  • Great books are filled with conflict.
  • And great characters (who learn important lessons).
  • Great fiction rips emotion out of us readers.
  • Oftentimes a great book will make you see yourself inside those pages.

Understanding the difference between clean and dirty fighting will give you a TON of mileage in your own stories. If you need plausible arguments and dialog, Dirty Fighting Techniques will help you achieve this. These techniques can be applied with a friend, family member or a significant other…it doesn’t really matter.

Every entry I’m sharing is guaranteed to make the other person see red. If you’re writing fiction, that anger and tension is a REALLY good thing. If I give you all twenty-two at once, it will be like taking a drink of water from a fire hydrant so we’re going to start with the five that will work best in fiction.

FIVE?? That’s all the Dirty Fighting I get off that list, you might ask… Yep. Five is all you get…until the next time we discuss the topic. I’m gonna make this a multi-part post so you have time to really roll around in the Dirty Fighting Swamp. Go ahead, get dirty. Be the bog.


As I said earlier, great books are filled with conflict. And great characters who learn important lessons. Plus, dialog is the number one way to do several fun things like move your story quickly and legally bring in backstory.

Note: For a rundown of the perils of Back Story, read Kristen Lamb’s Monday post.
 

OK, now that you’re into the Dirty Fighting spirit, let’s discuss your dialogue. A few wonderful posts come immediately to mind:

 However, one of the problems I have with reading about dialog is that every character is unique and, even though the examples are usually awesome, my characters would never say those things. How do you think of creative things to say that would apply ONLY to our character?

One answer is to make him or her fight.

Since gratuitous fighting in a story is like gratuitous sex (kinda boring if there’s no real connection or reason for it), the author needs to find a great reason for the fight. How you use the fight is up to you but I think the easiest way to pave the road to this rad fight is to discover what your characters really want. Then dig down for what they really, really want. (You’ll remember this trick from Leanne Banks.)

DON’T give it to them. Or at least, don’t give it too soon.

Then flake away more layers to uncover what your character really fears. Then what they really, really fear. DO give that to them!  This is where things get interesting. You not only have characters who are upset, you’ve also found a myriad of ways to slide everybody deeper into your story. To do this, ask your character questions.

Perhaps you’ll use the 9 questions I discussed a few weeks back in my post on Character Engagement or new ones that are all your own. Below are some of mine to help you get started.

1. What matters most to this character? (What is he or she most afraid to lose?)
2. Who matters most? (This is usually the person they are most afraid to lose.)
3. How did the character’s parents fight?
4. How did the character’s parents interact with him or her?
5. What does this character wish he or she had gotten in childhood?
6. What does my character want to be when they grow up

All of these questions can provide you with cues about where your character is “broken” and give you ideas about fixing the broken part (i.e. Fix = Lesson).

Now it’s time to unleash that fight! BRING. IT. ON!!

Below are my top five Dirty Fighting Techniques for adding tension and plotting options to your story. I’ll save the rest for a later post so you can really play with the first five. (Your sarcasm muscle – which is always used in a Dirty Dogfight – should get a quick flex before you begin.)

#1 – Triangulating: Don’t leave the issue between you and your conflict partner (could be a family member, friend or love interest), pull everybody in. Quote well-known authorities who agree with you and list every family member whom you know has taken your side (and lie about the ones you haven’t spoken to yet).

Uses: Triangulating is incredibly useful in fiction because you can expand the discussion to more characters and stir up some real drama. Let’s not keep this issue between just us, one character says to the other. Oh no, lets involve everybody.

If you have extreme Dirty Fighting Talent, you can stir the pot and then step back and play a new game called, “Let’s watch the other two people fight.” That’s good times.

#2 – Escalating: Quickly move from the main issue of the argument to questioning your partner’s basic personality, and then move on to wondering whether the relationship is even worth it. Blame your partner for having a flawed personality so that a happy relationship will be impossible.

Uses: Excellent tool for keeping two love interests apart. BUT, the fight better be about something that really, really matters or you risk falling into the Bog of Coincidence and most stories don’t have enough muscle to climb out of that place.

Escalating also allows for plausible use of Back Story. When you’re moving from the main
issue to the REAL issue (often happens at the black moment / end of Act 2), escalating the argument will make someone lose control enough that they blurt out something juicy. Way to go, Author!

#3 – Leaving: No problem is so big or important that it can’t be ignored or abandoned all together. Walk out of the room, leave the house, or just refuse to talk. Sometimes just threatening to leave can accomplish the same thing without all the inconvenience of following through.

Uses: My favorite use of this is employing it when the two characters really need each other. It completely ups the betrayal factor: I can’t depend on you, I don’t trust you, You’ve let me down.

You noticed how dirty that last statement was, right? Not a clean fight to be found anywhere with “leaving,” which is fantastic for your story! The farther your character falls, the harder the journey is on the way back up, right?

#4 – Timing: Look for a time when your partner is least able to respond or least expects an argument.

Uses: Think about this from a story point of view. A really great time to pick a fight is just before the main character embarks on a journey, has a new murder to solve, is called on to save the world. Anything with high stakes works great. Be sure the character ambushing them is a likeable one so the reader REALLY gets drawn into the conflict.

#5 – Rejecting Compromise: Never back down. Stick with the philosophy that only one of you can win.

Uses: This is a kickass Dirty Fighting trick to use on the main character. If there is only one winner, there is automatic conflict involved for the person who “loses.” The solutions are endless.

What do you think? What are some other ways you could use a good fight to help your
character grow or advance your story? Do you use any of the five techniques in your own life…come on, you can tell us! Let’s hear your fabulous Dirty (Fighting) Thoughts!

Jenny

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X-FILES: IT’S NOT SCIENCE FICTION

August 10, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

by Sharla Rae

An author on deadline will tell you that the old saying “Time is Money” is just as true with writing as it is with any other business.

Have you ever spent hours crafting a perfect description only to realize it breaks up the action? Did you delete it and then discover a chapter or two later that very description or part of it was needed?

Next time, DO NOT DELETE.

Instead, create a folder for your WIP called X-Files Title (of WIP). Example, X-Files Love and Fortune. Paste well written “cuts” to your X-Files. Make them easy to locate. Preface each pasting with its origin, that is, the chapter it was cut from along with a brief description.

Example: Chapter one – description-forest, Chapter two – dialogue – argument between Jane Dither and John the jerk.

Later, if you haven’t used an X-File entry from a particular WIP, paste it to a general Description or Dialogue X-File. Once it’s actually used, delete it from “all” X-Files so you don’t accidentally reuse it.

It’s simple and it works. And when you’re on a deadline, it’s money in the bank.

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Encouraging Words by Kitty Bucholtz

August 10, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as

It’s a funny thing about words – a little bit of positive reinforcement or a little bit of negativity go a long way. People remember the harsh things said to them or about them. And while we tend to more quickly forget the positive words, their power continues to work within us.

When a friend told me she loved the first five chapters of my new book that I sent her, and when am I going to send her more, I felt like the sun came out and it was raining rainbows! If I get to a place in the story where I’m not feeling good about myself and my abilities, I think about what this friend or that friend said about something they liked and I feel better. And when I feel better, I write better.
The same is true when someone tells me, don’t worry, that was hard for me, too. I feel like I can breathe again. I was telling a friend who is a very fast runner (he ran a 14km race last year in under an hour, while it took me two hours) that I was embarrassed by how out of shape I’d gotten during the last month of grad school. I’d barely gotten in one run per week and in only a month had lost a ton of the progress I’d made.
He told me, oh, that happens to everyone when you get out of your training schedule, and he gave me some examples. I couldn’t believe it. I thought those professional athletes were born that way – fast and ready to go.
Later I thought about how that thinking translates in my writing life sometimes. I think some writers are just born ready. They write brilliant stories, have a big fan base, make plenty of money – and it’s magical. But they weren’t born that way. They have the same kinds of bad days that I do. There was once a time they weren’t making a dime. They need encouragement from their friends and fans just like I do.
My friend Laura Drake just signed with an agent – yay! I was so excited for her that I asked her to be a guest on my blog today and tell us her story. I thought she was going to write about the specifics of getting that call and how exciting and scary and unbelievable it was. But what she wrote was so much more encouraging than a slice of a success story. You really have to come read it. Talk about encouraging words!
I had a bad run this morning – slow, exhausting, cold (it’s winter here in Sydney), and altogether awful. The only good thing was that I kept going. It occurred to me about three-quarters of the way through my 11km that I should focus on the good part – the fact that I wasn’t going to give up. Then I happened to notice that the sunrise was gorgeous. And the people I usually wave at were waving at me first. And the birds were having a little music festival. And after a while I realized that even on bad days, there are lots of things to be grateful for and smile about.
I hope you find your encouragement today. And if you’re not seeing it right away, give some encouragement to someone else. It’s bound to come back to you and bless your day.
Kitty Bucholtz is a writer and speaker, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She co-founded Routines for Writers, a web site dedicated to helping writers write more, and she recently completed her M.A. in Creative Writing. You can follow Kitty on her web site or on Twitter at @KittyBucholtz.
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August Calls for Submissions

August 1, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

Seems like there continues to be a craving for things that go bump-in-the-night. We also continue to see a number of holiday calls for submissions, and expect this trend to continue as our year gets closer to ending.
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
Let’s start out with an exciting call for Harlequin Nocturne. Harlequin Nocturne is looking to acquire bold, exciting, erotic paranormal romance short stories for its eBook program, Nocturne Cravings. These stories should be fast-paced paranormals with strong erotic fantasy and danger elements. Authors should feel comfortable exploring any and all sexual scenarios and shouldn’t shy away from graphically sensual situations. In fact, the short stories should contain many erotic scenes that compel and bind the characters together. Strong, emotional characters that grab the reader’s imagination are also essential.
We are looking for stories of vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, psychic powers, etc. set in contemporary times. Stories should deliver a dark, highly sensual read that will entertain readers and take them from everyday life into an atmospheric, complex world filled with characters struggling with life-and-death issues.
All stories should be capable of standing alone; all loose ends need to be tied up, and the relationship between hero and heroine should resolve itself in a satisfying manner.
Length is 15,000–25,000 words.
 Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered from unpublished authors; no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word-compatible attachment. Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines and should be double-spaced and typed in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page. Visit the Harlequin submission guidelines page for more information. Nocturne Cravings e-mail address: nocturnebites@harlequin.ca
Weekend Getaways
Secret Cravings Publishing is taking submissions of short stories of up to 10,000 words for a one-time payment of $50-$100, depending on the length of the manuscript. Any genre; steamy to burn-the-page erotic stories wanted.
These stories will be released individually with their own cover. One each Saturday of the week. Submissions will be ongoing, so no deadline.
Holiday Submissions
Dancing with Bear Publishing is seeking submissions for a variety of holiday-themed stories: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah.
The Halloween Anthology is for a children’s book, think Casper the Friendly Ghost – nothing scary, just fun for ages 5-10.
Thanksgiving Anthology these stories don’t have to be set at Thanksgiving or even about Thanksgiving, but rather about an incident, accident, etc. with a positive outcome that gives the characters a reason to be thankful.
December Anthology DWB is looking for Christian Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or any Christmastime non-religious celebration except Pagan rituals.
Suggested length is 2,000 to 5,000 words, and the deadline is September 30, 2011. These stories can be any sub-genre that falls within the regular submission guidelines.  
For more information, visit http://dancingwithbearpublishing.webs.com/specialsubmissionscall.htm
Christmas Warmth
XoXo Publishing, an e-publisher will publish an anthology in November of Christmas-themed short stories. Edited by Cynthia MacGregor, the anthology’s working title is Christmas Warmth.
To submit stories (specs follow), please do NOT use the regular XoXo submissions address but send directly to: Cynthia@cynthiamacgregor.com. IMPORTANT: In the subject line, put Christmas Warmth.
Specs specific to Christmas Warmth: 
1) Must take place around the Holiday Season;
2) These are not romances. There may be an element of romance involved, but the stories should not be romances per se. Paranormal themes OK. Stories about kids–great. Stories to do with Christmas in the manner of O. Henry’s classic “Gift of the Magi” are encouraged. Mysteries are another good choice. Non-classifiable general fiction? Bring it on!; 3) Nothing “Adult” (i.e. sexually explicit); 4) Heartwarming stories are especially encouraged; 5) True stories as well as fiction will be accepted; 6) We also welcome recipes for Holiday foods for this antho but will not make any payments for recipes. “Payment: will be that we will print your name and website, which should generate traffic to your site, so if you submit recipes, be sure to include your website if you want it in the book; 7) If submitting a recipe, the same requirement applies that you be sure to put “Christmas Warmth” in the subject line. The editor has other projects in progress that include recipes and does not want to mis-direct your contributions!
General Specs:
1 — Word count 1000-6000 words per story.
2 — You may submit multiple stories for consideration, but please know only one story per author per book will be selected. (That is, you can have one story in each antho, but no more than one per each.)
3 — Previously published material OK if you have regained full rights to your material.
4 — Simultaneous submissions acceptable if so noted.
5 – Include a brief author bio.
6 — Submit as attachment in either doc or docx format. Use rtf as a last resort.
7 – Payment as follows: Ultimate cover price of each book will depend on number of stories therein. Total royalties paid out to authors will be calculated on 45% of cover price times number of books sold. Total royalties will be divided by number of participating authors, with equal shares to each. (That is, if there are 15 stories in the book, for example, each author gets 1/15 of the total author royalties paid. Payment is NOT based on the word count of your submission.)
8 — Deadline for submissions: October 1. GET YOUR STORY IN ASAP!
Ravenous Shadows
Literary Partners Group, Inc., owner of Ravenous Romance, announced the hire of John Skipp to spearhead a new horror/thriller e-publishing imprint. Skipp’s tastes are broad yet demanding, and his requirements unusually specific. “I’m looking for 200-250 page genre novels, wildly entertaining, with no fat or filler. We’ll be specializing in smart, fun, compulsive page-turners that can be read in the amount of time it takes to watch a feature film.” For more information, visit http://ravenousromance.blogspot.com/
Compiled by Louisa Bacio
Now available: Sex University: All-Girls Academy

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