Author Interview – Barbara Benedict
October 29, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives
Taking a Journey of Baby Steps
an interview by Sandy Novy Chvostal
Pick up a Barbara Benedict book and be prepared to travel–to embark on a journey of adventure, romance and self-discovery.
But while treading her own path to success, Benedict has discovered a few shortcuts to making each writing “trip†just a little bit easier . . . . .
Q. Barbara, in this month’s Orange Blossom interview, you mention you approach each of your books as an adventure or a journey, and in a speech you gave at OCC, you also said this journey involves “baby steps.†Can you please elaborate on this?
A. Anyone who has ever sat down to write a book immediately understands what a daunting prospect it is. I’m not even going into the peripherals, (like learning basic mechanics, honing your self discipline, making contacts in the business) I’m talking about putting the actual words–the right words–on the page. Even the most prolific writer can blow a whole day watching that blinking cursor, wondering how you’re ever going to write the perfect ending when you can’t even come up with an opening line. I admit, I still find it overwhelming. The only way I get through it is to remind myself to take it one step (or word) at a time, knowing each addition brings me that much closer to where I want to go.
Taking one baby step at a time, I finished my first book, only to realize that I now had to start another story. And another after that. Which led to the discovery that the act of writing is a journey in itself and I had miles to travel before I’d get anywhere close to where I wanted to go. Again, I was overwhelmed. This, I realized, could be my Great Adventure, but where to begin? Take the wrong fork in the road and I could be lost forever. The solution, I finally found, was baby steps. I simply had to tackle the journey one tiny segment at a time, making the most of every step along the way.
Yes, I’ve had my share of frustration and disappointments, but each time I’m tempted to quit, I remind myself that all I have to do is put one foot in front of the other (or one word after another) and before long, I’m back on my way.
Q. Speaking of that first book, Lovestorm, I know you wrote–and sold–it all on your own, without the benefit of an agent, critique group, or help from any writing organizations. How has this affected your attitude toward writing?
A. Part of me wants to shudder at how ignorant and naive I was back then, yet another part recognizes the toll that knowledge and experience can take on creative freedom.
To be successful, a writer needs the advice of an editor, agent, and critique group–and everyone knows the information and support from OCC/RWA is invaluable–but with all those voices whispering in my ear as my career progressed, I began to over-analyze until I found it harder and harder to retain my original vision. Obviously, I can’t ever go back to the blissful ignorance I started with, but I can remember that sense of freedom when I didn’t stop to think everything to death. That’s what I’m working on now; relearning how to write from my heart, and not just my head.
Q. But although you write from the heart, you have the reputation of being a complete, “unemotional†professional, focused on getting the work done on time, even when–and this makes me shudder!–one of your editors actually shortened a deadline, when you were under contract for two books for two different houses! Drawing from this context, how do you personally define being a professional writer?
A. “Being professional” is probably the hardest part of being a writer. I mean, really, my work clothes double as pajamas. Still, here are a few basic rules I’ve picked up over the years.
1. Put your emotion into the writing, not into any disagreement with your editor or publisher. Wait until you can talk in a calm, rational manner before you call them, or better yet, let an agent tackle the problem for you.
2. Put your money where your mouth is–try not to promise anything you can’t possibly deliver. Remember, your editor/agent’s reputation (if not job) is in just as much in jeopardy as yours. Let them down and they’re not likely to take a chance on you again.
3. Never burn any bridges. Publishing is a surprisingly small world and you never know who’s suddenly going to show up, yet again, in your career.
4. On your rise to fame and fortune, never forget the people who helped you get there.
As far as my making deadlines, I consider it just a personal quirk: once I give my word to do something, I feel compelled to make good on it. I don’t know what I was thinking, agreeing to deliver a contemporary on the Ides of March and a historical on April Fool’s Day, but once I signed the contracts, I had to find some way to make it work. I wrote day and night, learned how to power nap and relied heavily on my critique group to point out where medieval England intruded on modern South Carolina, but somehow I managed to make both deadlines. And on this leg of my writer’s journey, the “what have we learned today” was never to do that again.
Q. Jumping from medieval England to South Carolina and back again, had to be tough! But along with the unusual settings you tackle, another way you often transcend the common boundaries of “what a romance should be†is with the heroines you create–very modern day women who are inherently independent, self-sufficient, and free-thinkers such as Ica in Destiny; Jude in Every Dream Come True; or Monica, in A Taste of Heaven. Why are you especially drawn to this type of heroine? Why do you think they work well in a romance?
A. At the core of any riveting story–especially a romance–is conflict. We might hate conflict in real life, might even actively avoid it, but we’ll invariably put down a book if it isn’t there on every page. And who better to provide it than a feisty, you-can’t-get-the-best-of-me heroine?
More importantly, women have been making great strides in proving we are far stronger than our culture has acknowledged and I want to play a part in that. Any woman who attempts to control her own destiny, despite the obstacles thrown in her path, is my idea of a real hero.
Q. Another common trait of your heroines is their zest for adventure. Where does this originate?
A. At heart, I think we all crave adventure, even if we only experience it vicariously. What better way to feel the thrill of being swept away to new, magical worlds than tucked safely in your favorite chair reading about some fictional character’s travels? Writing about them provides the same benefit, with one added bonus; often research requires that I visit the places I write about, and that’s often an adventure all its own.
Q. In your current release, The Tycoon Meets His Match, the hero and heroine set off on a madcap trip together, that I understand is similar in some respects, to your own travels. How?
A. Unlike my heroine, Trae, I never actually took a road trip in college, but years ago when my husband and I decided to move from New York to California, we packed up the van and hit the road to “see America.” Not only did it establish my own “zest” for adventure, I’m still using the places we saw and the things we did on that three week odyssey in my work.
Q. So what are you planning to work on next?
A. Well. there’s always the sequel to my December Special Edition involving another of the girls in the “Just Say No To Marriage” club but my first love has always been historicals. Right now I’m busy planning a series involving a murder mystery set in Victorian England but I’ve got an idea brewing for another retelling of an ancient myth.
Q. Hurry and get going on them, Barb! Reading your books is my favorite way to travel!
*******************
An English major in college, Barbara Benedict went on to teach high school but she’s always been drawn to the magical process of writing. In 1985, she published her first novel, an historical romance set in colonial South Carolina, and has since written about eras and locales as far apart as present day Louisiana to Arthurian England and Minoan Crete.
Barbara’s next book is Silhouette Special Edition The Tycoon Meets His Match is available now.
Dear Barbara
October 28, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Wisdom from Writers Rockby Barbara DeLong
“Dear Barbara,
Thank you so much for giving us a chance to review your work. We have enjoyed taking a look at your project but, while there are appealing aspects to the story, it does not ultimately meet the present needs of xxx .
…the hero was sexy and likable, but the story never quite came to life. There was a lack of that fantasy element we look for. Also, the pacing of the story seemed slow.â€
These are some of the comments from the rejection letter that earned me my Pro pin, and landed my manuscript under the bed with the dust bunnies (aka tumbleweed).
Until now.
For the past couple of years, I have started a number of projects and many versions thereof, only to toss them aside because I didn’t feel the thrill, the passion to complete them like I had my dust collector. I’d find myself working on a scene for one of those stories and end up thinking about the one under my bed.
Finally I succumbed to the inevitable and dragged it out. My critique group, always at the ready with an abundance of suggestions, provided much-needed encouragment. I re-read the whole thing in one day while I jotted notes on a yellow lined pad. Damned if that editor wasn’t right on the money with her comments – yes, my hero sure was sexy! New ideas began to flow, along with a renewed energy I hadn’t felt in years. Writing is fun again! In the spirit of The Secret (read it, please!), I created a mock-up of my book cover and posted it on my Vision Board. My goal is to finish the rewrite by the next National Conference so I can pitch it.
So, if you have a project under your bed that just won’t let you alone, drag that puppy out and give it a read. It’s bugging you for a reason. It just might release you from the doldrums and kick-start your engines. Happy writing!
A Fantasy Life
October 27, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as A Fantasy Life
by Janet Quinn
When writing fantasy, there are so many things to keep track of it takes an entire notebook of its own. If I’m writing a historical, I know what religion my characters are likely to be, though it’s not always important. I know how my characters are going to dress and I have books to double check that I have everything correct.
In fantasy, I’m making it up as I go along. Linda Mac (Linda MacLaughlin/Lyndi Lamont)took a class on building a fantasy world which she found very helpful. I think it might have been a good idea, but I seldom have time to take classes. That means I learn from my mistakes, which are frequent.
Writing a fantasy novel, it’s easier to catch the mistakes. If the world is for one time use, then anything that needs fixing, I’ll find by the time I get to the end of the book. Ooops, I forgot about what religious ceremonies I might need. I can always go back and fix that. Maybe the dress I picked for my characters really doesn’t work, not a problem. I can redress them before I’m through.
The problems come when you want to create a world and use it over again. When I started the Augeas stories, I was only concerned with getting two of them finished and into the publisher. Having my characters dressed in robes seemed like a great idea. Robes are really awkward especially for soldiers, but I’m stuck since two of the stories have been published. Then when I commissioned pictures of my characters, just because I wanted to, and received the picture of Dorjan, my first thought was, “Boy, I hope he’s got on underwear, otherwise things could get indecent.†Guess I’d better add underwear to the list of clothing.
The other problem was, that being in a hurry, I didn’t really sit down and plan everything out. I wrote the two stories, sold them and went on to the next two. Story three, I figured out that the humans shouldn’t be as long lived as the Ancient Ones. Why would they call them Ancient Ones if they didn’t live a lot longer? So I had to write all these notes on the first two stories so that I’d remember to make changes when I got my edits. Poor Brencis has been several many ages now. He was really old, middle aged, no age mentioned and finally back to sort of really old.
The important part about writing fantasy is consistency. When you build a world, as the author you have to think about such things as religion, politics, life style, recreational activities, food, clothing, housing, and on and on. Every part of daily life has to constructed. Then you have to throw in the fantasy part. I have magic in my world, but figuring out what kind of magic wasn’t an easy task. I consulted my expert, my son Rob, and finally decided that the magic was done with the mind. But not everyone could have the same abilities. Not only would that be boring, but then they’d all be equal and there would be no conflict.
There are still several many holes in my world which I keep filling with each new story. Augeas’ residents are of two races, so of course there must be half-breeds. How are they treated? The Guard plays a game called Clootie. What are the rules? They must have some kind of religion. Every culture has a religion.
As soon as I finish stories five and six, I’ll try and figure out some of these things. And I’m still trying to figure out where I could put in dragons, just because I like dragons.
Drawings by Jasmine Tanner, veildandy.deviantart.com
*********************************************************
Available now by Janet Quinn at her website: http://www.janet-quinn.com/ –
WHISKEY SHOTS Vol 7 from Whiskey Creek Press,
WILD HONEY
Available from Whiskey Creek Press –
THE IRISH COUNTESS, THE LUCKY LADY and A MOMENT IN TIME
Available at Amber Quill Press –
THE KILTED GOVERNESS, ARROW OF THE HEART and THE RIVER’S TREASURE
ADVICE TO MYSELF AS A NEWBIE AUTHOR
October 27, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Advice to Myself as a Newbie AuthorI’m a go-for-it, goal-setting kind of person so I had to really think hard about the advice I’d give myself if I were just starting out. My mind drew a complete blank, because I never look back with regrets. Every day I learn something new about writing, the craft, the business and the interactions between authors and friends.
When I first started out, I was forewarned not to sell to a flat-rate publisher, but my gut instincts told me, this would be a good move. I wrote 3 books for the Kensington Precious Gems line and still keep in contact with those authors today. As it turned out, my next sale was with Harlequin Historicals and having those Precious Gems books in print, meant something. It provided me with credibility as a published author, got me a very decent advance and established me as a sell-on-proposal author. Nothing but good came from that controversial decision. I trust my instincts and always have.
There’s no doubt that there’s a lot of self-doubt in the publishing world. Writers are always second-guessing themselves, so if you have good instincts, you’re halfway there. Ultimately you have to go with what your heart tells you – I’m a big believer in that. If you fail, you can only point your finger at yourself and say, “Next time, I’ll try harder,†or “Okay, I learned from that, now I’ll do it differently.â€
I really believe events in life happen for a reason and that eventually everything will fall into place. With a positive outlook, the glass half full philosophy – lemonade really can be produced when you’re handed a bagful of lemons.
So what would I have done differently?
I could say, nothing.
But that’s not entirely true. I’ve learned a good deal about promotion these past few years. I see newbie published authors struggle with this all the time. They ask themselves how much promotion should I do when I can barely meet my next deadline? What avenues do I tap into that best suit my needs? Your first book might have taken years to write; honing, polishing and revising so when you finally have to deliver a book on deadline, you’re stumped and can barely get the words on the page, much less promote it.
So my advice to myself would be to have learned the ins and outs of promotion a little bit earlier on. As a category author, what kind of promotion works and what doesn’t? How do I best reach my readers and garner new ones? How much do I spend? Are there easier and less expensive ways to do what I’m doing now? And the big one, how do I know it’s working? How do I gauge my own personal success?
I find that now, I’m spending half my time working on promoting my books and half my time writing them. It’s truly 50/50. I’ve sought advice from professionals, read everything I could on promotion, taken workshops and trusted my own instincts when it came to decision-making.
The second piece of advice I might give myself, would be to write for one line, solely. There are definite advantages in doing that, but there are disadvantages as well.
The advantage is that you build a readership more rapidly. If you’re a prolific writer and can produce several books in one year, the readers recognize you and you tend to do better in that one line. Establishing yourself as a writer of hot, sizzling love stories, or fun, light-hearted romps or military thrillers will bring you readers who will love what you write, eagerly await your next story and always buy your books. Every author wants to be an “auto-buy.â€
I write for two lines, Harlequin Historical and Silhouette Desires. I’ve split them down the middle, writing equally for both.
I feel writing in two time periods keeps my writing fresh and compelling. When I’ve had my fill of urban alpha males in the corporate world, I mosey on over to my western writing roots and delve into my cowboy stories. And when I tire of no indoor plumbing, I head back to the contemporary settings. It’s ideal for me in a craft sense. I love writing both.
Having been involved in various lines folding, I feel it’s a little safer writing for two lines. It’s the “cover-your-butt†philosophy that seems to work for me. But is it wise to have two very diverse readerships? Honestly, I don’t know. There comes a time when you have to distinguish between what’s right for you business-wise and what’s right for you as an author? What’s most important is that you write what you love and you love what you write.
Then everything else falls into place and you take that tall drink of homemade lemonade.
Charlene Sands
www.charlenesands.com
Winner 2006 National Readers’ Choice Award
Bodine’s Bounty – November 2007
The Corporate Raider’s Revenge – January 2008
Taming the Texan – March 2008
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