Friday's How She Does It with Skhye Moncrief #fantasy, #sci-fi, #paranormal

Though Skhye and I have never met, I belong to one of her Triberr groups.



1. I believe there are six elements in writing fiction and often fact. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is the plot. What's your take on this?







I agree wholeheartedly since being forced to write a proposal a long time ago. I suddenly realized writing by the seat of my pants was taking too much effort. I also have always written with a quasi-plot in my head. The problem is I’m too lazy to write it down, or I’d have been an obsessive plotter from the start. Even answering the barest basics for external and internal story conflict has me writing a stronger story from the first line and from the first draft. I rarely have to edit much in goals, motivation, and conflict—those being the plot holes in my work. Now fact…That’s a different ballgame. I’m a factoid reader. So, for me, writing paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy help me skirt the overwhelming obligation I feel to stick with facts in straight contemporary or historical fiction. So, you won’t find me doing anything but world building with a paranormal, sci-fi, of fantasy bent. Well, my brain won’t stay there. It wants to play with things—the rabble rouser!









2. How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific process?







I find that I just write the story after grasping the basic points mentioned in my previous answer. I usually have a character burst out of page one like a bull rider out of the stall. But that doesn’t always go as planned because I don’t want to write anything like a proposal/outline. I’m extremely lazy. So, I have learned to just write until my character is bugging me and then revise what I’ve written. This kind of writing results in an extremely solid front end of a story. I rarely write a synopsis these days. That would be after I’ve written the story. My critique partners report whether or not they connected with a character. If they didn’t, I have to go check with a synopsis and diagnose the character’s GMC (goals, motivation, and conflict). Usually the problem is that I didn’t state it at the story’s opening. Honestly, I think this type of lazy writing (LOL) results from years of writing and reflects that my subconscious is now working in my favor when I write a story. In other words, anyone can learn/be taught to write. Storytelling isn’t a gift. Neither is learning to speak or read. But you have to pay attention to the audience to learn what gets the reaction you’re looking for. Then you focus on what results in that reaction to write more stores…











3. Do your characters come before the plot? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?







No. Characters make a story. I learned that in 2003 at a writing conference in California from Bob Mayer who doesn’t write romance! So, I bought into the Joseph Campbell’s metaphysical moment—the idea that story is about a character rising to a challenge and uniting with a group (no matter the size of that group) by doing something selfless. Even if it’s for love of a mate. So, my characters must work toward the few plot points I have in mind when setting off down the writing path. This is all mental for me. I just have a few turning points in mind (the actual scenes and character behavior/reactions) to go with when I steer those wily and unruly cats toward story obstacles!











4. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?



Only if I’ve already envisioned that particular part of the plot before writing. See, I really only plot part of a story…I’m too impatient to do more. I just want to write.







5. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?







I create settings or draw from the good old memory box. I’ve studied so much with anthropology that I have quite a reservoir of information stored away to tap into.







6. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?







I prefer to research with books because I like to WRITE in them!!! I know. It’s sacrilegious. But I can’t break that habit after grad school. I lose my mind when I can’t find something I know is in a book—something crucial for the factoid reader that I am. However, sometimes an online search solves a problem quickly. Especially if you need a picture of a specific type of jewelry. I’ve just learned that finding what I need online isn’t always easy. That said, I’m really good with search parameters. So, because I’m so lazy, I’d rather just grab a book and flip through the pages. Online research wears me out.







7. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why?







I do revise as I go along because of world building. I find one little epiphany or change in a character while writing the story at any point during the process requires I go back and tweak everything. This results in one solid piece when writing THE END. I’m lazy. I don’t want to work too hard after writing THE END. As I’ve said before, this isn’t something I’d recommend the newbie writer to do. Be careful and listen to timeless advice. Don’t think your work is perfect. If mine was, I wouldn’t have to revise at all! But my story pacing seems to be internal now. My brain just makes a book so long. I don’t. It’s my subconscious working to lay down the tracks from all the rules I’ve beat into memory. And the romantic growth, that’s second nature in writing too. I have found that when I get bored with a story, it’s because I’ve forgotten romantic growth and strayed from the path of a story’s plot. A wip then requires a bit of surgery! I don’t wait until I write THE END to set bones or stitch a wound. No. I drop everything and fix the story. ;P







Thanks for raking me over the coals, Janet! ~Skhye







Skhye online http://skhyemoncrief.com

Thursday's Who Janet Lane Walters Has Been Reading #amreading

While sorting through some paperback books to alphabetize them I came across a book I hadn't read. Must have put it on the shelf and forgotten I'd bought it but I sat down and read the book. The two others read this week were both on the Kindle. Love the diversity of what venue a person can choose for reading.

A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh - This is a really good Regency romance and Ms. Balogh never fails to satisfy my reading tastes and give that warm feeling.

Betrayed Countess by Diane Scott Lewis was an interesting read and the heroine a woman in development. The story begins during the French Revolution and sends the heroine off to England to a life of toil. I do hope there will be more of her adventures since the book left me hanging in mid-air hoping for a happy ending.

Fatal Deception by Marie Force - Really enjoyed the action and adventure in this romantic suspense. I should have begun with book 1 of this series so I could follow the development of the main character. That will happen and I feel I won't be left unsatisfied.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Heros, Heroines and Series Or Not

There are series and series. Sounds confusing but it's not. There are series where the same character has story after story. These are often mysteries, but not always. Sometimes they are science fiction, fantasy and even romances can have a series where one character spans more than one book. The other kind of series is where a town, a country, an idea produces books that belong together. This time we'll deal with the first kind of series and the question, how does the writer maintain the same hero or heroine in book after book?

When reading about this in How To Write Mysteries by Shannon O'Cork, it seemed to me that this could be a problem for the writer. Using the same character in story after story can exhaust the writer. I have a series using Katherine Miller as a main character but I'm a strange kind of writer. Yes she's in more than one book, but the stories were written years apart. To have to do the same character book after book could make writing not fun for me, but there are authors who are successful doing this kind of mystery.

One has to love the character. One has to be willing to watch the character grow and change from the character's first appearance. If the character doesn't change, the writer and the reader become bored with the story. An interesting side bit. When some new people joined the tritique group and heard a bit of a mystery, they were bothered by some of the character's actions. Certain traits of a series character must follow through each of the stories. The ones who had heard or read all the stories knew the heroine couldn't act in a defferent manner. She has undergone other changes that haven't bothered other characters

Series usually have an end hopefully planned by the author in advance. Hopefully when the author decides to end the series, the readers won't clamor for more.

Tuesday's Inspiration ala Sue Grafton - Creative Urge #amwriting #am inspired

Any time I meet people and tell them I'm an author, almost all of them say that someday they would like to write a book. Not all of them do, though lately more people are entering the reals of published author. Something I read in an essay by Sue Grafton made me think about what might be missing that keeps these people from penning that book.

"First of all, there is the urge to create, the need that comes to us from some formless state, something stirring that will not let us rest." This urge ahs led Ms. Grafton to write a wonderful set of mysteries.

Has it led you into writing down word after word until you have a story? It has me. I know I feel uncomfortable if too many days pass without my working on a current story. This itch has been in my life for a very long time. From sitting on the porch with friends years ago and making up stories, or putting on plays in a neighbor's garage telling stories had been with me. Of all those story tellers I'm the only one who went on to write books. I often wonder why I couldn't do anything but scratch that itch and put word after word on paper. How about you? Did you have a group of storytelling friends? Did any of them go on to write, too?

Like Ms. Grafton, I also became a reader and explored a lot of interesting and strange works of fact and fiction. Then came the day when I had to try. High school, and I started a lot of books and worked on one and then another. Went to a hospital nursing course. My mother cleaned out my room and threw all those budding stories away. But the itch never stopped and finally I began to painfully start to write.

How about you? Has the itch remained and do you scratch it every time you sit down to write.

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters

Today is the end of 2012 and the year has been an eventful one. From joy to grief but most years are like that. As far as my writing went, the year was profitable and also slow. Only had three new releases but several re-releases. That's always a good feeling. The new sales are thrilling. No matter how many books out thereeach new one makes me want to shout. I'm sure that's true for most writers. Some of my friends have sold for the first time and some have sold after a hiatus. There are two good writers I know who are still dragging their feet and I'm not sure if they're afraid of success or failure. My dad used to tell me to aim for the stars but if I only hit the garden fence at least I tried.

For the coming year, I'm not making resolutions but I am having goals. I'd like to finish the book I found a complete mss of done on carbon paper on my old typewriter. I would also like to finish four novellas, three belonging to a new series titled Moon Child's something. I'd also like to start the second of the Guild House series. One will see what happens at the end of the year. I usually bite off more than I can chew but it's fun trying.

So what about you? Do you make resolutions or just have goals to shoot for? Are you aiming for the stars and happy when you hthe garden fence? I know I am.

Sunday's 3 Blogs Visited by Janet Lane Walters

http://blog.dreneebagby.com/2012/12/author-speak-for-readers-book-lengths/

http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com/2012/12/writing-down-bones-dashes-vs-ellipsis.html

http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2012/12/cape-cod-cranberry-pie.html

Saturday's Chapter featuring Lines of Fire by Janet Lane Walters #fantasy #romance

The Guild House Series


Defenders Hall

Lines of Fire

Prologue



Whispers of the grief to come slithered through Alric’s thoughts. He knelt beside his father’s bed and brushed the older man’s hand. The lines of fire on his father’s skin, once bright scarlet, had faded to pale pink. Thought the end approached, Alric wasn’t ready to see his father pass from life into the abyss of death.

“Papa,” he whispered. "The men of the Guild Houses and their bondmates arrive in just five days to test me for admission into the Defenders Hall.” His words were a plea for his father to remain with him for that time.

The older man’s eyes opened. The pain Alric saw brought wetness to his eyes. When his father died, there would be no relative to witness the acceptance as a Defender trainee. From the moment his father had given Alric a wooden sword and shown him the ways one could be used, he had desired to leave the village and pursue more training.

With fierce determination, Alric sought to infuse some of his vitality into his father. As always, the attempt failed. Why could the lines of fire be used to halt the flow of blood and to not achieve a return to vitality? Alric groaned. If he had been on the wood-cutting trip into the forest, he could have helped his father and the other man. A boar had gored and broken their bodies. The other lumberman had died. Alric’s father had lingered and suffered.

“Son.”

The harsh whisper startled Alric. His father hadn’t spoken once in the ten days since his shattered body had been carried to the village.

“Papa.”

“Listen. Be Defender.”

“I promise.”

“Swordmaster. Enemy. Lines of fire. Not all can see,”

Alric frowned. What die his father mean? Was the Swordmaster the reason his father’s bond had been broken and he had been banished to this distant village? Why should the lines remain a secret? Before he had a chance to ask his father spoke again.

“Find sibs.”

Alric’s head jerked up. “Sibs. I have none.”

“One boy. One girl. Too young to steal away. Just you.”

This new information rocked Alric’s thoughts. “I will find them.”

“Bracelet. Take. Use. True mate.”

New ideas and new demands swamped Alric. Questions rattled like nuts falling from the trees in autumn.

“Save. Defenders. Restore old ways. Promise.”

“I will.” Alric wasn’t sure what he had promised but his father’s words flowed through his thoughts the way the lines of fire flowed over his skin. He pressed his forehead against his father’s hand and slammed shut the gates of grief.

The rattled breathing slowed and began again. Each stop and start brought a welling of tears closer to the surface. The sound stopped. Alric waited. He raised his head. The lines of fire on his father’s skin vanished.

Gut churning sobs began and wracked Alric’s body. When the storm of tears stopped Alric rose. With leaden steps he walked to the cabin door to summon the village women to care for his father’s corpse.



* * *



On the day of testing, Alric waited with the other youths on the village commons. He had his father’s knife, sword and bonding bracelet. As he stared down the road, he recited the names of the four Guilds and their colors.

“Healers, blue. Justicars, black. Artisans, motley in red, purple and yellow. Defenders green.”

Around him whispers rose until they became a steady buzz like swarming bees. “Here they come.”

He studied the riders and their mounts. Four men and four women approached the village. The twin horns of the steeds had been polished until they gleamed. The coats of the bihorns varied in color from cream to sable.

By the end of the day, Alric bristled with pride. He had fulfilled one of the promises made to his father. He was the only one of the boys chosen to train as a Defender. Two girls had been tapped to become Defenders. He wondered why they had been chosen. Neither had any weapon skills.

Before leaving the village with the youths selected for the four guilds, he slipped away from the celebration to visit his father’s grave. Silent tears fell. He dashed them away. “In five years I’ll wear Defender’s green. I will keep the promises I made.”

Friday - Release coming - Janet Lane Walters - Lines of Fire #fantasy #romance

Since the person who should have done the How She Does It feature never sent her material, I'm taking over at least today with news about my uncoming release that will arrive sometime in January.

Lines of Fire is a fantasy romance that was fun to do and is an imaginative adventure that is a bit different, at least I hope so. Fearful of being forced by the sorcerers, the four Guilds of Investia have crossed the mists to a new world. They have erected a large structure known as the Guild House. The Guilds are Healers, Defenders, Artisans and Justicars. Not all of their people have the talents in the four areas and live in villages and farms.

Lines of Fire is the first of a trilogy about the Defenders Guild. Alric, the hero has promised his father a banished Defender to return the Defenders Guild to the ways of old and to find his missing siblings. Alric is chosen to train as a Defender and the story opens when after a duel with a Desert Rider, he learns his second bondmate will not make the bond permanent. According to rules established by the family who has ruled the Defenders for generations, a third failed bond will banish him. The current Swordmaster wants this to happen even though Alric is the best dueler among the group. Alric also sees the lines of fire that flow over people's skin and uses them when he duels.

Kalia, the Swordmaster's older daughter has no wish to bond or to be a Defender.  She also sees the lines of fire but wishes to use them to heal. She has halted the flow of blood following injuries many times. Once, she managed to dissolve a blood clot that threatened someone's life. The Swordmaster has decided she will marry his favored Defender and Kalia would rather flee than bond to Petan.

Petan and the Swordmaster's lines of fire are dark and turgid rather than the vivid red of the others. Petan wants Kalia for taking from her lines will allow him to continue to function.

The hero and heroine must learn how to clear the lines and to defeat those who wish them harm as well as learn that love is the answer to many problems.

Thursday #amreading - What Janet Lane Walters Has Been Reading

Still re-reading books and stories by my friends and browsing through what books I want to load into my Kindle. Have been reading a lot of blurbs and searching to see if my favorite authors have put out new books.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas Read this to granddaughters. Grandson slept through the reading. Felt very fortunate I can recite most of the poem since the selected book had black letters printed on a dark blue background for the first few lines. Up to On the roof I heard such a clatter. Memory saved the day.

Re-read Cabin Fever by Sheila Claydon - Romance on a cruise. Always interesting learning new things and especially British bits. Still have no idea what treacle is. It's a color, That much I got.

Also Reluctant Date re-read. Learned a bit about Florida in this story. Both books gave me that little jolt when the hero and heroine got together.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - First Lines #amwriting #amlearning

When I was re-reading How To Write Mysteries by Shannon OCork I came across a quote by Mickey Spillane. While he was talking about mysteries I believe the quote applies to most genre fiction,

"The first page sells a mystery and the last page sells the next one."

To me this makes sense for all stories. I've often read a book by an author never read before and the first page draws me in and the last page makes me want to read the author's next book. Sometimes the author's back list is sought. This has happened to my with romance, fantasy, science fiction, action adventure, mysteries, You name it. I've often found these books by accident when looking for another book.

So what does that first page need to do to pull a reader forward? These sentences set the tone of the story, establish the time period, define the setting, and introduce a character that makes the reader want to learn what is happening in this world you have created. Have you ever read a story and been fooled by perhaps the blurb, the cover or something else and when you start reading learn this story isn't what you signed on to read? I have and that makes me not want to read any more words of the story. hat first page is very important. This is the bait.

Now about that last page. The last page needs to end where the story does, needs to satisfy the reader in an emotional way, and be something to remember since you want your readers to buy your next book. I've read books where the story ends. I have that emotional reaction but the writer goes on and on to explain what happened or to show the characters having their happy or satisfactory ending continue into the future. Sometimes this is a chapter or an epilogue. So often that makes me go ho hum. Not something you want your reader to feel.