Wednesday's Writer's Tip - More on Series -Tips - Writing the Fiction Series #MFRWauthor

There are many tips in the book Writing The Fiction Series by Karen Wiesner. If you're contemplating writing a series, here are a few tips.

Set Your Own Ground Rules for the series. A very important thing to do. The series are yours and though there may be other series or stories that use some of the same elements, the series is yours. There may be many vampires in stories but your vampires may have traits and be able to do things other vampires may not. Your shape shifters may be different also. So set your rules and abide to them.

Think Big - If you envision a lengthy series make sure there's room for the short story or the novella or for a change in characters. The world you create can be large enough to show off many stories.

Twists - Both characters and stories can have twists that will carry the stories further. Without these twists, the stories could become clone stories and the reader will lose interest in reading more and more.

Up the Ante - As each story in the series continues. Give the Hero, heroine, villain a bigger reason to want to win. This will add to the tension. In my YA series, the first book shows the characters trying to fine a safe place where they can learn. When they are forced to flee again they have more concerns for the second book means they must find a way to rescue friends from evil. Moving to the third story they must find the necessary items so they can defeat the evil ones. The fourth book is the do or die story. They will either win or lose and the villains bring out the big guns.

Tuesday's Inspiration - Being Prolific - Isaac Asimov #MFRWauthor

While looking for an inspirational quote I was re-reading some essays from a number of writers and came across this one by Isaac Asimov. He was always one of my favorite science fiction writers and read most of his stories. He wrote not only science fiction but books in other genres and also he wrote long and short.

"Being prolific means you have to write quickly, and without much concern as to what improvements you might introduce if you took enough time." What he's saying here is that writing quickly and becoming a prolific writer means you don't really care about what might improve your story. There are ways you could make this happen and perhaps write an interesting story, one readers may enjoy.

To do this you must have a master plan, one where the same things happen on the same pages of your story. You sort of cookie cut and yes, you can have many books out in a fairly short time. The trick here is to make each story seem fresh and new so the reader doesn't suddenly think all the stories are the same.

Another thing is to decide on the length. Writing shorter stories means it takes less time to write the story. This usually happens but for some writers writing short takes as long as writing long does.

I've been accused of being a prolific writer but there are some writers who have surpassed me in a much shorter time. Though there was ten years when I didn't write I've been published since 1968 and have produced about 45 to 50 books. I've lost count and I don't keep track. But some of these are short and some are long. So that's one a year. I've a friend who has written more than that and she's much longer.

Being prolific isn't the goal being a good writer is so choose your pace and write. You may not be prolific but you will be a author.

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor

Meander 1 -Sleeping in certainly throws off a person's schedule. That's what happened to me today and makes thinking in the morning quite difficult. Am reading for a contest now and I do hope the entries are better than the first one I read. I also need to order some things and use the phone for that. Business cards, and other things are needed. Must get my act together soon.

Meander 2 - There will be no blog posts here on Friday or Saturday since I will be going to a conference and have yet to figure how to have things appear as scheduled. There are times when I'm not the greatest at doing computer things but I do persist.

Meander 3 - Finally figured out the title for the re-written novels into more of a novel length. Will be called Pursuing Michael West MD. The story is a funny one and hopefully I'll manage to do the four new scenes and seen if there are other small ones to work. Am doing the first re-write now up to the last chapter. It's funny to see how many of those beginner's mistakes I made during the first version of the story but they're being cleaned up. Passive voice, addressing the characters by name when there are only two people in the scene. Amazingly there is a fair amount of setting there which is one thing I've always had trouble fitting in.

Sunday - Talking About My Books - The Amber Chronicles #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

An often asked question is how does a book come about. The group of stories collected as the Amber Chronicles had two points of inspiration. I'd been chosen to join a promotional group called Jewels of the Quill and had to find a jewel that hadn't been taken by members past or present. I became Dame Amber. Part of a way to promote the group was to put out collections of short stories or novellas. So I needed to come up with a story that used amber in the title.

Going through an old computer, I came across a cover done for one of my stories. I really liked that cover but the company went belly-up or something. Suddenly I looked at the cover that showed a woman against the side of a jewel making her hair look like part of the gem. This was the inspiration for the first story in the collection but that story becomes the next to last one in the collection. Onward we go. The next time a story was called for I rescued The Woman Cast In Amber with the Woman Freed From Amber.

During my membership in the group, twice more I had to come up with stories about this world called Amber. The Amber Dragon became the next story, followed by the Amber Tower. Then I had my rights back to the stories.  I really liked these stories and decided to put them together into a group but something was missing. One knew all about the four princes and what happened to them when they were absorbed into the amber orb. What had happened to Emme to force a drastic change in her

So the opening story was created. Then one of my sons saw that I had written a story about my daughter's career and also had used my grandchildren in stories. He is a tenor, enough said. That's where the final story The Amber Cage was born and a tenor becomes a hero with a very different talent besides that of his glorious voice.

Fitting all the stories together meant some changes in the stories and putting bits about Emme between the stories so the group flowed together but writing this book was fun

The book is now available in both e-form and print. Thanks to my publisher Books We Love the stories became a seamless whole about the world called Amber/

Saturday's Blurbs featuring books by Richard Burns

Blurb:

A US Special Forces Military Intelligence Soldier uncovers an Al-Qaeda operation to ruin the Multi-national coalition. A Special Forces Soldier in Afghanistan, 2009 uncovers a major enemy operation. It's the kind which requires high level involvement. Very high level. Just how high does it go? See for yourself, as you experience first hand the tension and excitement of being on an Intelligence Operation in Afghanistan, through the vivid descriptions of the author and his notes taken contemporaneous to the events!

Amazon  Reviews:

A rare glimpse into the mind and actions of an Operator working within the shadows,

By Jonathan&Wendy on October 13, 2012

Format: Kindle Edition

So few works of literature can place the reader into the boots of a true operator, whom fights the battles that make no headlines, and receives none of the due recognition for those actions they endured. Within these pages a war that is fought within a war is drawn out splendidly, and allows a tiny glimpse into the heart and mind of the ones that do the deeds to protect our nation from the harm that would threaten and disrupt our way of life. The emotional human toll that these elite warriors pay is a difficult translation to make to the written word, where here in these pages we are privileged to share in their experiences and endeavors. From the tragic and pulse pounding, to comedic and subtle pleasantries, this book describes in detail the internal soldier that is often overlooked beyond their tough exteriors. This is a book that really needs more attention payed onto it, and would be great for any collector of current military literature, combat veteran, or readers that would like a unique adventure often untold and rarely glimpsed. A great find, and looking forward to continued works from this author.

See into the mind of a Real American Hero

By ChicagoJoe on April 23, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

This book is pretty damned exciting from start to finish. A lot of war stories revolve around an unrealistic fantasy plot or villain, but Say Goodnight rewrites actual missions from the point of view of a professional sniper and army contractor.

The realistic action sequences made this one impossible to put down. It has it all: assasination, espionage, air raids, infiltration behind enemy lines, and more. As soon as Rick Burns gets a mission he's out into action... not a lot of boring setup to get through. These characters are based on real soldiers and American heroes, which makes the content that much more exciting to read. I only wish there was more to read.

What pushed this review to 5 stars to me was the personal touches the character goes through in these intense firefights and sniper missions. It's not often you get to see the inner turmoil that every soldier has to go through when he takes a life, or the ugly yet understandable nature of confronting terrorists responsible for countless deaths and suffering of innocents. I have military men in my family but never really have the chance to hear about their feelings on the subject, since most soldiers can't talk openly about what they've been through.

This book is just a taste of the reality of our involvement in the middle east, and the part of the story you don't read in the mainstream. The situation is horrible, but we have the world's greatest soldiers doing what they have to in order to protect our citizens as well as innocence abroad. If you are a war story enthusiast, or know someone deployed to the middle east over the past decade, this is a MUST Read.

Special thanks to the author, and all US military for their service to our great country.

Sizzling hot and short...from shy to sly;) December 31, 2013

By Kay Dee Royal

Format:Kindle Edition

Sweet Chocolate’s First Taste – Book Review

Author: Richard Burns

Genre: Short Erotica

Publisher: Muse It Hot Publishing

First Sentence: I was training as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army at North Harmony Church, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Review:

Rick, seventeen and a virgin, gets a weekend pass from Army training. He and a couple buddies spend a little money for a night of blissful lust with a sexy black woman.

Trisha spends some time with three Army boys, but one of them requires extra attention and care as a special first time treat.

What can a woman do to a man to satisfy his initiation and first taste of chocolate? Hmmm…

Mr. Burns creates a boy that becomes a man in one evening, from shy to sly, in protagonist, Rick. Told in his first person point of view, it brings the story up front and personal. That’s the charm and the hook.

Trisha comes across warm and understanding as well as amazingly sexy…quite the pick for a first time experience.

Sizzling hot and short – two things I love in a story that includes a satisfying ending. I enjoyed reading Mr. Burns’ story. A nice night time read before bed :) So, if you’re looking for a short read that blows you away in a sensual steamy scene, this is it.

Amazon Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars What A Lucky Man November 12, 2011

By Kitten

Format:Kindle Edition

Sweet Chocolate's First Taste was just perfect! His first sexual experience was so much better than almost ANYONE has had. SOOOO much better. Having her for his first had to have set the standard for the rest of his life. WOW! Only in our dreams could it have been this good.

Stumbling onto a doorway between time periods, Maggie and Mike release a monster that threatens their lives and the balance of history.

Will they find the threat they loosed on the world in time? Will their lives, and tender new love, be the price they pay for their innocent curiosity?

Get comfortable (but don't forget to bar the windows!) with a fantastic story that weaves time travel, action, heartfelt romance, and sizzling sex!

Friday's Guest - Richard Burns - Talking about Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?  Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

Actually, I’m just now starting to expand my horizons, or genres.  My initial jump down the rabbit hole was into the Erotic Romance genre.  That resulted in my first short story, “Sweet Chocolate’s First Taste,” which appeared in Zane’s anthology, “Chocolate Flava 3.”

While I was deployed to Afghanistan on my 2d tour of duty with the Combined Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A), I wrote a weekly journal to family & friends, which became a fictionalized account of my weekly happenings.  It had to be fictionalized because everything I did was pretty classified.  When  I returned to the states, everybody raved about it.  They all said I had to send it to a publisher, so I did.

This became my Espionage Thriller, “Say Goodnight.” 

Then, on a bet, I thought I’d try my hand at a Horror story, having long been enthralled by Washington Irving’s “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” it seemed like a good choice for a current, more recent update of the story line.  Hence, my most recent novella, “Into Darkness Eternal,” launched on September 2.  Although I had my drafted before the Fox TV series, “Sleepy Hollow," mine launched after the series aired.

With that said, however, my story stayed true to the original tale, while the TV series wanders astray almost immediately.  I’ve been told my many people that mine is a very exciting, thrilling tale.

I so liked my characters, Mike Juppe & Maggie Castro that I decided to make a trilogy of the tale, continuing on that Paranormal/Horror Suspense theme.  Like I said, the 1^st launched on September 2d and the 2d should be out within a month, and hopefully the 3^rd right around Halloween.

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does one of these come easy and why?

So far, my heroes & heroines have all been real people that I’ve given a name change.  Most of my villains are to, perhaps morphed a couple into one.  I really have no preference or difficulty in writing either character.  My stuff is actually pretty erotic too, since sex and relationships are such a part of our daily lives, I try to expand on the relationships, a lot! 

Now when I say that, yes,  my stories have their fair share of sex, and it’s pretty steamy.  But sex without romance, is really just that, sex, a simple biological function.  It’s the romance that adds the intensity, the blistering heat, and I want my heroes and heroines, if nothing, to be intense!  Now, I’m not going to waste all that time and effort crafting a nice erotic love scene for a villain, so from that perspective, I suppose it’s more fun to write the hero & heroine Point Of View (POV).

3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

Typically, they are people that I admire and respect with some decent measure, if I am going to use them in a story.  And I meet these people all of the time!  Come to think of it, sometimes, I don’t even meet them. 

For example, in my book, “Say Goodnight,” everybody I wrote about in that book, was a real person who served with me in Afghanistan.  Now, I did take the liberties of taking people from my first tour (2003), and inserting them into my second tour, but they are all people I admire and respect.  The only character I made up, was my director, Brigadier Ferguson, and because he is the product of my imagination, I kept his part to a minimum.

4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

Once, I’m stuck taking the bus to work for a couple of weeks.  I’m standing at the bus stop, a very pretty Hispanic woman walks up and is waiting with me for the bus.  A song is playing on a car radio parked on the street and the volume is pretty loud, so we can easily hear the radio as a Macy Gray song fills the air.

Soon, we are both tapping our feet, slightly bobbing our heads, slightly swaying to the music.  We are certainly friends, nor even acquaintances, and we are certainly not dancing.  But we are sharing in the music of the moment.

As a former Chicago Police Officer, I can see a thousand ways that I can take that moment and craft a story out of it.  I could make the man a Detective who’s car is in the garage, I could make her a body at his next crime scene.  Or, more interesting, I could make her the suspect at the next crime scene!

But the personality that I would give her would have to be that of somebody I know, just so that I could craft a dialog, plan her reactions to given situations.  I could make up an individual, but I don’t think those characters are as stimulating.

5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human?

In the case of “Say Goodnight,” all I had to do was affix some names to the enemy, Al Qaeda.  Pretty easy, really.

In the instance of my latest, “Into Darkness Eternal,” that was already done for me by Washington Irving, that villain being the Headless Horseman.  Now here, all I had to do was stay true to the original tale, and of course, history.  Which is why you will see on the book cover, contrary to the TV Series, “Sleepy Hollow,” the horseman’s uniform is green, since he was a Hessian cavalryman in the original story, not a British red coat as in the TV show.

My headless horseman is a demonic, spectral killing machine with no human value or content.  I also made his horse a sort of demonic-spectral-villain support mechanism.  I certainly wanted neither villain, nor horse to be sympathetic to the reader.  I wanted the readers to stand and cheer when the good guys got in a hit.

6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain?

As I said above, my latest is “Into Darkness Eternal,” which is a 21^st Century addendum to “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”  My villain; THE Headless Horseman and my hero and heroine are consistent throughout the trilogy.

Now in the sequel to that story, “Into Darkness Again,” I’ve placed my hero & heroine, Mike & Maggie, into 1780 Tarrytown, New York.  Since Tarrytown is right across the Hudson River from West Point, I thought my characters should be better, made of studier stuff than the typical college couple, who do little more than run through the woods screaming, only to die groveling at the feet of some monster, like in all of the current slasher films.

I decided to make my characters tough, make them a clever pair, of a Combat Veterans, one from Iraq and one from Afghanistan, who were selected from the ranks of the Army to attend West Point.  Then for the sequel, I decided to bring into the story, General Benedict Arnold’s plans to surrender West Point to the British Army during the Revolution.  So, this story became a Paranormal Spy Thriller of the time.  It’s really very exciting, with riveting suspense, if I do say so myself.

I’m told by an objective person that it is a real page turner!  I was meticulous in my timeline and research on this story, so I am pretty sure it is riveting.  However, the villain, Benedict Arnold, actually plays an extremely small part in this story, essentially because the history is already written and I didn’t want to deviate from it too much.

The 3^rd installment of the trilogy, “Into Darkness Once More,” was a horse of another color.  In this story, we revert back to a headless horseman (Yes!  That’s right, there is another headless horseman legend in the US), not from the revolution, but from the American Civil War and takes place in West Virginia.  And as we all know, not every story can have a happy ending.  Furthermore, the story takes a couple of drastic turns.  No more to be said on the subject now.

7. What are you working on now?

Right now, since I now find myself back in Afghanistan, it might be a good time to get started on a sequel to “Say Goodnight.”  The Sequel would have to pick up and go through the “Arab Spring,” just to bring me up to today, then bring me back here.

Naturally, I would draft my storyline to fit the day’s current events and happenings.  That’s what’s great about these types of novels, they write themselves!  All I have to do, is insert my characters into the real-life action and excitement, tweak the actual events and what happened, create a romance to add some sexual tension, etc etc.  It’s too easy.  Once I get started, the book practically writes itself!  All I need to do is find time to put it on paper.

And for any aspiring writers out there, that IS the toughest part!  Writers, write.  I’d like to get at least a minimum of two hours, just to get warmed up and allow the story to start flowing.  But that is going to be much harder than you probably think.  If you have kids, or a PAYING Job…  A friend or two, a family member in need…  You get the idea.

8. How can people find you?

Website:  http://www.RichardBurnsBooks.com  OR  http://www.MostEroticBooks.com 

Blog

Twitter

Facebook:  I have my own Author’s facebook page, however I also have FB pages for each of my novels/novellas, and they are:

1)       Sweet Chocolate’s First Taste

2)       Say Goodnight

3)       Into Darkness Eterna

SOON TO LAUNCH

4)       Into Darkness Again

5)       Into Darkness Once More

Thursday's Hero - Rafel from The Amber Tower in The Amber Chronicles by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Rafel Riva, crown prince of Rivand, felt restless and the only reason he could imagine for his desire to flee the palace lay in the ball to be held that evening.  Four and twenty young women of lineage and wealth had been invited.  The thought of meeting and greeting them chilled him.

He glared at his mother’s back.  His escape from the palace had been delayed while she gushed about the gaggle of girls who would attend.  Each one had been evaluated as to their suitability as a bride.  Her choices had been based on the prestige they would bring to the family.

The queen turned.  “Rafel, you are five and twenty.  ‘Tis time you were wed.  You must choose one for your bride and make her the happiest of women.”

And him the glummest of men.  “Yes, mother.”

“Three princesses are among the most eligible.  The duke’s daughter will also do.  But a princess will bring honor to Rivand.”

His stomach clenched.  Choosing a bride meant there could be just one woman in his life.  A dreary and boring fate.  He liked women, all women.

He hurried along the corridor toward a side door and an escape from the noise and bustle of preparation.  All to celebrate an event he found distasteful.  So engrossed in his plan to escape when a hand clamped his shoulder he reached for his sword.

“Son, I’m glad I caught you.”  The king smiled.  “Have you seen any among the young ladies you would choose as a bride?”

Rafel shook his head.  He had avoided watching the arrivals of the past few days.  “I’ve been busy.”

“I have several suggestions.  The time has come for you to put aside your wild ways and settle into providing heirs for Rivand.”

“Leave your list with my body servant.  Mother left hers.”

The king nodded.  “I will.  Perhaps by comparing the two you will find the perfect candidate.  My list contains those who come from prolific families.  I expect you and your chosen bride to present the kingdom with a son by this time next year.  There’s nothing like a son to drive wildness from a man.”

“Yes, Father.”  Rafel’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.  Was there a need for an heir to have an heir?  He had three younger brothers, all in line for the throne.

Rafel watched his father walk away.  Only a few strands of gray touched the king’s dark hair.  His father was a hale man and good for many more years of rule.  As thoughts of twenty or thirty years of being crown prince arose, Rafel groaned.

He reached the exit nearest the stable and slipped outside.  The brother next in line for the throne emerged from behind the hedge.  “Rafe, aren’t you excited?”

“About what?”

“The ball.”

Rafel shrugged.  “Nor particularly.”

“But you might find love with one of the ladies.”

“Or eternal unhappiness.  What is love beyond a trap lauded by the verses of poets?  I have no desire to marry.  If you like you are welcome to them all.”

Peder frowned.  “Everyone says you must marry.”  He scuffed the dirt with the toe of his boot.  “What if you chose the maiden I love?”

Rafel leaned against the palace wall.  “Do you have a choice?”

“I do.  She loves me but her parents are angling for the heir to the throne.  You have all the luck.”

Luck, Rafel thought.  “Hardly.”  Tonight he would meet young women all vying for his attention.  He pushed away from the wall.  “See you at the ball.”

“Where are you going?”

“For a ride.”

“You’d better be back in time.”

Rafel laughed.  “If I’m not, you can take my place.”  He dashed to the stable.

As he saddled his roan gelding he overheard the head groom speaking to another man.  “Tonight the prince chooses a bride.  I’ve placed my money on the princess of Manir.  Who have you picked?”

The other man snorted.  “No choice for me.  One hundred years have passed since the witch took the first crown prince.”

Rafel frowned.  A witch.  How superstitious the lower classes were.  He’d only heard of witches in stories designed to frighten children into obedience.  He led the horse from the stable, mounted and rode through town to the south gate.  As his steed flowed from a walk to a canter he recalled the painting of a man called “The Lost Prince.”  Rumors said the young man had vanished mysteriously.  Rafel wished he could do the same and stay away long enough to miss the ball.

Sunlight filtering through the dense foliage of the summer growth roused him from his reverie.  How long had he been gone?  His stomach growled and he knew he’d missed the midday meal.  He tried to turn the horse but the steed burst into a gallop along the narrow trail.  As suddenly as the urge to return to the palace had arrived, the feeling vanished.  Rafel felt an eagerness to find the trail’s end.

The pounding pace continued.  Rafel loosened his hold on the reins.  Trying to halt the horse seemed impossible.  The trees opened into a clearing.  The steed halted at a picket fence.  Rafel frowned.  He’d never heard of anyone living in the forest.  He studied the scene.  Rose bushes lined the fence and filled the air with their sweet scent.  A path led from the gate through a garden with flowers on one side and a kitchen garden on the other.  The flagstones ended in front of a small weathered cottage.

Who lives here?  Rafel dismounted and walked to the gate.  He paused with his hand on the latch.  

Wouldn’t be polite to wander into someone’s house without an invitation.  A trace of smoke rose from the chimney.  Someone lived here.  “Hello,” he called.

The cottage door opened and someone walked along the path.  As the person neared he saw a woman with hair the color of sunshine and a body with enough curves to intrigue him.  When she reached the gate, he met the gaze of eyes as blue as the summer sky.

“Welcome.”  She opened the gate.

The music of her voice danced along his spine.  “Who are you?”

“Some call me the Witch of the Woods.  I am Emme.  Are you the crown prince of this time?”

His brow furrowed.  What did she mean?  “I am Rafel Riva, crown prince of Rivand.”

She smiled.  He sensed something predatory in her gaze.  He stepped back.

“Enter my garden.”

Her honeyed voice lured him a step or two.  He grasped the gate.  “I wish I could, fair one, but I must return to the palace.”

Her laughter trilled.  “’Tis not to be.  You have been called.  You have a chance to end the curse I placed on the House of Riva.  You look so much like the one who came here before.  Your hair is black and your eyes are the green of summer leaves.”

“What is this curse?”  he asked.

“The first prince I called refused to announce his love for me.  His father, the king, tried to burn my refuge and failed. Every hundred years I will call the crown prince.  He will be given a chance to end what I called on the family.”

“What must I do?”

“Give me your love and marry me.”

Her answer produced a bark of laughter.  “Marriage.  You’ve chosen the wrong prince, my fair witch.  I prefer my single state.”

“That is not the answer I want to hear.”

Rafel studied her.  She was beautiful but so were other women.  “So you cursed my family for a selfish reason.  Just because my ancestor refused to love you.  What happened to him?”

“I don’t know.  He entered the amber globe and vanished.”  She waved her hand and an oval of amber appeared on the grass near his feet.

“Surely there’s another way.”  If she had lived a hundred years how did she remain young?  He rubbed his arms.  She must be a witch.

“The only way is for you to love and marry me.”

He shook his head.  “I can’t.”

“Not even to break the curse.”

Rafel squared his shoulders.  “Not even then.  If I said I loved you that would be a lie.  My mother wants me to marry for prestige and my father for heirs.  You demand love.  I can please none of you.”

She waved her hand.  “So be it.”

The amber globe grew until he was surrounded.  Rafel tried to escape but his blows bounced from the smooth surface.  He closed his eyes.  When he opened them he faced a forest but not the one he’d left for the leaves were touched with the bright colors of autumn.

“Come.”  A soft voice commanded.  “Come.”  The call came again, this time spurring him to run toward the trees.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - On Series - Rooting Out Inconsistencies. #MFRWauthor

Readers who love series can be very critical when an inconsistency occurs. The series can die before the writer is ready to say this is the last story. So how do these inconsistencies creep in. One way is for a lack of planning. Another is that the writer has missed something that was spelled out in another book in the series. Some series are filled with many inconsistencies but they continue. I;m not sure the reason can be found. Let's look at some of the ways they've managed to creep into the string of stories.

Oversights - This means the writer has forgotten something mentioned in one of the prior books in the series. This can be serious or something the reader can look over. My thought if the heroine or one of her friends was a blonde in a prior book and becomes a redhead in the current one, she probably had a reason for changing the color of her hair. But if there's a change in the nameof a major character, there's a problem.

Change Premise - This can throw a series totally off base. There is a search for an evil opponent throughout the books but along comes book 4 and the villain changes, or the writer forgets all about the villain and makes this a totally different kind of story where the villain doesn't even appear.

Technical Problems - This means a development of some technique that didn't exist in an earlier time in the story. Lately I've been updating some old stories about nurses and hospitals but there are no computers and these have to be added in to make them fit into the present level of technology. If a development is missing in the story the writer had better find a way to invent it or if the technical areas make a drastic change from one book in the series there needs to be a reason.

Continuity issues - Having a person be in two places at the same time in a series especially if the reader is a fanatic about the stories. Having a drastic change in the character's age. He was seventeen years older than his youngest brother. His brother is twenty-five in the current story but the main character is only thirty-five. This can be a problem.

Unanswered questions. What this means is that an issue that has been seen in mentions through the entire set of books is never resolved by the writer in the current book. Could be that the writer forgot or that the plug was pulled on the series before it was set to end.

Tuesday's Inspiration - Writer, Editor and Revisions #MFRWauthor

The writer receives the response from the editor. The manuscript has been returned with the suggested dreaded revisions. Perhaps the suggestions are minor or they can be major. A little bit of resentment enters the writer's thoughts. How could he or she think that? Is the manuscript really that bad? Probably not. But every writer feels the same way when someone else looks at their story and sees flaws.

Part of the problem lies in the writer. They have been over the story so many times they may see things that aren't there. The editor has found them. Sometimes the problem lies in the editor's view of the story. But the story isn't theirs.

Revisions aren't a lot of fun and yet they can be. The revisions must be made to fit flawlessly into the entire story. It's not just a matter of changing a few words. If the scene needs to be re-written, the writer needs to look at what the editor has said and make changes but the changes must be theirs.

I've read many stories. Sometimes a scene leaps out and doesn't seem to fit the voice, the tone or just something seems wrong. The writer has made the changes following the editor's suggestion and they don't fit something in the writer's style. So when the manuscript comes back from the editor and a part needs to be extensively revised consider what the editor has suggested and then the writer needs to decide how the changes can be made to maintain the story. The story and the vision belong to the writer and the changes must be those he or she find work for them and for the story they have written.

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters

Meander 1 - When the group goes out of control what does a person do. Critique group last Tuesday was really messy. Not that anyone was being mean or anything like that. It's just everyone was jumping in when they shouldn't have. Interrupting, and other things. Part of the problem was that we weren't at my house. When there I do crack the whip. When the group usually numbers more than 5 or 6 and can approach 14 then it's time. So I posted the rules and hopefully people will stick to them. If not I may need to ask people to leave the group. A hard thing fro me since I'm a Cancer and don't like to throw away old familiar things.

Meander 2 - Had a good book signing on Saturday. There were eight signers so that's a bit too many for an event. Three or maybe four is more ideal. I need to do some pushing to get at least that many of us out into the community.

Meander 3 - Am changing the title of WIP again but I think this one will do the trick. In Pursuit of Michael. The story is going good in this revision stage and I do need to pick up the pace so I can finish it no later than mid-November. Then I also need to get started on looking to finish all those stories I'll be pullonmg from other publishers. Want to put most of my eggs in one basket so things will be easier for my family.