Tag: #amwriting

Going back to the beginning: The Staff & the Blade

Warning: Looooong blog post ahead.

PicYesnabyCastle
via Wikimedia Commons

The Staff & the Blade is the next novel in the Irin Chronicles. As I’ve mentioned other places, this story will be Damien and Sari’s. As I’ve also mentioned, it’s giving me headaches. WHY is it giving me headaches, you may ask?

Well.

It is a universally acknowledged truth (at least by me) that when you’re writing a fantasy series, the first book is slow-going. Any time you have to build a fictional world, you’re going to have to plan. Some of that planning will happen before you ever start writing, but a lot of that planning will happen as you write because you often don’t know something is going to be an issue until it comes up in the manuscript.

So you stop and start on the first book, as you write and research and make stuff up (cause that’s what we do!), hoping that you’re not inadvertently world-building yourself into a corner you can’t see because that particular fictional room hasn’t been built yet.

Is this making any sense to you guys? It makes sense in my head. Continue reading “Going back to the beginning: The Staff & the Blade”

Moving Toward the Mountain

I’ve been thinking about goals lately and about what I want out of my writing career. I’ll tell you that, personally, I know quite a few writers. I count many as friends. Some of them you’ve never heard of, and some of them I’m fairly positive you have. Most of these people are working at different levels in their career. Writing their first book. Writing their twentieth. Looking for an agent. Looking for a film deal. Looking for the internal fortitude to take the next step, whatever that may be.

Wherever we are, we’re all working and creating and taking the same journey, though in completely different ways. We’re all working toward our personal goals.

I’ve talked here before about Neil Gaiman’s exceptional commencement address to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Honestly, if you are a creative person of any kind, you need to watch or read it here. In that speech, Gaiman talked about how he saw his goals as a writer.

“Something that worked for me was imagining that where I wanted to be – an author, primarily of fiction, making good books, making good comics and supporting myself through my words – was a mountain. A distant mountain. My goal.”

I don’t think that you need to write down a detailed list of what you want to accomplish as a writer or an artist. You certainly may if that is what motivates you, but if you’re like me, you may not have specific goals, only general ones:

  • I want to tell stories.
  • I want to write better every day.
  • I want to be able to pay my rent and buy groceries.
  • I don’t want to be bored.

Being a writer is my mountain. My goal. And as I continue on in this very busy, very noisy world, I have to ask myself, “How I am going to get there?”

“And I knew that as long as I kept walking towards the mountain I would be all right. And when I truly was not sure what to do, I could stop, and think about whether it was taking me towards or away from the mountain.”

Is the next step you’re considering going to take you closer to your personal mountain? Or further? It’s very easy to be distracted. There are personal and family obligations that are not optional. But there are many, many social or professional obligations that are. How much time to you spend reading blogs? How much time do you spend on social networks? How much time do you spend studying about writing when you could be actually writing?

“I said no to editorial jobs on magazines, proper jobs that would have paid proper money because I knew that, attractive though they were, for me they would have been walking away from the mountain. And if those job offers had come along earlier I might have taken them, because they still would have been closer to the mountain than I was at the time.”

See, for a long time, I spent many hours a day trolling through the internet, reading excellent blogs or journals, finding those writers who had been on this publishing journey before me. I was learning. I was gleaning the information from this source and that experience. I had a list of sites that I checked, some of them daily, so that I could keep up with current publishing news. At that point in my journey, those things moved me toward my mountain.

Then, I published my first book. And most of those sites told me that I needed to maintain this blog presence or build that audience or promote in that community. And I did some of that. And those efforts (with varying success) moved me closer to the mountain.

So, I published my second book. (And it was no less nerve-wracking than the first.) And then I published my third and my fourth and my fifth. And through those months, I learned that, when things got too distracting, too overwhelming, or simply too complicated, I turned back to advice I heard from this man when I first started my journey: Focus on writing the next thing.

Because writing more will always lead me closer to the mountain. Though I took a degree in English, I never studied creative writing formally. Like Gaiman, “I learned to write by writing.” So how do I get better? I write more. And I keep writing.

Soon, I found that I wasn’t reading as many blogs or websites or journals because… they were no longer moving me toward my mountain. In my own body of work, I struggle with the idea of going back and re-editing my first book, A Hidden Fire. There are things about it that I know could be improved and, as an independent author, I could update the file easily. It’s tempting for my own ego, but I’m not sure whether it moves me toward the mountain or is just a distraction. (I’m still debating this, by the way, so feel free to weigh in with your comments.)

In conclusion, ask yourself today: Are the steps I’m taking in my journey moving me closer to that mountain? Or are they a side trip? A distraction? And don’t be afraid to say yes, but I’m going to do it anyway. Some people prefer a more meandering path, and that’s your prerogative. If you’re smart and observant, you’ll learn things either way.

But don’t stray for too long. Keep moving toward your personal mountain. Keep working. Keep learning. Mostly, keep writing or creating. Gaiman said it better than me:

“And now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art.”

“Tell your story walking”

“tell a lie sometimes, tell the truth

when it suits you, and when you’ve lost your way

tell a story.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about storytelling lately. Not just writing. Storytelling. Humans have been telling stories as long as we’ve been able to talk. We wrote them on walls. We drew them in sand and dust. It’s part of how our brains work, a vital part of the human situation which I’ve talked about in the past. Stories inform. Transmit vital knowledge, morality, and cultural tradition. We tell them. We write them. We sing them. We draw them.

In a very real sense, all art is a story. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” What about a sculpture? A symphony? It’s all part of the ongoing conversation that we take part in as members of the human race.

Why am I talking about this? I think, because of my move and other big changes in my life, I’m struggling with how to tell my stories now. When everything in your life has been upended, you need to find a new normal. A new way of doing things. Make new patterns. Tell new stories.

A friend linked me to Neil Gaiman’s wonderful commencement address at Philidelphia’s University of Art last week. Here’s what the storyteller had to say:

“When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician — make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor — make good art. IRS on your trail — make good art. Cat exploded — make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you’re doing is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before — make good art.”

Make good art. Tell good stories. Tell them in new ways you haven’t tried before. Tell them even when you don’t really feel like it. Because there is a beauty even in the attempt.

And if you’re the amazing songwriter, Deb Talan (what? you’ve never heard of Deb Talan? Get thee to iTunes!) tell your story in a song.

Tell Your Story Walking

Tell it to the judge, man.

Tell it to your motherless reflection.

In a sock and one shoe

after the great defection

he said, “tell a lie sometimes, tell the truth

when it suits you, and when you’ve lost your way

tell a story.”

Tell your story, tell it, tell it.

Tell your story to anyone who’ll listen.

Tell your story, don’t stop talking

just tell your story walking.

Listing through Carol Gardens

on the way to Cobble Hill

I stopped by a psychic’s dusty, wilted windowsill.

Forgot what she told me, mostly

but I remember one thing she said

“You may slip and call some lousy fuck your friend

but in the end you’ll come out even

then, tell your story.”

And it’s a sorry, frightful thing

when you want to cry, but you can’t keep from laughing.

Outside the church that’s so quiet it dares you to shout

you put a hand to your mouth to stop the rain.

You do a St. Vitus dance, to the sky you raise your voice.

This is your chance, you have no choice

you tell your story.

I’m all over the place.

I’m posting teasers for A Fall of Water and even one for Carwyn’s book!

I’m extolling the virtues of editing!

I’m running my own mini-blog tour!

I’m giving away stuff on Goodreads!

And giving away an ARC of my new book!

And starting a new series!

—wait, what?

Yup. I just finished the timeline on a new book, which is the first of a series that will be set in the Southwest. I’ve talked before about how much I love the desert, and part of the reason is that for years, I would spend a month in the summer with my cousins in Northeast Arizona on the Navajo reservation. Those are some of my favorite memories, so that setting has always appealed to me. I also love the Colorado River Country between California and Arizona. So, while it’s very different from the Elemental Mysteries world, that setting was a natural place for me to explore in my writing.

And along with that setting comes a rich tradition of stories and myths that make the paranormal writer in me just drool at the possibilities. One of the common threads in a many Native American mythologies are shape-shifter or skin-walker legends. The yee naaldlooshii of Navajo myth. The Cherokee Raven Mocker. The Wendigo of Algonquin legend. Shapeshifting and animal spirits have a very long tradition in my country so I’m very excited to explore them in some fun, new ways. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

Hope you all have a great week,

Elizabeth

News, updates, and “ARGH!”

I’ve taken a few days off (“Really?” Yes, really.) and I’m enjoying a writing break before I start on my next couple of projects. The cover reveal for the fourth Elemental Mysteries book, A Fall of Water, will be happening tomorrow. ARCs will be going out to bloggers soon, and a teaser for the fourth book has already posted here.

As for upcoming projects, I have three that I’m very excited about. Carwyn’s book is still a work-in-progress, but is reaching the halfway point. I don’t have an estimated time for that release, since I’m trying to catch my breath schedule-wise. I’ve also been planning a brand new series in an entirely different universe for my paranormal-lovers out there. I’m really excited about it, and I think I’ll have a short story published over the summer that will be a prequel for the first book.

Most fun of all, my son and I will be working on a project together this summer for a children’s book series he’s concocted featuring a young and ethically challenged mad scientist named Max. Yes, Mr. Colin Hunter appears to have been bitten by the writing bug and is planning and plotting along with Mom now. (This doesn’t really come as much of a surprise considering he’s been telling me the bedtime stories for quite a while now.) I have to tell you, it really is a joint project. His imagination is so wonderful, all he’s needed is a little guidance (and, of course, my writing skills since he is seven and his typing isn’t quite as good as mine). It’s a testament to turning off the electronic devices and talking with your kids. *steps off soapbox*

Finally, there have been many articles written about book piracy, but I wanted to give you a few of my thoughts here.

An excerpt:

“I’m not going to rant about it. It’s pointless. …I’m not going to debate the ethics with you in this post; I think almost everyone knows that it’s wrong, even if they’ve justified it in their mind.

What I am going to do, is loudly say to readers who do buy my books legally…

Thank you.”

I hope you have a wonderful week, and be looking around the web tomorrow for that cover and the synopsis for A Fall of Water! I’ve only given the cover out to a few bloggers, but you’ll be able to see it over on ElementalMysteries.com and on the Facebook page, as well.

Thanks for reading and have a great week,

Elizabeth

P.S. If you’ve had the time to read The Genius and the Muse, I’d really, really, with-chocolate-sprinkles, really love it if you could take the time to leave an honest review where you bought it. It makes a big difference. Thanks!

Not just a pretty face

The past few weeks I’ve been brushing up and doing final edits on the contemporary romance that I once published here on the blog. I’m aiming for publication on The Genius and the Muse (formerly Tracing Shadows) around the end of next month. At least, that’s the plan. This is my first dip in the Contemporary Romance pool, so I’ve been doing cover research, looking at the lists, checking out marketing and blogs, and it’s made me question something: Will romance readers “buy” a hero who doesn’t fit conventional standards of male beauty?

See, The Genius and the Muse is a parallel love story. There are two couples and one of the heroes is, to be frank, not all that handsome by romance novel standards. (Notice, I didn’t say he wasn’t attractive. Attraction is far more subjective.) He’s pretty rough. He’s a welder/sculptor, so he has burns and scars. He’s not all that tall. He definitely doesn’t shave regularly. Story short, he’s not going to be in any Abercrombie ads, readers.

We talk a lot about standards of beauty for women, and how books can challenge those in ways that movies or television can’t because it’s a non-visual medium. And as a reader, I can fall for a mental picture I create more easily than an actor on the screen. But still, it’s rare to find heroes in romance who aren’t described as devastatingly good-looking or at least, ruggedly handsome.

In my first books, the Elemental Mysteries, my hero is very good looking. In fact, his male beauty is part of his history and a fairly significant plot point. In this story, it was just as significant to Javi’s character development for him to not be conventionally handsome. But let’s be frank, the vast majority of romance readers are female! And who doesn’t like picturing a handsome hero, right?

So, this leads me to my questions today. As a reader, can you enjoy a story where the hero or heroine doesn’t fit the conventionally attractive mold? As a writer, do you shy away from creating characters who are not beautiful because they might not be as attractive to readers? While reading isn’t a visual medium, those mental pictures can be pretty vivid. And let’s be honest, you don’t see a lot of average looking people on the cover of romance novels. (You also don’t see many faces, there seem to be a lot of muscular torsos out there. Interesting.) But obviously, looks do count!

Let me know what you think in the comments. No judgement. Be honest! After all, it’s understandable to want to delve into an imaginary world of attractive people when daily life is a grind, and you haven’t put on make-up for the day (or week). I do the same thing, people!

Hope you have an amazing weekend, and I should have more news about the book posted on the blog next week.

Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth

Five reasons any writer might want to write fan fiction.

The past few weeks, the existence and prevalence of fan fiction has come to the national media. A lot of people still aren’t familiar with fan fiction and what it is, though most online readers are fairly familiar with the phenomenon. (For a thoughtful exploration of the history and culture of fan fiction, I recommend this excellent article in Time by Lev Grossman.) Some fan fiction is published by big publishing houses (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Wide Sargasso Sea) but the vast majority is published online. Some television shows (I’m looking at you, True Blood) can be considered fan fiction of the books that inspired them. Feel free to call it derivative fiction if it makes you feel better, but I’ll still call it fan fic.

I’m not writing today to debate any publishing issues or the ethics of fan fiction. Other, smarter people can do that and have. Most of you who are reading this blog know that I got my start writing creatively by writing fan fiction. I’ve never hidden it or been ashamed of the fact. And my opinion on the ethics has always been this: If an author objects to fan fiction and states it, fans should honor their wishes; otherwise, have fun. That’s really it.

And please spare me the tired argument that all fan fiction is un-edited crap. Yes, a lot of it is. But, a lot of it is fantastic. I’ve read fan fiction that has made me weep from the delicacy of the prose. I’ve read fanfic that has set my heart pounding and kept me up hours after my bedtime. Frankly, I’ve read fan fiction that’s better than things published by big publishers. More than once.

I’m writing today to tell you—the aspiring writer, the published writer, the practicing writer—you should spend some time writing fan fiction. Continue reading “Five reasons any writer might want to write fan fiction.”

Metaphor, Guy Clark, and The Cape

I’m in awe of good songwriters. A good song is a complete story told in three or four minutes. Set to music. Now, I’m a decent writer, but I hold a certain reverence for those talented individuals who can tell a story, put it to music, and often, sing it too. That, my friends, is talent.

I listened to a variety of music growing up, from the Statler Brothers to Led Zeppelin, folk music of all kinds and classical music, too. My own musical training was classical (voice and piano) but I always had an affection for traditional country music. When I went to school in Houston, I fell in love with Texas songwriters. Lyle Lovett was the first, quickly followed by Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

Now, a lot of you may never have heard of Guy Clark (or Van Zandt, which is a crime), but you’ve probably heard his songs. They’ve been covered by some of the biggest names in country music. However, if you’ve never heard Clark sing, you’re missing out. I’ve heard him described as a musician’s musician. He builds guitars and often plays them. He’s a songwriter, a mentor, and he’s probably one of the most emotionally evocative performers I’ve ever seen with nothing more on stage than himself and a guitar. If you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a video of Clark performing his song, Dublin Blues, last year:

Okay, this has kind of turned into a Guy Clark Appreciation Post (which is fine) but I wanted to get back to the idea of songs as really tiny, efficient stories and what we can learn from that as prose writers. One of the reasons songwriters can get away with telling big stories in tiny settings is effective use of metaphor. Continue reading “Metaphor, Guy Clark, and The Cape”

Alpha Characters and the Power Dynamic

When you write in romance, particularly paranormal romance with it’s endless possibilities for the supernatural, you hear a lot about the “alpha” hero. The alpha hero can be defined in a lot of ways, but at the heart of all definitions is power. Alpha is, of course, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Alpha. First. The heart of the “alpha” is that character’s needs/wants/desires come first.

I’m not making judgement calls about whether this is good or bad. I’m not offering social commentary. I’m approaching this as a writer. Alphas are popular. They’re fun to write. They’re very dynamic characters. They make for interesting plot development, and they’re undeniably attractive to the majority of readers.

That said, how do you create an interesting and sympathetic alpha hero without that character devolving into a stereotype or, quite simply, an asshole? Sadly, many times writers don’t. I’ve read too many books that leave the heroine swooning and me scratching my head. But here are three power dynamics (and make no mistake, ALL relationships have power dynamics) that are interesting, intelligent, and respectful of both parties.

Male Alpha/Female Alpha

Oh hi, red-hot, passionate break-up/make-up couple! Yes, having two alphas in a relationship leads to conflict, but at the same time, there is also a level of mutual respect and understanding. This is what makes this relationship work. Is it dynamic? Oh yes. Is there drama? Oh yes. Can it get tiring if the couple never comes to some kind of middle ground? Oh. Yes. Be careful trying to write this kind of relationship. Just like in real life, it’s tricky and can be messy. Expect this couple to fight a lot, but also have a pretty passionate connection. All the drama and the growth tends to be right out there for the reader and the other characters to react to. Fun? Yes, but don’t take it too far. It’s easy to fall into stereotype-land with this couple.

Fictional example: Cat and Bones, Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost

Male Alpha/Female…other?

I hesitate to give this dynamic a name because while it involves a clear alpha male, the female character is usually an alpha in her own right, but in an entirely different discipline. This dynamic is common in romance and fantasy when you have a warrior of some kind and a female character who is a seer or scholar. It involves complementary strengths instead of competing strengths and can be more difficult to write because power perception can be so subjective. (Is physical or mental strength more valued within the setting? Does this shift? Is there a public/private dynamic to the relationship?) This dynamic can also be misunderstood by other characters within the story, which makes it a great source of internal and external drama. Drama within the relationship usually involves some sort of struggle for the characters to accept that they are stronger/more complete with each other than without, after which, the relationship is usually very stable.

Fictional example: Harry/Hermione/Ron, Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (What? This applies to a lot more than just romantic relationships.)

Vanity example: Gio/Beatrice in my books, The Elemental Mysteries

Female Alpha/Male Beta

What? You thought all great romantic heroes were alphas? Pfft. I’ve read a couple of novels lately where the writer turned this common trope on its head very successfully. The trick within this power dynamic is for the heroine and hero to retain respect for each other while battling a world that too often equates female power with aggression and male support as weakness. There is usually a clear public/private dynamic to this relationship that helps the couple retain intimacy and respect in a hostile setting. There is also usually a very healthy humor and acknowledgement of the reversal of traditional roles. I’ve never written this dynamic, but I’m kicking around a few ideas because I’d love the challenge.

Fictional example: Yasmeen/Archimedes, Iron Seas #2, Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook (if you haven’t read this steampunk series, you’re missing out)

Bonus example: Zoe and Wash, Firefly universe (no joke, one of my favorite fictional relationships ever)

Are there endless variations on these three power dynamics? Yes, of course there are. Relationships, fictional or otherwise, are as unique as the individuals involved. These are only three of the most common that I’ve read or written. They all have strength and weaknesses, and they all create their own challenges for the writer and the reader.

So tell me, what’s your favorite dynamic to read? To write? Do you give one of these dynamics more respect than another? Why?

Thanks for reading,

Elizabeth