Category Archives: Writing

And, now the work begins. . . .

Motivation, Writing, ,

Whew! I feel like I just emerged out into the light of day – much like that rabid rodent in February who is supposed to be a weatherman but is really just a scared rat-like creature who probably just wants to bite somebody. Hard.

I just emerged from the frantic, whirlwind of promoting my debut release and I feel like I want to bite somebody. (Did I say that out loud?) It was fun, exciting, a new adventure and I loved every minute of it. I took the advice of my published friends and cherished every moment, every new thing that came along. But, it was also exhausting, tedious, and time-consuming. The same published friends has told me this as well and I now know they were 150% accurate.

But, now my baby is out there and doing well and I am down to the blogs posts that I do normally here with the Mermaids and other places. Whew. Normalcy. Routine.

Writing.

Yes, I am back in the full-mode of writing everyday. Exercising that muscle and improving my craft. It is fun, it is exciting, a new adventure everyday. It is also exhausting, time-consuming, and tedious at times. Hmmm . . . sound familiar?

That is because it is not only my passion, my calling . . . it is my job. Now, I have an EDJ that pays half the mortgage and saves for college but this writing gig is also my job because now I’m working under deadline with 6 more books contracted through now and 2013. (I am going to pause here and do a little happy dance) I have people who are counting on me to deliver the best book I can write on time. Whew!

So, yes, I’m back the hard work of writing a story that is compelling, romantic and very sexy. I am in the process of falling in love with my hero and wishing I were my heroine. I am up late at night or up early in the morning and sneaking my lunch hour to get my daily page count. This is the business of my glorious avocation and I love it.

So, I say that the work begins now . . . but it is also a hell of a lot of fun.

What is your agony and ecstasy with your writing?

Hugs,

Robin

It’s RWA 2012 Week: Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

mermaids, Writing,

You know how it goes. You get all excited about attending a conference because of the friends you haven’t seen in a year, or brilliant keynote speakers, or the chance to be a fan girl when you run into one of your favorite authors in the cafe shop, in the elevator, or who knows where. Nothing but fun. Until you sit down and examine the schedule.

I love conferences and I love workshops, spotlights and author chats, and I appreciate tracks – craft, career, or research. But there’s always one day, and one time slot, where I swear the RWA 2012 programmers are plotting against me.

I call it schedule wars, and I have found my Waterloo for 2012 – Friday, July 27 between 9:45 and 10:45. On average there are 10 options for each hour time block, so it’s not unusual to find at least two or three programs you want to attend in the same block of time. But I want to take 8 of the 10 classes Friday morning, seriously. So here’s where you must stick to your original goal (I mentioned my original goal  yesterday, right?).

My goal – add to the my writer’s arsenal, which means learn more about something I already think I have a handle on as opposed to searching out a new topic (or one I just don’t get yet). Using this logic, I can narrow the field…

So, I am choosing between two workshops (instead of 8): Cherry Adair’s workshop (Choreography of Action), I write lots of action scenes as a urban fantasy writer, so that makes sense. Or Michael Hauge’s Using Inner Conflict for Powerful Love Stories (and yes, he was here at WRWDC, less than a year ago, but I could do Michael Hauge every day – oh, whoops, that sounded wrong…)…

But hey, see how effectively that worked, I just have to make a choice between the two! Good planning,  huh!

Whoops:), I just double-checked my calendar. I have an editor appointment that hour!

Anyway, if you are heading off to RWA 2012, what’s the must do workshop on your schedule? If you aren’t heading that way, take a minute to let us know about the online course you recommend we check out!  I love a good workshop. So, share, share, share.

And oh, tomorrow I head off to Anaheim in the wee hours of the AM, so my next blog post on RWA 2012 will be LIVE from Anaheim on Thursday morning when there will be prize giveaways!

Guy Day! Service with a Smile: An Authentic Male Voice

Guy Day, mermaids, Writing, , ,

The Mermaids and a delightful young waiter named Noah have a great ‘cute meet’ story.  For those of you who may not have heard us gushing all over Facebook, personal websites, Twitter and the Internet in general, this past April was the Washington Romance Writers annual retreat.  A very special occasion in its own right, it was made even better when a handful of Mermaids were able to extend our stay for a few extra days of writing.  And what better way to celebrate than with a fine meal and impecable service!

Enter the eight of us to New York J& P Pizza restaurant.  Poor, poor guy is all I could think.  Here was this young man, with a table full of loud, laughing, story-telling, grown women depending on him for this good sevice and food.  At one point, he came by to check on us and I whispered to him that I was sorry.

Instead of shying away and murmuring a “Yes, ma’am” or “No problem, ma’am”, the kid asked, “Why are you sorry?”

Me:  “Oh, I was just feeling bad that we might be too much for you to handle, that’s all.”

Noah:  “Oh, I can handle it.”  And then he grinned.

And he did a superb job.  This kid had confidence on top of gumption and wouldn’t you know it, I’d been on a long, dreary search for a waiter with charisma to interview for our Guy Day segment.  But would cute, young Noah be up for the challenge?  My fellow mermaids beat me to the punch when they told him we were a bunch of romance writers, to which he said, “What’s that?”  I think it was then that the entire table cackled in delight and realized we’d hijacked the right restaurant and harpooned the right waiter.  Just to be sure the kid was legal, I asked his age.  “Yes ma’am.  I’m 22,” he said proudly.  Hallelujah, I was sold!

So, without further ado, I give you Noah–brave of soul, young at heart, bursting with charisma, ready to serve!

 

Me:  Hi Noah (waves), can you tell us a little about your profession?  How long have you worked as a waiter and what about this job keeps you coming back for more?

Noah:  I’ve worked as a waiter on and off for about 6 years now.  I always switch between cooking jobs and serving jobs because I enjoy working in restaurants.  I guess I find myself coming back for more because I love the busy atmosphere.  It’s a great way to meet people and personally it is a great place for networking.  I also work at Meriwether Post Pavilion which is a concert venue in Colombia, Maryland where I work as a cook and I got that job thanks to networking myself in restuarants.

 

Me: I imagine your job is very hard.  Do you think the reward is getting to meet people and know that you’ve helped make their nights?

Noah:  It’s not that the job is very hard, it’s just very fast paced.  Any serving job is the same.  It’s all about knowing the menu, putting in orders and taking food out.  The hardest part is how you walk into work that day.  I find that walking in with a smile and can-do attitude is the way to go because I am very personable and an easy talker so waiting on tables comes second naure to me since I love meeting and talking to peole.  I love making peoples’ nights because I’ve been the victim of a “bad time” in a restaurant and I love hearing people tell me that I’ve done a wonderful job or in your table’s case, to strike a “Blue Steel” look for a camera!

(He actually struck this pose for us and it was fabulous!)

 

Me:  What personal quality makes you great for this job?  Don’t be afraid to brag a little here.  And tell the truth, do waiters crank up the charm on purpose or does it just come naturally?

Noah:  The personal qualities that make me perfect for this job are that I am a very friendly person, I smile all the time, I am confident in myself to where I have no problem flirtng a little bit with my tables and my friends always tell me that the super power I possess is “Super Charisma”.  And to be honest, a good server does turn on the charm when you can tell it can be beneficial towards your evening but it really is a natural gift because if you’re naturally an angry prson, you won’t be a good server!

 

Me:  Do you have a really memorable experience with diners that you could share (besides waiting on a table of extremely exuberant and talented fiction writing ladies)?

Noah:  One actually happened a week after I waited on your table.  On this night, I waited on two older women and I was on my A game.  Long story short, I made these two ladies’ night just by being flirtatious and suggesting which meals they should get and a good place to go for dessert.  They ended up leaving me a $65 tip on a $40 bill!  So that was probably one of my better experiences.

 

Me:  Have you ever come close to losing your cool while at work?

Noah:  I do lose my cool at work every now and then but never in front of the customers because that would be unprofessional.  But I’ve definitely been brought to tears by bad tables before but mainly because I’m a pretty emotional person and I cry very easily.

(Awww, nobody better mess with our Noah!   The Mermaids have your back!)

 

Me:  Now let’s get to know you a bit outside of your job.  Afterall, a hero must be well-rounded.  What’s your favorite song and why?

Noah:  This is a hard choice because I enjoy a wide variety of music but if I had to choose one, I would pick……drum roll…..GET DOWN ON IT by Kool and the Gang!  This is my favorite song because I love to dance and this song makes me super happy every time I hear it.  When my best friend’s sister got married in the summertime, I requested this song and it started out with just me on the dance floor and after two minutes, I had nearly the whole reception dancing!! So needless to say, I bring it to Kool and the Gang.

 

Me:  Loved your answers, Noah!  You definitely brought it the night we sat at your table!  We’re almost done here.  So, as is traditon for my contributions to “Bring a guy to the pond” days, please read the scene below and tell me how you, as a real guy, would react:

Scenario:  Two guys are at a bar and grill.  One is currently finishing up his shift while the other,his buddy who has just been dumped unexpectedly by his girlfriend, is waiting for him to finish.  Let’s raise the stakes and say the poor dumped guy was just getting ready to ask her to meet his family when she kicked him out.  Now the first guy, the one on duty, knows this girlfriend pretty well and she’s generally a nice girl to his buddy so he has a clue that something might be wrong.

(I know what girls would do–we’d console each other, coming up with X,Y and Z to make our friend feel better.  But would two guys do that?  Yep, you guessed it.  We’re trying to get a crack at guys’ senstivities in a situation like this.)

Noah:  If I was the waiter on duty and my friend came in with this problem, I would tell him clearly she’s not seeing him for how awesome he is (depending on the friend) but no I would not put her down  because everybody has their reason as to why they do something in a relationship.  She couldn’t be held accountable.  If it wasn’t meant to be then it wasn’t meant to be.  When all is said and done, I would make him feel better because that is the kind of person I am.  Depending on how hard he took it, I would wing man with him and help him move on.  If he took it really hard, I would get off work and probalby talk him down from being upset and make him see that it was probably for the best.

 

There you have it folks–real guys do indeed possess a sensitive side and turns out can be quite understanding in a given situation!  Thank you so much, Noah!  You’re a real good sport and women everywhere appreciate the time you took to help us understand a true male perspective today!  I officially proclaim you Romance Novel Hero Worthy  😉

 

 

Plotting…(gulp). Do I have to? WWYD???

mermaids, Writing

Happy Friday, Mermaids and Friends! The lagoon apparently succumbed to a sudden infestation of pond scum last night and needed some attention. Once that got cleaned up, the gates were opened and the Mermaids returned to the pool! *throws glitter

One of my big problems with writing is keeping up momentum. I get a nice head of steam up, craft a great first chapter, a pretty good second, and then… yeah, you know the story. Then I give up. Plotting is NOT my strong point.

Since I’m struggling with plot, I’ll throw out a snip of my third chapter. For me writing the middle is always the struggle: for Lake Effect I have a beginning and an end, but no middle. If these were your characters, what would you do with them?

“Do you have any idea where your father’s valuables could be? And what about your mother’s?” Sam set his scraper down and crossed to face her, his height imposing.

“This is Lake Isaac. It’s safe.” But even as Nicole said the words, doubt niggled in her mind. The lake had certainly been safe when she was growing up. But what about now?

What did she really know about Lake Isaac anymore?

Sam’s next words confirmed her doubt. “Do yourself a favor: go to the bank, rent a safety-deposit box, then come back and start looking for things that need to be in it. Jewelry, cash, silverware. Important papers, the deed to the house.” He hesitated. “You father’s will.”

The thought drove pain through her chest, and she felt the tightness in her throat. “I don’t know if he has one.”

“Look through his desk.” Sam’s voice was kinder as he sensed her dismay. “He may have a deposit box already. Or a safe.” He snapped his fingers. “That’s more like Gerald: a safe. I can just see him hiding his stuff around the house.”

Nicole agreed. “’Never trust anyone who says you can trust them,’” she quoted. “What color are you painting the door?”

“Green.”

She threw her hands up. Men! “That doesn’t tell me anything,” she objected. “There are hundreds of greens, Norman.”

“Norman? Rockwell.” Sam nodded. “Good name. I like it. Thanks.”

“Don’t change the subject! What color green did you choose?”

He twisted to look at her over his shoulder. “Why do you care? You aren’t going to live here.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want the best for the house! I grew up here, and I want –“ she stopped.

“What?” Sam turned now to look her fully in the eyes. “What do you want, Nicole? Your stated goal is to be done with the house. You have a life out there that doesn’t include this house, this town, or any of its residents.” His lips pressed together for a moment. “Not your father. Not anyone.”

“I –“

“You want to be done? Be done.” He returned the scraper to the toolbox and retrieved a sanding block. “Don’t worry about us.”

She stood there, her arms filled with old newspapers. The others in the stack, relieved of their top-level brick, cascaded to the floor. The cat leapt from the railing outside and vanished.

Nicole has come back to town to get rid of her personal ghosts, her ties to Lake Isaacs, and the house she grew up in. What would you have her do next? Obviously, one thing on her list (though she doesn’t know it yet) is to fall in love with Sam. Stumped? Me, too.

When a Pantser Plots a Road Trip…

Kimberly MacCarron, mermaids, Writing,

What Happens When  a Pantser Plots a Roadtrip?

I’ll answer that in three-and-a-half words.  It ain’t pretty.

I don’t know if it goes against my very nature, but planning a cross-country road trip with my five kids makes me a tad bit nervous.  And anxious.  And really, really, REALLY scared.  It’s not so much the perpetual questions and the fighting in the backseat because I’m pretty much resigned to that.  It’s the mystery.  I hate taking the mystery out of my trip, which probably makes me a pantser in every aspect of my life.

I went to Ireland with my friend Ellen when we were in our early twenties.  We planned our route carefully.  One week to get from Shannon, Ireland to Dublin.  Then we would catch the ship to England and spend two weeks touring England and Scotland.  We had it all mapped out.  We knew where we would be staying.   We planned on hitting every tourist trap from one coast to the other.

And then we decided to scrap the rest of the trip and we stayed in Ireland for the whole month, not knowing where we would sleep at the end of every night.  She was nervous.  I was beyond-the-moon excited!  The mystery!  The possibilities!  Just winging it!  Ahhhh.  It was heaven for me.  Hell for her.

That trip was one of my favorites.  Once we met a nice woman who gave us directions out of Dublin, and we ended up staying at her house for a couple of days.  She set us up with two cute single locals who took us out on the town.  You just don’t get that with careful planning.  Don’t even get me started on tour packages…

So, during this extremely stressful plotting of my current trip, I’ve come to realize a few things that will also help my writing.  It’s not such a bad thing to have a basic idea of where you’re headed.  It’s not such a bad thing to know where you’ll sleep each night.  It’s the journey along the way that it is the mystery. Who knows when we’ll drive by the biggest ball of twine?  Who knows when we’ll meet a family who will somehow affect our lives along the way?  Or meet somebody who will have a fabulous story to tell?

I’ve decided to let my characters learn a bit from my lesson in planning.  It’s okay to have a destination and stops along the way.  It doesn’t mean that everything is planned.  The substance and personality of the characters is what, to me, means the most.  I just have to plan a bit, and I can plop those characters down into a mess I’ve created or just a beautiful part of our country that he/she has never visited before.  It’s okay to plan a bit.  It is.

If it sounds like I’m still struggling, I am.  But, it’s a struggle that I believe will help me in the long run.  Just like I realize that winging it may very well be in my personality but it doesn’t fit with taking five kids on a road trip without some planning, I’ve learned that writing can be looked at the same way.

This pantser needs to go finish the basic outline of a loosely planned road trip.  I will know where my five children sleep the first few nights.  And I know what day I’ll hit Albuquerque because my Golden Heart finalist friend Tammy is planning to house us for a couple of nights.  Shhhh.  If anyone knows her, pleased don’t tell her that my children are hellions.

And now I leave you with a question.  If you’re a pantser or plotter in your writing life, does that flow into other aspects of your life?  And how do you stop that from happening? Or do you want to?

Driven To Distraction

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation, Writing

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was summer break…

Does it ever seem like the sun, the moon and the stars are aligned against you? Like life goes out of its way to throw obstacles in your path? That your family just doesn’t equate writing with working? Well, it sure as heck does at my house! Especially in the summer when my kids are home from school.

I swear some days it feels like no one wants to talk to me until I sit down at the computer. Then, of course, the phone rings, someone comes to the door, the dog is barking and the kids are peppering me with questions—all at the same time!

A typical day in my house involves my youngest daughter walking into the room and breaking down, in minuet detail, how some computer game about dragons’ works. I’m sure this is very important in her twelve year old brain, but for me… well, not so much. Especially when I’m trying to get words on the page.

Then the phone rings… My brain is now torn between the phone call, the scene I was writing and my daughter who is not taking the hint and still rambling on about the skill points you get for capturing a rainbow dragon.

Giving up on writing for the moment, I tell my friend to hang on, save my WIP, close my computer and quietly explain to my daughter that I would love to hear all about rainbow dragons, later, preferably when I’m not writing. I leave the room and walk outside to soak up some sunshine and have a relaxing conversation catching up with my friend. Until my older daughter comes along asking me about whether or not she can meet up with her friends later. Younger daughter then arrives to ask about a snack. I resolve their issues and send them away so I can talk in peace… which works for about five minutes until the UPS man shows up. Did I mention my dog despises the UPS man and always tries to eat him? Usually wagging so hard her entire body is moving side to side, but she still sounds like a vicious killer and the UPS man is terrified of her. So I tell my friend I’ll call her back, lock up the killer dog and sign for the package. I go inside and ask my kids if they need anything else… Snacks? Questions? Permission to run with scissors or perhaps jump off a bridge?

I then go back outside, redial my friend and about ninety-seven seconds into the conversation my youngest child comes bounding outside and says, “If we won the lottery could I have a horse?”

Yeah, that wasn’t random at all… but it is the story of my life. So anyone out there who is under the delusion that a writer’s life is glamorous. Think again. Most days involve spouses, kids, day-to-day life, and those pesky day jobs. However, on occasion something happens that surprises me.

Allow me to set the stage for you… It’s last Wednesday afternoon, and my children have been finished with school for approximately five minutes, when I hear the chant of summer for the first time, “Mom, we’re bored!”

Me: “Girls, mom’s working. Please go find something to entertain yourselves. I promise we’ll go do something fun as soon as I finish this scene.”

I return to the computer and just as I get into the groove and the scene really starts to flow, I hear screaming as my children run through the house. So, like any other parent with any sense, I’m thinking this can’t be good.

Me: “Girls, what are you doing?”

Them: “We’re making a movie.”

Me: “Okay, just don’t destroy anything or kill each other.”

I should have known I was in trouble as soon as I heard the maniacal laughter. But instead, I choose to enjoy the relative peace and quiet while I could get it, and continued working. About half an hour later my kids come in and drag me downstairs to see their horror movie trailer. I couldn’t believe MY children had put something this incredible together. And done so in less than an hour… Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IjE_KQlEf8

What I Love About Writing Romance

Motivation, Writing

So a while back, I had a post on my blog about how there are days when being a romance writer sucks big hairy ones. I won’t say what those ones are, because this is the Waterworld Mermaids and the lagoon isn’t like that. 🙂

And it’s true some days the keyboard kicks me in the shins. However, there is so much to love about being a romance writer and I wanted to share 10 of my favorites. Add yours in the comments section and we’ll blow the Internet apart with our love. Hey, it could happen.

10. Hot men who take off their shirts whenever I want them too. Someone should do a study about the motivational properties of washboard abs.

 

9. Tough chicks who don't back down. They may get weary. They may get knocked around a bit. But these women always get back up and fight the good fight.

 

8. Exotic locales. OK, I know my books are set in Nebraska, but that has to be exotic to someone who lives in Tahiti, right?

 

7. Witty banter. Who wants main characters who only stare lovingly at each other? Not me. Give me verbal fireworks. (Apples and oranges - opposites attract. I crack myself up. )

 

6. Giggles. Enough with the doom and gloom. If Wesley had time to crack jokes while saving Princess Buttercup so can my heroes.

 

5. Hot, mind blowing sex every time. Yes, every time. With multiple orgasms. And no one is injured by a wayward elbow even during the most gymnastic of interludes.

 

4. The chase. Let the anticipation build and build until they either have to catch each other or the book will spontaneously combust with anticipation overload.

 

3. The lightbulb moment. You know what I'm talking about, that single moment of realization when the hero and heroine finally figure out that this isn't just lust - it's something much more. This always gives me butterflies.

 

2. Sacrifice. Just wanting to be together isn't enough for me. I want my characters to fight for it, slay dragons to be together and overcome the evilest of villains.

 

1. Happily ever after. Need I say more? I think not.

 

OK, you’re turn. What are your favorite things about writing romance?

Research: Not Just Another Dirty Word

Writing,

The Waterworld Mermaids are very excited to have fellow WRW member and super awesome chick, Kimberly Kincaid, guest blogging today. Besides owning some of the coolest clothes around and leading us in an amazing yoga session during WRW Retreat, Kimberly writes contemporary romance novels that split the difference between sexy and sweet. She is a 2012 Marlene winner, and a 2011 Golden Heart and Golden Pen finalist. Kimberly is proud to be represented by Maureen Walters at the Curtis Brown Literary Agency.

Take it away, Kimberly… 

Today's Guest Blogger, Kimberly Kincaid

 

Research: Not Just Another Dirty Word

Okay, okay. I’ll admit it. I was a bit of an aberration in high school. Was it my gravity-defying hair or my odd penchant for John Hughes movies? No, love affairs with Aqua Net and Jake Ryan were strangely the norm back in my teen-angst days. But I was definitely the exception to the rule when being given huge school projects, because while my peers were moaning and groaning about all the hard work, I was doing an inner touchdown dance of joy.

My confession is this: I love research.

Now, I’m the first person to admit that research can be pretty grueling stuff. Yes, it’s cool to gather and discover new information, but being up to your elbows in reference manuals or looking at a daunting 246,000 hits on a Google search can be pretty overwhelming stuff. So what’s the best way to make this part of the writing process not just easier, but fun?

Funny you should ask.

Plan, and then plan again. When we’re just starting out with our manuscripts, laying the research foundation is crucial. After all, what we turn up will likely impact our plot and characters, so having a good game plan is key. Outline your characters’ occupations and situations. Will your hero be a business owner? Your heroine a paramedic? Has one of your characters lost a spouse? Narrow these things down as you plan, and let them guide you into solidifying that first layer of your manuscript.

Play online. Repeat after me: Google is your friend. Let’s go with that hero who’s a business owner. Plugging “business owner” into an Internet search engine is likely to give you enough hits to break the six digit mark by a landslide. But if you play around with your keywords (“small business owner, Philadelphia” or “family owned furniture shops”, for example) will knock your numbers into the manageable level. Yes, you’ll still have to weed through the results, but the payoff will help cement that foundation into place.

Ask around. Research can—and does—happen in the most unlikely places sometimes. Your baby-sitter, your spouse’s co-worker, the guy detailing your car, all of these people are potential treasure troves of research. Don’t be afraid to casually mention that you’re writing a book about a small business owner. Chances are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at who comes out of the woodwork with a friend/cousin/neighbor/great aunt Bessie who runs her own business. Case in point: I was ankle-deep in my first foodie manuscript when a friend of mine mentioned she knew a local restaurant owner. Which brings me to my next point…

Go where the pros are. If you want to write a realistic small business owner, things will be leaps and bounds easier if you can meet up with one to bounce questions off him or her. I like to go with a few open-ended questions like, “What does your average day look like?” and “Tell me about the biggest challenges you face in your profession”. Seeing your pro at work can also be incredibly beneficial. Remember that paramedic heroine? If you want her to be realistic, ask your local volunteer rescue squad if you can do a couple of ride-alongs. Seeing them in action will give you a sense of some of the things your character should be doing. After I sat in the kitchen of that local restaurant owner I met through my friend, I was able to create a colorful and realistic backdrop for my story, as well as enrich my chef characters with attributes that never would’ve occurred to me if I hadn’t seen the real pros in action.

First-person is sometimes best. For those of you writing about serial killers, skip over this one! For everyone else, consider putting yourself in your characters’ shoes. Does your hero have a rock-climbing hobby? Find a company that offers lessons for beginners. Is your heroine an artist? Pick up some brushes and paints at your local art supply store and play at home. You don’t have to be good at it, but if you’re able to accurately describe the burn of your muscles as you try to pull yourself higher or the smell of the oil paints when they’re fresh out of the tube, you’ll create scenes that will put your readers in your book right next to your hero and heroine as they do those things too.

So you tell me readers! What are some of the most fun things you’ve done for research? What are the things you dread? Do you go for the paper research, or are you an experience junkie? Tell us your most tried-and-true methods!

In the middle of "research"

 

Thank you for swimming in the lagoon with us today, Kimberly!

When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, Kimberly can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to eclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

What Are You Looking At? Writing Conflict

Writing

“Only a struggle twists sentimentality and lust together into love.” – E.M. Forster

One of the worst sins a writer can make is to have weak conflict. I’d argue that it’s worse than having an unlikable hero or cliche-ridden text. Without conflict, a book meanders around like a bored six-year-old without friends or an imagination on a rainy day. Reading such a book makes people grouchy. Very frickin’ grouchy.

There are three basic types of conflict and your story needs each kind:

1. Internal – This is when the hero must decide between two values. A great example of this is Copland. In it, a small town New Jersey sheriff, who always wanted to be a New York City cop, discovers that the NYC officers living in his town are all dirty. He must choose between helping to expose them – some of whom he’s known since high school – and, thus, throwing away his tenuous connection to being a big city police officer or turning a blind eye to their mob ties so he continue to be a peripheral part of the group.

2. Relational – This is the conflict between two characters and how they relate to each other. Take Out of Africa. In it Karen Blixen is in love with Denys, a big game hunter who values his personal freedom above all other things. The conflict comes from their different expectations from the relationship and what they want out of life. That they love each other is not in doubt, it’s whether love can overcome ingrained differences is.

3. External – As a romantic suspense writer, this one is right in my wheelhouse. It’s the big, bad thing forcing the hero into action. In the movie Snatch, hero Turkish has to get his boxer to go down in the fourth round or face the wrath of Brick Top – a villain known to feed his enemies chopped up bodies to pigs. At the same time, half the characters are chasing after a huge stolen diamond.

What are some of your favorite examples of conflict in a movie or novel?

Keep Yer Chin Up, Babe

mermaids, Motivation, Writing

Two Thursdays ago, I fell down the stairs.  Really!  There I was, happily carrying a discipline slip to the Deans on the first floor (yes, filling out those blue cards does fill me with a sense of justice).  I was wearing my favorite orange heels from Talbots.  Dressed impeccably (bien sur!), I was sure of winning Best Dressed Teacher for the day at school.  It was a wonderful day, beautiful weather.  And, I’d just received a note from an editor, asking for more!

Yes, it was a lovely day. Until my heel went out from under me on Step #1. It hit Step #2, slipped again and then (oh, misery!) slipped on #3. At which time my butt hit Step #1 and I threw my hands out, flailing against the cascade of events that was Ruining My Day. 

No dice.  I slid down three more stairs and ended up with one leg folded under me on the stairs (the trailing foot couldn’t catch up). That foot curled into a strange question mark in its oh-so-pretty shoe.  One hand was strained from trying to stop the “A is for Alice, who fell down the stairs” moment.  Nah, Richard Scary.  That girl’s name is Susan.

When it was over, I had a sprained finger and (this makes me feel so small) sprained Big Toe.  Today, nearly three weeks, later, I am in a pair of normal shoes.  My toe still hurts.  So does my finger.  But I am better, and I am on my way back to the healthy, snarky Mermaid we all know and love.

So, you ask, why am I telling this story?  Because, when it’s all over, Keep Your Chin Up.  Yes, it’s been hard to wear sneakers at work.  It was hard to creep to and from the train, up and down the stairs at work and home, to depend on other people.  It was hard to get a rejection after I’d made the re-submit and was waiting for the contract I was positive would be in the mail the next day.  How could I miss?  How could I miss that step?

And how does one go about recovering, both from a missed step and a rejection?  My plan for my foot is to keep moving carefully, and in sensible shoes!  Oh, that is a hard one to swallow, but it must be done.  My plan for my manuscript is a careful re-read, tweaking to address the flaws that seemed to stop this editor cold, and resubmit.

Which brings me to the question:  How do YOU handle those speed bumps in life?  Your illness or injury, or that of someone you love?  The surprise rejection of a manuscript you believe in?  What does it take to get you back on your feet or, in Mermaid-speak, back in the lagoon?