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?

Snakes & Snails

Alethea Kontis, mermaids, , , , , ,

I began writing this bog post on April 29th, in the main lobby of the Best Western Westminster, less than an hour after the WRW Retreat officially ended. A few of the Mermaids convinced me to stay on a few extra days with them, to work on my massive pre-book-tour to-do list in solitude and sisterhood.

***************

I have my spoon, and I’m all set to dig my way out of Shawshank. The adventure I’m about to embark upon is a massive undertaking of my own creation, but I am equal to the task because I AM AMAZING.

I am also a mess.

I feel like I’m completely coming apart at the seams. I managed to hold the AWESOME together until last night at dinner, when Robyn Carr told us that everything was going to be all right.

I’ve always said that if I could go back in time to tell my teenage self anything (apart from “Boys are stupid, avoid them at all costs”), it would be just what Robyn said: I know it’s hard right now. This is the hardest part. But everything’s going to be all right.

With that in mind, I present to you:

Princess Alethea’s Fairly Short List of Things No One Tells You When Your First Book is Published

This list always changes. With advances in both technology & social networking, the expectations of authors ten years form now will be vastly different than it is today. As always, your mileage may vary. But as this is what I’ve learned, this is what I mean to pass on to you right now.

1.) DON’T PANIC. Douglas Adams wasn’t joking. In the month leading up to your publication date, you will be overwhelmed. Even if your publisher prints all your promotional material and schedules your entire book tour (for which I will forever be jealous), there will suddenly be a mountain of teeny little tasks that bury you under your to-do list and drive you mad as a hatter.  Any plan you have will be discarded the moment your publicist tell you that you have 48 hours in which to drop everything and write an article for the New York Times or Huffington Post…regardless of whether or not that article ever sees the light of day.

You must also remember Rule Number One when…say…the publisher of your novel declares bankruptcy three days after your book is released…but I digress.

2.) Expect the unexpected. And vice versa. Prepare yourself and at all times have on your person:

Pens
Water
Granola bar
Promotional material (bookmarks/postcards/etc)
Business Cards
Napkins/tissue
gum/mints
medicine (Advil, Excedrin, etc)

It is possible that the bookstores will provide all of these things, but it’s more probable that they will have none. If you have it all, that’s a boatload of stress off of you. I suggest making a special “booksigning kit”. Keep it stocked, and keep it with you.

Conversely, don’t expect the expected. All of your friends will offer to help you out in various ways. If 10% of these people come through for you in the way that you expect, count yourself lucky. (My 10% know who they are, and yes, the Mermaids are among them.)

Most of these disappointments will be caused by events beyond your control–funny how those events seem to come from every corner of the universe and conspire against you all at the same time. A very similar thing happens when friends promise to help you move.

You will be disappointed. It’s inevitable. You simply have too many irons in the fire. But with so many irons, it’s okay if a few fall out. And if you leave yourself open to the whims of the universe, you will be pleasantly surprised at the gifts Fate leaves on your doorstep right when you need them. (Mary Rodgers, I’m looking at you, fairy godmother.)

3.) Your publisher will screw something up. These things are so far beyond anyone’s control it’s ridiculous. A bookstore will suddenly put a price cap on all their acquisitions. Your e-book will not be ready by release date. Your name will suddenly disappear of Amazon as the author of the book, and the cover will go with it.

All of these things have happened to me at one time or another. When they do I vent in the manner appropriate (scream, cry, call a Mermaid), and then I straighten my tiara and Tweet to everyone how the world is an amazing place. I do this because FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

Shit happens. It just does. If you throw a fit & draw attention to it, that’s what people will remember about you. Chances are, your fans will never notice a thing, and your publisher will applaud the fact that you’re not one of those authors.

I could go on, but this is a pretty good start. If you prepare as much as you can up front, you’ll have more time to spare putting out fires o the back end. Three people on your blog tour jumped the gun and posted on the same day while you’re out of town at a funeral? No problem. You planned for this.  If you don’t link to them today, you’ll do it tomorrow. The world will not end. Bookstore signing cancelled because they only received in one copy of book? Smile and reschedule. They will be more embarrassed about it than you.

Whatever happens to you, keep your head held high. The Earth will not stop turning and the sun will come up in the East, just like it always has…and always will.

This is the hard part. We do it because it needs to be done in order for us to keep doing the one thing we love most in the world: Writing.

Launching a book is sweaty and stressful and unromantic. It’s also wonderful and magical all at the same time. You take the good with the bad. We writers are married to this life, for better or worse. Sugar and spice and snakes and snails and all.

Above all, keep your faith.

Because everything is going to be all right.

Hanging Out With My Guy – Hank Edwards

Interview, ,

I’m so excited to have one of my favorite guys here with me today. When I first met Hank Edwards it was through my my friend, Em Woods and the Story Orgy crew, and I thought he was one of the coolest souls I ever met. We started chatting on FB and I blazed my way through his awesome backlist. It wasn’t long before he became a big impact on my writing (he is a genius at writing subtle but amazing humor into scenes) and then my friend. Since I don’t live in Michigan and can’t just drop by to have a beer with him, to bitch about the Evil Day Jobs or watch a marathon of “The Walking Dead” – this is the next best thing.

Robin

 

 

 

1. Set the scene for us, where are you and what are your three favorite objects within arms reach.
I am sitting in my home office, feet up beneath the desk, birds at the feeder outside the window. My three favorite objects within reach are: both of my cats huddled beneath my chair, Riley the bruiser tabby and Emma the petite black domestic longhair, as well as a carnelian crystal given to me by a good friend, which provides protection, eloquence, and sexual energy.  ; )

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?
Oh boy. I try so hard, so very, very hard, to be a plotter. But every time, no matter how much I plot it out, the characters start acting completely differently and suddenly the story becomes something else entirely. So, most of the time, I’m a pantser, and I’m okay with that because, you know, life is lived by the seat of our pants, shouldn’t books be written that way? You need a starting, middle, and end, but along the way who knows what’s going to happen!

3. How often do you write and do you keep a set schedule?
I usually write on the weekends. In the summer it’s easier to write in the evening because I’m a big TV addict, so I watch a lot of TV fall and winter and spring. Been trying to cut back on that, though. Mostly I write in the mornings on the weekends. Some days I come home from the EDJ and am able to sit down and write, but not on a schedule.

4. What is your celebratory treat for finishing a book?
My man cooks a wonderful meal, we open a good bottle of wine and talk about it.

5. For the sake of this question, your best friend is single, which one of your heroes would you set him up with?
Oh, that would have to be Sir Gerard Fogg. He’s handsome, strong, loyal, brave, and willing to cross time for the one he loves. Sigh …

6. Why do think romance/erotica novels are so popular?
Escapism. Every one is pushed to their breaking point these days and we are all plugged in with mobile email and social media and being available 24/7, it’s exhausting. A good story with a bit of romance, a dash of sex, and a feel good ending goes a long way toward easing that stress.

7. You have an Evil Day Job (EDJ) too, what kind of support do you have as an author to help you with your website, e-mails, promotion and all the other non-writing parts of being a successful author?
My partner helps me with the graphics for promotion materials and banners for my Facebook pages and websites. I hired a friend of his to build me a website in WordPress and it’s easy for me to update. Emails and travel and things like that I handle on my own, so many days it feels like I have two jobs, but I love this second job. Lots of energy swirling around my writing these past two years.

8. Writing sex scenes – agony or ecstasy?
Just like having sex, I need to be in the mood. When I’m in the mood, it’s amazing. When I force myself to write them, it’s agony. A lot of time I’ll do the “XXX” trick, marking the spot in the book and come back to it when I’m feeling a little more feisty.  ; )

9. Briefs, boxers or commando?
Briefs at the EDJ, commando most other times.

10. If you could go anywhere to research your next book – where would you go?
My first thought is always Greece, but there’s so much turmoil over there right now. Instead, I would go with Italy, France, and England – the European trifecta.

11. What is your favorite word? Your least favorite?
Favorite word: conundrum. Least favorite word: then (I use it too much!)

12. You write a weekly short story/chapter for the “Story orgy” group. How does that fit in with your “regular” writing?
It steals a lot of time from my regular writing. But I’ve been revamping several of the stories published on my blog and submitting them to publishers. “Hired Muscle,” which started as a Valentine’s Day single post and then grew to a serial post, is coming out July 7 from Silver Publishing. Some times I take a week to get some posts written ahead of time and then use the free time to work on other writing.

13. What is your idea of the “perfect” romantic evening?
A nice dinner out so my man doesn’t have to cook, some good wine, a stop at a gay bar in our neighborhood for a cocktail, then home to the cats and some bossa nova music on the stereo. After that, maybe some nice, slow, smexy time, or just cuddling together as we fall asleep.

14. My understanding is that women make up a large number of the readers of m/m romance and erotica. Why do you think that is?
I was very surprised by that fact myself. I think they are drawn to the unique stories, and the fact that two men, two strong characters, falling in love and trying to make it work, is fascinating. Plus, just like straight men are turned on by two women together, straight women are turned on by two men together.

15. What are your strengths as a writer? What areas are you still working on?
I think I write comedy and suspense well. Areas I’m still working on are depth of view, different character “voices” and behaviors, and expanding my repertoire of characters. Always try something new with each book.

16. What is your best advice for pre-published and newly published authors?
Be open to all feedback. Ask for suggestions and don’t take the responses personally. And never, never, never throw a temper tantrum on social media or a blog post. There will be good reviews and bad reviews, don’t take either type personally. Find one or two friends you trust with your raw, undercooked writing and beta read for each other. One other trick: read your work out loud. You’ll hear the awkward sentences and weird phrasings really well that way. Last bit of advice: write what you love.

BIO:
Hank Edwards is the author of the hot and funny Charlie Heggensford series: Fluffers, Inc., A Carnal Cruise, and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist Vancouver Nights, all available from Lethe Press. He has other books available from Loose Id: the thriller Holed Up and sequel Shacked Up, time travel romance Destiny’s Bastard, and romantic comedy Plus Ones. His self-published vampire and zombie Old West novel, Bounty, and short story collection A Very Dirty Dozen, are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and All Romance eBooks. Every Monday morning Hank posts free m/m reads as part of the Story Orgy, a group of writers who have banded together to deliver hot, heartfelt reads. The group has published three anthologies over the past year: self-published titles And the Prompt Is… Volume One, And the Prompt Is… Holiday Edition, as well as Word Play, which was published by Breathless Press. Hank lives in a suburb of Detroit with his partner of more than 15 years and their two cats. Find out more at www.hankedwardsbooks.com, or www.facebook.com/hankedwardsbooks. You can also follow him on twitter @hanksbooks.

Tiny taste of the upcoming Shacked Up, available June 5!
Buy link: http://www.loose-id.com/Our-Authors/Hank-Edwards/

Blurb:
FBI Special Agent Aaron Pearce is recovering from his injuries suffered while on assignment in Detroit, stuck in the offices of the FBI running database searches for agents in the field. He is bored and edgy, and takes it out on those closest to him, including Mark Beecher, who lives with him.

While Mark cannot deny the heat between them, he struggles to find his place in Washington, DC, and in Pearce’s apartment. When he notices a car following him back and forth to work, he panics, certain it’s the terrorist mole Robert Morgan who escaped them in Detroit.

As Mark and Pearce try to identify the driver, Pearce is drawn into an investigation concerning the disappearance of data cards from government employees. His research reveals that the catering company where Mark works may be at the root of the thefts and, when the company is booked to cater a prestigious party, Pearce realizes it is the perfect setup for an undercover operation.

He doesn’t think twice about disobeying orders to stay out of the field, and risks not only his career, but his life as well, to join Mark in an undercover operation that will change their lives forever.

Excerpt:

Pearce got out of the car, pulling the milk, his workout bag, and suit out with him. He had enough to deal with right now, and things with Mark at that time were solid; they were right. He didn’t miss coming home to an empty apartment, not like he had after Mark had first moved in. Now he looked forward to sharing dinner with Mark, talking with him, digging in a little deeper to understand more about him. He needed to make that clear to Mark, share what he was feeling with him so Mark would know he was welcome in his apartment.
His apartment.

Pearce shook his head as he dug in his workout bag for his keys. It was their apartment, his and Mark’s. The singular was gone now; he needed to realize that.

The sound of a car tearing up the driveway toward him caught Pearce’s attention. The engine revved, startling him enough to step between a couple of parked cars. He was surprised to see Mark’s car speeding toward him. He caught a glimpse of Mark’s face behind the wheel as he sped past: a pale oval, blue eyes wide, mouth a straight line of tension.

“What the hell?” Pearce mumbled to himself and walked after the car, wincing as Mark cut the wheel at the last moment to park in an available space. Pearce stood at the trunk of Mark’s car and watched through the back window as the man fumbled with the door lock. When Mark finally managed to get out and stand beside his car, Pearce tried to lighten Mark’s obvious tension with humor.

“Is there a sale on catering whites somewhere?”

“Do you see him?” Mark brushed past him and stood in the middle of the driveway, staring back at the street.

Pearce walked up to stand beside him and followed Mark’s gaze to the empty street. “See who?”

Mark turned wide, terrified eyes to him. “The red Escort. Morgan.”

Pearce looked from Mark to the street and back again. “Again?” Pearce dropped his belongings, squatted to dig his gun from inside the workout bag, and jogged down the driveway toward the street, Mark right behind him. They looked up and down the street, but there were no cars in sight—red Escorts or other models.

“Same car as before?” Pearce asked.

“Pretty sure.” Mark put his hands on his hips and looked in both directions. “I swear, Pearce, he tailed me through traffic from work. Two cars behind, just like always. He followed me right down our street here. It’s the same car each time.” Mark looked up at him. “I know it was him.”

“Morgan? Did you see him?”

“Not directly, but who else could it be?” Mark looked up and down the street again, then turned to stomp up the driveway. “And of course he’s gone now. I feel like a fucking crazy asshole.”

Pearce blinked and turned to follow Mark, then reached out to put a hand on his shoulder and bring him to a stop. “Hey, I don’t think you’re a fucking crazy asshole, okay?”

Mark dropped his gaze to the driveway and nodded. “Thanks, but… Now I’m starting to doubt myself, so I wouldn’t blame you for thinking I was just seeing things.”

“I don’t think you’re seeing things,” Pearce said. A car turned into the lot, and he realized suddenly how they must look, standing in the middle of the drive, Pearce holding Mark’s shoulder with one hand, his gun in the other. He tucked his gun into the waistband of his workout pants and led Mark off to the side of the driveway. The car crept past, and the young woman behind the wheel gave them a long, uneasy look that Pearce tried to dispel with a friendly smile and nod.
“
Let’s go upstairs,” Pearce said to Mark. “We’ll settle down and talk about this, okay?”

Mark nodded and walked off to grab his things without a word.

Time To Recharge

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation

Last weekend was definitely stacking up to be busier than usual, and that’s saying something in my life.

Friday—Pick up race packets for my husband and fifteen year old daughter for Sunday’s Fredericksburg Historic Half Marathon. Translation: Drive over an hour through I-95 traffic, which is typically thicker than molasses, then wade through crowds at the Fredericksburg Convention center to pick up race numbers, etc. then fight I-95 traffic, again for over an hour, get back home where my fifteen year old daughter would be getting off the bus along with friends for a study group/sleepover combo (this is an every other week event and it was our turn to host).

Saturday—More teenagers coming over to work on major English project due this week. Translation: My house is going to be invaded by teenagers eating me out of house and home while they make a movie for a school project.

Sunday—Husband and daughter running Fredericksburg Historic Half Marathon. Translation: Get up at the crack of dawn to drop them off close to the start line, drive across town, park, then walk as fast as I can from one location to the next along the race course to take pictures and cheer on husband and daughter while they run 13.1 fun miles followed by a lot of Advil and an afternoon spent on the couch.

And write. I desperately needed to write because I have a mid-June deadline I’m trying to meet and unfortunately life keeps getting in the way. You know what I’m talking about—dishes, vacuuming, laundry, errands, and don’t forget that pesky day job. But I had everything under control, until…

Yep, the monkey wrench that seems to get thrown into the best layed plans. This time it came in the form of a phone call Wednesday evening…

“Hello Mrs. Rodgers. Do you remember your 12 year old daughter registering for the James Madison University Spring String Thing?”

Yes, indeed, I did remember. However, she had been third on the wait list since oh, late February or so… and now it’s May… “Yes, she was placed on the waiting list and we hadn’t heard anything back.”

“Well, congratulations to your daughter, a slot has opened up if she wants it?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t recall, exactly when is the JMU Spring String Thing?”

“This weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

This weekend!?! My brain quickly whirls through the possibilities. My youngest daughter really wants to do the JMU music thing, but JMU is at least 3 hours from my house. I’ll have to take her there Friday morning, because registration starts at 10:30am, then auditions, get her moved into her dorm and feed her lunch. Then drive to Fredericksburg to pick up race packets, then miracle myself home for the sleepover. Then, on Sunday, after the half marathon, drive another 3 hours back to JMU, to see the 2 hour long final concert, before driving another 3 hours home. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our children!

“Of course, my daughter will be thrilled. We’ll see you Friday.”

So I hung up the phone chanting another chorus of, “Oh crap, Oh Crap, OH CRAP!” and running through scenarios of how useful it would be to have the power of teleportation before going to tell my husband there has been a slight change to our weekend plans.

Thirty minutes later, my husband comes in from mowing the lawn, takes one look at my still panicked face and makes it all better with the words, “Why don’t you just stay at JMU this weekend and write? I can handle everything here.”

And this, my friends, is why I LOVE my husband. He knew I have been running at cheetah speed for weeks and needed some down time. So, I quite literally kissed him right smack dab on the mouth and said, “I think I will.”

JMU was still a long drive, but my 12 year old had a blast and learned a ton. At the final concert it was mind blowing that these were middle and high school kids who hadn’t even seen the music they would be performing until 4:30pm on Friday. And my 15 year old daughter got her project done and beat her previous record, running the half marathon in 2 hours 25 minutes.

And me? I relaxed. I drank a couple of glasses of wine. I took a hot bath where no one felt the need to parade in and out of the bathroom or bang on the door asking questions that could have easily waited another thirty minutes. And I finally got some alone time with my characters without all the usual demands of my life. I got some solid writing done and I recharged my batteries. And it was marvelous!

So do you ever feel overwhelmed? What do you do to recharge your batteries?

 

 

Field Trip: England!

mermaids, , ,

“Here is a page from the emptiest stage.  A cage or the heaviest cross ever made.” (From the song “Home” written by Martin L. Gore of Basildon, England)

 

Home.  A place we writers put our people.  Where they then do and say things.  And feel and observe.  Mess up horribly and make up for those messes.  Where will your people live?

If a story’s setting should feel just as alive as any character you bring to the page, it’s no wonder so many writers have chosen England to fill that role.

I’ve never been, but the country fascinates me, too.  Especially the Songwriters.  But that’s nothing surprising as I’m fascinated by gobs of both interesting and boring things.  And I also have no problem expressing this fascination.

Hubby, on the other hand, is hard to leave an impression on, kind of like a rock.  That’s why when he arrived home last weekend from a trip to Alconbury, England, and was nothing short of enamored with the place, I took note.  I’d expected him to report back about the cool, skinny, pale Brits I’d badgered him to pay attention to and whether or not they really say things like “mate” and “rubbish”.   Instead, these are a few of the emails I received that week:

 

“England has been interesting.  Driving on the left has been cool.  I took pics of the country side. That is all I have seen so far. It is pretty though. As soon as I landed, I thought, this is a place Carlene would love to see.” (Alconbury is located approximately 60 miles north of London.)

 

“On the drive…A weird thing I noticed. The Brits drive on the left side of the road, but the driver sits on the right, they use miles for their distance but liters for their gas.”

 

“England is very interesting.  The driving and the pace.  In Germany, (another stop on his trip) the folks on the street moved slowly while walking, but driving—they seem to speed everywhere.  Here in England, not so much.  It seems more leisurely.”

 

“The town we drove through was Alconbury.  It was a neat looking town.”  (Neat is not a word hubby says very often.  For a place to rate a “neat” is pretty substantial.)

 

“England does have an interesting feel to it. Germany (the land, the architecture, the way of life) seemed old and they relished in that. Here in England, it is new mixed with old. There was a pic I sent you of a house whose roof was made of thrash or black straw.”

 

 

Have you ever been to England?  If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feelings about it.

Do you long to make the trip like me?  If so, please feel free to share your expectations about what you envision of the place.

As I started us off with one of my favorite English written songs, I’ll end things with another.

“I’m pale, I’ve brought it back to Winter Tale.  So spare the ghosts around my neck, the winds against the sails.  I’m shivering up a storm of roadside pines.  Thirst shreds the ballast cold and shows the olden times.”  (From the song “A Winter Tale” written by Bobby Long of Wigan, England)

 

Ask a Mermaid: Book Promotion Hints, Tips and Never Dos

Ask a Mermaid

Click to send in your Ask a Mermaid question.

Dear Mermaids,

Y’all are great book promoters. Do you have any help hints on book promotion for a newbie?

Thank you,

A Tadpole

It’s true, book promotion is a necessary part of being a writer. That’s why we Waterworld Mermaids are excited to have publicity maven  Joan Schulhafer,  who owns Joan Schulhafer Publishing and Media Consulting, in the lagoon today. We cornered her by the waterfall to get the goods on book promotion.

Take it away Joan!

***

Everyone seems to have their favorite promotion ideas, some that they’ve developed over time, but trying to plan promotion for a first, second or even third book can seem daunting, especially as nothing comes with guaranteed results.

First things first though— Set up a website. It can be very simple, but you need a destination for readers to get information on you and your books. A DIY site without fancy bells and whistles will do just fine.

Write a press release (with all pertinent publication info, such as pricing, format, ISBNs, availability) and include URLs to your site, Facebook and Twitter. Write a bio focusing on your basic background, the brief news (not a synopsis) of your book, memberships and other info relating to your writing or type of writing.

Select one or two excerpts that you have available in Word.

Have jpeg images of you (if you’re sharing and author photo) and of you book(s) cover(s) to send as needed.

Start a Twitter and Facebook account. Think about keeping the business separate from your personal accounts. You can always share a lot of the same news with family and friends, but readers don’t need to know your kids’ names and that they walk to school alone.

Feed the Twitter and Facebook accounts. Start posting at least once a day.

Research online book bloggers and book review sites to find those that would seem to be most interested in your book (and genre, if applicable). E-mail them (or use the method they lay out on their site about submitting books for review) and let them know in a couple of paragraphs what you can offer them—galleys, a finished book for review, a book for a giveaway promotion on their site. Don’t forget to say thank you in their comments section if they share news about your work. And do not react negatively to reviews/postings you don’t like—or try to explain to the reviewer/blogger why they are wrong.

How do you know what to talk about via social media? In your press release? In your bio? Look and see what some of your favorite authors, as well as new writers, have done. Make some judgments from the reader point of view about what you think is interesting, embarrassing, fabulous, whatever, and lay out your plan accordingly. 
This is a strong start, and you may have other things you can add—or can afford to add time- and money-wise—to the mix, but this will get you up and running!

Best of luck,

Joan

***

Thanks so much for swimming with us, Joan! In addition to her hints and tips, check out USA Today’s Happy Ever After blogs series on book promotion here, here and here.

When it comes to things not to do, there are several we mermaids would recommend you stay away from, including: spamming book bloggers and reviewers on Twitter or Facebook; talking only about your book on social media and your blog; and – the worst of them all – not doing any promotional work at all.

Good luck Tadpole!

xoxoxo,

The Waterworld Mermaids

Winners Announced

Giveaway, Interview, mermaids,

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the lagoon these last couple days! Beth and I had so much fun chatting with all of you, and I hope you had a good time, too.

The ten winners (chosen from a random number generator) are as follows:

Megan Connors
Laurie Sanchez
Cindy Skaggs
Mary Jo Burke
Stephanie Buchanan
Marnee Bailey
Orly Konig-Lopez
amber
Kimberly MacCarron
Tara Lynn Mosby

Congratulations to all of you!

Remember, even if you did not win, you should still feel free to query Beth.  Thanks again and best of luck in your writing careers! I can’t wait to read all of your books!

Directions from Beth on how to submit:
For anyone who would like to query, please feel free to do so by emailing me a query letter and the first five or so pages of your ms pasted into the body of an email. Please mention this blog. Send to bmiller(at)writershouse(dot)com.

For those who win the chance to send your partial, please send the first 3 chapters as an email attachment, in .doc or .docx format, double-spaced, along with your query, as well as a synopsis if you have one.

Win a Partial Request from Writers House: Agent Beth Miller Swims with the Mermaids

Giveaway, Interview, mermaids,

I am thrilled to welcome the fabulous Beth Miller of Writers House to the lagoon today. And even more excited to tell you that Beth will be requesting a partial manuscript from ten lucky commenters. That’s right – I said TEN. No pitch necessary. All you have to do is leave a comment, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to receive a partial request from Beth.

Even if you have no need for representation, please feel free to say “hi” or ask Beth a question. (Just be sure to let me know you’re not interested in the drawing!) We would love to hear from you!

This contest ends Saturday, May 19, at 11:59 pm, EST. The ten lucky winners will be posted on Sunday, May 20.

Take it away, Beth!

1. There are stories of agents getting manuscripts shoved at them under the bathroom stall door. Has anything like that ever happened to you?

No, but I have definitely heard of that happening, especially at the larger conferences like RWA National. This is actually not a great way to approach agents! You don’t want to be remembered as “that lady who shoved papers at me under the bathroom stall door.” It’s a little creepy. We definitely prefer a face-to-face pitch or a query.

2. If your life story were turned into a movie (face it, “agent” is the perfect job for the lead in a romantic comedy), who would play you and the male lead?

Oh, if only my life was that interesting! May I request Gerard Butler for the male lead? Not sure how much of a role he’d have, to be honest, but it would be fun. And if so, can I play myself?

3. What is your guilty reading pleasure?

Lately, I’ve just been in love with YA fiction, so I’ve been reading more and more (and more) of it. My guilty reading pleasure is more of a confession that I re-read Anne Bishop’s BLACK JEWELS series about three times a year.

4. You have an unusual background for a literary agent. Can you tell us a little about that background and what made you decide to switch careers?

I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology (it started out as a Marine Biology degree, because I wanted to hug whales, but then I switched over in my junior year), and spent several years working in a research lab on Long Island. While I was there, I knew I wanted to go back to school (read: my folks were bugging me to get a Master’s) and I really didn’t want to go for a PhD; neither did I really want to stay in science.

I had always loved reading and writing, and had taken quite a few undergraduate literature classes, so I decided to go for a Master’s in Literature. While I was doing that degree, I was also doing some writing. All of that led me to join a local writers group, which in turn helped me find out about “how to get a job reading manuscripts, because that sounds awesome!” And that led me to the job listing for an assistant to Robin Rue at Writers House, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I have never looked back! Though I do try to go whale watching whenever I can…

5. What would your friends and family be surprised to learn about Beth Miller, the literary agent?

Well, I’m fairly certain my friends and family won’t be surprised by anything about me—I’m a pretty open book. Maybe you guys would be surprised to learn that I’ve been a certified scuba diver since I was 14 years old and absolutely love being immersed in a warm, tropical sea, surrounded by colorful fish and peace and quiet. Or that I used to be big-time into hair bands (Poison, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Firehouse, etc.). If there was a long-haired, leather-pants-clad eyeliner-wearing dude shrieking into a microphone, I probably happily shrieked along to it. I also have a stuffed llama named Sebastian (obviously after Sebastian Bach, Hair Band Singer Extraordinaire).

6. What is your favorite part about being an agent? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part is finding something fantastic in the submissions. My least favorite part is receiving a pass from an editor on a project that I love and then having to pass that along to the author. That never gets easier.

7. What makes a writer a good choice for you?

Other than that unputdownable manuscript, it’s the sense that the author has a promising career—with more than just this one manuscript. It’s also the sense that the author and I are in sync with what each of us brings to the table.

8. Chemistry is an important component in the author/agent relationship. Is there any possible way for you to judge that through a query letter?

I think that it’s possible to get a sense of the writer’s personality through his/her letter, but I think it’s more likely to get that sense from how that writer interacts via email, and especially by phone. I want to work with someone who wants to work with me, so that’s one thing I’m hoping to determine from those initial communications.

9. Do you have any thoughts on contests as a means of writers reaching out to agents? What value do you place on contest submissions?

I think contests can be a great way of getting some feedback, as well as getting the attention of the judging agents or editors. But we also know that the entries are generally just a few chapters. Most people really work on those first few chapters, but what about the rest of the manuscript? So if I’m judging a contest, and those few chapters are amazing, then I will most certainly want to see more, and we’d go from there. I also think that while there is certainly a value to having contest wins under your belt, it isn’t necessarily a determining factor for me when I evaluate a query. So that may have been a vague answer, but it’s one of those judgment calls. I’d suggest entering ones where you are guaranteed feedback, and not overdoing it. The costs can really add up!

10. Any advice you’d like to give to writers hoping to catch your attention?

I would say that you should do your research. There is so much info out there on the internet about how to write a query letter and what not to do when querying. Your query should be personalized (I don’t mean you should make reference to my love for Damon on The Vampire Diaries, but you should direct your letter to me (and not Dear Agent, etc.). You should give a concise summary of your story, and a little bit about you, including, of course, your publishing history, if you have one (which is not required if you don’t!).

Beyond that, just send me something fabulous! I am looking for new talent, for something that makes me stay up until my eyes cross from reading, or makes me watch my subway stop fly by out the window, or makes me ignore the world outside for days!

Thanks so much, Beth! It’s been an absolute pleasure having you here in the lagoon!

Beth Miller is a junior agent at Writers House, where she has worked with Robin Rue since 2007. She has the pleasure of working with a long list of talented and fabulous authors in a beautiful old brownstone with many, many steps.

In her other life, Beth was a DNA sequencing technician at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island. She much prefers books to E. coli, and enjoys scuba diving and road trips in her spare time. She also has a fascination for all things Scottish (including, but not limited to, men in kilts).

Beth is looking for romance and YA, though she would be happy to look at an action-packed thriller (think Clive Cussler or Vince Flynn) or a fantasy (think Anne Bishop or Juliet Marillier). She does not represent inspirational or religious fiction.

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?  

 

Anniversary Prize Winners, new websites and 30 days!

Giveaway, mermaids

Hi Mer-friends! I want to thank all of you for participating in the Anniversary Celebration last week. it was an absolute blast and I will announce the prize winners in just a few . . .

For me, today marks the 30-day countdown to the publication of my debut novel, A NIGHT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT, with the Indulgence Line at Entangled Publishing. I am beyond excited and I know that if you like a hot, sexy, funny book with a delicious hero and brave heroine – this is the book for you!

Also, I am debuting my brand-new website today. My genius web designer, the wonderful Walter, just made my vision come to life. Stop on by, take a look around, sign up for my newsletter, and stayed tuned for more details on my book release! Here is the link:

 

Robin Covington Romance

And, finally . . .  the winners of our Anniversary celebration are:

Winner of “A Night of Southern Comfort”: Laura McComas

Winner of Enchanted prize pack: Vanessa Barneveld

Winner of Avery Flynn prize pack: Jennifer Bock

Winner of Fair Game by Susan Andrews: Kimberly Kincaid

Winner of $130 Visa gift card:  Jennifer Bock!

(many thanks to Randompicker.com for helping me run this contest)

Please email me at [email protected] to coordinate delivery of the prizes.

Fishy kisses,

Robin