SFRB Recommends 46: On Writing by Stephen King #writing #craft #memoir

“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

The first section of this book is a memoir that recounts King's early life and experiences with books, and how they shaped his work. The rest of it is common-sense craft and encouragement. King's 'pantsing' approach may not work for everybody, but the rest of the advice applies to a broad audience. I haven't read much King myself, and you don't need to have done so to get a lot out of this book.

The most eye-opening part for me is a first draft he shares with us and how he revises it. He shares his reasons for the changes, unafraid to show us that even an experienced writer's first draft needs plenty of work.

If you're leery of investing in yet another book about writing, On Writing is widely available at libraries. King has done PSAs about using your library, so I think he'd approve!

Author site: Welcome to Stephenking.com

Recommendation by Lee Koven.

Being a Happy Writer

September 13, 2013
Hyatt Regency
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

2013 was a year of great change for me on the writing front. Over the preceding twelve months I'd finished two SFR's, made it to the third round of the big 2012 Harper Voyager open call with the first draft of My Name Is A'yen, semi-finalled in a contest with an inspirational historical romance, found out I was going to be an aunt for the first time, and lost my grandmother at whose house I'd rediscovered my words in 2011. I was trying to figure out where I was supposed to go next on the writing front.

Should I keep trying to fit into the inspirational romance box? Should I embrace all the strange places my SFR was taking me? Should I keep trying to do submit My Name Is A'yen to publishers, hoping for more than a form rejection? Should I keep my membership in the Christian writing organization? Should I go to their conference that year or should I stay home?

At the beginning of July, one of my friends emailed me saying they needed a third roomie at said conference and was I interested. Every penny I needed for the trip came together in about four days, including the cheapest airplane ticket I've ever seen. So I went. And had the best writing conference of my life, to date.

I went for one reason: James Scott Bell's all day class called Quantum Story. I had no idea what all it was going to cover, but I wanted to be in it. As awesome as his craft books are, learning from him in person is even MORE awesome.

But before the class on Friday, I had to sit through the first keynote address and the opening of the conference. Remember, this is a Christian conference. The biggest Christian fiction conference in the country, possibly the world. The entire theme of the conference that year was how Christians couldn't write anything but Christian fiction. That ticked me off, but I was there for Jim Bell's class and to see some friends I hadn't seen in a couple of years. Not the keynote speaker and activities designed to stuff me in a box I had grown to hate.

I sat down in the class on Friday morning with no idea what we were going to cover. It turned out to be the class his Write Your Novel From The Middle book is based on. It changed the way I approach story structure and plotting, and it's awesome! If you're a writer, go buy it.

The last forty-five minutes of the class, Jim sat down and talked to us about something he feels strongly about: finding your writing joy. Everything else I had heard so far at the conference, about how I didn't belong anywhere else in the market and Christians had no business writing general market anything let alone steamy general market romance, disappeared. Jim said we needed to find the genre and market that brought us joy. Because joy in the writer becomes joy in the novel, and readers can sense it.

I sat there listening to him, and started comparing my experience writing the historical romance versus writing My Name Is A'yen, The King's Mistress, and half of To Save A Life. While I enjoyed the historical romance, trying to fit myself into the box that came with it had sucked all the joy out of my writing. When I wrote My Name Is A'yen, it was totally different. I wrote every day. I WANTED to write every day. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

I found my writing joy. And I went up to him after the class, thanked him for talking to us about it, and told him I'd found my joy. He about squeezed my hand off he was so happy for me.

At that conference, I decided I no longer belonged in the inspirational market. It didn't know what to do with me and my love of focusing on the hero. SFR did know what to do with me, and I could write whatever I wanted with no judgment and no one peering over my shoulder saying I couldn't open a novel in the hero's POV. (yes, that happened to me)

The next evening while sitting in the hotel lobby with my friends and enjoying a Cosmo, every single one of them remarked on how happy I looked. So I told them what I'd decided. Every single one of them cheered me on. When I left that conference, I left the inspirational market. I've never looked back, and I don't miss it.

The secret to being a happy writer is writing what brings you joy. For me, that means hero-focused romance. My novels are deep and complex, and deal with heavy themes. But when you look past that, you'll find an author who's in love with words and having the time of her life.

It doesn't matter what ups and downs I go through, or what the market does. As long as I stay in my writing joy, the words pour out of me. And I don't want it any other way.

Rachel Leigh Smith writes romance for the hero lover. She lives in central Louisiana with her family and a half-crazed calico. When not writing, which isn’t often, she’s hanging with her family, doing counted cross-stitch, or yakking about life, the universe, and everything with her besties.

The third A'yen's Legacy novel, To Save A Life, released on May 4th. All the buy links are here. You can find her at www.rachelleighsmith.com.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this guest post are solely that of the author and not of the SFR Brigade.

SFRB Recommends #23: The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke #writing #craft

The First 50 Pages: Engage Agents, Editors and Readers, and Set Up Your Novel for Success by Jeff Gerke

Book Blurb

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

As a writer, what you do in your opening pages, and how you do it, is a matter that cannot be left to chance. The First 50 Pages is here to help you craft a strong beginning right from the start. You’ll learn how to:

• introduce your main character
• establish your story world
• set up the plot’s conflict
• begin your hero’s inner journey
• write an amazing opening line and terrific first page
• and more

This helpful guide walks you through the tasks your first 50 pages must accomplish in order to avoid leaving readers disoriented, frustrated, or bored. Don’t let your reader put your book down before ever seeing its beauty. Let The First 50 Pages show you how to begin your novel with the skill and intentionality that will land you a book deal, and keep readers’ eyes glued to the page.

Recommendation

This is a great book and not just for the first fifty pages. Jeff spends the first part of the book giving us an inside view of what it’s like to be an acquisitions editor. He outlines the whole process and tells us what is guaranteed to kill your chances of getting a deal. The rest of the book is spent going over what every author needs to know about the first fifty pages and what they need to accomplish. He uses a lot of examples to show how and why things work (or not). I like this book because it touches on the entire novel experience, the three acts, and what you should know about your characters before you even start writing.

This book recommendation is brought to you by Sabine Priestley.

Author site: Jeff Gerke

SFRB Recommends #22: Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress #writing #craft

Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress

Book Description

By demonstrating effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story, Nancy Kress will help you...

• hook the editor on the first three paragraphs 
• make--and keep--your story's "implicit promise"
• build drama and credibility by controlling your prose. 

Dozens of exercises help you strengthen your short story or novel. Plus, you'll sharpen skills and gain new insight into...

• the price a writer pays for flashbacks
• six ways characters should "reveal" themselves
• techniques for writing--and rewriting 

Let this working resource be your guide to successful stories--from beginning to end.

Recommendation

This is one of the books I think *every* writer should read at least once. Beginning, middle and end. Three things every book needs. Sounds simple, right? Anyone who’s ever tried to write a book knows how deceptive that statement is. This book walks you through every stage, highlights common pitfalls and gives you the tools you’ll need to bring your book to life.

You can purchase this book on:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Recommendation brought to you by Sabine Priestley.

Author site: Nancy Kress - Science Fiction and Fantasy Author

Guest Post by Michelle Browne (SciFiMagpie)--Continuity: The Devils Are in the Details

Hello hello!

A big and very gracious thank-you to the SFRB for letting me guest-post once again today. Today's post has been inspired by a bugbear I've been dealing with lately: continuity.

Those of you who are fans and bloggers might shrug when I mention continuity. Writers, on the other hand, are probably feeling a shiver down their spines that has nothing to do with the ice-bucket challenge. To explain why this induces muttering dreams and sleepless nights, it wouldn't hurt to have a definition.

Source. Pictured: a reader unhappy with continuity errors.

Continuity: what is it, and why does it matter?

"Continuity" refers to self-consistency through descriptions, action, storylines, and development in a creative work. In a nutshell, good continuity means adhering to your own rules. A work should be congruent and not vary too much throughout its existence. "Discontinuity" happens when errors are made or the lore is changed; "retroactive continuity", or "retcons", are made to reconcile early errors with later events, details, or changes. You can also manipulate continuity in order to make the narrator unreliable. Inception, American Psycho, Memento, and other films and books have made use of this. An unreliable narrator is great when it's done on purpose, but inconsistent details can also make a writer look sloppy.

 For instance, your distraught loner character might develop into a compassionate and friendly, even optimistic person through a series, but she probably shouldn't too perky and resilient right away if she's recently lost her entire family, dog, boyfriend, and ship in a single fell swoop. This usually happens when a series has been left alone for too long and the author's forgotten how to write for a character, or when the author is getting bored of a character's traits.


Character continuity is important, and the same goes for plot details. Something that one character says happened two years ago should not suddenly have happened ten years ago when it's mentioned again. We'll go deeper in a second.

Why is this important for sci fi? 

Everyone knows about the fan outcry that happened when George Lucas created the first Star Wars movies, but retroactive continuity issues also played a role in the first trilogy. Entire blogs have been written and based on examining errors in the series, so let's talk about a different example--Doctor Who. With so many writers, the story of the Time War has been bent and twisted and changed in ways that can seem self-contradictory. This also affects the characters and their journey, of course, because the plot never functions in isolation. (If it does, get an editor to look over your book, stat, because something is broken.)

As writers of fiction, it's important to learn from failures and make sure that our worlds are consistent. A tiny detail that was mentioned and thrown away earlier can be mined for plot purposes later, or, conversely, can break the plot. Farscape had a wonderful episode called "The Locket", but the mechanism their ship Moya used to escape a time-freezing zone, a "reverse starburst", unfortunately was never mentioned again. The eagles in The Lord of the Rings or the many, many plot devices used in the Harry Potter series are examples of dropped plot devices and throwaway details that accumulated to create some improbable and silly situations for the characters. The worst case I've seen was probably in The Sword of Truth--there were so many throwaway plot devices in this series that the author had to go nuclear on the ending for the last book in order to reconcile them all.

When plot devices are forgotten or tossed aside from continuity, characters' situations can end seem silly to the audience. Just because the author has forgotten something doesn't mean our readers will, unfortunately!

Source. 

How do we fix it?

It wouldn't be a SciFiMagpie post without a solution. In this case, it's simple, but a lot of work: KNOW THY WORLD. Chuck Wendig has a particularly wonderful affirmation card (posted above). The way I'm coping with continuity in The Meaning Wars is by re-reading And the Stars Will Sing and The Stolen: Two Short Stories.  Unfortunately, it's also brought a few flaws and typos in the books to my attention, but that's part of the process. You can't be a better writer unless you know your flaws.

"How can I smooth over that exposition? How can I change things so I can avoid that head-jump--can I imply things, perhaps? Maybe do a short scene from the other character's perspective? Did I just change the location of this world by accident? How can a luxurious Southern California/Ireland-like region exist in a warzone? Should I move it?" These are just a few of the questions I've been asking myself, and while painful, it's also really satisfying to know when I've gotten something right. After all, readers love to niggle, but even the ones who miss continuity errors appreciate smooth, consistent stories. This is also the reason why editors are very, very useful people to know.


And the better you do at maintaining continuity, the less sleep you'll lose at night after you accidentally change a character's name, make them three inches taller than they were in the first book, and give them a peanut allergy that would have killed them in the first scene in the second book.

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Hurts So Good: How to Break Your Heroes

Hello hello!

So, as an editor, a lot of stories cross my desk every month. I'm also a writer, though, and that means that writing a good story isn't just a matter of being a spectator. I mentioned in a recent post  that sexual assault is often used for female characters as a sort of plot device--an easy way to give them a tragic backstory and offer a motive for being both defensive of themselves and prickly. However, that post also outlined the issues with it. On reading it, my partner challenged me, "okay, so how can most writers craft a good character without using that as a plot device?"

Disclaimer

That's what I'm going to talk about today. Obviously, I've already covered one base, but I really think we can get more creative with ways to give your character that challenge. Before we get going, just a note--I'm going to keep saying "heroes", but all of this applies equally to heroines or nonhumans/non-binary heroes as well! I'm also going to focus a bit on fantasy and sci fi in particular, so keep in mind that you may have to adapt things based on your setting and genre a bit. And obviously, they're not set in stone, but do read them before you run off to break them.


So, why should your character "be programmed with the most tragic backstory ever written"?

Rule 1--They Don't Have To

Shocking, right? You can always give your character a surprisingly healthy history and then just load the tragedy and conflict on as events play out through your story. Never be afraid to hurt your characters on stage! They can't be too precious. Conversely, if you find yourself wanting to smash your heroes' hearts a bit too often, maybe pull back on a a bit. If I had a dollar for every time a manuscript had gone overboard on the tragedy department, I'd have a solid gold computer.

Rule 2--Know the Difference Between Pathos and Bathos

Hyperbole is *not* your friend in a serious manu--unless other characters poke fun at your character's unfortunate circumstances or there's inherent absurdity to the tragedy. It worked for Lemony Snicket, but I wouldn't call tragedy-overload a recommended style. It's hard to use. Pathos is, simply, an appeal to your audience's emotions. Bathos is transitioning from the exalted to the absurd. While Christopher Moore is a master of bathos, and can actually make some moving stories from the contrast, but it's not easy to do. I keep pressing the yellow 'caution' sign to make it light up here, but it's important to know when your backstory is so sad it's gone all the way to being silly. There's a balance point between tragic, heartbreaking, and tragedy overload--at 'tragedy overload', the audience's brains shut down and can't handle any more sadness. They have to giggle to deal with with things. (This is the same part of your brain that thinks Holocaust jokes and other offensive, tragic subjects are funny.) Be aware of that when you're writing.

Rule 3--Mind Your Cliches 

I mentioned sexual assault above. It's one of the gender-bound cliches; however, it's seldom used for male characters. Cliches are actually quite fine to use as long as you spice them up a bit. Consider gender-swapping them, for instance. Losing a mother motivates quite a few sons to seek revenge, but that's fine for a girl, too, instead of losing her father. Brothers and sisters are great targets, and lovers are traditional. Friends are less often used, and that's a shame, because I think we all know that in real life, friends can be as close as family, too. Adopted siblings are a good one. However, do be aware that they are cliches, instead of turning a blind eye.

Rule 4--Gender-Swapping Is Your Friend

If you are using a cliche, try to do something different with it. Heck, this goes for less-overused ideas as well. Put a character in a situation that would not necessarily conform to their gender or cultural expectations. If you're in a fantasy or sci fi setting, this is doubly true. Don't limit yourself to Terran norms! If readers can suspend disbelief enough for dragons and magic and interstellar travel that's faster than light, they can handle having a sister rescue her brother, a mother rescuing her child, or a father who's been captured. Remember to think outside the normal box of boy-save-girl or girl-gets-hurt-by-boys-automatically. Your readers will love you for it.

Rule 5--Go All the Way

If you're going for a cliche, don't be half-hearted. This goes for any sort of tragedy, really. Mind Rule 2, but a lot of readers do like it when authors amp up the sadness. Oh, sure, subtlety is important, but it's okay for something to wreck your character's life. After all, tragedies don't just conveniently come back whenever you need to talk about them. They keep characters up at night. Maybe your hero has flashbacks and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Triggers are a convenient way to add to tension and realism--the smell of whiskey or Martian flowers or the colour octarine might remind your character of that fateful night in a way they can't forget. Addictions are a 'fun' way to add consequences, too. Remember--tragedy doesn't exist in a bubble.

Rule 6--Motivation Does Not Equal Reactions

Is your hero doing what they have to as a result of someone else's tragedy? How do they feel about it? Maybe they're annoyed because it's not really their war and they just want to go home. That ambiguity is great for having your character switch sides or even switch back! Is your hero inclined to forgive the person who hurt them, but feeling forced to go through with their revenge? Honour works both ways. What if the character's heart just isn't in it? Conversely, you can have your character go to some really dark extremes for revenge, even go overboard, but if you do that, make sure other characters (and not just a single, often female, token) criticize their choices. Just because your character has a motivation, doesn't mean it will determine their reaction. People change over time and consider their personal tragedies differently.

Rule 7--Sympathy For the Devil

Maybe your character understands why her commanding officer left her family to be devoured by the ravenous space wolves on the mine orbiting Betelgeuse--because it meant saving thousands of people in the colony ship. Just because your character is driven to revenge, doesn't mean you should hate on your antagonist or villain all the time. That leads to boring antagonists, and lack of conflict. Furthermore, making your villain/antagonist sympathetic will create distress in your main character. Distress is your friend! A strong villain is almost more important than a strong lead. Make sure their motivations make sense.

Rule 8--Why?

Why is your character's backstory important? Does it really add to the story, or is it cleverly-disguised filler? Is it exposition, clogging up the beginning, or is it revealed slowly? If you're stumped, it's okay to be mysterious. Sometimes it's good to discover your character's motivation along with the audience. And for a first draft, well, anything goes. You're going to fix it anyway. You can also map out multiple possibilities for the background if you're not sure about it. Above all else, make sure your character's tragedy adds to the story rather than clogging it up or slowing it down.

So, that's my list of recommendations! Hopefully it's set your plot bunnies to chewing at the lettuce in the garden. If you're feeling doubt over your story's direction, that's okay too. Remember, no-one's going to judge you for rewriting or playing with things.

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Brain Cravings

I'm thinking a lot about why people become interested in things, not just novels but also food, music, and games. Children who have autism tend to be come rigid in their interests, playing the same game or eating the same foods over and over again. As a teacher's assistant working with such children, I often struggle to get one kid to name the letters instead of lining them up by color, or to get another to recognize whole words instead of just repeating the names of letters. Hopefully these kids will someday enjoy reading whole stories.

And then I go home and write fiction for adults. I'm facing the same sort of problem. Some readers insist on the same story and type of story told repeatedly. I work at enticing readers into something new.

Here is what I think is happening. Brains are prediction machines, having evolved over time to analyze patterns and predict what will happen next. They are driven to find out what happens next. Brains which are good at predicting pass on the ability, producing babies with similar brains.

This prediction isn't conscious analysis, but an instinctive drive. Our brains crave patterns and prediction of patterns the same way we crave food, or sleep, or affection. If these patterns aren't available, we create them. Brains with neurological problems blocking their development go after whatever patterns are accessible. The results are often amazing. People missing huge parts of their brains can still adapt and function well. I stand in awe of the brain, particularly the brain of a child, and what it can do.

I believe that a baby playing with a rattle and an adult reading a novel are both engaged in pattern prediction and for the same reasons; brains crave a combination of expectation and surprise.

The baby shaking the rattle doesn't know exactly what will happen, but she has an idea of what will happen and the result delights her. As she goes through the sequence of muscle movement, visual effect, and sound, her brain adapts, rewiring itself to better-coordinated hearing, movement, and vision. It's fun and feels good because it's what the brain needs. When the child gets older, she loses interest in rattles or her interest in them changes. She might move on to exploring rhythm. At this time, her brain has already made the changes and no longer craves the simple pattern of rattle-shaking.

Young brains crave easily predicted patterns. Children are usually picky eaters, liking foods with simple textures and flavors. A baby may like basic rice-cereal but, as a toddler, moves on to various dry cereals or to plain pasta. Children are generally interested in basic flavors--sweet or salty--and like predictable shapes and textures. Good luck trying to convince a toddler that a broken cheese-flavored cracker tastes the same as a whole cheese-flavored cracker.
Children generally dislike complex textures such the texture of broccoli. The buds on broccoli make for texture which is difficult for a developing brain to decode. The texture doesn't make sense.

As a child I preferred my spaghetti sauce to be served separately from my noodles, "next to" not "on top of." The meat as it browned smelled delicious, but when the ingredients were put together, I couldn't taste either the meat or the noodles. Hash still tastes this way to me. I also pulled appart sandwiches, eating baloney separate from bread. I'd lick the frosting off cupcakes before eating the cake. These preparations simplify the flavors of food. Now we call this type of preparation food "deconstruction." Apparently it's the hot new trend in cooking, but children have done it since time immemorial.

As an adult I detest plain noodles. They're just too boring. I don't eat cake unless it's got something unusual-- fresh fruit, mocha filling--or I'm hungry and it's the only food available. I want something interesting on top of my noodles maybe some anchovies or some capers. Definitely some garlic. Maybe fresh garlic sautéed in olive oil until it just starts to caramelize. My brain already knows the taste of noodles. There is nothing else to be learned from eating bland pasta. It wants combinations of flavors and textures: bitter and sweet with smooth. Salty and sour with crunchy.

For the brain to make sense of sensations--hmm similar words--it has to encounter the same pattern repeatedly. The brain will seek to repeat the pattern until the activity becomes boring. How often it needs to encounter a pattern varies from individual to individual. A person who has autism needs to encounter the same pattern many more times than does a person with a typical brain. But whose brain is typical anyway?

I only read one Nancy Drew mystery before I became bored with it. Yet I'm still fascinated by Rudyard Kipling's Elephant's Child. The line "The great gray-green greasy Limpopo River all set about with fever-trees," still tastes good to my brain.

In writing novels I'm attempting to feed the brain a really tasty pattern. I've got to get the mix between expectation and surprise just right. If it's too unusual the story tastes like hash. If it's too predictable it's boring. The same mix won't work for every reader because of variation in individual brains.

Enjoyment of food and of novels isn't entirely alike. Food must feed both the body and the brain. If nothing else is available I'll eat plain noodles, eat them without complaining. But if a novel fails to fulfill the cravings of my brain, I will stop reading.

As a writer, I have a dilemma. Should I limit my writing to simple easily understandable patterns, the equivalent of plain noodles, or should I write patterns which take more sophistication to understand? The blockbuster model of publishing says write plain noodles, make the story understandable to nearly everyone. But that leaves an entire range of readers starving. Simplistic writing isn't adequate to their needs. It's not adequate for my needs as a writer.

I believe if I trying to write plain noodles I should do it with pride, but when I'm driven to write pasta with puttanesca sauce I shouldn't forego the anchovies and capers.

There are those who insist that fiction must follow similar restrictive and arbitrary rules, similar to saying spaghetti can only have marinara sauce. These rules are basically codified personal taste, similar to an autistic toddler announcing that broccoli is yucky and throwing it across the room. Many adults also dislike broccoli, but it's not the fault of the farmer who raised the broccoli, the cook who prepared it, or even of Mother Nature who packed it with vitamins, nutrition, fiber, color, and all that. Broccoli isn't inherently yucky. It's a matter of personal taste, meaning it’s a matter if neurological development.

What can I say to them when they gag on my offering? Yes, people do gag when they expect one flavor and get another. This doesn't indicate that, for example, puttanesca sauce is poorly made. It merely has been tasted by a diner has never encountered red spaghetti sauce other than marinara, and that diner's brain isn't yet ready for that pattern of sensation.

Helpful Links

Thought these writing links might come in handy. Most are my genre orientated (f/f/p romance) but there are a smattering of general sites.

Agents/Editors (for researching information)
Agent Query - http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx
AuthorAdvance - http://www.authoradvance.com/
Literary Agent Verification - http://www.agentresearch.com/agent_ver.html
Preditors and Editors - http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm

Miscellaneous Sites
Time and Date.com - http://www.timeanddate.com/
Australian War Memorial:Military Organisation and Structure - http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/structure/rank_comparative.asp
IRS:Tax Identification Numbers for the USA information - http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96696,00.html

Writing Related
Brenda Hiatt's Show Me the Money - http://www.brendahiatt.com/id2.html
Dictionary of Sexual Terms and Expressions - http://www.sex-lexis.com/
Gordian Plot:thesaurus technique for writers - http://gordianplot.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
Great Source iwrite - Grammar - http://www.greatsource.com/iwrite/students/s_grammar_hndbk.html
The Perfect Pitch - http://samhainpublishing.com/blog/2007/04/02/the-perfect-pitch
Publishers Weekly - http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Stephanie Smith's Contest Chart for Writers - http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html
When An Agent Offers You Representation - http://www.agentquery.com/writer_or.aspx
Write to Done - http://writetodone.com/

Organisations
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America - http://www.sfwa.org/
RWA:Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal Chapter - http://www.romance-ffp.com/
ParaNormal Romance - http://www.paranormalromance.org/
Romance Writers of America - http://www.rwanational.org/
Romance Writers of Australia - http://www.romanceaustralia.com/
Romance Writers of  New Zealand - http://www.romancewriters.co.nz/
Australian Romance Readers Association - http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au/

Submission Guidelines
Avon - http://www.harpercollins.com/imprints/avon/SubmissionGuidelines.aspx
DAW - http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/daw/index.html
Dorchester - http://romanticreads.net/2009/05/07/now-accepting-electronic-submissions/
e-Harlequin - http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=538&chapter=0
Hachette Australia - http://www.hha.com.au/about_submissions.html
Orbit - http://www.orbitbooks.net/about-orbit/
PYR - http://www.pyrsf.com/index.html
Tor - http://us.macmillan.com/Content.aspx?publisher=torforge&id=255#ctl00_cphContent_ctl30_lblQuestion

Web Design
Free Images for Websites - http://www.imagehousing.com/
Free Fantasy Design artwork for Websites - http://fantasyartdesign.com/free-wallpapers/best-fantasy-art.php?s=12&np=10&srt=1&best=1
Free Web Counters - http://www.freestatscounter.com/
The Three Bears Method - http://threebearsmethod.com/

(All links are current as of 23rd Dec.2010)

NB. Author's comment - all sites listed are intended to help writers with their research or as helpful links only - not promotion of any particular site.

Give me more than the 'Gotcha'!

I was going to post this on my blog but I thought it would be fitting here at the brigade to introduce myself.

Hi folks! I'm Rae Lori. I'm a multi-genre author, artist, sci-fi/fantasy lover and all around dreamer.

I'm also a repeat reader. If I find a book or movie I like, I want to experience it over and over again. That's why my Aliens dvd is just about worn off and why HBO may be sending me fruit baskets with the amount of times I've watched Taken in the past few weeks. ;-)

Books are no different, especially if it's an adventure/SF/F type.

Last night, I was thinking about the movie Knowing. Remember that one from a year or so back? The post apocalyptic Cage/Proyas feature had an intriguing premise and since this was from the director of Dark City, I just had to check it out. I enjoyed it the first time. Was still clinging to my seat a second time. Thinking about recently, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go in for a third time.

This was a movie with a 'gotcha' story.

The main events occur to the main characters never giving up too much information at once, but offering it little by little until the final climax of the film when it all comes together. Now, granted, sometimes the 'gotcha' works. Sometimes, as in the case of thrillers and mysteries, the 'gotcha' makes you want to go back to see how everything fits together. But beyond that I need something more to keep me pinned to the story and clamoring to come back. I need great characters and meaty development (not to mention some awesome worldbuilding).

Case in point is the psychological horror movie The Uninvited (minor spoilers ahead). The twist ending caught me off guard and I had to rewind the movie and watch it again from the start to catch all the little clues the story left to hint toward the ending. From the writer's perspective, I loved how this was written as a POV and the audience isn't quite sure if there were two personalities at work or well hidden psychosis with a dark streak. Does it work upon multiple viewings? Hard to say. It definitely works as a gotcha storyline because we're lead to keep going with each question raised until we get to the end where all our questions are answered. The characters are pretty straight forward and there are some 'jump' moments with creepy things scaring the characters but other than that, once the wizard if from behind the curtain, not much else is left.

Proyas did an amazing job with the 'gotcha' type of storyline with Dark City. Throughout the story there are clues as we follow our main character whom the audience identifies with most, John Murdoch, to find out if he is really a killer, why his wife feels distant from him and just who the heck  those pale dudes in top hats and trenchcoats are and why those buildings keep changing! Even though all the answers are giving to us by the end, Dark City excels because of its characters, setting and atmospheric world building. I, for one, love the 40s setting mixed with futuristic space. I love how Emma and John react with one another and the mythology of The Strangers. By the end of the movie, it's one of those rare endings for me that I want to see what happens after the credits roll. I imagine what it will be like for Emma to fall in love with John all over again and for John to fall in love with Emma for the first time. All the while, a new city is rebuilt and a new human civilization begins.

The gotcha is great for a hook. After all, as a reader I love to be grabbed right off the bat and I want to grab the reader as soon as possible in the story to keep them riveted for the next hundred or so pages. But I also want that re-readability factor where once that book is closed, the characters are still strong enough to stay in the reader's imaginations. Hopefully strong enough for a re-read or two. ;-)

So give me more than the 'gotcha' by the end of the book. Give me an unforgettable journey in characterizations, imaginative worlds and a place where I can lose myself for a few hours. By the end, I'll be jumping out of my seat and eager to flip right back to page one!

Publisher Showcase - Samhain Publishing

Hello SFR Brigaders/Readers/Authors out there!

I have the honor of presenting Sasha Knight from Samhain Publishing in our continuing Publisher Showcase series! So let's get this ship off the launch pad and get into orbit!



Would you like to share a little history about Samhain Publishing?

Pronounced sah-vin by the Scots, sow-in (sow like cow) by the Irish and sam-hine in English, Samhain is the Irish word for November. And November 2005 saw the launch of Samhain Publishing, Ltd., founded with a goal of bringing to compulsive readers books that allow them to discover new worlds and be taken on adventures through the creative minds of today’s brightest authors.

Over the last four and a half years we have worked hard to make Samhain one of the top epublishers in today’s market. Our books are available at digital bookstores all over the web, and we also publish print versions available in Borders, Barnes & Noble and Chapters as well as other chains and independent bookstores—but always remember that if you simply can’t wait, the digital version is just a click away!

Who are your key personnel?

So many people work hard to make Samhain a fantastic publisher that I could take page after page just mentioning names and all they do for Samhain. Plus, we couldn’t exist without the authors who write the wonderful stories readers clamor for. But I assume you’re asking about the staff. We have a great crew who you can read about on the About Us page on our Samhain website.
http://www.samhainpublishing.com/about

What are the most common reasons a novel (especially a Science Fiction Romance novel) is rejected?

The most common reason a book is rejected is the writer doesn’t know their craft. Simply put that means poor grammar, stilted writing, implausible storylines, plot holes, info-dumping, starting the book with page after page of unnecessary back story, unlikable characters or ones I can’t—or don’t want to—relate to. There are many more reasons, but these are the ones I see over and over again.

I also want to mention cover letters. I can’t tell you how many times I see basic typos and misspellings in a cover letter. Looking back over the last five slush pile submissions I received, three of them had obvious typos in the cover letter—and in one of those the author misspelled the title of the book. I wish I was joking, but I see this more often than you’d believe. Remember, authors, you want to make a good impression from the beginning, and that includes a polished, professional cover letter. Don’t over-share personal information. Be professional, be courteous of the editor’s time, and polish, polish, polish. Don’t give us a reason to dread looking at your submission—make us excited from those very first few lines.

What are the biggest mistakes new authors make?

If you’re talking about authors who haven’t been published before and who are looking to break in, it’s everything I stated in the above answer. If you’re talking about new authors who have just signed their first contract, it’s not realizing or appreciating the level of work that goes into releasing a book. Don’t get me wrong, I love the shiny newness of a brand-new author who is so excited about their first book contract. I love that enthusiasm. But I’ve seen some who come in thinking that they’ve already done the hard part—they wrote the book—and they won’t have to do many edits, they won’t have to promote the title, they won’t have to do anything but sit back and cash their huge paychecks. Be prepared to work and work hard, edit, revise and rewrite, then promote, promote, promote—all while writing your next book.

What do you look for in a Science Fiction Romance submission? What grabs your attention, makes you sit up and want to read more?

The same thing I look for in any submission. I want to be wowed. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. What wows me? A well-written story featuring characters I want to spend lots of time with. A strong and unique author voice that makes me sit up and take notice. In Science-Fiction romance, I want to see strong worldbuilding. The worldbuilding is such an essential and important part of this genre, if it’s not there, or it’s lacking, I’m probably not going to offer a contract. I don’t want cookie-cutter characters, plots, or worldbuilding. Make it unique, make it believable. Make me want to sit in the pilot seat, fly through the stars, or walk the streets of your world.

How far do you read into a submission before you know if the novel is right for you?

I can read a few lines of a book and know it’s wrong for me, but for new authors I haven’t worked with before, I read the entire book before I know it’s right. Now, I might get a buzz along my spine, the breathless anticipation of what’s to come from reading just the first couple chapters, but I will read all the way to the end before making a decision, because, sadly, books that start well sometimes fall apart.

Do you have recommendations or requirements regarding "heat levels" of submissions?

Write the heat level the story—and characters—demand. Don’t try to write hotter just because you think that’s what publishers are looking for. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reading a fantastic story, the characters are exciting, the worldbuilding fantastic, and then out of nowhere the story devolves into a sex romp that completely doesn’t fit the characters or the plot, making me go “wha--?” and ripping me out of the story. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve read books where the author builds the sexual tension between the characters so hot that the story demands a sex scene, and then the author either closes the door on the sex or ignores it. Both of these can be story killers. Make sure to stay true to the characters, and to the promise you’re making to the reader.

Tell me about a few of your favorite/best-selling Science Fiction Romances novels. What really stood out in these stories that made them unique? (They can include covers, blurbs and links here if they’d like)

In January and February of this year Samhain released six space opera novellas that came about from an anthology call I held last year. I love each of these stories because they’re all different, from fun space romps (Hearts and Minds by J.C. Hay, Beyond Meridian by C.C. Bridges, and Moonlust by Kallysten), dark explorations of sexual desire on foreign worlds (Crimson by Ethan X. Thomas), and breathless action-adventure in space (Metal Reign by Nathalie Gray and The Mythmakers by Robert Appleton). Not to mention Kanaxa’s cover art for each of these stories absolutely blows my mind. I had a fantastic time doing this anthology and look forward to the print volumes releasing in November and December of this year.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/moonlust
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/beyond-meridian
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/crimson
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/the-mythmakers
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/hearts-and-minds
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/metal-reign

What are you looking for right now? What kinds of submissions would you like to see pop up in your e-queries? Anything you’re dying to see more of? Steampunk? Futuristic? Space Opera? Any dream novels?

I’m looking to be wowed, in any genre. My steampunk romance anthology call closed on April 30 and I’m reading through the submissions now. This is the fun part—it’s like Christmas morning, so many exciting stories to unwrap. I also just contracted my very first cyberpunk novel, and I’d love, love, love more of those. And more post-apocalyptic (or apocalyptic!) please. I rarely see any submissions in these genres, and I want more!

My dream novel? I’m a huge fan of Joss Whedon’s Firefly, and my favorite movie last year was the new Star Trek. I would love stories in a similar vein (no fanfiction please!) If I were to receive a well-written sci-fi romance story—preferably the first in a continuing series--where each story explored a relationship between crew members aboard a ship as they explore the universe, planets, fight the baddies, etc., I would probably hyperventilate with excitement. So I offer this challenge to all the writers at the SFR Brigade. Make me hyperventilate. Wow me. I’m ready.

Thanks for giving us an insight into Samhain Publishing! Breaking orbit… It's okay, I'm a leaf on the wind!

Sasha Knight, Senior Editor

Sasha Knight loves words. Her parents swear she came out of the womb speaking and took up reading soon after, so it should come as no surprise that she grew up to become an editor, allowing her to spend her days playing with words.
In 2005, Sasha joined Samhain Publishing, Ltd. as a full-time editor. In addition to her administrative duties, she maintains a full-time editing schedule and edits more than 50 authors…and she’s always looking for more.

When she’s not editing, reading submissions or wading through thousands of emails, Sasha relaxes by watching TV. She’s an avid fan of Joss Whedon and thinks that Firefly was one of the best TV shows ever. She also loves Doctor Who and is torn between her love of David Tennant and Matt Smith, and ranks Steven Moffat up there with Joss Whedon among the best TV writers ever. Sasha loves to travel with her family, an e-reader full of books always at her side.

Lessons in Sci-Fi?

Saw this a while back and wanted to share. For me personally, Joss Whedon's shows, such as Buffy, Angel, Firefly, are a major factor contributing to my desire to write sci-fi romance.

If I admitted how many times I've watched the 144 episodes of Buffy (cough*three*cough), you would think I had no life (that's up for debate, especially considering I've memorized the lyrics to Once More, With Feeling). However, what draws me back to his work is his characterizations, story arcs, motifs, and the fun he has with it. I've often wanted to crawl into his brain to figure how he thinks of that stuff! So any light is appreciated.

Thus I give you Joss Whedon's 10 Writing Tips as posted at his site Whedonesque, which can be easily adapted for fiction writing.

1. FINISH IT
Actually finishing it is what I’m gonna put in as step one. You may laugh at this, but it’s true. I have so many friends who have written two-thirds of a screenplay, and then re-written it for about three years. Finishing a screenplay is first of all truly difficult, and secondly really liberating. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you know you’re gonna have to go back into it, type to the end. You have to have a little closure.

2. STRUCTURE
Structure means knowing where you’re going; making sure you don’t meander about. Some great films have been made by meandering people, like Terrence Malick and Robert Altman, but it’s not as well done today and I don’t recommend it. I’m a structure nut. I actually make charts. Where are the jokes? The thrills? The romance? Who knows what, and when? You need these things to happen at the right times, and that’s what you build your structure around: the way you want your audience to feel. Charts, graphs, coloured pens, anything that means you don’t go in blind is useful.

3. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
This really should be number one. Even if you’re writing a Die Hard rip-off, have something to say about Die Hard rip-offs. The number of movies that are not about what they purport to be about is staggering. It’s rare, especially in genres, to find a movie with an idea and not just, ‘This’ll lead to many fine set-pieces’. The Island evolves into a car-chase movie, and the moments of joy are when they have clone moments and you say, ‘What does it feel like to be those guys?’

4. EVERYBODY HAS A REASON TO LIVE
Everybody has a perspective. Everybody in your scene, including the thug flanking your bad guy, has a reason. They have their own voice, their own identity, their own history. If anyone speaks in such a way that they’re just setting up the next person’s lines, then you don’t get dialogue: you get soundbites. Not everybody has to be funny; not everybody has to be cute; not everybody has to be delightful, and not everybody has to speak, but if you don’t know who everybody is and why they’re there, why they’re feeling what they’re feeling and why they’re doing what they’re doing, then you’re in trouble.

5. CUT WHAT YOU LOVE
Here’s one trick that I learned early on. If something isn’t working, if you have a story that you’ve built and it’s blocked and you can’t figure it out, take your favourite scene, or your very best idea or set-piece, and cut it. It’s brutal, but sometimes inevitable. That thing may find its way back in, but cutting it is usually an enormously freeing exercise.

6. LISTEN
When I’ve been hired as a script doctor, it’s usually because someone else can’t get it through to the next level. It’s true that writers are replaced when executives don’t know what else to do, and that’s terrible, but the fact of the matter is that for most of the screenplays I’ve worked on, I’ve been needed, whether or not I’ve been allowed to do anything good. Often someone’s just got locked, they’ve ossified, they’re so stuck in their heads that they can’t see the people around them. It’s very important to know when to stick to your guns, but it’s also very important to listen to absolutely everybody. The stupidest person in the room might have the best idea.

7. TRACK THE AUDIENCE MOOD
You have one goal: to connect with your audience. Therefore, you must track what your audience is feeling at all times. One of the biggest problems I face when watching other people’s movies is I’ll say, ‘This part confuses me’, or whatever, and they’ll say, ‘What I’m intending to say is this’, and they’ll go on about their intentions. None of this has anything to do with my experience as an audience member. Think in terms of what audiences think. They go to the theatre, and they either notice that their butts are numb, or they don’t. If you’re doing your job right, they don’t. People think of studio test screenings as terrible, and that’s because a lot of studios are pretty stupid about it. They panic and re-shoot, or they go, ‘Gee, Brazil can’t have an unhappy ending,’ and that’s the horror story. But it can make a lot of sense.

8. WRITE LIKE A MOVIE
Write the movie as much as you can. If something is lush and extensive, you can describe it glowingly; if something isn’t that important, just get past it tersely. Let the read feel like the movie; it does a lot of the work for you, for the director, and for the executives who go, ‘What will this be like when we put it on its feet?’

9. DON’T LISTEN
Having given the advice about listening, I have to give the opposite advice, because ultimately the best work comes when somebody’s fucked the system; done the unexpected and let their own personal voice into the machine that is moviemaking. Choose your battles. You wouldn’t get Paul Thomas Anderson, or Wes Anderson, or any of these guys if all moviemaking was completely cookie-cutter. But the process drives you in that direction; it’s a homogenising process, and you have to fight that a bit. There was a point while we were making Firefly when I asked the network not to pick it up: they’d started talking about a different show.

10. DON’T SELL OUT
The first penny I ever earned, I saved. Then I made sure that I never had to take a job just because I needed to. I still needed jobs of course, but I was able to take ones that I loved. When I say that includes Waterworld, people scratch their heads, but it’s a wonderful idea for a movie. Anything can be good. Even Last Action Hero could’ve been good. There’s an idea somewhere in almost any movie: if you can find something that you love, then you can do it. If you can’t, it doesn’t matter how skilful you are: that’s called whoring.”