Novelist and freelance writer Kelly James-Enger just released a new book, HONESTY INDEX (which is fabulous by the way!) and a new nonfiction book for aspiring freelancers called WRITER FOR HIRE. Kelly is an experienced freelancer and ghostwriter and has published hundreds of aritcles in national magazines as well as authored/co-authored 12 books.  Her book READY, AIM, SPECIALIZE helped me get my start in freelancing, so if that’s an interest of yours you should definitely check it out.

And if you’re interested in getting paid to write (!) then read on!

Tell me a little bit about your writing career.

I’ve been a full-time freelancer for more than 15 years. I started out writing for magazines and newspapers as well as nonprofit and business clients. About a decade ago, I started publishing books (both fiction and nonfiction) with traditional publishers, and then branched into ghostwriting/coauthoring after that. In the last couple of years, I’ve also published several  books through print-on-demand, or POD, and am doing publishing ebooks as well. I just published a new novel, The Honesty Index, and am now writing both fiction and nonfiction.

How did Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success come about?

I’ve written several other books about successful freelancing, including Six-Figure Freelancing, which was published in 2005. That book sold well but has gone out of print, and besides, the freelancing landscape has changed radically in the last few years. I’m a contributing editor at The Writermagazine and I blog about making money as a freelancer at Dollars and Deadlines, so I decided to pitch a book on the dozens of freelance strategies I’ve used to create a successful career to Writer’s Digest.

How has the freelance environment changed in the last few years?

There’s good news and bad. On the positive side, there are more opportunities for writer than ever before. Websites, blogs, online publications, print publications, companies, and nonprofits all hire writers. Of course many ofthose markets pay little or nothing (that’s the negative side), but Idefinitely think it’s a great time to be a freelancer.

Another big change is in book publishing. Would-be authors no longer have to sell their books to traditional publishers to get into print; now they can opt for an e-book, use a print-on-demand company like CreateSpace, or become their ownpublisher. There are pros and cons to every option, but writers definitely have more choices than they did before.

What’s your advice for writers who want to make more money for their work?

If you’re a new writer, think about the subjects that you already have some background or experience with and use that to pitch ideas or introduce yourself to potential markets. For example, if you’re an interior decorator, you might pitch articles about home décor to print and online markets, or contact furniture or home-improvement companies about freelancing for them to get your foot in the door. Use what you already have in your arsenal—your experience and knowledge—to launch your freelance career.

If you’re a more experienced writer, I suggest you take a look at the work you’re doing and focus your energies on several subject areas or types of work. It’s more efficient to specialize, and helps you develop an expertise you can become known for. I started out as a generalist, writing about anything and everything but once I started specializing in health, fitness, and nutrition subjects, I got more assignments and started making more money. I’ve since used that expertise to branch into speaking and ghostwriting and coauthoring books for health and fitness experts.

There’s a perception that writers can’t (or don’t) make a lot of money. Is that true?

It depends on who you ask! I survey freelancers every year about how much money they’re making. My January, 2012 survey of fulltime freelancers revealed that while 17 percent grossed more less than $20,000 in 2011, 43 percent grossedmore than $60,000. Can you make a good living selling poetry and essays? Probably not. But if you focus on finding clients who pay fairly, giving them what they want, and treating your writing like a business, not a hobby, then yes, I think you can make a good living as a freelancer. I personally know hundreds of writers doing just that! (And yes, Writer for Hire will help you make more money, too.)

About Kelly: I’ve been a successful self-employed author, speaker, ghostwriter, and coauthor since 1997, and have written twelve published books and 700+ articles in more than 60 national magazines. I write under my own byline (Kelly James-Enger) and ghostwrite and coauthor as well; BodyWise is the name of my consulting business which provides a variety of services to corporations, nonprofits, and private individuals. I’m also an ACE-certified personal trainer and specialize in health, fitness, wellness, and nutrition subjects.

http://dollarsanddeadlines.blogspot.com

Enjoy contemporary women’s fiction? Check out my new novel, The Honesty Index, about two 30-somethings in suburban Chicago.

Congratulations 90 Day Writing Challengers!! I am so proud of all of you who accepted– and completed– the challenge to write something every day for 90 days. Many of you finished projects that had been languishing for years. Several people racked up 100′s of hours of writing time.  Some of you entered contests, or got both rejection and ACCEPTANCE letters! Everyone pushed their own limits and exceeded them in the last 3 months. You broke through those self-limiting beliefs on what you thought you could do and found you could do more! Congratulations!

I’m happy to have as our end-of-challenge guest poster my friend and bestselling author, CJ Lyons. CJ is not only a fantastic author of medical thrillers and thrillers with heart, but her story about her road to publishing is an inspiration to me personally, and makes her one of my writing Role Models. (You can read about it in the chapter on Role Modeling in LIVING WRITE.)

Welcome CJ!

After THE END

By CJ Lyons

Hey guys! Hope you had a wonderful 90 days working with Kelly!

Many of you have probably finished or are almost finished with a first draft of a project. Don’t you love that feeling? That warm glow of success, the sense you’ve accomplished something no one else could (and you have!), that urge to share it with the world like a proud parent?

This is a time to celebrate. You’ve done the heavy lifting, written to those magic words: THE END.

But the work isn’t over yet. If you’re like me, a seat of the pants writer whose first drafts are voyages of discovery meant to provide selfish fun, then it’s just beginning.

Even if you’re a compulsive outliner who edits as you go so the finished first draft is a finely-polished, very readable piece, I’d still urge you to not stop there.

DON’T share your work with the world just yet. DO share it with a few trusted critique partners (or a developmental editor or some beta readers who will give you honest feedback).

DO celebrate your success. DON’T stop thinking about your story. Let your brain have time to wrestle with what you’ve written…you may be surprised at how much more there is to write.

DON’T edit (that’s for the third draft). DO re-visit your work after a period of rest (Stephen King suggests six weeks, I never have that much time since I’m always on deadline) after you get feedback from your critique partners.

Because now it’s time for the second draft. What I call the Re-Visioning draft.

If my first draft is selfish fun for me, me, me, then this second draft is where I earn the big bucks. This is where I turn my fun into marketable entertainment, asking myself every step along the way: what would give my reader a bigger bang for their buck?

Your reader is investing time, energy, and money into your work. You need to put them first and give them an experience they’ll not only be satisfied with, but that they’ll want to tell all their friends about.

First draft: for me.

Second draft: re-vision EVERYTHING with my reader in mind.

Kill every cliche and sacred cow if it doesn’t intensify the reader’s experience. Twist every plot point so hard it weeps with pain and laughs with delight because it’s now become something new and unexpected. Use your characters’ points of view to add depth, emotion, and create a world that is not only unforgettable but one that your readers want to return to again and again.

For me, this second draft often takes longer to write than my first (important to know if you have deadlines!) I’m often amazed at the things I discover or that my critique partners discover–layers of the story and characters that I knew were there but never bothered to fully explore.

I’m a good enough writer that my first drafts are pretty decent reads. But therein lies the danger. It’s too tempting to stop there, turn in something “good” instead of taking the time and energy (and yes, often pain) to go back, re-vision, and create something “great.”

Congratulations on finishing your first draft! Go celebrate!

And then dive in and make it great!

Most of all, have fun with it!

CJ

About CJ:

As a pediatric ER doctor, New York Times and USA Today Bestseller CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

CJ has been called a “master within the genre” (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as “breathtakingly fast-paced” and “riveting” (Publishers Weekly) with “characters with beating hearts and three dimensions” (Newsday).

Learn more about CJ’s Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net and everything she knows about becoming a NYT Bestseller at www.NoRulesJustWRITE.com

Oh, no. Not Again.

By Hank Phillippi Ryan

It was…well, it was exciting at first. My new book was finished and accepted and edited– that’s a whole blog for another day, the joys of a good editor, and the stretch of the brain when she asks..”what did  he mean by that”? Why would she do that? And then having to face the reality that there would have to be some serious thinking going on. Which always makes it better.   But no, I don’t mean that exciting part.

I mean the– embarrassing part, The hilarious part, the revelation by the copy editor that apparently I have the vocabulary of a four year old. Or no, maybe the vocabulary of a lazy four year old.

She was the first to comment that I used the same verb– I’ll reveal it, “hovering” –twice in the first paragraph of the  novel. Twice! Hovering! How had  I not noticed that before..?

Okay, I thought, it can happen. And it was actually more difficult than I expected to fix it.  Does the helicopter do something other than hover? Or do the reporters do something other than hover? ( Briefly, I tried to convince myself it was a THEME. ) But I managed. 

So then next paragraph, something “twisted.” The copy editor yellowed it, and inserted a little note. “Notice twisted throughout” she said. I don’t know her, have never met her,but I can just imagine her, rolling her eyes, attempting to be patient with this poor shallow- brained writer who can’t come up with any synonyms for twist.

Or it seemed, for flickered. Or fluttered. people and things were fluttering and flickering so much you’d have thought the book was about birds.  ”notice fluttering throughout,” the CE wrote.  And so I did notice it..  And it was kind of..pitiful.

Oh, that wasn’t all.

There was also ..well, in Hank world, seems as if people nod and smile a lot. And whoa, they also point. He smiled, nodded and pointed. I’m sure I didn’t use that sentence, at least, but I probably came close. How how how had I not noticed  that before?

People also look. They look down, they look up, they look at the floor, they look away. I’m shaking my head, which a lot of characters in Hank world also do.  They shake their heads, then they point, and then sometimes they smile.

The patient, polite and probably baffled CE painstakingly yellowed every time I used one of  those  words, and I have to admit , it got to the point (that one doesn’t count, it’s a different kind of point) where I was laughing and laughing.

(There’s a great idea, if you have time, to read one’s book out loud. That absolutely helps catch the “reps” — and I do that, often, but I guess not in long enough stretches.  )

I learned about my addiction to “just” long ago, and work hard to excise that word. My characters also no longer shrug and/or grin, which they did quite often in my first books. Also “actually, and “of course” have to go. Though of course, sometimes those two words are irresistible. (See, I didn’t say “just irresistible.”. Yay for me.)

So I made it through the copy edits, revamping sentences and choosing new words, and funny thing. Since I wasn’t just replacing but rethinking,  that process made me hear the dialogue and description in a different way . And I that made the manuscript  even better-better.

What are your word addictions? How did you realize they plagued you?  How do you avoid them?

BIO: Award-winning investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan is on the air at Boston’s NBC affiliate. Her work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution. Along with her 27 EMMYs, Hank’s won dozens of other journalism honors. She’s been a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate and an editorial assistant at Rolling Stone Magazine.

A best-selling author of five mystery novels, Ryan has won the Agatha, Anthony and Macavity awards for her crime fiction—her newest book is DRIVE TIME, which was noniated for the Anthony and Agatha and  earned a starred review from Library Journal.  She’s on the board of Lyric Stage Company of Boston, as well as the national board of directors of Mystery Writers of America  and vice-president of national Sisters in Crime.  Her newest suspense thriller, THE OTHER WOMAN, is the first in a new series beginning in 2012 from Forge Books.  (Lisa Scottoline says: “Riveting!” Sandra Brown says: “W’holly entertaining!”  Joe Finder says: “Hank is a star!” Lee Child says” I knew Ryan was good–but I didn’t know she was this good!)

Her website is http://www.HankPhillippiRyan.com Follow her on  twitter at @Hank_Phillippi and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/HankPhillippiRyan

SEVEN STEPS TO EMPOWER YOUR CREATIVITY

By Mary Buckham

I’d like a share a few thoughts on creativity. Because being creative, and living our creativity, is at the heart of every writer. I’d like to share what I learned from Kelly’s book, Living Write: The Secret to Inviting Your Craft Into Your Daily Life,  John Maxwell and other authors, as well as my own experiences as an author, an instructor and a human being.

“Every child is born an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso.

Were you aware that 90% of five-year olds see themselves as highly creative? That in itself is not amazing, but wrap your minds around the concept that by the age of seven, 80% of us who saw ourselves as creative no longer believe we are. That means only 10% of seven-year olds believe they are creative. By the time we reach our teens that number drops to 2% and remains fairly constant throughout our adult lives.

So if you are a writer, or a painter, or sculptor, etc., count yourself among the few who have never, ever given up on a gift given to many, but realized by few.

To savor and honor that gift here are seven steps to continue to empower your own creativity.

Step 1) Remove Creativity Killers. Sometimes the words are said by others, sometimes from within, so if you catch others, or yourself saying any of the following then you’ve run into a Creativity Killer. Follow the Rules. Don’t Ask Questions. It’s Hard. Be Practical. Be Serious. Think of [fill in the blank]. You Can’t Afford [fill in the blank]. Yes,  But. You Don’t Have the Time. You Don’t Have the Money. Don’t Be Foolish. The list goes on and on but you don’t have to buy into the Creativity Killers.

Step 2) Develop a Creative Environment. You know best what spurs ideas, fuels your passion, creates energy. Is it color? Certain objects? A wide horizon? A secluded space? Honor your sacred creative space, whether it’s a desk top, a room or something else, and it will honor you. So take a good look at your working environment. Does it foster your creativity? If it doesn’t, how can you change it?

“A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow” – Charlie Bower

Step 3) Surround yourself by people who support you and challenge you to be the best at what you want to accomplish or do, not what they want you to accomplish or do.  The more time you spend with creative people engaging in creative activities, the more  creative you will become. Conversely, the more time you spend with nay-sayers or limited thinkers, the more time . . . you can fill in this answer.  Who are you surrounding yourself with?

“Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance requires change, and change feels awkward, but, take comfort in the knowledge that if a change doesn’t feel uncomfortable, then it’s probably not really a change.” John C Maxwell.

Step 4) Challenge yourself constantly and be willing to feel uncomfortable. Delight in exploring something new, something different for you. What have you done lately to push your comfort levels? To challenge yourself? When have you broken your routine? Driven a different route home or read in a genre different than the ones you usually read? When have you tasted a new cuisine? Explored a new location? Daily we’re given opportunities to push our limits, so what’s holding you back?

Step 5) Creative thinkers don’t fear failure. Why? Because they hold a different expectation of what failure means. Didn’t achieve what you had hoped for? For many this is considered a failure, but what if it meant something different? Any situation holds the seeds of new knowledge, self-awareness and new direction.

“The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” – John C Maxwell

Creativity requires a willingness to look stupid. It means getting out on a limb, knowing that the limb often breaks! And if it does, take that opportunity to spread your wings and fly!

So what about you? What does creativity mean to you?  How have you faced the highs and the not-so-highs of being creative or wanting to feel creative?  Feel free to comment and out of those who do comment one name will be drawn for free one-on-one help crafting a Query letter for YOUR manuscript!

BIO: Mary Buckham is an award-winning fiction writer, co-author with Dianna Love of BREAK INTO FICTION: ™: 11 Steps to Building a Story That Sells, co-founder of www.WriterUniv.com and a highly sought after instructor both on-line and at live workshops around the country. To find out more about Mary, her Manuscript, Synopsis and Query help, her Lecture Packets, Workshops and Writing projects visit www.MaryBuckham.com

Today’s Writing Challenge guest is Rochelle Melander, who has just published a wonderful book for writers on how to get your book written in 26 days! Wow! That means you can write 3 books during the 90 Day Writing Challenge!  Make sure you check it out.

Don’t forget about my upcoming 2-week online class FREE YOUR CREATIVE MIND.  It’s a fast paced class on how to use the power of your subconscious mind to acheive your writing goals and maximize your limited writing time.  Email me if you’re interested or send $37 to my Paypal account: Kelly@KellyLStone.com; the class also comes with a free 10 page critique.

Now here’s Rochelle!

Strengthen Your Writing Core

By Rochelle Melander

Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor. —Joseph Pilates

A few years ago, I injured my lower back. My physical therapist told me I would need to strengthen my core to relieve the pain and prevent future problems. She taught me a number of Pilates exercises that I still do regularly. When I skip my core-strengthening exercises, my back twinges.

Writing is no different. When I experience writer’s block, I know it is because I have skipped the practices that strengthen my writer’s core. When I succeed at writing, I know it is because I have attended to my core, and I am writing from my strengths. Here are the practices that I use to strengthen my writing core. Perhaps they will support you as well.

1. Reading. Successful writers read widely. Reading opens you up to new ideas, teaches you how to develop a story, and inspires you to write your own stories. Madeleine L’Engle got the nuggets of some of her best novel ideas by reading books on particle physics. Many mystery writers credit magazine or newspaper stories for providing the ideas behind the crime puzzles they craft. In the midst of writing my last book, I studied like a college student at night—reading up on my topic so that I would approach the blank page with more information.

2. Writing practice. Writing practice can be anything from dashing off your three morning pages to composing a daily haiku to doing a writing exercise. Writing practice differs from your daily writing work in that it is not necessarily designed to be productive. In other words, writing practice allows you time to write with the door shut. This is essential for building your writing muscles.

3. Walking. So much research exists on the connection between walking and our brains that any writer would be a fool not to take a daily walk. Walking drives oxygen to our brains and helps us to think better. Walking in nature will reset our directed attention span—something we need to write but that we deplete fairly easily during a typical day of writing or work. Finally, walking gives us time away from our desks to think and dream, time that every writer needs.

Now it’s your turn. The practices that strengthen and support you as a writer will be unique to you. As you near the end of the 90-day writing challenge, reflect on what practices helped you to succeed at this challenge. Consider:

*What life practices prepared you to write every day?

*What techniques did you use to find time to write?

*What tools did you use to accomplish your writing goal?

Once you have a list, commit to strengthening your writing core every single day!

Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is a certified professional coach, a popular speaker, and the author of ten books including, Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It). Melander teaches professionals how to write fast, get published, establish credibility and navigate the new world of social media. Get your free subscription to her Write Now! Tips Ezine at http://www.writenowcoach.com and sign up to be a member of her Write Now! Mastermind class for professionals at http://www.writenowmastermind.com

Hello Writing Challengers and guests! The 90 Day Daily Writing Challenge is almost over! Many of you have written to me letting me know you’ve finished projects that were languishing for years, and some of you have racked up literally hundreds of writing hours! I’m so impressed with all of you.

I’ve gotten several requests this week for my popular online class FREE YOUR CREATIVE MIND; this is an action packed 2-week class on how to tap into your powerful subconscious mind for maximum creativity.  A new class is forming to begin on Monday, March 26. I’m running a special during the Writing Challenge of $37, which includes a free 10 page critique in any genre. You can sign up by emailing me or sending the money to my Paypal account (Kelly@KellyLStone.com).

Now for today’s Writing Challenge guest!  I’m thrilled to have my friend Dianna Love on the 90-Day Writing Challenge Blog; Dianna is an award-winning author of the BELADOR series as well as co-author with Sherrilyn Kenyon of the fabulous BLOOD TRINITY and other books. She also wrote BREAK INTO FICTION with Mary Buckham, a must-have book if you’re trying to write a publishable story. Dianna’s advice is always useful to aspiring and established authors alike; today she offers a chance for you to get feedback from her on YOUR story!  Leave a comment to get help with your story premise and to be entered into the giveaway.

Welcome Dianna!

What makes YOUR story different?

By NYT best seller Dianna Love

How often have you heard editors say they want something fresh and different… but familiar?  Understanding what they mean by that statement is key to figuring out what makes your story different.

Supposedly, every plot has been written in one form or another thousands of times. I’ve heard it boiled down as: There are two stories in the world – “One day, our hero went on a journey” and “One day, a stranger came to town”…

Still, there are books and movies that break out, because they resonate so powerfully with a large portion of the reading and viewing public.  So there must be new ways to spin the many plots floating around into something fresh.

I once asked fans what they thought made a story different and got comments like the following:

“Even a clichéd storyline can be given new life with good characters.”

“I think if a writer, even if they use a similar premise (vampires, shapeshifters, etc) but make it their own.”

“One of the things that makes a story stand out for me is what characters say to each other.”

From just those few points, we get that you can spin a clichéd storyline, make the premise your own or take the same premise but spin the way characters interact with each other.  All good suggestions.

So why, when you pitch your ideas, are editors and agents constantly asking ‘what makes your story different?’  Because even if they love your voice they still have to sell a new book to their marketing team…a team faced with trying to position a new book on a shelf, be it virtual or real, and differentiate that book from every other book in a glutted market.

What if you go the self-published route?  Does that mean you won’t be faced with answering the ‘what makes your book different’ question?  Yes and no.  You won’t have to answer it for an editor or agent… but the reader is the next, and most important, gatekeeper.  That reader will take a look at your book and decide in seconds if they’ve “already read something like that” and move on to the book that spurs their interest.

Readers now have to navigate that same glutted market on their own, especially the ever-increasing online market.  They may take a chance on a $.99 book, but what will make them spend even that much if they’ve just read a book that sounds like the same old same old?  There were 3 million – yes, that’s million – ISBNs issued last year.  How many do you think will be issued this year?  Far more.

Now that we know WHY your book needs to stand out, how do you determine if your current story does or not?

Let’s test your story.

First, I’m going to give you some examples of stories that are different in ways that make them fresh and compelling. We know this because they’ve all been massively successful. Since we each have different reading tastes and movies are more universal, I’m going to use movie examples to make it easy for you to quickly see what I’m talking about.

If you were pitching these stories, below, and had to answer the question – ‘What makes your premise or hero/heroine different than h/hs and premises in similar stories that are currently on the shelves or in the movies?’ – you might answer as follows:

My hero is a dangerous undercover agent who wants to open a hair salon.  [This was the Adam Sandler comedy YOU DON’T MESS WITH ZOHAN, and just the idea of a dangerous undercover agent wanting to style hair sounds funny.]

My heroine is a stripper who has a week to charm a billionaire into falling in love with her.  (Cinderella story turned on its ear in PRETTY WOMAN with a female character who was far from the fairytale version)

My hero is a vampire who can walk in the sun, but avoids it because he sparkles and his coven is the catalyst for local werewolves changing/evolving.  (Book and movie of Stephenie Meyers Twilight series that introduced a new look for vampires)

My hero is a gorgeous, arrogant young male who humiliates a witch who then casts a spell, turning him into a hideous-looking teenager with a deadline–convince someone to love him as he is now or stay that way forever.  (A spin on Beauty and the Beast in BEASTLY where the Beast is a young man who has to lose everything that matters to him to gain the only thing worth having.)

My hero and heroine are married assassins hired to kill each other. (Mr. and Mrs. Smith – a new twist on the hitman game with a funny twist on marital problems)

My premise is different because fairytale characters are cursed to live in the “real” world. (Clever new television series called ONCE UPON A TIME where real people have to “remember” that they are fairytale characters for any hope of returning to their world)

My premise is different because I’ve mixed beings, gods and goddesses of different mythologies in one world.  (Premise behind the BELADOR urban fantasy series where there is no one ultimate god or goddesses, which makes for deadly conflicts and interesting negotiations.)

EXERCISE #1

Now it’s time for you to work.  Take out paper and pen.  Answer the following questions:

A) What is your protagonist or hero (carpenter, teacher, astronaut, cowboy, surfer, etc)?

If you’re writing a romance, what is your heroine (scientist, childcare provider, CEO, waitress, etc)?

B) What is your story premise (if you’re writing a romance, I don’t want any answer that has to do with love or relationships, but the external story that is the foundation for the plot)?

Working with answers to those questions above, explain in no more than 30 words what makes your hero, heroine or premise different from ten books with a similar hero, heroine or premise?

EXERCISE #2

Creating characters that are different or unusual still requires the character to be fully developed with core beliefs and sound motivation.   In other words, an unusual character will fall flat on the page if you fail to do the necessary work of building a believable back story that will support that character’s core belief and giving that character a believable motivation that will drive the character toward his or her goal.  Start with creating someone “unexpected” then make sure to give your character internal depth.

A) Write down what role your hero or heroine plays in your story (use your answer from Exercise #1) and choose 3 words to describe that character. Once you do, add to the list below

Nurse – Nurturing, disciplined, likes to role play online

Policeman – Dedicated, follows rules, likes to wear superhero costumes

Celebrity – Charming, loyal, obsessive-compulsive disorder

Villain – Ruthless, focused, feeds a rat that lives in the house

________ (your character)_______________________________ (descriptive words)

B) I’ve mixed the first four above descriptions so that all of the character roles are now different:

Nurse – Ruthless, focused, feeds a rat that lives in the house

Policeman – Charming, loyal, obsessive-compulsive disorder

Celebrity – Nurturing, disciplined, likes to role play online

Villain – Dedicated, follows rules, likes to wear superhero costumes

________ (your character)_______________________________ (change out several of the set of three traits above with yours and ask yourself what your character would be like with these traits?).

Take the Policeman in part (B), for example.  Would that be MONK?

What if the villain was charming, loyal and OCD?   Would that be interesting qualities of a villain?

C) For another spin on the characters, swap the gender of a role from male to female or young with older.  For example, when they remade BATTLESTAR GALACTICA they gave the popular character names Starbucks a twist by changing the gender from male to female.  How different would your character be if he/she were from another country with different customs than ours?  What if that character came from money instead of poverty or vice versa?

EXERCISE #3

Add an unexpected ingredient to a plot.  For instance, take a bunch of roughnecks on an oilrig and expect them to become astronauts and save the world by stopping an asteroid that’s threatening earth.  That was ARMEGGEGON.

Or what about mixing aliens with cowboys?  The television show FIREFLY and the movie COWBOYS AND ALIENS mixed genres.

Tell a story from the point of view of the domestic “help.” If that story is set in a contemporary time period, it doesn’t have the same impact as setting it during the 1960s, which was a far more evocative and dangerous concept, turning THE HELP into a blockbuster.

My point today is in getting you to take a step back from your story and play with it.  Leave the original file tucked safely away, then pull out a piece of paper or a whiteboard and start writing down things you would “never” expect your hero/heroine to want to do or characteristics that are “not” your hero/heroine.  Pick three places and time frames you can not imagine setting your story in and ask yourself what would happen if you did set your story there.

As a minimum, I hope this has given you at least ONE new idea about your characters or story premise. My goal is to stir your creative juices and to leave you excited about what makes YOUR story different.

Post a comment and you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of the following (giving all these away to three different commenters):

*Everyone can download a free copy of FIRE BOUND (exclusive Belador Short Story) at http://www.authordiannalove.com/bookshelf_firebound.php

For more on Dianna visit www.AuthorDiannaLove.com and stop by her Dianna Love Fan Page to play the Belador Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win an Touch E-reader.

Feedback and the Health of Your Heart

By Katharine Ashe

I write intensely emotional books.

I write high emotion because I am naturally a highly emotional person.

The indicator of my high emotion is usually tears. Not only tears of sadness. I also weep when I’m happy, when I see beauty, and when I’m especially excited. I weep at dog food commercials and Disney movies, when my son says his prayers without prompting, and when I get a letter from a fan. I weep laughing, dancing, and singing.

Like I said: highly emotional.

So when I dream up a story and sit down to write it, all the emotion in my heart goes into my characters — their loves, losses, struggles, passions, griefs, and ecstasies. And while I write, those emotions send me on an emotional roller coaster ride. I’m up, I’m down, I’m in agony, I’m in ecstasy riding euphoric highs and crashing lows with my characters. It’s totally exhausting and thoroughly satisfying. I adore writing books like this and honestly I don’t think I could do it any other way.

But after years in both the publishing business and academia I have learned a Very Important Thing. I’ve learned that while high emotion is wonderful on the page, there is no place for it in emails, conference rooms, or any other professional space.

But you know this already, right? When your critique partner tears apart your latest chapter, or you get a rejection from an agent, or a reviewer skewers your book, you suck up the sob gathering in your throat, blink away the prickles at the back of your eyes, and wait until you get home or to your hotel room to cry. That’s just how professionals behave. Professional in public.

Whatever the stage of your journey to and through publication, it hurts to get negative feedback. Sometimes it hurts a lot. So we learn to contain our grief until we’re in private, or at least with very close friends. That’s a no brainer.

But here’s something else I’ve learned… me, Miss Highly Emotional… me, who bawls when the birds and mice sew Cinderella a gown… me, who loses her cool completely every time the Terminator doesn’t kill anybody because young John Connor tells him he’s not allowed…

When I get negative feedback, I’ve learned not to weep at all.

I don’t mean that I’m no longer highly emotional. I am and always will be, about everything — my life, the wonderful world, the love stories I write, and my successes. But I’ve learned that if I allow negative feedback to plummet me into the emotional depths that are natural to me when faced with a setback, I will suffer for it.

And it’s not worth it.

Here’s a home truth that everyone pursuing a career in publishing simply must accept: negative feedback doesn’t go away. There will always be someone conveniently available to tell you that your work is bad. As my lovely critique partner points out to me, the only difference between negative feedback before I was published and negative feedback now is that now it’s public.

The real difference? Now I don’t let it hurt me. Not deeply. Not so that I weep.

How do I make it so that negative feedback doesn’t get to me deeply? I do two things:

1)      I accept the honest criticism, consider what it means to my work, throw out what doesn’t make sense to me, and use the rest to get better. What’s the fun in thinking you’re as good as you’re ever going to get? I want every book to be a new challenge that makes me even better. I learned this from my heroines, by the way. They never give up, no matter what the challenge. They daringly fight until they’ve achieved their goals. They never stop feeling deep emotions along the way. They just don’t let the bad ones paralyze them.

2)      I remain true to my own desire. I write what I love to write, I try to write it as well as I can, and I enjoy it. As long as I allow the joy of writing to fill me up, there’s no room for the negativity to get a foothold in my heart.

No one will protect my heart if I don’t. And if I don’t protect my heart I won’t have a heart to pour into the love stories I write. It’s that simple.

So for the health of your heart — and your books — take a cue from your own heroines. Even when others tell you it’s hopeless, keep challenging yourself, keep daring, and keep loving until you reach your goal. That’s what romance is all about, after all.

Katharine Ashe writes stunningly sensual Regency adventures for Avon Romance. Her latest, WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY, received a coveted starred review from Library Journal (“A lushly intense romance… radiant prose”), and is featured as this week’s Barnes & Noble “Heart to Heart” column pick.

What’s your special trick for staying positive in the face of negative feedback?

USING METAPHOR TO STRENGTHEN POV (Point of View)

By Candice Hern

Many thanks to Kelly for inviting me here today. And best of luck to all of you participating in the 90-day Writing Challenge!

Point-of-view is one of my favorite writerly topics, and I can go on an on about it from several different angles.  But today I thought I’d focus on one small aspect – a simple but useful tool within the POV toolkit: metaphor.

In the many POV workshops I’ve given, I tend to concentrate on deep 3rd person POV and how to use it to give depth and texture to characterization. What follows, though, has equal value when writing in 1st person. Use of appropriate metaphor in POV narrative is one of many ways to get into the character’s head, to give the reader an understanding of how the POV character views the world.

It’s a simple trick, but effective.  For example:

–       If your hero is an architect, he might think of the world and relationships in terms of building and structure.

–       If he is a race car driver, he may think in terms of roads and speed and traction.

–       If your heroine is a chef, she might think in terms of slow-cooking and fast-freezing.

–       If your hero is a soldier, he may think of life in terms of a battlefield.

You can use metaphor to bring in these unique perspectives of the world, while at the same time adding depth to your characterization.

Here are a few examples from my own books:

1) In my novella, FROM THIS MOMENT ON, the hero was sea captain, and I sprinkled his narrative with words and phrases from the sea and the navy, eg:

Gulfs of time and experience separated them, and yet she still had the ability to set his heart beating to quarters.

The idea taunted him like the hint of a sail in the distance blinking in and out of the mist, beyond his reach, and with it came a pang of longing that he quickly checked.

Was she flirting with him, trying to seduce him into staying?  The very idea made his groin tighten, and his heart pitch and roll in his chest like a sloop in a high wind.

2) The hero in my traditional Regency, A GARDEN FOLLY was a landscape gardener, and I peppered his narration with garden images, eg:

Thoughts of her gnawed at him like a cutworm on flax.

She favored him with a smile warm enough to sprout daisies in winter.

3) The hero in THE BRIDE SALE was a copper mine owner, which provided me with a rich lode of metaphor (sorry, I couldn’t resist!), eg:

Garment upon garment had been layered on so that she looked as broad and square as an engine house.

She wore a thick woolen robe, wrapped and tied closely about her. It was a most unappealing garment, but just knowing she had on nothing more than a night rail beneath it set his heart to pounding like the great high-pressure beam engine down at Wheal Devoran.

4) Richard in HER SCANDALOUS AFFAIR was a soldier.  Military terms helped build the metaphors in his narrative, eg:

He would have to return to London, of course, and lay siege to her once again.  He had an entertaining little skirmish in mind for the next time they met.

Using metaphor in this way helps to immerse the reader into the POV character’s view of the world.  But don’t overdo it.  Too many sieges and skirmishes for the soldier hero can become an annoying affectation that can potentially drive the reader crazy – in the same way that many readers hate the over-use of dialect.

I do believe, though, that metaphor can truly enhance the reader’s understanding of the character.  Consider the ubiquitous pounding heart, for example.  At some point in a romance, the hero’s heart is likely to pound, preferably set off in some way by the heroine.  Probably the most common pounding-heart metaphor (or simile, to be more precise) is “like a drum.”  But that comparison is so generic that we get no sense of the character who is expressing that feeling.  Look again at the examples above.  The sea captain’s heart “beats to quarters” and the copper miner’s heart pounded “like the great high-pressure beam engine” at his mine.  See how those similes are unique to each character’s view of the world?  And much more evocative than the old drum simile, don’t you think?

You may need to search for a frame of reference for your metaphors and similes.  The imagery created by those metaphors should have meaning for the POV character.

When I was writing my novella with the sea captain hero, I sought out all sorts of navy/sailor terminology, and made a long list of terms and phrases I thought might come in handy.  It became a lexicon for the hero.  Whenever I wanted to inject a bit of the sea in his speech or narrative, I went to my lexicon and looked for a suitable image.

I recommend a similar exercise if your hero or heroine has a very specific life experience that may involve a unique vocabulary.  You can actually build a dictionary for your character.  For example, if your character is a farmer, your dictionary or lexicon would include terms relevant to harvests, reaping, sowing, planting, seeds, fields, crops, etc.  Once you build a character dictionary, you can subtly work those words and phrases into both dialog and narrative, and use them to build metaphors.  For less specific character types you can still build a dictionary – you simply have to think in terms of a general world view, eg a wealthy man who’s never had to struggle may think in terms of yacht races and stock options, whereas a waitress who works double shifts to meet the rent may think in terms of high tippers and four-tops.

Just as each POV character should have a unique narrative voice, each also has a unique perspective on the world based on their life experience.  That unique world view will help you develop his/her voice.  Just as a sea captain’s perspective, and voice, will be different from an Oxford-educated nobleman, so will a cowboy’s perspective be different from a high tech CEO’s.  Or a human’s perspective different from a vampire’s perspective. Metaphor and simile can help create that unique voice, and in the end will add emotional power to your POV narrative.

And as a by-product, all that creative metaphor and imagery will give more artistry to your writing.

(One lucky commenter will win her choice of books from my backlist.  Kindle and Nook users can request an ebook version.)

BIO: Candice Hern is the award-winning author of historical romance novels set during the English Regency, a period she knows well through years of collecting antiques and fashion prints of the era.  She travels to England regularly, always in search of more historical and local color to help bring her books to life, and prides herself on the detailed research that goes into each novel. Her books have won praise for their “intelligence and elegant romantic sensibility” (Romantic Times) as well as “delicious wit and luscious sensuality” (Booklist). Her first book was published in 1995, the result of winning a writing contest.

Welcome to my friend Leslie Tentler! Leslie and I met years ago at the Georgia Chapter of RWA, when we were both unpublished! Now she is the author of the critically acclaimed Chasing Evil trilogy from MIRA Books. Her third novel in the series – Edge of Midnight – was released February 1 and to celebrate, she’s giving away a free copy! Her blog post today is on one of my favorite topics: how to make your writing dream a reality!!  And if you leave a comment below you’ll be entered for a chance to win a copy of Leslie’s latest book!

Learning to Live Your Dreams

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” – Paul Valéry

I like this quote from French poet and philosopher Paul Valéry, as it pretty much sums up how I lived my life prior to writing Midnight Caller, my first book in the Chasing Evil trilogy. You see, for years I daydreamed about having the time to write, I read books on writing and attended writing workshops, but I didn’t spend a lot of time actually practicing the craft of fiction writing. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to, but because like most of us, I was pretty overwhelmed with the day-to-day aspects of life. I had a busy, full-time job, family and home responsibilities, and I just wasn’t ready to give up my limited spare time to becoming a writer.

And so I continued daydreaming. It was fun, actually, spending that time with my head in the clouds, just thinking about that day when I would have nothing to do but write. I had characters, dialog and plot lines running rampant in my head…just nothing captured on paper.

I “woke up” somewhere around the time I turned forty. That’s when I realized I’d spent a lot of time thinking and talking about writing, but not putting much elbow grease behind it. Barring winning the lottery (and fat chance of that), I knew that if I wanted to BE a writer, I had to start making sacrifices to find the time to write.

And so I did. I wrote on weekends, vacations and holidays, as well as during the occasional weeknight when my brain wasn’t too fried from work to function. I gave up a lot of R&R and turned my free days into workdays and finally began to produce.

Was it easy? No. But for the first time I really felt like a writer, not just someone who wanted to “be” one someday.

As I moved the needle closer to “completed manuscript,” I began to learn some things about myself, including the best ways to keep my eye on the prize and push through even when time was tight and the words weren’t exactly flowing:

1. Fall back in love with your story each time you sit down to write. I keep myself inspired by going back to a favorite chapter or scene I’ve written earlier in the book – one that I really love or that I feel really defines who a character is. For me, rereading those passages gets me back in the mood to work on a brand new chapter or scene and to keep moving my characters’ story forward. Even when I’m frustrated because a chapter I’m working on isn’t coming together, I’ll look back at that older one and think, “I wrote that. I CAN do this.”

2. Set small goals. Of course, your long-term goal is to finish that book! But what if instead of working toward such a big, intimidating objective, you set a shorter-term goal like completing a chapter or scene? Know that each of those smaller accomplishments gets you closer to your finish line. There’s an old saying: “Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch.” Work incrementally so balancing writing within a busy life doesn’t overwhelm you.

3. Always be brainstorming that next scene. Spend your non-writing time working out that “next scene” in your head. What happens next in your story? What is the point of action where it begins? Whose POV? You’ll be surprised how many of these things you can figure out while driving your car, showering or walking the dog. Maybe even while you’re sitting in yet another staff meeting. It’s so much easier to be productive when you know exactly where to start, instead of sitting down to stare at a blank screen. I often send myself emails from my iPhone, call my voicemail or jot down notes on pieces of paper while I’m doing non-writing activities, just so I won’t forget that “big thought.”

4. Don’t give up when the writing gets tough. We all have our off days when the words don’t come easily or we identify a plot hole so big it makes us sick to our stomachs. We all have those “crying at the computer, I can’t do this anymore” moments. But don’t give up on a story so easily. Jumping from one story idea to the next only ensures you’ll never get anything done. Force yourself to see a story through to the end, instead of abandoning it as soon as the going gets tough. You’ll work through those rough spots, or compensate for them perhaps in the very next chapter.

It’s time to stop daydreaming and start writing!

EDGE OF MIDNIGHT BLURB

The writer becomes the story when crime reporter Mia Hale is discovered on a Jacksonville beach – bloodied and disoriented, but alive. She remembers nothing, but her wounds bear the signature of a sadistic serial killer. After years lying dormant, The Collector has resumed his grim hobby: abducting women and taking gruesome souvenirs before dumping their bodies. But none of his victims has ever escaped – and he wants Mia back, more than he ever wanted any of the others.

FBI agent Eric Macfarlane has pursued The Collector for a long time. The case runs deep in his veins, bordering on obsession…and Mia holds the key. She’ll risk everything to recover her memory and bring the madman to justice, and Eric swears to protect this fierce, fragile survivor. But The Collector will not be denied. In his mind, he knows just how their story ends.

What RT Book Reviews Says About EDGE OF MIDNIGHT

4 ½ STARS:  “A compelling plot, thick suspense, a cunning villain, a shattered cop and a victim who wants answers at any cost place Tentler in the same category as bestselling authors Lisa Jackson and Beverly Barton.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Leslie Tentler worked in PR for nearly two decades before pursuing her love of writing fiction. She is the author of the Chasing Evil trilogy of romantic thrillers from MIRA Books, including Midnight Caller, Midnight Fear and Edge of Midnight. She resides in Atlanta.   http://www.LeslieTentler.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leslietentler / Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/leslie_tentler

Midnight Caller at Amazon

Midnight Fear at Amazon

Edge of Midnight at Amazon