Blog Archives

A Fiendish Plot-Not

1/29/2015

Alicia Dean, author of twenty books, mentioned she's a plotter. I've taken one of her writing workshops (awesome). Her book, Find the Magic, How to Plot a Story in 10 Easy Steps, tells how she completes her manuscripts. Alicia and I approach our stories differently. She mentioned that she's not one of the writers who can sit down at the keyboard and discover that the characters are going to take over the story. She crafts her journey first.

I have characters taking over the story as soon as they appear.

It would be fine if they would all go in the same direction, but no, they remind me of cattle needing corralled.The characters aren't like stampeding animals all rushing on the same path only to tire and stop. My creations all take off like they're going to different pastures on different ranches on different planets.

Out comes the lasso, and away we go. Herding them, pulling them back, trying to get them still long enough to at least get a brand on them—that's what it feels like.I simply outlast the characters, wrangling them until they settle into the story.

Plotting is the answer. Or so it would seem.

Before I begin a manuscript, I beg and whine to my subconscious, trying to tell it this is not a game. We need to work together. Plot—I tell myself. So I do. I work out a beginning, middle and end. But do the characters listen? No. They're stampeding.

I find I must use drastic measures. I hope my little imaginary friends are taking note. A character, Geoff, went in his own direction.

Dear Geoff. I had to get serious with him. He did it his way. Then, I did what I had to do. He's in a different plot now.

Alicia Dean's book, Find the Magic
How to Plot a Story in 10 Easy Steps
is available at

http://www.amazon.com/Find-Magic-Plot-Story-Steps-ebook/dp/B00OR0IY0W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1421884056&sr=8-4&keywords=alicia+dean

Cover Shoots: Diverse as the Books

1/22/2015

For motivation to finish a manuscript, it's fun to create an image of a book cover to go with your story. But for someone serious about putting together art for a novel, finding just the right photo and adding the text can be tough.

Click on the following link to see a video of a photo session for a Viking novel. They spritzed the male model's hair to make it look, well, rather messy and the author did get to attend. I think she enjoyed it—judging by her smile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EcVz1vSMkE

To see how they add the background, check out the following link.I also liked watching how much the model talked as she was made up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XKSW83YKrU

Some writers simply go to an online company and select a cover. It's that simple. To see how one company displays their covers, the prices, and how easy it is to buy a book cover, go to: http://bookgraphics.net/pre-made-ebook-covers-2/

Separating the Artist From The Art

1/17/2015

When researching, I discovered the artist James Gillray.

His personal life probably wasn't all that perfect. He may have been a bit too fond of beverages. He may have killed himself or at least tried. But he thought he was losing his eyesight, and that has to be especially hard for an artist.

Hannah Humphrey showcased Gillray's work in what appears to have been a good business relationship. She owned the print shop. He provided art. Supposedly he proposed to her, but that may be only a bit of lore.

I don't understand all of Gillray's art because much of it is political satire from the early 1800's. The caricatures were rather stronger than I expected. Not shy that Gillray guy.

Even though I don't know if I would have felt this way had I been alive at the same time he was—he's one of my Regency heroes.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/233800/James-Gillray

Palm Reading Made Easy

1/12/2015

Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Raise your right hand please. Why? Because the court needs to see if you have a brand burned onto your hand.

Centuries ago keeping records of previous offences wasn't as easy as it is today so someone devised a simple plan. A brand on the inside of the hand. Then, when in court, it was easy to tell if the person on trial had a previous conviction when they raised their right hand.

They had a permanent record.

You would think a hot iron applied to skin would discourage people from being repeat offenders—but perhaps not so much.

Elizabeth Brown, when imprisoned, had been twice branded on the cheek and once on the hand. She often broke two Commandments at once: Thou shalt not steal and Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. She tended to pick pockets at church.

For more about Elizabeth Brown, scroll down to the 15th criminal at:
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=OA17170320&div=OA17170320&terms=sweetbones#highlight

For a more in-depth look at the origin of raising the right hand:
http://nwsidebar.wsba.org/2013/10/21/raise-right-hand-court/

I wish Elizabeth Brown was a fictional character because her story is tragic in many ways. But someday I might write about a lady who picks pockets in church...

Mountains of Inspiration

1/6/2015

Motivation.

Rocky Mountain National Park has incredible views, even when the temperatures are cold. The road was closed ahead. The mountain tops were covered with clouds.

The close-up shows what fascinated me—besides the mountain view.

I wonder how the painting turned out.

Would a writer work in adverse conditions if she thought it would increase inspiration and wouldn't destroy the laptop? Of course.

Ketchup versus Red Paint

1/1/2015

The scene in my current manuscript is similar to something I experienced.

When someone once jumped out of my bathroom closet, I was just as terrified as the heroine in my book. It took ten minutes for the tears and shaking to stop. To say it was frightening was an understatement. Luckily it was a friend and meant as a joke. Luckily no one was hurt.

Only my heroine fights back.

So I wanted to know just how it would work, in real movements.

Sometimes, how you ask the question is as important as the question.
"Excuse me, Husband, are you willing to act out a scene in one of my romance novels?" He agreed.

So, I grabbed a handy object. A black marking pen. Capped, for safety. "This is a knife," I told him, reminding him that no one needed to be hurt, and that we should move in slow motion. (We once acted out a self defense action where he was to choke me and I accidentally hurt him. It's hard to remain calm when two large hands clasp your neck.)

"I need to stab you." He agreed. "And you need to push me against the wall." He was okay with that too.

We worked out the scene until I was pleased with it. I realized which hand would be bloody and how it would work.

So I rushed to my keyboard to fill in the story, immersing my imagination into a knife attack.

A few minutes later, my husband came into the room and stuck out his hand.
I screeched. He'd carried it one step further.

Ketchup does work better than red paint. And it's easier to clean up.

Note: The post following this one is my red paint experience. I just can't show my pictures. (Yes, I did take a photo of Husband's hand covered in ketchup to go with my bloody foot photos.) If you want to see photos someone else has had to tidy up after taking—go to Fotolia.com and search Crime Scene.