Writer U On-Line Courses for October

The Hero's Journey, For Heroines
by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
October 1-26, 2012
$30 at http://www.writeruniv.com/

What happens when a character's journey is more about relationships, with others and with herself, than about daredevil action? Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler have identified 12 popular steps for a hero who explores the outside world and returns with the elixir. But what about a character whose journey leads to flowering change instead of physical adventure? Her challenges, as described in Kim Hudson's 13 steps, will sometimes contradict, sometimes parallel and sometimes compliment the traditional hero's journey...and for writers whose heroine faces her own less-traveled road to discovery, this class offers a fascinating map.

* Establishing the world of dependence
* Moving from dormancy to risk
* Sampling an unrealized dream in secret
* Balancing the old world with the new
* Embracing change, which results in chaos
* Facing self-doubt and the ultimate choice
* Bringing new light to a different world

Laurie Schnebly Campbell always wondered what was wrong with her, not really GETTING the Hero's Journey, until she discovered its feminine counterpart. Then she got excited -- not only by the premise, but also by the chance to create a brand new class for WriterU. She can't wait to see who else shares her enthusiasm for characters making discoveries within themselves, as well as within the world...no matter what their gender.

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Commit the Perfect Crime
by Stephen D. Rogers
October 1-26, 2012
$30 at http://www.writeruniv.com/

Killing people ain't hard. It's the getting away with it that's murder. Whether your protagonist is the criminal who commits the crime or the sleuth/detective who seeks justice, you need to mastermind a plan that will convince readers to come along for the ride. You need to create a sense that nothing can go wrong, and then -- logically -- make it all come apart. Crime may not pay, but writing about it does. In this class you'll learn how to:

* Motivate the various characters to make their actions seem inevitable
* Cripple the first leg of the investigative tripod: motive
* Cripple the second leg of the investigative tripod: means
* Cripple the third leg of the investigative tripod: opportunity
* Plant the clue or trait that causes things to unravel
* Draw out the suspense until the axe falls

Derringer winner Stephen D. Rogers is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. He judged the Daphne du Maurier (published category) for the Romance Writers of America, Mystery/Suspense Chapter, for four years and has written columns and articles for Dabbling Mum, Writer's Digest, and Writing World. Over five hundred of his stories and poems have appeared in more than two hundred publications.

LET YOUR CHARACTERS WRITE YOUR LOVE SCENES/PART ONE

Revised and updated from a workshop I did several years ago, this post is all about using your characters to make your love scenes unique and intricate to your story. It will be posted in several parts over the next few months:

1.     Using your characters’ flaws.

2.     Using your characters’ strengths.

3.     Using your characters’ goals.

4.     Using your characters’ personalities.

5.     Using plot and conflict.

6.     Using setting.

If you’re a writer, this may help inspire you to write some of the most difficult scenes in your book: your sensual encounters. If you’re a reader, you will get lots of sneak peeks into the Relics of Merlin series, which is being re-released by Sourcebooks over the next few years.

The Relics of Merlin series of books are whimsical romances set in a magical Victorian London of sexy shape-shifters, enchanted tea, wicked spells and loose corsets. Since I’ll be using excerpts from several of the books in the series, I thought it might be helpful to have a quick overview of each:

Enchanting the Lady:  In a world where magic rules everything, two misfits--Felicity Seymore, a Victorian beauty unable to perform even the simplest spell, and Sir Terence Blackwell, a were-lion searching for Merlin's relics--form a passionate alliance.

Double Enchantment:  When Lady Jasmina accidentally creates a double of herself using a relic, the mix-up brings her real self into a compromising position with sexy were-stallion, Sir Sterling Thorn.

Enchanting the Beast: In the third book of the Relics of Merlin series, ghost-hunter Philomena Radcliff comes to Grimspell castle to rid the residence of spirits, but she finds most haunting of all a reclusive were-wolf suspected of murder.

Everlasting Enchantment: In this brand-new fourth book, Sir Gareth Solimere has been trapped inside of one of Merlin’s relics for centuries, and only true love will set him free. But when were-panther Lady Millicent Pantere steals the relic, will she be his salvation or his doom?

So why am I doing a post on (gasp) sex scenes? Because several friends of mine said it was the hardest thing for them to write. Since they are my favorite part of the book to write, I thought I’d share how I do it and hopefully it will be helpful to others. Since I always seem to learn better by example, I’ll be giving examples from all my books to show how my love scenes are a development of my characters, plot and setting. I’m sure there are many other ways to develop a love scene, so let this be an inspiration and not a rule. If you’ve read any of my other posts on writing, you know my favorite motto is: there are no rules in writing, just guidelines.

ONE:  USING YOUR CHARACTERS’ FLAWS

This is probably one of my favorite scenes from my books, so this one came to me right away. In Enchanting the Lady, Felicity has been under a don’t-notice-me spell most of her life. Although she’s a beautiful girl, she thinks she’s forgettable and plain. This is her wedding night, and she’s waiting for the arrival of her new husband:

   If only she were more memorable.  What if he came into the room and didn’t even notice her in the bed?  That, she decided, would be more dreadful than him not coming at all. 

   Felicity lowered the bedcovers.  She leaned back on her arms, thrusting her breasts against the sheer cloth of her nightgown.  She did have a nice figure, surely he remembered that from their night in the Gardens.  A nice face wasn’t everything, was it?

   She crawled out from beneath the bedcovers and smoothed them flat.  Then she tried several different positions, hoping to gain his attention when he walked in.  He’d yet to forget her--but the longer he took, the more she doubted.

   Felicity lay sideways, hand propped on her head, gown billowing around her body, outlining the curve of her hips.  She lifted her leg and pointed the toe.  With a grimace, she rolled onto her stomach, propped her head again, and looked at her back.  Yes, the gown draped her behind in an enticing manner-- she could just make out the dark line between her cheeks.  But would he like that sort of view?

   She grimaced again and rolled onto her back.  Perhaps if she propped the pillows behind her, yes, and spread her hair out like a halo, and then flung out her arms like so…

   No, that wouldn’t do.  She should sit on the edge of the bed, and then put her arms behind her, and look over her shoulder with a smile of wicked invitation…

   She flopped backwards, her legs spread and hanging down the side of the bed, her arms flung wide in agony.  She couldn’t find a single position that didn’t make her feel like a fool.  Still, she got up to try again.  Maybe if she stood on the…

   The door edged open with a soft creak, and Terence slipped into the room.  Felicity froze in mid-pose, having been so involved in making herself look desirable that she’d forgotten all about him.

   Terence glanced at the bed, and his mouth dropped open.  The look of utter amazement on his face made Felicity look down at herself.  She couldn’t even recall how she’d managed this latest arrangement.  Somehow her gown had gotten tangled around her waist, and she was on all fours, her long, black hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders, her bare bottom exposed to his gaze.

     Well, she needn’t wonder if he’d like that sort of view.  His eyes glittered with appreciation.

I realize you may not have the fantasy element in your book. But how many women do you know that are very attractive, but wholly insecure in their looks? Wouldn’t the complete vulnerability of sex bring that fear to the forefront? How much fun could you have incorporating that into your love scene? And it certainly doesn’t just apply to your heroine.  What issues does your hero have that can lead to the development of an intriguing encounter?  Which leads me to my next excerpt, again from Enchanting the Lady:

   Terence took a step forward, his hands fumbling with his tie.  His voice slurred the words.  “It might have been better if you’d already been asleep with that delightful body hidden beneath the linens.”

   “Why?”

   He threw his cravat on the floor and started shrugging off his coat.  “Because now it’s too late and I can’t stop this from happening.”

   Felicity dragged the top of the bedcovers closer to her.  His words sparked a kernel of fear in her belly.  Was it so dreadful then, that he’d try to spare her from it?  Why did he act so strange?  “Are you drunk?”

   “Certainly not.”  Terence threw his coat over a chair.  “Slightly foxed, but never drunk.”

   Felicity’s hands finally closed on the edge of the bedcovers, and she started to drag them over her.

   “Don’t do that,” he growled.

So is your hero approaching the encounter with trust issues?  Are you writing a mystery where your heroine may be a suspect, and despite your hero’s attraction for her, he’s still suspicious?  Does your hero want your heroine, and he’s angry at himself because of it?  Whether it’s trust or power issues, let your characters guide you in their interactions so that your love scene will be as unique as your entire novel is.

Until Next Time,

Kathryne

The Sagging Middle

This month we are talking about plotting. I believe the advantage to plotting your story ahead of time is it helps you avoid the sagging middle. I like to plot three turning points that each move the story in a new direction, followed by the black moment and the happily ever after.

If I'm writing a romantic suspense, I plot the turning events for the romance and then for the mystery. Every thread of your story could have its own turning points to make the story a page turner. You don't want your reader to get bored and put the book down.

Remember, you'll get a lot of advise when it comes to writing. Take what rings true for you and don't worry about the rest.

Until next week,
happy writing!

Tina Swayzee McCright
Aka Tina LaVon

Introducing Alana Lorens

Introducing Wild Rose Press Author, Alana Lorens, and her book That Girl's the One I Love


 Leyla Brand has one perfect day in her life: the day she meets rock singer Arran Lake at the Bele Chere Festival in Asheville. They have so much in common, Leyla is sure they are soulmates and will have a future together.
The very next morning, when Arran receives the call to hit the big time, he vanishes into the world of California rock and roll to become an international star, leaving her behind. Only a few phone calls keep them in touch -- until his phone is disconnected. After that, all she has of him is every new song that hits the charts.

 Five years later, she gets a message on the Internet from an unfamiliar address. Someone wants to know if she's the Leyla of Bele Chere. Should she open that door and discover who this might be? Who else could it be? And if it is Arran, why does he want to contact her now, after all this time? Will he just break her heart again?

You can learn more about Alana at http://www.alanalorens.com
and her book at  http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Shrouded in Mystery - Just Released

This week my second book in the Shrouded Series has just been released for sale.

Shrouded together under the microscope of Miltronics, six people’s lives are affected by one secretiveness and malignant pharmaceutical company.  The only outcome—death or triumph over the evil that dwells within the corporate walls.

Shrouded in Mystery - 1st place in Beacon Contest under the Paranormal Category.
1st place in the Emily West Houston Chapter RWA Contest – Paranormal Category
Honorable Mention from On the Far Side Contest from the Fantasy Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA
Finalist in First Coast Romance Writers Unpublished Beacon Contest

John Davenport wakes from a car accident with a dead man beside him and a duffle bag in the back seat with over one hundred thousand dollars in cash and a loaded gun. He has no memory of his past or how he got there. His only clues are a photo with the address of a shelter and a driver’s license with the name of Clark Kent. They lead him to Boston, but once there, he’s left with more questions and a sense of eminent danger. Katherine Spalding knows she’s one of the lucky ones. Born with money and looks, raised and educated among Boston’s elite, she has the respect and admiration of friends and the community. But her luck’s about to turn to chaos when a tall, gorgeous man with the most incredible gray eyes stumbles into her life. Katherine doesn’t know what to make of him. He claims he’s Clark Kent. But is he saint or sinner, hero or villain or … just plain crazy? Is she willing to find out, even at the risk of her life?But nothing prepares him for the phenomena he finds within himself. His hearing’s more acute than any animal, his strength beyond anything human. You can find Shrouded in Darkness at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or KOBO.

True Confessions of a Non-Plotter

We all have a different way of getting there.

For me, the way is rarely linear and I rarely get it right the first time.  I have some tricks I use along the way and the latest, greatest of these is writing the book out of order--which really blew my mind the first time I heard it, but has changed my whole outlook on the process of constructing a novel.  I heard about the concept at the SDSU Writers Conference (BTW, see my scholarship offer for this conference at www.ErinQuinnBooks.com by clicking the button on the left for Scholarship).  The workshop was given by Q. Linsday Barrett (I think--there was no introduction at the beginning of the CD I listened to so I'm not sure).  The workshop was amazing and she explained in a great way

Ok, back to the book.  How's it done?

Well you start with the beginning which most of have an idea of going in.  Then you write the next 4 pivotal scenes.  (Turning point #1, turning point #2, turning point #3 and the end).  Once you've done that, you have set your structure up and the rest of the writing is simply "climbing" to those points.  It simplifies it completely.

Oh, important to note, that one of the reasons you write the end is so that you know where your going--but equally important, you're writing it at the beginning of the process so all that excitement and enthusiasm you have for your book will show through!  

Plotting Using The Hero's Journey

Looking for that happy ending? Try plotting your story using the Hero's Journey. Our own Caris Roane swears it helped her.

I found three videos on YouTube I found helpful in explaining this pattern of narrative identified by Joseph Campbell.

The Hero's Journey, explained with examples from The Matrix, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the Lord of the Rings - 10 steps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB_Q1gFsvIw

In 5 steps with examples from The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, and Star Wars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGV1BvnyvGo&feature=related

The Journey shown with examples of Disney movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBr97zaWj8M&feature=related