15 Favourites by Karen Fainges

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Recently I was asked by a friend to list my 15 favourite books – ones that stuck with me. I found it harder than I thought. My husband was no help, saying “Tell them Adhesives that work by V Elcro”.

Once I had hit him with a cushion, I stopped to think, what does make a book stick with me? For me, it is one of two things, passion or the ability to make me stop and rethink. If a book has both, it goes on my top 15 list.

One of my favourite authors I am rereading at the moment is Tamora Pierce.  Her Tortall series of books is supposedly for children and although my daughter loves her too, I find myself reading the ink of the page (or the pixels off the screen seeing I read ebooks). She makes me laugh, cry and sit back with shock. She examines people’s motivations without ever getting bogged down. Like a Chinese painting, she portrays incredible scenes with a few slight strokes.

It is the simplicity I like, allowing us to look through the eyes of her characters without judging or noticebly guiding the reader. When writing, I often find myself dropping into preaching mode when trying to make a point. I immediately delete that passage, only to find myself doing it again as soon as I relax. Caring passionately about something is important, but preaching about it is like trying to shoe a fish, frustrates both you and the fish and it’s ultimately pointless.

Actions speak louder than words. Tamora’s characters gently show the consequences of evil actions,  mine tend to just rip the evil guy’s head off. Still it takes all sorts. Which way do you prefer?

By Any Other Name

There was a discussion this week on one of the mystery group lists about names. It really got me to thinking. Yes, what you name a character is important, not only to you but to your reader. You don’t even have to think much about it to know that. If you name a character Ethel, you have already sort of given me a discription. She’s old. You know it when you hear the name. She is one of those old ladies who wears flowered dresses and support hose to church, if she can still make it there.
And how about Bob? Sure kids are still named Robert but most of them go by Rob now just as boys named William usually go by Will. If you hear of a character named Bob, or Bill, you know the guy’s retired, don’t you? You can almost see him, his graying hair line receding, his stomach sticking out of his undershirt, answering the door.
But what got to me on the discussion about names on this writing list is the claim that the wrong name could make a reader put the book down. Really? Would you put a book down because the kid’s name was, say, Horatio Hornblower Howard? I mean, let’s face it, there are a lot of people out there who name their kids some really odd names. Songs have been written about that. (A boy named Sue) It seems believeable to me.
My grandmother named one of my uncles Raphael because she liked the name of the artist. No one ever called him anything but Ralph in my hearing but there you are. One of my other uncles was named Morant. I don’t know where she got that one. But I wouldn’t put down a book because of it.
It is amazing what a cycle this name thing is. When I named my eldest 20+ years ago, my mother wondered why I named her Melissa. In my Mom’s mind, that was an old woman’s name. So was Sarah, and Emma yet none of those names bring that picture to mind to me or anyone, I’d guess, under the age of 80. My mother’s own name, Mildred, on the other hand, is an old lady’s name. What goes around….

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

. This week, I’ve been reading Margaret Irwin, a historical novelist who wrote in the 1940’s. Next week, I’m planning to reread my old Jean Plaidy’s, another historical novelist who wrote in the 60’s and 70’s.

I’m reading these books because I read a biography of Elizabeth I and Robert, Earl of Leicester. It was a fascinating book, not least because the author constantly referred back to depictions of these two in film and literature. Her favourites were written by Margaret Irwin, and she mentioned it was a shame that her books were out of print, along with Jean Plaidy.

Nevertheless, I tried to get a copy of the Margaret Irwin books – and found, to my surprise, that they had been reissued, along with some Jean Plaidy’s.

It seems the success of The Other Boleyn Girl, book and film, and the TV series of The Tudors, had led to a resurgence of interest in Tudor historical novels. And once people had run out of Phillipa Gregory books to read, they turned to the old favourites – Margaret Irwin and Jean Plaidy. And now a whole new generation are discovering these wonderful novels,some written almost 70 years ago.

The moral of the story? You’re not just writing for today. You’re writing for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Your work may not be successful today. It may not even be successful in your lifetime. But someday, someone, somewhere, will find what you write suits the time perfectly.

In your PJ’s by Karen Fainges

Destiny Sets - read the first chapter free online

Reading Christine’s post started me thinking. One of the best things I ever did for my writing was get a PDA or personal digital assissant. Most people call them smart phones now, they are like a mini computer you hold in your hand. It is the old “keep a notebook beside the bed” hint that writiers seem to give out in interviews all the time.

Having a PDA meant I always had a notepad to scribble quick notes to myself, and if my hands were covered in soil (which they never are, I kill plastic plants),  I could leave myself a voice message rather than having to type. My PDA goes everywhere with me, and I can jot down quick prompts to myself all day, so when I am finally in front of the keyboard, I can get them down. Even at night I might roll over and scribble down a quick note about a dream. It is strange how many thoughts dump into your brain at the end of the day.

It doesn’t always work.  I was looking at a prompt the other day, scratching my head and going “what was I thinking”. Even that seems to help though to get the creative juices flowing. It is strange how it works, but it does work for me. And the weirdest thing, having voice seems to work even more than written notes. I can add the emotion I was feeling at the time, maybe hum a quick piece of music that gave me ideas, even take a quick photo of something that made sense at the time.

Electronic doohickeys aren’t for everyone – still you can find most of these features on your mobile phone now, even the cheap ones. And if you can’t work it, give it to a 6 year old to teach you how. They are whizzes and have no fear, thay will just hit buttons until they figure it out. There is a lesson to be learnt there somewhere. Carpe diem or maybe, seize the buttons.

Weeding out Ideas by Christine Duncan

I was out in the garden earlier today, weeding out around the roses and planning all the writing stuff I was going to do in my head. I had ideas for my WIP, ideas to talk to my publisher about, stuff I wanted to tell you all about on this blog. Do you think I can remember a single one?
Now it’s hot in the garden right now, but I can’t blame this on heat stroke. I have done this before. Regular readers of this blog will remember me complaining that I will go running and plan a whole chapter in my head and come home to the computer and write…nothing. It’s gone.
I was more than slightly frustrated about this until I remembered a column that Lawrence Block wrote long ago in Writer’s Digest. He talked about ideas that pop up at you in the night (or on the run) and said that some won’t stay with you. That was all right, he claimed, since this is the brain’s way of getting rid of the clunkers. (Yeah, I kind of doubt that Block said clunkers too–but you get the idea. I am quoting this article YEARS after the guy wrote it.)
On thinking this over, I think he’s write, err, right. The thing is when I finally do get to the scenes I’ve mulled over like this, they tend to write themselves. Somewhere in the back of this thing I call a brain, some decisions have been made and the scene is usually a good one–even if I don’t really have a conscious memory of how I planned to write it.
Of course, you have to remember, I’m one of those people who can’t plot either. Maybe it’s just how my brain works. How about you?

Blurb

. The blurb, as I’m sure you know, is the paragraph or two written on the book jacket. It’s supposed to make you want to open that book, read on, and then buy it. Too often, I find, it does the opposite. And, as a writer, your blurb is one of your most important marketing tools, so it’s important to get it right.

Some blurbs – the most annoying kind – choose not to tell you anything about the book at all. (You often find this on non-genre novels aiming for prestigious literary prizes, as if having to actually advertise a book is beneath them). Instead, there is a long list of flattering quotes by the author’s friends. Personally, this puts me right off a book. I really don’t care if an author’s second best friend think he/she is the most important voice to come out of Glasgow this century – I just want to know what the book is about.

But then some blurbs do the almost opposite – and you often find this on crime/action novels. The blurb gives away almost the entire plot – including that at least one major plot twist. If you read the novel, most of the sense of mystery is gone – because you already read the revelation on the back of the book.

Or a blurb makes a novel sound completely different to what is actually is – overly highlighting the romance aspect of a crime novel, and making it sound like a romance for example (I’ve missed so many good books like this, until someone recommended them to me).

So what’s a good blurb? Well, my copy of Angels and Demons has a very good one.

1)It straight away mentions the two main locations – Cern Institute and the Vatican. These locations are a major selling point of the book, and two such diverse locations side by side in the same book sparks interest straight away. (It’s not the locations that’s important, it’s what they represent about the novel – a struggle between church and science)
2)It mentions symbols, Catholic Church and Illuminati. That hooks the conspiracy theorists and secret society buffs. Those, with the mention of the Cern Institute, hints that the reader is clever enough to know what these are – it’s a subtle compliment.
3)It mentions Robert Langdon – and now they’ve got the Da Vinci code fans (although this was written before the Da Vinci code, most Robert Langdon fans read that first, after the movie)
4)It calls the plot ‘a race against time’ – saying what kind of novel it is, without giving away too much of the plot.
5)It hints at plot twists and although it gives one away, it’s not a very important one, and it’s a fairly obvious one,and it hints at many many more to come.
6)It’s only got two reviews – one from a paper, and one from Amazon, which means it was probably written not by a professional reviewer but a normal reader.

So there you go – the perfect blurb. It hints and teases, it compliments the reader, it uses reviews by people unknown to the author, it uses certain key words to hook it’s perfect audience. (That last technique should be used carefully. Use the wrong key word and you can lose readers. Personally, the minute I read the words ‘heart-warming’ in a blurb, I put the book down and back away as far as I can). And it works. Despite heartily disliking all other Dan Brown books, that blurb caught me. (And it turns out, I liked this book).

So, I’d recommend getting a good blurb writer. Make sure they’ve actually read the book, so they know what they’re talking about, and test it before you let it go on the book – take it to friends and ask ‘What kind of book do you think this describes?’ Personally, I think it’s your most important selling tool. Advertise as much as you like – what gets a book bought is the blurb and the first page.

Talk about the weather

Destiny Sets - read the first chapter free online

My mother always told me don’t talk about religion or politics. You’ll only get into arguments. So what about when you are writing? Should you mention them then?

I feel a hearty Yes coming on.

After all, you are not supposed to talk about those things because they lead to arguments. People feel strongly about them. If you leave them out of your books, you leave a big hole in your characters.

So where do you draw the line between well rounded character and someone that is just a vehicle for your own beliefs?

The question holds the answer. Is this really the character speaking? Is that a legitimate point of view for them to have, and would they really say that out loud?

One of my favourite authors is John Ringo. His characters are often quite pronounced in their beliefs. Occasionally he can stray into the realms of proselytising  but it’s rare. (Or maybe it’s only when I disagree with him that I notice it.) Most of the times, it rings very true for the character, even if they are complete blow hards. And the characters around them treat them accordingly.

That is the other litmus test for me. Do the people around the character react in a realistic way? When proofing, I often try to put the other character’s hat on and think about their reaction while this is happening. It can drive your editor mad when your point of view shifts mid stream and you didn’t notice, but it really does make for a more realistic flow to the action.

So what do you think? Should we talk politics or the weather?

What Keeps You Reading–Or Makes You Put a Book Down by Christine Duncan

Michelle’s post about reading the other week got me thinking. I tend to put books down for all sorts of reasons–sometimes there is nothing wrong with the darn thing at all–I’m just in the mood for something else.
Have you ever felt that way? This week with all of the news about the Iranian election and the test nukes from North Korea, I can’t read what I think of as simple or sweet books. There has to be a complexity of character or plot to capture me right now. Otherwise, I’m drifting into other thoughts.
But other times, when life is overwhelming, it is the simple, the sweet, and the cozy that draws me.
I guess even though I always say that I’ll read anything, I’m a picky reader.
As a rule, I don’t read hobby mysteries, even when I like the hobby. I don’t usually read horror because the images stay in my mind. I’m not the type to read bestsellers just because they’re bestsellers either–a book has to be about something I’m interested in. But I will sometimes read best sellers to see why others are enthralled. I tore apart a couple of Dan Brown’s books just to see what the deal was. I concluded that his style read so quickly because he tended to keep it short. Short chapters, short paragraphs. There was always something going on–always more excitement but it was terseness that kept the tension. Or so I decided.
Lately I’ve put books down for too much terseness. There seems to be a trend where authors skip on description so that I can’t really see what is going on. It made me drop one book. She described a car as a “big ass pimp mobile.” And I couldn’t see the darn car at all–thus making some of the action obscure.
Conversely, another author who went on and on about every leaf in a field (or so it seemed) lost my interest. There can be too much.
As a writer, though this might seem discouraging, I think the opposite is true. Someone not being interested in your book is not a personal rejection. It’s not really a rejection at all. Sometimes, we crave ice cream, sometimes we want roast beef. What do you think?

A Scary Task

“Chelle, could not put it down. Final Sin! Your mind scares me a bit.” A friend recently sent me these comments after reading my suspense thriller novel Final Sin. “I really loved it. Fast, easy reading, page turner, passionate, scary and a bit creepy.”
So how did this romantic suspense author whose earlier books dwell on passion make this crossing to a dark, scary and creepy side? Yes, there is a love story in Final Sin but it is a mere subplot to the story and designed to add tension. There’s some humor and some drama. There are real life situations as fellow paramedics Julie and Matt work to save lives. There’s frustration as Jake must temper his law enforcement prowess with old fashioned and self serving politics.
Then there is the psychotic serial killer whose rationale is anything but rational and whose methods are brutal, sadistic and terrifying. It’s not really the stuff I think about all day long. Honest. So how did my mind get so scary? To be truthful, it scares even me.
I came up with a story about two public servants who meet in an unlikely place, get attracted to each other and then get torn apart when the seamier side of life lands right on them. I created my characters and just like I always do, I built histories for each – I put an embittered divorced man into a job which he eats, sleeps and breathes as a deputy sheriff – I created a young woman whose idealism made her want to help everyone and whose rebelliousness made her free spirited and a little too trusting.
Other characters were added like Matt, Julie’s paramedic partner who doesn’t hide his dislike of Jake, Gregg, Jake’s colleague and one-time brother-in-law, and Brian, Jake’s troubled teen-age son who is angry at his father for abandoning him.
Then I did research – oh that research! As a real life NYS EMT, I admit I already had some knowledge of emergency medical response although I questioned others more experienced than me for finer details. I watched videotaped autopsies and learned about crime scene investigations. And I read about serial killers and common traits.
Lastly I researched history and learned about barbaric punishments and tortures from both the Crusades and early Victorian times. It scared me – there were nights I couldn’t go to sleep because of the inhumane and horrifying things I learned and the realization that humans did these things to other humans. Then I wrote these scary things into the book. I wanted my words to be as real as possible.
And I am proud to know that I was able to convey so much horror while I kept my readers turning pages. I wrote a story that, unlike the requisite happy-ever-after of the romance genre wasn’t necessarily going to have a happy ending. I wanted to make people shudder and look over their shoulders, but it was scary even to me. One of the things I did learn was that I would not want to be surrounded endlessly with the knowledge of the research I did.
It was very scary.
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Chelle Cordero is the author of romantic suspense novels Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law and Courage of the Heart as well as the thriller Final Sin. You can learn more about Ms. Cordero at http://chellecordero.com.

Escape

. I’ve had an awful week. Okay, compared to some it was a breeze, but to me, it was terrible. And my reaction was, as usual, just to disappear into a world inside my head whenever I had a spare moment.

But this time it wasn’t someone else’s world. This time, I chose the worlds I’ve created.

First I tried my ghost stories. But they’re short stories, so I came back much too soon. I tried the world of my Victorian detective – but that’s still being created. So I disappeared into the first world I ever made out of my own head – a fantasy land. A world of dark and light, and dragons and goblins, and heroes and heroines and villains.

I’ve been writing these stories, on and off, for over ten years now, so in my head, the world is pretty much fully created. I close my eyes, and I can see the hills beyond the plains, the great rift, the dark and lonely woods. And I can be whoever I want to be – the daring and doomed hero, the lost yet strong heroine, the other reluctant, dark hero, even the insane villain. I dived into my world, and had adventures.

It sounds insane, I know to disappear into my head this way. But be honest, isn’t this what every writer does? How could we write truthfully if we haven’t lived what we write, even if it is only as a daydream?

I came out of it with a few new stories, a few new insights, a few new neat turn of phrases. But what’s really important is that I went in tired and distressed and lonely, and came out stronger and happier.

And that’s what’s really necessary to me as a writer. Getting published, getting paid, good reviews – they are important. But what’s necessary is the world I create in my head, with my words.