Booklist
In our writing TBR pile:
How to write a Damn Good Thriller (Status: Reading)
Creating Characters (Status: TBR)
Creating Characters: How to Build Story People (Status: TBR)
Author Offerings
Three women haunted by horrors from their pasts. Four men who want to show them there's Nothing to Fear by Lacey Savage
Dragon Slayer now available at Noble Romance Publishing
About Us
Award winning author Lacey Savage (AKA Hunter Raines) pens erotic tales of true love and mythical destiny, peopled with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines.
Fiona Jayde is an author of kickass, action packed romances and when not plotting murder and mayhem enjoys steamy romance novels, sexy spy thrillers, murky mysteries and movies where things blow up.
We love to talk about writing! Here, we share the "nuggets" we've culled from our huge collections of writing books, and chat about what makes us want to roll our eyes or raise our eyebrows.
Interested in guest blogging on Tips and WIPs? Contact us!
Lessons Learned: By Cunning & Craft
It’s my father’s birthday today, and in between cooking a fabulous birthday meal, I finished reading BY CUNNING AND CRAFT, by Peter Selgin.
I never read anything without a highlighter by my side, so I thought I’d post a few of the items that struck me, in the hopes that they’ll help you, too. I wholeheartedly recommend getting the book, by the way. It’s a quick read, filled with a lot of insightful tips. What I liked the most was the fact that the author is known for his short stories, and so he focused on that aspect of the craft. I love writing short, but so often books on writing are about the novel, because let’s face it, the novel is still considered the end-all-and-be-all of literary works.
Ask yourself, What does the character want? and then How far is she willing to go to get it? If the answer to the latter question is, Not very far, then at least you know why you’re having trouble writing active scenes: A character who doesn’t want anything, or doesn’t want it badly enough, is not going to act. Give her the necessary motivation, situate her such that she doesn’t simply want the thing in question, but needs it to survive physically or emotionally, and your character will do things to show us, vividly, who she is. (pg.33)
Unless it really tells us something about the character, don’t record banal gestures. “She took a breath and exhaled,” tells me nothing about a character other than her respiratory system is functioning. Because they serve no purpose, such stage directions are intrusive. (pg.108)
Research just enough to feel competent at discussing your subject. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to discuss brain surgery, only to sound like a brain surgeon. (pg.120)
We fiction writers don’t always know what we’re doing. Until we’re done we never have the whole picture, only parts of it. (pg.182)
Often our working titles supply us with our stories’ themes or make it clear that we don’t yet know what they are. (Which is why you should title your stories provisionally, even in the earliest stages of writing, since the effort will help you locate the story’s center.) (pg.188)
What do you think of these quotes? Did anything resonate with you? Anything you don’t agree with? Drop me a line in the comments, and let’s discuss!
Hi Lacey
Happy Birthday to your dad. Hope you have a great time.
I can only speak as a reader. I don’t really agree with the page 108 quote.
I read romance & erotica & those sighs, nervous gestures & deep breaths say a lot.
RE: page 120: I’m trying to read a book now written by a grown man who is writing as a 16 year old girl in the first peron POV. I’m having trouble getting past that. I would have believed the brain surgeon better LOL.
Thanks for dropping by, Mary!
I’m definitely glad to have your opinion as a reader. I think what Selgin is saying with his p.108 quote is that deep breaths really don’t say anything unless they’re connected to the character. In most erotic romance, authors connect those deep sighs to the character’s inner turmoil, and that’s what elevates them beyond just being a regular body function to an action that means something.
You’ll have to let me know what you think of your current read in the end. Sometimes authors can really surprise you with their insights into other people — even 16 year old girls.
Great Post Lace! Actually, funny thing about the “breathing” point – in my recent edit I’ve eliminated a lot of “breaths”. I needed a “tag to attribute to my POV – but it ended up as if my heroine had some sort of respiratory problem. LOL
As far as the research question – I totally agree. To add my two cents: Netflix is a great help in terms of “sounding like a brain surgeon”. Where else can I learn about ballet and pilot dog-fights? LOL
I totally agree about the titling – I usually have the title way before the actual story. It really does help to “center” the story – maybe not the plot itself but definitely the mood.
Thanks for the recommend – I’ll have to check that book out!
Fi