When your hopes and schemes go sideways

So, I'm always apologizing for not being here more often and I'll skip that now but know that I am sorry. Life gets in the way but I'm trying to make sure that I keep up with things, no matter what else is going on. All a part of self-care :)

My first effort is to share a snippet of my historical. This scene shows what happens to Ned when his fake engagement scheme turns into something else. Take a look at the top bar, click on the tab and let me know what you think of the Hidden Depths snippet.

Thanks!

Post RWA and a Daphne Update

So, this happened:

Early pages of my Historical romance, HIDDEN DEPTHS, earned third place in the unpublished Daphne contest this year. YAY!! Cue the confetti cannon :) I'm pretty thrilled that a story I started fiddling around with just to get my writing brain engaged once again, while trying to get past Hashimoto's brain (and I've got the oversized face to prove it), won a prize. Any prize. As you can see, I got a spiffy certificate, a voucher for a Coffin class offered through the Kiss of Death chapter and even a check that will buy me more than a few cups of coffee. On top of all that, the competition in the Historical category was serious. I mean, the talented lady who won the category has either been in the finals or won a bunch of other contests, so...Good on me for even making a showing. Progress my friends, progress.

The rest of the conference was also pretty awesome and once I've had a chance to decompress, I'll come out and share some of the highlights.

GOOD NEWS and a month of Sundays

Hello friends!

I know, it's been too long since I came out to update you on any happenings and for that I apologize. I hope you can forgive me.

I've been writing pretty steadily thanks to a spate of good health and the Panera weekend writing club of Shannyn, Julie, and Kelly. It's nice to have people who keep each other on track and provide a sounding board for plot ideas and issues.

 My historical spinoff that started as a novella with a character who was only mentioned in my time slip series now has a full novel devoted to him and his POC lady love and their happily ever after. Who knew? Does anyone else have characters that go in directions that you never planned? Only me? Okay. Well, this wastrel second son decides that a wealthy and titled young lady who doesn't want to get married, just like he doesn't, is the perfect partner for his scheme to evade getting the banns read. Of course, things don't go as planned. Actually, there are full on shenanigans and did I mention that the charming, beautiful aristocratic lady was a woman of color? Yep. And to be clear, there were PLENTY of non-white people in Regency England because they were there long before then. Anyway, you didn't come out for a history lesson. Feel free to enjoy the photo of Queen Charlotte Sofia, reputed to be mixed-raced. I named another character in this book Sofia as an homage to her majesty.

The good news I wanted to share is that early pages of this tale have landed me in the Historical finalist category for the Kiss of Death RWA chapter's Daphne Du Maurier contest for Unpublished writers. So, yay for me and yay for Ned and Cecile! Wish us luck :-)

RWA Kiss of Death/Daphne

Another installment of Listening While Writing, brought to you by the Slowest Writer in the World

Hello friends!!

It's me, the original Layabout Jones, here after an extended absence. Thanks to the help of some good friends from my Chicago-North RWA chapter, I've been writing steadily (waves at Shannyn, Julie, Maribeth, Ryann and Nina!) and I'm making progress on adding new words to my latest manuscript and cutting excess ones from my old WIP.

Now, I've always found listening to music fuels my creativity, especially when the song might inspire some bit of the story or feels like a good fit for the overall theme. I read an interview with the ultra-talented writer, C.S. Pacat, where she mentioned using noise-cancelling headphones and having to leave her house to get any work done because otherwise, she faffs about and accomplishes nothing (OH MY GOD JUST LIKE ME). She also said that instead of listening to a playlist, she tends to stick to a single song on repeat to keep her in the headspace for the story. I'm not one to scoff at new ideas, so I thought I'd try it and lo and behold, it does work. I can't say that I'll give up on playlists forever, but focusing on one song, is helping me to FOCUS. See what I did there? I know, I crack myself up too ;)

Anyway, here is the Alessia Cara song that's been getting a workout for my Belle meets Emma WIP. My latest work opens with my mixed-race aristocratic heroine, Lady Cecile, hiding behind the drapes in an alcove at a Regency house party:

So, what about you? Playlist, single song, silence? What helps fuel your creativity?

Writing Software

Hello friends!

I feel like I'm always apologizing for not being here more often. It's true that I struggle with wondering if anyone is interested in my random blathering about the state of my writing or if, like me, you wish I'd just get on with it :)

Well, in the interest of taking advantage of a good patch of health (my own and various relations), I'm rewriting and writing. The first is my original and long suffering duo of books concerning my modern billionaire/reincarnated goddess, Raven LeFevre. The second is a stand alone novel that's actually set, in part, in the world of those books (nineteenth century) involving a school mate of one of the central characters who finds himself in a somewhat similar predicament--falling in love with a woman considered "other." The third is as close to a contemporary murder mystery as I'll get since it's set in a nebulous time that might be the sixties or it could be the eighties, not sure.

You see the problem. I need HELP. Anyway, I'm test driving some new writing software in the hopes of being able to better organize my pages. I have Scrivener but sometimes it feels much more complicated and that tends to overwhelm me. On Facebook another writer, who also has Scrivener, mentioned how much easier and more streamline the software Storyist is. I've downloaded the free trial and so far so good. But I'm wondering if there's anyone else who's switched or has an opinion one way or another about either program.

Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

NaNoWriMo 2015

I'm feeling better and drafting two novels, so I thought I'd give it a try. It can't hurt to have all that encouragement, can it? If you're doing the same and are so inclined, feel free to "friend" me there and we can all yell at each other to get our butts back in the chair so we can get our word count in.

www.nanowrimo.com/participants/pamalaknight

Wishing us all the luck!

Your Love and My Due Diligence

Hello sadly neglected blog!

The title of this post, taken from the Lera Lynn song (jointly written with Roseanne Cash and T-Bone Burnett, I think) The Only Thing Worth Fighting For, sums up what I hope will be our relationship going forward. It's also my favorite line amongst many favorite lines in that song. You should give it a listen as soon as you get a chance.

Love and diligence are also themes that run throughout what I've been reading lately. There's  Kristan Higgins' IF YOU ONLY KNEW, the story of two sisters navigating the world of love and learning to stay true to each other and more importantly, to themselves. Next, there was Kate Meader's MELTING POINT, where Chicago firefighter, Gage Simpson, and renowned chef, Brady Smith, find meaning, healing and purpose in each other's arms. Let's not forget WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT, Tessa Dare's latest wonderful addition to her 'ladies inheriting castles where shenanigans ensue' series. Madeline Gracechurch didn't think of the consequences when she created and then killed off, a fictitious Scottish officer/fiancé until the consequences in the form of one Captain Logan MacKenzie arrived on her doorstep to claim his bride. Earlier in the month, I made all the good book noises when Robin Hobb's FOOL'S QUEST: Book II of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy arrived via Kindle. Hobb takes us back to two favorite characters who are now older and sometimes wiser (and sometimes not) as they set out to retrieve or revenge the loss of their daughter, Bee. If I had two brains cells to rub together or any kind of self-control,  I would've waited until this trilogy was complete because the minute I finished it the whining for the next book began. It's like being a George R.R. Martin fan has taught me absolutely nothing.  I never learn.

I've also been writing, which, YAY for that because after some lingering health issues, writing definitely took a back burner position in terms of priorities. It was never far from my mind, but I just couldn't get it done. I'm happy to say that I'm feeling inspired and rejuvenated, so let's hope it translates onto the page. 

What have you been doing? Read anything good lately? 

Are You Watching The Olympics???

YES?? THEN TURN OFF THE TELEVISION AND GET BACK TO YOUR MANUSCRIPT!!! Dear friends, please scream those words at me once ever so often if you please.  I made great strides in my revisions the other day when I turned off the television, turned on some nice music (not too loud so no M.I.A. or Lupe Fiasco, thanks) and then just concentrated on getting the words rearranged properly or out of my head and onto the page.

I've had some medical troubles recently but now that I'm on the road to recovery, I hope that I'll get much more writing done.  Especially if I have all of you cheering and swearing lovingly at me from the sidelines.

So, carry on and I hope you're all well.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays to everyone! In keeping with the spirit of giving and sharing, I'm posting a short mashup of my version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol starring Jane Austen's Lady Catherine DeBurgh. I wrote this more than a few years ago (so forgive all the mistakes) for an Austen fandom fundraiser.   Enjoy!

http://pamalaknight.blogspot.com/p/the-sixth-sense-lady-catherine.html

Who Do You Write Like?

A writer friend asked my opinion in assessing her writing style. Not that I'm any expert, but we've both been asked the question "who do you write like or what book is your story similar to?" Yeah, I know.  The first time I heard the question, I was tempted to laugh too.  Like, really? How would I know?  I don't think anyone sets out to write "like" anyone, but I know that sometimes it happens. And when I took that meme test that made the internet rounds a few years ago, it said I wrote like David Foster Wallace.  Well.  If that were true, then things might be a bit different for me, but whatever.

Back to my friend.  She's preparing a proposal that she's been asked to put together and that's a very good thing.  So, I started thinking, which sometimes doesn't lead to good places but you know, I finally got to a reasonable outcome.  The roundabout way to assess similarity in my mind, came from thinking about writers who write different stories (single titles, I guess) but that bear a distinctive mark.

 The simple and easy example came in the form of one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman.  If you've read Coraline or the Graveyard Book or Neverwhere, then you'll know that Himself really loves to build alternative worlds that exist right along with our everyday and mundane lives.  This trait transcends mediums too because if you've seen any of the Doctor Who episodes he's penned (The Doctor's Wife and A Nightmare in Silver) then you'll see the common thread there.  Also as an aside, I see the same phenomenon with George R.R. Martin in the episodes he's penned for the HBO series of Game of Thrones like Blackwater and most recently, The Bear and the Maiden Fair.  The episodes seem more like compact novels and are sometimes paced slower,  instead of the usual bouncing about of the characters that we've come to expect in serial television.

But the point I want to make is that it's hard to assess similarity in writing style because everyone brings something unique to the way they tell a story. Jane Austen shines a light on the foibles of her characters in the way she utilizes language and the period details.  Maugerite Duras does the same thing by stripping the language down.  So, the best guess of who's style you might emulate might be found in the broader aspects like description, world-building, and characterizations.

Who do you write like?

NaNoWriMo Mike Check

It’s day 16 of National Novel Writing Month and I wanted to check in with my fellow NaNo-ers. Some of us are gleefully getting words down on the page at an alarming rate while others are struggling but managing to make it. To those folks I want to say GREAT JOB! Keep up the good work! You’ll get there!

However, the rest of this post is for those who find this month stressful to the point of nausea and their already tenuous wordcount, stifled.  Those who write the words, then delete those same words.  To you, I want to say, cut it out. Stop making yourself mental. Get the words out on paper because you can, and should, go back to edit them later.  Get all the ingredients for your fabulous soufflé of a book out on the counter with the cookbook picture of what it’s suppose to look like and start whisking.  You can’t tell that story to the masses if its trapped inside your grey matter and not written on a napkin or a file somewhere.  Just breathe, give yourself permission to write--little by little, word by word, sentence on sentence.  Watch how quickly things add up.

I know it’s hard to commit to this month’s rigorous pace but there’s loads of help to keep or get you back on track.  My latest lifeline was thrown from an article in PW, 5 Writing Tips from Chelsea Cain. Ms. Cain is the author of the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell crime thriller books.  The series has been compared to RED DRAGON with serial killer Gretchen Lowell likened to Hannibal Lecter, and I can see how that might be the easy similarity.  A detective (Sheridan) visits a serial killer in jail (Lowell) but for me, their relationship is very different than the Lecter/Clarice Starling relationship.  Gretchen Lowell kidnapped and tortured Det. Sheridan for ten days and then, for reasons unknown, let him go and turned herself in.  Wow, right? I couldn’t WAIT to read the book when I saw the description.  Anyway, I’m getting off track here because I want to point those who’re struggling, in the direction of Ms. Cain’s excellent article on writing.   Take a look and see all the common sense awesome she shares.  Go ahead, I’ll wait here for you.

So, to recap—you have to write EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO, so just get your butt in a chair and do it. You have to write THINGS THAT MIGHT SEEM CLICHÉ because really, everything under the sun has probably been done somewhere so don’t let that stop you. You have to write WHEN YOUR CHARACTERS ARE ACTING ALL CRAZY AND TRYING TO BOSS YOU AROUND, so let the voices in your head know that you’re the one in control.  You have to write THE SCENES THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU because your best work sometimes comes from the things that are difficult.  You have to write AND STICK TO THE DETAILS RELEVANT TO THAT PASSAGE because no one wants to read about a girl running from a killer who gets caught and murdered because she suddenly notices the lovely red dress in the shop window she just sprinted by.  So, lesson learned today?

You have to write.

Happy Friday

Things have been BUSY, my friends, and to make up for neglecting you here for so long, I thought I'd share Grace Potter's (usually with the Nocturnals) song STARS which serves multiple purposes in its beauty--pleasure, inspiration and reflection:


Early pages of Book One made the finalists list of the RWA's Kiss of Death chapter Daphne Du Maurier Contest for Unpublished writers and landed Honorable Mention accolades for me. Was I sad at not winning? Of course! Those who know me can see my competitive streak, plastered across my forehead like a tattoo ;-). Remember when I wrote this? Also, the winner of my category took the overall winner's prize, so things must have been tight down in paranormal town. BUT, I'm thrilled to have made it to the last five standing and console myself with thoughts of being just a little bit closer to my goals. Fingers crossed that if I continue to work hard, things will work out fine, as the song says. Happy Friday!

Keeping Promises or The Roundup

I promised to scour the internet for accounts of Spring Fling 2012 to share and can I just say (preens, blows on nails), I hit the motherlode.  Future superstar and author of THE SIREN, Tiffany Reisz blogs about an elevator ride with a happy ending (not that kind!); Repeat offender Robyn Bachar (LOVE the pink hair), shares her experiences in two separate accounts to match the two days of the conference; YA author and chaptermate B.A. Binns weighs in; Author and Shutterbug Morgan Mandel provides a pictorial account; chaptermate and 2011 RITA-nominated author, Maureen Lang's account; and finally, Publisher's Weekly book maven Barbara Vey, wraps up with an awesome overview.

Anyone interested in owning the audio recording of the conference, here's the link.

  I've already started saving my pennies for the next time in 2014.

Pinned with the Right Fit

It's finally happened.  After reactions to other social media that could only be deemed lackluster, I've finally found the one.  The time suck.  The one I could spend ALL DAY with and still not be bored.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Pinterest.

My dear friend, the talented author Marilyn Brant, introduced me and of course, was waiting to "friend/follow" me so I wouldn't feel like the new kid that has to sit by herself at lunch on the first day of school.  Initially, I was skeptical because I'm a Facebook dilettante at best and while I enjoy Twitter in spurts, I'm not addicted.  In other words, social media savvy isn't natural to me.  Don't get me wrong, I love being able to communicate with my friends and family from around the world in a matter of minutes,  seconds really, but I'm not overly concerned with it.

But there is a more revealing aspect to Pinterest for me or rather, about me.  As a writer, I don't necessarily consider myself a plotter.  I'm probably a mixture of a plotter and a pantser, heavy on the pants.  But with Pinterest, I've found a resource that will replace my shoebox full of inspiration and clean up my browser's bookmarks considerably.  I can pin music, pictures of locations, clothing and fashion, flowers, inspirations for settings, people that physically remind me of my characters, food that I have them eat, objects that might be important to the plot, etc.--all contained in a single board and without worry that I haven't given credit where it's due.  I do generally work from a rough outline, but this is much more organization than I've ever created.  I've already started boards for my two books (one complete, the other  still a work-in-progress) and I'm considering creating one for the story that I'm outlining.

It's not just the writing aspect that has me intrigued with Pinterest.  No, I can create boards of the music I like, movies and TV shows that interest me, books that I can't live without, recipes that I make or want to try, places that I hope to visit, and on and on and on.  All without clogging up anyone else's timeline and I can share or not.  Follow or not.  "Like" something or not.  Repin something or not.  You get the picture.  Well, maybe you don't so dash over to my board at Pinterest and take a look around.

You might like it and want to create a board of your own.  Let me know if you'd like an invite.

Too Long in the Wasteland

No, it's not James McMurtry's excellent album but my excuse for being scarce.  And a Johnny Cash song (I've Been Everywhere) describes the feel of the last few weeks, though I have to say I haven't been to Wichita ;).

The RWA National meeting in New York City was a wonderful experience and I pitched in person for the first time.  That experience deserves a blog post all it's very own, so look for it here soon.  In the meantime, I've been slashing and burning my way through my manuscript to get it ready for the folks who've requested it.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share my main character's inspired playlist via a Grooveshark widget:




What have you lovelies been up to??
 

Glimmers of Hope

I write adult fiction but this post from D4EO Literary agent Mandy Hubbard, about the children's market cleared away some major clouds for me.  Hope springs eternal for those of us who write across the lines.

Wisdom from the heavens or the Sun Times, whichever...

Georgia Nichols, one of the astrologers featured in the Chicago Sun Times, has this to say for all signs today:

ALL SIGNS MOON ALERT: Caution: Avoid shopping or making important decisions all day! The moon is in Taurus.


No decisions or shopping at all?  That sound you might've heard, if you're inclined to believe in horoscopes, would be a collective groan from retail outlets worldwide.  Okay, so the family will have to eat leftovers, I guess.  No trip to the grocery store and online shopping at Gilt.com is o-u-t.  I don't even want to imagine world economies and the impact of the "wait until tomorrow" style of management.  On the plus side, here's the forecast for my sign:

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s easy to be happy and optimistic today! Something will delight you. Perhaps it’s good news that is coming your way or good news you are sharing with others? It could relate to your daily activities or siblings or writing and teaching. Congratulations!

Maybe I'll double my editing pages goal today.  Who knows? Anybody got news for me that you haven't shared yet?  What does YOUR horoscope predict for the day?

Reading is Fundamental

And by that, I mean that reading is fundamental to learning. This is especially true for me because even when I’m not writing, there’s usually reading material within striking distance via my Kindle, Smartphone (hello Kindle app!) or a physical book to distract me from the “amnotwriting” portion of the program. My reading taste spans a broad range but a good story told in a compelling manner, no matter the genre, is always key.

My latest guilty pleasure came in the form of GETAWAY, the final story in uber-talented author Cara McKenna’s (she was nominated for a 2010 Golden Heart last year) Shivaree series. McKenna’s characters wrap themselves around you with their witty, sizzling and realistic dialogue and don’t get me started on the vivid settings. This isn’t a review of the series, though I do strongly recommend it and believe me, you won’t be disappointed. I wanted to talk about what the author does so masterfully and what I learned from it.

There are three main characters, Shane Broussard, Natalie Foster and Gabriel Marino-Doucet. I won’t tell you too much about the love triangle because you really should read it for yourself but I want to talk about the writing. Only two of these folks is allowed a point of view. Us writer types are always careful with the POV because it conveys the nuances of the story, gives texture to personality and sets the tone all through the eyes of that particular character. Shane and Natalie have something or rather someone in common (Gabriel) and the reader’s impression of Gabriel is entirely at the mercy of the other two. His hypnotic sensuality and eccentric, old world qualities spring to life in his interactions with the others, especially Shane and Natalie. But in the third tale, we learn that all may not be as it seems and our impression of Gabriel may have the tiniest flaw. But is this change, this alteration in thinking revealed from Gabriel’s point of view finally? No. It’s still told from the point of view of the other two characters. It’s such a skillful thing which achieves two very important pieces of the characters’ story arc—we get to see a change wrought in all of them while still receiving the emotional payoff deserved by the one who’s head we’ve been in all along. A change in perspective while still in the same point of view is achieved. I know that it happens all the time, especially in literary fiction where we only get one point of view because the character have to show their misapprehensions, misperceptions and mistakes before we can see how those things have changed them or others.

One of the best and most famous examples of this is Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE told exclusively from Elizabeth Bennett's point of view but we see her perception and ultimate reality of Mr. Darcy change from the inital first impressions right down to the end result where everything changes, all within the single perspective.

I know that I’m explaining this badly, but I’m so amazed and impressed that I just had to share. Cara McKenna is an excellent writer and I highly recommend you spend some time with her and her characters.

A Bridesmaid Once Again

Remember back before Spring Fling 2010 when Chuck Sambuchino, the editor of the Guide to Literary Agents blog, allowed me to post this little opinion piece on writing contests? Well, it appears that I'm in the wedding party again.

I'm a finalist in the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon contest for unpublished writers and couldn't be happier. Now I understand those folks who say things like, it's awesome to just be nominated. Right now, I agree wholeheartedly. Right now, I'm on cloud nine just to be among the last three standing. But check back with me in a few weeks to see if there might be tears if I end up in the ugly pink dress instead of the white Dior satin.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Bumps in the NanoWriMo Road

The month of November is a little more than half over and that means that we're that much closer to NaNoWriMo being over.

I have two distinct emotions surrounding this fact: YAY! and OMG, I've still got 30,000 words to write. Don't worry, I'm not of the mind that the product of the November writing sprint is going to be fit for public consumption (or any other kind of consumption for that matter) until a great deal of revision has been done. But, I still want to finish, if only for the satisfaction of getting to the end of a task.

Some of my nano buddies are way ahead or are far behind in their personal word count goals. For those, like me who might be suffering from intermittent writer's block or just the doubt that what you're producing is worthy, here's an excellent take written by Martina Boone and posted at her shared blog, Adventures in Children's Publishing. The advice is timely and relevant to all writers, not just those interested in Young Adult literature. There are loads of other excellent pieces posted there, so amble on over and take a look.