I almost can't believe Christmas is upon us! Doesn't it seem like yesterday that it was 2005? LOL
As the years slip by like months...Support each other. Love each other. Care for each other.
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
susan meier
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Happy Holidays...
Once the Pumpkin Spice Latte hits Starbucks, I know my favorite time of year is here.
I've mentioned this before, but I'm a true lover of great boots and even greater sweaters. I love the smell of baking muffins, the taste of coffee flavored with pumpkin spic creamer, the sound of the wind as it picks up the leaves and tosses them into the neighbor's yard.
I love fall.
This year, Thanksgiving falls on my daughter's birthday, so we're having a celebration dinner. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie...everything she loves. The house will be toasty and smell like the perfect dinner. Plus, I have some surprise gifts for her.
After Thanksgiving, I'm ready to roll into shopping. I'm not much of a shopper. Not a fan of crowds or waiting in line to check out. But I don't notice any of that when I'm Christmas shopping. I love piped in music. I love the candle scents of pine and cinnamon apples. I love hunting down gifts that will mean something.
I also like a good holiday party. LOL And I love Christmas eve. I love the sense of anticipation that something wonderful will happen on Christmas morning. And then I love the fact that something wonderful always does happen on Christmas. It can be something as small as that moment when you sit back on the sofa, watching everyone laugh and open gifts. Or as big as the reminder that for Christians the holiday is about so much more than gift giving and another pumpkin pie.
So enjoy the fall. Don't miss it because you hook into Christmas too soon. Then enjoy Thanksgiving. Really pause for a few minutes of gratitude. Then shop till you drop. Absorb the wonder of the anticipation on Christmas eve. And really celebrate Christmas. Be as generous as you are grateful. And take a minute to look around and enjoy the holiday that brings joy to our hearts and love to our families.
Happy Reading...
susan meier
I've mentioned this before, but I'm a true lover of great boots and even greater sweaters. I love the smell of baking muffins, the taste of coffee flavored with pumpkin spic creamer, the sound of the wind as it picks up the leaves and tosses them into the neighbor's yard.
I love fall.
This year, Thanksgiving falls on my daughter's birthday, so we're having a celebration dinner. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie...everything she loves. The house will be toasty and smell like the perfect dinner. Plus, I have some surprise gifts for her.
After Thanksgiving, I'm ready to roll into shopping. I'm not much of a shopper. Not a fan of crowds or waiting in line to check out. But I don't notice any of that when I'm Christmas shopping. I love piped in music. I love the candle scents of pine and cinnamon apples. I love hunting down gifts that will mean something.
I also like a good holiday party. LOL And I love Christmas eve. I love the sense of anticipation that something wonderful will happen on Christmas morning. And then I love the fact that something wonderful always does happen on Christmas. It can be something as small as that moment when you sit back on the sofa, watching everyone laugh and open gifts. Or as big as the reminder that for Christians the holiday is about so much more than gift giving and another pumpkin pie.
So enjoy the fall. Don't miss it because you hook into Christmas too soon. Then enjoy Thanksgiving. Really pause for a few minutes of gratitude. Then shop till you drop. Absorb the wonder of the anticipation on Christmas eve. And really celebrate Christmas. Be as generous as you are grateful. And take a minute to look around and enjoy the holiday that brings joy to our hearts and love to our families.
Happy Reading...
susan meier
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Welcome to Harmony Hills
Happy September!
One of the best things about digital publishing is that we
can change any book at any time, and we decided to shift the Donovan Brothers
Novels from sexy to sweet! We’ve even given them new covers. So if you’re
someone who likes her romance on the sweet side, all THREE Donovan Brothers
Novels are now sweet.
HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE BOSS!
Fantasizing about the boss is one thing. Falling in
love with him is quite another...
Isabelle Cooper's in big, big
trouble. Her flower shop? Well, it was just bought by the man she’s had a crush
on forever. Her new boss, Devon Donovan, is a tall glass of melt-in-your-mouth
hotness. The problem? Devon is definitely not interested in love. No ifs, ands,
or buds about it.
Devon knows Isabelle has been
crushing on him since college, but buying her business shouldn’t be a problem.
Not only is she his employee, but as the eldest Donovan brother, he’s too busy
protecting the family fortune for romance. But tomboy “Izzy” is all grown up
now. And he’s finding it impossible to resist her, no matter how hard he
tries...
5 out of 5 stars
Such a charming adorable book! I read this in one
sitting. I loved all the characters in the book. I absolutely love the Donovan
family!!! (Melissa Joseph Goodreads Review)
5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book! Susan Meier always
writes characters that burrow into my heart stay with me long after I’ve turned
the final page, and she absolutely knocks it out of the park in Head Over Heels
for the Boss. Filled with witty banter, great small town characters, and two
people you won't be able to resist as they embark on a journey of
self-discovery, Head Over Heels for the Boss is a great read you won't want to
miss! (Sharon Saracino, Goodreads
review)
Read all three of the Donovan
Brothers Novels!
Finn and Ellie’s story HER
SUMMER WITH THE MARINE
Cade and Piper’s story
CHASING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
Devon and Isabelle’s story
HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE BOSS
Happy Reading!
susan meier
Monday, June 22, 2015
Free Online Read
A MARRIAGE MADE IN MONTE CALANETTI
Last year, when HQ asked me to be a part of the Vineyards of Monte Calanetti continuity series for Harlequin Romance, I had to juggle my schedule to make it happen. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in a series of books that take place in the beautiful vineyards of Tuscany, Italy?
My book, the first in the series, A BRIDE FOR THE ITALIAN BOSS releases July 1. It’s the story of temperamental chef Rafe Mancini and Dani Tate, a teacher who falls in love with Tuscany as well as Rafe and must choose between the life she knows and the life she wants…if only Rafe wanted her the same way she wants him.
Since you have to wait a looonnnng month for A BRIDE FOR THE ITALIAN BOSS, you’ll be pleased to know HQ invited me to write a prequel to this series which they are putting up, one chapter at a time, as a FREE online read at Harlequin.com.
This is the story of Mic, Rafe’s protégé, and his former love Liliana. These two lovers never lost their feelings for each other in eight years…but can they forgive the past?
As I tell the story as Mic and Liliana, you’ll meet charming (but gruff) Chef Rafe and see the inside of Mancini’s a few weeks before Dani Tate arrives.
A MARRIAGE MADE IN MONTE CALANETTI is a fun story, but the entire VINEYARDS OF CALANETTI mini-series is full of fun and emotional romances that will have you on the edge of your seat until you sigh with satisfaction.
Here’s the link for A MARRIAGE MADE IN MONTE CALANETTI
Harlequin
Harlequin
Join us five days a week for a new chapter each day, and while you’re at Harlequin.com, skip over to the message boards to chat about the story and even ask a question or two!
Until next time, happy reading…
Saturday, April 25, 2015
It's a confusing world out there...
It's a very confusing time to be an author. Most of us who love to write are writers because we are introverts. We spend a lot of time in our heads analyzing life and then putting the results of our analysis into stories. We're deep thinkers. We love people. We hope our stories give you a new perspective on a thorny problem...or maybe just a new way of looking at things. We hope our stories inspire you.
To be able to put all that into a story, all that thinking, all that time...we need some alone time.
But, we're told by agents, editors and pundits...you don't have that luxury anymore. You need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google Plus, Instagram....Tell readers what you're doing, what you're thinking, how you feel...
All of which doesn't just take away time for writing, it also feels like I'm giving you bits and pieces of information that hasn't had enough time to gel in my brain.
So to avoid telling you things about a book that might change, lots of authors have taken to false personas. It's a way to "be somebody" in public, while you race to figure out your next book and get it into the hands of readers. You see a lot of pix of author pets. You see a lot of "quotes" authors found in books or on the internet. You see a lot of I'm-eating-eggs-for-breakfast posts.
And that's cool. I look at that sort of like a place holder. It's like authors (including myself) saying, Here I am! I haven't forgotten you. Here's something that interests me. Hold on until I'm done with my book and I can get back with real information about the story, the cover, my inspirations!
But I've also seen a lot of interaction that upsets me...both as a reader and a writer. I received an email yesterday on a loop of authors who are supposed to be friends. I read the post as a personal request for help with something, and I did as the post requested. But two people had questions. Those questions went unanswered...meaning the author wasn't actually on the loop, chatting with us...which led me and probably everybody else on the loop to realize we'd just answered a cross-posted request for help, which wasn't personal at all. Almost like being spammed by someone we considered a friend.
As an author, I recognize this woman was/is busy. I cut her some slack.
But if I were a reader, thinking I was getting a "personal" request for help...realizing that post had been cross-posted to other loops, other friends, perhaps thousands of other people when it read like a personal request to a group of intimates...I might have been insulted. Really insulted. Maybe even insulted with a dash of embarrassment because I was too simple (or trusting of the author) to realize that.
So the world of reading and writing is probably every bit as confusing to readers as it is to authors.
And I'm guessing that when you, a reader, gets an email from an author, you've been burned enough that you automatically believe it's the same email that's been sent to thousands of other readers. Even messages that look personal, could be a "form" email of a sort, thanking you for signing up to a newsletter or thanking you for liking a post...whatever.
So the system that was meant to bring readers closer to authors isn't really bringing us closer at all. Yes, some days you will know what I had for breakfast. :) You WILL see pictures of my cat Sophia because she's beautiful. I will show you my covers. You will know bits and pieces about my stories and how I feel about them. But really there will always be a distance between us....
And maybe that's a good thing? I'm not incredibly cool. I have my interesting moments, but in general I'm a normal person...except that I think about things most people don't have time to think about. I ponder the stuff that really matters. I root around for the real meanings of things. So that my stories grab you, enrich your life, make you think about things differently.
I can do that for you because I'm not a socialite, dashing around New York city sipping champagne. I'm not always on vacation in some sunny locale. I'm not a baker, painter, revolutionary...I'm a thinker.
And thinkers aren't always online. :) Our pix wouldn't thrill Instagram. Our hair sometimes looks like Einstein's. We forget to eat or eat a lot of fattening takeout because we forget to cook. We shop from catalogs. When we do get out we ask a lot of questions that seem personal or intrusive because we're curious -- in a good way, not a gossipy way. In short, we're introverts who love to read, to think, to ponder.
But -- if you read and love my books -- maybe that's a good thing?
Happy Reading
susan meier
To be able to put all that into a story, all that thinking, all that time...we need some alone time.
But, we're told by agents, editors and pundits...you don't have that luxury anymore. You need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google Plus, Instagram....Tell readers what you're doing, what you're thinking, how you feel...
All of which doesn't just take away time for writing, it also feels like I'm giving you bits and pieces of information that hasn't had enough time to gel in my brain.
So to avoid telling you things about a book that might change, lots of authors have taken to false personas. It's a way to "be somebody" in public, while you race to figure out your next book and get it into the hands of readers. You see a lot of pix of author pets. You see a lot of "quotes" authors found in books or on the internet. You see a lot of I'm-eating-eggs-for-breakfast posts.
And that's cool. I look at that sort of like a place holder. It's like authors (including myself) saying, Here I am! I haven't forgotten you. Here's something that interests me. Hold on until I'm done with my book and I can get back with real information about the story, the cover, my inspirations!
But I've also seen a lot of interaction that upsets me...both as a reader and a writer. I received an email yesterday on a loop of authors who are supposed to be friends. I read the post as a personal request for help with something, and I did as the post requested. But two people had questions. Those questions went unanswered...meaning the author wasn't actually on the loop, chatting with us...which led me and probably everybody else on the loop to realize we'd just answered a cross-posted request for help, which wasn't personal at all. Almost like being spammed by someone we considered a friend.
As an author, I recognize this woman was/is busy. I cut her some slack.
But if I were a reader, thinking I was getting a "personal" request for help...realizing that post had been cross-posted to other loops, other friends, perhaps thousands of other people when it read like a personal request to a group of intimates...I might have been insulted. Really insulted. Maybe even insulted with a dash of embarrassment because I was too simple (or trusting of the author) to realize that.
So the world of reading and writing is probably every bit as confusing to readers as it is to authors.
And I'm guessing that when you, a reader, gets an email from an author, you've been burned enough that you automatically believe it's the same email that's been sent to thousands of other readers. Even messages that look personal, could be a "form" email of a sort, thanking you for signing up to a newsletter or thanking you for liking a post...whatever.
So the system that was meant to bring readers closer to authors isn't really bringing us closer at all. Yes, some days you will know what I had for breakfast. :) You WILL see pictures of my cat Sophia because she's beautiful. I will show you my covers. You will know bits and pieces about my stories and how I feel about them. But really there will always be a distance between us....
And maybe that's a good thing? I'm not incredibly cool. I have my interesting moments, but in general I'm a normal person...except that I think about things most people don't have time to think about. I ponder the stuff that really matters. I root around for the real meanings of things. So that my stories grab you, enrich your life, make you think about things differently.
I can do that for you because I'm not a socialite, dashing around New York city sipping champagne. I'm not always on vacation in some sunny locale. I'm not a baker, painter, revolutionary...I'm a thinker.
And thinkers aren't always online. :) Our pix wouldn't thrill Instagram. Our hair sometimes looks like Einstein's. We forget to eat or eat a lot of fattening takeout because we forget to cook. We shop from catalogs. When we do get out we ask a lot of questions that seem personal or intrusive because we're curious -- in a good way, not a gossipy way. In short, we're introverts who love to read, to think, to ponder.
But -- if you read and love my books -- maybe that's a good thing?
Happy Reading
susan meier
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Hey, it's my birthday this week...
I gave up posting blogs about writing mostly because I've already taught every lesson that needs to be taught on writing. Look at those archives! LOL
But the behind-the-scenes reason I wanted back the time I was spending on those blogs was to give myself time to live my life.
Right now, some of you are frowning. If you're breathing, aren't you living your life? Yes. LOL So maybe I don't want to say that I wanted time to live my life as much as to appreciate the life I was living.
This morning, watching Oprah's SUPERSOUL SUNDAY with a guest who spoke on living mindfully...I also played Words with Friends! LOL We live in a society that applauds being overly busy, multi-tasking, being scheduled to the hilt. But at the end of the day, how much of the day do we remember? How much is worth remembering? And -- more importantly -- what did we miss?
I don't really want to miss anything anymore. I want to read in the sun. I want to learn to cook. When I'm lucky enough to be in a conversation...I want to listen.
So in this happy week as I add another year to my age, I want to be present, mindful, of all my wonderful blessings, as well as the inflammation in my knee and the beginnings of gray I see in my hair. Not to go nuts over the fact that I'm aging. (The alternative is worse. LOL) But if life is a journey of experience, then the whole point is to experience it. :)
Happy Reading (in the sun)
susan meier
If you're a writer, looking for a writing lesson...the archives are all yours. :) Enjoy.
But the behind-the-scenes reason I wanted back the time I was spending on those blogs was to give myself time to live my life.
Right now, some of you are frowning. If you're breathing, aren't you living your life? Yes. LOL So maybe I don't want to say that I wanted time to live my life as much as to appreciate the life I was living.
This morning, watching Oprah's SUPERSOUL SUNDAY with a guest who spoke on living mindfully...I also played Words with Friends! LOL We live in a society that applauds being overly busy, multi-tasking, being scheduled to the hilt. But at the end of the day, how much of the day do we remember? How much is worth remembering? And -- more importantly -- what did we miss?
I don't really want to miss anything anymore. I want to read in the sun. I want to learn to cook. When I'm lucky enough to be in a conversation...I want to listen.
So in this happy week as I add another year to my age, I want to be present, mindful, of all my wonderful blessings, as well as the inflammation in my knee and the beginnings of gray I see in my hair. Not to go nuts over the fact that I'm aging. (The alternative is worse. LOL) But if life is a journey of experience, then the whole point is to experience it. :)
Happy Reading (in the sun)
susan meier
If you're a writer, looking for a writing lesson...the archives are all yours. :) Enjoy.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Dear Readers
I spent a bit of time over the weekend working on a new series I plan to write...2 years from now! LOL
Lots of authors get asked why they write the books they write, choose the subjects they choose or just plain how do they come up with their ideas. For me, the answer is a lot of thinking.
A subject has to resonate with me. The Donovan Brothers Novels (which I wrote for Entangled -- working on the 3rd book now) are about three brothers who had survived abuse, beatings, from their father. When they turned eighteen, each went into the Marines -- and grew up. No longer fearing for their lives and "motivated" by drill sergeants, LOL, they became men and returned to their hometown to help their mom get away.
There's so much great stuff in redemption stories. Even though these brothers were technically redeemed BEFORE the start of the book, my challenge was to see how that would play out when they fell in love.
Or even if they could fall in love. <3 p="">
Every writer figures out her own process -- usually as she's writing -- and even now I can's say I have my process down pat. It's always evolving.
But...
I do like time to think about my stories. I want to find the best way to tell every characters' story. I want to come up with the best scenes, the best angles, the best themes to investigate. And for me that takes time.
Still, I love that part of storytelling. The "pondering" time. Because I'm not just sitting around staring out the window wondering. Even as I write book 3 of the Donovan Brothers Novels, I'm getting down to business with my next Harlequin -- writing a synopsis and character motivations. I'm even close to writing the storyboard -- as well as pondering that "new" series that I won't write for two years. LOL
Because that's what writers do. We're always thinking about something. Wondering why. Which is probably why you're so intrigued by our stories. They aren't just off the top of our heads. We write about things we're curious about, and hopefully we satisfy your curiosity too!
Happy Reading.
Lots of authors get asked why they write the books they write, choose the subjects they choose or just plain how do they come up with their ideas. For me, the answer is a lot of thinking.
A subject has to resonate with me. The Donovan Brothers Novels (which I wrote for Entangled -- working on the 3rd book now) are about three brothers who had survived abuse, beatings, from their father. When they turned eighteen, each went into the Marines -- and grew up. No longer fearing for their lives and "motivated" by drill sergeants, LOL, they became men and returned to their hometown to help their mom get away.
There's so much great stuff in redemption stories. Even though these brothers were technically redeemed BEFORE the start of the book, my challenge was to see how that would play out when they fell in love.
Or even if they could fall in love. <3 p="">
Every writer figures out her own process -- usually as she's writing -- and even now I can's say I have my process down pat. It's always evolving.
But...
I do like time to think about my stories. I want to find the best way to tell every characters' story. I want to come up with the best scenes, the best angles, the best themes to investigate. And for me that takes time.
Still, I love that part of storytelling. The "pondering" time. Because I'm not just sitting around staring out the window wondering. Even as I write book 3 of the Donovan Brothers Novels, I'm getting down to business with my next Harlequin -- writing a synopsis and character motivations. I'm even close to writing the storyboard -- as well as pondering that "new" series that I won't write for two years. LOL
Because that's what writers do. We're always thinking about something. Wondering why. Which is probably why you're so intrigued by our stories. They aren't just off the top of our heads. We write about things we're curious about, and hopefully we satisfy your curiosity too!
Happy Reading.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Saying Goodbye to Writing Posts
It looks like the writing post I put up two weeks ago will be my last. :(
I haven't necessarily run out of things to say, but I did notice that I was repeating myself. A LOT. LOL
Just about everything I know is now archived and can be easily accessed.
It's been fun doing these writing posts, but it's time to move on.
Enjoy the archives and good luck with your writing.
Happy Monday and Happy Reading...
susan meier
I haven't necessarily run out of things to say, but I did notice that I was repeating myself. A LOT. LOL
Just about everything I know is now archived and can be easily accessed.
It's been fun doing these writing posts, but it's time to move on.
Enjoy the archives and good luck with your writing.
Happy Monday and Happy Reading...
susan meier
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Release Day! HER BROODING ITALIAN BOSS!
Happy Release day to me! I hope your go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your favorite bookstore and add HER BROODING ITALIAN BOSS to you TBR pile!
Happy Monday!
From busy Susan Meier! :)
Happy Monday!
From busy Susan Meier! :)
Monday, January 26, 2015
Characterization
I got a book recommendation a few weeks ago and immediately ordered it because the topic was Characterization. One of my bugaboos. Sort of. After you've written sixty books, you know how to do everything. But I'm still seeking refinement. I will ALWAYS seek refinement. :)
Anyway, I bought this book expecting to be wowed or at least enlightened, but before we were out of chapter one, the author/teacher said something like...a great plot doesn't make a great story. It's only when characters' goals and motivations drive the conflicts associated with the plot that your story really comes alive.
Well, duh.
Romance writers have known this forever.
It's why we focus on goal, motivation and conflict. It doesn't matter how crafty your twists and turns, if they don't significantly impact the CHARACTERS and somehow raise the stakes...Romance readers say, "Meh." Whatever.
I used to laugh at how blatant action/adventure movies were with their motivations...We must steal 60 cars in one night or our leader's brother will be killed by a gangster. Or "You killed my wife...I'm coming after you." Or...Let's not forget TAKEN. Daughter kidnapped. Daddy goes after her.
The movies spend most of their time on the shoot 'em up, car chases and fist fights with kicking and head butts. But my husband buys into the premise every time. "Well, yeah. I'd be pissed if someone took Sarah." (Our daughter.) He puts himself into the shoes of his action heroes because he understand their motivations...no matter how cliché. LOL
Your reader wants to do that too. She wants to believe your hero's reasons for not wanting to commit and your heroine's reasons for not wanting to fall in love again. She wants to feel them fall in love. And feel them fight it because their experiences have taught them that love can be painful.
She wants to believe your sleuth when he can't walk away from the murder he investigates. She wants to believe the motives of your mainstream heroine or hero. She wants to believe.
And the only way you can make her believe is by creating strong goals, motivations and conflicts. Characters who have a real journey. (Let that last line sink in. Think about it. Do your characters have a REAL journey?)
So don't just come up with a "this happens, then this happens, then this happens" plot. Have your plot evolve logically from your characters, their hopes, their dreams, the barriers to those hopes and dreams, and the actions they take. And you will have a much better...dare I say compelling...story.
Happy Monday
susan
Anyway, I bought this book expecting to be wowed or at least enlightened, but before we were out of chapter one, the author/teacher said something like...a great plot doesn't make a great story. It's only when characters' goals and motivations drive the conflicts associated with the plot that your story really comes alive.
Well, duh.
Romance writers have known this forever.
It's why we focus on goal, motivation and conflict. It doesn't matter how crafty your twists and turns, if they don't significantly impact the CHARACTERS and somehow raise the stakes...Romance readers say, "Meh." Whatever.
I used to laugh at how blatant action/adventure movies were with their motivations...We must steal 60 cars in one night or our leader's brother will be killed by a gangster. Or "You killed my wife...I'm coming after you." Or...Let's not forget TAKEN. Daughter kidnapped. Daddy goes after her.
The movies spend most of their time on the shoot 'em up, car chases and fist fights with kicking and head butts. But my husband buys into the premise every time. "Well, yeah. I'd be pissed if someone took Sarah." (Our daughter.) He puts himself into the shoes of his action heroes because he understand their motivations...no matter how cliché. LOL
Your reader wants to do that too. She wants to believe your hero's reasons for not wanting to commit and your heroine's reasons for not wanting to fall in love again. She wants to feel them fall in love. And feel them fight it because their experiences have taught them that love can be painful.
She wants to believe your sleuth when he can't walk away from the murder he investigates. She wants to believe the motives of your mainstream heroine or hero. She wants to believe.
And the only way you can make her believe is by creating strong goals, motivations and conflicts. Characters who have a real journey. (Let that last line sink in. Think about it. Do your characters have a REAL journey?)
So don't just come up with a "this happens, then this happens, then this happens" plot. Have your plot evolve logically from your characters, their hopes, their dreams, the barriers to those hopes and dreams, and the actions they take. And you will have a much better...dare I say compelling...story.
Happy Monday
susan
Monday, January 19, 2015
Structure, structure, structure...
What is three-act structure?
Simply put, it's the beginning, middle and end of your story. (BTW, don't get too complicated with how you think about things and they'll be a lot easier to understand!)
But the three acts aren't even. The first act is like a setup that ends with a decision or an action that turns the story on its ear and usually gets it going in another direction. It's usually one-tenth of the story. In a category romance, about thirty pages. In a bigger book, about forty. (YIKES) But it can be longer or shorter. There are no structure police. :) You will not go to jail if your setup takes longer or doesn't take as long.
i.e. In THE BABY PROJECT, the hero and heroine are made co-guardians of his half-brother in act one, which ends with them deciding to live together for the baby's sake. We also find out in act one that the heroine had a baby who died and she worries about her ability to care for another baby. Not because she's not competent, but because holding a baby brings back memories that devastate her. The hero doesn't know how to care for a baby either...but they don't yet have a nanny and two people really would be better than one.
So we end chapter one on a turning point...They decide to live together.
Act two is all about the results of the decision/turning point at the end of act one.
In THE BABY PROJECT it's what happens when the hero and heroine live together.
But in act two we also have the story's mid point...That's another turning point. In a lot of romances, the hero and heroine sleep together at the mid point and that changes how they feel about each other and also changes their circumstance.
From there it's a sort of tumble to the black moment which is usually the end of act two.
Which means that act three, like act one, is short. Misery without each other. Decisions. (Should I go back to my old job, my old life, my mom's basement? Or maybe should I leave this two-bit town and find my real destiny?) Followed by a point where the hero or heroine realizes (because of something that happens) that they made the wrong decision in dumping the hero/heroine...and then a happy ending.
Some people dress up act 3 with a Hollywood ending. A great/grand gesture made by the party in the wrong to win back the party in the right.
Other publishers like a more emotional ending. I done you wrong, but I am back, please don't shoot me...Love me.
Suspense authors have a whole different thing going on in act three. They have to solve the suspense problem (sometimes by killing the villain or rescuing somebody the villain took hostage); they have to fix the romance; and they have to debrief.
But essentially that's structure.
Why was/is that so hard? It isn't. Not if you use it. LOL But if you don't know about it, or if you let your characters runaway with your story...Yikes. You can have a mess on your hands.
Does structure ruin the free flow of your story? Read what I wrote above. I didn't give you the iron hand of the law that would make your characters puppets. Structure is just like a spine or a framework. Or maybe a tour guide. It doesn't boss you around. It just shows you the way to keep your story tight and on track.
Some people, Michael Hague, for instance, will give you a little bit more of a guide or a fence. I love his stuff! He's at storymastery.com. Get his plot template. You will love it.
The trick to this is realizing that you don't have to hit exact pages with things like turning points or act endings. You just have to be in the ballpark. :)
But trust me...in the end...you will be glad because you will have a clear, readable story.
Happy Monday
susan meier
Simply put, it's the beginning, middle and end of your story. (BTW, don't get too complicated with how you think about things and they'll be a lot easier to understand!)
But the three acts aren't even. The first act is like a setup that ends with a decision or an action that turns the story on its ear and usually gets it going in another direction. It's usually one-tenth of the story. In a category romance, about thirty pages. In a bigger book, about forty. (YIKES) But it can be longer or shorter. There are no structure police. :) You will not go to jail if your setup takes longer or doesn't take as long.
i.e. In THE BABY PROJECT, the hero and heroine are made co-guardians of his half-brother in act one, which ends with them deciding to live together for the baby's sake. We also find out in act one that the heroine had a baby who died and she worries about her ability to care for another baby. Not because she's not competent, but because holding a baby brings back memories that devastate her. The hero doesn't know how to care for a baby either...but they don't yet have a nanny and two people really would be better than one.
So we end chapter one on a turning point...They decide to live together.
Act two is all about the results of the decision/turning point at the end of act one.
In THE BABY PROJECT it's what happens when the hero and heroine live together.
But in act two we also have the story's mid point...That's another turning point. In a lot of romances, the hero and heroine sleep together at the mid point and that changes how they feel about each other and also changes their circumstance.
From there it's a sort of tumble to the black moment which is usually the end of act two.
Which means that act three, like act one, is short. Misery without each other. Decisions. (Should I go back to my old job, my old life, my mom's basement? Or maybe should I leave this two-bit town and find my real destiny?) Followed by a point where the hero or heroine realizes (because of something that happens) that they made the wrong decision in dumping the hero/heroine...and then a happy ending.
Some people dress up act 3 with a Hollywood ending. A great/grand gesture made by the party in the wrong to win back the party in the right.
Other publishers like a more emotional ending. I done you wrong, but I am back, please don't shoot me...Love me.
Suspense authors have a whole different thing going on in act three. They have to solve the suspense problem (sometimes by killing the villain or rescuing somebody the villain took hostage); they have to fix the romance; and they have to debrief.
But essentially that's structure.
Why was/is that so hard? It isn't. Not if you use it. LOL But if you don't know about it, or if you let your characters runaway with your story...Yikes. You can have a mess on your hands.
Does structure ruin the free flow of your story? Read what I wrote above. I didn't give you the iron hand of the law that would make your characters puppets. Structure is just like a spine or a framework. Or maybe a tour guide. It doesn't boss you around. It just shows you the way to keep your story tight and on track.
Some people, Michael Hague, for instance, will give you a little bit more of a guide or a fence. I love his stuff! He's at storymastery.com. Get his plot template. You will love it.
The trick to this is realizing that you don't have to hit exact pages with things like turning points or act endings. You just have to be in the ballpark. :)
But trust me...in the end...you will be glad because you will have a clear, readable story.
Happy Monday
susan meier
Monday, January 12, 2015
Second week in January...Do you know where your New Year's resolutions are?
I stopped setting New Year's Resolutions when I discovered the power of goals. The interesting thing about a goal is that you have more of a chance of reaching a goal than powering through a resolution. Why is that?
Well, for one thing, goals should have a deadline. I will finish the draft of my book before May 1 is more of an instruction (which motivates) then the vague resolution ... This year I want to draft a book. Or this year I resolve to draft a book. You can procrastinate all year and suddenly find yourself face to face with December and nothing written on your book. Goals give you a deadline.
I will polish my draft before June 1 is much better than...I resolve to polish my draft.
Goals must be specific and time bound. In other words, a goal has to be stated clearly enough that you have no trouble understanding what you are to do. :) Time bound means you give yourself a deadline. Because a goal without a deadline is only a wish. (And if you see this quote online attributed to somebody like Oprah...Know that I came up with this about 20 years ago. LOL)
The same is true with ... I resolve to lose weight this year. Really? How much weight? By when and how do you intend to accomplish this?
Contrast I resolve to lose weight this year with ... I will lose 12 pounds by April first by going to the gym three times a week (with my trainer...) and using the lose-it app to track what I eat.
You can easily see which one will actually get results.
I gave myself 3 months to lose 12 pounds...a pound a week and I gave myself a plan: Work with trainer, use lose-it app to track what I eat. (There's nothing like accountability!) And I fully expect to see those pounds gone. Not by magic, but because I have a deadline and a plan...but I also know exactly what I am to do. Lose 12 pounds. :)
Or how about...I resolve to be happy. Yikes. How do you measure that? What's your deadline? And what are the specifics? How do you define happy?
Contrast that with...I will play golf with my husband and our friends once a week from May 1 until the end of September.
What does playing golf have to do with being happy? Well, it makes me happy to be with our friends and especially happy to spend time with my husband!
You could also add: I will take the third week of August off and go to the beach with my husband.
That's another goal that's more concrete than resolving to be happy. Going to the beach makes me happy. So I set the goal of going to the beach with the end result that I will be happy. :)
But notice something else...Specific goals help me to plan my year. If an editor says, How about if we make your deadline August 25, I can say, I'm going on vacation that week. Our deadline either needs to be the week before or two weeks after.
Do you get the picture? Goals have served me very, very well...especially last year when I had to write almost five books.
So take those resolutions that are making you feel either confused or like a failure and language them so that they are specific, measurable and time-bound.
And see if your year doesn't become more productive!
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading!
susan meier
Well, for one thing, goals should have a deadline. I will finish the draft of my book before May 1 is more of an instruction (which motivates) then the vague resolution ... This year I want to draft a book. Or this year I resolve to draft a book. You can procrastinate all year and suddenly find yourself face to face with December and nothing written on your book. Goals give you a deadline.
I will polish my draft before June 1 is much better than...I resolve to polish my draft.
Goals must be specific and time bound. In other words, a goal has to be stated clearly enough that you have no trouble understanding what you are to do. :) Time bound means you give yourself a deadline. Because a goal without a deadline is only a wish. (And if you see this quote online attributed to somebody like Oprah...Know that I came up with this about 20 years ago. LOL)
The same is true with ... I resolve to lose weight this year. Really? How much weight? By when and how do you intend to accomplish this?
Contrast I resolve to lose weight this year with ... I will lose 12 pounds by April first by going to the gym three times a week (with my trainer...) and using the lose-it app to track what I eat.
You can easily see which one will actually get results.
I gave myself 3 months to lose 12 pounds...a pound a week and I gave myself a plan: Work with trainer, use lose-it app to track what I eat. (There's nothing like accountability!) And I fully expect to see those pounds gone. Not by magic, but because I have a deadline and a plan...but I also know exactly what I am to do. Lose 12 pounds. :)
Or how about...I resolve to be happy. Yikes. How do you measure that? What's your deadline? And what are the specifics? How do you define happy?
Contrast that with...I will play golf with my husband and our friends once a week from May 1 until the end of September.
What does playing golf have to do with being happy? Well, it makes me happy to be with our friends and especially happy to spend time with my husband!
You could also add: I will take the third week of August off and go to the beach with my husband.
That's another goal that's more concrete than resolving to be happy. Going to the beach makes me happy. So I set the goal of going to the beach with the end result that I will be happy. :)
But notice something else...Specific goals help me to plan my year. If an editor says, How about if we make your deadline August 25, I can say, I'm going on vacation that week. Our deadline either needs to be the week before or two weeks after.
Do you get the picture? Goals have served me very, very well...especially last year when I had to write almost five books.
So take those resolutions that are making you feel either confused or like a failure and language them so that they are specific, measurable and time-bound.
And see if your year doesn't become more productive!
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading!
susan meier
Monday, January 5, 2015
Now that the holidays are behind us
Now that the holidays are behind us, we all need to get back to work. Actually, I got exactly 3 days off. And not back to back. Too many deadlines, too little Susan to go around.
Anyway, what are my tips for getting back into the swing of things after a bit of a lull?
1. Read your synopsis! Don't try to go back to work without knowing what you're working on. I've done that. I've written tons of pages I had to cut because I thought I knew my story but I got ahead of myself in the action or took the story in a wrong direction. Don't do that. Read your synopsis.
2. Be ruthless about your schedule. Set a starting time and stick to it. Habits are your best friend when it comes to getting things done. Figure out the best time of the day for you to write and get your butt in the chair and create the habit of getting your butt into the chair at the same time every day. Before you know it, you will automatically walk to your computer at your scheduled writing time and you will be ready to write.
3. Let yourself go. Now that you've read your synopsis and know the direction of your story, don't be a stickler for perfection. Give yourself permission to write an awful draft. Or, if you're like me, write an awful scene or two that you can polish the next day before you write that day's portion of dirty draft.
4. Give yourself some deadlines. Wow. Deadlines served me well last year. Knowing that if I missed one deadline my entire schedule would fall like dominoes, I scrambled to always get things in on time. Especially proposals. Proposals can (and usually will) be changed. Editors will have comments. The story might have gelled more fully in your brain by the time you actually sit down to write your book. So do your best work, but also don't over-think. Give yourself deadlines for finishing your proposal, your draft, your first polish, your final draft and you will get where you want to go.
It doesn't matter if you're a full-time writer or someone seeking to write her first book, these four things will get you back to work at top speed in no time.
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading!
susan meier
Anyway, what are my tips for getting back into the swing of things after a bit of a lull?
1. Read your synopsis! Don't try to go back to work without knowing what you're working on. I've done that. I've written tons of pages I had to cut because I thought I knew my story but I got ahead of myself in the action or took the story in a wrong direction. Don't do that. Read your synopsis.
2. Be ruthless about your schedule. Set a starting time and stick to it. Habits are your best friend when it comes to getting things done. Figure out the best time of the day for you to write and get your butt in the chair and create the habit of getting your butt into the chair at the same time every day. Before you know it, you will automatically walk to your computer at your scheduled writing time and you will be ready to write.
3. Let yourself go. Now that you've read your synopsis and know the direction of your story, don't be a stickler for perfection. Give yourself permission to write an awful draft. Or, if you're like me, write an awful scene or two that you can polish the next day before you write that day's portion of dirty draft.
4. Give yourself some deadlines. Wow. Deadlines served me well last year. Knowing that if I missed one deadline my entire schedule would fall like dominoes, I scrambled to always get things in on time. Especially proposals. Proposals can (and usually will) be changed. Editors will have comments. The story might have gelled more fully in your brain by the time you actually sit down to write your book. So do your best work, but also don't over-think. Give yourself deadlines for finishing your proposal, your draft, your first polish, your final draft and you will get where you want to go.
It doesn't matter if you're a full-time writer or someone seeking to write her first book, these four things will get you back to work at top speed in no time.
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading!
susan meier
Monday, December 29, 2014
Happy New Year! Some advice...
This is a blog I posted about a year ago...I read it (to remind myself of a few things) and realized this was some perfect "new year/new start" advice...
Happy New Year! Enjoy! ...
A few weeks ago, I had a bad cold and spent a Saturday and Sunday in bed. If you know anything about weekend TV, you know I was bored to the point of tears and ended up watching a "special" about Garth Brooks. But, man, am I ever glad I did. The show was designed so that Garth himself didn't do much talking. His friends talked about him, his work ethic, etc. After a while I started making notes. :)
And here they are ...
8 things about Garth Brooks that might change the way you write.
1. He loves music and wants everybody to love music.
That sounds pretty simple, until you really think it through. Because he loves music he promotes well...but he also writes, produces and sings the best songs. The best songs. And what does that mean for his audience? He doesn't shortchange them. They always get the best.
So...If you really, really, really love WRITING and your genre, you should be looking for the best ideas. You should be doing YOUR best when you write. Your love of writing (or your genre) should shine through your work.
2. He has respect for other musicians and songwriters.
You have to have a healthy respect for what you do and everyone who does it in order to be your best. If you only half-heartedly love romance, I genuinely believe it shows in your work.
If you're working hard, if it takes you months to write a book, if you study writing, if you tear your scenes apart again and again to make them perfect...So are your peers. Lots of people are working full-time jobs and writing. Lots are caring for kids, elderly parents or disabled adult children. We should never, ever, ever discount the trials and tribulations of other writers.
It just plain makes us better people to be kind to each other. And God likes that. :)
3. He has a good range.
Garth might be a country singer, but his songs transcend the genre. Because of #4...
4. He loves telling a good story.
That's so true. His music is all about storytelling. And he does it well. He picks subjects that resonate, and he makes them vibrate with reality and emotion. Literally. LOL
I heard Elton John talk about storytelling and music once and it totally changed the way I looked at music. He said smart songwriters tell a story because people love stories.
Well, lucky us! That's our business. But that takes us back to not shortchanging your audience (something I talked about a few weeks ago in the Hybrids blog), to figuring out what they like to hear, to learning to write well...so your story is the best it can be.
5. He is an entertainer.
And so should we be. People get a show when they go to see Garth. People want to be entertained when they read our books.
So many times we get caught up in word counts and craft that we forget we're entertainers. Nora Roberts wasn't afraid to break a few rules. Suzanne Brockman took regular romance "hook" or trope stories and turned them on their ears. Laura Kaye's writing vibrates with sensuality, even as her characters charm you to death. LOL
When I pick up a book, I want to be swept away. And it took me a few books (like 20 -- sometimes I make my younger self sound like a real idiot) before I realized, as a reader, I wasn't special. All readers were like me. A book doesn't have to have tons of action or ideas that transcend the norm. The writer simply has to take her genre or subgenre's conventions and use them to entertain readers.
We are entertainers. So...entertain. :)
6. He has a respect for his audience (very much, his friends said, like another successful guy...Frank Sinatra)
The pundits used to tell us our audience was bored housewives. We now know that's not true. Our audience is lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, secretaries, nurses, business owners...Everybody. You should appreciate the fact that a reader picked up your book. You should give her her money's worth. But most of all, you can't talk down to her.
Readers are very smart. If you write poorly, they will spot it. If you don't research, they will know. If you don't like what you're doing and "phone in" your book, they'll see it.
And they won't come back. So even your books with the tightest deadlines have to be your best work.
(I'm talking to myself here because I'm a week late and tempted to write fast and get this turkey in. Instead, I slowed down...God help me...to make sure the book is the best it can be.)
7. He's never afraid to be passionate.
And don't we love that? Being passionate, I think, is part of being a good entertainer. And we're all in the entertainment industry.
I love category romance. :) I love the point in the story when the tension is so tight you know it could snap. The story could change. The characters could do something they regret. It puts me on the edge of my seat.
That's what I want to see in books I read. That's what I want to get into my stories when I write. Granted, I'm not always successful...but I'm not afraid of that passion. Not afraid to confront it.
In fact, smart romance writers use it! We are, after all, in the passion business! LOL
8. Even with success he remained a nice guy. :)
Ah, would that we all could be. Sometimes I think it's easy for the uber successful to be nice guys. Let's face it. They're making the money. Readers are stroking their egos. Their Facebook fan page numbers are through the roof. Amazon loves them. Agents call them out of the blue. Editors call their agents and ask them to write something for them...
Sigh. I could be nice if I were on top!
That's what we all think. But the funny part of it is, the people on top have greater struggles than those of us hovering in the middle. There's constant expectation. Not just from their publishers, but from readers...AND THEMSELVES. When you are on top, you want to stay on top and there are thousands of wannabes nipping at your heels.
So whether you're on the top or in the middle or just starting out, know this:
You're going to have bad days. There will always be somebody who is doing better than you are. You will question your talent. There will never be enough hours in a day or days in a deadline...
That does not give you license to be mean.
In fact, given that we're all in this together, being nice to people is a way to form support groups, critique groups, lifeboat groups and make the friends who may someday save you. :)
But being nice is just plain the right thing to do. Jealousy, meanness and condescension only make you sadder than you already are. In other words, you're hurting yourself.
So grab your talent by the handle and get going. Don't worry about what anybody else is doing. Don't think you're better than anybody else. Don't worry that you're not getting the recognition you deserve. Just write your best book. Enjoy the process. And be a well rounded person. Enjoy your family. Love your spouse. Go fishing (or swimming or bingo playing or shopping). Have other passions aside from writing.
Because nobody's ever clearly the best. Rankings change. Genres go in and out of style. Things like Facebook get invented and change everything. :) Don't be so one-dimensional that you can't be happy unless you're the best. :)
And think of Garth Brooks. :) Be passionate, love your industry, love your audience, love your craft, love your peers, be a storyteller. A great storyteller. Be proud of yourself. :)
Happy Reading...And happy new year! May 2015 be your best year ever. Be blessed and be a blessing.
susan
Happy New Year! Enjoy! ...
A few weeks ago, I had a bad cold and spent a Saturday and Sunday in bed. If you know anything about weekend TV, you know I was bored to the point of tears and ended up watching a "special" about Garth Brooks. But, man, am I ever glad I did. The show was designed so that Garth himself didn't do much talking. His friends talked about him, his work ethic, etc. After a while I started making notes. :)
And here they are ...
8 things about Garth Brooks that might change the way you write.
1. He loves music and wants everybody to love music.
That sounds pretty simple, until you really think it through. Because he loves music he promotes well...but he also writes, produces and sings the best songs. The best songs. And what does that mean for his audience? He doesn't shortchange them. They always get the best.
So...If you really, really, really love WRITING and your genre, you should be looking for the best ideas. You should be doing YOUR best when you write. Your love of writing (or your genre) should shine through your work.
2. He has respect for other musicians and songwriters.
You have to have a healthy respect for what you do and everyone who does it in order to be your best. If you only half-heartedly love romance, I genuinely believe it shows in your work.
If you're working hard, if it takes you months to write a book, if you study writing, if you tear your scenes apart again and again to make them perfect...So are your peers. Lots of people are working full-time jobs and writing. Lots are caring for kids, elderly parents or disabled adult children. We should never, ever, ever discount the trials and tribulations of other writers.
It just plain makes us better people to be kind to each other. And God likes that. :)
3. He has a good range.
Garth might be a country singer, but his songs transcend the genre. Because of #4...
4. He loves telling a good story.
That's so true. His music is all about storytelling. And he does it well. He picks subjects that resonate, and he makes them vibrate with reality and emotion. Literally. LOL
I heard Elton John talk about storytelling and music once and it totally changed the way I looked at music. He said smart songwriters tell a story because people love stories.
Well, lucky us! That's our business. But that takes us back to not shortchanging your audience (something I talked about a few weeks ago in the Hybrids blog), to figuring out what they like to hear, to learning to write well...so your story is the best it can be.
5. He is an entertainer.
And so should we be. People get a show when they go to see Garth. People want to be entertained when they read our books.
So many times we get caught up in word counts and craft that we forget we're entertainers. Nora Roberts wasn't afraid to break a few rules. Suzanne Brockman took regular romance "hook" or trope stories and turned them on their ears. Laura Kaye's writing vibrates with sensuality, even as her characters charm you to death. LOL
When I pick up a book, I want to be swept away. And it took me a few books (like 20 -- sometimes I make my younger self sound like a real idiot) before I realized, as a reader, I wasn't special. All readers were like me. A book doesn't have to have tons of action or ideas that transcend the norm. The writer simply has to take her genre or subgenre's conventions and use them to entertain readers.
We are entertainers. So...entertain. :)
6. He has a respect for his audience (very much, his friends said, like another successful guy...Frank Sinatra)
The pundits used to tell us our audience was bored housewives. We now know that's not true. Our audience is lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, secretaries, nurses, business owners...Everybody. You should appreciate the fact that a reader picked up your book. You should give her her money's worth. But most of all, you can't talk down to her.
Readers are very smart. If you write poorly, they will spot it. If you don't research, they will know. If you don't like what you're doing and "phone in" your book, they'll see it.
And they won't come back. So even your books with the tightest deadlines have to be your best work.
(I'm talking to myself here because I'm a week late and tempted to write fast and get this turkey in. Instead, I slowed down...God help me...to make sure the book is the best it can be.)
7. He's never afraid to be passionate.
And don't we love that? Being passionate, I think, is part of being a good entertainer. And we're all in the entertainment industry.
I love category romance. :) I love the point in the story when the tension is so tight you know it could snap. The story could change. The characters could do something they regret. It puts me on the edge of my seat.
That's what I want to see in books I read. That's what I want to get into my stories when I write. Granted, I'm not always successful...but I'm not afraid of that passion. Not afraid to confront it.
In fact, smart romance writers use it! We are, after all, in the passion business! LOL
8. Even with success he remained a nice guy. :)
Ah, would that we all could be. Sometimes I think it's easy for the uber successful to be nice guys. Let's face it. They're making the money. Readers are stroking their egos. Their Facebook fan page numbers are through the roof. Amazon loves them. Agents call them out of the blue. Editors call their agents and ask them to write something for them...
Sigh. I could be nice if I were on top!
That's what we all think. But the funny part of it is, the people on top have greater struggles than those of us hovering in the middle. There's constant expectation. Not just from their publishers, but from readers...AND THEMSELVES. When you are on top, you want to stay on top and there are thousands of wannabes nipping at your heels.
So whether you're on the top or in the middle or just starting out, know this:
You're going to have bad days. There will always be somebody who is doing better than you are. You will question your talent. There will never be enough hours in a day or days in a deadline...
That does not give you license to be mean.
In fact, given that we're all in this together, being nice to people is a way to form support groups, critique groups, lifeboat groups and make the friends who may someday save you. :)
But being nice is just plain the right thing to do. Jealousy, meanness and condescension only make you sadder than you already are. In other words, you're hurting yourself.
So grab your talent by the handle and get going. Don't worry about what anybody else is doing. Don't think you're better than anybody else. Don't worry that you're not getting the recognition you deserve. Just write your best book. Enjoy the process. And be a well rounded person. Enjoy your family. Love your spouse. Go fishing (or swimming or bingo playing or shopping). Have other passions aside from writing.
Because nobody's ever clearly the best. Rankings change. Genres go in and out of style. Things like Facebook get invented and change everything. :) Don't be so one-dimensional that you can't be happy unless you're the best. :)
And think of Garth Brooks. :) Be passionate, love your industry, love your audience, love your craft, love your peers, be a storyteller. A great storyteller. Be proud of yourself. :)
Happy Reading...And happy new year! May 2015 be your best year ever. Be blessed and be a blessing.
susan
Monday, December 22, 2014
Layering demystified
This tidbit appeared in a much longer blog published in February or so. It's not complicated...Since we're all probably close to having holiday brain. LOL
Layering...
The trick to having a layered character is to give him an interesting, difficult, or jumbled up past, something that kind of collides with the heroine's story and affects both of them...as well as the romance.
Layering...
The trick to having a layered character is to give him an interesting, difficult, or jumbled up past, something that kind of collides with the heroine's story and affects both of them...as well as the romance.
In Daring To Trust the Boss, the hero was a former foster child, who was almost obsessive compulsive in the way he dressed and behaved, not wanting ever to look like someone who didn't fit into the billionaire world he'd edged his way into.
The heroine had been sexually assaulted (she got away before she could be raped) by the town rich kid, who, of course, was never prosecuted. She embarrassed and humiliated herself by coming forward, then the people of her little town harassed her, saying she'd lied about him attacking her and was only trying to extort money from him.
So we have a 3-tiered hero. Former foster kid, who isn't comfortable with who he was or is, and who isn't sure he (the real "he") fits anywhere.
And a harassed heroine, determined to make her way in the world...but also very determined to be herself, the real person she is, because if she doesn't, then the old boyfriend wins.
He's hiding behind a façade. She's "out there."
Notice how many layers there are to that. And also notice that they all relate to things that happened in their pasts.
You don't "tell" readers every detail of their pasts on page one. It's your job to make sure your conflict is strong enough, deep enough that at least one aspect can slowly reveal itself.
In DARING TO TRUST THE BOSS, we held back the idea that he didn't know himself, that the life he lived was a façade. Then being around her, he begins to long to be himself; he yearns to be with her because she likes the person he is underneath all his polish. But he fears letting go.
In DARING TO TRUST THE BOSS, we held back the idea that he didn't know himself, that the life he lived was a façade. Then being around her, he begins to long to be himself; he yearns to be with her because she likes the person he is underneath all his polish. But he fears letting go.
Do you see how "layered" that is? How slowly revealing these things makes his character more complex?
She, at first, doesn't trust him. Then once he lets her take over a big project and she gets a taste of the freedom of having the money and authority to be the business person she always knew she could be, she soars. Because she's ready. And that only makes him want what she has -- that confidence and freedom -- all the more.
Now...All that is a very long way of saying that a book is about steps...Journey Steps (I call them...even do a workshop about it) of two characters going from who they are at the beginning of the story to who they are at the end of the story.
Your book could be set up like my old Sil Romances used to be. A cute premise, close proximity, banter, flirting, near misses with sex, conflict ...but if you don't have those layers of character that come from things that happened in their pasts, then the story really is only a surface story.
What your editor wants is for you to go from the cute meet, set up, cute premise, banter, flirting story to one that has something in the characters' backgrounds that takes readers deeper and involves them in the characters' lives in a real, genuine, personal way.
And that's layering. :)
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading!
susan
Monday, December 15, 2014
Storytelling
Again, this nugget I lifted from a longer blog I wrote earlier this year. I'm still so far into deadline mode I worry that I'll never get out. LOL
I love this! THIS is my philosophy of writing.
Enjoy...
Anybody can write a book. All you've got to do is think up a plot, give your characters some arcs, divide it into scenes and get it into your computer, and eventually onto paper. But how many people do you know who really know how to tell a story?
In my younger days, I had a friend who was a joke teller. It didn't matter where we were, fifteen minutes into any party or wedding or even funeral, my friend would have a crowd around her. Laughter would spill out into the room and her crowd would grow. Because her jokes were good? Some were. But, really, her jokes were good because she made them good. She knew set up. She knew how to deliver a punch line.
In thirty seconds, she could draw you in and then hit you with something that would cause you to belly laugh.
That's storytelling.
I talk about this a lot...especially after I judge contest entries...published or unpublished...because I think a lot of us "get it" that we have to be craftspeople, but few of us realize that, somewhere along the way, our process has to involve that magical part of us that knows how to lift the mundane into the sublime.
Is there something about your story, the way you tell your story, or your characters that lifts all those words on the page from the expected? Is there magic in your story? Have you every really tried to write beautifully? To create characters so real you expect them to show up for Christmas Eve supper?
If you've only ever crafted, if you've never let yourself look for the magic...give yourself that gift in 2015. Don't just be a writer. Be a storyteller.
Happy Reading
susan meier
BTW HER SUMMER WITH THE MARINE is still FREE! Don't know how long it will last, so grab it while you can!
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/her-summer-with-the-marine/
I love this! THIS is my philosophy of writing.
Enjoy...
Anybody can write a book. All you've got to do is think up a plot, give your characters some arcs, divide it into scenes and get it into your computer, and eventually onto paper. But how many people do you know who really know how to tell a story?
In my younger days, I had a friend who was a joke teller. It didn't matter where we were, fifteen minutes into any party or wedding or even funeral, my friend would have a crowd around her. Laughter would spill out into the room and her crowd would grow. Because her jokes were good? Some were. But, really, her jokes were good because she made them good. She knew set up. She knew how to deliver a punch line.
In thirty seconds, she could draw you in and then hit you with something that would cause you to belly laugh.
That's storytelling.
I talk about this a lot...especially after I judge contest entries...published or unpublished...because I think a lot of us "get it" that we have to be craftspeople, but few of us realize that, somewhere along the way, our process has to involve that magical part of us that knows how to lift the mundane into the sublime.
Is there something about your story, the way you tell your story, or your characters that lifts all those words on the page from the expected? Is there magic in your story? Have you every really tried to write beautifully? To create characters so real you expect them to show up for Christmas Eve supper?
If you've only ever crafted, if you've never let yourself look for the magic...give yourself that gift in 2015. Don't just be a writer. Be a storyteller.
Happy Reading
susan meier
BTW HER SUMMER WITH THE MARINE is still FREE! Don't know how long it will last, so grab it while you can!
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/her-summer-with-the-marine/
Monday, December 8, 2014
What to do when you're too tired to think...
I have two proposals due this month, a story to write and ... well, there's a major holiday in here too. So as I mentioned last week, I skimmed all my blogs and came up with some short, but helpful things I'd said this year that bear repeating...
When you are too tired to think, you can do your manuscript a great disservice. You can delete good stuff and keep bad stuff...and not even know you're doing it.
So what do you do when you're too tired to think?
1. Step away. Get so far away from the computer that you can't even see it! Don't tempt yourself to work when you're too tired.
2. Give yourself options of ways to rest your brain. Normally housekeeping is my go-to mundane activity to heal my brain. Yesterday, it wasn't cutting it. Why? I think because it was still part of a routine. And my brain wanted something different. My something different and your something different could be two totally different things. Some people like bubble baths. Some people shop. Some people eat out. There are lots of things you can do to rest your brain. Write a list of 20, give yourself choices so you really will rest your brain.
3. Once you've decided what you're going to do...throw yourself into it. Forget your book. (Buy the popcorn!)
4. Remember to move. My trainer is a very smart woman. She can take one look at me and know when I need to push physically to help myself mentally. If you don't belong to a gym and/or don't have lots of workout tapes, ride your bike, take a walk, run up and down your stairs! LOL Do something to get the blood flowing.
And most of all #5...don't be mad at yourself for needing a day off. I usually work six days a week. Lately, I've been working seven. How fair is that to my poor brain?
Taking a day off rather than pushing can usually reap the reward of a fully cooperative brain the next morning. It worked for me. :) Don't push yourself so much that you hit that wall that totally stops you...maybe for a long time.
Happy reading...
susan meier
When you are too tired to think, you can do your manuscript a great disservice. You can delete good stuff and keep bad stuff...and not even know you're doing it.
So what do you do when you're too tired to think?
1. Step away. Get so far away from the computer that you can't even see it! Don't tempt yourself to work when you're too tired.
2. Give yourself options of ways to rest your brain. Normally housekeeping is my go-to mundane activity to heal my brain. Yesterday, it wasn't cutting it. Why? I think because it was still part of a routine. And my brain wanted something different. My something different and your something different could be two totally different things. Some people like bubble baths. Some people shop. Some people eat out. There are lots of things you can do to rest your brain. Write a list of 20, give yourself choices so you really will rest your brain.
3. Once you've decided what you're going to do...throw yourself into it. Forget your book. (Buy the popcorn!)
4. Remember to move. My trainer is a very smart woman. She can take one look at me and know when I need to push physically to help myself mentally. If you don't belong to a gym and/or don't have lots of workout tapes, ride your bike, take a walk, run up and down your stairs! LOL Do something to get the blood flowing.
And most of all #5...don't be mad at yourself for needing a day off. I usually work six days a week. Lately, I've been working seven. How fair is that to my poor brain?
Taking a day off rather than pushing can usually reap the reward of a fully cooperative brain the next morning. It worked for me. :) Don't push yourself so much that you hit that wall that totally stops you...maybe for a long time.
Happy reading...
susan meier
Monday, December 1, 2014
Focus
Because I have several projects due before 1/1, I went through my past blogs and chose bits and pieces of longer blogs to post this month. They are short...we're all busy in December...but have at least one important concept.
Happy Reading...Enjoy the post...
Time management lovers (myself included) can tell you a million ways to squeeze in another ten minutes of writing every day. Or we'll show you how to carve out blocks of time so you can write five pages, one page at a time, in between running your kids to soccer practice and dance class. We tell you to keep a notebook (small one) in your purse or pocket so that every time good ideas come to you, you can jot them down. I even recommend doing lists of twenty on the run, over the course of days, so that my bouncing brain can draw on multiple inspirations at church, the supermarket, a park, or from people I find at those places...
But the truth is, there are times when I really need to focus. I can't proofread quickly. I like to weigh every word. But you can't weigh every word when you have a cat on your lap, supper simmering and your smart phone pinging away with new Facebook messages.
When drafting, I can write a page and then do dishes. Write another page and vacuum the living room. Write another page and feed the cat. But when I revise, or proofread, or even read for continuity and consistency as I'm writing, I need a quiet room. I focus. I sink into my book. I [sometimes] pretend to be one of the characters and experience the book from his or her point of view.
I give my book all of myself, my attention, my focus, my dedication, because when a reader opens my book I want HER (or him) to give it all of her attention.
So think about that this week. When a reader opens your book, she slides into your story. She focuses on your characters. She falls into your world. If you haven't submerged yourself into the book before her, looking for inconsistencies or things that might jar a reader...she will find the things you missed.
Yikes.
Happy Monday
susan meier
Monday, November 24, 2014
Gratitude
This month I had two books release. Having two books out in one month seriously almost made me crazy. LOL ... Wait. I shouldn't laugh. Book launches are hard. And I was tired. My mom's in transitional care after being deemed too weak to have the heart surgery she needs. And I have a book due 12/1.
But amid the noise of everything that needs to be done...too much...and my worries...too serious for me to breathe some minutes...I heard that still small voice that said, Susan, do you know how lucky you are?
Lucky? I'm so busy and so stressed I barely get two minutes to myself. There isn't time to realize how lucky I am to have talent, to get to do what I love to do, to see my name on book covers and to get letters from readers who say my stories are magnificent...
Ah...
Maybe I am lucky?
Actually, when I stop long enough to think all this through, I KNOW I'm lucky.
So this week rather than give you a tip or a tool to make your writing smoother or easier, I'm going to suggest you walk to a mirror, look yourself in the eye and remind yourself that you are lucky.
I don't care if you've just been rejected.
I don't care if your last book didn't sell and/or all of your ##s are dismal.
If you have the talent to tell a good story, and you have a computer and can steal a few hours a week to whisk yourself away to another world...
You are lucky. You are blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving
susan meier
But amid the noise of everything that needs to be done...too much...and my worries...too serious for me to breathe some minutes...I heard that still small voice that said, Susan, do you know how lucky you are?
Lucky? I'm so busy and so stressed I barely get two minutes to myself. There isn't time to realize how lucky I am to have talent, to get to do what I love to do, to see my name on book covers and to get letters from readers who say my stories are magnificent...
Ah...
Maybe I am lucky?
Actually, when I stop long enough to think all this through, I KNOW I'm lucky.
So this week rather than give you a tip or a tool to make your writing smoother or easier, I'm going to suggest you walk to a mirror, look yourself in the eye and remind yourself that you are lucky.
I don't care if you've just been rejected.
I don't care if your last book didn't sell and/or all of your ##s are dismal.
If you have the talent to tell a good story, and you have a computer and can steal a few hours a week to whisk yourself away to another world...
You are lucky. You are blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving
susan meier
Monday, November 17, 2014
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
I only said that because I'm hoping to have a book and a proposal done by Christmas. LOL If I get them done, that will be a happy, lucky day for me. And I have a Christmas release THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS. Not to mention today's $.99 release CHASING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE. For $.99? ...go buy it. LOL
When I'm in the throes of deadline after deadline...which I will be until June 1, 2015, I have discovered that two things will keep me from going off track. Those same two things will give me "something to write" every day.
What are these magnificent things?
The one-line story summary...It's a book about a shy heroine who only makes sensible decisions because of her life as a foster child, who meets a temperamental chef who sweeps her off her feet, but she's terrified to commit to him.
And story high points.
These are the framework of your story. So even if your storyboard goes wrong or your synopsis suddenly becomes irrelevant -- because, as the story took life as you wrote it, something took an unexpected turn -- you can keep your story on point (even with the new direction) if you lead it back to your one-line story summary and/or your story high points.
For instance, in my story about the Italian chef, the hero kissed the heroine before he was supposed to. LOL But I didn't panic. I knew the next high point was to be that she told him she was already engaged and I used the kiss as the event that causes her to tell him. Then my story was back on track. Except the first kiss in the synopsis now became the second kiss. LOL
If, however, I have a character make a decision that goes against the one-sentence story summary, I might actually delete the scene. If my shy character who only makes sensible decisions suddenly decides to go skinny dipping long before her character arc allows for her personality to begin changing...I axe that baby. Why? Because if you lose your connection to the one-sentence story summary, you lose your connection to the story.
I'm all for characters helping the story along with unexpected behavior. But note...The temperamental chef's unexpected action FIT the one-sentence story summary. The heroine going skinny dipping did not.
That one-sentence story summary should be the heart of your story. It should be the essence of the story you want to tell...if you go against that...you have a totally different story.
You don't want that...At least you shouldn't. When you wrote that one-sentence summary, it should have made your heart sing...if it didn't...maybe that version of the story wasn't the one you wanted to write?
Plus, if you can find the heart of your story before you start writing, you can save yourself a lot of woe. :)
So chew on that. And go buy my $.99 book. http://www.entangledpublishing.com/chasing-the-runaway-bride/
But stick to the heart of your story...Oh, and btw, if you don't like the heart of your story...or don't feel it's strong enough, I'd keep working on THAT before I wrote. Know that heart and your writing day will become a lot easier. :)
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading
susan meier
When I'm in the throes of deadline after deadline...which I will be until June 1, 2015, I have discovered that two things will keep me from going off track. Those same two things will give me "something to write" every day.
What are these magnificent things?
The one-line story summary...It's a book about a shy heroine who only makes sensible decisions because of her life as a foster child, who meets a temperamental chef who sweeps her off her feet, but she's terrified to commit to him.
And story high points.
These are the framework of your story. So even if your storyboard goes wrong or your synopsis suddenly becomes irrelevant -- because, as the story took life as you wrote it, something took an unexpected turn -- you can keep your story on point (even with the new direction) if you lead it back to your one-line story summary and/or your story high points.
For instance, in my story about the Italian chef, the hero kissed the heroine before he was supposed to. LOL But I didn't panic. I knew the next high point was to be that she told him she was already engaged and I used the kiss as the event that causes her to tell him. Then my story was back on track. Except the first kiss in the synopsis now became the second kiss. LOL
If, however, I have a character make a decision that goes against the one-sentence story summary, I might actually delete the scene. If my shy character who only makes sensible decisions suddenly decides to go skinny dipping long before her character arc allows for her personality to begin changing...I axe that baby. Why? Because if you lose your connection to the one-sentence story summary, you lose your connection to the story.
I'm all for characters helping the story along with unexpected behavior. But note...The temperamental chef's unexpected action FIT the one-sentence story summary. The heroine going skinny dipping did not.
That one-sentence story summary should be the heart of your story. It should be the essence of the story you want to tell...if you go against that...you have a totally different story.
You don't want that...At least you shouldn't. When you wrote that one-sentence summary, it should have made your heart sing...if it didn't...maybe that version of the story wasn't the one you wanted to write?
Plus, if you can find the heart of your story before you start writing, you can save yourself a lot of woe. :)
So chew on that. And go buy my $.99 book. http://www.entangledpublishing.com/chasing-the-runaway-bride/
But stick to the heart of your story...Oh, and btw, if you don't like the heart of your story...or don't feel it's strong enough, I'd keep working on THAT before I wrote. Know that heart and your writing day will become a lot easier. :)
Happy Monday...and Happy Reading
susan meier
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
