Truth is weaker than fiction

Sometimes a story hits the news that I've already considered as far too clichéd to make a decent plot—don't you hate when that happens?

For example, one headline a few weeks ago talked about Anna Nicole Smith being investigated for planning to murder her husband. Really? Blonde-bombshell-suspected-gold-digger suspected of doing in her old-enough-to-be-her-grandfather-billionaire husband? Who makes this up?

The harder I work, the behinder I get

To-do:

Write

Pack

Edit


Not necessarily in that order, but those are this week's goals. My editor is in the midst of her turn at editing Emerald--keeping fingers crossed there won't be many edits. I'm getting ready to do another stint of sort-n-pack (one box in the trunk for Goodwill already today) then I swear, if I don't get anything else done today, I WILL get that last scene written for Heat Index. It's killing me, because the story needs a scene at the point I'm struggling with, and I recognize that, but I had a nice bout of frustration going for both the hero/heroine and I kind of hate to interrupt that to let them have actual, well, you know. Sex. The stuff the story's pretty much based on. Ah, the travails of the (erotic romance) writer...

It's been another couple weeks of crazy-at-work, plus some other things I took on, which has made writing much a challenge--I've added some words to Dreamwalk, but I really want to get Heat Index knocked out and queried, then take a couple of weeks to focus only on Dreamwalk instead of thinking about two stories at once. Something Linnea Sinclair said in her presentation yesterday gave me what I think is the final prod to make that story rock, so I'm going to apply it this week. New goal for Dreamwalk: out the door via queries by end of December.

OPB: Tribes

I just finished reading Seth Godin's book Tribes. It's a short book--maybe 150 pages, but in that 4x6 format. And it's packed with examples of leaders creating change by doing what they're passionate about, as well as people who became accidental leaders by looking at something they'd changed and realizing the potential (the microwave oven, for example, was one of those happy accidents).

If you have any inkling of desire to make a difference, read this book. I admit, I'm a fan of Godin's in general, but even taking that into account...I think the best way to sum it up is this: take chances on the things you care about. Tell the story you want to tell, but tell it for the benefit of your "tribe" (the people who care about what you care about) and your cause. Not to be preaching, but to be doing.

Name that hero...

"A Sheldon can do your income taxes, if you need a root canal, Sheldon's your man... but humpin' and pumpin' is not Sheldon's strong suit. It's the name." (From "When Harry Met Sally")

What's in a name? Yeah, this one gets discussed a lot. But you've no idea—unless you're writing and then you have EVERY idea—how hard it can be to come up with hero (and heroine, but we're sticking with heroes today) names that a) don't repeat, b) don't remind you of anyone you know, and c) sound, well, heroic.

Of course, it matters what type of novel you're writing. Historicals, for example, or period novels generally reflect names that either were popular at the time, or that the author thinks sounds like it could have been popular. Sometimes this gets a little confused, though. For example, it would appear that "Alfred" was a reasonably popular name during the early 19th century, as was "William," and yet, when did you last read a Regency starring a hero by either name? "Charles," on the other hand, is more or less acceptable. Less so in contemporaries, although it's a perfectly nice name. Kind of stodgy, perhaps. The kind of name where you have to know the owner to get past the idea that Charles can run a company with ruthless efficiency, but maybe isn't so much in the bedroom (my apologies, of course, to anyone named Charles who sees this. I'm not thinking of you, really.) The hero of Emerald Ecstasy is a Charlie--friendly, accessible, kind of boy-next-door-sexy. Devon and Rafe (in my first two) are cops--Rafe, of course, isn't a uniformed cop, he's an international bounty hunter who specializes in catching poachers. Rafe sounds kind of sexy-dangerous (unlike Ralph, which I believe is the English equivalent). The hero of Hungarian Masquerade is Nick--not so much on the bad-boy side of things.

Other names you don't see so much: Bill, Bob (although Rob is acceptable), Ron, Don, Howard, George or even David. Karen Rose introduced David Hunter in her first novel, and the poor guy is just now getting his own book. I think it's because these are all "nice guy" names, and don't lend themselves well to alpha hero status. For that, you need an Adam, a Dane, an Ethan, a last name masquerading as a first name....

I'm not an expert on names, by any means, so I'm only guessing. But it does make me wonder...what IS in a name?

Midweek Creativity Block-buster

Put on a piece of classical music. Yes, classical. If you don't have any, there are a gazillion radio stations online—go find one now.

Back? Okay. You'll have to close your eyes for the next part. Close your eyes and listen for at least five minutes—longer if possible. Allow images—a story—to come into your mind from the music. Use these images to serve as the basis for three pages of free-association writing.

Okay, you can open your eyes now.

OPB: No Fear of the Storm (more on the apocalypse)

Sorry, having too much fun with the research these days. Which brings me to today's "review".

This has NOTHING to do with writing. It's one of the books I'm reading for my research on end-times beliefs. And I'm not recommending it—I can't. Except if you want to read it for the same reason I am—to try to figure out what end-times enthusiasts use for evidence and framework for their beliefs.

The author is Tim LaHaye, who made a name for himself with novels about the Christian "rapture" and what happens after. This book is a non-fiction handbook for the same—sort of. It's kind of a feel-good manifesto that smugly declares that when the cosmic shit hits the universal fan, all the "real" Christians will be safely in heaven, having ascended in the rapture. Now, I haven't read his novels. I don't particularly want to. Frankly, I'm not all that crazy about this one. But it's offering me a good look at the thoughts going through the heads of people who believe this. So in addition to being useful for research, it's kind of fascinating in a morbid sort of way. Kind of like watching a bizarre accident where you have that mingled sense of Holy Cow and WTF?

First, it seems to rely on a literal interpretation of the Christian Bible, which is something I have a problem with for many reasons, but that's not the point. I'm not arguing theology here. But it does make me want to ask if we can interpret ALL the Bible literally, and so what was that deal with Cain and Abel? Then, from the back of the book "Christians today have more evidence that Christ could come in our lifetime than in any generation that has come before." ("Could" is a wonderful word, isn't it?) Evidence based on what? Well, based on the literal interpretation of the books of Daniel and Revelations, apparently, except that you can't actually do a literal interpretation of the book of Revelations, because you'd have to come to the conclusion that John was off his rocker or in need of medication. Or that there are some really freaking weird things about to happen.

But people DO believe this. I'm not knocking that, per se—I believe plenty of things other people think are nuts. But I'm fascinated by how they seem to take this belief and turn it into a morbid fascination of their own with death and devastation. At the same time, they claim their own interpretation of the prophecies is the correct one (I know, what prophet wouldn't?) but don't recognize that it's interpretation. That is....not necessarily true. Preacher Joe is becoming more paranoid by the day.

Emerald Ecstasy cover!

Yippee! Emerald Ecstasy has a cover. And I'm pleased as can be that the castle is the right kind. Right behind the top loop of the "E" is the master bedroom where heroine Tansy Robertson...well, you'll just have to wait and read it. Let's just say she seriously makes up for the fact that Irish castles tend toward the cold and drafty when it's the end of October and no one but a ghost lives there.

And the cute, half-naked guy at the bottom of the cover? That's our hero, a brawny Irish lad with the name of Charlie McCullough. The castle might be Tansy's now, but the ghost is his. Well, not his in the sense that it's his, but it is his great-great-great-something or other grandfather, wandering around waiting for someone to talk to him. Then there's the little matter of a treasure.

Haunted castle, buried treasure, hot guy in kilt...really, what more could a woman ask for?

No release date yet.