Karina Bliss's Blog - Posts Tagged "his-goodbye-girl"
I'm working on line edits for Bring Him Home, my June 2012 release and trying to work out what the American term is for diesel.
I'm pretty sure it's not gasoline which I'm guessing refers to petroleum. Maybe I'll simply replace with 'fuel.'
Line edits are the nit-picking stage of the manuscript. I've written it, done revisions and this is a line by line edit to pick up work overuse, time line inconsistencies, and sometimes even plot holes.
My heroine's son, despite work, remains something of a plot moppet (a wonderful term I first saw used on www.dearauthor.com or smartbitchestrashybooks.com). A child there to do a plot job rather than be a real person. Normally I have no problem writing kids, but because my heroine/hero had BIG stuff to deal with I didn't want to make her son too troubled. (He was, but he's coming out of it through the story). I went too far the other way obviously and need to get the balance right.
I'm also working on the first three chapters and synopsis of a new book, tentatively titled HIS GOODBYE GIRL, a back from the dead story, which should be a fun end to the series.
More on that one later.
I'm conscious that very few are reading this blog...hopefully numbers will grow, but for the time being it's very freeing, writing stream of consciousness 'dear writing diary' stuff.
To the handful reading this...hey, how are you? Merry Xmas!
I'm pretty sure it's not gasoline which I'm guessing refers to petroleum. Maybe I'll simply replace with 'fuel.'
Line edits are the nit-picking stage of the manuscript. I've written it, done revisions and this is a line by line edit to pick up work overuse, time line inconsistencies, and sometimes even plot holes.
My heroine's son, despite work, remains something of a plot moppet (a wonderful term I first saw used on www.dearauthor.com or smartbitchestrashybooks.com). A child there to do a plot job rather than be a real person. Normally I have no problem writing kids, but because my heroine/hero had BIG stuff to deal with I didn't want to make her son too troubled. (He was, but he's coming out of it through the story). I went too far the other way obviously and need to get the balance right.
I'm also working on the first three chapters and synopsis of a new book, tentatively titled HIS GOODBYE GIRL, a back from the dead story, which should be a fun end to the series.
More on that one later.
I'm conscious that very few are reading this blog...hopefully numbers will grow, but for the time being it's very freeing, writing stream of consciousness 'dear writing diary' stuff.
To the handful reading this...hey, how are you? Merry Xmas!
I'm back in work mode after the Christmas break. Just finished final corrections on my June release, BRING HIM HOME, and writing Chapter Four of a new book, the fourth in my SAS series, working title, HIS GOODBYE GIRL.
I re-read BRING HIM HOME last night and said to my husband, 'Either this is really really good or a piece of melodramatic drivel.'
It's a high-stakes, high-drama novel which means it's even tougher to dance the line between pathos and sentimentality.
No doubt readers will tell me if I've got the balance right!
Meanwhile on Chapter Four of HIS GOODBYE GIRL I'm obsessively reworking the first scene between my four heroes, three of whom have already had their book.
I love returning characters because they're easy to write. I know how they'll react to situations, and to each other.
It's the new hero I have to feel my way with (what a fun job!). I thought I had his measure in the first scene but he's changing on me. That's good...we're all different people depending on who we're with. I'm hoping these new facets of his personality will add dimension to his character.
And in my leisure I've been reading Cecilia Grant's debut A Lady Awakened and Sarah Mayberry's latest, All They Need. Both wonderful books.
Good reads (another pun, I'm on fire!) always inspire me to try harder in my own writing.
I re-read BRING HIM HOME last night and said to my husband, 'Either this is really really good or a piece of melodramatic drivel.'
It's a high-stakes, high-drama novel which means it's even tougher to dance the line between pathos and sentimentality.
No doubt readers will tell me if I've got the balance right!
Meanwhile on Chapter Four of HIS GOODBYE GIRL I'm obsessively reworking the first scene between my four heroes, three of whom have already had their book.
I love returning characters because they're easy to write. I know how they'll react to situations, and to each other.
It's the new hero I have to feel my way with (what a fun job!). I thought I had his measure in the first scene but he's changing on me. That's good...we're all different people depending on who we're with. I'm hoping these new facets of his personality will add dimension to his character.
And in my leisure I've been reading Cecilia Grant's debut A Lady Awakened and Sarah Mayberry's latest, All They Need. Both wonderful books.
Good reads (another pun, I'm on fire!) always inspire me to try harder in my own writing.
I was reading 'Reinventing Fabulous' a three friends blog by Jenny Crusie, Lani Diane Rich and Anne Stuart (Krissie) which is funny and irreverent and all about female friendship. Here's the link:
http://reinventingfabulous.com/
It got me thinking about a friend who passed away last year and the different ways of missing people. And the ones that you laugh with hit the top of my list. A shared sense of humour is the best glue in any relationship and I love books where the hero and heroine - no matter what - have the same sly humour, the ability to glance at each other and share a private joke.
Some books that do that really well are: Georgette Heyer's "Venetia" and Susan Elizabeth Phillips "Nobody's Baby But Mine" and "Heaven, Texas." I do love a man with a sense of humor, preferably as dry as James Bond's martini.
If you have books that fit that criteria, I'd love to hear about them.
As for the book I'm writing, "His Goodbye Girl" - little humour yet but it's coming...oh yes, it's coming. One of the best things about being a writer is that unlike real life you get do-overs until the joke works. Boom Boom.
http://reinventingfabulous.com/
It got me thinking about a friend who passed away last year and the different ways of missing people. And the ones that you laugh with hit the top of my list. A shared sense of humour is the best glue in any relationship and I love books where the hero and heroine - no matter what - have the same sly humour, the ability to glance at each other and share a private joke.
Some books that do that really well are: Georgette Heyer's "Venetia" and Susan Elizabeth Phillips "Nobody's Baby But Mine" and "Heaven, Texas." I do love a man with a sense of humor, preferably as dry as James Bond's martini.
If you have books that fit that criteria, I'd love to hear about them.
As for the book I'm writing, "His Goodbye Girl" - little humour yet but it's coming...oh yes, it's coming. One of the best things about being a writer is that unlike real life you get do-overs until the joke works. Boom Boom.
I'm around 25,000 into the fourth and final of of SAS hero series. Working title: His Goodbye Girl.
I find after the set-up I start to falter. Okay we're into the story...how are you two going to make those incremental steps from distrust to trust to a happy ever after that readers will sigh over?
Hero and Heroine are stumbling around the page a bit right now, still changing their minds about their scene goal, or how they feel about things while I follow them with a tuning fork...listening for the right note. And feeling tone deaf. I tell myself it's part of the process, but aw heck can't we miss this part out just this once!
Muse says no. :)
All I want is character honesty but I don't know these two well enough yet and so they keep going two-dimensional on me.
Meanwhile I have a cover for my June release, Bring Him Home, which I'll post as soon as I get approval. That book is done so it's easy to love now. I can't wait to hear how readers feel about it.
Now I'm off to the keyboard chanting the old mantra. You've got yourself through ten books. You'll find your way through the eleventh.
Good luck with your own endeavors this week!
I find after the set-up I start to falter. Okay we're into the story...how are you two going to make those incremental steps from distrust to trust to a happy ever after that readers will sigh over?
Hero and Heroine are stumbling around the page a bit right now, still changing their minds about their scene goal, or how they feel about things while I follow them with a tuning fork...listening for the right note. And feeling tone deaf. I tell myself it's part of the process, but aw heck can't we miss this part out just this once!
Muse says no. :)
All I want is character honesty but I don't know these two well enough yet and so they keep going two-dimensional on me.
Meanwhile I have a cover for my June release, Bring Him Home, which I'll post as soon as I get approval. That book is done so it's easy to love now. I can't wait to hear how readers feel about it.
Now I'm off to the keyboard chanting the old mantra. You've got yourself through ten books. You'll find your way through the eleventh.
Good luck with your own endeavors this week!
I'm 55,000 words into the book and my couple aren't coupling! Probably because I've given them huge roadblocks to deter them from jumping in the sack,which is great but enough already. Get it on! What I need is a dynamite plot twist to thrust (pardon the pun) them into action and catipult the last third of the book in a new direction.
Meanwhile my hero's stuck and frustrated, my heroine's stuck and frustrated and I'm stuck and frustrated. We've all got ourselves in a conflict lock and unfortunately it's my job to come up with the solution.
Which is both why I write and why I hate writing...the challenge.
Enough of my whinges. As my husband keeps reminding me, I do this every book.
On a more cheerful note, fabulous author Sarah Mayberry has a new book out - Her Best Worst Mistake. That girl hits a home run every book and I highly recommend it. Read an excerpt at http://www.sarahmayberry.com/herbestw...
Happy reading, if you've got a book that knocked your socks off recently let me know.
Karina
Meanwhile my hero's stuck and frustrated, my heroine's stuck and frustrated and I'm stuck and frustrated. We've all got ourselves in a conflict lock and unfortunately it's my job to come up with the solution.
Which is both why I write and why I hate writing...the challenge.
Enough of my whinges. As my husband keeps reminding me, I do this every book.
On a more cheerful note, fabulous author Sarah Mayberry has a new book out - Her Best Worst Mistake. That girl hits a home run every book and I highly recommend it. Read an excerpt at http://www.sarahmayberry.com/herbestw...
Happy reading, if you've got a book that knocked your socks off recently let me know.
Karina
