Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 10
September 6, 2021
Classic Love Stories: The Mummy, Dracula, and More. Holding Out For a Hero! by Connie Vines BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthorsBlog #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout,
Weekly Feature # 6Hello, My Lovelies, The first week of the Month is
Paranormal/Fantasy or Gothic.
Last month I discussed Traditional Gothic novels and movies.
The Universal Classic Monster movies (The Mummy and The Mummy's Curse are my personal favorites).
As you know, almost every Classic Paranormal, Fantasy, or even Horror movie or story is really a love story.
No! you say?
Think again.
Imhotep (played by Boris Karloff)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ce2e-d1ZEc (mini film clip).
Karloff played an ancient Egyptian priest called Im-Ho-Tep who was buried alive. After nearly 4,000 years, however, he is brought back to life when archaeologists discover his mummy and read a life-giving spell from a scroll in his coffin. As the contemporary Egyptian Ardeth Bey, he embarks on a quest to reunite with his ancient love. Years later he succeeds in resurrecting her, in the form of Helen Grosvenor (played by Zita Johann). However, Bey’s attempts to transform her into a living mummy fail when the goddess Isis answers Helen’s calls for help and kills Bey.
The Mummy is noted for the eerie and foreboding atmosphere created by Karl Freund, in his directorial debut; an acclaimed cinematographer, Freund had previously worked on Dracula (1931). Also earning praise was the dramatic costume created for Karloff by makeup artist Jack Pierce. The Mummy was part of a trio of horror films (with Dracula and Frankenstein [1931]) that made Universal Pictures famous in the 1930s.
💕 He loved this woman for 4,000 years.
The Remake:
Though I usually cannot sit through extremely violent/gory, movies; I did find the remake of the Mummy movie in 1999, a lively take on a Hollywood classic. Though, while I enjoyed the humor, I did not like the extreme special effects and the "taking of eyeballs, and scarabs devouring people".
I found it interesting the way this version created a person named Ardef Bay as a protector. (Arderf Bay, in the original version, was the "human' form of the mummy.)
The Mummy - 1999 trailer
Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bay)1999 versionOther Classis Love Stories:
One of the first stories to combine romance and horror was The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, published in 1764. The Castle of Otranto is a drama and a love story where a peasant boy saves a Lady from marriage to a selfish Lord and becomes a prince in the process.
Other gothic novels such as The Vampyre and Bram Stoker’s Dracula have a stronger horror element, as they feature men and women falling in love and becoming lovers with dangerous paranormal creatures. In Carmilla, a young woman is the object of a female vampire’s affection.
Horror movies, too, love to combine elements of romantic movies with horror both to satisfy the variety of desires viewers have and to juxtapose the two, making whatever horror we’re watching even more terrifying because two, making whatever horror we’re watching even more terrifying because it’s viewed against the backdrop of your mortality.
Even Star Wars has a prominent romantic subplot. Come to think of it, so do King Kong, Shrek, and Beauty and the Beast. Let us not forget, Phantom of the Opera.
In Francis Ford Coppola’s rendering of the famous Bram Stoker novel, Count Dracula—still reeling centuries later after his wife’s suicide and hell-bent on vengeance against God and mankind—travels to England, where he suspects he has found his wife reincarnated in the form of another woman. Roger Ebert sums up the film’s main paradox: “the vampire shakes his fist at heaven and vows to wait forever for the return of the woman he loves. It does not occur to him that after the first two or three centuries he might not seem all that attractive to her.” Keanu Reeves stars as Jonathan Harker, with Winona Ryder as Mina Harker, Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, and Anthony Hopkins as Professor Van Helsing.
The movie is intensely emotional. You can feel the prince's heartache for his wife.
Dracula Untold, 2014Though this movie did not garner stellar reviews, I found it a more believable take (I know it's Paranormal fiction) on a mortal's motivation and internal fight to hold on to a piece of his humanity after becoming a monster.
Synopsis:
In 15th-century Transylvania, Vlad III (Luke Evans), prince of Wallachia, is known as a just ruler. With his beloved wife, Mirena (Sarah Gadon), Vlad has brokered a prolonged period of peace and ensured that his people are protected, especially from the Ottoman Empire. However, when Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper) demands 1,000 of the country's boys, including Vlad's son, for his army, Vlad makes a deal with a monster that will enable him to defeat the Turks -- but cost him his humanity.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2aWqecTTuE
I'm a sucker for a good love story, what about you? 🧛💞
Do you have a favorite Classic Gothic Love Story?
Thank you for stopping by,
XOXO
Connie
August 30, 2021
The Roaring 20's and the Louisiana 5 Jazz Band By Connie Vines #BWLAuthors Blog #MFRWAAuthor, #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout # JazzBands #Jass Bands #AncestoryResearch
Weekly Feature #5Hello, My Lovelies,This week, as it is the 5th Monday of the month, it's Wild Card Monday 😮
We all have an interesting relative or two in the family tree...
Today I'd like to introduce you to my great-uncle, Anton (Tony) Lada. He was a composer, musician, performer, and one of the founding members of SAG.
Lousiana Five Jazz BandWhile all the promo material stated he was a Chicago native, he was actually from Prague, Czechoslovakia, and immigrated, with his parents and siblings (except my grandmother who was born in Chicago) as a young child.
His family, though immigrates, opened a small business in Chicago and provided musical training for all of their children six children,
Family members stated he was classically trained in an orchestra at the age of 14, however, I could not locate documentation to confirm this claim.
I do know, and have records confirming:
Drummer and bandleader Anton Lada's 1918 recordings with the Louisiana Five were among the very first commercial releases of music considered to be jazz. Lada had also drummed in an early version of the Original Dixieland Jass Band, nearly four years before it became the first combo in jazz recording history in early 1917
Also of note: with a personal consisting of Alcide "Yellow" Nunez on clarinet, Charlie Panelli on trombone, Karl Burger on banjo, Joe Cawley on piano, and Lada on drums the style of the band were unique to what is now considered the standard "jass" bands of the time.
Whereas most featured a cornet as the lead voice, the Louisiana Five featured Nunez himself on clarinet leading the tunes. While this comes as a shock to many listeners of this pivotal group, one must remember that at the time there were no official guidelines as to how jazz ensembles should be made up.
Their records for Edison, Columbia, Emerson, and Okeh are a treat to hear,. While the original combo broke up in the early 1920s Lada continued to record under the Louisiana Five name for a few years after that, even relocating to California, recording there too around 1925. The Sunset label promoted the ensemble as Anton Lada's Louisiana Lads.
According to discographers, Lada's final recordings were made in the mid-'20s; however, his popular groups continued performing live. In 1941 Lada relocated to Hollywood, scoring motion pictures and developing into a Raymond Scott musical status.
A devout Christian Scientist, Tony Lada, he refused medical aid when he suffered from a ruptured appendix, passing away in his early 50s.
Anton (Tony) Lada, co-wrote jazz and ragtime numbers with pianist Spencer Williams, notably "Arkansas Blues" and "Barcelona."
From the YouTube video link: Sadly, very little has been written about this important group, and even less reissued, and less than that played in its original style. In fact, the only major recreation that has occurred recently of this group's style was done by Dan Levinson's Roof Garden Jass Orchestra. Now, for the first time in 98 years, David Jellema, Colin Hancock, Westen Borghesi, Dan Walton, and Ryan Neubauer recreate the sounds and style of the Louisiana Five before the recording horn, in their rendition of the popular period tune which is almost guaranteed the band played, "Ja Da (Ja Da Ja Da Jing Jing Jing)".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsLgNthetVU
Thanks to the members of the band, as well as Jim Cartwright (of Immortal Performances...not Dynamic Systems [sorry, typo]!), John Knox, Benjamin Canaday, Tim Knapp, John Levin, the Hogan Jazz Archive, the Nunez Family, and the Louisiana Five for the fantastic music!
Thank you for stopping by,
XOXO
Connie
August 23, 2021
Cajun Heroes and Independent Cinderellas, By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor, #RomanceNovels, #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout
Weekly Feature # 4Hello, My Lovelies,
This week I'm focusing on Romance as a genre.
My current release is an anthology and features four romance stories.
"Gumbo Ya Ya; an anthology for women who like romance Cajun Style". One of the main characters in each story is a Cajun (hailing from, or currently residing in the Louisianna bayou).
Marrying off Murphy, a light-hearted romance.
Love Potion #9, a keep-you-guessing and laugh-out-loud romance
A Slice of Scandal, a murder mystery with a feisty heroine and a sexy undercover cop.
1-800-FORTUNE, a paranormal/ mystical romance with a gypsy and a werewolf.
All of my novels are 50% via Smashwords through Sept. 15, 2021.
But all of my ebooks and paperback versions are available online:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Kobo, and at your fave online store.
👀🎥🍿
Look it's my book trailer/mini-movie: 1.6 minutes of fun and adventure!
Gumbo Ya Ya: an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style
Laiaaez les bon temps rouler!
Thank you for stopping by,
XOXO
Connie
August 20, 2021
Are YOU Appearing in Your Stories? Characters with Your Habits? By Connie Vines #RR87, #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor,
Round Robin Blog Fest! (87) Aug 21
This month's topic is a bit like a 'tell-all"/ true confessions, it seems 😉"Do you have any character habits or favorite words that always crop up in your writing?"
"Yes," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "It seems I've corrupted my darlings."
I drink a great deal of coffee, and so do my characters. In my first novel, "Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1. My hero was drinking coffee, my heroine was drinking coffee, My heroine and her best friend were working at a cafe. Where you guessed it, they prepared and poured coffee (which would have included the adult members of the small Montana town).
Funny, no one seemed to find it strange. My critique group never pointed it out, readers never posted any negative comments. Shoot, Lynx even had a thermos of coffee in the barn when he was tending to his horse!
I noticed (lol) 'we' all seemed to have a caffeine addiction, when I was scanning the story while drafting the second book in the series, "Brede". Everyone in the story had moderate caffeine consumption.
Upon further thought:
I have a wicked/quirky sense of humor.
It only appears in bits in pieces in my western and historical romances (for which my darlings are eternally grateful, I'm sure).
However, in my Paranormal/Fantasy stories and YA/MG stories, it's embedded in the DNA of (usually) my main character.
Poor Meridith, as if becoming a zombie wasn't challenging enough, she has to deal with the twisted sense of humor I've bestowed upon her. She has a hamster named Gertie, for heaven's sake!
Writing is a craft, I keep reminding myself. We develop our skills, adjust to reader preferences: more action, less introspection in contemporary novels, etc. However, since our darings (our characters) are of our creation, there will always have a bit of the writer in the main characters.
There is no way around it.
It may be an unimportant part of my character which creeps into a story. I dislike turnips, so no one will be chowing down on a plate-full, even if they were roasted by an award-winning chef.
What habits are my current characters engaging in? I'll be re-reading my story after I type: The End. I'm certain I'll be making revisions because my characters like to sit out on the patio/veranda/porch in the evening--without a cup of coffee.
Happy Reading,
Connie
Link to my youtube channel. Click here to watch my new video: Gumbo Ya Ya
Also, be sure to check out our wonderful authors:
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2ow
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
Judith Copek : https://lynx-sis-blogspot.com/
See you next month!August 16, 2021
YA and Middle Grade Novels--Aren't Just for YA Readers Any Longer! By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor, #YANovels, #MiddleGradeNovels, #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout
Weekly Feature #3Hello, My Lovelies,
Who says young adult novels are just for kids? Reading YA offers adults a world they don’t often find in more grown-up novels. The settings can be more fantastical, and the emotions can feel downright nostalgic. Whatever your reason for diving in, here are some YA reads that can easily be appreciated by an older audience.
Did you know:
A 2012 survey by a market research firm found that 55 percent of these books are bought by people older than 18. (The definition of YA is increasingly fuzzy, but it generally refers to books written for 12- to 17-year-olds. Meanwhile, the cultural definition of “young adult” now stretches practically to age 30, which may have something to do with this whole phenomenon.)
The largest group of buyers in that survey—accounting for a whopping 28 percent of all YA sales—are between ages 30 and 44.
Today’s YA, we are constantly reminded, is worldly and adult-worthy.
Most importantly, these books consistently indulge in the kind of endings that teenagers want to see. YA endings are uniformly satisfying, whether that satisfaction comes through weeping or cheering.
These endings are emblematic of the fact that the emotional and moral ambiguity of adult fiction—of the real world—is nowhere in evidence in YA fiction. These endings are for readers who prefer things to be wrapped up neatly, our heroes married or dead or happily grasping hands, looking to the future.
Great works of fiction for YA Readers include:
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott.The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank.Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor.Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, by Jennifer De Leon. Bloom, by Elizabeth Scott.I began my writing career in YA fiction. I wrote on spec for Junior Detective Magazine, Humpty Dumpty Magazine, Brilliant Star, and AIM Magazine. Several of my non-fiction articles became part of the Benjamin Franklin Educational Series.My current YA/MG Release (available in English and Spanish) print and ebook
National Book Award, NomineeIndependent E-Book Winner, Historical FictionFrankfurt ebook, NomineeKindle Unlimited #1 Best Seller in Native American Historical Fiction
Thank you for stopping by,XOXOConnie
Available at These Book Sellers (Just click on link)
August 9, 2021
Barbara Drake, Tongya/Gabrielino, Tribal Elder-- Dedicated Teacher, Colleague, and Dear Friend By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor, #NativeAmerican, #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout
Weekly Feature #2Hello, My Lovelies,
Today I would like to honor a dear friend of mine.
Barbara Drake was introduced to me when I was a member of the Parent Advisory Council, San Bernardino County, for Title IX and Title X Programs through the public schools' program.
She, along with Tribal Elders: Maha-Tal-Meh (Jacques Condor), Linda Baguley, and Larry Sellers (Cloud Dancing/Dr. Quinn MedicineWoman) encouraged me to write my YA historical novel, Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water.
Barbara Drake was loved by all, never spoke ill of anyone, and always brought a positive light to her interactions with students, staff, and community members, always seeking to unite rather than divide.
Born in West Los Angeles in 1940 to Tongva mother Dolores Lola Lassos and Anglo father Charles Milton Scott, Barbara Drake (née Barbara Ann Scott) was raised exclusively on her mother’s traditional plant-based medicines until she was in her teens.
Barbara was an enrolled member of The Gabrieleño/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians and served as Tribal Secretary for many years. She worked in Indian Education Title VII for San Bernardino Schools, before coming to Pitzer College in 1993 to lecture on ethnoecology. Her Tongva name was Kwi Tokor, meaning Acorn Woman.
I was honored to call Barbara my friend.
Her knowledge of Native American healing plants and culture is shared with her interviews on PBS, (Public Broadcast System) Television interviews.
Please visit these links:
https://www.kcet.org/shows/tending-the-wild/episodes/gathering-medicine
Native plants educator Barbara Drake talks about what has been lost by separating native people from their land. For years as the founder of Chia Cafe Collective, she has worked to restore, research, and promote the use of indigenous plants in California and elsewhere.
Co-produced by KCETLink Media Group and the Autry Museum, this six-part multimedia series and one-hour documentary special are presented in association with California Continued, a groundbreaking exhibition now on view at the Autry.
Also:
Barbara's yearly arts program:
https://idyllwildarts.org/barbara-drake-tongva-walks-on/
This is only a small sampling of the vast knowledge of medicinal plants used by the Tongva.
http://runajambi.org/tongva/introduction.htm
Walking together in spirit as we walked together through life.
Barbara DrakeFebruary 2, 1940 - November 18, 2020
Connie
August 2, 2021
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall--a Look into Gothic Fiction by Connie Vines #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor, #GothicFiction, #RandomThoughtsScatteredAbout
A weekly feature:Random Thoughts, Scattered About...In the past, I served on the board, and as president, of Romance Writers of America's GothRom Chapter (authors of traditional Gothic Fiction).Even though we wrote/featured traditional Gothic stories, we did allow for supernational elements in our stores.
Characteristics of the Gothic include death and decay, haunted homes/castles, family curses, madness, powerful love/romance, ghosts, and vampires. The genre is said to have become popular in the late 18th century with the publication of Horace Walpole's novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764.
Other classics of Gothic Fiction: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818), Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897), The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson, (1886), Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë (1847), Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (1938),
Hello, My Lovelies, Every little girl wants to be Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, or Ariel. Every Romantic loves the idea of being swept away by Prince Charming or riding in a glass carriage pulled by white horses. While the princesses of the fiction have the promise of ‘happily-ever-after, castles, and room service.
The Evil Queen is dominating the Snow-White story. Why does the Evil Queen dominate the story? Because she has ‘magic at her disposal, and she owns the best toys’.
When I was a young girl, I watched Universal Studio Monster Classic movies and always had the latest print magazine in my bookcase. The “Mummy’s Curse” was my favorite horror movie (tame by today’s standards). I even wrote a fan letter to MoonaLisa, the host of a weekly television show (pre-Elvira) in San Diego, CA. Explaining why I liked the movie and would appreciate watching it on her show.
Several weeks later, MoonaLisa read my letter on television. I was unbelievably excited. She also featured my favorite movie that day.
I was hooked.
I was validated.
I was forevermore a girl who followed her own instincts.
It was like Wednesday of Addams Family fame—A girl who never wore bows, ribbons, nor Maryjane shoes, or ringlets in her long dark hair. I was an introvert. An observer of human behavior, And, like little Wednesday, perhaps, too intense for a child.
While the villainess in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” wanted so badly to be the fairest of them all, so much so that she went as far as to have Snow White killed and have her heart placed in a box. After the Evil Queen discovers that the Huntsman, she hired to kill Snow White is unsuccessful, she uses magic to concoct a poison to deal with the situation herself. She changed her shape, she’d maime, she’d kill. She understood desire, and embraced it, too. The Evil Queen’s determination becomes her obsession, and it gives off the implicit message that, no matter what you want or desire, if you work hard and get creative, you will find whatever means to achieve your goal.
While Snow White received top billing in the Disney 1930s version of the animated feature, the movie was really all about the Evil Queen.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Cinderella and all the other heroines starring in fairy tales. I am happy they are living happily-ever-after in storybook land.
These heroines were goodness and songs—these heroines did not own toys. Cinderella wore hand-me-down dresses, borrowed horses, and carriage; Snow White was a housekeeper and short-order cook for seven strangers.
But the dark side is where the action and the conflict rule.
The Evil Queen had magic at her fingertips. Magic is so unearthly. And oh-so-much fun to add you’re a plot-line. The twists, the turns, the intensity.
Most importantly, The Evil Queen owned a Magic Mirror.
Aside from a Magic Wand, the Magic Mirror is the best special effect in the old movies and in Paranormal or Gothic Novels (my opinion.)
If you ever get a chance to watch “The Mummy” with Boris Karloff, 1931 (only a few years after silent movies reigned supreme), His scene where he looks into the pool of water and Ancient Egypt unfolds before the viewers' eyes, is so magical, so unexpectedly amazing for that time in the Hollywood. Decades after it was released, I watched the movie and was transfixed.
You Tube Opening to the Classic Movie
The entire movie The Mirror Scene is amazing.
I attribute this one moment in my life to my understanding: showmanship, emotion, and the importance of awaking of the ‘soul’ of a story.
Always, I strive to bring the unexpected into my Paranormal novellas, my female leads have an edgy and quirky side. They aren’t the girl-next-door, they don’t quite fit in, and they aren’t princesses.
I was, and still am, fascinated by the Magic Mirror.
While I do not recommend featuring an Evil Queen as the heroine of a romantic novel. I like to give my heroines a touch of her determination, the strength to overcome obstacles and self-reliance.
Will I ever own a magic mirror of my very own?
I was watching television a few months ago, and a commercial flickered across the screen. I won’t name the manufacturer of the product, but you guess it –this is the stuff of fairy tales—a Magic Mirror!
This mirror mounts in the bathroom and is voice-activated (connected to your WiFi network). LED lights, music. A digital assistant looks up salon hours, edits your shopping list, and even controls other bathroom amenities, like turning on the shower.
Toss in a soundtrack for wind, rain, thunder, and lightning and I’ve found my bliss!
A Magic Mirror is finally, finally within my reach!
The Magic Mirror (On my Wish List)
Check out the Disney Magic Mirror HERE
Connie
July 16, 2021
Cutting Scenes - Yea or Nay? By Connie Vines #RR
Marci Baun Round Robin topic for July 2021: “Deleting scenes: Do you ever delete scenes? When and why do you delete them? And what do you do with them? Do you save them? Or just toss them?”
Sometimes, the scenes I delete are simply that, scenes. Other times I rub out a whole character.
I do not know about other writers, but when I write novels, I delete as much as I write. Sometimes I delete more.
The problem is some of these deleted scenes are great. I like them, anyway.
But there are other scenes I delete because the story turns in a direction different from that in which it was going. Or I have written my character into a hole, realized something cannot happen. Or you write a scene that happened way too early for the book.
Or characters have unfocused conversations. Conversations should have a purpose. Babbling is not allowed.
I do keep deleted scenes.
Some writers have massive OneNote file with pages and pages of deleted scenes. Others keep paper copies. I have a file with subfiles: Romance, YA, Historical, etc. (seems organized, doesn’t it?). It is. However, I save it multiple places: on my desktop, in the Cloud, in my one Drive. My tech guy asked if he would like him to organize it.
Remember my statement about babbling? Well… “We” decided ‘saving it everywhere’ would work for now.
Sometimes you will find that two or more characters fulfill a remarkably similar role in the story, and your reader ends up struggling to tell them apart.
If that is the case: consider consolidating multiple similar characters into one.
It will give you more room to make the resulting single character more memorable and compelling and will help remove some excess fluff as you try to juggle including two or more characters and their backstories.
Sometimes my scenes are really snippets to be placed in my next book, or the start of a new series.
Be sure to visit other members of our Round Robin Group where stories unfold and lead to a new adventure.
Happy Reading,
Connie Vines
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.comDr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2n4
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
June 18, 2021
How to Recognize and Overcome Plot Problems or Failures? #RR86 #WritingTips
This month's topic: Recognizing and overcoming plot problems or failures.
If one writes, one deals with plot problems/plot holes/ or even failures. It is all part of fleshing out our characters and developing a well-written story.Is this fun? Not always.
Do I dance for joy when I complete my novel and discover there is a very large plot hole? Of course not. I sigh, while resisting the urge give a primeval scream. Then have have a cup or coffee, or two, I go back and rework it.
Again. And, if I'm lucky, I don't create a problem by doing so.
How can I claim that all authors deal with this issue?
I can do so because so many plot holes remain undiscovered.
Undiscovered that is, until, after publication, a reader finds one.
Oh, dear.
What is a plot hole?
A plot hole is an inconsistency in a story that goes against the established logic of the narrative's universe. For instance, some people say it makes no sense that Frodo and Sam didn't fly the Ring to Mordo, that Time Turners weren't more widely used in Harry Potter,
In Angels & Demons: it is said that Vittoria can't get a dial tone on her cell because they are underground. I'm not sure anyone one can get a dial tone on their cell phone.
The second book of the Twilight Series was based on a nosebleed. We understand that Edward did not trust his family to be around Bella for fear she might get hurt--but haven't they been around blood before? The do attend school...
How do I recognize there is a plot problem? My characters stop behaving like themselves, the story stalls, or my secondary character are trying to take over the story.
Hints:
1. Be objective when editing.2. Refuse to be influenced by your own opinions and emotions.3. Writing lists can be helpful.4. Take time to question the logic of your plot.5. Keep a checklist of your subplots and make sure all of them are complete.6. Keep notes on your revised edits.
Also:
1. Explore alternative outcomes. Try to keep an open mind when reworking your novel.2. Remember that filling a plot hole is not necessarily a one-trick fix.3. Bring things back to basics.4. Don't be afraid to do the work.
Please tour the blogs of the wonderful authors participating in this month...such stories we have to share:
My Current Release
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2lz
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
May 26, 2021
FREE Book on Amazon! May 30 and 31st!
Apacheria, 1880.
Tanayia is alone in the world. Her village destroyed and her people murdered by a group of revolutionaries who now hold her hostage. A daring escape on the edge of Cochise’s stronghold saves Tanayia’s life, but she discovers her ordeal is only beginning. Forced to live in a government run boarding school, Tanayia is stripped of her identity.
The headmistress is bent on destroying Tay, but Jacob Five-Wounds stands in her way. Jacob urges Tay to run away with him—but diphtheria strikes the school. Now, Tanayia must make a choice, a choice she knows may cost her both, Jacob and his love.
Sweet Historical Romances aren't just for young adults any longer!
