Michele Hauf's Blog, page 5
August 15, 2012
Short Story — Day 2 — Update
All right, worked the morning on this, then paused to go get my hair done, then back home for another hour of work. Word total for today? 5926. That rocks. I'm on chapter Six and heading toward the Dark Moment. And it's getting really dark because I have written myself into a dark and cobwebby corner. Truly, I'm not sure if the heroine will live or die. And if she does live, how? Meanwhile the hero is sulking because he's realized he can't save her and feels like she'd be better off without him, so he's gone.
Aggh!!!!!
I'm not even going to think on this anymore today. Hubby wants to go to Old Country Buffet. I hate that place (it's a trough), but will go, just to clear my brain, and hopefully tonight some great way to save the heroine comes to me in my dreams.
Aggh!!!!!
I'm not even going to think on this anymore today. Hubby wants to go to Old Country Buffet. I hate that place (it's a trough), but will go, just to clear my brain, and hopefully tonight some great way to save the heroine comes to me in my dreams.
Short Story — Day 2
So as mentioned in the previous post, I'll be documenting my writing a short story, The Reaper's Heart, over three weeks here at the blog. Yesterday I got some basics for the story figured out. Last night I had hoped to plot out the whole thing in my head. Did that work?
Erm, no. Just got some scene snippets, and no resolution. Disappointing, but I will forge ahead, because I'm already in love with the hero and heroine. A few important things for a short story. It should only have one major conflict because there's not a lot of room for anything else. Description and atmosphere? Keep it minimal because again, only 10K words to work with. Keep everything to hero and heroine interaction, as much as possible. And make their goals known immediately.
So I knew I had to bring them together in the first chapter, and also show that they were attracted to each other, and at the same time, show how they are in opposition to one another. No time for the long meet. I wanted them to be interacting by paragraph two, at the least.
So this morning I did some stream-of-thought typing for that first meet. Got three pages. And I think I accomplished all of the above goals. The heroine let the hero know she needs his heart. And he let her know he doesn't want to give it up, and that he wants her soul so he can know love. It's a reaper/witch smackdown! And the hero is determined to stick by her for the next three days, in wait of her death so he can reap her soul. If she doesn't get the heart in three days, she dies. (I'll explain that in story later.) And oh yeah, snow! Thanks to the pictures I found yesterday, the story just demands to be set during winter. That's always how it works with me. In the summer I'm writing snow, and in the winter, I'm missing the heat because that's the settings I'm writing.
With those first few pages written up, I sent that off to editorial and said 'yes' I'd love to write for this contract. Half an hour later, she got back to me, and everything is a go!
So I'm back to the page now. Have no clear scenes in mind. Just intend to follow the hero and heroine through words and see what comes up. The goal is eight chapters, approximately 1200 words each. (That is one requirement for this particular writing assignment.) I've got the hero and heroine's pics on my desktop, and well, let's see what happens today!
Erm, no. Just got some scene snippets, and no resolution. Disappointing, but I will forge ahead, because I'm already in love with the hero and heroine. A few important things for a short story. It should only have one major conflict because there's not a lot of room for anything else. Description and atmosphere? Keep it minimal because again, only 10K words to work with. Keep everything to hero and heroine interaction, as much as possible. And make their goals known immediately.
So I knew I had to bring them together in the first chapter, and also show that they were attracted to each other, and at the same time, show how they are in opposition to one another. No time for the long meet. I wanted them to be interacting by paragraph two, at the least.
So this morning I did some stream-of-thought typing for that first meet. Got three pages. And I think I accomplished all of the above goals. The heroine let the hero know she needs his heart. And he let her know he doesn't want to give it up, and that he wants her soul so he can know love. It's a reaper/witch smackdown! And the hero is determined to stick by her for the next three days, in wait of her death so he can reap her soul. If she doesn't get the heart in three days, she dies. (I'll explain that in story later.) And oh yeah, snow! Thanks to the pictures I found yesterday, the story just demands to be set during winter. That's always how it works with me. In the summer I'm writing snow, and in the winter, I'm missing the heat because that's the settings I'm writing.
With those first few pages written up, I sent that off to editorial and said 'yes' I'd love to write for this contract. Half an hour later, she got back to me, and everything is a go!
So I'm back to the page now. Have no clear scenes in mind. Just intend to follow the hero and heroine through words and see what comes up. The goal is eight chapters, approximately 1200 words each. (That is one requirement for this particular writing assignment.) I've got the hero and heroine's pics on my desktop, and well, let's see what happens today!
August 14, 2012
Writing a Short Story—Fast
So I got an email today asking me to do a 10K word paranormal story, and if I was interested, the deadline would be Sept 4th. That's how it is in publishing at times. They either need the story yesterday, or you send something in on deadline and it sits there for months. So, I wrote back that I'd need a day or two to consider the offer, since I can't possibly say 'yes' until I know whether or not I've a story worth writing.
I thought it would be fun to blog this process, since it is going to take place over only three weeks. It's not how I craft every story, but when I need something fast, this is how my brain works.
I already know I'm not setting the story in my Beautiful Creatures world, and also wanted to do a 'creature' I hadn't done before, but nothing too wild or out there. But also, vamps and weres I do so much, so something a little different.
First things first. Hero and Heroine. Who are they? What do they look like? What do they want? I'm very visual, and always have pics of my heroes/heroines/ when writing so I start by gathering pictures of people that appeal to me. I went immediately to my Pinterest boards and scanned the 'likes' I'd clicked on over the months and found these pics that called to me.
While I was picture hunting I decided I wanted to do a reaper as a hero. Reaper of what? Heck if I know. Just sounds cool, doesn't it? And I don't want him to be the classic scythe-wielding kind of reaper, nor should he resemble my soul bringers, but perhaps similar. I just know the hero is a reaper, and I'll figure what his job entails as I go.
And the heroine? Well, witch came immediately to mind, so I'm going with that. And that's when the title came to me: THE REAPER'S HEART. Interesting, but what does it mean? I'm not sure! Does he have a heart? Will he lose it? Does she want it? Yes, I think she wants his heart.
Okay, so the wheels are spinning, I've got the above pics on my desktop, and now to figure the basics. GMC. I type out Hero and add G, M, C, below that, and Heroine, along with G, M, C. At this point, I'm feeling the urge to have names to go with the faces. But which faces? The chick with the whip above is immediately tossed. She just doesn't fit the 'witch' feel of this story. And the bottom pic is similar to one up top, but something about him doesn't work either, so he's out of here.
For names, I have my handy-dandy notebook where I scribble interesting names from time to time. I refer to it now and know that Ananda for the heroine will work. And I kind of like Vash for the hero, but wonder where I got the name or heard it. I check it out online, and it's actually the name of a Star Trek character. Bummer. I really like Vash. So I'll change it a bit. How about Vashon? I'll start with that; I can always change it later.
So I've got names, and by now I've decided on those top four photos. I love the eyes of the woman standing in the snow, and the pic of that gorgeous dress from behind, while running through the snow appeals as well. Will the story be set in snow? Maybe. I need a running in the fabulous dress scene, yes? ;-) And there's just something about that man with the arm armor standing against the column. Contemplative, yet he wants something, is thinking about how he can get it. What does he want? I think he needs the heroine's soul for something. He does reap souls, after all. Okay, scribble that down for his GMC. And that pic with the wings. Does my hero have wings? Maybe, not sure. I like wings. We'll see if they show up while writing.
And back to my GMC list. What is the heroine's goal? Well, if I'm going with that title, I think she needs the hero's heart. I don't know what for, but it sounds good. Write that down for Goal. Motivation? She needs the heart because....I got nothing. Move on to Conflict. Hero doesn't want to give her his heart. Well, duh.
Now on to the Hero's Goal. He needs the witch's soul, and it's...rare. Yeah, that's the ticket, and with such a rare soul he get's what? What's his motivation? Maybe his heart is solid and doesn't beat. He's never felt love before but wants to. With the heroine's soul his heart will become real and he can know love. Darn, that sounds awesome.
So I tweak on the GMC a bit. Of course, all while I'm doing this, I'm getting up, walking away from the computer, going outside, talking to the cats, just trying to let my mind wander. Play a little Pocket Frogs, make some lunch, back to the computer. Stare it pics. Yes, he's handsome, and she's so pretty. I can see those two together.
So what is a Reaper exactly? Time to figure that out. Well, he reaps souls, obviously. And he's part demon/angel. Works for me. Hey, I can change all this as I'm writing, but I just want these ideas down on the page. As well, his heart is adamant metal (some kind of supernatural metal, right?). He's never known love, but knows what it is because....hmm...his mother was mortal? That could work. His job is endless reaping and he wants to know love, so he seeks the rare...white witch. White witch? Where did that come from? I don't know, but again, it works. Sounds cool. I'll figure out what a white witch is eventually. I also figure a reaper can hand his heart over to someone without dying (good for the witch) but he doesn't want to because then he can't know love.
Ok, so what is a white witch? Well, if she's rare then maybe there's only one born once a century. And...she doesn't have a heart? Not sure how that'll work. How does she stay alive? Hmm... She must claim other's hearts to wear as her own. Interesting. Every time she claims a new heart she grows stronger with love and their passion, but it is unrequited. Oh, yeah, I like this! She has never known real love and, gives up on ever having it. So she decides to collect the one heart that will last forever, and does not beat, so she won't ever have those emotions again.Whew!
That's what I got after a few hours of thought this afternoon.I also scribbled at the bottom of the page, thinking this is only 10K words, so I need only a few major scenes and this is what I need to accomplish: Meet/Attraction, Fight, Love, Dark Moment, Resolve.
Now, do you think I start plotting right away? Nope. I set it aside and let it brew a bit. The real work comes tonight. That's right. I do my best plotting while falling asleep. Sort of guided dreaming. So I can't wait to get to these two later and see what happens. With a the few sketchy details I've formed of them, something should come of it. Either that, or I'll fall asleep and start snoring.
Stay tuned. I hope to blog every day or other day on my progress and how this all comes together.
I thought it would be fun to blog this process, since it is going to take place over only three weeks. It's not how I craft every story, but when I need something fast, this is how my brain works.
I already know I'm not setting the story in my Beautiful Creatures world, and also wanted to do a 'creature' I hadn't done before, but nothing too wild or out there. But also, vamps and weres I do so much, so something a little different.
First things first. Hero and Heroine. Who are they? What do they look like? What do they want? I'm very visual, and always have pics of my heroes/heroines/ when writing so I start by gathering pictures of people that appeal to me. I went immediately to my Pinterest boards and scanned the 'likes' I'd clicked on over the months and found these pics that called to me.
While I was picture hunting I decided I wanted to do a reaper as a hero. Reaper of what? Heck if I know. Just sounds cool, doesn't it? And I don't want him to be the classic scythe-wielding kind of reaper, nor should he resemble my soul bringers, but perhaps similar. I just know the hero is a reaper, and I'll figure what his job entails as I go.
And the heroine? Well, witch came immediately to mind, so I'm going with that. And that's when the title came to me: THE REAPER'S HEART. Interesting, but what does it mean? I'm not sure! Does he have a heart? Will he lose it? Does she want it? Yes, I think she wants his heart.
Okay, so the wheels are spinning, I've got the above pics on my desktop, and now to figure the basics. GMC. I type out Hero and add G, M, C, below that, and Heroine, along with G, M, C. At this point, I'm feeling the urge to have names to go with the faces. But which faces? The chick with the whip above is immediately tossed. She just doesn't fit the 'witch' feel of this story. And the bottom pic is similar to one up top, but something about him doesn't work either, so he's out of here.
For names, I have my handy-dandy notebook where I scribble interesting names from time to time. I refer to it now and know that Ananda for the heroine will work. And I kind of like Vash for the hero, but wonder where I got the name or heard it. I check it out online, and it's actually the name of a Star Trek character. Bummer. I really like Vash. So I'll change it a bit. How about Vashon? I'll start with that; I can always change it later.
So I've got names, and by now I've decided on those top four photos. I love the eyes of the woman standing in the snow, and the pic of that gorgeous dress from behind, while running through the snow appeals as well. Will the story be set in snow? Maybe. I need a running in the fabulous dress scene, yes? ;-) And there's just something about that man with the arm armor standing against the column. Contemplative, yet he wants something, is thinking about how he can get it. What does he want? I think he needs the heroine's soul for something. He does reap souls, after all. Okay, scribble that down for his GMC. And that pic with the wings. Does my hero have wings? Maybe, not sure. I like wings. We'll see if they show up while writing.
And back to my GMC list. What is the heroine's goal? Well, if I'm going with that title, I think she needs the hero's heart. I don't know what for, but it sounds good. Write that down for Goal. Motivation? She needs the heart because....I got nothing. Move on to Conflict. Hero doesn't want to give her his heart. Well, duh.
Now on to the Hero's Goal. He needs the witch's soul, and it's...rare. Yeah, that's the ticket, and with such a rare soul he get's what? What's his motivation? Maybe his heart is solid and doesn't beat. He's never felt love before but wants to. With the heroine's soul his heart will become real and he can know love. Darn, that sounds awesome.
So I tweak on the GMC a bit. Of course, all while I'm doing this, I'm getting up, walking away from the computer, going outside, talking to the cats, just trying to let my mind wander. Play a little Pocket Frogs, make some lunch, back to the computer. Stare it pics. Yes, he's handsome, and she's so pretty. I can see those two together.
So what is a Reaper exactly? Time to figure that out. Well, he reaps souls, obviously. And he's part demon/angel. Works for me. Hey, I can change all this as I'm writing, but I just want these ideas down on the page. As well, his heart is adamant metal (some kind of supernatural metal, right?). He's never known love, but knows what it is because....hmm...his mother was mortal? That could work. His job is endless reaping and he wants to know love, so he seeks the rare...white witch. White witch? Where did that come from? I don't know, but again, it works. Sounds cool. I'll figure out what a white witch is eventually. I also figure a reaper can hand his heart over to someone without dying (good for the witch) but he doesn't want to because then he can't know love.
Ok, so what is a white witch? Well, if she's rare then maybe there's only one born once a century. And...she doesn't have a heart? Not sure how that'll work. How does she stay alive? Hmm... She must claim other's hearts to wear as her own. Interesting. Every time she claims a new heart she grows stronger with love and their passion, but it is unrequited. Oh, yeah, I like this! She has never known real love and, gives up on ever having it. So she decides to collect the one heart that will last forever, and does not beat, so she won't ever have those emotions again.Whew!
That's what I got after a few hours of thought this afternoon.I also scribbled at the bottom of the page, thinking this is only 10K words, so I need only a few major scenes and this is what I need to accomplish: Meet/Attraction, Fight, Love, Dark Moment, Resolve.
Now, do you think I start plotting right away? Nope. I set it aside and let it brew a bit. The real work comes tonight. That's right. I do my best plotting while falling asleep. Sort of guided dreaming. So I can't wait to get to these two later and see what happens. With a the few sketchy details I've formed of them, something should come of it. Either that, or I'll fall asleep and start snoring.
Stay tuned. I hope to blog every day or other day on my progress and how this all comes together.
August 1, 2012
MOONSPUN!
You've waited to read more about Blu & Creed, and today, you finally can. I'm very excited for this book release because this couple is the one I hear about from readers most often. And I've always wanted to write more for them. Now, I'm a little nervous. Will you all like the next adventure I've given them? Fingers crossed!Click here to go to my website where you can read the first chapter and find links to Amazon, B&N, and Harlequin.
July 20, 2012
UK duos
So I wanted to post this because I love this cover. In the UK they are grouping my Bewitching the Dark series into sets of two and putting out two volumes. CURSED comes out in September, and then BOUND is out, I think, in December. Kiss Me Deadly and His Forgotten Forever are in CURSED. I don't know what is in BOUND, but I'll take a guess at From The Dark and The Devil To Pay. I see Amazon US also lists BOUND, so maybe that will be released here. Not sure why they don't list CURSED, but it could yet happen.
June 8, 2012
Pinterest and Tumblr
No, I have not been posting much here lately. I will continue to post about news and new releases, but mostly, my online energies are now focused on my Tumblr and Pinterest boards. I'm having more fun with pictures lately, I guess. Saving my words for stories. So continue to stop by here, but also, if you're interested in what is going on in my brain, check out my Tumblr at http://haufsbeautifulcreatures.tumblr.com and I have boards for all my hero/heroine couples at Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/toastfaery
May 6, 2012
May 4, 2012
The Order of the Stake
So, I sold some more Nocturnes, and I'm very excited about the next few books because they feature characters involved in The Order of the Stake. Still, and always, set in the world of Beautiful Creatures. The Order features mortals who are trained to slay vampires. It's an old organization that's been around since the sixteenth century, and the original founders may, or may not, still be with it. (To reveal that would be telling too much.) I love the first few characters that have emerged and want stories written. The first features a female slayer matched against a vampire who has been tortured by werewolves in the blood games. This hero, Domingos LaRoque, is probably my most tortured hero. Ever. He's not a happy camper, and is even a little crazy. Yep, voices in the head are one of his big tormentors now. But I adore him, and am already deep into his story. It's going to be awesome, and I can't wait until you all can read about him. Bonus points if you recall which of my previous stories he briefly appeared in!The next story planned features Dmitri, a slayer, and a vampiress who doesn't have a name. She doesn't have a name for a purpose, and you'll find out why soon enough. I'm hoping these first two stories will come out next year.I've two more stories on the contract and haven't decided if I will do both about the Order or just one. I have two fascinating characters I could tell stories about, but haven't seen deep enough into their lives yet to know if I will. One is named Rook, he's the second-in-command to King, who is the head of the Order. King is such an enigma, and I'm not sure if I want him to remain so, or to dive deep into his life as well. I guess I'll decide as I'm writing the first two stories.In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the stories I have coming out this year, and the world that I write in!
May 1, 2012
April 19, 2012
Rev & Bree's story
CRUEL ENCHANTMENT was released last October in the CRAVE THE NIGHT anthology. Now, I've got it available as a single short story. You can buy it at Smashwords or Amazon right now, with B&N making it available soon. I was really happy with the cover art! Bree is a blonde, but I couldn't resist this picture. It's very alluring.
