Minnette Meador's Blog, page 5
May 15, 2019
The Belle Stalker and The Centurion & The Queen - Giving Away Copies Today!
There are 10 free copies of The Centurion & The Queen ready now over at Amazon. First come, first served... Good luck! https://tinyurl.com/yyavdxjv 
I have 9 copies of The Belle Stalker I am giving away over at Amazon, first come, first served today! Come and get 'em! https://tinyurl.com/yyd6lwgg
May 7, 2019
Win a copy of The Belle Stalker - Starts Today!
Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Belle Stalker starting today...https://tinyurl.com/y2ohycbe
Belle Stark has struggled to conquer crippling fears since being attacked by a maniac. Despite the efforts of countless cops, her stalker continues to roam free. When Belle discovers her lover's mutilated body spread over the furniture, she becomes the prime suspect, but she's certain her attacker is to blame.With no where else to turn, Belle seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life...or her heart.
In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hides beneath the tall skyscrapers along with a secret that could bring the city to its knees. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster, and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it's too late to save her...
May 5, 2019
April 20, 2019
A Ghost of a Chance, paranormal romantic comedy by Minnette Meador
A Ghost of a Chance is now available...First Chapter https://tinyurl.com/y384e33e
A few Goodreads Reviews:
"A book that sticks in your mind for that long even after starting a new book has many, many merits. I totally recommend this book, it has my seal of approval! But don't just take me at my word, Read it!"
"A fun, satisfying, definitely sexy novel with great humor, plenty of action, and enough mystery to keep you pondering after the last page turns… plus it’s very recognizably, definitely, Portland!"
"One of the best ghost stories I’ve read in a very long time, A Ghost of a Chance is a mixture of comedy, romance, and suspense that will leave you wanting for more."
"I loved this book! I was hooked from beggining to end! It has a little bit of everything in it, from ghosts, mystery, romance..etc. This book is a keeper."
Keenan Swanson is your typical, everyday graphic designer. Well, except for the hundreds of pesky, prank-loving poltergeists that make his life interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). He finds his situation precarious yet manageable—until witty, smoking-hot coworker Isabella enters the scene, and Keenan decides he wants her all for himself. With a horny succubus who has other ideas, a burly city cop determined to lock Keenan away, and an evil entity who’s hell-bent on using Keenan’s seed to create a living demon, the reluctant psychic realizes he just might not come out of this alive—or with his heart intact.
April 18, 2019
The Belle Stalker, an Urban Fantasy Thriller by Minnette Meador
I'm so excited... The Belle Stalker is now live on Amazon in Kindle and the print version should be ready soon ... Check it out!
The Belle Stalker - an urban fantasy thriller by Minnette MeadorBelle Stark has struggled to conquer crippling fears since being attacked by a maniac. Despite the efforts of countless cops, her stalker continues to roam free. When Belle discovers her lover’s mutilated body spread over the furniture, she becomes the prime suspect, but she's certain her attacker is to blame. With no where else to turn, Belle seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life...
or her heart.
In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hides beneath the tall skyscrapers along with a secret that could bring the city to its knees. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster, and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it’s too late to save her...
The Belle Stalker - an urban fantasy thriller by Minnette MeadorBelle Stark has struggled to conquer crippling fears since being attacked by a maniac. Despite the efforts of countless cops, her stalker continues to roam free. When Belle discovers her lover’s mutilated body spread over the furniture, she becomes the prime suspect, but she's certain her attacker is to blame. With no where else to turn, Belle seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life...or her heart.
In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hides beneath the tall skyscrapers along with a secret that could bring the city to its knees. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster, and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it’s too late to save her...
March 27, 2019
The Centurion Series Is Now Live!
New editions of The Centurion Series are now out @ Amazon!
I'm so excited with the new covers, some much needed edits that I've been dying to do for years and the superb quality of the three books. Both Kindle and paperbacks are now available - make sure to enter my contest over there to win a free copy of The Centurion & The Queen. Here are covers and links! Minnette ;o)
Marius has been stationed on the island of 60 AD Britannia for sixteen years, since his demotion from the famous Praetorian Guard after his suspected involvement in the assassination of Caligula. When Delia enters his life, she challenges everything he believes, effortlessly strips away years of Roman conditioning, and angers him to the point of betraying his training, and his oaths. He simply cannot resist her. Delia is sister to an indolent Celtic king, but that role has turned to nothing more than another surrender. All she can do now is help her people survive the gradual conquest by Rome and their suicidal pride as so many throw themselves against the unstoppable Roman machine. The last thing she expected was to find herself craving the touch of an enemy.
The Boudica revolt has been squelched, the tribes of the Iceni and the Trinovantes have been exterminated by the Roman Governor of Britannia, Suetonius. Marius and Delia are now King and Queen of a broken Celtic tribe, and Marius has to use all his skill and cunning to help his hunted people as they flee before General Suetonius' sword. But they are threatened by secret plots, jealousy, and a new enemy that hammers a wedge between them, a wedge that even an unborn child may not be able to dislodge when Marius falls under the charms of Delia's sworn enemy. Sacrifices will have to be made to save their people, to keep the nation together, to survive the Roman rage. In the end, it may be more than their love or their lives they lose.
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans to save his two young daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes to find them. Phaedra holds a terrible secret that would mean the death of her younger brother. Her only hope is to force the gladiator to protect them as they flee to Rome. He reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all?
I'm so excited with the new covers, some much needed edits that I've been dying to do for years and the superb quality of the three books. Both Kindle and paperbacks are now available - make sure to enter my contest over there to win a free copy of The Centurion & The Queen. Here are covers and links! Minnette ;o)
Marius has been stationed on the island of 60 AD Britannia for sixteen years, since his demotion from the famous Praetorian Guard after his suspected involvement in the assassination of Caligula. When Delia enters his life, she challenges everything he believes, effortlessly strips away years of Roman conditioning, and angers him to the point of betraying his training, and his oaths. He simply cannot resist her. Delia is sister to an indolent Celtic king, but that role has turned to nothing more than another surrender. All she can do now is help her people survive the gradual conquest by Rome and their suicidal pride as so many throw themselves against the unstoppable Roman machine. The last thing she expected was to find herself craving the touch of an enemy.
The Boudica revolt has been squelched, the tribes of the Iceni and the Trinovantes have been exterminated by the Roman Governor of Britannia, Suetonius. Marius and Delia are now King and Queen of a broken Celtic tribe, and Marius has to use all his skill and cunning to help his hunted people as they flee before General Suetonius' sword. But they are threatened by secret plots, jealousy, and a new enemy that hammers a wedge between them, a wedge that even an unborn child may not be able to dislodge when Marius falls under the charms of Delia's sworn enemy. Sacrifices will have to be made to save their people, to keep the nation together, to survive the Roman rage. In the end, it may be more than their love or their lives they lose.
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans to save his two young daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes to find them. Phaedra holds a terrible secret that would mean the death of her younger brother. Her only hope is to force the gladiator to protect them as they flee to Rome. He reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all?
December 5, 2018
Books by Minnette Meador
THE BELL STALKER
an urban fantasy thriller
by Minnette Meador
EXCERPT - CHAPTER ONEBelle Stark has struggled to conquer fears plaguing her since being attacked by a maniac who continues to roam free and the murder of her father. And she nearly succeeds, until she discovers her lover's murdered body spread over the furniture, making Belle a prime suspect. Certain her attacker is to blame, she seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life, or heart. In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hidden beneath the tall skyscrapers of the city and a secret that could kill them both. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it's too late to save her---
Chapter One - Read by the author
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A GHOST OF A CHANCEExcerpt - Chapter Onea paranormal romantic comedy
by Minnette Meador
This is a fantastic romp that grabbed me from the first page. Unexpected devilment filled the pages and my imagination. The author paints indelible images with words that are nothing less than stunning. There are twists and turns to keep even the most jaded reader guessing. Fast-paced, unpredictable, and funny, the dark subject matter is treated with irreverence and indisputable style. With its unparalleled originality, this novel is sure to amaze and amuse.
Coffee Time Romance & More
Keenan Swanson is your typical, everyday graphic designer. Well, except for the hundreds of pesky, prank-loving poltergeists that make his life interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). He finds his situation precarious yet manageable—until witty, smoking-hot coworker Isabella enters the scene and Keenan decides he wants her all for himself. With a horny succubus who has other ideas, a burly city cop determined to lock Keenan away, and an evil entity who’s hell-bent on using Keenan’s seed to create a living demon, the reluctant psychic realizes he just might not come out of this alive—or with heart intact.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE GLADIATOR PRINCEExcerpt - Chapter One
a historical romance
by Minnette Meador
Book III of the Centurion Series
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans to save his two young daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes to find them.
Phaedra holds a terrible secret that would mean the death of her younger brother. Her only hope is to force the gladiator to protect them as they flee to Rome. He reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE CENTURION & THE QUEENExcerpt Chapter I
a historical romance
by Minnette Meador
Book I of the Centurion Series
Marius is disciplined, precise, as cold as his armor. A twenty-five year veteran, the Centurion is dedicated to the principles of Rome. No one had ever dared to challenge his command… until now.
Queen Delia struggles to save her dying Celtic people, fighting to lead in a world dominated by savage men. The last thing she expects is to feel her body craving the touch of an enemy. The revolution that sparks their desire rips her from his arms. They find themselves on opposing sides, in love, and unable to stop the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE EDGE OF HONORExcerpt - Chapter Ia historical romanceby Minnette Meador
(Book II of the Centurion Series)
The Boudicca revolt has been squelched; the tribes of the Iceni and the Trinovantes have been exterminated by the Roman Governor of Britannia, Suetonius. He has sworn his revenge on the remaining tribes for the Celtic insolence. Marius gave up his allegiance to Rome for the woman he loves, but now must fight to save her dying people. In the end, it may be more than their love or their lives they lose.
SOME REVIEWSPUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "I was engrossed by The Centurion and the Queen, and didn't put it down."
SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEWS - "Historical novels especially historical Romance tend to fall within fairly set parameters and usually tend to be a bit cliché. This story breaks out of those parameters and destroys the clichés with a truly refreshing story of love in ancient Britannia."
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS - "Minnette Meador adeptly weaves in Roman and Celtic words and references [in the Edge of Honor], adding realism to this harsh world. Fans of The Centurion and the Queen will not be disappointed."
NIGHTOWL ROMANCE - "I encourage you to try out Minnette’s work and see how enmeshed you will become in her wonderful settings. …this book pulled me in and I read it in two sittings…”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STARSIGHT I - Excerpt - Chapter Onean epic fantasy
by Minnette Meador
AmazonTrenara never thought she would have to guide a student she loved to become a messiah, but it is the only way this second trial Starguider can salvage her world.
“[Starsight] is one powerful and imaginative fantasy adventure novel with many nice touches...there is magic galore, and challenge galore; nothing comes easy. It's the first of a series, and it should do well...” Piers Anthony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~STARSIGHT II - Excerpt
an epic fantasyby Minnette MeadorRelease Date: 2008
Amazon
Trenara no longer trusts the power that has turned the boy she once loved into a man she no longer understands. He frightens her. Will Joshan use the power to rescue his world or will a new tyrant sit upon Sirdar’s throne? Second volume in the Starsight Series
“This is a Typhoid Mary of a book, from a writer to watch." Spider Robinson
UPCOMING RELEASES IN THE SERIES:
Starsight III: The Restless Seeds
Starsight IV: Prequel – The God Wars
June 22, 2017
Create Romantic Friction between the Sheets...of Paper*Go...
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Create Romantic Friction between the Sheets
...of Paper
*Goals, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra DixonI’m a big fan of writing the story down as quickly as possible and then layering in the “details”: Descriptions, pacing, backstory, dialogue, emotions, reactions, timelines, and loose ends/plot problems. Here is what I do with three of these elements:
HERO'S JOURNEY : REFERENCE (1)
This page summarizes the brief explanations from every step of the Hero's Journey. The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself. The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. The meeting with the goddess represents the point in the adventure when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the "hieros gamos", or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the person. In other words, the person begins to see him or herself in a non-dualistic way. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely. Although Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self-unification does not have to be represented by a woman. At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey. In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the person as he or she has been must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being. Sometime this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm. To apotheosize is to deify. When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is a god-like state; the person is in heaven and beyond all strife. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return. The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail. So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes? Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it. Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. Or perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon. The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult. In myth, this step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past. Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)Maricopa Community Collegesthe ' net connection at MCLI is Alan Levinecomments about the site to : alan.levine@domail.maricopa.eduquestions about the content to : liz.warren@smcmail.maricopa.edu
last modified: 11/19/1999 12:06:34URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc... Anxious/Impatient/Nervous/Tense/FearfulFingertip Claspstraight arm extended handshakehand clench - chin levelfingers to mouthear rubback neck rub - looking upsingle arm crossadjusting watch/bracelet or sleevesleg lock position - no coldfoot tapping or wagging w/redundant foot movementhair twistingtwisting of neck chainclear throatswallowgulpjaw drop/open mouthdry mouthwet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingercatch in throatraspy voice unable to speakmale – bobbing/jumping Adam’s appleperspire (palms/face/neck/armpits) = cold sweatpale skinlean/angle away from what’s making person anxious
make oneself smaller to reduce exposure to dangertense lips, neck, shoulder musclesarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenneutral facial expression = do not approachno eye contactrapid eye blinkprotruding eyeballswide eyes tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthdilated pupilsflared nostrilsFrowncryingincreased breathing rate/rapid heartbeattremble, especially lipschattering of teethhair bristlingclenched fists drumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyAngling body away; "Don't touch me."Release of underarm scent; "Go away! I am unappealing! I stink!"Increase in breathing rate. "I'm going to run away!"Trembling and/or chattering teeth. "I want to run away!"Crouching. "Don't hurt me!"Crying. "I'm hurt enough!"Displacement gestures; "How did THIS happen?"Fast eye-blink rate. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"Fear grin. "I'm friendly! Honest!"Widely opened flashbulb eyes. "I can't believe this!"Unconscious escape motions designed to remove a body part, or parts, from danger (e.g., flexing the neck to lower and protect the head). "Don't hit me!"Freeze reactions; "Am I in danger?"Hair-bristling; "I feel danger!"Accelerated heart rate. "I'm getting ready to run away!"Tightened shoulder muscle tension; "It's going to hit me!"Screaming; "Don't touch me!"Squirm cues; "Let go of me."Staring eyes with wide-dilated pupils; "How much danger am I in?"Sweaty palms. "I don't wanna touch that!"Tense-mouth. "Don't make me bite you."Throat-clearing. "I want to vomit."Audibly tense tone-of-voice, either low and close to a growl, "I'm warning you..." or high to present a non-threatening sound. "I'm not a threat!"Yawning. "I have no fangs, see? I'm not a predator!"rearing back
Arrogant/Disdainfulmocking bow of head or upper torsolift chinlook down nosejut chinlift one eyebrowtilt head backnarrowed eyescompressed lips/mouthlip raised/curled in sneerhands on hipslook down one’s noseflared nostrilsloud voiceyawn
Boredhand to chin & cheekfoot tapping or wagging
Coldfolded arms - coldleg lock position - cold
Confident/Bravehands behind the back - clasped togetherhands behind the head - relaxedcrossing the kneesankle on kneeankle to ankle leg crosssquare shouldersfull body displaystand erect/tallhands on hipsswagger when walking
Confused/Puzzled/Uncertainfrownslack jawpoutpursed lipswet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingertongue clenched between lipssuck thumbmouth turned downwardclenched jawclear throatlowered eyelidselbow raised with hand behind headscratch headtug on eartap cheek with fingerrub back of neck with one handWrinkled nosescratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyhug waist with armsshrug shouldersraspy/thready voiceInvoluntary sideward eye movements; "Where is the danger coming from?"Self-touching gestures; "Am I still in one piece?"Frown; "I don't want that…"Hand-behind-head; "I don't like it."Side-to-side head-shakes "No."Sideward head-tilts; "I don't want that…"Lip-pout, lip-purse, and tense-mouth expressions "That looks like it tastes bad."Palm-up gestures; "I surrender."Shoulder-shrug; "Don't touch me."
Curioushand steepling - loweredclosed hand, index finger extendedhand on lower jaw w/chin strokinghead tilthead cocked to one sidewrinkled nose/browpursed lipsraised browwide eyesfinger touch to cheek/jaw
Defeatedhand clench - chest levelhand chop @ chest levelslumped/hunched shouldersvacant expressiontoneless voice
Defensive/Aggressive/Angry/Enragedopen palm out or downclosed palm w/Ext Fingerhandshake on topPower handshake (knuckle cruncher)hand chop @ chinhand behind the back - holding wrist or armthumb presentationhands behind the head - lean back/'chin upfolded arms - no coldfolded arms w/clenched fistsarm gripping (both arms)backward head tiltnose flareskewed mouthtense jaw/mouthcompressed mouth/lipsbiting bottom lipsneerguttural throat soundsloud speech/yell/screamjutted chinclenched jawfrownwrinkled noseflared nostrilswidened eyesprotruding eyeballsdilated pupilsbody displayed broadsidesquared shouldersshrug shouldersbody held erect/stand tallhead jerks tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthhead brought forwardclenched fistsdrumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsred face/neck/earshitting something with fistsstiff walkingJaws tensed to a biting position; "I'm going to bite you!"Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders, and/or hands-on-hips; "I'm bigger than you."Cut-off and head-jerk cues; "No. I don't want that."Hand-behind-head / hand-above-head. "I may or may not strike you."Fists, palm-down beating gestures. "I will strike you!"Frowning and tense-mouth expressions; "Don't make me bite you."Growling voice tones; "Consider me a threat."Staring; "I consider you a threat."Gaze avoidance; the head is turned fully away to one side; "Run while I am not looking and I will not attack you."Eyebrow raise; "Are you challenging me?"Hands-on-hips posture; "I'm ready for battle."Head-tilt-back; "I dare you to bite me."Palm-down gesture; "Do I need to strike you?"Swagger walk; "I'm stronger than you."Table-slap; "I will strike you!"Lower tone of voice, close to a growl. "Don't make me bite you."Wedge-shaped Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders; "I'm bigger than you."Direct stare; "I consider you a threat."Looming with chin down; "I will bite you."
Disagree/Disgusted/Abhorrent/Revulsiondistance from objectturn or face away/shift body awayturning one’s backlean backfold arms across upper chest/lower abdomencut off hand gesturesneerroll eyesnarrowed eyesno eye contactwrinkled noseflared nostrilsbackward head jerkshead shakeprotrusion of tongueguttural throat soundspursed lipsthin lipstongue pressed between lipsclenched jawCurled upper lip, a retracted upper lip, and mouth movements. "I feel like vomiting."Digestive sounds of revulsion. Guttural sounds ("ach" or "ugh"); "I AM going to vomit!"Narrowed or partly closed eyes; "I don't want to see that!"Lowered brows of the frown face. "I don't want to smell that!"Backward head-jerks and side-to-side head-shakes. "I don't want to taste that!"Visible protrusions of the tongue. "I can see that it tastes bad."
Disbelief/Skeptical/Suspiciouslifted eyebrowarch eyebrownarrowed eyescompressed lips/Down-turned mouthhead shakeclenched jawshoulder shrug
Embarrassed clear throatswallowgulpwet lips with tonguemale: bobbling or jumping Adam’s appleflushed skinhot/tingling skinlack of eye contactbreathiness
Friendly/Love/Infatuatedhandshake not up or downgloved handshake (2 hands)handshake w/clasping armhand steepling - raisedhair stroking & head tossinghead tilt - when man presentraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyesraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyes w/longer duration
Friendly/Love/Infatuated (cont)head tilted to one sidehead/hair tossshoulder shrugstand up straighter, more alertpull in stomachskin blush or palechange in body smelldraw attention to lips (i.e. wet with tongue, pout) touch own bodystroke or push hair away from faceadjust clothinghand on hip to expose wrist and/or palmincreased heart ratehug/snuggle/nuzzlenose rubplayful bite tongue touches lipkissbat eyelidsflirting glancenarrowed eyesdeliberate eye contact/holding gazeeyes roam over other person's face, linger on throat, breasts/chest, body in deliberate signal of interest dilated pupilscaress with fingertips or lipsticklehold handsstroke other person's palm with thumb lingering touchextend or reach out with arms/hands man - place open hand at the small of woman's back while walking = you're mine/I'm in commandfemale: sway hips when walking\male: saunterthigh contactfacial flushgaze down coyly sighsmilebreathinesshusky voicethroaty voicegiggleflattering commentsPhysical contact, including hugs and kisses. "I like you."Increased breathing rate; "I want to smell you."Courtship behavior; "I want to make love to you."Direct gaze with wide pupils; "I find you pleasing to look at."Facial flushing; blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Head-tilt-side; "Do I have your attention?"Increased heart rate; to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Mimic of behavior and/or appearance; "We make a set, we belong together."Softened tone of voice; "If you want to hear what I say, come closer."Closing personal distance; "I want to touch you."
Humor/Happinesssmileanimated eyes/expressiontears in eyes/crying/sobbingtightening of the throat/inability to speakquivering chindilated pupilsraise/lift eyebrows to widen eyesfacial flushlaugh (can be silent)hugging upper abdomen/lower chest sigha. Laugh or smileb. Tears; "I am overwhelmed."
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissiveopen palm uphandshake on bottomDead fish handshakebowed headhead tilted to one sideLowered chindown-turned eyesno direct eye contacttight-lippedsilentslumped/hunched shouldersshrug shouldersturn body inward to make smalleropen palmsarms next to sidepoutlow voiceTurning away "No thank you."Body-bend, body-shift, and bowing "Please don't…"Displacement cues "How did THIS happen?"Facial flushing; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell. ; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissive (cont)gaze-down; "I am not a threat."give-way; "I will not challenge you."head-tilt-side; "Don't…"Mimic of superior's body movements "I will not challenge you."laughing; "I will not challenge you."palms-up; "I surrender."exaggerated personal distance; "Don't touch me."pigeon toes; "I can't chase you, I am not a threat."shoulder-shrugging; "Don't touch me."shyness; "Don't notice me."difficulty gazing directly at, or cross lines of sight with, a dominant individual. "I don't want to challenge you."higher vocal pitch "I'm weak, and helpless."yawning; "No fangs, see? I am not a threat."
Lying/Deceptionhand/finger to mouthhand over mouthhand over mouth w/finger under noseeye rubback neck rub - looking downgazing down/lack of eye contactsweaty palms/head/neck/armpitsraising upward on/lifting toesscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodydilated pupilsrapid eye blinkpretending excitement to convincelips pressed togetherdarting tongueclear throatfalse smilereticence/withdrawal from contactshoulder shrugtouching forehead/jaw with handfacial flushing, especially around eyesdeliberate control of body energy = fewer movements, stiffness of demeanorwheedling tone of voice
Sad/Depressed/Grief/Pain tears standing in eyes/crying/sobbingnarrowed eyesclosed eyestightening of the throatinability to speakrepeated swallowingquivering chinpoutcompressed/down-turned mouth or lipschew lipflared nostrilswrinkled nose/ browforward bowing of body, turning in on oneselfarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenlethargyclenched fiststiffness of bodyhand over heartslumped posture/drooping shouldersgazing downwardsigh wavering voicetoneless voiceBowing postures; "I'm terribly sorry."Cry face and lip-pout; "Please don't hurt me anymore."Gazing-down; "I am not a challenge."Slumped flexed-forward posture of the shoulders; "I give up."Audible sigh; "I give up."Compressed lips; "No, I don't want that."wide eyes w/blinking
Surprisewide eyesbrows arched upwardopen mouthparted lipsgrimacewide eyesfixated starerapid eye blinkstartle reflexsudden intake of breathdrawing back of bodyhead jerked/thrown backexclamation
Summary of common Facial Cues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Nose:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) nostril flare; "Oh that scent!" (arousal, rivalry)b) nose wrinkle; (disgust)
2. Lips:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) grin (happiness, friendship, contentment)b) grimace (fear)c) lip-compression (anger, emotion, frustration)d) canine snarl (disgust)e) lip-pout (sadness, submission, uncertainty)f) lip-purse (disagree)g) sneer (contempt)
3. Brows:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) frown (anger, sadness, concentration)b) brow-raise (intensity)
4. Tongue:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tongue-show (dislike, disagree)
5. Eyelids:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) flashbulb eyes (surprise)b) widened (excitement, surprise)c) narrowed (threat, disagreement)d) fast-blink (arousal)e) normal-blink (relaxed)
6. Eyes:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) big pupils (arousal, fight-or-flight)b) small pupils (rest-and-digest)c) direct-gaze (affiliate, threaten)d) gaze cut-off (dislike, disagree)e) gaze-down (submission, deception)f) CLEMS* (thought processing) This is an acronym for "Conjugate Lateral Eye Movement." When the eyes move sideward (to the right or left) in response to a question. Rightward movement is associated with symbolic thinking, or Memory, (what we KNOW,) while Leftward Movement is associated with visual thinking, or Creativity, (what we INVENT).
By Minnette MeadorTHE ROMANTIC ARC – There is a story ARC in everything you write; whether it’s a thriller, mystery, or even a children’s book. I use a mix of the Heroes’ Journey (1) and Aristotle's tragic fall from grace for most of my books.THE NORMAL LIFE – My depiction of the “normal life” that prefaces the story ARC of a romance doesn’t have to be dull. As a matter of fact, I try to portray the life of my lead characters as dramatic as possible. In the beginning of my first historical the hero has just killed a Celtic warrior. In the second historical he is running from Roman soldiers trying to hide his identity. Both normal everyday things Marius does. In Ghost of a Chance the story starts out with Keenan ogling the woman of his dreams just to be interrupted by a screaming apparition, which, for him, is also his normal life. I try to blend in the barriers right from the beginning to create mystery. In a romance ARC I think it’s important to build the “normal” romantic life from the beginning too: i.e. he sees ghosts so how can he ever hope to have a normal relationship; she has sworn off men and will never date again; she finds him annoyingly attractive, until he opens his mouth, that is; he can’t stand bossy women and this one is the worst… if only he didn’t like her so much. It makes that fateful step through the Looking Glass or crossing that first threshold an even harder step. The character has already been through a lot when I open my stories. I try to stay away from backstory as much as possible in the beginning pages. I want to portray that the normal life for this exceptional character will only become more intriguing.
THE OPEN DOOR – The second part of the ARC for me is the beginning of the journey, the stepping through that forbidden door, or the change in circumstances that hurls the character into unknown territory. In a romance ARC, this could be anything out of the ordinary for my characters. In The Belle Stalker, the path opens when Belle finds her lover murdered in her apartment and her homicide detective ex-husband back in her life. In A Ghost of a Chance the road changes when Keenan is seduced by a powerful spirit that changes his life forever. In The Centurion and the Queen, Delia’s life changes when she meets the Centurion and is thrust into the middle of a war. Every story has this dramatic change of life circumstances and I try to make them powerful enough to turn the characters onto different paths way beyond their comfort zones.THE FALL FROM GRACE – some people don’t use this step in the story, but I love it. Human beings are flawed, awkward, crazy, argumentative, docile, and have many imperfections that make them ultimately fascinating. Even a hero has bouts of nerves, kind people sometime hiss with the best of them, smart people go suddenly stupid in the most dire of situations, and evil people can even show compassion. I build in a fall from grace for my characters; in the romance ARC this might mean something like deliberately pointing out a mate’s shortcomings in a heated argument; turning into a coward at the threshold of disaster to save your own skin; walking away from responsibility when others are counting on you. The lower they go the more glorious the black moment and the resolution.MAKE IS WORSER – I have a wonderful editor, who would tell me to make it worser, i.e. make it bad, then go one further and make it worse… then make it worser. That piece of advice has always helped me. I torture my poor characters mercilessly. It makes for good reading every time. THE BLACK MOMENT – Donald Maase is an amazing instructor and teaches this about the black moment:
Work out the one thing your character would never do, then make him/her do it.Work out the one thing your character would never sacrifice, then make him/her sacrifice it. Work out your character’s greatest fear then make him/her face that. THE RESURRECTION – This is the shining moment of the romance ARC, the place where the couple decides they can’t live without each other, the daring rescue despite his fears, the resounding revelation that they do love each other, or the all-encompassing realization that what you wanted all along was right in front of you. This works for the romance ARC as it does for any genre. THE JOURNEY HOME – This is the part that wraps up the story and takes the character “home,” wherever that might be. THE LANGUAGE OF LOVETHE WORDS – There has been countless articles written about what words to use for the romantic ARC and many can be found on the internet. When I first started to write I fell into a lot of the same traps that lots of us do; trying to come up with new and exciting ways to talk about physical love. I found out that that usually ends up sounding like “purple prose” (http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/purple-prose.html). For me, the more straightforward the better in love scenes and to write about them baring their emotions to each other, their fears, their passions. I have written just about every level of sexual heat in my books. The difference is language; innuendo vs. explicit. I’m giving you some examples attached of the two, but keep in mind both are for adults only. I don’t know if I can tell you my technique; for me, these are the hardest scenes to write and take lots of practice. My suggestion would be that if you want to write sex scenes you read what others have written and learn from them. Here is an excellent article on the subject as well: http://www.writing-world.com/romance/essentials.shtml. THE FACE – The eyes are the windows to the soul, but the hundreds of tiny muscles in the face are what really communicate to us. When someone is interested we send off a plethora of signals to the other person. These can be so subtle you’d have to have stop motion photography to catch them, yet we know them instantly when we see them (or not… how many signals have you missed from others in love?). The face is an excellent place to “show, don’t tell.” Here are some of the things the face can tell us in love:It’s in the EyesThe size of the person’s pupils and gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
THE BODY – Just as the face displays romantic interest, so does the body.Regular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
LOVE RESOURCES: There are hundreds of web pages on this subject and I’ve researched many of them. They give you countless ways to show male and female interest without using words and are wonderful resources. Here are just a couple, but there are many more: http://www.2knowmyself.com/relationship_breakups/body_language_love_signals http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/body-language/#/category1
SHOW DON’T TELL - I spent years working on craft and studying that ever elusive “show, don’t tell” maxim. One of the best tools I’ve found is the “cheat sheet,” a wonderful quick guide to body language for every emotion. I’ve created an 11 page cheat sheet for myself with a wide range of body language cues (things we do that project certain emotions) and I’m happy to share it with you. This was compiled from several resources and has helped me immensely. I hope it can help you too. GOALS, MOTIVATIONS, AND CONFLICTS – A great book on GMC is Goal, Motivation, & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon. This is an amazing book about building substance into your heroes, heroines, and bad guys to make them more three dimensional. I do GMC for every major character in my book and even for secondary ones if it’s needed. I also do an extensive character survey sheet for each one to tell me all about them. In a nutshell:
What: The ideal scene – What does the character want more than anything else? Note: It is NOT to fall in love. Romance is usually the LAST thing a character wants and it messes up everything every time. What is your protagonist’s goal? What is your antagonist’s goal?Why: What is his motivation? Why does he want this goal? Because… The motivation is what drives characters and sets up the foundation for the novel. It also what keeps it moving forward. Think of a motivation your character has.Why not? Who or what stands in our way?Definition of conflict*:Conflict is a struggle against someone or something in which the outcome is in doubt.Conflict is bad things happening to good people.Conflict is bad things happening to bad people.Conflict is friction, tension, opposition… and danger.Conflict is two dogs and one bone. THE WIZARD OF OZ:WHO – DOROTHYWHAT/GOAL – TO GET BACK TO KANSASWHY/MOTIVATION – BECAUSE HER AUNTIE EM IS SICKWHY NOT/CONFLICT – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WHO WANTS THE RUBY SLIPPERS
LAYERING IN THE ROMANCEThe backstory – I try to work in as little back story as I can in the beginning of the book and reserve it for the “quiet” times. I try to build it into dialogue first and then in reflections. This for me is one of the hardest things to do because you don’t want to just do a “data dump” to your readers. It pulls them out of the story and usually causes page skipping. I’ve seen it myself in books by some of the best authors in the world. The backstory needs to come out naturally, a bit at a time, leaving a mystery after each bite to move the reader forward in the story. I try very hard never to give them all the story until the very end.Dialogue – This should be a natural result of relationship building. Sometimes just throwing two people together where they have to stay that way will generate dialogue. I try to make my dialogue short, sweet, and pithy wherever I can, however, I also have my characters tell their own stories as well. It’s usually more interesting coming from them than it is from me. I’m notorious for the “story within a story” using flashbacks that are usually funny and hopefully always interesting. Romance dialogue is used to learn about each other; think of a time when you went on a date. What was your conversation like? Have the characters ask questions, get into a tiff where something comes out that shouldn’t have, come up with a solution to a problem based on past experience that the other person didn’t know about. You can weave this all into your story to bulk it up. The quiet moments - If you have no quiet times you are going to exhaust your reader – everyone needs a breather, including your characters. It is during these quiet moments that we learn all the good, bad, and ugly things about our characters, heroes and villains. As a musician I learned a lot about silence and its importance to music. It is the pauses as much as the crescendos that define the emotion of music. It’s the same with writing; the quiet and even silent times in the story builds a foundation for the tension and movement and make them more real. Just as life breathes in and out, so does a story. Even the most thrilling of suspense novels have their quiet times. The trick is learning to balance the two. LAST NOTES:If you want to write well, read well.Study and practice your craft. No one lives in a vacuum. Learn from as many other writers as you can.Romance can be as subtle as a stolen kiss and as grand as an elaborate marriage. Let your characters be frightened, unsure, clumsy, and doubtful. In matters of love, we’re all like that no matter how we act on the outside. The only other occupation we know less about is being a parent. That is true for your characters as well.Even the most macho man in the world can be brought down by the flash of a lovely eye.Even the most steadfast liberated woman can melt into the arms of a lover who truly cherishes her.Romance can add warmth and passion to any story, even the dourest ones. We often cling to love when all else fails. And it is usually love that sees us through the worst life can throw at us.
QUESTIONS:
ATTACHED MATERIALS: HERO’S JOURNEY - SUMMARYIt’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say It Body Language Basics for WritersCHART OF BODY CUES BY EMOTION/ATTITUDESUMMARY OF COMMON FACIAL CUESCOLOR TERMS – DIFFERENT WORDS FOR COLORS
SEX SCENE SAMPLES (Available after meeting with author)
Please email me at mmeador@minnettemeador.com for a copy of this presentation with notes or any of the handouts. I’m happy to share whatever I have with other writers so please don’t hesitate to ask.
RESOURCE LISThttp://www.minnettemeadorbooks.com/p/writing-resources_27.html
www.minnettemeador.comBLOGwww.minnettemeadorbooks.comE-MAILmmeador@minnettemeador.comTWITTERhttp://twitter.com/#!/MinnetteMeadorFACEBOOKhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Minnette-Meador/19208183951 http://www.amazon.com/Minnette-Meador/e/B002BMBV58/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1BARNES & NOBLEhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/MINNETTE-MEADOR?keyword=MINNETTE MEADOR&store=allproductsPOWELLS BOOKShttp://www.powells.com/s?kw=Minnette Meador&class= The hero's journey: summary of the stepsDeparture The Call to AdventureRefusal of the CallSupernatural AidThe Crossing of the First ThresholdThe Belly of the WhaleInitiation The Road of TrialsThe Meeting with the GoddessWoman as the TemptressAtonement with the FatherApotheosisThe Ultimate BoonReturn Refusal of the ReturnThe Magic FlightRescue from WithoutThe Crossing of the Return ThresholdMaster of the Two WorldsFreedom to LiveHeros Journey : Summary of Steps SAMPLE 1 – INNUENDO – The Centurion & The QueenAll at once, there was nothing in Delia’s universe but Marius kissing, touching, biting, and exploring every inch of her body with his mouth, his tongue, and his hands. For the first time in her life, Delia forgot everything else. The bliss sent an earthquake through her loins, causing her body to teeter on the brink of the sublime. Nothing in her experience prepared her for the new sensations; the tingle in her neck, arms, and hands; the tightening of her belly when a wave of lightning engulfed it; the escape of her moisture as it saturated her, swelled her. Once unrestrained, her passion was urgent, desperate, and critical, but Marius forced her to yield to his slow pace, his unhurried touch, bringing her, again and again, to the edge of rapture and then denying her, until she wanted to beg for it. Marius’ lips devoured hers; his tongue explored her mouth, her neck, and her ears. His teeth found her breasts and her nipples, his tongue torturing them until she moaned in need. With a movement that startled her, he forced her legs open with strong arms, cupped her buttock in his hands, and lifted her hips to meet his mouth. With gentle, delicate flicks of his tongue, he brought her close to the edge so many times she lost count in delirium. Delia could do nothing more than squeeze the blankets. His hands finally opened her, slowly, gradually, insistently. With his thumbs, he spread the softness, the moistness, grabbing her wrist to force her own hand to feel for herself, and laughing at her greedy caresses. Marius moved Delia’s fingers to the soft head of his erection where she let them linger and explore, running the tiny, delicate pads over the heavily veined skin. Delia could feel herself blush and prickles of pleasure moved through her arms when he grew harder in her hand. She squeezed instinctively, feeling the muscle throb and flex, forcing her to tighten her grip. More moisture drenched her in anticipation.
SAMPLE 2 – EXPLICIT – A GHOST OF A CHANCENaked heaving breasts came into view; the nipples were long, slate hard, and the areolas black against dark skin. Her waist and hips were slim. Stretched fingers pinched the nipples, making them longer, more rigid. The triangle of her pussy was bald, the slit dark and inviting. Hazy clouds covered her face, making it soft and featureless, but billowing tendrils of black hair twisted out from around it, flowing in a wind Keenan couldn’t hear. It moved in a watery dance. The covers glided slowly down his body. The soft touch of the silk made his cock twinge in agony, and he gritted his teeth to hiss his pleasure. Electric shocks ignited the nerves in his neck, shoulders, and arms. When Keenan was completely exposed, he wasn’t cold. His cock sprang into ready position. The hair on his arms and legs snapped with static. Rising from the floor until her naked body hovered horizontally inches above him, the entity’s nipples brushed his chest scattering goose bumps across every pore. The creature reached down and wrapped a hot hand around his erection making it pulse when she squeezed. Her grip was like iron. Keenan pulled a gasping moan into his lungs. He could only watch as she slid down to put her mouth above his agonized member. She brushed her tongue several times across the tip then pulled it hard into her mouth. Barbs of lightning convulsed Keenan’s body, intensifying his senses. The sucking sound of her mouth against his flesh, the sweet smell of her juices mixing with his own musky scent, the feel of those hot soft lips caressing the sensitive flesh as they slid over the head of his cock, and the strong grip of her warm hand, all fought for his attention. It’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say ItBody Language Basics for Writers
What is Body Language?A term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communications. Considered “paralanguage” which describes all forms of human communication that is not verbal. Can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
The total impact of a message is:7% verbal (words)38% vocal (tone of voice, inflection, and other sounds)55% nonverbal (body language)
How does Body Language reveal emotions and thoughts?Body Language is an outward reflection of a person’s emotional conditionHardwired from our pasts when body language and vocal, not words, comprised communication.Dominated by biological rules that control our actions, reactions, body language and gestures.Human animal is rarely aware that our postures, movements, and gestures can tell one story, the truth, while our words are telling another.
Can Body Language Be Faked?Language can be faked but body’s physical reactions cannot.Politicians, interviewees, pageant contestants – use studiously learned body movements but even the most expert can only fake body language a short period.Physical reactions are the key:Pupil dilationSweatingBlushingInvoluntary mouth movements like a split-second sneerForehead crease, crow’s feet
Women are More PerceptiveYour heroine can read the hero and other characters better because:Commonly referred to as woman’s intuitionInnate ability to pick up and decipher nonverbal signals and an accurate eye for small details.Particularly evident in women who have raised children since the first few years, the mother relies almost solely on the nonverbal to communicate with the child.Woman have between 14-16 areas of brain to evaluate other’s behavior – men have 4-6.Female brain is organized for multi-tasking – which is why men lose plot when women try to communicate to them during show.More white around their eyes
It’s in the EyesUnwittingly referring to the size of the person’s pupils and to gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
LyingMost people associate looking away with lyingLook at the pupils and other tells – pupils constrictedRapid eye blinking
Sexual Attraction – What each sex looks at:WomenMore time on face – mouth, eyes and hairSize and buildClothes – shoes, rings and other jewelryButtCrotchLeg lengthMenBreastsLeg lengthGenerally scans from ground up – feet, legs, crotch, torso, breasts, shoulders and then face.Men who keep their gaze focused on woman’s face rather than her body are consistently rated as being more attractive.Studies show that most men are not hardwired to read a woman’s first gaze signal so she usually needs to repeat it three times for the average man, four times for a slow man and five or more for the especially thick man.
Getting a Man’s AttentionRegular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
Brain’s Response to ThreatFreeze – to avoid detection by dangerous predators or in dangerous situations and/or to give yourself the opportunity to assess the situation and decide on a response.Stop suddenly, perhaps strike himself on the head before turning aroundA nervous interviewee holds her breath or breaths shallowlyA person being questioned about a crime locks legs interlocked behind the chair legs (position of security)Another – diminishing of the body – hunching shoulders (turtle effect)Flight – to escape the threat or to distance oneself from danger.Lean away, place an object or objects on her lap, or turning her feet toward the nearest exit, closing eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing hands in front of the face (blocking)Distancing non-verbal behaviorsHolding one leg at right angle to his body, feet pointing to nearest exitClasping of the knees and shifting of body weight on the feet Feet shift from flat-footed to the “starter’s position” like a sprinter Fight – this is the brain’s final tactic for survival through aggression. When a person cannot avoid detection by freezing and cannot protect himself by escaping, fight is the only alternative.Fight response is does not always mean physical attackOne form of modern aggression is verbal altercation as in arguingUsing posture to show aggression – puffing out the chest, violating another’s personal space
Pacifying BehaviorsAdapters – serve to calm us down after we experience something unpleasant or downright nasty – brain enlists the body to provide comforting (pacifying) behaviorsChewing GumBiting pencils/pensTouching the face, neck or lipsPlaying with hair or stroking a beardStroking tops of hands or fingersPlaying with a necklace or adjusting cuff linksRubbing the foreheadSmoothing down the front of a shirt or adjusting a tieLicking the lipsSelf-administered body hug – crossing their arms and rubbing their hands against their shoulders as if experiencing a chillMassaging the earlobe with thumb or forefingerMen prefer to touch their faces; women prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms and hair
Create Romantic Friction between the Sheets
...of Paper
*Goals, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra DixonI’m a big fan of writing the story down as quickly as possible and then layering in the “details”: Descriptions, pacing, backstory, dialogue, emotions, reactions, timelines, and loose ends/plot problems. Here is what I do with three of these elements:
HERO'S JOURNEY : REFERENCE (1)
This page summarizes the brief explanations from every step of the Hero's Journey. The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself. The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. The meeting with the goddess represents the point in the adventure when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the "hieros gamos", or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the person. In other words, the person begins to see him or herself in a non-dualistic way. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely. Although Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self-unification does not have to be represented by a woman. At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey. In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the person as he or she has been must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being. Sometime this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm. To apotheosize is to deify. When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is a god-like state; the person is in heaven and beyond all strife. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return. The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail. So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes? Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it. Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. Or perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon. The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult. In myth, this step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past. Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)Maricopa Community Collegesthe ' net connection at MCLI is Alan Levinecomments about the site to : alan.levine@domail.maricopa.eduquestions about the content to : liz.warren@smcmail.maricopa.edu
last modified: 11/19/1999 12:06:34URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc... Anxious/Impatient/Nervous/Tense/FearfulFingertip Claspstraight arm extended handshakehand clench - chin levelfingers to mouthear rubback neck rub - looking upsingle arm crossadjusting watch/bracelet or sleevesleg lock position - no coldfoot tapping or wagging w/redundant foot movementhair twistingtwisting of neck chainclear throatswallowgulpjaw drop/open mouthdry mouthwet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingercatch in throatraspy voice unable to speakmale – bobbing/jumping Adam’s appleperspire (palms/face/neck/armpits) = cold sweatpale skinlean/angle away from what’s making person anxious
make oneself smaller to reduce exposure to dangertense lips, neck, shoulder musclesarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenneutral facial expression = do not approachno eye contactrapid eye blinkprotruding eyeballswide eyes tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthdilated pupilsflared nostrilsFrowncryingincreased breathing rate/rapid heartbeattremble, especially lipschattering of teethhair bristlingclenched fists drumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyAngling body away; "Don't touch me."Release of underarm scent; "Go away! I am unappealing! I stink!"Increase in breathing rate. "I'm going to run away!"Trembling and/or chattering teeth. "I want to run away!"Crouching. "Don't hurt me!"Crying. "I'm hurt enough!"Displacement gestures; "How did THIS happen?"Fast eye-blink rate. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"Fear grin. "I'm friendly! Honest!"Widely opened flashbulb eyes. "I can't believe this!"Unconscious escape motions designed to remove a body part, or parts, from danger (e.g., flexing the neck to lower and protect the head). "Don't hit me!"Freeze reactions; "Am I in danger?"Hair-bristling; "I feel danger!"Accelerated heart rate. "I'm getting ready to run away!"Tightened shoulder muscle tension; "It's going to hit me!"Screaming; "Don't touch me!"Squirm cues; "Let go of me."Staring eyes with wide-dilated pupils; "How much danger am I in?"Sweaty palms. "I don't wanna touch that!"Tense-mouth. "Don't make me bite you."Throat-clearing. "I want to vomit."Audibly tense tone-of-voice, either low and close to a growl, "I'm warning you..." or high to present a non-threatening sound. "I'm not a threat!"Yawning. "I have no fangs, see? I'm not a predator!"rearing back
Arrogant/Disdainfulmocking bow of head or upper torsolift chinlook down nosejut chinlift one eyebrowtilt head backnarrowed eyescompressed lips/mouthlip raised/curled in sneerhands on hipslook down one’s noseflared nostrilsloud voiceyawn
Boredhand to chin & cheekfoot tapping or wagging
Coldfolded arms - coldleg lock position - cold
Confident/Bravehands behind the back - clasped togetherhands behind the head - relaxedcrossing the kneesankle on kneeankle to ankle leg crosssquare shouldersfull body displaystand erect/tallhands on hipsswagger when walking
Confused/Puzzled/Uncertainfrownslack jawpoutpursed lipswet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingertongue clenched between lipssuck thumbmouth turned downwardclenched jawclear throatlowered eyelidselbow raised with hand behind headscratch headtug on eartap cheek with fingerrub back of neck with one handWrinkled nosescratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyhug waist with armsshrug shouldersraspy/thready voiceInvoluntary sideward eye movements; "Where is the danger coming from?"Self-touching gestures; "Am I still in one piece?"Frown; "I don't want that…"Hand-behind-head; "I don't like it."Side-to-side head-shakes "No."Sideward head-tilts; "I don't want that…"Lip-pout, lip-purse, and tense-mouth expressions "That looks like it tastes bad."Palm-up gestures; "I surrender."Shoulder-shrug; "Don't touch me."
Curioushand steepling - loweredclosed hand, index finger extendedhand on lower jaw w/chin strokinghead tilthead cocked to one sidewrinkled nose/browpursed lipsraised browwide eyesfinger touch to cheek/jaw
Defeatedhand clench - chest levelhand chop @ chest levelslumped/hunched shouldersvacant expressiontoneless voice
Defensive/Aggressive/Angry/Enragedopen palm out or downclosed palm w/Ext Fingerhandshake on topPower handshake (knuckle cruncher)hand chop @ chinhand behind the back - holding wrist or armthumb presentationhands behind the head - lean back/'chin upfolded arms - no coldfolded arms w/clenched fistsarm gripping (both arms)backward head tiltnose flareskewed mouthtense jaw/mouthcompressed mouth/lipsbiting bottom lipsneerguttural throat soundsloud speech/yell/screamjutted chinclenched jawfrownwrinkled noseflared nostrilswidened eyesprotruding eyeballsdilated pupilsbody displayed broadsidesquared shouldersshrug shouldersbody held erect/stand tallhead jerks tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthhead brought forwardclenched fistsdrumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsred face/neck/earshitting something with fistsstiff walkingJaws tensed to a biting position; "I'm going to bite you!"Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders, and/or hands-on-hips; "I'm bigger than you."Cut-off and head-jerk cues; "No. I don't want that."Hand-behind-head / hand-above-head. "I may or may not strike you."Fists, palm-down beating gestures. "I will strike you!"Frowning and tense-mouth expressions; "Don't make me bite you."Growling voice tones; "Consider me a threat."Staring; "I consider you a threat."Gaze avoidance; the head is turned fully away to one side; "Run while I am not looking and I will not attack you."Eyebrow raise; "Are you challenging me?"Hands-on-hips posture; "I'm ready for battle."Head-tilt-back; "I dare you to bite me."Palm-down gesture; "Do I need to strike you?"Swagger walk; "I'm stronger than you."Table-slap; "I will strike you!"Lower tone of voice, close to a growl. "Don't make me bite you."Wedge-shaped Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders; "I'm bigger than you."Direct stare; "I consider you a threat."Looming with chin down; "I will bite you."
Disagree/Disgusted/Abhorrent/Revulsiondistance from objectturn or face away/shift body awayturning one’s backlean backfold arms across upper chest/lower abdomencut off hand gesturesneerroll eyesnarrowed eyesno eye contactwrinkled noseflared nostrilsbackward head jerkshead shakeprotrusion of tongueguttural throat soundspursed lipsthin lipstongue pressed between lipsclenched jawCurled upper lip, a retracted upper lip, and mouth movements. "I feel like vomiting."Digestive sounds of revulsion. Guttural sounds ("ach" or "ugh"); "I AM going to vomit!"Narrowed or partly closed eyes; "I don't want to see that!"Lowered brows of the frown face. "I don't want to smell that!"Backward head-jerks and side-to-side head-shakes. "I don't want to taste that!"Visible protrusions of the tongue. "I can see that it tastes bad."
Disbelief/Skeptical/Suspiciouslifted eyebrowarch eyebrownarrowed eyescompressed lips/Down-turned mouthhead shakeclenched jawshoulder shrug
Embarrassed clear throatswallowgulpwet lips with tonguemale: bobbling or jumping Adam’s appleflushed skinhot/tingling skinlack of eye contactbreathiness
Friendly/Love/Infatuatedhandshake not up or downgloved handshake (2 hands)handshake w/clasping armhand steepling - raisedhair stroking & head tossinghead tilt - when man presentraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyesraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyes w/longer duration
Friendly/Love/Infatuated (cont)head tilted to one sidehead/hair tossshoulder shrugstand up straighter, more alertpull in stomachskin blush or palechange in body smelldraw attention to lips (i.e. wet with tongue, pout) touch own bodystroke or push hair away from faceadjust clothinghand on hip to expose wrist and/or palmincreased heart ratehug/snuggle/nuzzlenose rubplayful bite tongue touches lipkissbat eyelidsflirting glancenarrowed eyesdeliberate eye contact/holding gazeeyes roam over other person's face, linger on throat, breasts/chest, body in deliberate signal of interest dilated pupilscaress with fingertips or lipsticklehold handsstroke other person's palm with thumb lingering touchextend or reach out with arms/hands man - place open hand at the small of woman's back while walking = you're mine/I'm in commandfemale: sway hips when walking\male: saunterthigh contactfacial flushgaze down coyly sighsmilebreathinesshusky voicethroaty voicegiggleflattering commentsPhysical contact, including hugs and kisses. "I like you."Increased breathing rate; "I want to smell you."Courtship behavior; "I want to make love to you."Direct gaze with wide pupils; "I find you pleasing to look at."Facial flushing; blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Head-tilt-side; "Do I have your attention?"Increased heart rate; to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Mimic of behavior and/or appearance; "We make a set, we belong together."Softened tone of voice; "If you want to hear what I say, come closer."Closing personal distance; "I want to touch you."
Humor/Happinesssmileanimated eyes/expressiontears in eyes/crying/sobbingtightening of the throat/inability to speakquivering chindilated pupilsraise/lift eyebrows to widen eyesfacial flushlaugh (can be silent)hugging upper abdomen/lower chest sigha. Laugh or smileb. Tears; "I am overwhelmed."
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissiveopen palm uphandshake on bottomDead fish handshakebowed headhead tilted to one sideLowered chindown-turned eyesno direct eye contacttight-lippedsilentslumped/hunched shouldersshrug shouldersturn body inward to make smalleropen palmsarms next to sidepoutlow voiceTurning away "No thank you."Body-bend, body-shift, and bowing "Please don't…"Displacement cues "How did THIS happen?"Facial flushing; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell. ; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissive (cont)gaze-down; "I am not a threat."give-way; "I will not challenge you."head-tilt-side; "Don't…"Mimic of superior's body movements "I will not challenge you."laughing; "I will not challenge you."palms-up; "I surrender."exaggerated personal distance; "Don't touch me."pigeon toes; "I can't chase you, I am not a threat."shoulder-shrugging; "Don't touch me."shyness; "Don't notice me."difficulty gazing directly at, or cross lines of sight with, a dominant individual. "I don't want to challenge you."higher vocal pitch "I'm weak, and helpless."yawning; "No fangs, see? I am not a threat."
Lying/Deceptionhand/finger to mouthhand over mouthhand over mouth w/finger under noseeye rubback neck rub - looking downgazing down/lack of eye contactsweaty palms/head/neck/armpitsraising upward on/lifting toesscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodydilated pupilsrapid eye blinkpretending excitement to convincelips pressed togetherdarting tongueclear throatfalse smilereticence/withdrawal from contactshoulder shrugtouching forehead/jaw with handfacial flushing, especially around eyesdeliberate control of body energy = fewer movements, stiffness of demeanorwheedling tone of voice
Sad/Depressed/Grief/Pain tears standing in eyes/crying/sobbingnarrowed eyesclosed eyestightening of the throatinability to speakrepeated swallowingquivering chinpoutcompressed/down-turned mouth or lipschew lipflared nostrilswrinkled nose/ browforward bowing of body, turning in on oneselfarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenlethargyclenched fiststiffness of bodyhand over heartslumped posture/drooping shouldersgazing downwardsigh wavering voicetoneless voiceBowing postures; "I'm terribly sorry."Cry face and lip-pout; "Please don't hurt me anymore."Gazing-down; "I am not a challenge."Slumped flexed-forward posture of the shoulders; "I give up."Audible sigh; "I give up."Compressed lips; "No, I don't want that."wide eyes w/blinking
Surprisewide eyesbrows arched upwardopen mouthparted lipsgrimacewide eyesfixated starerapid eye blinkstartle reflexsudden intake of breathdrawing back of bodyhead jerked/thrown backexclamation
Summary of common Facial Cues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Nose:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) nostril flare; "Oh that scent!" (arousal, rivalry)b) nose wrinkle; (disgust)
2. Lips:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) grin (happiness, friendship, contentment)b) grimace (fear)c) lip-compression (anger, emotion, frustration)d) canine snarl (disgust)e) lip-pout (sadness, submission, uncertainty)f) lip-purse (disagree)g) sneer (contempt)
3. Brows:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) frown (anger, sadness, concentration)b) brow-raise (intensity)
4. Tongue:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tongue-show (dislike, disagree)
5. Eyelids:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) flashbulb eyes (surprise)b) widened (excitement, surprise)c) narrowed (threat, disagreement)d) fast-blink (arousal)e) normal-blink (relaxed)
6. Eyes:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) big pupils (arousal, fight-or-flight)b) small pupils (rest-and-digest)c) direct-gaze (affiliate, threaten)d) gaze cut-off (dislike, disagree)e) gaze-down (submission, deception)f) CLEMS* (thought processing) This is an acronym for "Conjugate Lateral Eye Movement." When the eyes move sideward (to the right or left) in response to a question. Rightward movement is associated with symbolic thinking, or Memory, (what we KNOW,) while Leftward Movement is associated with visual thinking, or Creativity, (what we INVENT).
By Minnette MeadorTHE ROMANTIC ARC – There is a story ARC in everything you write; whether it’s a thriller, mystery, or even a children’s book. I use a mix of the Heroes’ Journey (1) and Aristotle's tragic fall from grace for most of my books.THE NORMAL LIFE – My depiction of the “normal life” that prefaces the story ARC of a romance doesn’t have to be dull. As a matter of fact, I try to portray the life of my lead characters as dramatic as possible. In the beginning of my first historical the hero has just killed a Celtic warrior. In the second historical he is running from Roman soldiers trying to hide his identity. Both normal everyday things Marius does. In Ghost of a Chance the story starts out with Keenan ogling the woman of his dreams just to be interrupted by a screaming apparition, which, for him, is also his normal life. I try to blend in the barriers right from the beginning to create mystery. In a romance ARC I think it’s important to build the “normal” romantic life from the beginning too: i.e. he sees ghosts so how can he ever hope to have a normal relationship; she has sworn off men and will never date again; she finds him annoyingly attractive, until he opens his mouth, that is; he can’t stand bossy women and this one is the worst… if only he didn’t like her so much. It makes that fateful step through the Looking Glass or crossing that first threshold an even harder step. The character has already been through a lot when I open my stories. I try to stay away from backstory as much as possible in the beginning pages. I want to portray that the normal life for this exceptional character will only become more intriguing.
THE OPEN DOOR – The second part of the ARC for me is the beginning of the journey, the stepping through that forbidden door, or the change in circumstances that hurls the character into unknown territory. In a romance ARC, this could be anything out of the ordinary for my characters. In The Belle Stalker, the path opens when Belle finds her lover murdered in her apartment and her homicide detective ex-husband back in her life. In A Ghost of a Chance the road changes when Keenan is seduced by a powerful spirit that changes his life forever. In The Centurion and the Queen, Delia’s life changes when she meets the Centurion and is thrust into the middle of a war. Every story has this dramatic change of life circumstances and I try to make them powerful enough to turn the characters onto different paths way beyond their comfort zones.THE FALL FROM GRACE – some people don’t use this step in the story, but I love it. Human beings are flawed, awkward, crazy, argumentative, docile, and have many imperfections that make them ultimately fascinating. Even a hero has bouts of nerves, kind people sometime hiss with the best of them, smart people go suddenly stupid in the most dire of situations, and evil people can even show compassion. I build in a fall from grace for my characters; in the romance ARC this might mean something like deliberately pointing out a mate’s shortcomings in a heated argument; turning into a coward at the threshold of disaster to save your own skin; walking away from responsibility when others are counting on you. The lower they go the more glorious the black moment and the resolution.MAKE IS WORSER – I have a wonderful editor, who would tell me to make it worser, i.e. make it bad, then go one further and make it worse… then make it worser. That piece of advice has always helped me. I torture my poor characters mercilessly. It makes for good reading every time. THE BLACK MOMENT – Donald Maase is an amazing instructor and teaches this about the black moment:
Work out the one thing your character would never do, then make him/her do it.Work out the one thing your character would never sacrifice, then make him/her sacrifice it. Work out your character’s greatest fear then make him/her face that. THE RESURRECTION – This is the shining moment of the romance ARC, the place where the couple decides they can’t live without each other, the daring rescue despite his fears, the resounding revelation that they do love each other, or the all-encompassing realization that what you wanted all along was right in front of you. This works for the romance ARC as it does for any genre. THE JOURNEY HOME – This is the part that wraps up the story and takes the character “home,” wherever that might be. THE LANGUAGE OF LOVETHE WORDS – There has been countless articles written about what words to use for the romantic ARC and many can be found on the internet. When I first started to write I fell into a lot of the same traps that lots of us do; trying to come up with new and exciting ways to talk about physical love. I found out that that usually ends up sounding like “purple prose” (http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/purple-prose.html). For me, the more straightforward the better in love scenes and to write about them baring their emotions to each other, their fears, their passions. I have written just about every level of sexual heat in my books. The difference is language; innuendo vs. explicit. I’m giving you some examples attached of the two, but keep in mind both are for adults only. I don’t know if I can tell you my technique; for me, these are the hardest scenes to write and take lots of practice. My suggestion would be that if you want to write sex scenes you read what others have written and learn from them. Here is an excellent article on the subject as well: http://www.writing-world.com/romance/essentials.shtml. THE FACE – The eyes are the windows to the soul, but the hundreds of tiny muscles in the face are what really communicate to us. When someone is interested we send off a plethora of signals to the other person. These can be so subtle you’d have to have stop motion photography to catch them, yet we know them instantly when we see them (or not… how many signals have you missed from others in love?). The face is an excellent place to “show, don’t tell.” Here are some of the things the face can tell us in love:It’s in the EyesThe size of the person’s pupils and gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
THE BODY – Just as the face displays romantic interest, so does the body.Regular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
LOVE RESOURCES: There are hundreds of web pages on this subject and I’ve researched many of them. They give you countless ways to show male and female interest without using words and are wonderful resources. Here are just a couple, but there are many more: http://www.2knowmyself.com/relationship_breakups/body_language_love_signals http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/body-language/#/category1
SHOW DON’T TELL - I spent years working on craft and studying that ever elusive “show, don’t tell” maxim. One of the best tools I’ve found is the “cheat sheet,” a wonderful quick guide to body language for every emotion. I’ve created an 11 page cheat sheet for myself with a wide range of body language cues (things we do that project certain emotions) and I’m happy to share it with you. This was compiled from several resources and has helped me immensely. I hope it can help you too. GOALS, MOTIVATIONS, AND CONFLICTS – A great book on GMC is Goal, Motivation, & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon. This is an amazing book about building substance into your heroes, heroines, and bad guys to make them more three dimensional. I do GMC for every major character in my book and even for secondary ones if it’s needed. I also do an extensive character survey sheet for each one to tell me all about them. In a nutshell:
What: The ideal scene – What does the character want more than anything else? Note: It is NOT to fall in love. Romance is usually the LAST thing a character wants and it messes up everything every time. What is your protagonist’s goal? What is your antagonist’s goal?Why: What is his motivation? Why does he want this goal? Because… The motivation is what drives characters and sets up the foundation for the novel. It also what keeps it moving forward. Think of a motivation your character has.Why not? Who or what stands in our way?Definition of conflict*:Conflict is a struggle against someone or something in which the outcome is in doubt.Conflict is bad things happening to good people.Conflict is bad things happening to bad people.Conflict is friction, tension, opposition… and danger.Conflict is two dogs and one bone. THE WIZARD OF OZ:WHO – DOROTHYWHAT/GOAL – TO GET BACK TO KANSASWHY/MOTIVATION – BECAUSE HER AUNTIE EM IS SICKWHY NOT/CONFLICT – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WHO WANTS THE RUBY SLIPPERS
LAYERING IN THE ROMANCEThe backstory – I try to work in as little back story as I can in the beginning of the book and reserve it for the “quiet” times. I try to build it into dialogue first and then in reflections. This for me is one of the hardest things to do because you don’t want to just do a “data dump” to your readers. It pulls them out of the story and usually causes page skipping. I’ve seen it myself in books by some of the best authors in the world. The backstory needs to come out naturally, a bit at a time, leaving a mystery after each bite to move the reader forward in the story. I try very hard never to give them all the story until the very end.Dialogue – This should be a natural result of relationship building. Sometimes just throwing two people together where they have to stay that way will generate dialogue. I try to make my dialogue short, sweet, and pithy wherever I can, however, I also have my characters tell their own stories as well. It’s usually more interesting coming from them than it is from me. I’m notorious for the “story within a story” using flashbacks that are usually funny and hopefully always interesting. Romance dialogue is used to learn about each other; think of a time when you went on a date. What was your conversation like? Have the characters ask questions, get into a tiff where something comes out that shouldn’t have, come up with a solution to a problem based on past experience that the other person didn’t know about. You can weave this all into your story to bulk it up. The quiet moments - If you have no quiet times you are going to exhaust your reader – everyone needs a breather, including your characters. It is during these quiet moments that we learn all the good, bad, and ugly things about our characters, heroes and villains. As a musician I learned a lot about silence and its importance to music. It is the pauses as much as the crescendos that define the emotion of music. It’s the same with writing; the quiet and even silent times in the story builds a foundation for the tension and movement and make them more real. Just as life breathes in and out, so does a story. Even the most thrilling of suspense novels have their quiet times. The trick is learning to balance the two. LAST NOTES:If you want to write well, read well.Study and practice your craft. No one lives in a vacuum. Learn from as many other writers as you can.Romance can be as subtle as a stolen kiss and as grand as an elaborate marriage. Let your characters be frightened, unsure, clumsy, and doubtful. In matters of love, we’re all like that no matter how we act on the outside. The only other occupation we know less about is being a parent. That is true for your characters as well.Even the most macho man in the world can be brought down by the flash of a lovely eye.Even the most steadfast liberated woman can melt into the arms of a lover who truly cherishes her.Romance can add warmth and passion to any story, even the dourest ones. We often cling to love when all else fails. And it is usually love that sees us through the worst life can throw at us.
QUESTIONS:
ATTACHED MATERIALS: HERO’S JOURNEY - SUMMARYIt’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say It Body Language Basics for WritersCHART OF BODY CUES BY EMOTION/ATTITUDESUMMARY OF COMMON FACIAL CUESCOLOR TERMS – DIFFERENT WORDS FOR COLORS
SEX SCENE SAMPLES (Available after meeting with author)
Please email me at mmeador@minnettemeador.com for a copy of this presentation with notes or any of the handouts. I’m happy to share whatever I have with other writers so please don’t hesitate to ask.
RESOURCE LISThttp://www.minnettemeadorbooks.com/p/writing-resources_27.html
www.minnettemeador.comBLOGwww.minnettemeadorbooks.comE-MAILmmeador@minnettemeador.comTWITTERhttp://twitter.com/#!/MinnetteMeadorFACEBOOKhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Minnette-Meador/19208183951 http://www.amazon.com/Minnette-Meador/e/B002BMBV58/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1BARNES & NOBLEhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/MINNETTE-MEADOR?keyword=MINNETTE MEADOR&store=allproductsPOWELLS BOOKShttp://www.powells.com/s?kw=Minnette Meador&class= The hero's journey: summary of the stepsDeparture The Call to AdventureRefusal of the CallSupernatural AidThe Crossing of the First ThresholdThe Belly of the WhaleInitiation The Road of TrialsThe Meeting with the GoddessWoman as the TemptressAtonement with the FatherApotheosisThe Ultimate BoonReturn Refusal of the ReturnThe Magic FlightRescue from WithoutThe Crossing of the Return ThresholdMaster of the Two WorldsFreedom to LiveHeros Journey : Summary of Steps SAMPLE 1 – INNUENDO – The Centurion & The QueenAll at once, there was nothing in Delia’s universe but Marius kissing, touching, biting, and exploring every inch of her body with his mouth, his tongue, and his hands. For the first time in her life, Delia forgot everything else. The bliss sent an earthquake through her loins, causing her body to teeter on the brink of the sublime. Nothing in her experience prepared her for the new sensations; the tingle in her neck, arms, and hands; the tightening of her belly when a wave of lightning engulfed it; the escape of her moisture as it saturated her, swelled her. Once unrestrained, her passion was urgent, desperate, and critical, but Marius forced her to yield to his slow pace, his unhurried touch, bringing her, again and again, to the edge of rapture and then denying her, until she wanted to beg for it. Marius’ lips devoured hers; his tongue explored her mouth, her neck, and her ears. His teeth found her breasts and her nipples, his tongue torturing them until she moaned in need. With a movement that startled her, he forced her legs open with strong arms, cupped her buttock in his hands, and lifted her hips to meet his mouth. With gentle, delicate flicks of his tongue, he brought her close to the edge so many times she lost count in delirium. Delia could do nothing more than squeeze the blankets. His hands finally opened her, slowly, gradually, insistently. With his thumbs, he spread the softness, the moistness, grabbing her wrist to force her own hand to feel for herself, and laughing at her greedy caresses. Marius moved Delia’s fingers to the soft head of his erection where she let them linger and explore, running the tiny, delicate pads over the heavily veined skin. Delia could feel herself blush and prickles of pleasure moved through her arms when he grew harder in her hand. She squeezed instinctively, feeling the muscle throb and flex, forcing her to tighten her grip. More moisture drenched her in anticipation.
SAMPLE 2 – EXPLICIT – A GHOST OF A CHANCENaked heaving breasts came into view; the nipples were long, slate hard, and the areolas black against dark skin. Her waist and hips were slim. Stretched fingers pinched the nipples, making them longer, more rigid. The triangle of her pussy was bald, the slit dark and inviting. Hazy clouds covered her face, making it soft and featureless, but billowing tendrils of black hair twisted out from around it, flowing in a wind Keenan couldn’t hear. It moved in a watery dance. The covers glided slowly down his body. The soft touch of the silk made his cock twinge in agony, and he gritted his teeth to hiss his pleasure. Electric shocks ignited the nerves in his neck, shoulders, and arms. When Keenan was completely exposed, he wasn’t cold. His cock sprang into ready position. The hair on his arms and legs snapped with static. Rising from the floor until her naked body hovered horizontally inches above him, the entity’s nipples brushed his chest scattering goose bumps across every pore. The creature reached down and wrapped a hot hand around his erection making it pulse when she squeezed. Her grip was like iron. Keenan pulled a gasping moan into his lungs. He could only watch as she slid down to put her mouth above his agonized member. She brushed her tongue several times across the tip then pulled it hard into her mouth. Barbs of lightning convulsed Keenan’s body, intensifying his senses. The sucking sound of her mouth against his flesh, the sweet smell of her juices mixing with his own musky scent, the feel of those hot soft lips caressing the sensitive flesh as they slid over the head of his cock, and the strong grip of her warm hand, all fought for his attention. It’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say ItBody Language Basics for Writers
What is Body Language?A term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communications. Considered “paralanguage” which describes all forms of human communication that is not verbal. Can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
The total impact of a message is:7% verbal (words)38% vocal (tone of voice, inflection, and other sounds)55% nonverbal (body language)
How does Body Language reveal emotions and thoughts?Body Language is an outward reflection of a person’s emotional conditionHardwired from our pasts when body language and vocal, not words, comprised communication.Dominated by biological rules that control our actions, reactions, body language and gestures.Human animal is rarely aware that our postures, movements, and gestures can tell one story, the truth, while our words are telling another.
Can Body Language Be Faked?Language can be faked but body’s physical reactions cannot.Politicians, interviewees, pageant contestants – use studiously learned body movements but even the most expert can only fake body language a short period.Physical reactions are the key:Pupil dilationSweatingBlushingInvoluntary mouth movements like a split-second sneerForehead crease, crow’s feet
Women are More PerceptiveYour heroine can read the hero and other characters better because:Commonly referred to as woman’s intuitionInnate ability to pick up and decipher nonverbal signals and an accurate eye for small details.Particularly evident in women who have raised children since the first few years, the mother relies almost solely on the nonverbal to communicate with the child.Woman have between 14-16 areas of brain to evaluate other’s behavior – men have 4-6.Female brain is organized for multi-tasking – which is why men lose plot when women try to communicate to them during show.More white around their eyes
It’s in the EyesUnwittingly referring to the size of the person’s pupils and to gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
LyingMost people associate looking away with lyingLook at the pupils and other tells – pupils constrictedRapid eye blinking
Sexual Attraction – What each sex looks at:WomenMore time on face – mouth, eyes and hairSize and buildClothes – shoes, rings and other jewelryButtCrotchLeg lengthMenBreastsLeg lengthGenerally scans from ground up – feet, legs, crotch, torso, breasts, shoulders and then face.Men who keep their gaze focused on woman’s face rather than her body are consistently rated as being more attractive.Studies show that most men are not hardwired to read a woman’s first gaze signal so she usually needs to repeat it three times for the average man, four times for a slow man and five or more for the especially thick man.
Getting a Man’s AttentionRegular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
Brain’s Response to ThreatFreeze – to avoid detection by dangerous predators or in dangerous situations and/or to give yourself the opportunity to assess the situation and decide on a response.Stop suddenly, perhaps strike himself on the head before turning aroundA nervous interviewee holds her breath or breaths shallowlyA person being questioned about a crime locks legs interlocked behind the chair legs (position of security)Another – diminishing of the body – hunching shoulders (turtle effect)Flight – to escape the threat or to distance oneself from danger.Lean away, place an object or objects on her lap, or turning her feet toward the nearest exit, closing eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing hands in front of the face (blocking)Distancing non-verbal behaviorsHolding one leg at right angle to his body, feet pointing to nearest exitClasping of the knees and shifting of body weight on the feet Feet shift from flat-footed to the “starter’s position” like a sprinter Fight – this is the brain’s final tactic for survival through aggression. When a person cannot avoid detection by freezing and cannot protect himself by escaping, fight is the only alternative.Fight response is does not always mean physical attackOne form of modern aggression is verbal altercation as in arguingUsing posture to show aggression – puffing out the chest, violating another’s personal space
Pacifying BehaviorsAdapters – serve to calm us down after we experience something unpleasant or downright nasty – brain enlists the body to provide comforting (pacifying) behaviorsChewing GumBiting pencils/pensTouching the face, neck or lipsPlaying with hair or stroking a beardStroking tops of hands or fingersPlaying with a necklace or adjusting cuff linksRubbing the foreheadSmoothing down the front of a shirt or adjusting a tieLicking the lipsSelf-administered body hug – crossing their arms and rubbing their hands against their shoulders as if experiencing a chillMassaging the earlobe with thumb or forefingerMen prefer to touch their faces; women prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms and hair
Create Romantic Friction between the Sheets...of PaperBy ...
Create Romantic Friction between the Sheets
...of PaperBy Minnette MeadorTHE ROMANTIC ARC – There is a story ARC in everything you write; whether it’s a thriller, mystery, or even a children’s book. I use a mix of the Heroes’ Journey (1) and Aristotle's tragic fall from grace for most of my books.
THE NORMAL LIFE – My depiction of the “normal life” that prefaces the story ARC of a romance doesn’t have to be dull. As a matter of fact, I try to portray the life of my lead characters as dramatic as possible. In the beginning of my first historical the hero has just killed a Celtic warrior. In the second historical he is running from Roman soldiers trying to hide his identity. Both normal everyday things Marius does. In Ghost of a Chance the story starts out with Keenan ogling the woman of his dreams just to be interrupted by a screaming apparition, which, for him, is also his normal life. I try to blend in the barriers right from the beginning to create mystery. In a romance ARC I think it’s important to build the “normal” romantic life from the beginning too: i.e. he sees ghosts so how can he ever hope to have a normal relationship; she has sworn off men and will never date again; she finds him annoyingly attractive, until he opens his mouth, that is; he can’t stand bossy women and this one is the worst… if only he didn’t like her so much. It makes that fateful step through the Looking Glass or crossing that first threshold an even harder step. The character has already been through a lot when I open my stories. I try to stay away from backstory as much as possible in the beginning pages. I want to portray that the normal life for this exceptional character will only become more intriguing.
THE OPEN DOOR – The second part of the ARC for me is the beginning of the journey, the stepping through that forbidden door, or the change in circumstances that hurls the character into unknown territory. In a romance ARC, this could be anything out of the ordinary for my characters. In The Belle Stalker, the path opens when Belle finds her lover murdered in her apartment and her homicide detective ex-husband back in her life. In A Ghost of a Chance the road changes when Keenan is seduced by a powerful spirit that changes his life forever. In The Centurion and the Queen, Delia’s life changes when she meets the Centurion and is thrust into the middle of a war. Every story has this dramatic change of life circumstances and I try to make them powerful enough to turn the characters onto different paths way beyond their comfort zones.
THE FALL FROM GRACE – some people don’t use this step in the story, but I love it. Human beings are flawed, awkward, crazy, argumentative, docile, and have many imperfections that make them ultimately fascinating. Even a hero has bouts of nerves, kind people sometime hiss with the best of them, smart people go suddenly stupid in the most dire of situations, and evil people can even show compassion. I build in a fall from grace for my characters; in the romance ARC this might mean something like deliberately pointing out a mate’s shortcomings in a heated argument; turning into a coward at the threshold of disaster to save your own skin; walking away from responsibility when others are counting on you. The lower they go the more glorious the black moment and the resolution.
MAKE IS WORSER – I have a wonderful editor, who would tell me to make it worser, i.e. make it bad, then go one further and make it worse… then make it worser. That piece of advice has always helped me. I torture my poor characters mercilessly. It makes for good reading every time.
THE BLACK MOMENT – Donald Maase is an amazing instructor and teaches this about the black moment:
Work out the one thing your character would never do, then make him/her do it.Work out the one thing your character would never sacrifice, then make him/her sacrifice it. Work out your character’s greatest fear then make him/her face that.
THE RESURRECTION – This is the shining moment of the romance ARC, the place where the couple decides they can’t live without each other, the daring rescue despite his fears, the resounding revelation that they do love each other, or the all-encompassing realization that what you wanted all along was right in front of you. This works for the romance ARC as it does for any genre.
THE JOURNEY HOME – This is the part that wraps up the story and takes the character “home,” wherever that might be.
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
THE WORDS – There has been countless articles written about what words to use for the romantic ARC and many can be found on the internet. When I first started to write I fell into a lot of the same traps that lots of us do; trying to come up with new and exciting ways to talk about physical love. I found out that that usually ends up sounding like “purple prose” (http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/purple-prose.html). For me, the more straightforward the better in love scenes and to write about them baring their emotions to each other, their fears, their passions. I have written just about every level of sexual heat in my books. The difference is language; innuendo vs. explicit. I’m giving you some examples attached of the two, but keep in mind both are for adults only. I don’t know if I can tell you my technique; for me, these are the hardest scenes to write and take lots of practice. My suggestion would be that if you want to write sex scenes you read what others have written and learn from them. Here is an excellent article on the subject as well: http://www.writing-world.com/romance/essentials.shtml.
THE FACE – The eyes are the windows to the soul, but the hundreds of tiny muscles in the face are what really communicate to us. When someone is interested we send off a plethora of signals to the other person. These can be so subtle you’d have to have stop motion photography to catch them, yet we know them instantly when we see them (or not… how many signals have you missed from others in love?). The face is an excellent place to “show, don’t tell.” Here are some of the things the face can tell us in love:It’s in the EyesThe size of the person’s pupils and gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
THE BODY – Just as the face displays romantic interest, so does the body.Regular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
LOVE RESOURCES: There are hundreds of web pages on this subject and I’ve researched many of them. They give you countless ways to show male and female interest without using words and are wonderful resources. Here are just a couple, but there are many more: http://www.2knowmyself.com/relationship_breakups/body_language_love_signals http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/body-language/#/category1
SHOW DON’T TELL - I spent years working on craft and studying that ever elusive “show, don’t tell” maxim. One of the best tools I’ve found is the “cheat sheet,” a wonderful quick guide to body language for every emotion. I’ve created an 11 page cheat sheet for myself with a wide range of body language cues (things we do that project certain emotions) and I’m happy to share it with you. This was compiled from several resources and has helped me immensely. I hope it can help you too.
GOALS, MOTIVATIONS, AND CONFLICTS – A great book on GMC is Goal, Motivation, & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon. This is an amazing book about building substance into your heroes, heroines, and bad guys to make them more three dimensional. I do GMC for every major character in my book and even for secondary ones if it’s needed. I also do an extensive character survey sheet for each one to tell me all about them. In a nutshell:
What: The ideal scene – What does the character want more than anything else? Note: It is NOT to fall in love. Romance is usually the LAST thing a character wants and it messes up everything every time. What is your protagonist’s goal? What is your antagonist’s goal?
Why: What is his motivation? Why does he want this goal? Because… The motivation is what drives characters and sets up the foundation for the novel. It also what keeps it moving forward. Think of a motivation your character has.
Why not? Who or what stands in our way?Definition of conflict*:Conflict is a struggle against someone or something in which the outcome is in doubt.Conflict is bad things happening to good people.Conflict is bad things happening to bad people.Conflict is friction, tension, opposition… and danger.Conflict is two dogs and one bone.
*Goals, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon
THE WIZARD OF OZ:WHO – DOROTHYWHAT/GOAL – TO GET BACK TO KANSASWHY/MOTIVATION – BECAUSE HER AUNTIE EM IS SICKWHY NOT/CONFLICT – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WHO WANTS THE RUBY SLIPPERS
LAYERING IN THE ROMANCE
I’m a big fan of writing the story down as quickly as possible and then layering in the “details”: Descriptions, pacing, backstory, dialogue, emotions, reactions, timelines, and loose ends/plot problems. Here is what I do with three of these elements:
The backstory – I try to work in as little back story as I can in the beginning of the book and reserve it for the “quiet” times. I try to build it into dialogue first and then in reflections. This for me is one of the hardest things to do because you don’t want to just do a “data dump” to your readers. It pulls them out of the story and usually causes page skipping. I’ve seen it myself in books by some of the best authors in the world. The backstory needs to come out naturally, a bit at a time, leaving a mystery after each bite to move the reader forward in the story. I try very hard never to give them all the story until the very end.
Dialogue – This should be a natural result of relationship building. Sometimes just throwing two people together where they have to stay that way will generate dialogue. I try to make my dialogue short, sweet, and pithy wherever I can, however, I also have my characters tell their own stories as well. It’s usually more interesting coming from them than it is from me. I’m notorious for the “story within a story” using flashbacks that are usually funny and hopefully always interesting. Romance dialogue is used to learn about each other; think of a time when you went on a date. What was your conversation like? Have the characters ask questions, get into a tiff where something comes out that shouldn’t have, come up with a solution to a problem based on past experience that the other person didn’t know about. You can weave this all into your story to bulk it up.
The quiet moments - If you have no quiet times you are going to exhaust your reader – everyone needs a breather, including your characters. It is during these quiet moments that we learn all the good, bad, and ugly things about our characters, heroes and villains. As a musician I learned a lot about silence and its importance to music. It is the pauses as much as the crescendos that define the emotion of music. It’s the same with writing; the quiet and even silent times in the story builds a foundation for the tension and movement and make them more real. Just as life breathes in and out, so does a story. Even the most thrilling of suspense novels have their quiet times. The trick is learning to balance the two.
LAST NOTES:If you want to write well, read well.Study and practice your craft. No one lives in a vacuum. Learn from as many other writers as you can.Romance can be as subtle as a stolen kiss and as grand as an elaborate marriage. Let your characters be frightened, unsure, clumsy, and doubtful. In matters of love, we’re all like that no matter how we act on the outside. The only other occupation we know less about is being a parent. That is true for your characters as well.Even the most macho man in the world can be brought down by the flash of a lovely eye.Even the most steadfast liberated woman can melt into the arms of a lover who truly cherishes her.Romance can add warmth and passion to any story, even the dourest ones. We often cling to love when all else fails. And it is usually love that sees us through the worst life can throw at us.
QUESTIONS:
ATTACHED MATERIALS: HERO’S JOURNEY - SUMMARYIt’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say It Body Language Basics for WritersCHART OF BODY CUES BY EMOTION/ATTITUDESUMMARY OF COMMON FACIAL CUESCOLOR TERMS – DIFFERENT WORDS FOR COLORS
SEX SCENE SAMPLES (Available after meeting with author)
Please email me at mmeador@minnettemeador.com for a copy of this presentation with notes or any of the handouts. I’m happy to share whatever I have with other writers so please don’t hesitate to ask.
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HERO'S JOURNEY : REFERENCE (1)
The hero's journey: summary of the steps
This page summarizes the brief explanations from every step of the Hero's Journey. Departure The Call to Adventure
The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. Refusal of the Call
Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. Supernatural Aid
Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. The Crossing of the First Threshold
This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. The Belly of the Whale
The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself.
Initiation
The Road of Trials
The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. The Meeting with the Goddess
The meeting with the goddess represents the point in the adventure when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the "hieros gamos", or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the person. In other words, the person begins to see him or herself in a non-dualistic way. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely. Although Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self-unification does not have to be represented by a woman. Woman as the Temptress
At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey. Atonement with the Father
In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the person as he or she has been must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being. Sometime this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm. Apotheosis
To apotheosize is to deify. When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is a god-like state; the person is in heaven and beyond all strife. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return. The Ultimate Boon
The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail. Return Refusal of the Return
So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes? The Magic Flight
Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it. Rescue from Without
Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. Or perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon. The Crossing of the Return Threshold
The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult. Master of the Two Worlds
In myth, this step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. Freedom to Live
Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past. Heros Journey : Summary of Steps
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last modified: 11/19/1999 12:06:34
URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc... SAMPLE 1 – INNUENDO – The Centurion & The QueenAll at once, there was nothing in Delia’s universe but Marius kissing, touching, biting, and exploring every inch of her body with his mouth, his tongue, and his hands. For the first time in her life, Delia forgot everything else. The bliss sent an earthquake through her loins, causing her body to teeter on the brink of the sublime. Nothing in her experience prepared her for the new sensations; the tingle in her neck, arms, and hands; the tightening of her belly when a wave of lightning engulfed it; the escape of her moisture as it saturated her, swelled her. Once unrestrained, her passion was urgent, desperate, and critical, but Marius forced her to yield to his slow pace, his unhurried touch, bringing her, again and again, to the edge of rapture and then denying her, until she wanted to beg for it. Marius’ lips devoured hers; his tongue explored her mouth, her neck, and her ears. His teeth found her breasts and her nipples, his tongue torturing them until she moaned in need. With a movement that startled her, he forced her legs open with strong arms, cupped her buttock in his hands, and lifted her hips to meet his mouth. With gentle, delicate flicks of his tongue, he brought her close to the edge so many times she lost count in delirium. Delia could do nothing more than squeeze the blankets. His hands finally opened her, slowly, gradually, insistently. With his thumbs, he spread the softness, the moistness, grabbing her wrist to force her own hand to feel for herself, and laughing at her greedy caresses. Marius moved Delia’s fingers to the soft head of his erection where she let them linger and explore, running the tiny, delicate pads over the heavily veined skin. Delia could feel herself blush and prickles of pleasure moved through her arms when he grew harder in her hand. She squeezed instinctively, feeling the muscle throb and flex, forcing her to tighten her grip. More moisture drenched her in anticipation.
SAMPLE 2 – EXPLICIT – A GHOST OF A CHANCENaked heaving breasts came into view; the nipples were long, slate hard, and the areolas black against dark skin. Her waist and hips were slim. Stretched fingers pinched the nipples, making them longer, more rigid. The triangle of her pussy was bald, the slit dark and inviting. Hazy clouds covered her face, making it soft and featureless, but billowing tendrils of black hair twisted out from around it, flowing in a wind Keenan couldn’t hear. It moved in a watery dance. The covers glided slowly down his body. The soft touch of the silk made his cock twinge in agony, and he gritted his teeth to hiss his pleasure. Electric shocks ignited the nerves in his neck, shoulders, and arms. When Keenan was completely exposed, he wasn’t cold. His cock sprang into ready position. The hair on his arms and legs snapped with static. Rising from the floor until her naked body hovered horizontally inches above him, the entity’s nipples brushed his chest scattering goose bumps across every pore. The creature reached down and wrapped a hot hand around his erection making it pulse when she squeezed. Her grip was like iron. Keenan pulled a gasping moan into his lungs. He could only watch as she slid down to put her mouth above his agonized member. She brushed her tongue several times across the tip then pulled it hard into her mouth. Barbs of lightning convulsed Keenan’s body, intensifying his senses. The sucking sound of her mouth against his flesh, the sweet smell of her juices mixing with his own musky scent, the feel of those hot soft lips caressing the sensitive flesh as they slid over the head of his cock, and the strong grip of her warm hand, all fought for his attention. It’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say ItBody Language Basics for Writers
What is Body Language?A term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communications. Considered “paralanguage” which describes all forms of human communication that is not verbal. Can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
The total impact of a message is:7% verbal (words)38% vocal (tone of voice, inflection, and other sounds)55% nonverbal (body language)
How does Body Language reveal emotions and thoughts?Body Language is an outward reflection of a person’s emotional conditionHardwired from our pasts when body language and vocal, not words, comprised communication.Dominated by biological rules that control our actions, reactions, body language and gestures.Human animal is rarely aware that our postures, movements, and gestures can tell one story, the truth, while our words are telling another.
Can Body Language Be Faked?Language can be faked but body’s physical reactions cannot.Politians, interviewees, pageant contestants – use studiously learned body movements but even the most expert can only fake body language a short period.Physical reactions are the key:Pupil dilationSweatingBlushingInvoluntary mouth movements like a split-second sneerForehead crease, crow’s feet
Women are More PerceptiveYour heroine can read the hero and other characters better because:Commonly referred to as woman’s intuitionInnate ability to pick up and decipher nonverbal signals and an accurate eye for small details.Particularly evident in women who have raised children since the first few years, the mother relies almost solely on the nonverbal to communicate with the child.Woman have between 14-16 areas of brain to evaluate other’s behavior – men have 4-6.Female brain is organized for multi-tasking – which is why men lose plot when women try to communicate to them during show.More white around their eyes
It’s in the EyesUnwittingly referring to the size of the person’s pupils and to gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
LyingMost people associate looking away with lyingLook at the pupils and other tells – pupils constrictedRapid eye blinking
Sexual Attraction – What each sex looks at:WomenMore time on face – mouth, eyes and hairSize and buildClothes – shoes, rings and other jewelryButtCrotchLeg lengthMenBreastsLeg lengthGenerally scans from ground up – feet, legs, crotch, torso, breasts, shoulders and then face.Men who keep their gaze focused on woman’s face rather than her body are consistently rated as being more attractive.Studies show that most men are not hardwired to read a woman’s first gaze signal so she usually needs to repeat it three times for the average man, four times for a slow man and five or more for the especially thick man.
Getting a Man’s AttentionRegular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
Brain’s Response to ThreatFreeze – to avoid detection by dangerous predators or in dangerous situations and/or to give yourself the opportunity to assess the situation and decide on a response.Stop suddenly, perhaps strike himself on the head before turning aroundA nervous interviewee holds her breath or breaths shallowlyA person being questioned about a crime locks legs interlocked behind the chair legs (position of security)Another – diminishing of the body – hunching shoulders (turtle effect)Flight – to escape the threat or to distance oneself from danger.Lean away, place an object or objects on her lap, or turning her feet toward the nearest exit, closing eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing hands in front of the face (blocking)Distancing non-verbal behaviorsHolding one leg at right angle to his body, feet pointing to nearest exitClasping of the knees and shifting of body weight on the feet Feet shift from flat-footed to the “starter’s position” like a sprinter Fight – this is the brain’s final tactic for survival through aggression. When a person cannot avoid detection by freezing and cannot protect himself by escaping, fight is the only alternative.Fight response is does not always mean physical attackOne form of modern aggression is verbal altercation as in arguingUsing posture to show aggression – puffing out the chest, violating another’s personal space
Pacifying BehaviorsAdapters – serve to calm us down after we experience something unpleasant or downright nasty – brain enlists the body to provide comforting (pacifying) behaviorsChewing GumBiting pencils/pensTouching the face, neck or lipsPlaying with hair or stroking a beardStroking tops of hands or fingersPlaying with a necklace or adjusting cuff linksRubbing the foreheadSmoothing down the front of a shirt or adjusting a tieLicking the lipsSelf-administered body hug – crossing their arms and rubbing their hands against their shoulders as if experiencing a chillMassaging the earlobe with thumb or forefingerMen prefer to touch their faces; women prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms and hair
Anxious/Impatient/Nervous/Tense/FearfulFingertip Claspstraight arm extended handshakehand clench - chin levelfingers to mouthear rubback neck rub - looking upsingle arm crossadjusting watch/bracelet or sleevesleg lock position - no coldfoot tapping or wagging w/redundant foot movementhair twistingtwisting of neck chainclear throatswallowgulpjaw drop/open mouthdry mouthwet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingercatch in throatraspy voice unable to speakmale – bobbing/jumping Adam’s appleperspire (palms/face/neck/armpits) = cold sweatpale skinlean/angle away from what’s making person anxiousmake oneself smaller to reduce exposure to dangertense lips, neck, shoulder musclesarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenneutral facial expression = do not approachno eye contactrapid eye blinkprotruding eyeballswide eyes tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthdilated pupilsflared nostrilsFrowncryingincreased breathing rate/rapid heartbeattremble, especially lipschattering of teethhair bristlingclenched fists drumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyAngling body away; "Don't touch me."Release of underarm scent; "Go away! I am unappealing! I stink!"Increase in breathing rate. "I'm going to run away!"Trembling and/or chattering teeth. "I want to run away!"Crouching. "Don't hurt me!"Crying. "I'm hurt enough!"Displacement gestures; "How did THIS happen?"Fast eye-blink rate. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"Fear grin. "I'm friendly! Honest!"Widely opened flashbulb eyes. "I can't believe this!"Unconscious escape motions designed to remove a body part, or parts, from danger (e.g., flexing the neck to lower and protect the head). "Don't hit me!"Freeze reactions; "Am I in danger?"Hair-bristling; "I feel danger!"Accelerated heart rate. "I'm getting ready to run away!"Tightened shoulder muscle tension; "It's going to hit me!"Screaming; "Don't touch me!"Squirm cues; "Let go of me."Staring eyes with wide-dilated pupils; "How much danger am I in?"Sweaty palms. "I don't wanna touch that!"Tense-mouth. "Don't make me bite you."Throat-clearing. "I want to vomit."Audibly tense tone-of-voice, either low and close to a growl, "I'm warning you..." or high to present a non-threatening sound. "I'm not a threat!"Yawning. "I have no fangs, see? I'm not a predator!"rearing back
Arrogant/Disdainfulmocking bow of head or upper torsolift chinlook down nosejut chinlift one eyebrowtilt head backnarrowed eyescompressed lips/mouthlip raised/curled in sneerhands on hipslook down one’s noseflared nostrilsloud voiceyawn
Boredhand to chin & cheekfoot tapping or wagging
Coldfolded arms - coldleg lock position - cold
Confident/Bravehands behind the back - clasped togetherhands behind the head - relaxedcrossing the kneesankle on kneeankle to ankle leg crosssquare shouldersfull body displaystand erect/tallhands on hipsswagger when walking
Confused/Puzzled/Uncertainfrownslack jawpoutpursed lipswet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingertongue clenched between lipssuck thumbmouth turned downwardclenched jawclear throatlowered eyelidselbow raised with hand behind headscratch headtug on eartap cheek with fingerrub back of neck with one handWrinkled nosescratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyhug waist with armsshrug shouldersraspy/thready voiceInvoluntary sideward eye movements; "Where is the danger coming from?"Self-touching gestures; "Am I still in one piece?"Frown; "I don't want that…"Hand-behind-head; "I don't like it."Side-to-side head-shakes "No."Sideward head-tilts; "I don't want that…"Lip-pout, lip-purse, and tense-mouth expressions "That looks like it tastes bad."Palm-up gestures; "I surrender."Shoulder-shrug; "Don't touch me."
Curioushand steepling - loweredclosed hand, index finger extendedhand on lower jaw w/chin strokinghead tilthead cocked to one sidewrinkled nose/browpursed lipsraised browwide eyesfinger touch to cheek/jaw
Defeatedhand clench - chest levelhand chop @ chest levelslumped/hunched shouldersvacant expressiontoneless voice
Defensive/Aggressive/Angry/Enragedopen palm out or downclosed palm w/Ext Fingerhandshake on topPower handshake (knuckle cruncher)hand chop @ chinhand behind the back - holding wrist or armthumb presentationhands behind the head - lean back/'chin upfolded arms - no coldfolded arms w/clenched fistsarm gripping (both arms)backward head tiltnose flareskewed mouthtense jaw/mouthcompressed mouth/lipsbiting bottom lipsneerguttural throat soundsloud speech/yell/screamjutted chinclenched jawfrownwrinkled noseflared nostrilswidened eyesprotruding eyeballsdilated pupilsbody displayed broadsidesquared shouldersshrug shouldersbody held erect/stand tallhead jerks tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthhead brought forwardclenched fistsdrumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsred face/neck/earshitting something with fistsstiff walkingJaws tensed to a biting position; "I'm going to bite you!"Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders, and/or hands-on-hips; "I'm bigger than you."Cut-off and head-jerk cues; "No. I don't want that."Hand-behind-head / hand-above-head. "I may or may not strike you."Fists, palm-down beating gestures. "I will strike you!"Frowning and tense-mouth expressions; "Don't make me bite you."Growling voice tones; "Consider me a threat."Staring; "I consider you a threat."Gaze avoidance; the head is turned fully away to one side; "Run while I am not looking and I will not attack you."Eyebrow raise; "Are you challenging me?"Hands-on-hips posture; "I'm ready for battle."Head-tilt-back; "I dare you to bite me."Palm-down gesture; "Do I need to strike you?"Swagger walk; "I'm stronger than you."Table-slap; "I will strike you!"Lower tone of voice, close to a growl. "Don't make me bite you."Wedge-shaped Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders; "I'm bigger than you."Direct stare; "I consider you a threat."Looming with chin down; "I will bite you."
Disagree/Disgusted/Abhorrent/Revulsiondistance from objectturn or face away/shift body awayturning one’s backlean backfold arms across upper chest/lower abdomencut off hand gesturesneerroll eyesnarrowed eyesno eye contactwrinkled noseflared nostrilsbackward head jerkshead shakeprotrusion of tongueguttural throat soundspursed lipsthin lipstongue pressed between lipsclenched jawCurled upper lip, a retracted upper lip, and mouth movements. "I feel like vomiting."Digestive sounds of revulsion. Guttural sounds ("ach" or "ugh"); "I AM going to vomit!"Narrowed or partly closed eyes; "I don't want to see that!"Lowered brows of the frown face. "I don't want to smell that!"Backward head-jerks and side-to-side head-shakes. "I don't want to taste that!"Visible protrusions of the tongue. "I can see that it tastes bad."
Disbelief/Skeptical/Suspiciouslifted eyebrowarch eyebrownarrowed eyescompressed lips/Down-turned mouthhead shakeclenched jawshoulder shrug
Embarrassed clear throatswallowgulpwet lips with tonguemale: bobbling or jumping Adam’s appleflushed skinhot/tingling skinlack of eye contactbreathiness
Friendly/Love/Infatuatedhandshake not up or downgloved handshake (2 hands)handshake w/clasping armhand steepling - raisedhair stroking & head tossinghead tilt - when man presentraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyesraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyes w/longer duration
Friendly/Love/Infatuated (cont)head tilted to one sidehead/hair tossshoulder shrugstand up straighter, more alertpull in stomachskin blush or palechange in body smelldraw attention to lips (i.e. wet with tongue, pout) touch own bodystroke or push hair away from faceadjust clothinghand on hip to expose wrist and/or palmincreased heart ratehug/snuggle/nuzzlenose rubplayful bite tongue touches lipkissbat eyelidsflirting glancenarrowed eyesdeliberate eye contact/holding gazeeyes roam over other person's face, linger on throat, breasts/chest, body in deliberate signal of interest dilated pupilscaress with fingertips or lipsticklehold handsstroke other person's palm with thumb lingering touchextend or reach out with arms/hands man - place open hand at the small of woman's back while walking = you're mine/I'm in commandfemale: sway hips when walking\male: saunterthigh contactfacial flushgaze down coyly sighsmilebreathinesshusky voicethroaty voicegiggleflattering commentsPhysical contact, including hugs and kisses. "I like you."Increased breathing rate; "I want to smell you."Courtship behavior; "I want to make love to you."Direct gaze with wide pupils; "I find you pleasing to look at."Facial flushing; blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Head-tilt-side; "Do I have your attention?"Increased heart rate; to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Mimic of behavior and/or appearance; "We make a set, we belong together."Softened tone of voice; "If you want to hear what I say, come closer."Closing personal distance; "I want to touch you."
Humor/Happinesssmileanimated eyes/expressiontears in eyes/crying/sobbingtightening of the throat/inability to speakquivering chindilated pupilsraise/lift eyebrows to widen eyesfacial flushlaugh (can be silent)hugging upper abdomen/lower chest sigha. Laugh or smileb. Tears; "I am overwhelmed."
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissiveopen palm uphandshake on bottomDead fish handshakebowed headhead tilted to one sideLowered chindown-turned eyesno direct eye contacttight-lippedsilentslumped/hunched shouldersshrug shouldersturn body inward to make smalleropen palmsarms next to sidepoutlow voiceTurning away "No thank you."Body-bend, body-shift, and bowing "Please don't…"Displacement cues "How did THIS happen?"Facial flushing; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell. ; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissive (cont)gaze-down; "I am not a threat."give-way; "I will not challenge you."head-tilt-side; "Don't…"Mimic of superior's body movements "I will not challenge you."laughing; "I will not challenge you."palms-up; "I surrender."exaggerated personal distance; "Don't touch me."pigeon toes; "I can't chase you, I am not a threat."shoulder-shrugging; "Don't touch me."shyness; "Don't notice me."difficulty gazing directly at, or cross lines of sight with, a dominant individual. "I don't want to challenge you."higher vocal pitch "I'm weak, and helpless."yawning; "No fangs, see? I am not a threat."
Lying/Deceptionhand/finger to mouthhand over mouthhand over mouth w/finger under noseeye rubback neck rub - looking downgazing down/lack of eye contactsweaty palms/head/neck/armpitsraising upward on/lifting toesscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodydilated pupilsrapid eye blinkpretending excitement to convincelips pressed togetherdarting tongueclear throatfalse smilereticence/withdrawal from contactshoulder shrugtouching forehead/jaw with handfacial flushing, especially around eyesdeliberate control of body energy = fewer movements, stiffness of demeanorwheedling tone of voice
Sad/Depressed/Grief/Pain tears standing in eyes/crying/sobbingnarrowed eyesclosed eyestightening of the throatinability to speakrepeated swallowingquivering chinpoutcompressed/down-turned mouth or lipschew lipflared nostrilswrinkled nose/ browforward bowing of body, turning in on oneselfarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenlethargyclenched fiststiffness of bodyhand over heartslumped posture/drooping shouldersgazing downwardsigh wavering voicetoneless voiceBowing postures; "I'm terribly sorry."Cry face and lip-pout; "Please don't hurt me anymore."Gazing-down; "I am not a challenge."Slumped flexed-forward posture of the shoulders; "I give up."Audible sigh; "I give up."Compressed lips; "No, I don't want that."wide eyes w/blinking
Surprisewide eyesbrows arched upwardopen mouthparted lipsgrimacewide eyesfixated starerapid eye blinkstartle reflexsudden intake of breathdrawing back of bodyhead jerked/thrown backexclamation
Summary of common Facial Cues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Nose:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) nostril flare; "Oh that scent!" (arousal, rivalry)b) nose wrinkle; (disgust)
2. Lips:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) grin (happiness, friendship, contentment)b) grimace (fear)c) lip-compression (anger, emotion, frustration)d) canine snarl (disgust)e) lip-pout (sadness, submission, uncertainty)f) lip-purse (disagree)g) sneer (contempt)
3. Brows:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) frown (anger, sadness, concentration)b) brow-raise (intensity)
4. Tongue:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tongue-show (dislike, disagree)
5. Eyelids:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) flashbulb eyes (surprise)b) widened (excitement, surprise)c) narrowed (threat, disagreement)d) fast-blink (arousal)e) normal-blink (relaxed)
6. Eyes:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) big pupils (arousal, fight-or-flight)b) small pupils (rest-and-digest)c) direct-gaze (affiliate, threaten)d) gaze cut-off (dislike, disagree)e) gaze-down (submission, deception)f) CLEMS* (thought processing) This is an acronym for "Conjugate Lateral Eye Movement." When the eyes move sideward (to the right or left) in response to a question. Rightward movement is associated with symbolic thinking, or Memory, (what we KNOW,) while Leftward Movement is associated with visual thinking, or Creativity, (what we INVENT).
...of PaperBy Minnette MeadorTHE ROMANTIC ARC – There is a story ARC in everything you write; whether it’s a thriller, mystery, or even a children’s book. I use a mix of the Heroes’ Journey (1) and Aristotle's tragic fall from grace for most of my books.
THE NORMAL LIFE – My depiction of the “normal life” that prefaces the story ARC of a romance doesn’t have to be dull. As a matter of fact, I try to portray the life of my lead characters as dramatic as possible. In the beginning of my first historical the hero has just killed a Celtic warrior. In the second historical he is running from Roman soldiers trying to hide his identity. Both normal everyday things Marius does. In Ghost of a Chance the story starts out with Keenan ogling the woman of his dreams just to be interrupted by a screaming apparition, which, for him, is also his normal life. I try to blend in the barriers right from the beginning to create mystery. In a romance ARC I think it’s important to build the “normal” romantic life from the beginning too: i.e. he sees ghosts so how can he ever hope to have a normal relationship; she has sworn off men and will never date again; she finds him annoyingly attractive, until he opens his mouth, that is; he can’t stand bossy women and this one is the worst… if only he didn’t like her so much. It makes that fateful step through the Looking Glass or crossing that first threshold an even harder step. The character has already been through a lot when I open my stories. I try to stay away from backstory as much as possible in the beginning pages. I want to portray that the normal life for this exceptional character will only become more intriguing.
THE OPEN DOOR – The second part of the ARC for me is the beginning of the journey, the stepping through that forbidden door, or the change in circumstances that hurls the character into unknown territory. In a romance ARC, this could be anything out of the ordinary for my characters. In The Belle Stalker, the path opens when Belle finds her lover murdered in her apartment and her homicide detective ex-husband back in her life. In A Ghost of a Chance the road changes when Keenan is seduced by a powerful spirit that changes his life forever. In The Centurion and the Queen, Delia’s life changes when she meets the Centurion and is thrust into the middle of a war. Every story has this dramatic change of life circumstances and I try to make them powerful enough to turn the characters onto different paths way beyond their comfort zones.
THE FALL FROM GRACE – some people don’t use this step in the story, but I love it. Human beings are flawed, awkward, crazy, argumentative, docile, and have many imperfections that make them ultimately fascinating. Even a hero has bouts of nerves, kind people sometime hiss with the best of them, smart people go suddenly stupid in the most dire of situations, and evil people can even show compassion. I build in a fall from grace for my characters; in the romance ARC this might mean something like deliberately pointing out a mate’s shortcomings in a heated argument; turning into a coward at the threshold of disaster to save your own skin; walking away from responsibility when others are counting on you. The lower they go the more glorious the black moment and the resolution.
MAKE IS WORSER – I have a wonderful editor, who would tell me to make it worser, i.e. make it bad, then go one further and make it worse… then make it worser. That piece of advice has always helped me. I torture my poor characters mercilessly. It makes for good reading every time.
THE BLACK MOMENT – Donald Maase is an amazing instructor and teaches this about the black moment:
Work out the one thing your character would never do, then make him/her do it.Work out the one thing your character would never sacrifice, then make him/her sacrifice it. Work out your character’s greatest fear then make him/her face that.
THE RESURRECTION – This is the shining moment of the romance ARC, the place where the couple decides they can’t live without each other, the daring rescue despite his fears, the resounding revelation that they do love each other, or the all-encompassing realization that what you wanted all along was right in front of you. This works for the romance ARC as it does for any genre.
THE JOURNEY HOME – This is the part that wraps up the story and takes the character “home,” wherever that might be.
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
THE WORDS – There has been countless articles written about what words to use for the romantic ARC and many can be found on the internet. When I first started to write I fell into a lot of the same traps that lots of us do; trying to come up with new and exciting ways to talk about physical love. I found out that that usually ends up sounding like “purple prose” (http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/purple-prose.html). For me, the more straightforward the better in love scenes and to write about them baring their emotions to each other, their fears, their passions. I have written just about every level of sexual heat in my books. The difference is language; innuendo vs. explicit. I’m giving you some examples attached of the two, but keep in mind both are for adults only. I don’t know if I can tell you my technique; for me, these are the hardest scenes to write and take lots of practice. My suggestion would be that if you want to write sex scenes you read what others have written and learn from them. Here is an excellent article on the subject as well: http://www.writing-world.com/romance/essentials.shtml.
THE FACE – The eyes are the windows to the soul, but the hundreds of tiny muscles in the face are what really communicate to us. When someone is interested we send off a plethora of signals to the other person. These can be so subtle you’d have to have stop motion photography to catch them, yet we know them instantly when we see them (or not… how many signals have you missed from others in love?). The face is an excellent place to “show, don’t tell.” Here are some of the things the face can tell us in love:It’s in the EyesThe size of the person’s pupils and gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
THE BODY – Just as the face displays romantic interest, so does the body.Regular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
LOVE RESOURCES: There are hundreds of web pages on this subject and I’ve researched many of them. They give you countless ways to show male and female interest without using words and are wonderful resources. Here are just a couple, but there are many more: http://www.2knowmyself.com/relationship_breakups/body_language_love_signals http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/body-language/#/category1
SHOW DON’T TELL - I spent years working on craft and studying that ever elusive “show, don’t tell” maxim. One of the best tools I’ve found is the “cheat sheet,” a wonderful quick guide to body language for every emotion. I’ve created an 11 page cheat sheet for myself with a wide range of body language cues (things we do that project certain emotions) and I’m happy to share it with you. This was compiled from several resources and has helped me immensely. I hope it can help you too.
GOALS, MOTIVATIONS, AND CONFLICTS – A great book on GMC is Goal, Motivation, & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon. This is an amazing book about building substance into your heroes, heroines, and bad guys to make them more three dimensional. I do GMC for every major character in my book and even for secondary ones if it’s needed. I also do an extensive character survey sheet for each one to tell me all about them. In a nutshell:
What: The ideal scene – What does the character want more than anything else? Note: It is NOT to fall in love. Romance is usually the LAST thing a character wants and it messes up everything every time. What is your protagonist’s goal? What is your antagonist’s goal?
Why: What is his motivation? Why does he want this goal? Because… The motivation is what drives characters and sets up the foundation for the novel. It also what keeps it moving forward. Think of a motivation your character has.
Why not? Who or what stands in our way?Definition of conflict*:Conflict is a struggle against someone or something in which the outcome is in doubt.Conflict is bad things happening to good people.Conflict is bad things happening to bad people.Conflict is friction, tension, opposition… and danger.Conflict is two dogs and one bone.
*Goals, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon
THE WIZARD OF OZ:WHO – DOROTHYWHAT/GOAL – TO GET BACK TO KANSASWHY/MOTIVATION – BECAUSE HER AUNTIE EM IS SICKWHY NOT/CONFLICT – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WHO WANTS THE RUBY SLIPPERS
LAYERING IN THE ROMANCE
I’m a big fan of writing the story down as quickly as possible and then layering in the “details”: Descriptions, pacing, backstory, dialogue, emotions, reactions, timelines, and loose ends/plot problems. Here is what I do with three of these elements:
The backstory – I try to work in as little back story as I can in the beginning of the book and reserve it for the “quiet” times. I try to build it into dialogue first and then in reflections. This for me is one of the hardest things to do because you don’t want to just do a “data dump” to your readers. It pulls them out of the story and usually causes page skipping. I’ve seen it myself in books by some of the best authors in the world. The backstory needs to come out naturally, a bit at a time, leaving a mystery after each bite to move the reader forward in the story. I try very hard never to give them all the story until the very end.
Dialogue – This should be a natural result of relationship building. Sometimes just throwing two people together where they have to stay that way will generate dialogue. I try to make my dialogue short, sweet, and pithy wherever I can, however, I also have my characters tell their own stories as well. It’s usually more interesting coming from them than it is from me. I’m notorious for the “story within a story” using flashbacks that are usually funny and hopefully always interesting. Romance dialogue is used to learn about each other; think of a time when you went on a date. What was your conversation like? Have the characters ask questions, get into a tiff where something comes out that shouldn’t have, come up with a solution to a problem based on past experience that the other person didn’t know about. You can weave this all into your story to bulk it up.
The quiet moments - If you have no quiet times you are going to exhaust your reader – everyone needs a breather, including your characters. It is during these quiet moments that we learn all the good, bad, and ugly things about our characters, heroes and villains. As a musician I learned a lot about silence and its importance to music. It is the pauses as much as the crescendos that define the emotion of music. It’s the same with writing; the quiet and even silent times in the story builds a foundation for the tension and movement and make them more real. Just as life breathes in and out, so does a story. Even the most thrilling of suspense novels have their quiet times. The trick is learning to balance the two.
LAST NOTES:If you want to write well, read well.Study and practice your craft. No one lives in a vacuum. Learn from as many other writers as you can.Romance can be as subtle as a stolen kiss and as grand as an elaborate marriage. Let your characters be frightened, unsure, clumsy, and doubtful. In matters of love, we’re all like that no matter how we act on the outside. The only other occupation we know less about is being a parent. That is true for your characters as well.Even the most macho man in the world can be brought down by the flash of a lovely eye.Even the most steadfast liberated woman can melt into the arms of a lover who truly cherishes her.Romance can add warmth and passion to any story, even the dourest ones. We often cling to love when all else fails. And it is usually love that sees us through the worst life can throw at us.
QUESTIONS:
ATTACHED MATERIALS: HERO’S JOURNEY - SUMMARYIt’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say It Body Language Basics for WritersCHART OF BODY CUES BY EMOTION/ATTITUDESUMMARY OF COMMON FACIAL CUESCOLOR TERMS – DIFFERENT WORDS FOR COLORS
SEX SCENE SAMPLES (Available after meeting with author)
Please email me at mmeador@minnettemeador.com for a copy of this presentation with notes or any of the handouts. I’m happy to share whatever I have with other writers so please don’t hesitate to ask.
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HERO'S JOURNEY : REFERENCE (1)
The hero's journey: summary of the stepsThis page summarizes the brief explanations from every step of the Hero's Journey. Departure The Call to Adventure
The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. Refusal of the Call
Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. Supernatural Aid
Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. The Crossing of the First Threshold
This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. The Belly of the Whale
The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself.
Initiation
The Road of Trials
The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. The Meeting with the Goddess
The meeting with the goddess represents the point in the adventure when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the "hieros gamos", or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the person. In other words, the person begins to see him or herself in a non-dualistic way. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely. Although Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self-unification does not have to be represented by a woman. Woman as the Temptress
At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey. Atonement with the Father
In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the person as he or she has been must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being. Sometime this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm. Apotheosis
To apotheosize is to deify. When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is a god-like state; the person is in heaven and beyond all strife. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return. The Ultimate Boon
The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail. Return Refusal of the Return
So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes? The Magic Flight
Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it. Rescue from Without
Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. Or perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon. The Crossing of the Return Threshold
The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult. Master of the Two Worlds
In myth, this step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. Freedom to Live
Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past. Heros Journey : Summary of Steps
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)
Maricopa Community Colleges
the ' net connection at MCLI is Alan Levine
comments about the site to : alan.levine@domail.maricopa.edu
questions about the content to : liz.warren@smcmail.maricopa.edu
last modified: 11/19/1999 12:06:34
URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc... SAMPLE 1 – INNUENDO – The Centurion & The QueenAll at once, there was nothing in Delia’s universe but Marius kissing, touching, biting, and exploring every inch of her body with his mouth, his tongue, and his hands. For the first time in her life, Delia forgot everything else. The bliss sent an earthquake through her loins, causing her body to teeter on the brink of the sublime. Nothing in her experience prepared her for the new sensations; the tingle in her neck, arms, and hands; the tightening of her belly when a wave of lightning engulfed it; the escape of her moisture as it saturated her, swelled her. Once unrestrained, her passion was urgent, desperate, and critical, but Marius forced her to yield to his slow pace, his unhurried touch, bringing her, again and again, to the edge of rapture and then denying her, until she wanted to beg for it. Marius’ lips devoured hers; his tongue explored her mouth, her neck, and her ears. His teeth found her breasts and her nipples, his tongue torturing them until she moaned in need. With a movement that startled her, he forced her legs open with strong arms, cupped her buttock in his hands, and lifted her hips to meet his mouth. With gentle, delicate flicks of his tongue, he brought her close to the edge so many times she lost count in delirium. Delia could do nothing more than squeeze the blankets. His hands finally opened her, slowly, gradually, insistently. With his thumbs, he spread the softness, the moistness, grabbing her wrist to force her own hand to feel for herself, and laughing at her greedy caresses. Marius moved Delia’s fingers to the soft head of his erection where she let them linger and explore, running the tiny, delicate pads over the heavily veined skin. Delia could feel herself blush and prickles of pleasure moved through her arms when he grew harder in her hand. She squeezed instinctively, feeling the muscle throb and flex, forcing her to tighten her grip. More moisture drenched her in anticipation.
SAMPLE 2 – EXPLICIT – A GHOST OF A CHANCENaked heaving breasts came into view; the nipples were long, slate hard, and the areolas black against dark skin. Her waist and hips were slim. Stretched fingers pinched the nipples, making them longer, more rigid. The triangle of her pussy was bald, the slit dark and inviting. Hazy clouds covered her face, making it soft and featureless, but billowing tendrils of black hair twisted out from around it, flowing in a wind Keenan couldn’t hear. It moved in a watery dance. The covers glided slowly down his body. The soft touch of the silk made his cock twinge in agony, and he gritted his teeth to hiss his pleasure. Electric shocks ignited the nerves in his neck, shoulders, and arms. When Keenan was completely exposed, he wasn’t cold. His cock sprang into ready position. The hair on his arms and legs snapped with static. Rising from the floor until her naked body hovered horizontally inches above him, the entity’s nipples brushed his chest scattering goose bumps across every pore. The creature reached down and wrapped a hot hand around his erection making it pulse when she squeezed. Her grip was like iron. Keenan pulled a gasping moan into his lungs. He could only watch as she slid down to put her mouth above his agonized member. She brushed her tongue several times across the tip then pulled it hard into her mouth. Barbs of lightning convulsed Keenan’s body, intensifying his senses. The sucking sound of her mouth against his flesh, the sweet smell of her juices mixing with his own musky scent, the feel of those hot soft lips caressing the sensitive flesh as they slid over the head of his cock, and the strong grip of her warm hand, all fought for his attention. It’s Not What You Say; It’s How You Say ItBody Language Basics for Writers
What is Body Language?A term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communications. Considered “paralanguage” which describes all forms of human communication that is not verbal. Can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
The total impact of a message is:7% verbal (words)38% vocal (tone of voice, inflection, and other sounds)55% nonverbal (body language)
How does Body Language reveal emotions and thoughts?Body Language is an outward reflection of a person’s emotional conditionHardwired from our pasts when body language and vocal, not words, comprised communication.Dominated by biological rules that control our actions, reactions, body language and gestures.Human animal is rarely aware that our postures, movements, and gestures can tell one story, the truth, while our words are telling another.
Can Body Language Be Faked?Language can be faked but body’s physical reactions cannot.Politians, interviewees, pageant contestants – use studiously learned body movements but even the most expert can only fake body language a short period.Physical reactions are the key:Pupil dilationSweatingBlushingInvoluntary mouth movements like a split-second sneerForehead crease, crow’s feet
Women are More PerceptiveYour heroine can read the hero and other characters better because:Commonly referred to as woman’s intuitionInnate ability to pick up and decipher nonverbal signals and an accurate eye for small details.Particularly evident in women who have raised children since the first few years, the mother relies almost solely on the nonverbal to communicate with the child.Woman have between 14-16 areas of brain to evaluate other’s behavior – men have 4-6.Female brain is organized for multi-tasking – which is why men lose plot when women try to communicate to them during show.More white around their eyes
It’s in the EyesUnwittingly referring to the size of the person’s pupils and to gaze behaviorsExcitement, happiness, lustPupils can dilate up to four times their original sizeDilation also associated with problem-solving, mental activities – dilating to maximum when a decision is reached.Angry, negative moodPupils restrict to what are commonly known as “beady little eyes” or “snake eyes”Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it’s easier to see the dilation – we can read the other person better. This is why dark eyes are considered mysterious.Key signal in courtship – purpose of eye makeup is to emphasize eye display. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna, a tincture containing atropine into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make themselves look more desirable.Dimly lit places prove to be more successful in romantic encounters – everyone’s pupils dilate. This is why you’ll need to reflect more body language.
LyingMost people associate looking away with lyingLook at the pupils and other tells – pupils constrictedRapid eye blinking
Sexual Attraction – What each sex looks at:WomenMore time on face – mouth, eyes and hairSize and buildClothes – shoes, rings and other jewelryButtCrotchLeg lengthMenBreastsLeg lengthGenerally scans from ground up – feet, legs, crotch, torso, breasts, shoulders and then face.Men who keep their gaze focused on woman’s face rather than her body are consistently rated as being more attractive.Studies show that most men are not hardwired to read a woman’s first gaze signal so she usually needs to repeat it three times for the average man, four times for a slow man and five or more for the especially thick man.
Getting a Man’s AttentionRegular furtive glances with intervals of three to five seconds, decreasing as interest develops to two to three seconds.Staring and full of intensityHide and seek game of sneaking looks and flashing glances
Brain’s Response to ThreatFreeze – to avoid detection by dangerous predators or in dangerous situations and/or to give yourself the opportunity to assess the situation and decide on a response.Stop suddenly, perhaps strike himself on the head before turning aroundA nervous interviewee holds her breath or breaths shallowlyA person being questioned about a crime locks legs interlocked behind the chair legs (position of security)Another – diminishing of the body – hunching shoulders (turtle effect)Flight – to escape the threat or to distance oneself from danger.Lean away, place an object or objects on her lap, or turning her feet toward the nearest exit, closing eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing hands in front of the face (blocking)Distancing non-verbal behaviorsHolding one leg at right angle to his body, feet pointing to nearest exitClasping of the knees and shifting of body weight on the feet Feet shift from flat-footed to the “starter’s position” like a sprinter Fight – this is the brain’s final tactic for survival through aggression. When a person cannot avoid detection by freezing and cannot protect himself by escaping, fight is the only alternative.Fight response is does not always mean physical attackOne form of modern aggression is verbal altercation as in arguingUsing posture to show aggression – puffing out the chest, violating another’s personal space
Pacifying BehaviorsAdapters – serve to calm us down after we experience something unpleasant or downright nasty – brain enlists the body to provide comforting (pacifying) behaviorsChewing GumBiting pencils/pensTouching the face, neck or lipsPlaying with hair or stroking a beardStroking tops of hands or fingersPlaying with a necklace or adjusting cuff linksRubbing the foreheadSmoothing down the front of a shirt or adjusting a tieLicking the lipsSelf-administered body hug – crossing their arms and rubbing their hands against their shoulders as if experiencing a chillMassaging the earlobe with thumb or forefingerMen prefer to touch their faces; women prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms and hair
Anxious/Impatient/Nervous/Tense/FearfulFingertip Claspstraight arm extended handshakehand clench - chin levelfingers to mouthear rubback neck rub - looking upsingle arm crossadjusting watch/bracelet or sleevesleg lock position - no coldfoot tapping or wagging w/redundant foot movementhair twistingtwisting of neck chainclear throatswallowgulpjaw drop/open mouthdry mouthwet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingercatch in throatraspy voice unable to speakmale – bobbing/jumping Adam’s appleperspire (palms/face/neck/armpits) = cold sweatpale skinlean/angle away from what’s making person anxiousmake oneself smaller to reduce exposure to dangertense lips, neck, shoulder musclesarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenneutral facial expression = do not approachno eye contactrapid eye blinkprotruding eyeballswide eyes tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthdilated pupilsflared nostrilsFrowncryingincreased breathing rate/rapid heartbeattremble, especially lipschattering of teethhair bristlingclenched fists drumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyAngling body away; "Don't touch me."Release of underarm scent; "Go away! I am unappealing! I stink!"Increase in breathing rate. "I'm going to run away!"Trembling and/or chattering teeth. "I want to run away!"Crouching. "Don't hurt me!"Crying. "I'm hurt enough!"Displacement gestures; "How did THIS happen?"Fast eye-blink rate. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"Fear grin. "I'm friendly! Honest!"Widely opened flashbulb eyes. "I can't believe this!"Unconscious escape motions designed to remove a body part, or parts, from danger (e.g., flexing the neck to lower and protect the head). "Don't hit me!"Freeze reactions; "Am I in danger?"Hair-bristling; "I feel danger!"Accelerated heart rate. "I'm getting ready to run away!"Tightened shoulder muscle tension; "It's going to hit me!"Screaming; "Don't touch me!"Squirm cues; "Let go of me."Staring eyes with wide-dilated pupils; "How much danger am I in?"Sweaty palms. "I don't wanna touch that!"Tense-mouth. "Don't make me bite you."Throat-clearing. "I want to vomit."Audibly tense tone-of-voice, either low and close to a growl, "I'm warning you..." or high to present a non-threatening sound. "I'm not a threat!"Yawning. "I have no fangs, see? I'm not a predator!"rearing back
Arrogant/Disdainfulmocking bow of head or upper torsolift chinlook down nosejut chinlift one eyebrowtilt head backnarrowed eyescompressed lips/mouthlip raised/curled in sneerhands on hipslook down one’s noseflared nostrilsloud voiceyawn
Boredhand to chin & cheekfoot tapping or wagging
Coldfolded arms - coldleg lock position - cold
Confident/Bravehands behind the back - clasped togetherhands behind the head - relaxedcrossing the kneesankle on kneeankle to ankle leg crosssquare shouldersfull body displaystand erect/tallhands on hipsswagger when walking
Confused/Puzzled/Uncertainfrownslack jawpoutpursed lipswet lips with tongue/touch lips with fingertongue clenched between lipssuck thumbmouth turned downwardclenched jawclear throatlowered eyelidselbow raised with hand behind headscratch headtug on eartap cheek with fingerrub back of neck with one handWrinkled nosescratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodyhug waist with armsshrug shouldersraspy/thready voiceInvoluntary sideward eye movements; "Where is the danger coming from?"Self-touching gestures; "Am I still in one piece?"Frown; "I don't want that…"Hand-behind-head; "I don't like it."Side-to-side head-shakes "No."Sideward head-tilts; "I don't want that…"Lip-pout, lip-purse, and tense-mouth expressions "That looks like it tastes bad."Palm-up gestures; "I surrender."Shoulder-shrug; "Don't touch me."
Curioushand steepling - loweredclosed hand, index finger extendedhand on lower jaw w/chin strokinghead tilthead cocked to one sidewrinkled nose/browpursed lipsraised browwide eyesfinger touch to cheek/jaw
Defeatedhand clench - chest levelhand chop @ chest levelslumped/hunched shouldersvacant expressiontoneless voice
Defensive/Aggressive/Angry/Enragedopen palm out or downclosed palm w/Ext Fingerhandshake on topPower handshake (knuckle cruncher)hand chop @ chinhand behind the back - holding wrist or armthumb presentationhands behind the head - lean back/'chin upfolded arms - no coldfolded arms w/clenched fistsarm gripping (both arms)backward head tiltnose flareskewed mouthtense jaw/mouthcompressed mouth/lipsbiting bottom lipsneerguttural throat soundsloud speech/yell/screamjutted chinclenched jawfrownwrinkled noseflared nostrilswidened eyesprotruding eyeballsdilated pupilsbody displayed broadsidesquared shouldersshrug shouldersbody held erect/stand tallhead jerks tick in cheek/eye/corner of mouthhead brought forwardclenched fistsdrumming/tapping fingerspalms down, beating gesture/flailing hands/armsred face/neck/earshitting something with fistsstiff walkingJaws tensed to a biting position; "I'm going to bite you!"Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders, and/or hands-on-hips; "I'm bigger than you."Cut-off and head-jerk cues; "No. I don't want that."Hand-behind-head / hand-above-head. "I may or may not strike you."Fists, palm-down beating gestures. "I will strike you!"Frowning and tense-mouth expressions; "Don't make me bite you."Growling voice tones; "Consider me a threat."Staring; "I consider you a threat."Gaze avoidance; the head is turned fully away to one side; "Run while I am not looking and I will not attack you."Eyebrow raise; "Are you challenging me?"Hands-on-hips posture; "I'm ready for battle."Head-tilt-back; "I dare you to bite me."Palm-down gesture; "Do I need to strike you?"Swagger walk; "I'm stronger than you."Table-slap; "I will strike you!"Lower tone of voice, close to a growl. "Don't make me bite you."Wedge-shaped Chest expansion, squaring of shoulders; "I'm bigger than you."Direct stare; "I consider you a threat."Looming with chin down; "I will bite you."
Disagree/Disgusted/Abhorrent/Revulsiondistance from objectturn or face away/shift body awayturning one’s backlean backfold arms across upper chest/lower abdomencut off hand gesturesneerroll eyesnarrowed eyesno eye contactwrinkled noseflared nostrilsbackward head jerkshead shakeprotrusion of tongueguttural throat soundspursed lipsthin lipstongue pressed between lipsclenched jawCurled upper lip, a retracted upper lip, and mouth movements. "I feel like vomiting."Digestive sounds of revulsion. Guttural sounds ("ach" or "ugh"); "I AM going to vomit!"Narrowed or partly closed eyes; "I don't want to see that!"Lowered brows of the frown face. "I don't want to smell that!"Backward head-jerks and side-to-side head-shakes. "I don't want to taste that!"Visible protrusions of the tongue. "I can see that it tastes bad."
Disbelief/Skeptical/Suspiciouslifted eyebrowarch eyebrownarrowed eyescompressed lips/Down-turned mouthhead shakeclenched jawshoulder shrug
Embarrassed clear throatswallowgulpwet lips with tonguemale: bobbling or jumping Adam’s appleflushed skinhot/tingling skinlack of eye contactbreathiness
Friendly/Love/Infatuatedhandshake not up or downgloved handshake (2 hands)handshake w/clasping armhand steepling - raisedhair stroking & head tossinghead tilt - when man presentraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyesraised eyebrows - rapid and widen eyes w/longer duration
Friendly/Love/Infatuated (cont)head tilted to one sidehead/hair tossshoulder shrugstand up straighter, more alertpull in stomachskin blush or palechange in body smelldraw attention to lips (i.e. wet with tongue, pout) touch own bodystroke or push hair away from faceadjust clothinghand on hip to expose wrist and/or palmincreased heart ratehug/snuggle/nuzzlenose rubplayful bite tongue touches lipkissbat eyelidsflirting glancenarrowed eyesdeliberate eye contact/holding gazeeyes roam over other person's face, linger on throat, breasts/chest, body in deliberate signal of interest dilated pupilscaress with fingertips or lipsticklehold handsstroke other person's palm with thumb lingering touchextend or reach out with arms/hands man - place open hand at the small of woman's back while walking = you're mine/I'm in commandfemale: sway hips when walking\male: saunterthigh contactfacial flushgaze down coyly sighsmilebreathinesshusky voicethroaty voicegiggleflattering commentsPhysical contact, including hugs and kisses. "I like you."Increased breathing rate; "I want to smell you."Courtship behavior; "I want to make love to you."Direct gaze with wide pupils; "I find you pleasing to look at."Facial flushing; blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Head-tilt-side; "Do I have your attention?"Increased heart rate; to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.Mimic of behavior and/or appearance; "We make a set, we belong together."Softened tone of voice; "If you want to hear what I say, come closer."Closing personal distance; "I want to touch you."
Humor/Happinesssmileanimated eyes/expressiontears in eyes/crying/sobbingtightening of the throat/inability to speakquivering chindilated pupilsraise/lift eyebrows to widen eyesfacial flushlaugh (can be silent)hugging upper abdomen/lower chest sigha. Laugh or smileb. Tears; "I am overwhelmed."
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissiveopen palm uphandshake on bottomDead fish handshakebowed headhead tilted to one sideLowered chindown-turned eyesno direct eye contacttight-lippedsilentslumped/hunched shouldersshrug shouldersturn body inward to make smalleropen palmsarms next to sidepoutlow voiceTurning away "No thank you."Body-bend, body-shift, and bowing "Please don't…"Displacement cues "How did THIS happen?"Facial flushing; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell. ; Blood rushing to enhance the senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell.
Humble/Deferential/Non-aggressive/Submissive (cont)gaze-down; "I am not a threat."give-way; "I will not challenge you."head-tilt-side; "Don't…"Mimic of superior's body movements "I will not challenge you."laughing; "I will not challenge you."palms-up; "I surrender."exaggerated personal distance; "Don't touch me."pigeon toes; "I can't chase you, I am not a threat."shoulder-shrugging; "Don't touch me."shyness; "Don't notice me."difficulty gazing directly at, or cross lines of sight with, a dominant individual. "I don't want to challenge you."higher vocal pitch "I'm weak, and helpless."yawning; "No fangs, see? I am not a threat."
Lying/Deceptionhand/finger to mouthhand over mouthhand over mouth w/finger under noseeye rubback neck rub - looking downgazing down/lack of eye contactsweaty palms/head/neck/armpitsraising upward on/lifting toesscratching/rubbing/pinching/holding parts of bodydilated pupilsrapid eye blinkpretending excitement to convincelips pressed togetherdarting tongueclear throatfalse smilereticence/withdrawal from contactshoulder shrugtouching forehead/jaw with handfacial flushing, especially around eyesdeliberate control of body energy = fewer movements, stiffness of demeanorwheedling tone of voice
Sad/Depressed/Grief/Pain tears standing in eyes/crying/sobbingnarrowed eyesclosed eyestightening of the throatinability to speakrepeated swallowingquivering chinpoutcompressed/down-turned mouth or lipschew lipflared nostrilswrinkled nose/ browforward bowing of body, turning in on oneselfarms folded across lower chest/upper abdomenlethargyclenched fiststiffness of bodyhand over heartslumped posture/drooping shouldersgazing downwardsigh wavering voicetoneless voiceBowing postures; "I'm terribly sorry."Cry face and lip-pout; "Please don't hurt me anymore."Gazing-down; "I am not a challenge."Slumped flexed-forward posture of the shoulders; "I give up."Audible sigh; "I give up."Compressed lips; "No, I don't want that."wide eyes w/blinking
Surprisewide eyesbrows arched upwardopen mouthparted lipsgrimacewide eyesfixated starerapid eye blinkstartle reflexsudden intake of breathdrawing back of bodyhead jerked/thrown backexclamation
Summary of common Facial Cues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Nose:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) nostril flare; "Oh that scent!" (arousal, rivalry)b) nose wrinkle; (disgust)
2. Lips:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) grin (happiness, friendship, contentment)b) grimace (fear)c) lip-compression (anger, emotion, frustration)d) canine snarl (disgust)e) lip-pout (sadness, submission, uncertainty)f) lip-purse (disagree)g) sneer (contempt)
3. Brows:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) frown (anger, sadness, concentration)b) brow-raise (intensity)
4. Tongue:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tongue-show (dislike, disagree)
5. Eyelids:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) flashbulb eyes (surprise)b) widened (excitement, surprise)c) narrowed (threat, disagreement)d) fast-blink (arousal)e) normal-blink (relaxed)
6. Eyes:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a) big pupils (arousal, fight-or-flight)b) small pupils (rest-and-digest)c) direct-gaze (affiliate, threaten)d) gaze cut-off (dislike, disagree)e) gaze-down (submission, deception)f) CLEMS* (thought processing) This is an acronym for "Conjugate Lateral Eye Movement." When the eyes move sideward (to the right or left) in response to a question. Rightward movement is associated with symbolic thinking, or Memory, (what we KNOW,) while Leftward Movement is associated with visual thinking, or Creativity, (what we INVENT).
Starsight on AmazonSTARSIGHTVOLUME IICHAPTER ONETHE ENEMY...
Starsight on AmazonSTARSIGHTVOLUME II
CHAPTER ONETHE ENEMY’S MOVE
The Mourna stretched her wings in the dead night and honed her beak against the ancient stones for what must have been the hundredth time. Nissa stood on the central tower and craned her neck to see beyond the horizon. Initially all that greeted her almost human eyes was the black night in a clear eastern sky and faint icy stars. Had there been anything left of her heart, it would have broken. Crippling loneliness had turned her emotions to stone long ago, so that now all she could feel was a kind of soft pain and a thud of emptiness. Where is Dornarth? Why has he not returned? She scanned the horizon with those odd eyes and took a deep breath. If Dornarth dies, there will be only one of us left—me. The thought sparked something deep within her like satisfaction. Perhaps it is better that way. The Mourna had flown to the tower because of the starling dreams. She had dreamt she was a child again, a human child. Dewy grass had cooled her tiny pink feet and a garland of wild korfra had crowned her golden hair like jewels. It was a happy time, a time of innocence, a springtide of youth. How did it happen? How did I become this monster? Oh, yes, now I remember. It was an attack by night, the screams of her mother and father, the sudden silence—the blood. Then he came. Sirdar, the madman, surrounded by his servants, the giant ebony sasarans with their shining black horns, the laminia with their hideous mouths, and a shadow of fear, the daligon. How old had she been? Six? Seven? Nissa did not know or care anymore. All she had known then was fear, then later pain, and still later complete degradation when she woke one morning forever encased in the body of a grim and deadly bird. Nissa looked at the wings where hands and arms had been and the taloned claws that were once running feet—human feet. How she hated him. How she loathed him for the creature he had made her—and yet, how faithfully the Mourna had served him, as they all had. Her mother and father who died early, her brother who went mad and threw himself from this very ledge, the villagers and royalty of Cortaim, each tortured, broken, and then enslaved by the touch of the catalyst and Sirdar’s compelling persuasion. Sirdar said only the most worthy would receive the gift: a nightmarish existence as the black Mourna. That honor went to twenty-five of them. Sirdar created the horrors in the far north and then waited until he could force a human spirit into the feathered monsters. He tortured them into submission, so they could release the deadly cry of the creature’s voice, fill the blank eyes with human fire, and bring to life the lump of ice that served as a heart. Yes, they had all served him—and hated him. Then he had fallen, had died under the mountain. They were free from his corrupt touch. Their joy was short-lived. People hunted them like the atrocities they had become. They knew no better. One by one, the Mournas fell to the blades of revenge, until deep beneath the blackened waste of Mt. Cortaim, starved, weak, and beaten, the final six hid from sight. Season after season passed, and over the long torment, four more died. When the master returned, only two remained—Dornarth the Warrior, and his mate Nissa, the Weaver of Enchantment. When Sirdar came before them with renewed strength and demands, they tried to rail against him—tried to fight the words, the voice, the compelling command of the red fire—but they could no longer resist his will. Again, they served him. Nissa could not decide, even now, whom she hated more—Sirdar or herself. She had wanted to live, even if it meant a half-life in the shell of a perversion. No, she thought again, I hate him more. It was the only thing that kept her alive. “Do you despise me so much, my pet? Have I not been kind to you?” Nissa bowed her head low and closed her eyes to the shadow that had appeared at her back, terror seizing her heart. “Forgive me, master. I did not hear you approach. What is your command?” It was everything she could do to keep the spite from her voice. “You can answer my question, Mourna.” The finely manipulated tones of Sirdar’s voice made Nissa cry out in pain. “Do you hate me so much?” The Mourna cursed herself for not guarding her thoughts. “Hate you, sire?” She did not lift her eyes for fear they would betray her. “You are my lord, my master. How could I hate you?” “It is well to remember that, my pet.” Sirdar then chuckled. “Keep your hate, Nissa. It will serve me, as all things do, in the end.” He crossed to the stone railing and leaned toward the east. “You seek news of Dornarth, yes?” The bird lifted her head and regarded the demon’s back. “I was wondering when he would return, my lord.” Sirdar folded his hands and the crimson hood tilted. “He will not return. But you already knew that.” The Mourna stared at the dark sea, her voice as fragile as spring ice. “Yes, sire. I suppose I have always known.” There was a sadistic glower in the eyes that sparkled from beneath the cowl. “Does it bother you?” Nissa twisted her neck and blinked at the sky, trying desperately to dig up some emotion from deep within her numbed existence. She knew there should be sadness, loss, or even hopelessness, but those feelings were as foreign to her now as dewy grass on naked human feet. There was nothing left in her—only hate. “No,” she answered flatly. Sirdar’s cruel chuckle His voice chocked to a stop abruptly and he staggered back. It was the first time she had ever seen fear in those blazing red eyes and it terrified her. “Quickly, Nissa, take me to the Tower,” he said harshly. He jumped to her back and clung to the feathers until her eyes watered. She leapt into the air and took him high above the castle. When they landed on the landing before the tall tower, he stumbled to the railing like a drunkard and stared out at the sea. Uncertainty trembled in his hands as they rested on the ancient stone. The daligon appeared as a shadow behind them and rushed to Sirdar. “Master!” the shadow hissed urgently. “I felt…” “Silence!” Sirdar leaned against the railing and intently watched the horizon. He spoke fiercely under his breath in a language Nissa did not know. Then, for a long time he stood very still. A small breeze lifted from the east. As it picked up speed, Sirdar swayed to its rhythm. In a startling movement, he brought a black-gloved fist hard against the stone railing that shattered the ancient granite. “No! I am not ready!” Sirdar cried at the stars. He put a finger to his lips and thought for a long time. He finally whirled on the shadow at his back. “What strength have we left in reserve?” he spat at the daligon. “Nearly three-quarters, my lord,” the shadow whispered. “They prepare for the final attack.” “How is our progress on the field?” The daligon moved closer to Sirdar. “Would you have me speak truthfully, lord?” Sirdar’s eyes flashed brightly and the cloud surrounding his head swirled in violent eddies. “Do you imply the reports are false, demon?” The shadow lowered before the hooded Sirdar. “Not false, sire. However, your generals are perhaps more optimistic than the facts warrant. The troops move the humans back, yes, though slowly, mere inches in days rather than leagues, as they should. There is a captain among them, a westerner named Sark DeMontaire. He drives his people with hope and fills them with such strength of will, everywhere he appears the humans sing as they fight. The idiot laminia flee from his bright eyes and many southern humans have deserted our ranks to join the Thrain scum. Wherever he rides, he cries the emperor’s name and his soldiers take up the challenge until the field rings with the noise. “Lord,” he continued urgently in that dark whisper. “If I could have your leave, I would take half of those that yet remain and march them against this cur from the west. We will trample him under our beasts’ hooves to capture Thrain. I would deem it a personal honor, my lord, to rid the Palimar Plains of this menace Sark, whom I am certain would flee like a frightened mongrel at my approach.” “You think so, daligon?” Sirdar said quietly. “Then you do not know this mercenary or the master he serves so well.” “You know him, my lord?” “It is the breed I know; the hero who fights for what he thinks is right, then finds in the end it is all for nothing, save the vile taste of honor.” Sirdar’s bitter words robbed the air of substance for a moment, and both creatures gasped for breath until his rage passed. “We have little time, watchman. I will give you what you wish…indeed, more. Release all that remain tonight and smash them down!” “All, lord?” the daligon hissed. “That would leave Cortaim without protection.” “It will matter little, daligon. You will do as I say.” The shadow bowed low. “Immediately, my lord.” “Now,” Sirdar said to the shadow, but regarded Nissa, “that boy, the one Balinar said the deinos captured. Where is he?” “We still have not been able to locate him,” the daligon replied. “We suspect he must be somewhere east of Dru. I can send the tarsian out again to search if you wish, sire.” “No,” Sirdar replied thoughtfully. “I will attend to it personally. How long will it take the soldiers to reach the Palimar Plains?” The daligon remained silent as he calculated. “From here, lord, a fortnight, perhaps a day or two longer.” There was no passion in Sirdar’s smoldering eyes. “You have fifteen days, no more, watchman. Do you understand?” Again, the daligon bowed. “Yes, my lord, fifteen days. With your permission, I must make haste to the camps.” Sirdar nodded and the daligon rushed down the wide ramp, disappearing into the night. Nissa returned her master’s gaze and lowered her head. “What is your command, lord?” Sirdar ran a gloved hand seductively along her neck, sending a repugnant chill through her spine. “A special task for you, my sweet, to prove your loyalty.” She looked down at him and those crimson eyes narrowed. “No, I do not trust you, but I do not need to. After you take me on a small errand, you will fly to the Isle of Dru. If you succeed, we will reunite you with your lost humanity. What would you do for that?” Desire flickered unguarded through her mind. “Anything, my lord,” she whispered. Sirdar pointed to the east. “You are about to witness the end of many things. After you have watched, then give me your answer.” On the horizon, looking like the rosy haze of sunrise, a faint light began to shine. The hour was too soon for dawn. She suddenly realized what it was, a pillar of fire rising in the sky. “You witness the fall of Sanctum, Nissa, the fall of wisdom, knowledge, and the last hope of peace for these people. You also witness the destruction of Dornarth your lover, Balinar the Heretic, and Palarine the old fool. An era has passed, my pet, and a new world is about to emerge. The Sight is born tonight.” The unbridled fervor in his voice startling Nissa. “Watch well. For a force has awoken in the world you will never see again. Trenara will be mine—all of creation will be mine—and Joshan will fall to darkness, as the island has. Light will be gone from the universe forever. Such is my revenge. “I now ask you again, Mourna. What would you do to become human, faced with only eternal darkness?” Great tears formed in her cold, almost-human eyes for the first time in twenty seasons, but she did not speak. “What will you do, Nissa?” he breathed into her ear. “Anything, my master,” she whispered. Sirdar’s voice was as cold as death. “Then this is what I command…” As the light faded, a great rolling thunder of drums echoed across the valley floor beyond Cortaim, heralding the troops that would march to crush the empire.
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