Molly O'Keefe's Blog, page 28
November 5, 2012
Naughty and Nice Anthology OUT NOW!!
Hey gang - I have a little early Christmas cheer. My Christmas Anthology Naughty and Nice, is out today. My story All I Want For Christmas Is You, is a prequel to my January 29th release of Crazy Thing Called Love.
There are a lot of fun things about this book:
1. Not only do you get my prequel but you get holiday stories from the incredibly talented Ruthie Knox and Stefanie Sloan!
2. It's a 1.99 - honestly, check it out for yourself.
3. We're also running a really fun 12 Days of Christmas Promotion over at the USA TODAY blog
So, a little Christmas cheer to get you through Thanksgiving!
There are a lot of fun things about this book:
1. Not only do you get my prequel but you get holiday stories from the incredibly talented Ruthie Knox and Stefanie Sloan!
2. It's a 1.99 - honestly, check it out for yourself.
3. We're also running a really fun 12 Days of Christmas Promotion over at the USA TODAY blog
So, a little Christmas cheer to get you through Thanksgiving!
November 1, 2012
Writers Talking About Writing: Maureen McGowan and Deviants
We've talked to a lot of writers here at DWT - about process and craft and some of the details about the books they're working on or promoting. So, we thought we'd turn the attention to Maureen and some of the thought-provoking writerly things she's learned on the DEVIANTS journey.
Fine out more about the book or order it here
1. One of the things I was really impressed with about Deviants are the action sequences. What's your approach to action sequences, to keeping them fresh and clear?
Thank you! With action scenes, I usually have a picture in my head of what’s going to happen before I start writing. Not always every detail, but I like to plan the bones and know what must happen during the scene to move the story forward. Once I’ve got the overall shape of the scene planned, I try to write it as fast as I can—without worrying about mistakes or wording.
Sometimes magic comes out. Sometimes it doesn’t. So, for me, the key to good action scenes is rewriting them. Taking out every unnecessary word and, more importantly, taking out every unnecessary action... For example, instead of, “She balled her fist, swung her arm and hit him,” it’s better to write, “She hit him,” or even better, she punched him, or she slugged him. The reader fills in the blanks in a well-written action scene, and makes it into a movie in his or her head—which might not be the exact same movie as another reader’s, but that doesn’t matter as long as the outcome is the same. Better than boring the reader with detail or having them skim.
Usually my first drafts have too much detail, particularly in sections where the action is complicated and I was having trouble choreographing the movement. So, I often need to trim and trim and trim until I get it right. And sometimes it’s the opposite. Sometimes it’s so spare I can barely understand what I wrote in the first draft and I have to add words or intermediary movements to make it clear where everyone is and what went on. But my general rule is that simple is best.
You often hear that action scenes should be written using short sentences. And I think that’s right to some degree. But I think the rhythm matters more. A series of short choppy sentences can actually stall the flow of an action scene. A long, well-written sentence can simulate movement and speed.
Sometimes it’s less about short sentences and more about having a sentence go on and on until the action builds to a climax and then—pow—adding a short sentence for impact. Simple sentence structures are best, especially if you make them long, because they require less punctuation to be clear. Punctuation can slow reading down too. (Unless it’s necessary for clarity...)
I also think that action scenes should have a minimum amount of internalization, physical reaction, and description. They need *some* of those things, though, or they’ll seem detached. But it’s important not to add those elements in huge chunks. If you do, it will dramatically slow things down. Also, if you’re writing in deep POV or in first person present like I did in DEVIANTS, you can’t add things the character wouldn’t have time to think.
2. Glory your main character has a huge arc over three books. Looking at the books, how much planning went into that arc, how much of it was a happy accident?
Oh, that’s an unfair question because I think you know the answer and how confused I get about this at times. LOL.
I could lie, but in all honesty, it was a bit of both. The second book in the trilogy COMPLIANCE (May, 2013) comes closest to the original story idea I was contemplating before I started to develop DEVIANTS. (Which was actually an idea for an adult urban fantasy.) So plot-wise I wanted DEVIANTS to get Glory to the right place to tell that story in COMPLIANCE.
I also knew right from the start that something devastating was going to happen in the first book that would be difficult to get over. (No spoilers!) So, I knew that I’d probably need all three books in the trilogy to cover her dealing with the emotional turmoil of that, and to let her heal.
But... some parts were happy accidents too. I wrote DEVIANTS under the gun. I had just left my first agent when I was starting it, and knew that I’d need something strong to attract the caliber of agent I wanted going forward, so I just wrote the crap out of DEVIANTS (as Sinead would say) without really worrying too much about how the rest of the series would go.
When I contacted my now agent for the first time, I told him I had a trilogy planned out, but, well, it was only very loosely planned.
After he signed me, he wanted to get DEVIANTS out on submission within a week, so I barely had any time to clean up the manuscript—never mind plan and write synopses for the second two books. But it’s amazing what can happen under pressure. And of course, the stories have changed from those quickly drafted synopses that went out on submission. But at least those synopses showed editors that I had a full story arc thought out for the trilogy—even if there was some crazy repetition of similar plot points along the way.
3. Do each of the books have a different 'feel' in your head? How would you describe the three books compared to each other?
Hmmm... I think the main character arc that spans all 3 books is moving from distrust to trust. In others and yourself. She has steps forward and back along that continuum throughout the trilogy.
But back to your question. (I was stalling...)
DEVIANTS is essentially an escape story. A quest. A story of discovery in many ways.
The second book, COMPLIANCE, is more of a spy story, full of deceptions and double crosses. It’s also more psychological as Glory is dealing with her loneliness, loss and guilt. COMPLIANCE has a claustrophobic setting, and I like that the setting is almost a metaphor for how much she’s in her head in that book.
The third book... um... I still haven’t finished it, but it’s tentatively called GLORY. It’s about deciding what’s important, what you’re willing to do for others, and whether the ends justify the means. It’s also a story about recovery and redemption and a story of heroism and bravery. But not typical—lead the charge into war—kind of heroism. I hope it’s about heroism demonstrated in an unexpected way.
I think if one could argue that Katnis in The Hunger Games Trilogy ends up being like Joan of Arc, then Glory in The Dust Chronicles trilogy is more like Madame Currie—sacrificing a piece of herself for the greater good, rather than leading everyone into battle. I find it somewhat implausible when teen characters lead adults—not that they aren’t capable; it’s more that I don’t think many adults would be willing to be led by teens—so I wanted to find a way for Glory to make a key difference, to be the hero in a pro-active way, without her leading the charge.
Note to self: Madame Currie? Really? Nothing more sexy and exciting than that! ;) Not sure why she popped into mind, except that science and experiments are involved.
Second note to self: Clarify your thoughts on book three—STAT. What a jumbled mess that description was!
4. If you could have a Deviance what would it be?
Good one! I definitely wouldn’t want Glory’s Deviance that’s for sure. It would be horrible to know that you couldn’t make eye contact when you were emotional, without hurting the other person. When you’re emotional is often when you most want to make contact!
There’s a character in COMPLIANCE who can make himself invisible. I think that might be kind of cool. But I think what I’d really like is to be able to fly. A boy in COMPLIANCE has wings, but he hasn’t had an opportunity yet to spread them.
Fine out more about the book or order it here
1. One of the things I was really impressed with about Deviants are the action sequences. What's your approach to action sequences, to keeping them fresh and clear?
Thank you! With action scenes, I usually have a picture in my head of what’s going to happen before I start writing. Not always every detail, but I like to plan the bones and know what must happen during the scene to move the story forward. Once I’ve got the overall shape of the scene planned, I try to write it as fast as I can—without worrying about mistakes or wording.
Sometimes magic comes out. Sometimes it doesn’t. So, for me, the key to good action scenes is rewriting them. Taking out every unnecessary word and, more importantly, taking out every unnecessary action... For example, instead of, “She balled her fist, swung her arm and hit him,” it’s better to write, “She hit him,” or even better, she punched him, or she slugged him. The reader fills in the blanks in a well-written action scene, and makes it into a movie in his or her head—which might not be the exact same movie as another reader’s, but that doesn’t matter as long as the outcome is the same. Better than boring the reader with detail or having them skim.
Usually my first drafts have too much detail, particularly in sections where the action is complicated and I was having trouble choreographing the movement. So, I often need to trim and trim and trim until I get it right. And sometimes it’s the opposite. Sometimes it’s so spare I can barely understand what I wrote in the first draft and I have to add words or intermediary movements to make it clear where everyone is and what went on. But my general rule is that simple is best.
You often hear that action scenes should be written using short sentences. And I think that’s right to some degree. But I think the rhythm matters more. A series of short choppy sentences can actually stall the flow of an action scene. A long, well-written sentence can simulate movement and speed.
Sometimes it’s less about short sentences and more about having a sentence go on and on until the action builds to a climax and then—pow—adding a short sentence for impact. Simple sentence structures are best, especially if you make them long, because they require less punctuation to be clear. Punctuation can slow reading down too. (Unless it’s necessary for clarity...)
I also think that action scenes should have a minimum amount of internalization, physical reaction, and description. They need *some* of those things, though, or they’ll seem detached. But it’s important not to add those elements in huge chunks. If you do, it will dramatically slow things down. Also, if you’re writing in deep POV or in first person present like I did in DEVIANTS, you can’t add things the character wouldn’t have time to think.
2. Glory your main character has a huge arc over three books. Looking at the books, how much planning went into that arc, how much of it was a happy accident?
Oh, that’s an unfair question because I think you know the answer and how confused I get about this at times. LOL.
I could lie, but in all honesty, it was a bit of both. The second book in the trilogy COMPLIANCE (May, 2013) comes closest to the original story idea I was contemplating before I started to develop DEVIANTS. (Which was actually an idea for an adult urban fantasy.) So plot-wise I wanted DEVIANTS to get Glory to the right place to tell that story in COMPLIANCE.
I also knew right from the start that something devastating was going to happen in the first book that would be difficult to get over. (No spoilers!) So, I knew that I’d probably need all three books in the trilogy to cover her dealing with the emotional turmoil of that, and to let her heal.
But... some parts were happy accidents too. I wrote DEVIANTS under the gun. I had just left my first agent when I was starting it, and knew that I’d need something strong to attract the caliber of agent I wanted going forward, so I just wrote the crap out of DEVIANTS (as Sinead would say) without really worrying too much about how the rest of the series would go.
When I contacted my now agent for the first time, I told him I had a trilogy planned out, but, well, it was only very loosely planned.
After he signed me, he wanted to get DEVIANTS out on submission within a week, so I barely had any time to clean up the manuscript—never mind plan and write synopses for the second two books. But it’s amazing what can happen under pressure. And of course, the stories have changed from those quickly drafted synopses that went out on submission. But at least those synopses showed editors that I had a full story arc thought out for the trilogy—even if there was some crazy repetition of similar plot points along the way.
3. Do each of the books have a different 'feel' in your head? How would you describe the three books compared to each other?
Hmmm... I think the main character arc that spans all 3 books is moving from distrust to trust. In others and yourself. She has steps forward and back along that continuum throughout the trilogy.
But back to your question. (I was stalling...)
DEVIANTS is essentially an escape story. A quest. A story of discovery in many ways.
The second book, COMPLIANCE, is more of a spy story, full of deceptions and double crosses. It’s also more psychological as Glory is dealing with her loneliness, loss and guilt. COMPLIANCE has a claustrophobic setting, and I like that the setting is almost a metaphor for how much she’s in her head in that book.
The third book... um... I still haven’t finished it, but it’s tentatively called GLORY. It’s about deciding what’s important, what you’re willing to do for others, and whether the ends justify the means. It’s also a story about recovery and redemption and a story of heroism and bravery. But not typical—lead the charge into war—kind of heroism. I hope it’s about heroism demonstrated in an unexpected way.
I think if one could argue that Katnis in The Hunger Games Trilogy ends up being like Joan of Arc, then Glory in The Dust Chronicles trilogy is more like Madame Currie—sacrificing a piece of herself for the greater good, rather than leading everyone into battle. I find it somewhat implausible when teen characters lead adults—not that they aren’t capable; it’s more that I don’t think many adults would be willing to be led by teens—so I wanted to find a way for Glory to make a key difference, to be the hero in a pro-active way, without her leading the charge.
Note to self: Madame Currie? Really? Nothing more sexy and exciting than that! ;) Not sure why she popped into mind, except that science and experiments are involved.
Second note to self: Clarify your thoughts on book three—STAT. What a jumbled mess that description was!
4. If you could have a Deviance what would it be?
Good one! I definitely wouldn’t want Glory’s Deviance that’s for sure. It would be horrible to know that you couldn’t make eye contact when you were emotional, without hurting the other person. When you’re emotional is often when you most want to make contact!
There’s a character in COMPLIANCE who can make himself invisible. I think that might be kind of cool. But I think what I’d really like is to be able to fly. A boy in COMPLIANCE has wings, but he hasn’t had an opportunity yet to spread them.
October 31, 2012
Where in the world is Maureen San Diego?
It was either that or a Where's Waldo reference. Not sure either works. :/
Happy Halloween!!
I received these flowers yesterday from my fabulous author-relations team at Amazon Children's Publishing. Isn't that amazing!
Here are a few places where you can find me on the web this week--and discover lots of revealing secrets interesting facts about me and about DEVIANTS.
Get Lost in a Story -- interviewed by Donnell Ann Bell
Diana Peterfreund's Blog -- She asked really interesting questions! (not surprisingly, if you know Diana or have read her fabulous books)
Honestly YA -- Interviewed by Jennifer McAndrews -- more really interesting questions... and a discussion about eating rat meat...
The Reading Cafe -- A fun interview and a great review!
Inkygirl -- Great interview wherein I offer lots of tips about writing and publishing
And there are giveaway options at most of the places! And below!
BIG TIP!
If you're not a gambler, and don't want to risk the giveaways, DEVIANTS is only $3.99 for the kindle right now, if you live in the US! (A bit more in Canada and elsewhere--click on the link to find out how much is is, where you are.) And the hardcover is on sale most places too!
I'm also thrilled that DEVIANTS is listing in the top 50 on Amazon under "spine tingling horror' which is kind of awesome, especially on Halloween!
On Friday, I'm super excited to be blogging at Omnivoracious! Where today, they're discussing great YA Halloween reads and Friday, I'll be talking about why adults do (and should if they don't) read teen fiction.
Tomorrow, I'm on the panel "Romancing the Beast" at the World Fantasy Convention. Fellow panelists include #1 NYT Bestselling author, Patricia Briggs! I think I'll just sit and listen to her. :)
And on Saturday, I'll be a VIP Guest at the Ontario Blog Squad's Annual Meet Up! Very excited to meet everyone there!
(And somehow, at the same time, I need to do line edits for COMPLIANCE, The Dust Chronicles #2, before Sunday night... Sleep? I hear it's overrated.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Deviants by Maureen McGowan Giveaway ends November 09, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
Sorry gentle readers for the blatant self promotion. :)
Happy Halloween!!
I received these flowers yesterday from my fabulous author-relations team at Amazon Children's Publishing. Isn't that amazing!
Here are a few places where you can find me on the web this week--and discover lots of revealing secrets interesting facts about me and about DEVIANTS.
Get Lost in a Story -- interviewed by Donnell Ann Bell
Diana Peterfreund's Blog -- She asked really interesting questions! (not surprisingly, if you know Diana or have read her fabulous books)
Honestly YA -- Interviewed by Jennifer McAndrews -- more really interesting questions... and a discussion about eating rat meat...
The Reading Cafe -- A fun interview and a great review!
Inkygirl -- Great interview wherein I offer lots of tips about writing and publishing
And there are giveaway options at most of the places! And below!
BIG TIP!
If you're not a gambler, and don't want to risk the giveaways, DEVIANTS is only $3.99 for the kindle right now, if you live in the US! (A bit more in Canada and elsewhere--click on the link to find out how much is is, where you are.) And the hardcover is on sale most places too!
I'm also thrilled that DEVIANTS is listing in the top 50 on Amazon under "spine tingling horror' which is kind of awesome, especially on Halloween!
On Friday, I'm super excited to be blogging at Omnivoracious! Where today, they're discussing great YA Halloween reads and Friday, I'll be talking about why adults do (and should if they don't) read teen fiction.
Tomorrow, I'm on the panel "Romancing the Beast" at the World Fantasy Convention. Fellow panelists include #1 NYT Bestselling author, Patricia Briggs! I think I'll just sit and listen to her. :)
And on Saturday, I'll be a VIP Guest at the Ontario Blog Squad's Annual Meet Up! Very excited to meet everyone there!
(And somehow, at the same time, I need to do line edits for COMPLIANCE, The Dust Chronicles #2, before Sunday night... Sleep? I hear it's overrated.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Deviants by Maureen McGowan Giveaway ends November 09, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
Sorry gentle readers for the blatant self promotion. :)
October 30, 2012
DEVIANTS Launch Day!
It's finally here. Although part of me wishes I had another month to do promo and get ready. But c'est la vie. :)
If you haven't seen it yet, here's the first chapter.
Deviants by Maureen McGowan - Chapter One
And I'm doing a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I've been pretty thrilled by the reviews for this book so far. Fingers crossed.
Here are a few photos from my launch. Like a dummy, I didn't give my camera to anyone to take photos and somehow didn't get a photo with Molly and Sinead. Oh, well. :) It was a blast.
The cake! (red velvet)
Me with my friend, middle grade author, Claudia Osmond
Me signing
Me signing in black and white. :)
Thanks so much to Debbie Ohi (illustrator of the fabulous picture book I'm Bored) for taking these photos!!
If you haven't seen it yet, here's the first chapter.
Deviants by Maureen McGowan - Chapter One
And I'm doing a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I've been pretty thrilled by the reviews for this book so far. Fingers crossed.
Here are a few photos from my launch. Like a dummy, I didn't give my camera to anyone to take photos and somehow didn't get a photo with Molly and Sinead. Oh, well. :) It was a blast.
The cake! (red velvet)
Me with my friend, middle grade author, Claudia Osmond
Me signing
Me signing in black and white. :)Thanks so much to Debbie Ohi (illustrator of the fabulous picture book I'm Bored) for taking these photos!!
October 29, 2012
WINNER OF THE NAUGHTY AND NICE BLOG HOP!
Well, the Drunk Writer part of it anyway. Thanks everyone for stopping by and saying hello. The winner of a whole big whack of books is: LAURIE!
As a special surprise I'm also going to giveaway a digital version of the Naughty and Nice Anthology to: Tracie Lampe!
Please Tracie - contact me through my website with your email address! Laurie - I'll be in touch.
Thanks again, everyone. It was fun!!
As a special surprise I'm also going to giveaway a digital version of the Naughty and Nice Anthology to: Tracie Lampe!
Please Tracie - contact me through my website with your email address! Laurie - I'll be in touch.
Thanks again, everyone. It was fun!!
October 22, 2012
HEY IT'S A HOP!!!
We have never done this - I have never done this - it's going to be a wild and fun experiment! Here are the deets:
This hop is all in celebration of the fantastic Christmas Anthology NAUGHTY AND NICE - my novella in it, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, is a prequel to my Jan book - CRAZY THING CALLED LOVE
So you hop around from site to site, entering to win:
Prizes - R@R is giving away (must be 18 or older to participate):
• 15 Net Galley Preview copy winners of Naughty & Nice +
• 5 ABOUT LAST NIGHT paper giveaways (US only) +
• Grand Prize of $15 Gift Certificate to eRetailer of choice!!
As a special little something here at Drunk Writer Talk - I am giving away a copy (digital or paper, your choice) of CAN'T BUY ME LOVE and CAN'T HURRY LOVE. Stephanie Doyle will giveaway a copy (digital or paper) each THE WAY BACK and ONE FINAL STEP. Eileen Rendahl will give a copy of DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER. And Maureen McGowan will giveaway a signed hard cover copy of her fantastic new YA, DEVIANTS.
This giveaway is open to North America but you have to be 18 years old to enter. So enter the big giveaway by using the form below. Enter the Drunk Writer giveaway by either following us, or saying hello in the comments. All the winners will be picked on 10/29. The Romance@Random winners will be posted over at Romance@Random. And I will post our winners here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This hop is all in celebration of the fantastic Christmas Anthology NAUGHTY AND NICE - my novella in it, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, is a prequel to my Jan book - CRAZY THING CALLED LOVE
So you hop around from site to site, entering to win:
Prizes - R@R is giving away (must be 18 or older to participate):
• 15 Net Galley Preview copy winners of Naughty & Nice +
• 5 ABOUT LAST NIGHT paper giveaways (US only) +
• Grand Prize of $15 Gift Certificate to eRetailer of choice!!
As a special little something here at Drunk Writer Talk - I am giving away a copy (digital or paper, your choice) of CAN'T BUY ME LOVE and CAN'T HURRY LOVE. Stephanie Doyle will giveaway a copy (digital or paper) each THE WAY BACK and ONE FINAL STEP. Eileen Rendahl will give a copy of DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER. And Maureen McGowan will giveaway a signed hard cover copy of her fantastic new YA, DEVIANTS.
This giveaway is open to North America but you have to be 18 years old to enter. So enter the big giveaway by using the form below. Enter the Drunk Writer giveaway by either following us, or saying hello in the comments. All the winners will be picked on 10/29. The Romance@Random winners will be posted over at Romance@Random. And I will post our winners here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 19, 2012
I miss Arrested Development
Television is amazing right now. Between Homeland, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries and more, the hour long drama has never been better written/ acted/ directed. And they are sustaining the greatness over several seasons, which is even more impressive.
But comedies just aren't quite there right now. I loved New Girl last season, but so far this season, it's been only OK for me. I enjoyed some episodes of Suburgatory, but last night watched the one from this week and barely chuckled. I got a little bored with Modern Family last season, so stopped watching and can't think of a comedy right now that makes me laugh out loud more than once an episode.
Louis CK is great, but it's more awkward humour and brilliant self-awareness than it is laughs a moment, and nothing has matched Arrested Development for me. Over three seasons that show was hilarious. The characters were almost completely unlikeable except for Jason Batemen and his son, and they seemed to take glee in making them as unlikeable as possible, but they were funny. I've watched all the episodes at least twice and actually physically jumped for joy when I found out they're making a movie.
Comedy is ridiculously hard, I get that, but I've had enough poignant laughs from Modern Family/ Suburgatory/ and almost every other comedy out there. I want to belly laugh. Anyone have any suggestions?
and, not to gush, but The Vamp diaries. Amazing. This season they are doing some incredible things with plotting and character. The scene where Damon walks into the church and smirks as he crosses himself with holy water was priceless.
But comedies just aren't quite there right now. I loved New Girl last season, but so far this season, it's been only OK for me. I enjoyed some episodes of Suburgatory, but last night watched the one from this week and barely chuckled. I got a little bored with Modern Family last season, so stopped watching and can't think of a comedy right now that makes me laugh out loud more than once an episode.
Louis CK is great, but it's more awkward humour and brilliant self-awareness than it is laughs a moment, and nothing has matched Arrested Development for me. Over three seasons that show was hilarious. The characters were almost completely unlikeable except for Jason Batemen and his son, and they seemed to take glee in making them as unlikeable as possible, but they were funny. I've watched all the episodes at least twice and actually physically jumped for joy when I found out they're making a movie.
Comedy is ridiculously hard, I get that, but I've had enough poignant laughs from Modern Family/ Suburgatory/ and almost every other comedy out there. I want to belly laugh. Anyone have any suggestions?
and, not to gush, but The Vamp diaries. Amazing. This season they are doing some incredible things with plotting and character. The scene where Damon walks into the church and smirks as he crosses himself with holy water was priceless.
October 18, 2012
Amnesia - Why we love it or hate it?
So earlier this week Molly talked about the Thomas novel which features an amnesia plot. Now the Amnesia plot in romance is a staple. I want to say it was almost like the “first trope”. The Adam and Eve of romance tropes.
I can tell you my first category book I ever wrote… amnesia. It’s like a rite of passage. Somewhere deep in our romance psyche we all have that burning amnesia story in us. I have actually planned for the 4th book in my Tyler Group series to be an amnesia story. Yikes!
Why are they problematic? Because they’ve been done to death. Because Soap Opera’s abused them horribly. Because getting hit on the head does not typically equal a total loss in memory. And getting hit on the head again – does not typically bring it back. Although certainly head trauma can equate to memory loss. As can emotional and psychological trauma.
As I’ve documented this year I’ve fallen back in love with 1995 Lois and Clark. In the typical horrifically plotted episodes we have Clark losing his memory after trying to destroy an asteroid. Then Lois losing her memory after hitting her head on a fire hydrant. Memory loss all over the place.
So why do we love it? Why does it work?
In the case of Lois and Clark – and we’ll take Lois (because in romancelandia it usually is the woman who suffers from the condition) - it’s a nice reset. We have two lovers, they are about to get married. They’ve worked out all their emotional issues but we’ve got 4 more episodes we have to produce. Bam! Amnesia – and now she doesn’t remember that she loves Clark and instead thinks she loves Lex Luther. Wonderful new conflict all created by a bonk to the head.
In romance though how is it used? Same scenario where the husband suddenly has to win back his wife? Or in Thomas’s case she used it to basically allow for a reset of a horrible relationship. So the heroine could forget everything the hero did to her and start over.
How am I using it? Well, someone is killed. She has blood on her hands. Only she doesn’t remember anything. Yep – totally cliché. See movie Dead Again with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.
So it has to be deeper. There has to be another reason.
Remember the moving Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford. In his case it was a bullet to the brain. And I remember the critics saying that he starts out as a jerk and the only thing that reforms him is that he got shot and became someone else. Meaning he never had to work to reform himself. He never had to grow.
In my case beyond the implications of the murder my hero is professional lie detector. A masterful psychiatrist who can use visual clues to determine if someone is potentially lying. So what heroine can I give this guy that he can’t possibly possibly read? She’s either got to be a sociopath (talk about a taboo in romance – sociopath heroine!) Or… she has to be a completely blank slate. A person he can’t read, because beyond her most recent memories there is nothing to read.
Now will I get it right? Probably not. Because pulling off the mother of all tropes – Amnesia – it’s just not easy.
But I’m a romance novelist. I have to try damn it!
I can tell you my first category book I ever wrote… amnesia. It’s like a rite of passage. Somewhere deep in our romance psyche we all have that burning amnesia story in us. I have actually planned for the 4th book in my Tyler Group series to be an amnesia story. Yikes!
Why are they problematic? Because they’ve been done to death. Because Soap Opera’s abused them horribly. Because getting hit on the head does not typically equal a total loss in memory. And getting hit on the head again – does not typically bring it back. Although certainly head trauma can equate to memory loss. As can emotional and psychological trauma.
As I’ve documented this year I’ve fallen back in love with 1995 Lois and Clark. In the typical horrifically plotted episodes we have Clark losing his memory after trying to destroy an asteroid. Then Lois losing her memory after hitting her head on a fire hydrant. Memory loss all over the place.
So why do we love it? Why does it work?
In the case of Lois and Clark – and we’ll take Lois (because in romancelandia it usually is the woman who suffers from the condition) - it’s a nice reset. We have two lovers, they are about to get married. They’ve worked out all their emotional issues but we’ve got 4 more episodes we have to produce. Bam! Amnesia – and now she doesn’t remember that she loves Clark and instead thinks she loves Lex Luther. Wonderful new conflict all created by a bonk to the head.
In romance though how is it used? Same scenario where the husband suddenly has to win back his wife? Or in Thomas’s case she used it to basically allow for a reset of a horrible relationship. So the heroine could forget everything the hero did to her and start over.
How am I using it? Well, someone is killed. She has blood on her hands. Only she doesn’t remember anything. Yep – totally cliché. See movie Dead Again with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.
So it has to be deeper. There has to be another reason.
Remember the moving Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford. In his case it was a bullet to the brain. And I remember the critics saying that he starts out as a jerk and the only thing that reforms him is that he got shot and became someone else. Meaning he never had to work to reform himself. He never had to grow.
In my case beyond the implications of the murder my hero is professional lie detector. A masterful psychiatrist who can use visual clues to determine if someone is potentially lying. So what heroine can I give this guy that he can’t possibly possibly read? She’s either got to be a sociopath (talk about a taboo in romance – sociopath heroine!) Or… she has to be a completely blank slate. A person he can’t read, because beyond her most recent memories there is nothing to read.
Now will I get it right? Probably not. Because pulling off the mother of all tropes – Amnesia – it’s just not easy.
But I’m a romance novelist. I have to try damn it!
October 17, 2012
Hey Girl...
October 15, 2012
Lovin' the Homeland second season
I am pretty crazy about this show. I think they totally deserve the basket full of Emmys they brought home. The first season was incredible. The second season is turning out to be just as good.
What really struck me tonight is how invested I am in both the main characters and how I'm rooting for both of them while their goals are diametrically opposed. Or maybe they're diametrically opposed. Whatever. They both can't get what they want and yet I totally want both of them.
At the end of Sunday's episode as Carrie starts to cry when she finds out she's been vindicated, I nearly cried with her. Her vulnerability. Her fragility. It's all out there on display. Maybe even more so when she tries to hide it.
And Brody! Out there in the rain and the muck, burying that guy who he just wanted to take to safety. I really wanted him to make it to the fundraiser and give his speech. Somehow they've made him so appealing that even though I know I should probably be rooting against him, I just can't. Part of this is Damian Lewis himself, I realize. I loved him in Life, also. A lot of it, though, is just the great writing.
There are so many other little touches that are awesome. Brody's daughter and how she sees way more than anyone realizes. The cranky guy in Brody's outfit who knows something's wrong with Brody, but nobody listens to him because he's just the cranky guy who hates Brody.
Anybody else watching this one? What do you think? Are you rooting for both Carrie and Brody?
What really struck me tonight is how invested I am in both the main characters and how I'm rooting for both of them while their goals are diametrically opposed. Or maybe they're diametrically opposed. Whatever. They both can't get what they want and yet I totally want both of them.
At the end of Sunday's episode as Carrie starts to cry when she finds out she's been vindicated, I nearly cried with her. Her vulnerability. Her fragility. It's all out there on display. Maybe even more so when she tries to hide it.
And Brody! Out there in the rain and the muck, burying that guy who he just wanted to take to safety. I really wanted him to make it to the fundraiser and give his speech. Somehow they've made him so appealing that even though I know I should probably be rooting against him, I just can't. Part of this is Damian Lewis himself, I realize. I loved him in Life, also. A lot of it, though, is just the great writing.
There are so many other little touches that are awesome. Brody's daughter and how she sees way more than anyone realizes. The cranky guy in Brody's outfit who knows something's wrong with Brody, but nobody listens to him because he's just the cranky guy who hates Brody.
Anybody else watching this one? What do you think? Are you rooting for both Carrie and Brody?
