Sandi Layne's Blog, page 2
August 2, 2019
Plot Bunnies
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of a plot bunny must be . . .
Wait, no. Not time to side-quote Jane Austen. (If you have not read the opening line to Pride and Prejudice , go do that right now and come back to see me.)
Every writer will approach the craft of storytelling in their own way. The first year I was writing, I finished six full-length novels just to learn how to write. (None of them were very good that year.) I also started about ten or twelve more stories that never went beyond a page or twenty.
Currently, I have three books in progress, to one degree or another, with another plot bunny in gestation. This does not mean these books all get a certain amount of my time, parsed out carefully to each one. Gentle nurturing is not currently happening for these stories. Instead, it's kind of a haphazard venture into whichever story is forefront in my mind at the time I sit down during "writing time".
Three of them are Regency Romances. One is Contemporary. The three are a series, centering around a family. The one takes me back to Nashville. Again. Which makes me happy.
Yeah, I have succumbed to the need to schedule myself. At least when my younger son is in school! I have word count goals and a start time and I insert domestic duties in between paragraphs.
Persistent as the bunnies are, they are not as demanding as a houseful of guys! ;-)
The plot bunny that hasn't even earned a pretend cover is something I've never quite tried, before. Still I talk it out to myself during my morning, pre-dawn walks. If it is still there in a week or so, I might actually do more than talk to myself about it.
What could conceivably be worse? Another one might be lurking, just there under the hedge.
[Bunny images from Pixabay]
I will tell you, though, that when I have progressed far enough along with any of the stories, I will share their pretend covers here on my blog. As yet, I haven't even printed up any to put in a binder!
I might have to go get a few . . . the bunnies have been busy .
Wait, no. Not time to side-quote Jane Austen. (If you have not read the opening line to Pride and Prejudice , go do that right now and come back to see me.)
Every writer will approach the craft of storytelling in their own way. The first year I was writing, I finished six full-length novels just to learn how to write. (None of them were very good that year.) I also started about ten or twelve more stories that never went beyond a page or twenty.
Currently, I have three books in progress, to one degree or another, with another plot bunny in gestation. This does not mean these books all get a certain amount of my time, parsed out carefully to each one. Gentle nurturing is not currently happening for these stories. Instead, it's kind of a haphazard venture into whichever story is forefront in my mind at the time I sit down during "writing time".
Three of them are Regency Romances. One is Contemporary. The three are a series, centering around a family. The one takes me back to Nashville. Again. Which makes me happy.
Yeah, I have succumbed to the need to schedule myself. At least when my younger son is in school! I have word count goals and a start time and I insert domestic duties in between paragraphs.
Persistent as the bunnies are, they are not as demanding as a houseful of guys! ;-)
The plot bunny that hasn't even earned a pretend cover is something I've never quite tried, before. Still I talk it out to myself during my morning, pre-dawn walks. If it is still there in a week or so, I might actually do more than talk to myself about it.
What could conceivably be worse? Another one might be lurking, just there under the hedge.
[Bunny images from Pixabay]
I will tell you, though, that when I have progressed far enough along with any of the stories, I will share their pretend covers here on my blog. As yet, I haven't even printed up any to put in a binder!
I might have to go get a few . . . the bunnies have been busy .
July 20, 2019
Which comes first, the Story or the Organization?
Because my brain is a patchwork quilt occupied by plot bunnies with minds of their own, I have to instill discipline upon my imagination.
Discipline is not punishment; it's from the Latin word disciplina , meaning "instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge". I tend to use it in the meaning found in Merriam-Webster: "to impose order upon". (I know it's not the first definition, but it's still legit!)
How this happened today:
I was/am working on the first book in my regency series, and was trying to find a contemporary (Napoleonic War Era) way to describe how a group of people were standing. In my head, I was thinking of a dancing configuration and my hero was going to mention that in his own thoughts. The configuration is important, as my heroine has to be positioned just so, you know?
Naturally, I hied me hence to Google's search engine and lo and behold, I found many descriptions of dancing configurations and not a single one of them would serve my purpose.
Lovely, but not quite what I wanted to show for my scene in the book!
But, what I found was a wonderful treasure trove of proper ways to dance in the era, so I have marked many pages for further reading. Writing a Regency Romance isn't all about introducing the waltz to Almack's Assembly Rooms, after all. For me, it's about doing my best to incorporate the background music, as it were.
In the case of the series I am working on, that means the conflicts England found herself in during that first portion of the 19th Century. It means that some characters will be concerned about the plight of children in the chalk mines. It means that men will come home from the wars wounded in body and spirit and have to move past that without a lot of help, as help simply wasn't available for them.
For me, research gives me a structure in which to grow these characters. I want to hear the strains of music, yes. And the sounds of conversation. And the whispers of emotional revelations. And I want it all to make sense. At least to the characters.
When I am ready to ask them about it, we'll all sit down in my living room and listen as Sandi, once again, gives a seminar to her sofa. :)
Discipline is not punishment; it's from the Latin word disciplina , meaning "instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge". I tend to use it in the meaning found in Merriam-Webster: "to impose order upon". (I know it's not the first definition, but it's still legit!)
How this happened today:
I was/am working on the first book in my regency series, and was trying to find a contemporary (Napoleonic War Era) way to describe how a group of people were standing. In my head, I was thinking of a dancing configuration and my hero was going to mention that in his own thoughts. The configuration is important, as my heroine has to be positioned just so, you know?
Naturally, I hied me hence to Google's search engine and lo and behold, I found many descriptions of dancing configurations and not a single one of them would serve my purpose.
Lovely, but not quite what I wanted to show for my scene in the book!
But, what I found was a wonderful treasure trove of proper ways to dance in the era, so I have marked many pages for further reading. Writing a Regency Romance isn't all about introducing the waltz to Almack's Assembly Rooms, after all. For me, it's about doing my best to incorporate the background music, as it were.
In the case of the series I am working on, that means the conflicts England found herself in during that first portion of the 19th Century. It means that some characters will be concerned about the plight of children in the chalk mines. It means that men will come home from the wars wounded in body and spirit and have to move past that without a lot of help, as help simply wasn't available for them.
For me, research gives me a structure in which to grow these characters. I want to hear the strains of music, yes. And the sounds of conversation. And the whispers of emotional revelations. And I want it all to make sense. At least to the characters.
When I am ready to ask them about it, we'll all sit down in my living room and listen as Sandi, once again, gives a seminar to her sofa. :)
July 3, 2019
Coming this Fall . . .What's in a name?
Yep, that's me down there in the lower corner.
Sweet Promise Press has put out quite a few series this year and I am proud to be included in this one!
My book, Mac's Daring Heart, is the final book in the series.
My heroine, in this book, has a complicated name. I am a huge fan of names. Every hero and heroine I write has required research regarding their first and last names.
I look at the popular names the year they were born and then choose one that suits how conformist their parents were, or how traditional a family might have been. I might look into the various meanings of names, as well, if I find that to be significant for my character.
Mac, in this book, is a nickname. My heroine's real name is Mira Annice Cunningham . M.A.C.
I chose her first, middle, and last names carefully and you can find out why when you read the book! ;-)
June 3, 2019
In the beginning, there is . . . RESEARCH!
Starting from the beginning for a new project requires research. Even for someone like me who has read, literally, hundreds of books in the genre in which I will be writing.
**flourish** REGENCY ROMANCE **flourish**
When I first starting writing in 1997, I researched, sure, but I was vastly ignorant about many things. Yes, I have written Regencies, but nothing has surfaced in the world because I never felt my stories were publishable. They just weren't that good, as it happened.
This is not an uncommon state of affairs for me. I sometimes write just because the story is in my head and only later decide to share it. Indeed, my earliest published novels show a lot of my rough-hewn confidence and I only keep them available because some people have been kind enough to send me notes that they liked them.
So, I've learned things. Learned about the necessity to go full-on fictional sometimes, even when I try to be spot-on about details. So I am going to have to name a peerage with a totally fictional name. Jo Beverly, acclaimed Regency author, is a big Lord FictionalName proponent. She has tips on how to do so, even!
Clearly, Google Maps and I are going to be closely associating this week while I hammer out details for this new trilogy.
As teasers, after a fashion, I will tell you this:
The series takes place between 1812 and 1816. Various subjects will be covered in addition to romance. Issues like child labor, wounded war veterans, and living with a disability.
As I begin the research, I have tabs open on my browser and a doc open on the desktop. So far, the only words on it are the title of the first book and the word Prologue.
Maybe when I get past this, "What is this family going to be named, anyway?" phase, I'll give you an opening line! :)
Happy Monday!
**flourish** REGENCY ROMANCE **flourish**
When I first starting writing in 1997, I researched, sure, but I was vastly ignorant about many things. Yes, I have written Regencies, but nothing has surfaced in the world because I never felt my stories were publishable. They just weren't that good, as it happened.
This is not an uncommon state of affairs for me. I sometimes write just because the story is in my head and only later decide to share it. Indeed, my earliest published novels show a lot of my rough-hewn confidence and I only keep them available because some people have been kind enough to send me notes that they liked them.
So, I've learned things. Learned about the necessity to go full-on fictional sometimes, even when I try to be spot-on about details. So I am going to have to name a peerage with a totally fictional name. Jo Beverly, acclaimed Regency author, is a big Lord FictionalName proponent. She has tips on how to do so, even!Clearly, Google Maps and I are going to be closely associating this week while I hammer out details for this new trilogy.
As teasers, after a fashion, I will tell you this:
The series takes place between 1812 and 1816. Various subjects will be covered in addition to romance. Issues like child labor, wounded war veterans, and living with a disability.
As I begin the research, I have tabs open on my browser and a doc open on the desktop. So far, the only words on it are the title of the first book and the word Prologue.
Maybe when I get past this, "What is this family going to be named, anyway?" phase, I'll give you an opening line! :)
Happy Monday!
May 24, 2019
Draft to Beta - What?
Have you heard of a beta reader?
In the worlds of, say, website development, video games, or other endeavors, you have likely heard of beta testers. These are the folks who prowl through a website, try out a game, tinker with a toy or something before the thing is set loose in the general public. A beta tester will tell the developer what worked about their product, what didn't work, what might be improved upon, and what they LIKED about the product.
Beta testers are valuable!
In writing, we have
beta readers.
A beta reader can serve many functions, depending upon the author. As in other fields, a beta reader should be willing to prowl through the story/manuscript/work, making note of what worked for them in terms of the story, what might be improved upon in terms of the story, things that jumped out at them as either GREAT or AWFUL, and so on. They are not necessarily pre-editorial types, though they can serve that function as well, upon mutual agreement.
In my current book, I will have a professional editor read over my "pre-editing final draft". But before I send it to her, I send it to my beta reader.
I wrote the first draft, tweaked it, read it again, and checked with my beta to make sure she was ready to receive the draft. Then, I printed it out. Because for her and for me, a printed draft is much easier to be critical with. Notes can be jotted in the margins. Smiley faces can be added. And I find that I am usually a more critical self-editor when I have a paper draft. My first drafts, for example, are always printed.
Today, I got the manuscript printed on the new laser printer, tucked it in an envelope, got return postage (my beta is in another state entirely!) and send it out Priority Mail.
If I'm very, very good, I won't go tinkering with the manuscript on my end until I get that marked version back in the mail.
Lucky me, I've still got a backlist title to re-format AND a new series idea I'm tinkering with...
But still, I don't know how "good" I'll be at staying away from Mac's Daring Heart !
In the worlds of, say, website development, video games, or other endeavors, you have likely heard of beta testers. These are the folks who prowl through a website, try out a game, tinker with a toy or something before the thing is set loose in the general public. A beta tester will tell the developer what worked about their product, what didn't work, what might be improved upon, and what they LIKED about the product.
Beta testers are valuable!
In writing, we have
beta readers.
A beta reader can serve many functions, depending upon the author. As in other fields, a beta reader should be willing to prowl through the story/manuscript/work, making note of what worked for them in terms of the story, what might be improved upon in terms of the story, things that jumped out at them as either GREAT or AWFUL, and so on. They are not necessarily pre-editorial types, though they can serve that function as well, upon mutual agreement.In my current book, I will have a professional editor read over my "pre-editing final draft". But before I send it to her, I send it to my beta reader.
I wrote the first draft, tweaked it, read it again, and checked with my beta to make sure she was ready to receive the draft. Then, I printed it out. Because for her and for me, a printed draft is much easier to be critical with. Notes can be jotted in the margins. Smiley faces can be added. And I find that I am usually a more critical self-editor when I have a paper draft. My first drafts, for example, are always printed.
Today, I got the manuscript printed on the new laser printer, tucked it in an envelope, got return postage (my beta is in another state entirely!) and send it out Priority Mail.
If I'm very, very good, I won't go tinkering with the manuscript on my end until I get that marked version back in the mail.
Lucky me, I've still got a backlist title to re-format AND a new series idea I'm tinkering with...
But still, I don't know how "good" I'll be at staying away from Mac's Daring Heart !
May 11, 2019
Movie Notes - TOLKIEN
As soon as I heard about this movie, I marked its opening date on my calendar. I started reading Tolkien's words when I was eight. My introduction into his brain was with The Hobbit.
I will always love hobbits.
This movie is touted as kind of a history of the man and his best known works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ring. This is not explicitly stated, of course, but at the very end of the film, the very first line of The Hobbit is given to us and, yeah, I had goosebumps.
Those who know me know I get weirdly emotional over books and movies, so this should come as no surprise.
The movie wove the horrors of World War I with the delight of camaraderie among school boys. There is heartbreak. There is romance. The is art and poetry and mustard gas and death. There are ghosts, dark smoky images from Tolkien's mind, appearing as precursors of future inspiration.
And there was Tolkien quoting Chaucer. From memory. Which, I confess, gave me the swoons.
Set in the frame of a very ill John Ronald Reuel Tolkien searching the battlefields of WWI in search of his friend, we get flashbacks and relationships. We get blood and trenches. And a wonderful fellow named Sam . . .
I heartily recommend this movie to any and all fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. I am inspired to read a biography of him, now. Did he really quote Chaucer from memory?
I hope so. But even if he didn't, his delight and occupation with words speaks to the creative soul. If you have one, watch this movie. It's inspiring.
Okay, at least it was to me.
I will always love hobbits.
This movie is touted as kind of a history of the man and his best known works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ring. This is not explicitly stated, of course, but at the very end of the film, the very first line of The Hobbit is given to us and, yeah, I had goosebumps.
Those who know me know I get weirdly emotional over books and movies, so this should come as no surprise.
The movie wove the horrors of World War I with the delight of camaraderie among school boys. There is heartbreak. There is romance. The is art and poetry and mustard gas and death. There are ghosts, dark smoky images from Tolkien's mind, appearing as precursors of future inspiration.
And there was Tolkien quoting Chaucer. From memory. Which, I confess, gave me the swoons.
Set in the frame of a very ill John Ronald Reuel Tolkien searching the battlefields of WWI in search of his friend, we get flashbacks and relationships. We get blood and trenches. And a wonderful fellow named Sam . . .
I heartily recommend this movie to any and all fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. I am inspired to read a biography of him, now. Did he really quote Chaucer from memory?
I hope so. But even if he didn't, his delight and occupation with words speaks to the creative soul. If you have one, watch this movie. It's inspiring.
Okay, at least it was to me.
April 30, 2019
Draft the First
When I write a first draft of a book, I make kind of a production out of it.
This is assuming I get past chapter three, anyway. Before I finish that third chapter, I give myself the freedom to have no plot, just the joy of letting my brain explore a story idea.
But after that third chapter, if I like it? I go into production mode. This means I make a pretend cover and put it in a three-ring binder. And then, as I type each chapter, I print it out, punch holes in the paper with a hole-punch I've had since the 20th Century, and get started.
For the current book, this is the image for the front cover:
Now, it's not the perfect image and this will not be on the actual book cover. Sweet Promise Press has a graphic artist who is doing all the covers for the six-book series. I just like an image to keep me focused. In the past, I've had shirtless male models with long hair (Vikings!), or flashes of paparazzi imagery. I've used longhouses, forest scenes, horses . . .
It varies. But the chick in her boots is the first-draft-cover-image on my binder.
Once the binder is filled with alllll the pages of the first draft, I flip it back to Page One and dig out a pen.
For some reason, the ink is red, this time. It usually is blue or black or even green. However, the pen closest to the front of my desk drawer was the red one, so . . . I have turned into a trope or something.
The process is to read the draft on paper, mark it up, then return to the draft on the laptop and make the changes permanent-ish. Because after I do that, it is no longer a First Draft. It will be something I'm actually happy with.
At least until it goes to a beta-reader or two. When that happens, I don't even LOOK at a draft of the book. I find something else to do with my life until my manuscript—usually copied and bound at the local office supply store—returns to me in the mail, covered in more ink. Or pencil. Or something.
If I'm lucky, there will be happy faces. :)
And who knows, maybe by then, I'll be writing another first draft!
This is assuming I get past chapter three, anyway. Before I finish that third chapter, I give myself the freedom to have no plot, just the joy of letting my brain explore a story idea.
But after that third chapter, if I like it? I go into production mode. This means I make a pretend cover and put it in a three-ring binder. And then, as I type each chapter, I print it out, punch holes in the paper with a hole-punch I've had since the 20th Century, and get started.
For the current book, this is the image for the front cover:
Now, it's not the perfect image and this will not be on the actual book cover. Sweet Promise Press has a graphic artist who is doing all the covers for the six-book series. I just like an image to keep me focused. In the past, I've had shirtless male models with long hair (Vikings!), or flashes of paparazzi imagery. I've used longhouses, forest scenes, horses . . .
It varies. But the chick in her boots is the first-draft-cover-image on my binder.
Once the binder is filled with alllll the pages of the first draft, I flip it back to Page One and dig out a pen.
For some reason, the ink is red, this time. It usually is blue or black or even green. However, the pen closest to the front of my desk drawer was the red one, so . . . I have turned into a trope or something.
The process is to read the draft on paper, mark it up, then return to the draft on the laptop and make the changes permanent-ish. Because after I do that, it is no longer a First Draft. It will be something I'm actually happy with.
At least until it goes to a beta-reader or two. When that happens, I don't even LOOK at a draft of the book. I find something else to do with my life until my manuscript—usually copied and bound at the local office supply store—returns to me in the mail, covered in more ink. Or pencil. Or something.
If I'm lucky, there will be happy faces. :)
And who knows, maybe by then, I'll be writing another first draft!
April 22, 2019
What is this Playlist Thing?
Creativity is a highly individualized process.
Some writers require stillness and solitude.
Some require wine! Some, coffee. (Ahhh, cooofffeeee....)
Some work best with pen and paper, others type. Still others use dictation software.
And then, there's music. Oh, yes. Music. Many writers today make playlists they run when they are working on a particular project. From classical to heavy metal, the mind can be stimulated by many things. All that matters is the all-important question (from where I sit):
Does it work?
If it does, rock on. Or, you know, don't. Write on. :)
Most of my writing life, I have not been a musically-enhanced person. I don't write better to music. What I am is someone who writes best in a busy place, with open blinds on my windows, with the sounds of my house in the background somewhere.
And if I have used music? It's been the stylings of Weird Al Yankovic, whose interesting lyrics play the role of "busyness" for me, compelling me to focus on the work in front of me.
However, my current project has required me to actually get some theme music.
As you may or may not know, Reader, I am writing for Sweet Promise Press for this current book. The series I am contributing to is the Sweethearts of Country Music.
Now, I'm not really a country music aficionado, though I have written a romance which touches on the industry in a way. So, I had to make an actual playlist.
I know, surprised me, too!
This playlist includes the following songs:
The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert
Bye Bye by Jo Dee Messina
&
Can't Say I Ain't Country by Florida Georgia Line
To be honest, I don't listen to these songs while I'm writing, but I listened to them during my morning commute while play Mom-Taxi back and forth to my younger son's school. I chose them because they captured three "country music tropes" that I wanted to have in my head. The first is a plaintive song about a woman who is trying to find herself by revisiting her past and it's got one line in it that actually brings a tear to my eye. Give it a listen on iTunes and see if you can recognize which line that might be! The second is a fierce "leaving the unworthy romantic interest" number that Messina's voice delivers with unusual rhythm and terrific energy. The last I chose because it had "redneck" elements that I found fun. And country music can be a lot of fun!
One cool thing, of course, is that now I want to buy the albums, rather than just the individual tracks. You might, too!
I have finished the first draft of the book, the songs are permanently imbedded into my cerebellum, and I find the time spent has been worthwhile.
On to the revisions! The quiet revisions. The quiet, non-accompanied revisions.
Alas, I can't edit to a playlist.
Some writers require stillness and solitude.
Some require wine! Some, coffee. (Ahhh, cooofffeeee....)
Some work best with pen and paper, others type. Still others use dictation software.
And then, there's music. Oh, yes. Music. Many writers today make playlists they run when they are working on a particular project. From classical to heavy metal, the mind can be stimulated by many things. All that matters is the all-important question (from where I sit):
Does it work?
If it does, rock on. Or, you know, don't. Write on. :)
Most of my writing life, I have not been a musically-enhanced person. I don't write better to music. What I am is someone who writes best in a busy place, with open blinds on my windows, with the sounds of my house in the background somewhere.
And if I have used music? It's been the stylings of Weird Al Yankovic, whose interesting lyrics play the role of "busyness" for me, compelling me to focus on the work in front of me.
However, my current project has required me to actually get some theme music.
As you may or may not know, Reader, I am writing for Sweet Promise Press for this current book. The series I am contributing to is the Sweethearts of Country Music.
Now, I'm not really a country music aficionado, though I have written a romance which touches on the industry in a way. So, I had to make an actual playlist.
I know, surprised me, too!
This playlist includes the following songs:
The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert
Bye Bye by Jo Dee Messina
&
Can't Say I Ain't Country by Florida Georgia Line
To be honest, I don't listen to these songs while I'm writing, but I listened to them during my morning commute while play Mom-Taxi back and forth to my younger son's school. I chose them because they captured three "country music tropes" that I wanted to have in my head. The first is a plaintive song about a woman who is trying to find herself by revisiting her past and it's got one line in it that actually brings a tear to my eye. Give it a listen on iTunes and see if you can recognize which line that might be! The second is a fierce "leaving the unworthy romantic interest" number that Messina's voice delivers with unusual rhythm and terrific energy. The last I chose because it had "redneck" elements that I found fun. And country music can be a lot of fun!
One cool thing, of course, is that now I want to buy the albums, rather than just the individual tracks. You might, too!
I have finished the first draft of the book, the songs are permanently imbedded into my cerebellum, and I find the time spent has been worthwhile.
On to the revisions! The quiet revisions. The quiet, non-accompanied revisions.
Alas, I can't edit to a playlist.
November 4, 2017
Changes!
It’s been a bit of a busy time for me, of late!
Rights were released to me for the following: The Éire’s Viking Trilogy, An Unexpected Woman, and Justin’s Second Chance. They all have new covers!
[image error]
They are being offered on several different platforms. More information can be found on my new home: www.sandilayne.com.
I know, it’s a stretch. 
August 3, 2017
I’ll be live!
[image error]This is one of those things that makes me super nervous, but I am going to be LIVE tomorrow night.
Past my bedtime and everything!
Questions forwarded to me (thank you, Cate!) include which characters were the first I killed in one of my books . . . fun stuff, no? And just how did I get into writing anyway? Because you know? I never planned on doing this . . .
True story!
Check out the info in the graphic above and consider yourself invited. Cate will be moderating audience participation, too, which is very kind of her. And optimistic!
Filed under: interviews, Over Coffee, Random, Writing Tagged: BRAX, Cate, KBRX, killing characters, radio, sharing the faith, why I do what I do, writing
