C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 202

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

I have inherited the Paranormal-Scope from Mason.  I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets. But I am linked into the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

It's time to join the pack.  Werewolves are howling for you to join them.

Taurus

Feeling haunted by a problem?  Get a new perspective.  Dance with the elves and let go for a while.

Gemini

When seas are choppy, it's  great to have a friend that floats.  A mermaid may be a surprising friend.

Cancer

Listen to the song in the wind.  A werewolf is howling your name.  Good things are coming your way.

Leo

A dragon egg is a responsibility when it hatches.  Are you up for a new responsibility?

Virgo

Pixies are building a house on your windowsill.  A lovely view is always relaxing.

Libra

Pegasus has landed at your door.  It's your time to soar.

Scorpio

Studying is the province of an owl. Turn to the wise for good advice.

Sagittarius

A vampire has chosen to stand with you in these tight times.  Lucky you to have such a fierce friend.

Capricorn

The turtle holding up the world thanks you for your support.  It's time for you to return to your passion now.

Aquarius

Shapeshifters know that the way to get ahead is to change the shape of things.

Pieces

You are invited to join a group of supernatural heroes.  It's about time you've been recognized for your efforts.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Remember September 11th

There are no words that can adequately express the tragedy experienced by so many ten years ago on September 11, 2001.  Love and bravery move us all onward, but we can never forget and share a common bond in remembering those lost on September 11th.

- Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley

9/11 by Gerri Brousseau

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the tragic 9/11 attack on the United States.  At the time, I was living in California, 3000 miles from friends and family.  Because PST is 3 hours later than EST, by the time I woke up at 6:30 a.m. the towers had both already fallen.  When I flipped on my computer that morning I found pictures of the jets crashing into the towers.  As usual, I was in a hurry and didn't read the news article.  I simply thought the pictures were some sensational promotion for a new movie and I paid no attention.  I hurriedly checked my email and turning off my computer, went to get ready to go to work.  On my way to work, I flipped on the radio station and the announcer was talking about the attack, but did not say where.  The images of the Twin Towers long slipped from my mind.  Yet, I started to get a little nervous at the frantic, sationalistic voice of the announcer.  Was this some broadcasting trick, like War of the Worlds had been?

At that time, I worked in a law office which was on the second floor in the Federal Court House so when I arrived at work I found the offices were closed and we were sent home.  That was when I discovered what had happened and I was so devastated I

was trembling.

I don't remember driving home, but when I got there I rushed into my apartment and flipped on my TV.  I stood there in the middle of my living room in total disbelief as I

watched the twin towers fall one and then the next.  I could not believe my eyes.  I was originally from Connecticut.  I had been to the towers, been in the buildings.  No.  No way were they gone.  No way could they be destroyed.  No way were all those innocent people killed.  I refused to believe it could be true.  It is difficult to tell you how this act of terror 3000 miles away made me feel.  Shocked?  Helpless?  Insecure?  And in deep need to talk to my son.  Crying, I picked up the phone I called him.  He was 19 at the time and he was in Connecticut.  I was frantic to speak to him, to tell him that I loved him.  To make sure he knew.  To make sure he was alright.  I desperately wanted to hug him, but he was 3000 miles away.  All I wanted to do was feel closeness to my loved ones and to let them all know how I felt about them.

I could not believe anyone would have the nerve to attack the United States of America.  Who was this lunatic Osama bin Laden?  Then, finally the anger struck.  I wanted to see bin Laden's head on a platter.  The grief struck next.  I grieved for those

who lost their lives in the towers that day, for those brave souls who tried to rescue others and failed.  I cheered for those brave men and women who were able to rescue others … and for those who survived.

Then finally, the pride of being an American came home to roost in my heart.  Yes, I am proud of our country, proud of the fortitude and courage of our people.  I can't help but remember that day and will never forget the impact it had on me and the mixed emotions it stirred in my soul.  Where were you on that day?  As the Alan Jackson song asks, where were you when the world stopped turning?

Filed under: romance

Costume Your Character

I'm going to Albacon 2011 near the end of October.  http://www.albacon.org/   I was speaking to a friend about it today, and she asked me if I was bringing a costume for the Fantasy Ball.  I had two costumes for Authors After Dark, so I said I would.  Now I feel like I need a new costume.

The catalogs from The Pyramid Collection and the Victorian Trading Company came in and I've been looking them over, thinking long skirts, velvet opera capes, and great hats.  Hmm.

Then my brain began turning again, and already a new character stands in the wings.  I can see her in the shadows.  I hear the sshh and thud of her fan as she closes it.  I see a bright red hat pin shimmered in the gaslights of the theater.

Inspiration comes in funny ways.  Have I ever dressed as a character?  I have.  So have other authors.  I knew an author that wore different hats as she wore.  The hats inspired her.  Actors and people who enjoy role-playing games know what it is to get into character.   Sometimes it isn't the whole costume that inspires.  It could be a ring, a pair of gloves, or a walking stick.

For a time you forget yourself.  I get to see the character's view of life.  For writers, it's a tool to expression.  For everyone else, it's just fun.  So if you're inclined, dress up.  If you believe the more the merrier, join us at Albacon on Oct. 21-23.

–Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: A Writing Sirloin Tip, Characters, Helping Other Writers, Readers Conferences, Susan Hanniford Crowley, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Writing in the Rain

I had other plans for the evening, but then it rained.  Rain always distracts me.  When the sky grows dark and weeps down the windows, my brain begins its revelry and I write.

Imagine running hard until you're breathless down a country road right into the forest.  It's dark woods that everyone warns you about.  The rain mists around you.  Instead of running, you tumble into the dark green, which is more moss than grass.  Stretching out, you reach out with your fingers.  The rain falls in heavy drops, but that doesn't matter.  Sometimes it hits you.  Sometimes it hits the trees above and drizzles down to you cold and refreshing.  The sharp chill of each drop eases the heat from running.  Then it pours.

Close your eyes and embrace the dark green world.

Listen.  To the rain.  To the peeping frogs.  To the chirping insects.

Each splash on your face becomes a kiss.

You are perfectly alone, and it is completely your world.

Are you writing yet?

–Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: A Writing Sirloin Tip, Emotions, Helping Other Writers, Settings, Susan Hanniford Crowley, What inspires you?, Writing Topics

No Name or Shakespeare

What do writers aspire to? I doubt the majority of us aspire to be Shakespeare. In all honesty, while I find him brilliant, he is a bit wordy for these times. Then again, I doubt many writers aspire to be a no name— at least not if you plan to be published.

The more time I spend in this industry, the more I realize it's like many others. When I started my day job, all I was concerned about was doing a good enough job to please my boss. I had no idea I wanted to go into management but years later, here I am.  In fact, when I started my day job, my aspirations weren't really near management at all. For me, writing has been very similar.  When I started writing, I thought that at some point I'd like to be published as that seemed a logical goal for a writer. The more I write, the more I realize the path I want to take to get my work published. I'm also okay with the fact that I am growing and learning as I go.

I believe the majority of writers fall into the same boat. Many of us hope to publish and share our works, but we think about the paths (agent, epublishing, self-publishing, etc.) either much later or too soon and we rarely consider all that comes with being a "Name" out in the publishing industry.  Life as a bestselling author appears to be a lot of work.  I don't speak from experience but I've been to enough conference workshops to hear what these authors say about having a name out there and their responsibilities to the industry and their fans.

Like many other industries, the more you move up within the industry, the more work you take on and the more visibility you have. So my questions to you are… Do you think you have what it takes? And what do you really aspire to? Hope I left you all with some real food for thought.  Take care and happy writing this week.

Filed under: Toni Kelly, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

The Story Behind The Story by Debralee Mede

Sarah is the seventh child of a clergyman of a heretical sect.  During childhood she became street wise and, though in trouble much of the time, was only caught, arrested and found guilty of trespassing while at home on the compound.  All of her siblings were jealous of her as were two neighbors because she was her mother's favorite.  Her brothers and sisters frequently falsely reported some alleged wrong-doing or other to her father, the head of the cult.  Eventually Sarah managed to run away but was later forced to live on the streets, stealing food and warm clothing to stay alive, while  running from the law.  Though Sarah was streetwise and adept at living on the streets she was eventually duped into becoming part of a white slavery group by a middle-aged man posing as a minister.  Finally she escaped after her arrest for prostitution by cutting a deal with the DA and by helping turn state's evidence against the white slave owners, the minister, and the leaders of the polygamist cult.  She eventually became Congresswoman in Idaho's First Congressional District fighting polygamy and white slavery.

Okay, no, this isn't my current work in progress and it does not represent the back story for the novel that I am working on.  I am, however, currently working on a project where I need to show how a particular character has been shaped by her past experiences and how she has been affected by them. Certain influences, known as backstory, the story behind the story, will influence how my character behaves in the present.  I really don't want to go on and on about the character's history just by telling my readers what happened and provide them with an information dump of character history but instead I need to use different techniques to show the information to my readers. In a previous blog I wrote about show vs. tell and how I need to "engage and entertain a diverse group of readers.  I need to create scenes that my readers can respond to and feel."* As I see it, there are a few basic ways that I can layer backstory into a scene effectively without dumping the information all at once in the reader's lap. I can employ the following techniques:                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Internal Dialogue: I can have the character or characters reveal their thoughts or interior dialogue so that important backstory information and the psychology of the character is adequately revealed to the reader. An example is in the short story by Tillie Olsen called "I Stand Here Ironing." Not much happens in the story as the narrator stands at her ironing board pressing dresses and occasionally exchanges words with her young daughter but all the real action is internal.  There isn't an answer that the mother arrives at in the story that would seem satisfactory but instead she mentally reviews the issue she has regarding her daughter while she irons and you get an idea about what the character is feeling and thinking while she mentally moves "back and forth with the iron?"
Dialogue: Dialogue: Another technique I can use is for two characters to reveal backstory and vital information in the course of their conversations.  In L.A. Confidential Lynn Bracken and Bud White have a discussion while lying in bed and Lynn touches a scar on Bud's shoulder:

Lynn Bracken: "Where'd this come from?"

Bud White: "When I was twelve, my old man went after my mother with a bottle.  I got in the way."

Lynn Bracken: "You Saved her?"

Bud White: "Not for long."

Lynn Bracken: "I'm sorry, Bud, it's none of my…"

Bud White: "He tied me to the radiator.  I watched him beat my mother to death with a tire iron.  Then he left us there.  Three days before a truant officer found us…They never found the old man."

Lynn Bracken:  "Was that why you became a cop?  To get even?"

Bud White:  "Maybe."

Narration is a third method that I can employ to show backstory.  My narrator can be either an omniscient, disembodied person that sees all, or they can be characters that take part in the story sometimes narrating their stories and sometimes the stories of others.  An example would be in the film The Piano when the main character, Ada (Holly Hunter) who is the narrator but is also mute says:                                                                                                                                                                                                ADA: "The voice you hear is not my speaking voice –

              but my mind's voice. I have not spoken since I was six years

              old. No one knows why. Not even me."

There are many types of narrators, more than I have included here, but that topic should be covered in blog of its own.  Essentially stories are written from one or more of the perspectives or narrative modes including: a first-person narrator who brings greater focus on feelings and opinions of the characters as in Henry David Thoreau's "Walden"; second-person narration is used in many self-help books or travel guides using the pronoun you ; third-person limited narrator ( J  Rowling's Harry Potter) doesn't need to reveal or know as much as a first-person narrator would;  a third-person omniscient narrator (Steven King's "The Stand") gives a panoramic view of the world of the story; and a writer can choose to use more than one narrator to tell the story from different points of view as well.

Props are another way that I can convey backstory.  I just has to consider the world of my characters and their past: a bookcase full of self-help books like "Women who love too much,"  "Men are from Mars and Women are From Venus" or "Date or Soul Mate?: How to Know if Someone is Worth Pursuing in Two Dates or Less."  These are real books but they could be some fictitious version on the same theme.    A photo booth strip of pictures is another way.
Flashback is yet another way that I can choose to communicate backstory to the reader.  I would need to use the character's memory to transport both the character and the reader back to a particular even or scene so that the reader can actually see what happened and hear the words that were said.  This is best used if it will help to illustrate the character's motivation and his past action as it relates to the present day action. Flashbacks can slow the scene down. An example of both the flashback and the prop is in the Harry Potter series is the Pensieve in Dumbledoer's office which is a stone basin used to store and review memories.  This device changes the flashback from just narrative backstory tool of flashback to flashback and prop that gives the characters and the readers the experience of reliving a past moment.

What I have learned about these devices so far is that when using them keep them short:  information should be given out in little bits, little teases in order to create mystery and to keep the reader reading; make sure that a character really needs the information and if he really needs it then he may have to fight for it; the information should be tied to something going on and not just appear out of nowhere; and it should be realistic as it pertains to the story; and by all means don't include backstory in the first few pages of the book.

The story idea above is a fake.  But what if you try one of these methods with a story that you don't care about so that you can show some backstory? What would you write?  What do you think Sarah would say or think?  What would one of her siblings say if they met up with her?  Feel free to come up with one if you'd like.  Here is an attempt at internal dialogue in the example above. Again it is all meant to be fun.

She picked up the bible that sat next to the open bottle of beer on her dresser.  She wondered to herself:

"Can I judge the sins of others, of those who have sinned against me?  My papa was a preacher and used the "Good Book" as his excuse.  He and all his eight wives used the words in this book as a way to keep us under control.  But who does judge our sins and what is a sin in the Lord's eyes. I've had a hard life but I've watched my own mother live under the iron fist that my father held over all of us. He had disciples that would follow anyone who left the compound and punish them.  Some of my friends have never been seen again.  Does every woman have a hard life?  Does my father know more about salvation than God Himself?   And does my father, Brother Baird know more about sin or salvation than any of us who have had to live under his rule?"

She replaced the bible closed in a drawer under some old clothes.

Now it's your turn if you dare.

Debralee Mede

*Show vs. Tell by Debralee Mede, Nights of Passion Blog, August 23, 2010

Filed under: Backstory, creative writing, editing, How To, romance, Writing

Labor Day Paranormal-Scope

Hi, everyone!  Today is Labor Day in the U.S. , a day off for the hard working citizens.  At least, it's a day off for most.

I have inherited the Paranormal-Scope from Mason.  I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets. But I am linked into the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

A griffon is scratching at your door.  Make friends with it and you could really soar.

Taurus

Like Paul Bunyan's blue ox, you've been working too hard.  Time to play.

Gemini

A dragon has given you an egg.  Yes, it's a lot of responsibility, but it will lead to great things.

Cancer

A vampires has sent you a gift.  Remember: even roses have thorns.

Leo

A haunting experience reveals a lost legacy.

Virgo

The local werewolf pack has proclaimed you as alpha.  Congrats on the promotion.

Libra

A minotaur you know likes to roar and shake things up, but he's good at building new paths.

Scorpio

The shapeshifters are having a barbecue and you're invited.  Have a great time.

Sagittarius

Problems can be like hydras.  Cut off one head and three more grow.  Lay low.

Capricorn

There's a mermaid in your family tree.  It's time to unleash that charm.

Aquarius

Don't party with the lotus eaters and forget your purpose.  This is a week to get ahead.

Pieces

There's a fairy circle under your home.  Something good is coming your way.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Celtic Inspiration

[image error] I am off to Ireland this day; moving has been hell of course, but I am so excited for this new adventure. I expect there will be a lot of Celtic influences in my writing from this point forward. Sure, it's only a year (well, we'll see what I can do about that ) but I'm sure it will have a profound impact on me.

My pal Byron predicts that it will feel like coming home; I've always had a strong pull toward Irish music and studied Old Irish among my medieval languages and literatures. As far as I know there's no Irish blood in me, but something must account for the fascination. Maybe it's just the magic of the Emerald Isle. There are wonderful stories indeed — I can't wait to visit all the ancient sites and tour the islands. There are medieval remnants in Galway itself. I will have so much to see. My plan is to walk over as much of Ireland as I can manage.

I arrive on Monday and by Thursday I have to be in Dublin for the Fulbright orientation and language immersion. Modern Irish doesn't seem to be very close to the medieval version unfortunately. We're all invited to an event with the American Ambassador which sounded impressive at first (I'm such a peasant, I had no idea what I ought to wear), but when I found out the Ambassador is the owner of the Steelers, I was less impressed.

What I'm really looking forward to is having a lot of time for writing. I've hardly written anything in the last week! This is unusual for me (well, when I say 'hardly anything' I mean no fiction) but I can feel the words swirling in my head like hornets ready to be written. They will be, they will. Perversely, I'm suddenly filled with ideas for stories set in Scotland. Must be inspired…

I think all three of me will have a lot to write in Ireland!

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, erotic romance, fantasy romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, medieval, mythology romance, romance, Settings, What inspires you?, Writer's Life

Good vs. Great by Gerri Brousseau

What is the difference between a good book and a great book?  I have read countless numbers of novels and some are good, some are horrid and I wonder how they ever got published, and then there are the absolutely great ones … the books you can't put down and when you finally reach the end, you are sorry it's over.  What is it that makes the great one so great?  Is it the novel that reaches into your soul and touches every emotion?  Is it the one that makes you laugh and makes you cry?  Is it the one that brings you to sympathize with the characters who struggle coming to grips with things that perhaps you, yourself, have had to deal with, or perhaps some tragic event that you can scarcely imagine in your worst nightmares?  We hang onto every word clinging to the hope that the hero will prevail or that the heroine will survive and fall madly in love with the hero.

I wonder what inspires the author of the great novel to pen it.  Was it some tragic event in their life or the life of someone close to them?  Was it merely a dream?  What makes this seed of an idea in a writer's mind blossom into the great novel?  What is the difference in the good writer versus the great writer?  Then I ask myself, is it the writer or the reader?  Perhaps the novel is great to me, the reader, because it speaks to my soul at a particular time in my life.  Perhaps reading the same novel at any other given time would have me render a different opinion of the work.  So then, is it the timing or is it perhaps like the perfect storm … the writer who pens a powerful novel, the reader who picks up the book at the precise time in their life when the work would impact them in such a way that would make them think the book was great?

Regardless of what unseen forces combine to make a novel great, we all have our favorites.  Novels that have touched us, changed our lives, gave us courage to forge ahead against what at a particular time in our life seemed insurmountable odds, made us want to write, made us want to travel, fall in love, take chances, live a powerful and strong life.  What novel is your favorite?  Which author spoke to your soul?  What book changed your life?

Filed under: Good vs. Great, romance