Marissa Priest's Blog, page 4
October 23, 2015
Love is in the air!
First, I hope everyone is enjoying The Red Crown and The Lost Prayers. If not, go buy a copy! Right now, Nisa and Cayden get a break while I return to my Gaslight Hunters. Edits are heavily underway, and I should have some good news on that front one of these days!
But in the midst of all this, I got thinking about what makes a good romance plot line. Most books have them these days. Both Our Fathers and Resurrected Thief have some. Nisa and Cayden do not. Romance is not my all time favorite genre, but I do love a good love story like any other gal. There are three plots/tropes that absolutely get me every time.
First, I love it when a couple in love just runs away together. Elopements are a lot of fun. I just adore that wild abandon and it can lead to so many adventures.
I'm also a total sucker for when something tragic happens that tears the lovers apart. Usually worlds apart. Remember the Tenth Doctor and Rose? I cry like a baby every time when they start banging on that wall.
Finally, and it's one of my favorites, I love battles during a wedding. Not just someone running in and saying the wedding has to stop. Give me chaos and murder! Give me a bride in a wedding dress wielding a battle axe! The wedding scene in Jupiter Ascending made me very happy indeed.
I have yet to find a book that checks of all three. So naturally, I'm going to write one myself. Over the past few days I came up with a very very rough outline. It should be fun to work on between the other projects. But with my record, who knows when it will be finished!
But in the midst of all this, I got thinking about what makes a good romance plot line. Most books have them these days. Both Our Fathers and Resurrected Thief have some. Nisa and Cayden do not. Romance is not my all time favorite genre, but I do love a good love story like any other gal. There are three plots/tropes that absolutely get me every time.
First, I love it when a couple in love just runs away together. Elopements are a lot of fun. I just adore that wild abandon and it can lead to so many adventures.
I'm also a total sucker for when something tragic happens that tears the lovers apart. Usually worlds apart. Remember the Tenth Doctor and Rose? I cry like a baby every time when they start banging on that wall.
Finally, and it's one of my favorites, I love battles during a wedding. Not just someone running in and saying the wedding has to stop. Give me chaos and murder! Give me a bride in a wedding dress wielding a battle axe! The wedding scene in Jupiter Ascending made me very happy indeed.
I have yet to find a book that checks of all three. So naturally, I'm going to write one myself. Over the past few days I came up with a very very rough outline. It should be fun to work on between the other projects. But with my record, who knows when it will be finished!
September 30, 2015
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
Tomorrow is the day! The day where you lucky readers can finally order THE RED CROWN! And then in two weeks, THE LOST PRAYERS!
I am so excited to finally share Nisa and Cayden's adventures with you all. But! This is not the time for sitting back. There is too much to be done.
More novellas to finish. More agents and publishers to query. More hitting refresh on my emails to hear back on the outstanding submissions.
It never ends, but I really don't want it to end any time soon.
Check back tomorrow for the full details on how to purchase the eBooks or signed paperbacks! I can only hope you are as excited as I am!
I am so excited to finally share Nisa and Cayden's adventures with you all. But! This is not the time for sitting back. There is too much to be done.
More novellas to finish. More agents and publishers to query. More hitting refresh on my emails to hear back on the outstanding submissions.
It never ends, but I really don't want it to end any time soon.
Check back tomorrow for the full details on how to purchase the eBooks or signed paperbacks! I can only hope you are as excited as I am!
September 23, 2015
WIP Wednesday!
Things are quite busy here in Elsewhere. The Red Crown is at the printers, so to speak. One week and one day until you can read it for yourselves! I'm adding the final touches to The Lost Prayers, which comes out on October 15th. Here's a little tease:
“I remember a lot of dark tunnels,” Nisa began speaking, but stopped once Cayden winced. He attempted to mask the expression with a smile. The sight did not less the distress across her face.
“I remember a lot of dark tunnels,” Nisa began speaking, but stopped once Cayden winced. He attempted to mask the expression with a smile. The sight did not less the distress across her face.
September 14, 2015
The Lure of Victoriana and Steampunk
Seeing as little over half my writing takes place in some form of the 18th and 19th centuries, I thought it was time to delve into why that is.
Several years ago, I went to New York Comic Con and attended some great panels on steampunk. What really stuck with me was something that author Kate Locke said. Please excuse me for not remembering the exact words, but she said her writing focuses on that fine balance between dreams and despair. That sums up so much of what I feel about this genre.
Both the historical fiction and steampunk share this double edged sword. The Victorians got to see the dawn at the new future, but so much of their lives changed. Science battled religion. Technology filled the streets. People are naturally terrified of change. So how will they react when murder or magic is thrown into this?
This is what I love exploring. It's a blend of fear and excitement, dread and hope. That still resonates with us today. Take a look of a snippet of a conversation between Esther and Bryan that puts it perfectly:
"The world is changing." "But into what?"
Several years ago, I went to New York Comic Con and attended some great panels on steampunk. What really stuck with me was something that author Kate Locke said. Please excuse me for not remembering the exact words, but she said her writing focuses on that fine balance between dreams and despair. That sums up so much of what I feel about this genre.
Both the historical fiction and steampunk share this double edged sword. The Victorians got to see the dawn at the new future, but so much of their lives changed. Science battled religion. Technology filled the streets. People are naturally terrified of change. So how will they react when murder or magic is thrown into this?
This is what I love exploring. It's a blend of fear and excitement, dread and hope. That still resonates with us today. Take a look of a snippet of a conversation between Esther and Bryan that puts it perfectly:
"The world is changing." "But into what?"
September 11, 2015
A Very Busy, but Happy, Bee
After yesterday, I've fully thrown myself into querying agents. It's exciting and terrifying. But, I'm a lot more hopeful after PitMad.
I've always had that feeling that my stories matter and need to be told. That's part of what makes you a writer, in my opinion. I've always had that drive, but it's so different to actually see people agree with you. Complete and total strangers saying they want your story! I actually had someone rank my pitch for The Resurrected Thief as their number one favorite pitch!
I might not have gotten fifty million like or requests yesterday. But I did get some! I have solid proof that there is interest out there. That's all the encouragement I need.
So I say, Ha to those whole told me I wouldn't get anywhere with my writing. And a big thank you for those that supported me.
Things are only going to get better!
I've always had that feeling that my stories matter and need to be told. That's part of what makes you a writer, in my opinion. I've always had that drive, but it's so different to actually see people agree with you. Complete and total strangers saying they want your story! I actually had someone rank my pitch for The Resurrected Thief as their number one favorite pitch!
I might not have gotten fifty million like or requests yesterday. But I did get some! I have solid proof that there is interest out there. That's all the encouragement I need.
So I say, Ha to those whole told me I wouldn't get anywhere with my writing. And a big thank you for those that supported me.
Things are only going to get better!
September 10, 2015
An Experiment in Social Media
Today, I tried something totally different. I participated in #PitMad, which is a twitter event for writers. You tweet out pitches to agents and publishers. I learned of this last week, and decided to just go for it. It can't hurt, right?
No hurting at all! I spent all sending out my pitches, and had a wonderful time. In the end, I had 25 people retweet my pitches, and 5 agents ask for submissions. Not so bad!
Honestly, I would have been happy if just one person liked my pitches. I never expected so much! This really encourages me and shows there are people really interested in my stories.
And as ever, the schedule has been thrown out the window. I need to get these queries out right away. Then back to the novellas.
So expect plenty of good news in the future!
No hurting at all! I spent all sending out my pitches, and had a wonderful time. In the end, I had 25 people retweet my pitches, and 5 agents ask for submissions. Not so bad!
Honestly, I would have been happy if just one person liked my pitches. I never expected so much! This really encourages me and shows there are people really interested in my stories.
And as ever, the schedule has been thrown out the window. I need to get these queries out right away. Then back to the novellas.
So expect plenty of good news in the future!
August 25, 2015
The 8th Voyage of Sinbad
As working on my trio of novellas is heavy under way, I wanted to point everyone in the direction of a little something mildly related. In college, I took a seminar on the Arabian Nights. It was an incredible course, and actually inspired the setting for these stories. I had dabbled with Middle Eastern fantasy for a time, but nothing coherent came of it until Nisa and Cayden.
For our final assignment, the professor came up with a most interesting essay prompt. We had the option of writing our story to continue the adventures of Sinbad. Of course I jumped at the chance. During the break, I got an email from the professor asking if he could publish my story on his website. He wanted to share his favorites. Again, I jumped at the chance to do more with my writing.
While you all wait for the final result of that class and everything I learned, perhaps you'd enjoy the first dabbling.
Read The 8th Voyage of Sinbad.
For our final assignment, the professor came up with a most interesting essay prompt. We had the option of writing our story to continue the adventures of Sinbad. Of course I jumped at the chance. During the break, I got an email from the professor asking if he could publish my story on his website. He wanted to share his favorites. Again, I jumped at the chance to do more with my writing.
While you all wait for the final result of that class and everything I learned, perhaps you'd enjoy the first dabbling.
Read The 8th Voyage of Sinbad.
August 12, 2015
WIP Wednesday
Another snippet from a new scene in The Red Crown:
"Would you like to join the other ladies outside for some wine?"
Cayden froze as the warlord finished his question. His mind drifted to a similar conversation years ago between Nisa and a lesser lord. She had responded with a trick involving several knives and the head of the roasting pig in order to demonstrate her displeasure with being pushed away from the men.
"Would you like to join the other ladies outside for some wine?"
Cayden froze as the warlord finished his question. His mind drifted to a similar conversation years ago between Nisa and a lesser lord. She had responded with a trick involving several knives and the head of the roasting pig in order to demonstrate her displeasure with being pushed away from the men.
August 10, 2015
The Problem of "In Media Res"
In middle school and high school, I loved reading the Greek tragedies and comedies. They were wonderful and I couldn't wait to get my little hands on them. Except for one thing. Everything started in the middle.
This is my biggest pet peeve in books. I hate coming in in the middle of things. I don't want to be treated to the height of the action right away. I want to know every little detail of how we got there. I write my stories where we join the characters right before setting off on their adventures. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like me. I receive a lot of comments from editors and other writers that it takes too long for my stories to get into any action.
For example, here is a rejection I just got this morning. The editor says "I found the world interesting, but the story was slow in building for my tastes".
First of all...Yay! Someone found it interesting! Focusing on the positive is good. But aside from the generic "it's not the right fit" rejection, this is the one I hear a lot. My characters and the setting are great, but it just doesn't start with gripping action. In my edits, I try to balance this with my own personal goals for the story.
Let's look at the opening of my two novels.
Our Fathers: Scarlet Black is lost in the streets of Bath as she searches for Colby Redd. In the first draft, it started with her at the door. When I was told that wasn't exciting enough, I added in her getting lost and more tension with a young woman wandering down dark alleys. Some then said it would have been better to just meet Colby first. You just can't please everyone! In the end, I stuck with the expanded scene of her getting lost. It added to the overall feeling of how Scarlet struggles that I wanted in the whole book.
The Resurrected Thief: A mummy vandalizes the British Museum, and Bryan tries to avoid the case. In the first draft, I had it so Bryan and the clients were bickering about an undisclosed mystery. I wanted it to be a big twist that it was a mummy in a world where elves and centaurs walked the streets. Again, I was told that wasn't really gripping and it would be better with the reveal of magic at the very beginning. So I reworked the scene, but it didn't feel quite right yet. There still wasn't a sense of the mystery and magic that I wanted. This is the first time I used a Prologue. I thought of it like in a cop drama where you catch a glimpse of the murder before cutting to the detectives hanging out. So I have an unsuspecting guard walking in on the crime. I'm happy with the scene, and plan on keeping prologues for the entire series.
I suppose we should look at The Red Crown too! That opening hasn't really changed at all. It starts with Cayden walking into his bedroom and seeing a shadowed figure on his bed. I always thought that was an exciting opening, because who wouldn't be shocked by that? The pair then banter and get into their adventure. I always liked it just the way it is. Since no one's said to change it, why bother?
I doubt I will ever stray too far from my personal preferences. I'll never turn away helpful advice, but we must do whatever is best for the story.
This is my biggest pet peeve in books. I hate coming in in the middle of things. I don't want to be treated to the height of the action right away. I want to know every little detail of how we got there. I write my stories where we join the characters right before setting off on their adventures. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like me. I receive a lot of comments from editors and other writers that it takes too long for my stories to get into any action.
For example, here is a rejection I just got this morning. The editor says "I found the world interesting, but the story was slow in building for my tastes".
First of all...Yay! Someone found it interesting! Focusing on the positive is good. But aside from the generic "it's not the right fit" rejection, this is the one I hear a lot. My characters and the setting are great, but it just doesn't start with gripping action. In my edits, I try to balance this with my own personal goals for the story.
Let's look at the opening of my two novels.
Our Fathers: Scarlet Black is lost in the streets of Bath as she searches for Colby Redd. In the first draft, it started with her at the door. When I was told that wasn't exciting enough, I added in her getting lost and more tension with a young woman wandering down dark alleys. Some then said it would have been better to just meet Colby first. You just can't please everyone! In the end, I stuck with the expanded scene of her getting lost. It added to the overall feeling of how Scarlet struggles that I wanted in the whole book.
The Resurrected Thief: A mummy vandalizes the British Museum, and Bryan tries to avoid the case. In the first draft, I had it so Bryan and the clients were bickering about an undisclosed mystery. I wanted it to be a big twist that it was a mummy in a world where elves and centaurs walked the streets. Again, I was told that wasn't really gripping and it would be better with the reveal of magic at the very beginning. So I reworked the scene, but it didn't feel quite right yet. There still wasn't a sense of the mystery and magic that I wanted. This is the first time I used a Prologue. I thought of it like in a cop drama where you catch a glimpse of the murder before cutting to the detectives hanging out. So I have an unsuspecting guard walking in on the crime. I'm happy with the scene, and plan on keeping prologues for the entire series.
I suppose we should look at The Red Crown too! That opening hasn't really changed at all. It starts with Cayden walking into his bedroom and seeing a shadowed figure on his bed. I always thought that was an exciting opening, because who wouldn't be shocked by that? The pair then banter and get into their adventure. I always liked it just the way it is. Since no one's said to change it, why bother?
I doubt I will ever stray too far from my personal preferences. I'll never turn away helpful advice, but we must do whatever is best for the story.
August 8, 2015
Introducing: The Red Crown
Isn't she lovely! The first of the three novellas, The Red Crown starts the wild and mystical adventures of Nisa and Cayden.
The holy festival of Velis brings a pause to the civil war plaguing Meijra. In the middle of a city full of masked pilgrims, Nisa seeks out her old friend Cayden for some assistance in stealing an ancient and powerful relic. After years apart, the pair reunite while attempting to solve the ancient riddles hidden underneath the temple. The promises of riches and adventure keep them going despite unparalleled obstacles.
