Emilie Richards's Blog, page 73
January 26, 2016
Where Writers Get Ideas: What Do You Do on Vacation?

Emilie in St. Thomas
I’m on the high seas today, taking a holiday after finishing When We Were Sisters.
Here’s a blog I wrote after another trip almost exactly two years ago, and I thought you might enjoy a second look. I’ll be back next week with new tales to tell.
***
Let’s take a little quiz.
Do you drive through a new town and:
Pay complete attention to road signs, because heck, you’re on your way elsewhere
Look for familiar shops and restaurants in case you have a few minutes to enjoy yourself
Examine architecture and look for historic buildings
Imagine what it’s like to live there
When you’re on vacation do you mostly:
Visit the tourist attractions
Enjoy the boutiques and nightlife
Revel in whatever nature has to offer
Drive or walk through unfamiliar neighborhoods to see what you can learn about the town and its inhabitants
I won’t go on. Of course you know where I’m going, right? Even on vacation many of us revert to type.
If we rush through life to get to the next destination, then on vacation we’ll probably rush from one place to the next. We will have our itinerary planned and most likely we won’t deviate. Those folks are the number ones among us.
If we heavily learn toward hunting and gathering and appreciate a good meal and a good time, we will probably look for shops, familiar and unfamiliar, to see what’s a bargain or brand new for us to purchase. And in the evening once the shops close, we might hunt and gather a little fun and a few good memories. Those folks are our number twos.
If scenery, either natural or man/woman made brings us peace and joy, and if we marvel easily over the accomplishments of others or of nature? Those folks are the number threes.
But if we drive through neighborhoods, or on unfamiliar highways, and wonder about the lives of the people we pass, even the ones zipping by in cars or sixteen-wheelers, if we yearn to hear the history of a place, who settled it and why, how it grew and what it’s hoping for in the future? Those folks are the number fours.
The writers.
A slightly heavier me (the photo attests) got back from my cruise last week with a mountain of laundry, a lot of paperwork on my desk, and a happy smile. I also came back with lots of random thoughts.
For instance:
Suppose a passenger were sitting on her balcony minding her own business and a body floated by. What would she do? Not to mention who was the “body,” why was it there, was the person still alive, could a rescue be attempted, who would hear the person’s final words if they expired afterwards, and if foul play was suspected, was the foul player on board?
What if the heretofore happy passenger was now worried that said foul player KNEW she’d heard the victim’s last words and wanted to be certain they were never repeated.
Why does the port authority require identification for individuals driving through the gates to the ship, but a parking garage shuttle didn’t have to show identification for any of its passengers. Could a terrorist use that to his advantage?
What would happen to a passenger who was robbed in a foreign port and left with no identification? And what if that person strongly resembled someone the local police had been looking for? And . . .
There’s no right or wrong way to BE on vacation. Many of my fellow cruisers were thrilled to visit the multitude of Caribbean jewelry stores so that they could avoid paying duty and taxes on their purchases. Others reveled in the most strenuous shore excursions, scuba diving through shipwrecks, climbing mountainsides. Still others had carefully researched where to go, what to see, and never dallied at the markets or docks.
Then there was me. When I wasn’t wondering about murder on the high seas I spent the trip wondering what it was like to work on a ship, and what my steward went home to when his time on board was finished. What did his family look like? Did he make adorable little lobsters out of beach towels for his children? Was our wine steward working her way up to a higher position? And why did the captain and most of his top crew members come from Greece? Were they from the same island? Is this a family biz? What does this do to a marriage?
Are you a 1, 2, 3 or 4? Or a mixture? Since I’m a 4, I’d love to know all about your vacation personality. We fours want to know everything. After all, there might be a book in it.
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January 23, 2016
Sunday Inspiration: To build a ship
I’m leaving today on a 7 day Caribbean cruise, so you can understand why I’m so moved by these words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
I grew up in Florida, so the ocean–or in my case, the gulf–has always been an important part of my life. I find water not just beautiful but transcendent and inspirational. I love gazing across the water to the horizon and sensing all that immense power.
These words speak of a vision beyond the sea itself, one that calls to us to become the person we were meant to be. Saint-Exupery says that we are called for a purpose beyond the daily tasks we accomplish, a purpose that gives meaning to our lives and lives of others. Do you know your purpose? Has it changed as you’ve grown older? Is it time to reassess? For myself, reassessment is part of daily life, and when I forget to look carefully at where I am and where I want to be I feel lost.
This week I’ll be spending a lot of time appreciating “the endless immensity of the sea,” and perhaps in the future I’ll build a ship from this vision. Or at least, a book.
Bon Voyage!
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January 20, 2016
Trigger Points for Novelists

I have an excellent editor, who listens and supports me. Still, I don’t like the editing process. I’m sure I’m not unusual, but at the same time, as I pointed out, many of my colleagues don’t even flinch. On the other hand I love writing a synopsis, and I know for a fact that many writers would prefer to write an entire book and have it rejected than write even the shortest synopsis. Different strokes.
This week, though, I discovered I’m not as phobic about editing as I thought I was. Because I’ve discovered something curious.
Before sending the synopsis for my next book to my editor I decided to send it to my literary agent. Do you know about agents? While they are not a requirement for submission to some publishers, others require writers to have one before they’ll consider a manuscript. An agent is a first reader. A reputable agent–and not all of them are–and a respected agent–not all of them are–won’t send a proposal to a publisher unless he or she believes it has potential and fits what that publishing house is looking for. The editor or professional reader who gets that manuscript will know that the first test has been passed. The manuscript or proposal has merit, even if it’s not exactly right for them.
Of course with independent publishing now on the rise, literary agents are scrambling to figure out what services they can provide. Writers are no longer dependent on publishers to get their books in front of the reading public, and agents have to find new ways to market themselves.
I have an agent, though, and a good one. Steve suits me so well because when I need his advice he gives it. But he doesn’t offer it unless it’s needed or solicited. He trusts me; I trust him. That arrangement works for both of us.
Since I had a question about my new synopsis, I sent it to him before sending it to my editor. His response surprised me. He had some serious questions about the tone of the book. Even more surprising? His reaction didn’t bother me one bit.
Apparently I don’t mind having my ideas questioned. It’s the finished product I don’t want touched.
So now I’m rethinking my premise. I have two ways of approaching his critique. One is to rewrite the synopsis and concentrate on making certain that the tone of the synopsis truly conveys the story. That may be the only thing I need to do. But the second possibility? I’m already rethinking a key element of the plot. If I can find a way to change it, I just might. It could be tricky, but the result might make the book even better and affect the tone, as well.
Not every critique is a good one. My first agent disliked the premise of Whiskey Island. Books about the Irish coming to America were boring. Other plot points annoyed her. She was so dismissive of the book that I knew we had finally outgrown each other and I moved on. Whiskey Island went on to become one of my readers’ all-time favorites, exactly as I had proposed it.
But this time I think my agent is on to something, and I plan to respond accordingly.
Trigger points for novelists may not seem relevant in your personal life, but there’s food for thought here. Exactly what makes you uncomfortable? What upsets you? What makes you angry? Can you narrow your reaction to the precise issue?
Figuring out your specific trigger points may be helpful. You may be able to find ways to avoid them and save yourself a lot of stress. You may be able to discuss them with the people involved and ask them to moderate their behavior. Or once discovered, you might just be able to laugh at yourself.
I’m not laughing yet, but I’m hopeful. And besides? I have a year to go before a book of mine is edited again. Whew!
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January 15, 2016
Sunday Inspiration: JellyBean Time
Last Sunday it was golf balls, and this Sunday it’s jellybeans.
The theme is similar: how are we going to choose to spend our time on what’s important in our lives. You might call it JellyBean time.
This creative video reminded me that time on this earth is short, and if we don’t pay attention to the preciousness of each moment, our lives can easily be frittered away and wasted.
I noticed the comments on the video, and I was surprised that several people mentioned how depressing it was. But I found it inspirational because life has been full for me — and I hope for you — and there are still many jellybeans to go.
Enjoy the video and while you’re at it? Don’t wait until Easter. Find and enjoy your favorite jellybeans right now. You deserve them–especially the purple ones. Yum!
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January 12, 2016
Let It Stand: Editing a Novel
A fair number of my colleagues hate writing a synopsis because they don’t know ahead of time what’s going to happen. They want to be surprised and they don’t want to do the plotting up front.
In case you don’t know? A synopsis is the bare bones of the story, as if I were telling it to you over coffee. “So-and-So is a girl in her teens who discovers that she has the power to see into the future. She tells her mother, who insists she not tell anyone else because they will think she is crazy. So-and-So tries to obey, but at the grocery store she realizes that a man who has come into the store is actually. . .”
You get it, right? Just a straight-forward condensation of the story, with occasional paragraphs that move the action forward without explaining every detail. “And after she tries to find a way to tell the police about this crime and three others without success. . .”
I am not one of these writers. I love to write a synopsis. In fact I have just finished not one but three for my next book. A mini-synopsis, a short synopsis, and a convoluted one. The first is for my publisher, who wants only the bare bones. The second is for my editor, who will want to know more details about how I’ll handle the hard parts. The last is for me with details and character sketches I’ll need when I start to write the novel. Three synopses is a definition of insanity, but hey, we are who we are.
The synopsis is often a novel’s starting point, but it’s the ending point I most dislike. This past weekend I labored over my personal ending point for long hours. That ending point is editing.
Editing a novel happens in several stages. I’m a compulsive editor along with a compulsive penner of synopses. I edit every sentence, graduate to paragraphs and chapters as I go, and then sections. Finally I do two separate edits of the entire manuscript before the line editor at my publisher sees the first word. I read the entire novel silently, only stopping long enough to jot a few notes about pacing or inconsistencies. After I’ve finished and made those changes, I read the whole book out loud and make a bunch more.
It’s fair to say that by the time I’m done, the book is pretty clean. Every editor I’ve ever worked with–and I’m counting eight, not including the ones who just filled in on a book here or there–says I’m a delight because they have to make so few changes.
Of course after saying this, they make a lot of changes anyway.
Not everyone is as picky as I am or cares whether their words go to print exactly as written. I know writers who send their first draft off without worrying that what they get back will be heavily revised. One told me “that’s what they pay her for, right?” In no way am I criticizing what works for them. They are primarily storytellers and as long as the story is well told, they’re happy.
Not me, unfortunately. This weekend I labored over every little editing change for When We Were Sisters. Luckily I can usually spot the changes that really needed to be made. What’s clear to me might not be clear to my reader. So I need to have that pointed out. Sometimes my editor’s word choice might trump mine. Or she might question a bit of research I did to be sure it’s accurate.
And sometimes, of course, my way is better. And that’s where STET comes in handy. Wikipedia tells me that Stet is a form of the verb sto, stare, steti, statum originally used by editors to instruct the typesetter or writer to disregard a change the editor or proofreader had previously marked. Basically it means “let it stand.”
I’m grateful to my editor, whose keen eye, wit and intelligence make my books so much better. But I’m also grateful to whoever came up STET as a way to make it clear that sometimes the author is right and nothing more needs to be said.
Beyond all that? Here’s the good news. Up close and personal with When We Were Sisters again, I feel pretty sure, positive, hopeful confident that you’ll be glad you read it, too.
STET.
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January 9, 2016
Sunday Inspiration: What’s Important?
Last Sunday I encouraged you (and me) to block out time in the coming year for what’s important. But first we have to answer this question: What’s important? This is the perfect story to help do that.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.
Now do we know what’s important for us? I’ll meet you in the bar for a rousing discussion.
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January 7, 2016
Holiday Hangover
What do you get when you cross the holiday season with a root canal?
Actually, the answer is pretty pedestrian. You get a writer with a proposal to finish, edits to check, and too many fretful nights. So tune in next week when I suspect that writer (me) will be fresher and more alert.
(And don’t worry, part one of the root canal went very well.)
I hope you had wonderful holidays and are starting to settle into 2016 with energy and conviction. I promise I’ll be back. . .
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January 2, 2016
Sunday Inspiration: Block it Out!
So how are those New Year’s resolutions coming on Day 3?
I shared my writing resolutions for the new year here at my blog on Wednesday. The problem with resolutions in my mind is that they are too abstract, idealistic, and impractical. My philosophy when it comes to resolutions is the same I have for writing: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
And the club is time.
I read a blog recently with the message that to organize your life you must block out time for that which is most important, instead of assuming it will somehow magically happen in between everything else that occurs in life. That makes all the sense in the world to me, and I believe this wisdom works for resolutions as well: you can achieve them only if you block out the time.
Want to be healthy? Block out time at the gym.
Want to lose weight? Block out time to plan the right menus and purchase the right foods?
Want to improve your relationship with someone? Block out time to spend with them.
Want to be a writer? Block out time to read and write.
Want peace and inspiration? Block out time for solitude and relaxation.
So get out your calendar and block it out with what’s important to you in this coming year.
And in the meantime? Next Sunday enjoy another story that I found on Facebook about figuring out what really matters. The images in that one will stay with you–and you’ll start the new year with a good laugh. I saw it on Facebook, and loved it. Hope you will, too.
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December 30, 2015
The Writing Process 2015: Resolutions For the New Writing Year.
2015 will be over soon, and so will this category of Southern Exposure. I’ve so much enjoyed recounting a year of work on When We Were Sisters with you.
Since the cover is now on Amazon, I think it’s fine to share it with you here. But I won’t be sharing the cover story quite yet. Hopefully I’ll have some interesting extra photos to share when I do. Let me just say this. Getting a final cover wasn’t fun, but my publisher and I both persevered and worked together. I’m happy with the result. Later, I’ll tell you all about it.
In the meantime? A new year is on the way and a new book with it. I’ve put together a synopsis. This means I’ve told the story, step by step, on paper, as if I were telling it to you. So and So is happily married until. . . blah, blah, blah. Now S&S can’t figure out what to do next.
You see? I’ve written about twelve single spaced pages of this. The prose is not expected to shine or enrapture. A synopsis gets a job done. With few flourishes a synopsis tells an editor exactly what I’m planning, who the people are who will carry out that plan, and how I’ll begin and end. That simple.
This synopsis, by the way, is much too long for my publisher to read. So now I’ll hopefully condense it into five to ten pages. Of course this means all the subtlety will fly out the window and they’ll wonder if I can pull off the story. So I’ll include the longer version for my editor, which will answer at least some of those questions. Then–and this can take weeks or months–we’ll resolve our differences of opinion, if any, and I’ll begin writing the book. Or if we can’t agree, I’ll think of something else to send them.
Meantime I’ve already done a lot of research and know far more about some subjects than I ever hoped to learn. This book will get written. So even if my publisher prefers something else, eventually this one will see the light. I like it and know you will, too.
2016 promises to be an interesting writing year. But before I launch in, I’ve put together a few resolutions for the New Writing Year.
In 2016 I will:
Worry less about what others think and write the book the way I know it needs to be written.
I will allow some of my major characters to misbehave badly without trying to fix them–at least not right away. (I’m a born fixer, real life and fiction.)
I won’t fret if there’s no romance to speak of in my new book. Just because I started my career writing romance. . . (Of course, if one develops, who am I to stand in the way?)
I will write a shorter book. Just to prove I can.
I will take some time to figure out what’s best career-wise for me as well as for my readers.
I will create ebooks of at least three more of my newly-edited classic romances, beginning with Dragonslayer, which won the RITA from Romance Writers of America and is still a darned good book.
I will find a better balance between work and relaxation, kayak more, read and quilt more, and finish that stegosaurus sweater for my grandson.
That seems like enough to do, right?
Are you making resolutions this year? I’ve made the usual one about eating less and exercising more. But the ones above? 2015 has pointed out need for each and every one of them. So The Writing Process 2015 blogs were a great chance to take stock of what was happening with my novel and career. All these resolutions have come out of that process.
Thanks for reading along with these this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have.
Happy New Year!
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December 24, 2015
Holiday Inspiration: The Wise-Man Star

The excerpt comes from my novel Fugitive, which was released as part of a romance trilogy from Silhouette Books in the 1990s. I’m hoping to re-release all three of these novels again in the near future. Tate, the heroine, has moved to a cabin on land in the Ozark mountains, left to her by a father she never knew. This is an entry from her father’s journal.
“When one brilliant star hangs in the midnight sky like God’s own night-light, folks hereabouts call it a wise-man star. I can’t think of a reason to call it anything else, can you? Even the wisest of us needs help finding his way sometimes.
There’s always been a wise-man star on Christmas Eve as long as I’ve been alive–and sometimes I think I’ve been alive forever. The star has always been there, reminding me that there’s something out there to search for, something that needs finding.
The wise men weren’t just wise, they were brave. It took courage to go looking for that tiny baby in the manger. Not because they could have gotten lost. No, getting lost was the least of their troubles. It took courage because the baby might just get himself found, and once he was, well, lives were going to be changed forever. The son of God can do that to you.
The son of man can do that to you, too–or the daughter of man. Go looking for the baby in the manger or the hospital, or in the pitiful, thin arms of a starving mother, and your life is changed forever, too. Some of us can’t find our camels to make that search. We sit home, and we search for the star instead. And when it hangs high in a Christmas Eve sky, then it’s just the same thing as being told we’re not all we were meant to be.
But ain’t it wonderful the way the wise-man star just goes ahead and shines on, anyhow? Every Christmas Eve it shines. Maybe it’s God’s way of egging us on. Or maybe it’s His way of telling us He loves us, anyway, even if we’ve put our camels out to pasture this year.
“I’d like to think so anyway, wouldn’t you?”
May your own holiday be filled with love, transformation and reconciliation.
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