Megan Morgan's Blog, page 42
May 18, 2016
When background characters attack
One of my favorite things about writing is that you never know what’s going to happen. Even if you’re a writer who outlines everything in advance (I 
am not this type of writer, but I know some people are) you probably end up having deviations here and there as the writing progresses. The best laid plans tend to get muddled by the story itself. And if you’re a pantser like me, who just dives in the water with a vague idea of where the sunken treasure is, you end up with all sorts of things you didn’t realize you were digging for.
The background or side character who ends up wiggling their way into the spotlight is one of those things.
My personal adventure with this is the protagonist of my Siren Song series, June Coffin. She originally started out as a minor MALE character in the very first version of The Wicked City, which the final published book today is only very loosely based on. Then he/she became the main character in one of the twenty-thousand rewrites I did, and then he became she and now she is the main character of an entire series that’s all about her.
Talk about an attention hog!
Sometimes we don’t know the story. We start writing one story only to realize it’s someone else’s story, or that someone else in the background has a better story to tell than what we were originally trying for. These things happen. Characters are whiny children and they tend to get their way. I’ve learned it’s best just to listen to them instead of fight them, because they will sneak in and mess everything up for you if you try to ignore them.
How about you? Have you ever had a sneaky background character jump in front of the camera and take over?
Filed under: Siren Song, The Wicked City Tagged: creativity, funny, writing
May 16, 2016
Eerie by C.M. McCoy
Today I’m hosting C.M. McCoy and her mature YA paranormal romance Eerie. C.M. is giving away a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card, so make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Card
Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
As seen in People Magazine…
Hailey’s dreams have always been, well…vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into her waking life vivid. When her big sister goes missing, eighteen-year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a murderous 3,000-year-old beast is an equally terrifying creature who has fallen “madly” in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety–a ParaScience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she studies the science of the supernatural and must learn to live with a roommate from Hell, survive her ParaScience classes, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn’t decide to kill her himself.
EXCERPT:
A Guarded Girl
“Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.”
Bertrand Russell
Hailey stared at the empty can on her tray, silently willing the caffeine to kick in. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep, dream of monsters, and have an “episode” in front of her 200 closest non-friends.
No way she’d let that happen.
Now if only her droopy eyelids would cooperate, because the hard plastic chair under her butt sure wasn’t. The dang thing was teasing her and feeling mighty comfy, like a puffy armchair, and she was sinking fast. Thankfully, though, just as her head bobbed, the bell rang, jolting her into a wide-eyed, full-body spasm.
Great. Real smooth, she thought, rubbing her face with both hands as a few gigglers shuffled past.
She groaned, rising with all the enthusiasm of a mushroom, not at all looking forward to another two hours inside the social torture chamber, or as everyone else referred to it, South Side High School.
She was so intent on avoiding the students there for the rest of her senior year that she rarely looked up from her books anymore, and those last two hours dragged. When three o’clock finally rolled around, she bolted outside, took the first open seat on the bus, rested her head against the window, and let it bounce there. She was just about to make it through another day of school very happily unnoticed, when Tage Adams smacked her on the back of the head.
“Ah!” she yelled, startled from sleep.
The bus was waiting at their stop, like normal, and Tage was waiting for her in the aisle, politely—not normal.
Tucking a wayward strand behind her ear, she hurried off the bus.
Tage followed.
“What’s up with you today?” he said nonchalantly, adjusting his pace to walk next to her.
He’d never done that before.
“Nothing,” Hailey said, surprised Tage was talking to her. They’d been catching the bus at the same stop for four years, and he’d never so much as looked at her.
“You’re usually not like that, that’s all.”
“Like what?”
“Nodding off in class, falling asleep on the bus…you know, slacking off. It’s just, you know, you usually have your nose in a book.”
He watches me?
“Oh,” she said, unsure.
“Guess you were working late last night…St. Paddy’s Day…”
“Yeah.” Of course she was working late. Her family owned the most popular Irish pub in Pittsburgh. Hailey pressed her lips together. Small talk was not her thing. Especially not with him.
Her mind went blank.
Searching the pavement for a thought, she chewed her lip as too many seconds stretched the silence. Finally the pressure forced her good sense aside and she opened her mouth to say…anything.
“What’s—”
“Well, see ya ‘round, Dancing Queen.”
She snapped her mouth shut and waved as he peeled off and trotted down Bridge Street. She tried to form the word, “bye,” but all that came out was “buh—”. Standing dumbfounded, she stared after him. She hadn’t realized Tage knew she existed, let alone the fact that she waitressed. And danced.
Stunned, Hailey walked, then jogged, then stopped dead to puzzle over what had just happened. Then she jogged again until she finally reached the pub.
Nobody at that school “chatted” with Hailey. Not since the fourth grade, not since the day a particularly mean girl concocted a particularly ugly rumor—that Hailey had started the fire that killed her parents. The whispers and sideways glances lasted close to a year, and in trying to defend herself, Hailey only made things worse. By the time she figured out that nobody else believed in pyromaniac-nightmare-monsters, it was too late. She’d already earned the label, “weirdo,” which, unfortunately, stuck.
★ Watch the awesome book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPx4FELVxH4
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0176M19RM
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M6MA6
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M19RM
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781623422332
Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eerie/id1052918810
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781623422332
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/eerie-17
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_M_McCoy_Eerie?id=yfDPCgAAQBAJ
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
C.M. McCoy is an Irish dancer and former Air Force officer living in the Great White North. Though B.S.’d in Chemical Engineering and German, she’s far happier writing stories involving Alaska and a body bag (with an awkward kiss in the mix.) While working emergency dispatch for Alaska State Troopers, she learned to speak in 10-codes, which she still does…but only to annoy her family.
Website: http://www.cmmccoy.com/
Blog: http://www.cmmccoy.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eeriesaga
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eerie_o @eerie_o
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27274308-eerie
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Card
Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts, Promotion Tagged: guests, paranormal, romance
May 13, 2016
Tell us what it’s about
I’ve been doing a lot of editing this week, preparing a novella for submission. That also means writing a synopsis, which I think is easily the most difficult part of any submission process. If you’re still preparing for your first ever submission and you’ve never written a synopsis before, you’re going to find out quickly that it’s an art form in itself–and that you’d probably rather write a thousand books than one synopsis.
The facts about a synopsis that will make you laugh with utter insanity:
You have to distill an entire story–no matter how long, even a book–into just a few paragraphs to one or two pages. The whole thing! All of it!
Remember, you gotta make it sound interesting and exciting!
You have to decide what’s important to mention and what can go without being detailed in the synopsis…but wait, isn’t all of it important?!
Good luck!
My method of writing a synopsis is to write the first version as long and detailed as I want to, and then go back through it and omit things that aren’t pertinent or don’t directly move the main plot. And then go through it again and remove more. And then again. And then again.
Here’s some other methods you might try:
Pretend you’re telling a friend what the story is about and they have to catch their train in two minutes.
Tell the bare-bones version of the story. Who is the main character, what do they want, what’s working against them, how does it get resolved? Remember, in a synopsis you have to reveal the ending. There are no ‘spoilers’ in publishing, agents and editors want to see that you can write a coherent story that gets resolved in a satisfying way. They’d rather read the two-minute “my train is coming” version of that first before bothering with the manuscript itself because they’re busy people.
Describe what your story is about in one sentence.
This sounds even more insane than a synopsis, but if you can do it, you can then expand on that sentence rather than whittling down a longer description. Work backwards!
Write the synopsis as you write the story.
I have grand plans to one day actually try this, but I haven’t done it yet. Each day after you write, also write a brief description of what you wrote that day, and then at the end shape this into the synopsis. It sounds much easier than working on a synopsis post-story, but I’ve yet to remember to try it.
Writing a synopsis is daunting, and I’d like to tell you it gets easier the more you do it, but I won’t lie. It’s never easy to distill an entire story down to just a few words and you always feel like you’re leaving out something vital. If you’re one of those people who can write an amazing synopsis effortlessly, kudos to you and also send your magic fairy my way.
Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: advice, editing, information, publishers, tools, writing
May 11, 2016
A change of scenery
Having just moved into a new place, I can tell you that a change of scenery definitely changes your attitude about certain things as well as your thinking patterns. Reinventing the daily intricacies of your life makes you see them in a new way, even makes the mundane kind of exciting again. 
Even a short term change of scenery–a vacation, a visit somewhere new–makes you ‘wake up’ and gets your brain running again. It’s a scientific fact that routine makes us blind and makes time go faster. If you want to slow down time, you need to seek out new experiences and venues. Your brain switches on when you’re in the presence of the unfamiliar.
Can this apply to writing as well? Of course!
When you’re stuck on a story, or you’re going through a dry spell of no writing at all, it can be incredibly aggravating and frustrating. For some people, a change of scenery helps. Moving your writing spot, or taking it out of the house to a coffee shop or library, seems to help. For me personally this doesn’t work, because a change of scenery is distracting to me. I find myself absorbed more in the environment around me than the story–I need my familiar, non-intrusive spot to write. That’s just me, though–not all writers are like this, and you might benefit from a different view.
There’s also the method of changing the scenery in the story itself. If you’re stuck and pulling your hair out, asking “what the hell happens next?” maybe it will jog your creative brain to pick up the story at a different spot, or write something different altogether. You can go back and write forward from a different scene (it might turn out better than what you have already), or jump ahead and write something that happens in the future and figure out how to connect the two pieces. You might step to the side and write something completely different–even completely different than the genre you usually write–to help your brain wake up. Likewise, if you’re stuck in a fallow period, you could try writing something you would never write, or are too scared to write, or is silly or unpublishable, knowing it’s for your eyes only and that it’s just to make your brain shake off the dust and snap to attention. Our minds work best when given some variety to play with.
Changing your view helps your eyes open and your creativity awaken. If you’re stuck in the same old same old, try turning around. The smallest shift in perspective could make a world of difference.
Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: advice, creativity, inspiration, writing
May 9, 2016
A to Z Reflections
For this year’s Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I came up with the worst romance novel ever written in 26 days. Pandora’s Tacklebox, an epic (mis)adventure involving an intrepid multi-tasking hero (with muscles of iron, a beard like a god, and a bank account of legend) and his poor cursed mermaid girlfriend, was an effort to both entertain and educate about writing techniques. Visitors to the blog seemed to enjoy it a lot. I got such a big and positive response!
This was my second year doing the challenge. Last year I talked about writing too, though not as entertainingly. This year was a much more organized and focused effort, and took a lot more work. However, like last year, I started writing my posts in February so they were all ready to go by April. This turned out to be quite smart, as I ended up moving house in April. I surely wouldn’t have been able to write day by day in the midst of that chaos. I recommend to everyone to decide early in the year if you want to participate and write your posts well ahead of time–then you can cruise through April on autopilot!
I do admit, by about ‘S’ I was starting to burn out on the challenge, even with all my posts done. Each day I still had to promote the posts on Facebook, Twitter, and the like, visit other blogs, and answer my comments. Perhaps my burnout was just because I was living amongst towers of boxes at the time and trying to put all my ducks in a row so the actual move (which took place on April 30th) went smoothly. I was distracted a lot and it eventually felt kind of grueling to immerse myself in the challenge.
I met some new blogger friends this year though, and enjoyed the challenge overall. I got to participate in a few of the Twitter chats and that was fun.
Will I do it again next year? Of course! I looked forward to the challenge this year and couldn’t wait for it to get under way. Maybe next year I’ll try something a little less complex, though.
Check out the other reflection posts on the A to Z Challenge site!
Filed under: A to Z Challenge 2016, Pandora's Tacklebox Tagged: blog hop, blogging, creativity, writing
May 6, 2016
Talisman by Colleen Charles
Today I’m hosting Colleen Charles and her sweet paranormal romance Talisman. Colleen is giving away a $20 Amazon or B&N gift card, so make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway! Colleen is also here today to talk about her novel’s central character–Talisman the cat!
Enter to win a $20 Amazon/B&N Gift Card
Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Talisman the Cat
by Colleen Charles
I’ve been blessed to be owned by two purebred Ragdoll cats named Bingham and Finley. They can be arrogant, demanding and fussy but they’re also loving, creative and hilarious. Because of their antics, I was inspired to write my #1 Paranormal Romantic Comedy, Fur Magic, starting with Book 1 – Talisman. The narrator is based on my cat, Bingham.
Really, all I have to do is observe him for a few minutes and the dialogue just comes to me. If he could talk, I’m sure I’d be shocked by his articulation of his wisecracking, feline sense of humor, directed at me and the annoying dogs. He probably resents their mere existence.
I’ve been an animal lover my entire life so my writing just naturally evolved to include pets and their unique voices. The banter between Talisman and Sage is some good comic relief. Of the many books I’ve written, this one is truly my favorite because it’s really me on the page. When it hit #1 in romance short reads and stayed there for almost 30 days, I cried. I’m so proud of this book and I call it the little book that could.
The other great thing about Talisman is that it’s clean. My mom, my grandma and my godson could all read it without the censure and the blushing J.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope reading Talisman helps to brighten your day with a little feline humor!
Colleen
XXX OOO
If you like your romances steamier, I gift a full-length, standalone novel to new subscribers of my newsletter at www.colleencharles.com/free!
Just one kiss to break the spell…
That’s all she needs.
Cursed by a jealous witch, Penelope DeLacroix’s spells are all going wrong and backfiring, creating havoc in town. The vengeful witch won’t quit until she has all of Penelope’s powers. And all it will take is one perfect, heartfelt kiss from Penelope’s one true love to put an end to all this turmoil.
The only problem? Penelope has no idea that Dr. Lucas Collier, the compassionate local veterinarian, is in love with her. Nor does he know that she’s in love with him. They’re both too stupid to figure it out.
But I know.
And I have to do something about it.
But what can I do?
I’m only her cat.
What?
Every witch has a cat.
I’m hers.
I’m Talisman.
And I’m going to fix this.
EXCERPT:
I trotted around the house as fast as I could and rang the doorbell before I realized I had forgotten an extremely important fact. The most important fact of all. When one morphs in to human form and they aren’t wearing any clothes, then they aren’t wearing any clothes. That’s right folks. Standing buck naked at the front door with Penelope three feet from swinging the door open and Amelia hot on her heels. I was just going to have to go with it. Just as Penelope flipped the dead bolt, I noticed the American flag flying proudly on the front porch.
George Washington and all our founding fathers, please forgive a desperate cat for what he’s about to do.
I ripped the flag down and off its wooden pole just in time to wrap it around my waste so Penelope wouldn’t see my, er … assets. I’d seen them before and they were spectacular. Poor Dr. Luke couldn’t possibly be as well-endowed as I was. It had to be at least five inches.
“Ami,” she said as she swung the door wide. “There’s a present on the doorstep and it’s not even Christmas.”
Ami skidded up behind her and then peered at me through the space between Pen’s arm and rib cage.
“Hmm …,” she said as her brown eyes got as wide as saucers. “It’s a great present and its wrapping is so unique, so … patriotic.”
Pen motioned for me to step over the threshold and in to the foyer as she spoke, “I think it’s time I know your name, mystery man. Also, what do you want with me and why do you keep appearing at the strangest times. Almost like you know when I need you.”
Shoot. I didn’t have an answer to that question. Because, I didn’t have an answer to anything. I blew by both of them, not only because I didn’t have the gift of speech to make small talk but because I was on a time constraint. I’d already wasted five minutes getting clad in my USA team gear and using the front door.
As I trotted in to the living room and picked up the book of love spells, I hitched the flag up around my flanks and made sure it was secure. I didn’t want to flash them a glimpse of my perfectly round behind. That view would ruin Penelope for anyone else.
I opened the book and slapped it down on the engraved coffee table. The one that Pen adored because it had been handed down for generations. Her grandma had just presented it to her for her twenty-fifth birthday. As I shuffled through the pages to find the one I wanted, the one at the beginning, Ami reached me and peered around me.
I pointed, hard until my finger was white from the effort of pressing against the page. She read it over a few times and then looked at me in confusion.
“Hot guy,” she said. “I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me.”
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Talisman-Fur-Magic-Book-1-ebook/dp/B017J9LQDO/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/no/book/talisman/id1081637507?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/talisman-12
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/talisman-colleen-charles/1123367941?ean=2940152764239
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Colleen Charles is the pen name of Tami Stark, #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon.
After 26 years in Corporate leadership at a Fortune 500, I discovered people within the organization lacked integrity. I’d always known deep in my soul that I was trying to fit a square peg in to a round hole since I’m the typical creative type. I miss my staff but I don’t miss the corporate world. It’s been said that the Universe will let you know if something isn’t right for you. The first time, it will hit you with a pebble. Then a brick. Then a boulder. Let’s just say that I got flattened. When my fifteen pound toy dog, Nigel, was threatened, I knew it was time to say goodbye.
It’s sad but true.
Here’s what I found within the first thirty days of being free. Writing stories from my heart that readers love means more to me than working myself in to an early grave for people who only care about their bottom line.
My heart has never been more full and my soul has never been more satisfied.
I’ve never worked so hard in my life but it doesn’t even feel like work. It’s worth it. All of it. Because it’s about the joy that’s found within the journey. The highs and the lows because I get to write stories for all of you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, enjoying and recommending the stories that I write. When you share my work with others, nothing is more rewarding. Your word of mouth is my very best friend … that, and your reviews. There is nothing more important to me than all of you.
I love to hear from my readers and answer all communications personally. You can find me at:
AUTHOR LINKS:
Site: http://www.colleencharles.com/free – VALUABLE STARTER PACKAGE for new subscribers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Colleen-Charles-1505026199744713/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/booksbycolleen @booksbycolleen
Enter to win a $20 Amazon/B&N Gift Card
Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: cats, guests, paranormal, romance
May 4, 2016
If you wanna be a writer, you gotta write.
This post is part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop. The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG will be Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, Viola Fury, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, and Stephanie Faris!
It’s time to take a deep breath and relax! Many of us are coming off the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge and might be feeling a little burnt out on blogging. I also moved this past weekend, so I’m definitely more than a bit bedraggled. I’ll try to keep this short, for your sake and mine.
Today I’m going to talk about how you have to write a lot to make writing work. What do I mean by that? Well.
Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a writer, and when I’m writing the world feels right (I accidentally typo-ed that as ‘write’). So why don’t I do more writing and less time distracting myself from writing with unnecessary things? I feel like that’s probably a question a lot of writers ask themselves. I actually have a lot of free time where I COULD be writing, much more than I do now, but…you know how it is. I know if I want to be a career writer I have to treat it like a job. I know this. I need to remember it, as well.
Chuck Wendig has a great, simple philosophy on how to be a writer (NSFW for language), which boils down to ‘write a lot as fast as you can.’ I want to print out his advice and stick it next to my writing spot, because I know that’s what I should be doing, instead of making blog posts and playing Neko Atsume. In fact, I’m going to try to be a better writer in the sense I start writing more and more often, because it just feels so darn good to write and I don’t know why I don’t indulge myself more.
How about you? Are you wasting valuable writing time?
Filed under: IWSG Tagged: blog hop, insecure writer's support group, writing
May 2, 2016
Free book!
The Blogging From A to Z Challenge is over and I think we all need a little break! Congratulations if you took on the challenge and made it to the end. Even if you didn’t make it to the end, good job for trying! If you were sane and didn’t do the challenge, I applaud you as well.
I also moved house this weekend and my life is currently in shambles (and boxes). I just wanted to make a quick post and let urban fantasy fans know that the first book in my Siren Song series, The Wicked City, is currently free at most retailers (except Amazon at the moment) until June 5th! You can’t get any cheaper than that! If you like what you read, the second book in the series, The Bloody City, is also 99 cents on Amazon, and the third book, The Burning City, is available for pre-order.
Clicky below to learn more about the books and get the deals!
Filed under: Siren Song, The Bloody City, The Burning City, The Wicked City Tagged: information, kensington, lyrical press, sale, urban fantasy
April 30, 2016
Z – Zip It Up
My A to Z Challenge theme is teaching you how not to write a book, or a short story, or any piece of creative writing whatsoever. For more information, including links to previous chapters and lessons, please refer to this post. Now buckle in and proceed with…
THE WORST ROMANCE NOVEL EVER WRITTEN IN 26 DAYS.
PANDORA’S TACKLEBOXBillionaire Highlander cowboy Hawk MacHardcastle is tired of living the jetset life of champagne, bucking broncos, kilts, fast cars, and burning bundles of cash for warmth. Desperate to find meaning in his life, he retires to his family’s isolated cabin in the wilds of New Jersey, on the shores of majestic Lake Latrine.
There, Hawk plans on self-reflection and pursuing the great love of his life—fishing. However, Hawk’s self-imposed loneliness comes to an end when he makes a most unusual companion and fishing buddy.
Dropsy Velvet was once a young woman living on the shores of Lake Latrine with her settler family. However, a curse turned her into a mermaid and now she lives, sad and alone, in the depths of the lake. She hasn’t had human contact for close to fifty years, thanks to everyone either being terrified of her or thinking they’re drunk when they see her—but Hawk may be the connection to the world she’s been craving. Charmed by her innocent face, sparkling wit, and huge bare breasts, Hawk decides to help her find a way to lift the curse, as she will lift his: the curse of ennui and affluenza. But time is running out, for something sinister wants to flush Latrine away forever.
Zip It UpEPILOGUE – TWO YEARS LATER
Dropsy stood on the golden sand next to the lake and admired the sunset, while rubbing her belly—hugely pregnant with her third child. Nearby, her beautiful son and daughter—Curdle and Rottweiler—played on the beach building a sandcastle. Their laughter was music to her ears. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect life. Hawk had cashed in all the stock from his feminine hygiene products company, sold off his remaining bucking broncos, and turned their cabin into a mansion. He bought her two Maseratis and built a second house just for the gorgeous wardrobe of designer clothes he’d bought her. Yes, she adored the simple, easy life of living rough in the wilderness with him, sustained only by their love and Swiss bank account.
Hawk stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “What are you daydreaming about, my little Sea Princess?” He kept the same cute nickname for her. It reminded her that the dreadful past was over.
“Oh…just thinking about the babies.” She continued rubbing her tummy.
“Babies?” He looked over her shoulder at her. “There’s more than one? You’re having twins?” His voice went high-pitched. “Oh my God, we’re going to have to build a new wing on the house!” He grabbed her belly. “I love you, darling. Darlings.”
Dropsy giggled, joy bubbling out of her, the way water had once bubbled through her gills. “I couldn’t have asked for a happier ending.”
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?
I don’t know. She’s somehow had three pregnancies in two years and her kids are also old enough to build sandcastles, so…maybe she still has mermaid magic and it got passed to her kids so they grow hyper fast? You decide!
SADLY, THIS IS GOODBYE.
I have IMMENSELY enjoyed doing this year’s challenge and sharing my writing know-how (and no-how) with all of you. I hope you learned something, or were at least entertained. When I originally decided to do this theme I figured it would be quite a project, and I wasn’t wrong—it took a lot of thought and planning, however silly the end result is. It’s not easy to write so crappy, and then somehow turn that crap into lessons. I did have a lot of fun with it though, and even made myself laugh at times, but then maybe that’s just vanity. Or insanity. Maybe I drove myself crazy writing this.
By the way, today is my MOVING DAY! As I’ve mentioned, I’ve also been in the middle of moving house this month. As such, it may be a few days before I get to answer comments/visit blogs for the final hurrah/be online at all, but I promise I will return!
THANK YOU
Until next year!
Filed under: A to Z Challenge 2016, Pandora's Tacklebox Tagged: advice, blog hop, creativity, funny, romance, writing
April 29, 2016
Y – You Did It!
My A to Z Challenge theme is teaching you how not to write a book, or a short story, or any piece of creative writing whatsoever. For more information, including links to previous chapters and lessons, please refer to this post. Now buckle in and proceed with…
THE WORST ROMANCE NOVEL EVER WRITTEN IN 26 DAYS.
PANDORA’S TACKLEBOXBillionaire Highlander cowboy Hawk MacHardcastle is tired of living the jetset life of champagne, bucking broncos, kilts, fast cars, and burning bundles of cash for warmth. Desperate to find meaning in his life, he retires to his family’s isolated cabin in the wilds of New Jersey, on the shores of majestic Lake Latrine.
There, Hawk plans on self-reflection and pursuing the great love of his life—fishing. However, Hawk’s self-imposed loneliness comes to an end when he makes a most unusual companion and fishing buddy.
Dropsy Velvet was once a young woman living on the shores of Lake Latrine with her settler family. However, a curse turned her into a mermaid and now she lives, sad and alone, in the depths of the lake. She hasn’t had human contact for close to fifty years, thanks to everyone either being terrified of her or thinking they’re drunk when they see her—but Hawk may be the connection to the world she’s been craving. Charmed by her innocent face, sparkling wit, and huge bare breasts, Hawk decides to help her find a way to lift the curse, as she will lift his: the curse of ennui and affluenza. But time is running out, for something sinister wants to flush Latrine away forever.
You Did It!Hawk strode proudly into the water and scooped up his darling mermaid. He laid a big wet kiss on her and held her close. “I told you I would be your hero, baby. Now we can spend our life together. I’ll build you a fish tank and even put a plastic castle in it for you. You’ll be my little Princess of the Sea.”
But just then, something magical happened. A brilliant flash of light blinded them. As their vision returned, they gasped to see something amazing and unexpected.
“I’m human again!” Dropsy kicked her brand new long, lovely, sleek, somehow perfectly waxed legs, where her tail had once been. “The witch’s curse is broken. Oh Hawk, I love you.” She threw her arms around his neck.
Hawk spun her around. “This will make sex less awkward.”
They had a picnic on the beach, made love, watched some Netflix, and for the first time in ages, Dropsy slept in a human bed. In the morning, they had breakfast and coffee, and he took her shopping—she bought the highest pair of stilettos she could find, and Hawk approved.
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?
You did it! You wrote a story. You built tension, created conflict, fleshed out your characters and gave them obstacles and motivations, dropped clues where the plot was heading, brought the hero up against the villain, and the big explosion happened. In the aftermath, you should wrap everything up with a nice tidy bow—and don’t be too long about it. Once the main conflict is resolved, anything beyond should consist of putting ducks in a row and tying up any loose ends. If you drag the story on for too long after the climax, it’s going to be just that…a drag. No one cares if your characters watched Netflix after defeating a Hell Witch.
The aftermath of the climactic moment—where hopefully, everything changed—is a place to either revel in victory and take a happy, cleansing breath, or weep and mourn what has been lost and survey the damage. Not every book has a happy ending of course, but it still must be a satisfying ending, which means it makes sense and something was resolved, even if not to everyone’s advantage. After the turning point things quiet down and start wrapping up. Make sure that’s what you do, and don’t dump more story in the reader’s lap than what they want at this point.
Give your characters legs and let them run into the sunset.
Filed under: A to Z Challenge 2016, Pandora's Tacklebox Tagged: advice, blog hop, creativity, funny, romance, writing
