AND THE WINNER IS....

CONGRATULATIONS to Sharlet Liebel, winner of the lovely turquoise bracelet!

I will be giving away another prize on Friday, so check back to see what the prize is. I may even attempt to impart some tidbits of writerly wisdom while I'm here.

Don't forget...we're continuing our month long anniversary celebration in which all core classes at Bootcamp for Novelists are only $25. And it's still not too late to get into the February classes. Late registration goes until 2/18.

BOOTCAMP CLASSES at a glance

LINDA'S FEB/ MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES
Continuing the Techniques of the Pros

2-P DEEPENING CHARACTERIZATION - begins Feb 11
How your character acts in any given situation is based on multiple variables. Here you'll learn what they are and how to use them to maximum potential and make your characters leap off the page. Some of what we will cover:

Character Arcs
Values and beliefs
Deep Point of View
The Driving Force

3-P ESCALATING CONSEQUENCES - begins March 18
Have you ever been so excited about a story that it almost seems to write itself...and then somewhere after the third chapter it stops dead? If so it's probably because your conflict is static. This workshop examines what makes your conflict dynamic...and what to do to make your story move along naturally...with high drama. Some of what we will cover:

External situations and internal conflict
Static conflicts vs dynamic conflicts
High Drama

4-P BUILDING STRONG PLOTS AND SUBPLOTS - begins April 22
Do you ever wonder what makes a good story great? Why we remember some stories and not others? In this workshop we examine layering and subplot development and their use in taking a story from okay to outstanding. Some points we will cover:

High concept plots vs character driven plots
Subplot structure and development
Weaving in subplots
Layering
_____________________________________________________________________________________

CONNIE'S FEB/MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES
Continuing the Four Pillars of Structure

2-B DYNAMIC PLOTTING begins Feb 11
Some people believe that stories come from a magical realm and simply float down to some lucky writers. But could it be possible that given a character with a goal who faces conflict that you can give them situations that make your story sing? This course shows you how.

The Story Question
Four Act Structure
Eight Major Plot Points
Making It a Page Turner

3-B SCENE SCULPTING begins Mar 11
Structuring scenes for maximum impact is the third pillar of story structure. You'll leave this course knowing where and when to place a scene and how to connect each scene for ease of flow and maximum impact.

The Principles of Cause and Effect
Control Actions Scenes, Control the Reader
Reaction Must Be Given Its Due
Transitioning from Action to Reaction . . . and Back Again

4-B CONFLICT THAT SIZZLES begins April 22
Without conflict there is no story. But what is conflict and how does it affect character and plot? It stems from the obstacles to the character's goal and from the consequences of character action. This course will focus on escalating obstacles and consequences until conflict sizzles on every page.

External Conflict
Extreme Differences
How Plot Pressures Characters
The Action Arc

All courses are 4 weeks in length. Go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ for more information.

Keep an eye on this blog and see how to win the next prize!

VIVE LA ROMANCE!

LOVE – it’s the universal emotion of mankind. Who cannot relate to being in love? Who doesn’t understand the love of a mother for her child, a child for his puppy, a puppy for his master? A man for his woman? A woman for her man? Wars have been waged for love. . .thrones abdicated.

From time immemorial, writers have been penning stories about men and women overcoming all obstacles for love. Odysses wanted to go home to Penelope, Cinderella wanted to marry the Prince, Romeo wanted Juliet, Marc Antony wanted Cleopatra, Richard wanted Elizabeth and Rhett wanted Scarlett. Many of the most famous and enduring stories are about love and romance. Is there any question that we all want love? We need love. Whether it’s romantic love, motherly love or puppy love, we’re obsessed with it. So, why is it that we celebrate such a grand and wonderful emotion only one day out of the year? Shouldn’t we be paying attention to each other all year long?

I don’t know why love, the elixir of life, is taken so for granted. Perhaps it’s because, as wonderful as it is, love isn’t always wonderful and, perhaps, the same day some of us romance our sweethearts, for others it will be a day of sorrow and pain? How can something so wonderful and which brings such happiness into our lives, also cause so much pain? These are questions I ask all the time. Why? Because I write romance novels and it’s my job to create a believable romantic story.

So, what exactly is a romantic story? Romance, as defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary, is a long medieval narrative in verse or prose, originally written in one of the Romance dialects, about the adventures of knights and other chivalric heroes. Secondly, Webster’s lists romance as a fictitious tale of wonderful and extraordinary events, characterized by a nonrealistic and idealizing use of the imagination, and third, a type of novel in which the emphasis is on love and adventure. The list goes on with other variations, most of which play on the same theme of false or exaggerated feelings and emotions. The word “Romantic” follows the same path and includes definitions such as “without basis in fact,” and “preoccupied with ardent, idealized lovemaking.”

Good grief. It’s no wonder the romance genre gets so much bad press. No wonder readers hide the cover of their romance novels when in public. Even though we all want and need love, we’re embarrassed to admit it. And men seem to be more embarrassed than women.

Except on Valentine’s Day! We have one day in which it’s okay to proclaim our love. . .and not be embarrassed about it. How silly is that?

Well, I’m sorry. My definition of romance is nothing like Webster’s. To me, romance and being romantic is a very real part of life. It’s a man bringing his lady flowers for no reason at all. It’s a woman putting a note in her husband’s lunch bag telling him she loves him. It’s seeing the ocean for the first time, hand in hand with the one you love. It’s watching a beautiful sunset, or seeing the sun rise over the horizon. It’s taking a date to a restaurant or a movie because you know she’ll love it. . .even if you don’t. To me, being romantic is seeing the world in Technicolor rather than black and white. It's the feeling you get when you hear your favorite song on a moonlit night. It's the streets of Paris in the spring, a glass of wine at a little outdoor cafe in Sorrento. It is men and women simply being with each other. . .living in the moment and creating wonderful memories.

Those are the stories I like to create. Real life stories with strong plots in which two interesting individuals face tough choices, overcome the odds and find a future together. While my plots may involve a serial killer or two, there’s nothing exaggerated or false about the story or the romance. Yes, in my books, the hero and heroine make love. In fact, they love to make love. . .with the person they love. To me, that’s romantic!

What’s your definition of romance? Who do you believe is more romantic -- women or men? I’d love to hear what you think.

Leave a comment and you’ll be automatically entered to win the “Romantic” turquoise bracelet pictured. The drawing is on the 15th, so be sure to check back to see the winner!


And for all you romantics out there, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!

Don't forget, Bootcamp for Novelists is celebrating our 2nd anniversary all month long, and you can register for classes at a discounted price. Be sure to check out Connie’s blog as well because she’s giving away a prize on the 15th, too.
www.bootcampfornovelists.com

Cheers! Salute! A votre sante! Slainte! Prost! Ysas!

Salud! Mazel Tov! Oogy Wawa!

Come join the fun! We're celebrating Bootcamp for Novelists’ second Anniversary on February 15th, and because we’re in a celebratory mood, we want to give you an anniversary present!

During the entire month of February, all classes will be $25. Check it out at www.bootcampfornovelists.com.

It's hard to believe Bootcamp for Novelists is two years old already. And like anyone with a birthday, we’re wondering where all the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday that we were brainstorming how to share our love of writing--and our knowledge and experience in publishing--with other writers.

We started with a germ of an idea...and a shared belief that anyone can learn to write a novel if given the correct tools to do so. We wanted to share what we know through a format we wished had been around when we were beginning novelists. That format was one that would take students from the beginning idea and story structure, all the way through the advanced techniques, to the end of the novel. That was our dream. In the beginning, putting together a program that hit all the right notes was a bit daunting, but the concept was so exciting, we forged ahead. And, thus, Bootcamp for Novelists Online classes began on February 15, 2009.

During the past two years, we've been delighted to get to know many of you who've been taking our classes, and we’ve had the pleasure of reading some very excellent work. We've learned a lot, both as writers and as teachers. We learned how to work more efficiently with Yahoo online groups. We learned what to do and what not to do when posting lessons and giving feedback. We learned what classes work well and which need to be restructured. We learned from each other...and, yes, we learned from you. And that is exactly as we had envisioned it.

We were lucky. So many times in life, the greatest efforts don’t turn out as envisioned, and when that happens, it requires another look to see what needs changing. This part wasn’t too hard for us because we’re writers. Writers are constantly revising. The harder part is looking at our strengths. How often do we look at what we’re doing right? How often do we capitalize on our strengths? Not very often is my guess.

As writers, we should continue to learn and grow as artists, and part of that growing is recognizing what we’re doing right. We need to find our strengths, capitalize on them ... and then make changes. I’ve seen far too many manuscripts with a fresh, exciting voice end up sounding as if it could've been written by anyone. There’s no distinction. No personality. The magic is gone.

Don’t let that happen. It's important to know and understand the methods...and then decide how to make them work for you. Protect who you are, because the magic in any work of art is what the creator brings to it. The magic is you!

I'm curious. What are your thoughts when you’re revising or looking at feedback on a story? Do you go directly to what isn’t working...or do you look for your strengths and try to capitalize on them? Do you know what your strengths are?

Leave a comment and you’ll be in the drawing to win the beautiful turquoise bracelet in the photo. We'll be celebrating all month long, so be sure to stop by and chat both here and at Connie's bootcamp blog. Prizes will be involved. :-)


UPCOMING BOOTCAMP CLASSES:
February 11 to March 11
2B - Dynamic Plotting
2P - Deepening Characterization

March 18 to April 15
3B - Scene Sculpting
3P - Escalating Consequences

April 22 to May 20
4B - Conflicts That Sizzle
4P - Strong Plots and Subplots

We're now on Facebook! Come join us and be part of the Bootcamp for Novelists Community page. Start a discussion with other writers...or just let us know what you're up to. We'd love to see you!

BOOTCAMP CLASSES at a glance

LINDA'S FEB/ MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES
Continuing the Techniques of the Pros

2-P DEEPENING CHARACTERIZATION - begins Feb 11
How your character acts in any given situation is based on multiple variables. Here you'll learn what they are and how to use them to maximum potential and make your characters leap off the page. Some of what we will cover:

Character Arcs
Values and beliefs
Deep Point of View
The Driving Force

3-P ESCALATING CONSEQUENCES - begins March 18
Have you ever been so excited about a story that it almost seems to write itself...and then somewhere after the third chapter it stops dead? If so it's probably because your conflict is static. This workshop examines what makes your conflict dynamic...and what to do to make your story move along naturally...with high drama. Some of what we will cover:

External situations and internal conflict
Static conflicts vs dynamic conflicts
High Drama

4-P BUILDING STRONG PLOTS AND SUBPLOTS - begins April 22
Do you ever wonder what makes a good story great? Why we remember some stories and not others? In this workshop we examine layering and subplot development and their use in taking a story from okay to outstanding. Some points we will cover:

High concept plots vs character driven plots
Subplot structure and development
Weaving in subplots
Layering
_____________________________________________________________________________________

CONNIE'S FEB/MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES
Continuing the Four Pillars of Structure

2-B DYNAMIC PLOTTING begins Feb 11
Some people believe that stories come from a magical realm and simply float down to some lucky writers. But could it be possible that given a character with a goal who faces conflict that you can give them situations that make your story sing? This course shows you how.

The Story Question
Four Act Structure
Eight Major Plot Points
Making It a Page Turner

3-B SCENE SCULPTING begins Mar 11
Structuring scenes for maximum impact is the third pillar of story structure. You'll leave this course knowing where and when to place a scene and how to connect each scene for ease of flow and maximum impact.

The Principles of Cause and Effect
Control Actions Scenes, Control the Reader
Reaction Must Be Given Its Due
Transitioning from Action to Reaction . . . and Back Again

4-B CONFLICT THAT SIZZLES begins April 22
Without conflict there is no story. But what is conflict and how does it affect character and plot? It stems from the obstacles to the character's goal and from the consequences of character action. This course will focus on escalating obstacles and consequences until conflict sizzles on every page.

External Conflict
Extreme Differences
How Plot Pressures Characters
The Action Arc

All courses are 4 weeks in length. Go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ for more information.

Keep an eye on this blog and see how to win a prize next month!!

Words on the Page...

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have
imagined.” --Henry David Thoreau

For me, the beginning of a new year is like the beginning of a new book. The pages are blank and it’s up to me to fill them. But, alone, at 5 a.m. with only the computer monitor for light, that blank page staring me smack in the face can be scary. The thought of writing thousands of words that will somehow flow into a fresh, exciting work of subliminal prose can be daunting, challenging and/or a joyous release of creative energy. Most of the time, it’s a combination of all of the above, and how I feel about it changes as I go through the writing process.

There are as many ways to write a book as there are ways to fill our lives. How we do it, and how we feel about it, is entirely up to us. When writing, some of us fly by the seat of our pants (aka pantsers). We simply sit down with an idea and let ‘er rip. Some of us outline our plots from beginning to end and use detailed description charts of characters, setting, subplots and even word choices that fit the tone of our stories. Many of us do both... outlining just enough to get down the major elements, and then we let the story develop organically. There's no right or wrong way, and I’ve done them all.

But, after writing 13 published novels and 5 that have found better use as doorstops, I’ve developed my own writing process which is a combination of both pantsing and being somewhat OCD about outlining certain elements. I seem to follow the same pattern in life. I love to be spontaneous, to do things on a whim and let things develop as they may. But, at other times, I need to know everything, I need to organize and make plans. What I do works for me.

We all need to find our own writing process and for many of us, that takes time. It takes writing book after book. Some books won’t work no matter what you do and they should only be thought of as a reminder of how far you’ve come...and as a lesson in what worked and what didn’t. Like those books, it takes time to find a comfortable place in life. Some of what we’ve done, works. Some not so much, and we get a lesson. Like the beginning of a new book, the New Year, a symbol of new beginnings, gives us a point in time to reassess, to take a look at what worked in the past and what didn’t. It's a time to stare down that blank page in front of us and forge ahead. We decide what to do with it.

What will you do this year? Will you write the same type of story as the year before...or take a risk and write something entirely different? Will you continue to do the same things in life that will only get you the same things as you got before...or will you revise and redefine? Will you take a risk? Will you allow your imagination to soar and give your dreams the potential to become real? Will you live the life you imagined?

Our stories are up to us to do with them what we will. I plan to make mine spectacular! I hope you do the same.

Wishing you all a fabulous New Year!
Linda

P.S. I’m curious. Does your writing process/style mimic the way you approach life?

Get Out of My Way: Guest Blogger Tara Taylor Quinn

I’m delighted and honored to welcome my friend and fellow Harlequin author Tara Taylor Quinn to my blog today. Direct on the heels of her new series from MIRA Books, The Chapman Files, Tara is the author of her own story, the first reality-based romance from HCI Books. Rather than say any more, I'll let her tell you all about it...and how to get out of the way and let your characters tell their story.

Get Out of My Way

I’m not sure when in my writing career I learned the lesson that too much of me was not a good thing – but it’s a lesson I’ve had to learn and re-learn through out the writing of my fifty-five books to date. So many times in life we learn lessons that will serve us later, and I think that was supposed to the be the case here.

Unfortunately I’m not that great of a student and the lesson didn’t stick well enough. So, here I am, just coming off from finishing a book (mailed it to my editor at 7:00pm Friday, December 10, 2010.) And on Friday, December 17, 2010 I have revisions due to another editor, another publisher, on another book. An April release that is due to production. Revisions in and of themselves are not a problem for me. I’m pretty good at them. I actually like them because the pressure is off in terms of making a book happen and I get to just take what I’ve done and make it better. A seven day turn around for me with revisions is comfortable enough.

Not this time. I know, technically, what I need to do to make this book better. To clean it and make it pop in every place not just some places. What I can’t seem to do is find the wheres and hows. I’m in the way. I’m not letting the story flow from that deep place inside me to the page. I’m not even getting to the deep place. Half way down, there I am, all over the place, blocking the path.

This is the one time I really needed to be good at getting out of the way. Because this time, I’m not just the writer who has to put my butt in the chair and type until the words start to flow. This time I am also the heroine, who has to tell me her story.

A few months ago I was asked by HCI books (the original publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books among hundreds of other non-fiction bestsellers) to write my own true life love story. Like all of my books, this story has deep life issues, the healing power of true love, and real happiness. The book, It Happened on Maple Street, is out in April, 2011. And while that sounds to me like a long time away, it’s only three and a half months from now!

So here I am, heroine and writer all in one. We have four and a half days to do revisions on an entire manuscript. One of us is in the way. And this time, instead of it being the writer, I think it’s the heroine.

I’m not panicked, though. I’m a seasoned writer. I’ve been at this long enough to know that panic is not going help. I also know there’s no reason to panic. Writing is an art, it’s a spiritual experience. It involves the deepest connection, the deepest communication, and the deepest trust. As a writer, I have to find out what is preventing the deep communication and tend to the problem. In this case, I already know the problem. The heroine isn’t communicating because she doesn’t trust the writer to tell her story.

Parts of this book are hard. Painful. Not the kind of stuff the flows easily. Not the kind of story you trust anyone to tell.

But I have to trust me to tell it. So I have to find a way to tend to my own mistrust. I’m finding it, oddly enough, in the revision letter that started the current stand off.

This is from the beginning of the revision letter: “This is truly a groundbreaking piece of literary work that is shocking in its raw honesty and starkly poignant in its message. What you have created out of the fabric of your life is sexy and sad, unsettling and moving, inspiring and infinitely compelling.”

So, to my heroine self, I say, I’ve only got four days to make this better. Get Out of My Way!

To pre-order a copy of It Happened On Maple Street and receive 20% off the cover price, one of the first editions off the press, a collector, autographed glossy It Happened On Maple Street poster in time for Christmas, click here: http://vows.hcibooks.com/2010/11/21/romance-author-tara-taylor-quinn-true-story-domestic-abuse-write-true-vows-reality-based-romance/.

Or enter to win a Kindle: http://vows.hcibooks.com/vows-giveways/win-a-kindle-reality-romance-giveaway/.

And to have a chance to win an e-copy of The First Wife, Book One in The Chapman File series that is out now, please leave a comment!

The Rules of Engagement...

The Rules of Engagement...

No, I’m not talking about Prince William and his new fiancé, winsome commoner, soon-to-be-royalty, Kate. Or is it now Katharine? Actually, I could talk about the subject at length because I write romance novels and a tale of a Prince and a commoner falling in love and living happily ever after is a great story. But I won’t because you’ll soon hear more than you ever wanted to hear about the royal couple from the media...and because that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Besides, the Pygmalion/opposites attract theme sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it? Cinderella, Sabrina, The Way We Were, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffanys, Overboard, The King and I, African Queen and even Shrek are all variations on that theme, so really, it’s been done to death, hasn’t it.

Actually not. Those stories are, in a way, exactly what I was planning to talk about. The opposites attract/happily ever after stories, while seeming cliché, are timeless. They win readers’ (or movie fans) hearts. They win hearts because they contain certain elements that appeal to wide audiences. They win hearts because the authors followed The Rules of Engagement…and that is what I wanted to talk about.

Never heard of those rules? Me either, at least not formally. So, I’ll go ahead and create that rule right now. The way to make your story win readers’ hearts is to follow The Rules of Engagement.

Readers choose to buy a book because something about it interests them, be it an evocative title, stunning cover, an enticing back cover blurb or can’t-put-it-down first paragraph. Usually, it’s a combination of all of the above, and when that happens, the reader becomes engaged. But only temporarily. Our job as writers is to continue engaging…and that’s where The Rules come in.

I’m not a fan of rules in any art or craft…other than you have to know them in order to break them, but I absolutely believe certain elements must be present at the beginning of a story in order to engage the reader. Hence ... The Rules of Engagement. Not being a rule lover, I confined my rules to only those I feel are absolutely necessary. In order to engage a reader immediately, your story must have:

1. A sympathetic character the reader can identify with, worry about and root for
2. Empathy – universal emotions that the majority of readers can relate to
3. Emotional urgency – important action that hooks the reader instantly. The reader must know up front what’s at stake...what stands to be lost? In other words, conflict happens immediately.
4. An interesting setting – the setting enhances the emotion and tone of the story.

Notice anything about the above rules? They all involve eliciting emotions from the reader. Feelings are what keeps us engaged. In order to be truly engaged, the reader needs to be actively concerned about a character’s sanity, safety or soul. The reader must be interested in the story outcome. If that doesn’t happen-–if the reader doesn’t care what happens to the character, why read on? When I find myself reading a story I normally wouldn’t read, it’s because I care what happens. My emotions have been engaged. As authors, it’s our job to make the reader care about what happens.

Think about the best books you’ve read recently. Do they have all the elements above in...say...the first three to five pages?