Writing as a habit: my challenge

Hi everyone,

I’ve been MIA for quite a while, writing, going back to school full time and basically trying to stay motivated while having to reinvent my career after the changes at Dorchester Publishing.

This is no time for a pity party but more of a talk on motivation. What keeps us going? How to we keep acting on this burning desire to write? Day in, day out.

No matter where you are in your career, it’s hard to keep doing this over and over.

I’ve been trying hard to make my writing a habit. I’m in school all day, have to go to the gym at 6 am, especially now that I have some health issues, and I have two rambunctious school-aged boys that require a lot of attention (and a lot of house cleaning!)

The only time I have for writing is, you guessed right, at 5 am in the morning!

I read somewhere that if you do something every day for 30 days, it becomes a habit. So I’ve issued myself this challenge, write every morning at 5 am before the gym for 30 minutes. I put the timer on and just do if, no surfing the web, no reading, just writing!

So far so good, I’m 6 days into it and 1 1/2 chapters edited. It’s slow and I plan to add another session once I get this one down as a habit. But for now, I focus on this: every day!

They tell me the worst is coming, keeping motivated after 14 days! But I’m set!

We can do this

Stay writin’

M-C

Guest Blogger Mary Martinez on how to start a book!

Hi everyone,

Today, we host Mary Martinez, author of the newly released Classic murder: Mr. Romance wjo will share her thoughts on writing and how to get started. Plus she has a great contest that will tell us about!

Welcome Mary

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Marie-Claude, for hosting the fifth day of my blog tour. Anyone who would like to know the schedule can check it out here. http://www.marymartinez.com/news.html#events  Each blog a different question from the host. Sort of like a continuing interview.  I will also have two giveaways at the end of the blog tour. At the bottom, I’ll tell you how you can participate.

 Marie-Claude: What advice would you tell a newbie writer? Something that you wish someone would have told you.

 Mary: Do have a few hours to spare? Because if I told a new writer everything I’d wished I’d known before I embarked on this crazy publishing career it would fill a book. Where do I start? There are so many things.

 First and foremost, if you’re going to write a book, do your research first. Just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean you can make up facts as you go.

 Second, if you haven’t been in school for while, take a refresher course on your grammar and punctuation. True many things encompassed under the term, grammar, are subjective, but the basics are not.

 While you’re writing your book, research. No I don’t mean for facts, I mean do your research on writing groups and organizations in your area. Once you’ve found them, join one.

Do your research, getting a pattern here?  Find some critique partners. Until you find a writing group you probably have no idea what a crit partner is. I didn’t.  But they are invaluable. And I don’t mean your mother, brother, sister or husband. None of them will give you the advice and feedback you need.

 More research because writing the book is only the surface.

 I wanted to write a book, I thought, hey I can do that. And I did, but that the easy part. Getting it right and polished isn’t even the hardest part. Not to mention I had no idea what to do once I thought it was done. And no it wasn’t, far from it.

If you cannot find a writing group, do your research on line. And oh how I wished I’d known what Predators and Editors were back then. I literally Googled ‘agents’ and then started at ‘A’ and sent a query. Did I know what a query was? No but on one of the web sites there was a lose description. I cringe to think about it. I don’t even think I knew what ‘genre’ meant.

Yes talk about green, and I don’t mean as in green environment. I mean green as in ‘know nothing’. That was me, so if you’re new if nothing else research your facts, grammar resources, writing groups, writing partners and industry agents.

 Thank you again Marie-Claude, talk about making me think.    

 Here is a blurb for my new release Classic Murder: Mr. Romance

 Adam enjoys a lifestyle most men only dream of. Then one day he wakes up to find the morning headlines blaring, “Another victim falls prey to Mr. Romance. Who is next?” He suddenly realizes his way of life is not only frivolous, but deadly.

 Dubbed Mr. Romance by New York society for his romantic adventures, Adam Fernando Russo loves women. But lately he realizes how lonely it is coming home to an empty house. Can he settle for only one woman? After he makes a list of qualities worthy enough to merit giving up his desirable existence, suddenly recipients of his coveted attention mysteriously fall prey to a murderer. The murders seem unrelated with one exception–all the victims have recently returned from a fabulous weekend rendezvous with Mr. Romance.

 Adam’s assistant, Katie Sinclair, knows Adam is innocent with airtight alibis. The police are at a loss so Adam and Katie work together to discover the link between the murders. As luck would have it, their plan to prove the murderer is copying classic Cary Grant movies goes astray just as Adam realizes his perfect woman has been by his side all along.

 Available from BookStrand Publishing (Electronic Format, Print coming in spring 2011) http://www.bookstrand.com/classic-murder-mr-romance

 For an excerpt and to see the trailer visit my web site: http://www.marymartinez.com/mrromance.html

Now to the giveaways, everyone one who participates by commenting on each day of the tour will have their name placed in a drawing for a Photo Album and a signed copy of Watching Jenny.

Everyone who participates and comments on half of the days will have their name in a drawing for a download of Classic Murder: Mr. Romance (or they can wait until it’s in print for a signed copy)

What is your writing process?

by Marie-Claude Bourque

A little while ago I answered the following questions on my writing process for a writer’s blog and I thought I’d share it with you, so that you could in turn share yours with us!

Please describe your current writing process from story idea to final draft in as much detail as possible.

BRAINSTORMING:

I usually start with my hero and heroine and try to find a couple that would be a good match in terms of both conflict and attraction.

I try to be as clear as I can on both characters goals, motivations and conflicts (external and internal). My style of writing focuses more on the characters internal conflicts due their background and how they come together to resolve the external conflict which comes in the form of a threat to their world, usually a villain.  My general writing theme is that unity conquers.

I try to lay out the main story in a classical 3 acts set-up.

Once I have the core of the story, I daydream scenes that fit my writing style: gritty, sensual and mystical and that arise from the conflicts between all the characters.  I use music a lot to brainstorm.I also like to fill up Donald Maass workbook to think up more intense scenes.

FIRST DRAFT:

Once I have a good list of scenes (maybe 20), I write them one at a time longhand in first person for each POV character. Meanwhile I list all the plots and plot layers to make sure I advance at least one or more plot in each scene. I come up with new scenes as I write for a total of around 75.

Typing all the scenes in the appropriate third person gives me my first draft. I don’t pause to edit during that phase but write real fast and fill the blanks later.

Yes, I'm a dying breed, I write longhand!

SECOND DRAFT:

The second stage is when I do the deep editing. I use my own version of Margie Lawson’s method to add the missing bits such as settings and emotions and research accuracy and I also look at a balance in my scenes between emotions, inner thoughts, dialog, action and setting. I add about 20% more material at this stage. Sometimes, I see that I need to add or cut scenes.

This draft goes to my writing partners (i.e. Mustrackers John, Candi and Jenn)

If I can, I leave this draft aside for a while and later do a one sitting read as a reader to see what is missing.

THIRD DRAFT:

In the third draft, I start by fixing my own comment and my writing partners comments. I may again add or cut scenes then do a style edit, scene by scene, which is a 10-15 checklist I use to look at such as word overuse, tension on every page, using 5 senses, varying length sentences, using active strong verbs, hooks, ect. I also like to read each scenes 3 times with different fonts. Then I cut into chapters where natural breaks occur.

What do you feel are the pros & cons of your current writing process?

The only problem I can see with my writing process is that it takes time to type my work. Almost the same time to type as it take to write. I wish I was faster, but I need the deep connection I feel by writing longhand. Somehow, I can’t do it straight to the computer.

 

Find out about Stephen King's writing process in ON WRITING, his excellent book for writers!

What details can you share about the process of writing your very first published work? How has it changed from then to now?

The process I described was for my first published work which was my first manuscript (ANCIENT WHISPERS) and I still use this now that I am writing my fifth. I tried before to fill characters charts and index cards but I found it was pretty useless.

What advice would you give newly aspiring authors on finding their process?

Just try to find your own process by listening to what works for you but do learn different technique. I am a very obsessive plotter but I have been trying to learn how pansters do it. Never feel like you are stuck into one way of doing thing and try to work extra hard on your weaknesses.

It’s your turn now! If you have a minute, please share your process with us. I love learning new tricks from others!

How is your middle shaping up?

by Marie-Claude Bourque

So how do you work the middle of your story?

A writer friend was asking me that just that last week and I shared with her what I do. I thought I’d share it here in case it might give someone some ideas.

Now everyone has their own way to write a book, and frankly there are no “right” ways. But here is mine. This is what I told her.

Have you tried Save the Cat to plot your book?

 A fake victory half way through your story.

At mid-point, I have a fake victory. A place in the story where the characters feel they won but it’s an illusion (a love scene there works well).

Find your way from mid-point to climax

So for the last part I need to go from fake victory to the Climax in Act 3. I start with a bad event, something coming out as a consequence of previous decision. Blade Snyder talks about the “bad guys closing in”. I bring in my “really bad guys” in this oart, maybe escalading from one bad thing to the next.

How bad can it get! Escalate the bad in the second half!

Donald Maass talks about the “how bad can it get!” In my current WIP, a contemporary romance, it starts after my heroine finally gets together with the hero, with first her car breaking down, then her ex moves in town, then she lose her job (because of a stupid decision on her part), then she breaks-up with the hero (tied to the job loss), then she gets into a huge fight with her mom.

As far as the bad stuff happening, I try to have the bad events tied to the characters worst fear as defined in the GMC! And make it a consequence of their actions (in my story, it’s her fault she gets fired, then the firing leads to a break-up, she fears being dependant on a man). You have to torture your characters the whole time!  Make them suffer!

Tension and conflict! Lots of it.

After all that bad stuff, we need “the dark night of the soul.”

This leads me to the real bottom and a “dark night of the soul”, where the heroine is all alone and is really really low. Then I come up with some epiphany where she decides to take action towards solving her problem. The decision to take action is what leads to Act 3 and the beginning of “lead into victory” and to the climax.

Tie all loose ends in the climax

And then, as I heard Jane Porter say, it’s just a matter of closing all the doors to make sure all is resolved (in this WIP, my heroine makes-up with mom, get back with the hero and takes action that leads to a new job and dealing with issues with her ex.)

Story boards: See the story in one picture!

Jim Butcher had conquered the swampy middle!

I really like the Save the Cat story boards. I made 3 so far for 3 WIP and it helped a lot. Basically, the first part is all about the “fun and game” promise of your book (say for me in a small town family romance, I have sexy kisses and some cute scenes with family, kids and engaging with the hero) and the last part is the meat and bone serious “how bad can it get” sort of thing. I like to make things deeper and deeper in emotions and/or action (for my paranormals) to escalade the pace, than finish with a bang in the climax.

Have fun with your middle. If all fails, also have a read of Jim Butcher’s The Great Swampy Middle! His writing advice his priceless.

What are your tricks?

8 Tricks to Writing Productivity

by Marie-Claude Bourque

How do you keep track of your word counts and keep yourself motivated.

A writer friend on Facebook asked me this question this week so I though it’d be best to write a blog post on the topic. I have a few trick to get me going. In fact, I used the following since Oct 5 and wrote a total of 63,000 words so far. I am a slow writer, so this is a huge word count for me. But hey, it adds up. I could make it to around 250,000 words in one year if I keep this pace!

(1) I write longhand. So I calculated that I write about 200 words for each page of my notebook. This is actually a bit of an underestimate so in fact my 63,ooo words is probably closer to 70,000 words. I tally my word count for every session I write by counting how many pages  I fill in my spiral notebook.

(2) I use a calendar. I got this trick from Liza Palmer at a writer’s conference. I have a large calendar posted on the wall (I use the awesome calendar put out by artist Tony Mauro who designs Yasmine Galenorn book covers. I write a scene a day, first thing in the morning, anywhere between 500 to 1500 words a day. I just write down the number for the day on the calendar. It sounds simple but it is a powerful tool. If I miss one day, I have to stare at an empy space for a whole month, so this really motivate me to get that day done.

(3) I got my second trick from Megan Crane at a writer’s conference. I started a page for my novel in progress where for each session I write the date, the scene number, the word count and a word count tally.

 

Like this:

• 10/19  — 1  — 900 — 900
• 10/20  — 2 – 1500 — 2400
• 10/21  — 3 — 700 — 3100
• etc…

(4) I also record my word count in a app I have for my iPhone called WriMoDemon which tally my word counts for the month. I usually make my target 20,000 words for the month so this app tells me what I need to do to stay on track. I write my total word counts for the month on my big wall calendar at the end of the month.

(5) I also record my word in another app called WriteChain from the How Not to Write website. It’s based on the idea that you need to write everyday and never “break the chain” to stay motivated. (see how Jerry Seinfeld use a similar idea) I keep my minimun goal at 500 words a day.

(6) I also have a group of romance writer friends from the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America. We started as a motivational group last year where we report our word counts each day and the leader post a spreadsheet with everyone’s progress once a week or so.

(7) I am also part of the “Write the Damn Book Challenge” group run by author Cherry Adair for people attending the ECWC writer conference. We report our word counts every week.

(8) and I am a member of WritingGIAM  (I’m in GIAM group 3) which was created by author Amy Atwell for romance writer just for the purpose of making and keeping writing goals.

(9) I also post my word counts of the day on my Facebook and Twitter status. A little for fun and a little for keeping me accountable. So all of 9 tricks that keeps me in check. It sounds like a lot but really it takes me about 5 minutes a day and an extra 5-10 minutes on Sunday. Little steps get you there!

Happy Writing

My Favorite Writing Motivational Tools

by Marie-Claude Bourque

My Favorite Writing Motivational Tools.

Last summer, I got into a pretty serious writing block. No matter what I tried I just couldn’t write. So I ended up buying Margie Lawson’s Defeat your Self-Defeating Behaviors class notes. Like everything Margie, the notes were fantastic and helped me a lot. I still read them when I need an extra push.

Sometimes you need a little dangling carrot to get things done and Margie suggests small treats for when you finish things you plan to do. I wrote an entire manuscript by treating myself after each small victory. I would download a song from iTunes for each scene I wrote. I can write one or two a day, so that was one or two songs a day. It kept me going. If I wrote 5 times a week, I would treat myself to an ebook. Those are cheap and were instant gratification straight to my iPhone.

Since I’ve been writing, I always treated myself to a pair of Doc Martens for each book I finish. Not sold, just finished. Because that way, I know that no matter what, I can reach my goal and get those shoes.

My biggest motivational tool is an Italian charm bracelet that I wear every day. I got the idea from author Gina Robinson. Hers is made of dangling charms, but mine is flat so that I can wear it constantly.

Before I sold, I would buy a charm for each story I wrote. I told myself that when the whole bracelet was filled, I would finally sell. Now I’m thinking that I’ll breakthrough when I write all those stories. So far I have 4 charms: a fleur-de-lis for ANCIENT WHISPERS, a French flag for a yet-to-be published paranormal set in Paris and called GOTHIC KNIGHT, an anchor for a to-be-submitted shifter novella about a heroine who works on a fishing boat and a ruby-like gem for heroine’s name in the sequel to ANCIENT WHISPERS.

When I get discouraged, I looked at this bracelet and its 12 empty spots and I vow to fill them, knowing that with each one I’m becoming a better writer.

What do you do to stay motivated?

(this post was originally posted during my May 2010 blog tour)

Tools of the Trade

by Marie-Claude Bourque

Last year when I researched past American Title finalists, I wandered over Trish Millburn’s website and OMG, there it was….the perfect work space, desk and chair and bulletin board and drawers and sticky notes. I am so jealous.

But then maybe not really. I hate being confined. I have one laptop and that’s it. That is my workspace. In bed, on the couch, in my Adirondack chair on the lawn, the coffee shop……I have no space. I’ve always dreamed of “A room of One’s Own” but hey maybe in another life.

So here is my list of what I need to write…..very little:

1. My laptop (Dell xpsm1210 – a very small and light gamer laptop)
2. Coffee (lots of coffee, can’t do anything without it)
3. Headphones (the cheap kind, because I lose everything, or they get broken….NIN, Tool and Loreena McKinnit are my favorites to work to)
4. Spiral notebooks (the real cheap kinds, so I don’t feel bad about writing whatever comes to mind. I write everything longhand, then type on the computer—I know I’m nuts!)
5. A simple plastic sheet cover (for my scene list)
6. Donald Maass workbook (because I like to fill up the questions to keep me going)
7. John Gardner: On Becoming a Novelist (when I need to remind myself that a writer writes and keep practicing his craft like any other artist. John Gardner is very non-nonsense about this. Go back there and write….it’s not suppose to be easy!)
8. A pen!! (duhh)

So tell me…what tools do you need to write? Are you a Trish Millburn with her dream office or do you just kind of scramble like I do? What is in your list of writing essentials….what is on your wish list…?

(this was originally posted at the Love Conquers blog)

Friday Inspiration

Craft Talk: “C-words or the Language of Love Scenes.

by Marie-Claude Bourque

This was originally posted at Emily Bryan’s blog (now w/a Mia Marlowe)

Writing love scenes is not easy at first. As a writer, there is always a certain level of embarrassment in the beginning. You are not quite sure on how to start and of course there is the big topic of the level of language. One question is how explicit should you be, but also what words will you be using? Flowery, vague or plain crude.

Now I know Emily [Bryan]  writes very hot romantic scenes but as far as know, she doesn’t use what I call the “C-words” (and since this is a PG blog, I won’t be writing them here either).  And I do enjoy the love scenes in her books very much. Yet, I read other authors with employ plenty of “C-words” such as those published with Kensington and Ellora’s Cave, and enjoy them as well.

Some might argue that “C-words” have no place in historical romance, but I have found some instance where they fitted quite well. It is all in the execution, really!

Yet if, as a reader, I am quite happy with “C-words” in my romance, why is it that I can’t include them in my stories. I am not a flowery or purple writer. And I am on the sizzling side of sensual, yet no “C-words”! I just can’t write them. And it is quite funny to me, because one of my writing partners writes erotic romance and I have a wonderful time discussing the many ways of placing the “C-words” for maximum effect.

But when it comes to me, my pen and the blank page, nope, it just doesn’t come natural to me. Now, if the market requires it, I will happily add them where needed and I may grow as a writer where it seems right to me.

But I am curious, as a reader, what do you like? “C-words? Yes, no, it depends? And as a writer, where is your level of comfort? Have you try to push yourself outside that familiar boundary?

CRAFT TALK: Characters leaping off the pages!

by Marie-Claude Bourque

THE WINNER OF LAST WEEK”S BOOK IS MELISSA!!!

On a writing loop I am on, someone asked how to make our characters leap off the pages. I don’t have all the answers, but it one of the things reviewers mentioned they liked when reading ANCIENT WHISPERS.  Now mind you, I was the first surprised but it was kind of nice to hear.

Everyone has their own way to write and frankly there is no “right” or “wrong” way but here is what I thing about when creating characters.

(1) Establish a good GMC (aka Goal, Motivation, Conflict)

I am big on goals and motivation. I try really hard to make my characters want something, and I mean want so badly that they are consumed by it, or at least that their life and decisions are based on this goal. We all have goals in life, daily goals, 5 years goals, life goals. Our characters need them to.

I try to have my plot lines challenge that goal (conflicts). For example, my current WIP’s hero wants to keep his freedom above all. A lot of the plots threatens his freedom, (1) he is wrongly accused of causing an airship crash (2) the big bad he is chasing with the heroine wants to take the freedom of everyone in their world, (3) he is falling for the heroine where is wants to keep is heart free and (4) the heroine is a witch, one that took his freedom a long while ago and caused him to value it so much.

With all these threats to his goal, the character has a lot of space for visceral reactions that will make us readers care for him.

(2) close that POV

It is not a secret that while I write in 3rd POV, I actually write my first draft in 1st POV, then switch it all to 3rd. I usually only have the heroine and hero’s POV, so I switch being her, than him. It allows me to go very deep with the emotions and inner thoughts. I actually do a little visualization before I start writing. I think, I am her (say a young nurse, tired after a long shift at the hospital and I just want a glass of wine, now I bump into this really hot guy, how so  I feel?)

This trick may not work for you, but if you have POV problems you may want to give it a try.

3) Bigger than life!

The best advice I ever got was the comment that characters in books are like Chinese shadow theater where we see them through a white screen. We need to exaggerate everything about them in order for the reader to really see them. Think of Stephanie Plum, Eve Dallas, Harry Potter (and the other wizard Harry Dresden) or even the vampire brotherhood in JR Ward books or the dark-hunters.

These characters are bigger than life. Taller, stronger, sexier, zanier, more tortured, grittier.

Donald Mass says it well in his workbook when he advises to make the heroes bigger than life. We want heroes who do things we can’t. Their strength may be within and may be as simple as the agoraphobic woman who finally takes the bus, but everything our characters do have to be big in their own way.

(4)  Templates or journals?

I do hate characters templates. I know most people use them and I do have them but I write them after the book is written so I don’t forget things when it comes to revision.

I love journaling. Again, I pretend I am the character and write his journal. Right now I am experimenting having each characters journaling about (1) their back story (2)how they feel about the other characters (3) how they feel about various turn of events during the story.

When I am stuck trying to figure out a character, I interview him. That works well too. But the journaling gives me lots of dialog and inner thoughts that pop out naturally again while I write the story.

(5) Traits and objects

That is a trick I stole straight from a blog post by Jim Butcher. Basically, you describe your character by one or more specific traits (her long hair say) and you include that in the scene to quickly indicate who is who.

The other thing Butcher advises is include an object that always goes with your character. If you have a character using a magical staff, you can mention that staff during the scene and it may help clarify who is doing what, for example in the middle of a big action scene with lots of character. One has the staff, the other the dagger, another has the sword while one stand aside with his magical ring.

M-C’S BOOK PILE GIVEWAY:

This week-end, I’m continuing with my books giveaway. I’ve looked at my crowded bookshelf and find out that have tons of brand new–some signed– paperbacks that I have received free from conferences.

So every week-end, I am giving away one book to a lucky commenter. I have enough books to do this for a whole year! So if you don’t want to miss out, I suggest you subscribe to the blog to make sure you do not miss a single contest!

This week, I am giving away a signed copy of paranormal romance SKIN GAME  by Ava Gray (aka Ann Aguirre) from Berkley Sensation!  Ann is a great writer particularly good with creating awesome characters! I got this copy at RT this year.

Just tell me about your own characters(or your favorites) for a chance to win!