Where Ideas Come From

I'm asked this question quite frequently: Where do you get your ideas?

The answer? Everywhere.

Sunday night, for example, I was watching The History Channel (which I do quite a bit--The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, etc.) and the show "Underground Cities" was on. (A fascinating show--if you've never watched it, you should!) This particular episode talked about New York City, and showed briefly a train car that was abandoned on underground tracks no longer in use. The train car didn't belong to the city and the number was marked with an "X" at the end, which apparently means it was government-owned.

The metal of the car was heavily plated, and even the small glass windows in the door were fortified. The car was from the 40s--they think it was for FDR. Now, before they even got to that part, my mind was churning. What if (that's how stories always start, right? "What if...?") this car was fortified not to keep people out, but to keep something in? And what would that something be? Well, I thought of vampires. Or maybe...just one vampire. An incredibly strong, incredibly dangerous vampire.

And then, what if...he'd been left there on those abandoned tracks? What if he'd been forgotten just like the tracks had been?

And what if some unsuspecting person (maybe a homeless person looking for a new place to stay) found him and set him free?

Then what would happen?

See how it works? Just a lot of questions leading to even more questions until the idea is solid and workable.


"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~Lucille Ball

Holding My Breath...

I've just sent out two submissions--one to my editor at Ellora's Cave and one to the senior editor at New Concepts. I am just as anxious to hear if they like the stories and want them as if I were a brand new author. I don't think that feeling ever goes away. I hope it doesn't. I don't ever want to get comfortable or complacent.

Now I need to get cracking on the story I've been invited to rewrite and resubmit to Kensington.

A writer's work is never done...






"Eighty percent of success is showing up." ~Woody Allen

The Brava Contest Is Back!

Several years ago, author Lori Foster spearheaded a contest for Kensington Brava. The contest went on hiatus last year (and maybe even the year before, I don't remember for sure), but now it's back!

The 5th annual Brava Novella Contest will begin accepting entries at midnight central time on August 1, 2007 and will cease accepting entries at midnight central time on September 30, 2007. All entries must be made using the online entry form that will be forthcoming. Watch the Brava Authors blog and the Contest Forum for information. No email or snail mail entries will be accepted.

Entries must be 750 words (actual word count using your computer's word count function) and entrant’s choice of any scene in the novella. Entries over 750 words will be disqualified. This year, for the first time, the contest will have a theme, which entries must be follow--reunited lovers.

All entries will be judged by established Brava authors, with the top twenty finalists being judged by Kensington Editorial Director Kate Duffy. As in previous years, there will also be voting by readers with the highest voted entry being named the “Readers’ Choice.” Judging will be held during the month of October with winners announced by November 15, 2007.

One entry per person.

Visit the message board’s Contest Forum for information or to post questions about the contest, which will be run through the message board.




If you decide to enter, good luck!

~ * ~

Also, check out my Author Day over at Dark Ice Goddess' Musings. AND stop by SEx and say hi!





"A man's kiss is his signature." ~Mae West

Genre Writing

What is it about erotic romance that gets people so tied up in knots? Because someone chooses to write a romance that uses frank (sometimes blunt, Anglo-Saxon) words for the sexual act, people are--pardon the expression--titillated.

Somehow it's more acceptable for someone to write about a serial killer (and get a movie (or several) or TV show out of it--I'm thinking the Hannibal books by Thomas Harris and Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay) than it is for someone to write about two (or more) people falling in love and naturally expressing that love physically.

Murder and mayhem is apparently better intellectually than sex. At least, that's what I get from conversations I've had with some members of my family. (And, yes, I had yet another conversation with my sister-in-law--they happen every once in a while, and they leave me scratching my head in confusion. It would be better for me, according to her, to write about murder and mayhem than it is about people falling in love--because my characters anticipate their wedding night and have sex outside of marriage. Sometimes lots of it.)

And because I don't know how people will respond, I don't usually share just what type of romance I write. One of my cousins has said a couple of times she'd like me to send her one of my books so she can read it. (Okay, first of all, where's the offer to buy it so she can support me? Even my sister has never asked me to give her my books for free. Because, as she's said herself, by buying my books she can contribute to my success. Isn't she the best?!) But, that being said, there's no way in hell I'm going to send my cousin one of my books. I can see her face--almost hear her thoughts: My sweet little cousin is writing this kind of smut?!? I'd never hear the end of it!

Sometimes it's just easier and less painful to stay in the closet. So to speak.

To change the subject somewhat, today is my critique group meeting day--I'll be getting the critiques on the last part of my second Praetorians book, which I think is going to come in at right around 37,000 words, much longer than the first one. But the longer I write, the more I learn and the better I am at coming up with more complicated plots that will support the longer word count. Once I've made changes based on the critiques, I hope to get this one submitted to New Concepts by early March. Then we'll wait and see where things go from there.

Tomorrow I go back to work after a couple of days off. It's gonna be hard. Oy. I'm beginning to think I shouldn't take vacation days, because I don't want to go back to work after I've been able to sit and write all day.

Ah, well. Maybe some day...





"A little bad taste is like a dash of paprika." ~Dorothy Parker

More On Getting Published

Yesterday's post was short and sweet, and pointed you to Stephanie Feagan's blog about the "secret" to getting published. In my most recent issue of The Writer Magazine, they have an article by Phyllis A. Whitney (who turned 103 in September--you go, girl!) that is just excellent. (Ms. Whitney wrote the article 45 years ago, but it's still relevant.) I'd like to share a little of it with you here.

Ms. Whitney starts out by writing (and I'm paraphrasing): How do you think you're going to get the experience in what writing a book is all about if you don't first sit down and write a book? A sure way not to learn is to think you won't write unless you can write a perfect book that an editor will beg to publish. "How silly can you be?" (That's a direct quote. LOL)

But think about it. When you're on a job with an employer, you learn by doing. You make mistakes, some small, some big, and you brush yourself off and know not to do that again. So why wouldn't writing be the same way? You write, you learn. And sometimes you write scared. It's only natural to think "What if it's not any good?"

It might not be. You might have a lot to learn.

But it might be good enough to catch someone's attention. But you won't know until you write it.

So... start writing!




"A man in the house is worth two in the street." ~Mae West

The Secret To Getting Published

People ask writers this question all the time. What's the secret to getting published?

There are a multitude of answers, because the truth is... there's no one thing. But I think Stephanie Feagan said it best here. Make sure you read down in the comments far enough to read JoAnn Ross's response. Good stuff there.

Happy Friday, everyone!





"A man in love is like a clipped coupon... it's time to cash in." ~Mae West