An observation about political opponents

South Carolina Governor goes missing
From the page: “State Sen. Jake Knotts, a fellow Republican and opponent of Sanford, told CNN that South Carolina law enforcement officials informed him Saturday that the governor had taken a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division vehicle on Thursday and had not yet returned.

“I found out that he was taking frequent trips at odd times of the night in a SLED car with no security,” Knotts said. “He would be driving. I got wind that he had taken another one of these types of capers last Thursday, and that nobody knew who he was with.

Knotts added: “On Saturday, I still was getting wind that he had not shown back up and nobody knew where he was.”

Knotts said a SLED official told him on Monday that Sanford still had not returned.

“He needs to transfer the power and let the lieutenant governor, which the constitution requires, let him be the person that makes the decisions.” Knotts said. “My concern was ‘Who would be in charge should an emergency arrive for the safety of the people and citizens of the state?’”"

Knotts sounds like a snoopy spinster with too much time on his hands. His comment about nobody knowing who Sanford was with is a sly innuendo that smacks of Hollywood gossip-mongering. When you start reading the article, you’re wondering if Sanford’s decompressing after the session, but Knotts effectively creates a question about illicit activities.

Gibberish

this is utterly delightful (and long-winded LOL) and it reflects how I feel after a 10-day residency with my fellow-writers.
(although I do object to the title. Sheesh.)

Using GMC: Diana

Here’s what happened when I released my stubborn hold on who I thought my characters were.

I asked my heroine why she didn’t want to run the family gun shop. (Yes, I talked to her.  I was a little cautious about it because the notion’s kinda kooky, and I really didn’t want my kids to hear me talking to myself, so I whispered. LOL )

It works!
I asked, and she told me, “Look. I’m spending every day with my mom and she’s driving me nuts. I have to find the missing paperwork pronto or the ATF’s gonna shut her down and guess where she’ll be living?  No way, sister.  I love my mom, but I need my privacy.”

So, in the interest of showing you how I used Debra Dixon’s book, I’ll share Diana’s character info.  It still needs work, but wow! After doing her GMC chart and those of three other characters, not only was I able to write my first chapter, I knew where I was going!

NAME : Diana (gun shop co-owner/teacher) Paints every spare minute she has. Mockingbird is totem

WHO SHE IS: a self-deluding paper tiger (tough on the outside, scared within)

WHAT SHE WANTS: Starter goal:   has to find missing logbook. Get thru ATF audit. Bigger: Own her own art studio. Express herself via painting.  Keep shop from being closed.

BECAUSE: 1. Logbook has info for ATF search phone call.  2. ATF doing audit. 3. She doesn’t want her mother living with her. 4. she wants to get back to her private life

BUT: Can’t find logbook. Her mother lost additional ppw.  Her mother needs her in the gun shop. (obviously!)

INTERNAL WANTS: needs to please. Then :  to know herself;  to be regarded as ‘real’ artist; autonomy

BECAUSE: It’ll make her feel important; like she’s contributing something to the world; she’ll be expressing herself

BUT: She’s afraid:  of failure, of creating garbage, of the unknown. She doesn’t believe she has the talent; won’t put her art on display. And she’s worried her mother won’t be able to run the shop effectively by herself.

My hero’s character info is still missing the internal want/need, but I was still able to write the first chapter because I had his external want pretty clear in my head.  I’ll be tweaking both as I go.

You see how nowhere in Diana’s goals is there a wish to fall in love?  Falling in love is what happens as she’s pursuing her goals.  If falling in love were her goal, I think she’d be a weak and boring character.  I want her to have an interesting life that she ultimately invites the hero –and the reader–into.

Same goes for the hero, Mark.  His immediate desire is to plop down in his easy chair and read a book he’s been itching to read for several days but hasn’t had time for.  Problem is, his 5-year-old nephew is having trouble getting to sleep because his mother’s recently been killed in an accident.  It’s a simple conflict, and it will grow into something bigger as the story progresses.

inspiration for creating a hero

This first one is probably odd, so I’ll explain.
There’s something endearing about a guy who 1) likes cats and 2) who writes a song about his cat. This guy’s no frump, either. lol

{thanks to The Struggling Writer for this idea}

{I prefer the Simple Minds version, but couldn’t find a clip I liked}

on plotting

I have three characters clamoring to get onto the page, and I don’t care how many people say “writer, you are God,” these characters are not behaving, and they aren’t happy that I’m struggling with the plot. I know, why not just let them get onto the page and let them tell their stories?

Well, I tried that, and it was like herding cats. I have to have a plot. Part of my problem is perfectionism. I don’t want to write anything crappy. But Chris Baty, author of No Plot, No Problem, writes, “The quickest, easiest way to produce something beautiful and lasting is to risk making something horribly crappy” (32).  He adds, “…you should lower the bar from “best-seller” to “would not make someone vomit” (33). LOL

An exercise Baty recommends is to answer this question:  What, to you, makes a good novel?

Hmm.

• An anti-hero.  Like Vachss’ Burke.
• sexual tension
• a mystery
• well-researched–nothing makes me throw a book like the hero flipping the safety off a Glock.
• snappy dialogue
• cranky people
• heroine with a passion for a particular thing; don’t care what it is.
• people who awaken from ‘deadness’
• funny situations
• thought-provoking. (like Einstein’s Dreams, for example)
• people who overcome adversity
• foreshadowing
• symbolism and metaphors

And another exercise–what bores you in a novel?

• dialogue that goes nowhere
• too much narrative (although I really liked Portrait of a Lady, and I love Herman Melville. Go figure.)
• flat characters (bad guy has to have at least one redeeming characteristic)
• improbable action
• characters who don’t reap what they sow, good or bad. Bad enough to see that in real life.    *The Lovely Bones hit these two no-nos for me:  when the girl possesses Ruth’s body and the boy knew who she was?  Please.  And the mother abandoned the kids and slipped seamlessly back into their lives. Double please.

So where do I go from here? Back to GMC, I think.  I’m also finding this site on plotting helpful:

Beginning:

• start with the status quo
• and then something happens
• the character commits to their goal

Go to the site to see the pages on middles and endings. Great info.

here’s what I’m working on:

Hero’s brother & wife have been murdered over a very rare gun. Hero is on the hunt for the murderer. Wants revenge.
Heroine runs a gun shop that her father willed to her and her mother.
Mother is still grieving husband’s death (it’s been a year+) and is no help to heroine; she’s also a bit like Grandma Mazur.

Well, it’s a start.

Romance Authors’ Pseudonyms: Did you know…?

Many of today’s hottest romance and romantic suspense authors wrote for Harlequin, Silhouette, Kismet, Candlelight, Gallen, McFadden, and Loveswept, among others. However, they didn’t all use the names they’re currently writing under.

NOTE: Many of the links are to used books; they will likely expire because these are collectible. Many of the links are to searches in Bookfinder.com. If no books are listed, it’s because they’re just that hard to find. My apologies in advance for this.

You may already know that Sandra Brown wrote under the names Erin St. Clair and Rachel Ryan, but did you know she also wrote under the name Laura Jordan?
Two titles I know of were written for the Gallen line:

• The Silken Web, and
• Hidden Fires.

Another, Roses at Dawn, was written for Kensington.

I’m still looking to see if she wrote under than name for anyone else

Diana Palmer also has had several pseudonyms, and she wrote several romances for the McFadden line of books, which is currently difficult to find (and sometimes expensive.)
Her other names:

• Diana Blayne
• Kate Curry
• Susan Kyle

If you’re a fan of the Dark Shadows series by Marilyn Ross, you might be interested in knowing that author’s pseudonyms (and guess what, it’s a guy). Marilyn Ross is W.E. Daniel Ross:

• Leslie Ames
• Marilyn Carter
• Ann Gilmer
• Miriam Leslie
• Diana Randall
• Ellen Randolph
• Clarissa Ross
• Dan Ross
• Jane Rossiter
• Rose Williams

If you follow Elizabeth Lowell, you probably know she has also written under the name Ann Maxwell, as well as A.E. Maxwell. But did you know she wrote under the name Annalise Sun?

Other pseudonyms you may be interested in:

• Kay Hooper = Kay Robbins Taken by Storm
• Lindsay McKenna=Eileen Nauman, Beth Brooks
• Joan Hohl=Amii Lorin, Paula Roberts
• Rachel Lindsay=Rozella Lake, Roumelia Lane, Janey Scott
• Jayne Ann Krentz=Jayne Talor, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Amanda Quick, Stephanie James
• Barbara Delinsky = Billie Douglass, Bonnie Drake Lover from the Sea
• Marion Chesney=Jennie Tremaine, Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney Gibbons, M.C. Beaton
• Janet Evanovich=Steffie Hall
• Madeline Baker = Amanda Ashley Night’s Master
• Elaine Barbieri = Elaine Rome Stark Lightning
• Susan Barrie = Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley The Garden of Don Jose #928, Anita Charles, Pamela Kent, Barbara Rowan, Mary Whistler
• Beverly Barton = Beverly Beaver Close Enough To Kill
• Meg Cabot = Meggin Cabot, Patricia Cabot, Jenny Carroll Safe House
• Candace Camp = Lisa Gregory, Kristin James Sapphire Sky, Sharon Stephens
• Isobel Chace = Elizabeth Deguise, Elizabeth Hunter
• Marion Chesney = Jennie Tremaine, Ann Fairfax,, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney Gibbons, M.C. Beaton
• Maureen Child = Ann Carberry, Kathleen Kane Wish upon a Cowboy
• Daphne Clair = Laurey Bright, Clarissa Garland, Claire Lorel Miss Miranda’s Marriage
• Donna Clayton = Donna Fasano Where’s Stanley? (Harlequin Next)
• Virginia Coffman = Kay Cameron, Virginia C. Deuvaul, Jeanne Duval The Lady Serena, Diana Sanders , Ann Stanfield
• Janelle Denison = Danielle Kelly Family Man (Stolen Moments)
• Ann Major = Margaret Major Cleaves Wild Lady*
• Patricia Matthews = Patty Brisco, Laura Wylie The Night Visitor
• Patricia Maxwell = Jennifer Blake, Maxine Patrick, Patricia Ponder, Elizabeth Trehearne
• Carla Neggers = Amalia James, Anne Harrell
• Sara Orwig = Daisy Logan Southern Pleasures (Second Chance at Love)
• Susan Elizabeth Phillips = Justine Cole The Copeland Bride
• Rosamunde Pilcher = Jane Fraser A Day Like Spring (Harlequin Romance, No.1232)
• Fayrene Preston = Jaelyn Conlee
• Janet Louise Roberts = Louisa Bronte, Rebecca Danton, Janette Radcliffe
• Sharon Sala = Dinah McCall
• Meryl Sawyer = Meryl Nickels
• Candace Schuler = Candace Spencer, Jeanette Darwin
• Valerie Sherwood = Jeanne Hines, Rosamond Royal
• Lass Small = Cally Hughes
• Rebecca Stratton = Lucy Gillen
• Elise Title = Alison Tyler
• Jane Toombs = Jane Anderson, Ellen Jamison, Diana Stuart, Olivia Sumner
• Linda Turner = Linda Raye
• Anne Weale = Andrea Blake
• Sheryl Woods = Suzanne Sherrill, Alexandra Kirk
• Rosalind Laker = Barbara Paul The Seventeenth Stair by Barbara Paul
• Charlotte Lamb = Laura Hardy Burning Memories, Sheila Holland, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf
• Elsie Lee = Elsie Cromwell, Jane Gordon Mistress of Mount Fair
• Rachel Lindsay = Rozella Lake, Roumelia Lane Harbour of Deceit (A Harlequin Romance, 1920) , Janey Scott, Roberta Leigh
• Norah Lofts = Juliet Astley Copsi Castle
• Charlotte Macleod = Alisa Craig A Pint of Murder
• Ann Major = Margaret Major Cleaves Wild Lady

These authors may have other pseudonyms I haven’t found yet–if you know of any, feel free to leave a comment.
REMINDER: Many of the links are to used books; they will likely expire because these are collectible. Again, I apologize for this.

Of course, there are tons of other authors I haven’t mentioned. If you’re interested in one that isn’t here, email me your question and I’ll check my references.

Stacy

Offshore Milk

thanks to Nathan Bransford for this link.

Check out the price—then scroll down to the reviews section.  Hilarious.

Links for Writers

I’ve been poking around the web, looking to connect with other writers.  Here are some of the sites I’ve visited and liked: (the links will be organized; right now you don’t know what you’ll be taken to, but trust me (please)–this is like tiramisu.  Every bite is delicious.)

HighSpot Inc.’s Directory of book trade people on Twitter

HighSpot Inc.’s Directory of authors on Twitter

LeftBrainWrite

Practicing Writing

Twitter Tips for Writers + 25 Good Follows

Archetype and CritPartnerMatch found these via Kait  Nolan (she created CritPartnerMatch, btw)

WritetoDone

WordSwimmer

Kim’s Craft Blog

The Rejecter

Off the Shelf: Writers on Writing

StoryTellers Unplugged

Romancing the Blog

Romance Divas

Best American Poetry

Poets Who Blog

Fiction Writers Review

INDUSTRY BLOGS

Nathan Bransford–Literary Agent

Chip MacGregor-Literary Agent {features Q&A for writers, among other things}

Rachelle Gardner-Literary Agent {features advice for writers, etc.}

HOW TO

Thematic Premise Sheet {plotting help}

Character test #1

Character test #2

Character test #3

If you know of a writer’s blog, please comment here with a brief blurb about the site.  When I have time I’ll put all the links on their own page.

Buffalo Bill doll crafted from clay

I belong to a blogging network on LinkedIn.com, and various people submitted their links for others to take a look at, and I was impressed by all of them.  This photo is from Clay Mama’s blog, and is in a contest that I’m hoping you’ll visit and then vote for your favorite doll.  I voted for this one because it was unique –all the others, while beautiful, are pretty much cut from the same cloth, in my opinion.  This one simply stands out.

Good luck, Clay Mama!

the irritable yodel

Not yodeling, really, but funny nevertheless.