Passing the Buck

I really have nothing to post today. I'm pulling out my hair trying to carve out time to work on my WIP with all the other stuff that's cutting into my days and nights.

In fact, it's weird because technically, I have no hard deadline for this book except for my self-imposed one, and yet I'm more anxious to finish this on time than I was for any of my others. Why is that, do you think? Am I just impatient to get it out into the world? (*snort*)

As crazy as that sounds, in a way I am. I really love this book and I can see the ending just around the corner. I have these flashes of surety when I know that it's brilliant and I'm going to find a home for it, followed quickly by painful doubts that tell me I'm deluding myself (let's not go there today).

The other impetus to get this done is that I can already feel the stirrings of the next book--yep, it's about that time. I'm interested to learn about these new characters, but I hate to do that before I'm finished with the ones who are running the show right now.

Wow, that's crap. Okay, let's just leave this disjointed post at that for now. Everyone feel free to chime in with a status update on their NaNo progress, or just let us know what's new.

Dear Richard

I don't know when I first heard about you or North and South . . . but I do remember when I first watched the movie on Youtube.

And then you came into view.

You fit the description of most romance heroes.

Tall. Dark. Handsome.

You carry off arrogance and in control so well, but we women know that you're hiding beneath those less attractive adjectives. Of course, you show glimpses of your true self. The secret looks and accidental touches, the botched proposal, and the kiss. The kiss!

How could we not love you?

Just when you captured my heart by playing John Thornton, Robin Hood on BBC starts airing.

You wear leather, you scowl, you're dangerous. Very dangerous. But how you love Marian makes my heart go aflutter. Why she doesn't end up with you and loves that wimpy Robin is beyond me. Courtney Milan has said that she'd love to write a Guy/Marian story one day---um, Courtney, not that you have to write other books, but get on that. Now.

There's no use in denying it. I have a huge crush on you. I don't really like kids, but I would want to have your babies.

Whether you wear a cravat, leather, a speedo, or just jeans . . . you're still sexy. And probably what makes you more attractive to most of us is that we can sense that you're a nice guy in real life.

But if you ever do come to the U.S., you might want to hire a security team. Of women. In fact, I'll be your bodyguard. I'll have to stick real close to you, and I'll have to handcuff myself to you to make sure that nothing bad happens. You'll get used to it and will like it. Promise.

So, do you like Richard Armitage as much as I do? And if not, who is your hero of choice?

Interference

Can I say how happy I am to see the rear end of October. The whole month was about interference. It was like the world was conspiring against me to accomplish any single worthy task: in writing, at work, in life. Everything felt more or less as though it was in limbo.

Writing goals last month: hit 20K by Oct 31. Well, I did make it to 8K before the month ended. I did rewrite the beginning twice and cut a whole pile. I did lose my hard drive with all my research, but only about 10 pages of un-backed up WIP.

Life goals last month: That required too much thinking and figuring out to actually accomplish anything worthwhile. My kids spent the second half of the month sick. Halloween was a time suck and not overly enjoyable for me this year.

Work goals last month: fix my damn filing that is all wonky. Instead I feel like I'm trudging through sludge because it's been crazy busy. I feel like I'm crawling on the ground with bloodied fingers from loss of nails. I get home at night and feel like a great big slump.

November goals: Hit 30K and write the synopsis by the end of the month. This is easy, only 19K to go and the synopsis is started, sort of, in long hand, so I'm tweaking that daily.

Kids are better. They are not allowed to be sick anymore. I've told them so :)

Work? Well, I say screw the filing system. It's gonna have to wait, lol.

How's everyone else been over the last month? Any interference in your life? Has it affected your writing life?

Contest Winners Announced!!!

Thanks again to Anna Campbell for blogging with us yesterday!!! We loved having you, and it was such a great discussion.

Anna has so graciously chosen the prize winners. (Note to the person who won Tim Tams---you might have to wait a little bit since Tim Tams hasn't arrived from overseas just yet but they are coming!)

Without further ado:

The assortment of Tim Tams goes to . . . Irisheyes!!!

And the signed copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN goes to . . . Julia Smith!!!

Please email Anna Campbell at anna@annacampbell.info with your snail mail details, and she'll get your prizes out to you.

Congrats to the winners!!! And thanks to everyone for dropping by and commenting yesterday!!!

Guest Blog: The Sex Is NEVER Just About the Sex by Anna Campbell

Hiya Vixens!!!! You’re all looking terrifically foxy today. But then, don’t you always?

I always love visiting you girls when I’ve got a book out. I love visiting you when I haven’t got a book out! Perhaps I should start up a rival blog called Visiting Vauxhall Vixens? Or perhaps Va-Va-Voom, Visiting Voluptuous, Voracious, Vampy Vauxhall Vixens vith Vim and Vivid Vigor?

Too much? Yeah, I thought so too.

Anyway, enough with the ‘V’ nonsense.

Ely and I were having a bit of a natter about what I’d talk about today. I’m sure it will shock you all to know she suggested a piece about writing sex scenes! But first, I thought I’d steal a word from our sponsors:

This blog is brought to you by Anna Campbell’s delicious new release, CAPTIVE OF SIN, now with extra Vitamin PHWHOARRRR! Start each day with a big bowl of CAPTIVE OF SIN and your teeth will sparkle, your hair will shine and all your lottery tickets will win the jackpot. Not only that, but Richard Armitage will whisk you away into the Dark Walk and do naughty things to you until the nightly fireworks start! And then buy you a dish of the famous shaved ham at extortionate rates! Wow, what a deal! CAPTIVE OF SIN – it would be a sin not to read it!

Yeah, just in case you didn’t know, I’ve got a book out on 27th October. You can read an excerpt here:

http://www.annacampbell.info/captivesin.html

OK, so let’s talk about steamy bits.

In real life, it’s perfectly fine for the sex to be JUST about the sex! In fiction, NEVAH!

Sex for the participants in a romance might be very nice indeed, but your readers will quickly lose interest, however skillfully the naughty bits are choreographed, if the scene isn’t doing something else with the story. Is it revealing character? Is it deepening conflict? Is it making a plot point? Perhaps it’s doing all three! Ah, and then you really have HOT sex! Well, at least as far as fiction goes!

Personally I love it when the sex makes things WORSE for the hero and heroine. And it almost always does in my books until the happy ever after ending. Any physical satisfaction they feel doesn’t change how the conflict and troubles in the book have notched up a level after the deed! And of course, the act is irreversible! No going back. This book features my first virginal heroine so the no going back statement seems particularly apt!

In CAPTIVE OF SIN, sex is a major part of the conflict. It always is in marriage of convenience stories. These people are married which means they have legal access to each other (hmm, that sounds a bit odd!) and there are expectations of what the wedded state will bring them. But there’s all the emotional conflict built around the fact that basically they’re strangers and that circumstances outside themselves have brought them together.

And Gideon and Charis in CAPTIVE OF SIN have even bigger problems! He’s coping with survivor guilt and PTSD and an overdeveloped sense of honor. She’s got what she thinks is a huge case of unrequited love, plus she’s overcome with guilty gratitude because he’s saved her from a fate worse than death (literally!) and now he’s tied to her forever.

Hmm, do you think perhaps she’s misreading the situation? Snort!

Anyway, let’s talk sex scenes. What do you think creates the emotional intensity in a sex scene? Do you agree with me that a sex scene that doesn’t advance the story isn’t that interesting? No need to blush. And remember - this stuff is purely my opinion. But if I think of love scenes that have stayed in my memory, generally they haven’t solved a problem in the book, they’ve created one. Or if they’ve solved one problem, they’ve created another problem that’s even bigger.

Problems with sex! Yeah, let’s talk about that! Well, at least problems in romance novels, anyway.

And for your full and frank participation in this discussion, I’ll reward one brave soul with a signed copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN so you can read about all that problematic nookie at first hand! Good luck!

**Ely's note: Avon has graciously offered up a prize to another commenter. One person will win an assortment of Tim Tams!**

The Writing Life

I was very lucky this weekend to be able to take part in a getaway with a few other authors from my RWA Chapter. We rented a really nice little suite at a ski chalet in Collingwood. (No snow, so no temptation to use skiing as a distraction from writing)

It was a great opportunity to not only get together with people I only see every few months or so, but also have a very productive and inspiring writing weekend.

We arrived on Friday evening and after catching up and getting comfortable (in my red kitty cat pajamas!) with a nice glass of wine (okay, a bottle of wine), it was time for a brainstorming/plotting session! We even had chart paper and big square sticky notes. (Here's to raiding the supply closet at the day job.) I have to admit, this was my most productive part of the weekend. I didn't get any words written that first night because I was having serious plot issues and had to figure out how to work my next major turning point -- I'm heading into the black moment! It worked for me to be able to talk about it out loud with people who understood what I was trying to do. Hubby just doesn't have the same attention span, sad to say.

It was a late night, but I was still up really early the next morning, eager to start a full day of writing. I don't usually get a chance to write THE WHOLE DAMN DAY--Ever!! Saturdays and Sundays are family days at home, so if I get any writing done, it's minimal, usually less than what I would write in an evening during the week. The chance to write ALL DAY without interruption was absolutely wonderful.

As a group, we did a series of timed writings. One for the morning, another two in the afternoon, and again after dinner. Usually around 1 hour long each. After which, we accounted for our total wordage and took a breather. The weather was great Saturday too, so we went for a bit of a walk outside. Sunday morning it was tidying up time with one last writing session and then back in the car to head home.

Like I said, I don't get a chance to do this often, so I really wanted to make the most of it. The great part of being able to participate in something like this is the amazing energy and motivation that comes with being in a room full of such great writers. It's also good to have a change of scenery when you really need to focus on something. I know that if I had been at home there would have been a hundred things to take me away from the computer--laundry, cooking, shopping, kiddo, kiddo, kiddo... (I love him, but he's not focus friendly)

You know, it made me see why I really really want to be able to do this writing thing full time one of these days.

Final weekend wordcount: 5,000 words and one 1500 word plot plan

Writing is about Rewriting

I love and I hate beginnings. I love figuring out the setting (as I blogged about last month), I love figuring out my characters. Love seeing them grow on the page and reveal their desires and fears in life. Love their romance to develop and grow.

But beginnings can be tough. I'll admit, I'm one of those that usually fly's through the first half of the book in a little over a month sometimes two. And then go back and make my changes. Usually I start at just the right time. The right place. I have a penchant for starting with Dialogue and in the middle of the action.

However, I did not do that with this book. I didn't know until I had written a good 7K that I was starting in the totally wrong spot. It didn't work for the characters, for me, for the story. It slagged. There was too much backstory, too much introspect. So, I put the book down for a couple weeks and thought about it. I didn't realize that I would need to change the beginning (start it from page ten of what I had, not page one. Start it from Elliott's POV--I rarely start in the male's Point of View. But this book feels different. Heck, it is different. I don't have a swarm of women to support each other in this book, something I've relied on for all the other historicals I've written. I feel like I'm wadding into uncharted waters sans life jacket.

A very good and wise friend said to me in the very beginning of my writing journey: Writing is about rewriting. I've taken that to heart. I've reminded myself of this every step of the way. I've repeated this mantra when I'm in revisions. When I know I have to cut scenes, when I know I've done something wrong in the story and I have to fix it.


What is the best piece of advise you've taken in your writing journey. The one thing you constantly remind yourself of? The one thing you repeat often to others (yes I tell everyone writing is about rewriting).