The Writing Life

Photo by Angela Anderson-Cobb

The writing life of a writer. What do those words mean to you? Do you envision a person hunched over a computer, typing away all day and into the late night hours? Do you see a person out on the deck with their laptop, surrounded by shade trees and bird chirping? Or do you see a person sitting in front of a blank screen, glancing at the clock, tempted to go scrub the toilet instead of pouring out their heart into a new story?

Writers are an interesting lot. They are as varied as the snowflakes that fall in winter, each different from the other, yet uniquely beautiful in their own way. So how could anyone know what the typical day in the life of a writer is like?

Hint: There is no typical day in the life of a writer.

In fact, to prove this point, I have asked the Alley Cats to share their typical day. Here's what they have to say about their writing life:

CINDY:  I try to keep my writing/blogging/social networking career to the weekdays and I try to fit it all in before dinnertime.

I will get up early and while the big kiddos are still sleep and littlest one is happy, I answer e-mails and comment on blogs and sometimes get on Facebook.

Then when the littlest one is napping, I use that time to critique chapters and write. I do this in snippets throughout the day, until hubby gets home, where I try to fit in 45 minutes to an hour of straight writing until I need to make dinner. (I aim for 1,000 words a day.)

I'll also check e-mails and blogs and Facebook randomly throughout the day as I'm walking by the computer and cleaning or helping the kids with something :)

PEPPER: I check email around 6:45-7:15 in the morning (during summer). During the school year it is usually between 5:45-6am. Then, breakfast to work to home.

I usually check blogs, emails, etc during my lunch break (when I have opportunity) and then write from about 9 or 9:30- 11 or 11:30pm. I really like weekends!!! MORE Writing TIME!!! YAY!

MARY:  I am like oil and water, swirling through time unorganized, uncharted, researching, writing, breaking for emails/fb, riding the wave back to researching and writing, never ending, always happy.

Even when I'm cleaning house or running errands my mind is doing the above.

The only "do not disturb" time is devotions, church, fun chat times with God, and hubby time.

CASEY: Early mornings: blogs, emails, Facebook, mindless catch up (usually on social media)

I always put together a to-do list first thing in the morning to remind of what I need to do and use it as motivation through the day. 

Editing or rough drafting a novel. For at least an hour in each project. 

I usually take a break mid afternoon to exercise and then get together with Julia to write together as motivation to stay focused. 

I have a hard time staying focused though and hop over to emails and facebook too many times a day. I'm trying to stop myself from letting that get out of control. Quicker I get my work done, the quicker I can enjoy a couple chapters or at the very least get AWAY from the computer!! ;-)

KRISTA:  I have no typical writing day. They are all different!

I write the most when hubby has a surprise day off and I get to go to Starbucks and write, write, write.

I also utilize naps in the afternoon... but that is also a time for me to "clean" without a little one running around, so i don't always get that.

Now that the kids are off school, I sometimes put them on "Play with Annabelle" duty and go into my room and right. That usually doesn't last a long time, though. I try to write after everyone is in bed, but Mommy is tired then too! So that doesn't always happen....

Really, it's finding the nooks and crannies of time, the moments when everything is half-way running well and nothing is going to explode if I sit down for a half hour to write.

I also use "wait" times for brainstorming. In the shower... waiting for an appointment... while making dinner... anytime that my brain can go on auto-pilot with whatever I'm doing and go into story-world dreamland.

JULIA:   Right now my writing time is three times a week right after dinner. Casey and I meet for accountability during the school year. Its quite helpful to have an accountability partner! Often the writing time might stretch on further. My goal is to get 1K written in that hour or if I'm editing trying to get a few pages edited. Editing for me is slower than writing, but I'm still learning the whole process.

A few times a week my husband and I will listen to a craft related audio or attend seminars such as My Book Therapy or Fiction Academy. Oftentimes I will reply to blogs a bit during that time. 

Its so big for me to accept where I am in this season. Parenting is a short season, writing is something I will have for the rest of my life. So I try to remember that and take the joy in these years. 

I know some people can write with interruptions, they can easily shift from building blocks to writing a paragraph to mopping up a spill. This just doesn't work as well for my personality. 

ANGIE:  I am totally random. I also expect to have time after kids are in bed...but sometimes I am just too tired. I will put Libby down for a nap and let the kids watch a movie if I get inspiration.

During the school year, I did it regularly, three times a week while baby napped and boys were in school. This year, I'll have the baby only, so I am hoping to schedule time each day. 

ASHLEY:  Having a regular writing time is something I've been working on lately, because it's so easy for me to get distracted! During the school year, I usually teach every other day and try to focus writing time on the in-between days. I'll use writing time as motivation to get through class-prep for the next day. :) Summer is great when I'm not teaching, though, because it gives me a lot of free writing time. I find I tend to write best at night, especially late at night when the day is slipping away and my mind stops "thinking" so much and just creates. 

KAREN:  Pre-pregnancy I used to get up at 5am every morning to write. I did that consistently for the last 12 months. Then I fell pregnant and was up half the night with insomnia, so my routine had to change. My kids are in family daycare two days a week, so those became my writing days (if I wasn't called in to work) - I'd go to the library for the day and write solidly.

Now that baby is here I'll have to find out what works for me. I had no expectations of the first 3 months, because with my last two babies I was completely sleep deprived and had not a minute to spare during the day. But Allegra is such a good baby I'm beginning to think I'll be able to get a lot done during her sleep times on the days when the two boys are in daycare. I'll have to play it by ear and see what works for us. :-)

SHERRINDA (me):  I get up at 5 a.m. and either write or check blogs/emails/FB/Twitter until 6 a.m., when I get ready for work. During the school year, I don't get ready until 6:30 a.m. and which really gives me time to get things accomplished. I do have some time in the evenings, but oftentimes, I am just so tired from work, my creative spark has sputtered out. 

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As you can see, we are all so incredibly different. Some have full time jobs. Others are home all day. Some have little children, and some are almost empty nesters. Some are morning writers and some are night writers. Some need long stretches of time to concentrate and others are adept at snatching a few minutes here and there to put their words on the page. 

Everyone is different and has their own way of writing. Each one knows what works for them. We each need to carve out the writing life that best suits us and our stories. What is the best schedule to facilitate our creativity? Do we need to shave off a little time in the evenings? Or whittle away a little sleep in the mornings, getting up earlier to write our stories? What kind of polishing do we need to do on our schedules to make room for our writing? All things to consider when you are developing your writing life.

What kind of writing life are you carving out for yourself? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

What's Your WPH (words per hour)?

I remember when I took typing in high school. We worked on typing fast and increasing our wpm (words per minute). While I can now type 70 wpm, I sometimes struggle with my WPH...words per hour.

I know many of you have heard about #1K1HR on Twitter. You type in the # hashtag, then 1K1HR and write as fast as you can, trying to get 1000 words on the page in one hour. There is even a 1K1HR Facebook page where you can participate if you aren't on Twitter.

While I was re-reading From the Inside...Out: discover, create, and publish the novel in you! by Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck, I read something that helped me break down writing a novel and the WPH I need. Here is what I found:

Let's assume you have 12 weeks to write a 30-chapter book, with approximately 3000 words per chapter. That's 1500 words per scene. That's six pages per writing session, 180 minutes per scene. That's thirty minutes a page. ( p. 74)

Just think...if you were able to do 1000 words in one hour, you could do this:

Time Writing Per Day	Words Written Per Day	Days to Write a Novel
1 hour a day	1,000	90 days
2 hours a day	2,000	45 days
3 hours a day	3,000	30 days

You may not write fast and that's okay. Some days I can spit out those 1000 WPH, and some days it just doesn't happen. But having a goal and having a plan of action is important as we set out to write our stories. You know the old saying - "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." You gotta have a plan!

What is your plan? Or what is your average WPH?

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Knowing When to Step Away (Plus a Farewell)

If you saw the Weekend Edition, then you already know about my decision to step away from my regular role here at The Writers Alley.

Good-byes are never easy, especially when it involves the wonderful women who are part of this group. But the reality is that life sometimes dictates difficult, but necessary, decisions.

Our lives are often like an ocean. We may go through times of low tide, when our schedules have breathing room and we can rest on the beach--maybe even build a sandcastle--without the waves crashing over us.

Then we may be offered an opportunity here, sign up for a commitment there. And with each thing we add, the tide starts to slowly rise. As long as we're comfortable on the beach and our sandcastle is protected, we don't worry too much about the rising waves.

...Until that final commitment pushes the tide past us, sending a mini-tsunami that crushes our castle and sweeps us away. That's what happened to me recently and what prompted the hard decision to leave this blog. 

Since many of us have lots of commitments on our plates (and since I can't do a blog post without giving practical advice :)), I'm going to share four steps for evaluating your own schedule.

1) Determine what your top two or three priorities are. (Picture these as the sandcastles you're trying to protect from the giant wave.) For me, this came down to family time, church, and focused time to work on my fiction writing.

2) List out everything that's on your plate. And I do mean everything. (These are the waves that creep toward your sandcastles.)

3) Mark each item on the list with one of the following categories: (a) Non-negotiable -- Definitely needs to stay on my list; (b) Iffy -- It could go either way; (c) Can be sacrificed -- This may be something that's easily discarded, or, like my role here at The Writers Alley, it may be a bigger commitment that someone else can come in to fill. (Picture this evaluation process as determining how big your waves are.)

4) Begin the process of elimination. (This is the removal of those waves that threaten your sandcastles.) For me, this process is accompanied by a lot of prayer. Start with the items marked as "can be sacrificed" and envision your life with those things removed from your schedule. Are you better able to focus on your top priorities, or does the elimination of those items hinder you from your priorities in some way? As you pray, envision, and continue to work up the ladder of the categories, it will become clear to you which things need to be surrendered.

This process isn't easy. And it often means surrendering something we enjoy very much, like my role here on this blog. But throughout this evaluation, we must always keep our sandcastles protected. No matter how much we may love one of the "waves" on our schedule, if it comes to the detriment or destruction of our castles, we need to let them go.

So to the readers here at The Writers Alley and to my fellow Alley Cats, I want to thank you for making this such a fun place to visit and learn together. I'll greatly miss being a part of the camaraderie and support. But have no fear...I won't be a complete stranger. And I look forward to seeing what God does through this incredible group of women as we all move forward, protecting our precious sandcastles for His glory.

Let's talk...Have you ever had to do an evaluation of your schedule like I described here? What would you say are your top two or three priorities? How do you know when it's time to step away from a commitment?

*Tide photo by Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Sand photo by Lisa McDonald / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

A Day in the Life of a Contest Judge

Contest season is heating up. Maybe you've submitted an entry to the Genesis or another writing contest, and now you're chewing your fingernails down to nothing while you wait for results. Or maybe you're checking email every two seconds just in case the judges' feedback came through. (I'm not saying any of this from personal experience. *wink*)

Then when you finally get your entries back, you may find yourself wanting to chuck them in the trash can. Or shoot darts at a picture of the judge's face.

Before you get carried away, though, let me present some perspective. In the last couple years, I've been on the other side as a judge. And things on this side are much tougher than I would have expected.

For someone like me who has been on the receiving end, I'm extremely conscientious of the feedback I provide. But I'm also juggling my own writing (or in some cases during contest season, putting it completely on the back burner so I can judge).

Plus I'm also a stay-at-home mom of young children. Need I say more?

Here's a little snippet of what might happen when I open an entry to judge...

*Reading first sentence* Wow, nice hook!

"Mommy, I want a snack."

"What's that, honey? Oh, a snack?" *going to pantry to get some animal crackers* "Here you go."

Okay, let's read that first sentence again. *typing comment in entry* Great opening!

"Mommy, Mickey Mouse is done. Can I watch Little Einstein's next?"

"I'm sorry, honey. What'd you say? Oh, sure. Take the remote and watch whatever you want." (Don't judge...I'm desperate at this point.)

*finish typing comment in entry and read second sentence*

"Mommy, the TV isn't working."

Argh...

At this rate, it takes me three hours to read an entry and provide meaningful feedback. At least, I hope it's meaningful because I've had so many interruptions. For all I know, I may have said the entrant needs more description when they had too much of it.

As hard as it is to imagine sometimes, judges are people too.

And while we truly want to help develop other writers' skills, we have interruptions and agents or editors who still expect us to meet our deadlines.

When you get your contest entry back, read through the judges' comments with a clear mind. You may (hopefully!) find some great nuggets to take your writing to the next level.

But if something doesn't jive or comes across as mean, remember who's on the other side of the comments. They may have just gotten a snack for the tenth time during your entry, and they're taking their frustrations out on unsuspecting you.

Perspective is so important, no matter what stage we may find ourselves. We would all benefit from remembering there's a person behind the words--no matter which side we're on--and filtering everything with wisdom and understanding.

So let's talk...What side of contests do you sit currently--entrant or judge? If a judge, how do you balance your other responsibilities with contest entries? If an entrant, how does this perspective change the way you receive contest feedback?

*Feedback photo by Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Time photo by Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

3 Unique Ways to Incorporate Holidays Into a Novel

This isn't a time of year when holidays are predominant in our minds. But with last Saturday being St. Patrick's Day, I recently got thinking about all the different holidays we celebrate every month. (August is the only month of the year without a federal holiday.)

And they can play a key role in our novels as well. Here are some ideas to freshen up your story:

1) Turn a holiday into a deadline. We all know how effective the "ticking time bomb" effect can be. Why not ramp it up and pair it with a holiday that holds significance to the characters?

Sure, you could always do the kiss at midnight on New Years Eve. But what about something less obvious, like Ash Wednesday? What if your character is an FBI agent who's chasing down a Ponzi scheme that patterned itself after a popular TV show? But the agent is giving up TV for Lent, which starts in two days, and he needs to unlock the code before Ash Wednesday?

2) Play up the quirks of lesser-known holidays. Remember earlier when I mentioned every month has a federal holiday except August? Chances are extremely high that a holiday will fall during the timeframe of your novel, whether it's a popular day or a lesser-known one.

Anybody seen the movie Leap Year? What if your character's birthday is February 29th and they only get an actual birthday every four years? How can you play this up in your book? Or what about federal holidays when the post office doesn't deliver mail? What if your character mails an important payment, but it arrives a day late because of Presidents Day?

3) Incorporate holidays with wardrobe. Although these may not be major players in your novel, they can add authenticity and quirks that set the stage for conflict and characterization.

We can all think of costume parties where guests' identity are concealed. Or what about a misfit teenager who forgets to wear green on St. Patrick's Day and shows up at school as the outcast? Or what about the family who for 20 years has taken a group portrait on Christmas Day in matching red sweaters, but on Year 21, the "perfect child" shows up in all black?

The idea behind all these points is this: Be mindful of the timeframe of your novel and be aware of the holidays that may take place. Are there ways you can incorporate them into your story to add depth and conflict? You never want it to be forced, but you may just find that missing piece that will make your novel shine.

Let's talk...What sort of holidays have you incorporated into your novels? Have any lesser-known holidays wormed their way into your stories? What fun twists came to mind as you read this post?

*St. Patrick's Day photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Mail photo by digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

Join the COOL WRITER's Club....(or not)

Guest post by Melissa Tagg, 2010 Frasier Winner
(and my personal hero, because everything she
does is awesome. ;-)

But why?

I’m about to say something many writers probably consider blasphemy.

In fact, I may get kicked out of the cool writer’s club (assuming such a club exists and that writers can, in fact, be cool). But in the name of honesty, I’ll go ahead and say it:

I’m not one of those writers who “writes because she can’t not write.”

You’ve heard people say that’s why they write…right? They can’t imagine not putting pen to paper…or fingers to keyboard, as it were.

I’m truly not that kind of writer. I can totally not write.  I love reading. Watching old movies. Taking walks. Hanging out with the people I love. Sleeping. Bubble baths. And, yes, playing Fruit Ninja on my iPhone.

See, I’m actually quite skilled at not writing.

So why do I get up at 5 a.m. to fit in a couple hours of writing before my day job? Why do I spend a good chunk of my not-so-Trump-like income on writing conferences, resources and courses? Why do I battle maverick characters and potholey plots?

Well, I’m a huge My Book Therapy junkie, and one of the things award-winning authors and book therapists Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck always teach the importance of asking our characters Why?

Why do they act the way they do?

Why do they make the decisions they make?

Why do they believe what they believe?

Susie and Rachel have taught me to dig deeper than the surface answers to these questions. It’s not enough to settle for the easy why. As I keep asking my characters “Why?” I discover their core motivations, values, the beliefs that guide their actions.

Asking why is a great exercise for character building, but I’m realizing it’s a game-changer in my own life as well. When I take the time to ask myself “Why?” I discover not only the motivation behind my writing dream, but the energy and excitement to keep plugging away at something that, frankly, sometimes feels just plain too big for me.

What are the whys behind my writing?

The surface ones are easy. I love a good story. I want to make people laugh and swoon at the same time. I want to entertain, amuse and inspire. And I’m not going to lie: I pretty much love the idea of seeing my name on a book cover.

But there’s a deeper why:

I write because stories change lives. They breathe truth and hope into hurting hearts. When well-crafted and Holy Spirit-inspired, they’re not only poignant…but powerful.

I believe this is why Jesus so often taught through stories.

It’s that why that gets me out of bed at 5 a.m…helps me keep going when I hit the messy middle of my story…pushes me to work…hard. Inspires me to face the risks and vulnerability of pursuing publication.

I don’t write because I can’t not write. I write because I can. Because it’s an amazing opportunity to use the creativity given me by the greatest Storyteller of all.

How about you? Why do you write? How does knowing why you write help you move forward? Have you taken the time to ask your characters the big Why?

Melissa Tagg is a former reporter turned fiction writer who believes faith, laughter and love are the perfect mix for a fabulous book. She serves on the development team for a Christ-centered homeless ministry and as the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy. She is the 2010 winner of the MBT Frasier Award and an ACFW Genesis finalist. Connect with Melissa at www.melissatagg.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Story Setting: How to Make It Unique and Realistic

Nothing can bring a book to life more than a great setting. Sure, the characters are important, but setting is a close second.

Take Anne of Green Gables, for instance. How many "kindred spirits" want to travel to Prince Edward Island as much as they want to meet Anne? They want to paddle across The Lake of Shining Waters and experience The White Way of Delight in all of its beauty.

We choose the settings for our stories in different ways. But regardless of how they originate, I've noticed there are three primary types of settings writers deal with. I'll break them down below, as well as provide tips for how you can make your setting stand out.

Well-Known, Highly-Visited Settings (for example, New York City)

- Find a unique angle to freshen it up. Don't settle for generalities or cliches. Hone in on a particular neighborhood, a particular store or shop, a park, etc. (Think Breakfast at Tiffany's. Or how about Sleepless in Seattle, when they meet at the top of the Empire State Building?)

- Make sure the setting details are accurate. Since your readers have likely been there, they'll notice any inconsistencies or misportrayals. And you don't want to pull them from the story with a setting flub that's easily fixable.

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Real Settings That Lend Themselves to Uniqueness (for example, Sandwich, Illinois, in Alley-Cat Krista's book ----> )

- Play up the unique aspects. Whether it's the town name, like Krista's book, or a unique geographic location (a beach town, for instance), bring those things to the forefront in the story. Let them be key players. Think of the setting as another character in and of itself, with its own quirks and personality.

- Present the setting from an authentic viewpoint. It might mean you've already spent time there, or it might mean you need to go on a research trip (or do a virtual visit online). Look at the setting from fresh eyes and seek out the traits that first get your attention. Your readers are relying on you to transport them there, and they want the full experience, not a high-level skimming.

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Fictional Settings Based on Real Settings (For example, The town in my book is set in the same geographic area as a town where I grew up. I gave it a different name to give me creative liberty with the story details.)

- Even though the setting is fictional, make sure you get the details right on a general level. If you've created a fictional town in Minnesota, it's not realistic to have 90-degree weather in December. Consider the general geographic area and keep it true-to-life.

- Create unique details, but avoid making them too over-the-top. Readers want to be transported to a great story setting, but they also want it to be believable. Once you cross the point of being too outrageous, the reader may give up on the book altogether.

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No matter which type of setting you write, the key is to keep it unique and realistic. A well-written setting will enhance the story, not detract from it, and it will likely create lifelong fans. All you have to do is visit Prince Edward Island to see the proof. :)

What types of settings do you typically write? How did you end up planting your stories there? What are some of the quirks or unique "personality traits" of your settings that play a role in the story?

*Special note: There's a fourth type of setting I didn't cover here--fictional story worlds created by fantasy writers. Since I have no expertise in this area, I'm leaving it to the capable hands of the fantasy experts. :)

**Green Gables photo from www.anneofgreengables.com.
***Deer photo from http://minnesota.publicradio.org.

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

How To Write A Kissing Scene...Valentine Edition

The Kiss...the moment when lips meet, when senses are heightened, when hearts meld.  It is a magical thing, because women loved to be kissed They want to be wanted, desired, loved. When writing romance, the kiss is of the utmost importance.

So how does one go about writing a kissing scene? What things are important when laying out "the kiss"? There are several areas that you should consider when developing your kissing scene.

SETTING/MOOD: Setting is very important when it comes to a kiss, because it sets up the mood for the smooch. For instance, a kiss in a dark parking garage has a completely different feel that a kiss in front of a cozy fire. Include descriptive details to put the reader into the scene so that they can feel the ambiance.

DISTANCE/PROXIMITY: In order to kiss, your characters must come in close proximity. How do they come together in a way that builds tension and increases a readers need to turn the page? There has to be either conflict (a fall/rescue, locked in a room all alone) or heightened awareness/desire from both characters that moves them toward one another. Make is good. Make it count.

SENSES 1-5: This is a no-brainer. Use the five senses to ramp up the kiss.

• Touch - Describe the feeling a character gets when their lips meet the other's. Soft, hard, yielding, demanding? Does her face feel smooth, his whiskery? Does goose bumps shimmer across her skin when he digs his fingers into her hair? What are their physical reactions?
• Taste - A kiss can have a taste. I know that could be gross, given a character's love for garlic, but be creative. Have them taste of honey or minty chocolate. Your character could have just eaten a kiwi or an orange. Make it unique.
• Sight - Since you are in a character's POV, describe what the other one looks like as they move in for a kiss. What gestures or facial expressions do they see? Does she lick her lips in anticipation? Does he clench his jaw or deepen a dimple? This should be the easiest sense to use, so make it good.
• Smell - What do the characters smell like? Are they wearing cologne? Do they smell like they have been cooking hamburgers or have been outdoors? Don't forget to include the smells of the setting. What about the salty sea breeze at the beach or the fragrant  roses of the garden? Let the setting help you out here.
• Sound - While we might not want to admit it, there are sounds when we kiss. You don't want to write about the smack or slurp that might occur, but you can mention the soft moan, quick intake of breath, shaky exhale, or a deep beat of a heart. Don't forget about the sounds of the setting. Soft rain hitting the window can set the mood up nicely for a kiss.

WRAP UP/LOOSEN UP: So what happens after the kiss? Well, if this is close to the beginning of the book, you need to have some conflict come in. Let someone walk in on them. Have one be angry with the other for crossing the line and kissing them against their will (even though they participated willingly enough in the kiss!). You have got to keep the tension going so readers will want to turn that page and see if they kiss again. 

There is nothing better than a great kiss with someone you love. I know, because I've been married to the same wonderful man for 27 years. He has given me a Valentine every day since Saturday. Chocolate covered strawberries, a date to see The Vow (sigh!), and a dozen red roses. Were there kisses involved? What do you think? ;)

It's Valentine's Day....have you had your kiss yet? 

Is there anything you would add to make a kissing scene even better? What authors write the best kissing scenes, in your opinion? Do share! 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Talking Heads In Your Novel Writing

Photo by geralt @ pixabay

In the beginning of my writing journey, I was overcome by an invasion - an invasion of the Talking Heads. I was blindsided by these creatures, because I didn't know any better. These Talking Heads took over my manuscript until I learned how to creatively combat them.

Talking Heads occurs when two characters converse together without any action, description, setting, or mood. It's just two people talking back and forth, confusing the reader as to who is who, and therefore losing the flow of the story.

So how do we get rid of these pesky buggers? 

Action Tags: Break up the dialogue with action from the character. Have a character cook, open the refrigerator, get a drink, pick up toys off the floor, etc. Simple things that a character can do will help identify them and give the reader a sense of placement in the scene.

Descriptive Setting: Add a touch of descriptive setting into an action tag. Have the character pick at the folds of the red checkered tablecloth; or plop into a worn, threadbare recliner; or step over a huge mound of dirty laundry. These give the reader hints into the life of the character and anchors them into the scene.

Inner thoughts: Get into deep POV and express the thoughts of your character. Have your character say one thing, yet think the total opposite. Or let the character think through a problem he/she is arguing about with the other character.

Body Language: This may be one of my favorite things to combat Talking Heads. Using the character's body to give a sense of their feelings helps to identify them in the scene. Have your character roll their eyes, heave a sigh, slam a door, or run their hands through their hair. These convey (show) feelings instead of "telling" them to the reader.

What else can you add to the list of defense against the Talking Heads?

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

A Writer's Greatest Tool

Writers live life with a perpetual question swirling through their minds. It is a question that draws deep from the well of creativity and reaches out to grasp the winds of inspiration. It is a question that builds the bones, and then breathes life into stories.

It is the question of "What if?".

When it is time to start a new story, brainstorm a part of the plot, or even hear a news story that plants a seed of a story in your mind, you begin to ask the question....what if?

What if...

• a young woman is held captive in a convent?
• the young woman escapes, disguised as a boy?
• the woman is beaten along the way by ruffians?
• the woman is saved by a handsome knight?
• the the handsome knight is on his way to her father's castle for a tournament?
• he takes her on as his squire (thinking she is a lad), promising to give her safe passage?
• she falls in love with the knight?
• her gender is discovered when she is injured in a fight?

These are just a few of the questions I asked while brainstorming my first story. A story starts with a germ of an idea. When you ask "what if", you can find many different directions that your story can go. When you are brainstorming a story idea, try to think of as many different ideas as you can. Having my heroine's gender discovered at the very beginning of the story would have made it an altogether different story. The tension would be stronger, but then my hero would not have been able to get to know my heroine the same way as he did while she pretended to be a boy. 

The question of "what if" is a powerful tool for the writer. Get a pen and paper out and start your list of "what ifs". You might even try a mind map, branching off in different directions...wherever your "what ifs" take you. See what you can come up with.

Better yet, let's experiment and see what we can come with. I'll start and you come up with a "what if". Let's see what kind of story we come up with through our commenters today. 

What if a woman was in an airplane, about to skydive for her 30th birthday, when she discovered that Gerard Butler (or whatever cutie-pie you would like to envision) was sitting next to her?

***What is your "what if"? Or what is your favorite writing tool for brainstorming?

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This post is brought to you by
 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Writing a Meet-Cute - hints from the best :-)

Happy New Year everyone.


It’s the time of new beginnings. New resolutions. Maybe some ‘firsts’ for you...or your writing ;-) That's why we're going to talk about 'first meetings' today.

One of the best moments in a novel or a movie is the first time a couple meets. In romance it’s called the ‘meet cute’. It’s a hallmark of romantic comedies and romance novels – so who better to teach us about it than the romance authors themselves?

Let’s get to it!

Jamie Carie is known for her fast-paced historical novels such as The Duchess and the Dragon or Pirate of My Heart. What does she say makes a great meet cute in novels?

For me, I love it when the hero and/or heroine is slammed with the impact of the other person. This could be an instant attraction or something deeper, like that feeling that they’ve just met their other half. In Love’s First Light, Christophé feels a mysterious, almost supernatural connection with Scarlett which leaves his already delicate emotional balance teetering on the edge of rational behavior ( i.e. he becomes somewhat of a bumbling, mad scientist in her presence). Here’s an excerpt of their first encounter.



He saw her and stopped. She was crouched low, her head down, her shoulders curled within her, stiff and unmoving. He couldn’t help but stare at her long, unbound hair. It was dark but alive with color, the pink glow of a morning’s glory reflecting in each strand.

Gold and amber and bronze and the color of glowing coals. Bright, white light. He saw the prism in his laboratory. Blinked and saw the split of white into the colors of the rainbow. Saw them reflected on his old castle’s walls. Brilliant but cold. So brilliant.

So cold.

He wanted to tell her of it. His chest heaved with the effort not to blurt it out.

She stood suddenly and whirled around—long, dark cape and glorious hair, flowers still clutched in her hand. Christophé’s gaze dropped from her frightened face to her rounded stomach and then the gravestone that glared chalk-white in the mist behind her.

“Color,” he thought as he stood transfixed. No, not a thought.

Heaven help him, he had said it aloud.

Mary Connealy is the queen of explosive first encounters. Let’s see what she says about them:

Pepper, What I like in a first meeting. One moment of attraction or connection or appreciation between them, even if it’s just a split second, then it alllllllllllll goes bad.


In this scene, thought I’ve sent it to you as the first meeting, they had one other ‘moment’ when Alex saved her life–but he did it to save his own life–or at least that’s the unflattering spin a very stressed out Beth puts on his help. He woke up, pulled a runaway stage to a stop when she didn’t have the strength to do it alone, then crawled off to be alone without saying a word.

Then she dived in to help the wounded.


She needs help. He’s not offering. That leads to this scene, their first real exchange.

 Doing her very best to set his skin on fire with her eyes, she leaned down, hoping to find a balance where she could rage at him without Mrs. Armitage hearing her. The poor woman had been through enough.

“You get up off the ground and help us, you worthless skunk.”

And wasn’t skunk just exactly the right word for the filthy pig?

“Get away from me.” The wormy, skunky pig’s eyes flashed like he had rabies.

Gritting her teeth so she could look fierce and still breathe through her mouth, she leaned closer. “You stand up right now.”

She hissed at him like a rattle snake, so she had a few animal attributes of her own. “I need help. I don’t care how hung over you are, how lazy you are or how stupid you are. Right now I need some muscle, and I know you’ve got it. Get on your feet and get over there and help us, or so help me I will rip your arm off and beat you to death with the bloody stump.”

The man’s eyes seemed to clear. Maybe she’d pierced the alcoholic fog. “I’m not drunk.”

Interesting that he hadn’t protested being called stupid or worthless or a skunk. . . what else had she called him? She’d lost track of her insults somewhere along the line.

“Oh, puh-leeze, you expect me to believe you’re this worthless without the help of whiskey?”

LOL. Oh my, I love Mary Connealy humor! And books! If you’ve never read one – GET THEE TO A BOOKSTORE NOW!!!

Speaking of great authors, Deeanne Gist has this to say about writing first encounters:

A slow, slow build. I want the reader to feel exactly what the heroine is feeling. That means I need to engage her emotions one baby-step at a time. If I do my job, then the tension building between the hero and heroine will ultimately extract a visceral response from my reader.

And the Maid to Match sample Dee provided??

“Mr. Sterling? Is everything—” A young maid stepped to the door. “Earl! What’s the matter with you?”


Black hair peeked out from beneath her small white cap. The eastern sun had reduced her pupils to dots, leaving eyes so blue they appeared almost lavender. Rushing out the door, she jumped between them, squaring off with Mack. “Stop it! Stop it right this minute.”


Releasing the man’s collar, Mack took a step back. Did she actually believe he was frightened of her? He felt a smile tug at his lips. “I’m not Earl, miss. I’m his brother, Mack.”


The disapproval she’d shown before was nothing compared to the horror that filled her eyes now. She pressed a hand against her stiffly starched apron. “Oh, no. You’re the brother?”


He nodded.


“And you came to the front door? What possessed you to come to the front door?”

“I was just looking.”


Rolling her eyes, she turned to the butler. “He’s a mountain man. He was engaged in fisticuffs when Mrs. Vanderbilt first saw him. I’ll take him round back myself and make sure he doesn’t get into any more trouble.”


Mack tucked his shirt into his trousers. “I can fight my own fights. You needn’t do it for me.”


She seared him with her gaze. “Do not say another word.”


He bristled and opened his mouth to argue.


She lifted her index finger. “Not. Another. Word.” With her finger still in the air, she turned back to the butler. “May I take him round back, sir?”


Tugging the hem of his jacket, Sterling tightened his lips. “Go ahead. I’ll talk with the housekeeper and tell you what we decide to do with him.”


Mack took a step forward.


The maid steepled one hand on his chest. With the other, she pointed toward the gate. “That way, Mr. Danver. The servants’ entrance is that way.”

YOUR TURN!
Care to share a meet cute from one of your novels? First encounters of the best kind?
Bring them on and let us see from your characters' eyes.
What do you like best about first encounters? Familiar friends or strangers, the meeting can be electrifying.
And remember - meet cutes do not always have to be 'cute'. Jane Eyre and Rochester? GREAT first encounter.
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Taking the story elements of her Blue Ridge Mountains’ heritage, Pepper  Basham writes a variety of fiction seasoned with grace and humor. From contemporary romance to fantasy or historical, Pepper likes to dip her creative interests in them all. She’s a pastor’s wife, mom of five, and university instructor. She can be found causing mischief at her group blog, The Writers Alley, or at www.pepperbasham.wordpress.com

My MC Interviews Me

Recently the MC of my WIP asked if we could have a powwow. She was a little concerned I’d been dancing around the outskirts of her personality, not getting to the heart of who she was. She indicated that by interviewing me I might learn a good deal about her character. Skeptical, I agreed.

MC: What led you to write me?
Me: Fun question. Well, for starters, you’re feisty. I like that about you and you have a specific memory weighing heavily on you. I find that relatable. Your past intrigues me. Heck, your present intrigues me. I want to know more.
MC: Aren’t you afraid they won’t believe I’m real?
Me: Um…how do I put this delicately? You’re not real. I just have to work insanely hard so you’ll come across authentically.
MC: I feel as though I communicate readily to you, why is it then that you only devote blocks of time to me?
Me: Wow, okay, how to explain this…I have a family and a boatload of pressing demands on me at any given moment. Take it as a compliment I carve out time for you.
MC: Do you already know how everything turns out with me? I mean, do you plot out my whole life before you even begin revealing my story?
Me: Kind of. I know a lot about you and what’s going to unravel, but there are still events and other characters in your life that surprise me as I write (much like how it is in my own life).
MC: How do you decide how badly you’ll hurt me and why do you pick the situations you do?
Me: I identify with them in some way. I haven’t experienced everything you have gone through or all the hardships I’m having you endure, but something about them resonates with me. It goes much deeper than outer circumstance. There’s an aspect of the experience that is innately identifiable and I’m trusting other women will feel it, too.
MC: Will people think I’m weird if you write me honestly?
Me: We’re all weird. I think it would be a sham, a dishonesty, to falsify you in any way.
MC: Do things end well for me?
Me: Well is a relative word. I actually don’t know exactly how this one will wrap up. I like it better that way. This way I feel like I can live the novel out with you. You don’t die, does that make you happy?
MC: Uh…but there are some pretty ugly alternatives you’ve been contemplating, aren’t there?
Me: Of course, but not for the ending. Those come first, then comes the resolve. I’m hoping that word gives you some comfort.
MC: I trust you. However, do you think you’ll ever pay me the respect to show up to write me in outerwear other than your pajamas or some getup you slept in?
Me: You know I love you, Hannah, but I just can’t make any promises on this one.

So glad I took the time to hear my MC out. Just this simple exercise reminded me of why I chose to write Hannah. Have you ever tried something out-of-the-box like this to get to know your characters better?

*lake photo from Flickr
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Wendy Paine Miller writes women’s fiction, crafting stories with the hope of poking brains and moving thoughts. She graduated with a BA in English from Wittenberg University, where she earned an Honor of Distinction for her accrued knowledge of literature. Wendy feels most alive when she’s speeding in a boat, reading, writing, refurbishing furniture, running, and trusting God. To interact with her, visit http://thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/