“I Get Off” Halestorm  (Halestorm, 2009)

I just saw them live. I love the energy in a crowd during a concert. I may not be a people liking type of person; but there is nothing like a pit full of women under the scorching sun screaming, “I get off on you, getting off on me. Give you what you want, but nothing is for free.”

I’ve debated how to learn more about the relationship between my hero and heroine. I’m not writing a heavy romance novel where there is lots of hot sex between them to build momentum to a HFN/HEA. My heroine really can’t stand the sight of the hero. They have a past with some complications. The hero really isn’t doing himself any favors by coming back into my heroine’s life. He’s just serving a reminder that she’s still hopelessly in love with him after he broke her very young and naïve heart. She’s very determined that will never happen again, especially with him.

Let’s be honest. As the writer, the characters are under (loosely) my control for the time being. I’ve furiously scribbled in my notebook for a few weeks now notes on how to make this story work and potentially make a series work between them and resolve even their relationship by the end. I understand the attraction between them. If you’ve ever wanted something you knew you’d never have again, it only serves to fuel the flames. The hero knows what he’s done (he’s justified it in his mind) but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want what’s “his”. (Men are so arrogant. Well, 99.98%- just to cover my ass.) My heroine is so torn when they are together. She wants to prove that she’s indifferent to him now. Now that she’s older, less naïve and more worldly.  But she still remembers everything about him and it embarrasses her to think she can’t get past that part of her life.

So I was in a curious predicament of my own making. I don’t plot. But I needed a way to figure out how to make the H/H have a semblance of a stable working relationship while I finish the first book and launch into a series.

So last Thursday while cleaning the house I’m dancing around in the kitchen with the vacuum and these lyrics inspired a thought in my head.

“You don’t know that I know you watch me every night.

And I just can’t resist the urge to stand here in the light.

Your greedy eyes upon me, and then I come undone.

I could close the curtain… But this is too much fun.” (Halestorm, 2009)

Sounds like a good erotica fiction in the making, doesn’t it? I thought to myself, maybe I should just write a little snippet scene between my H/H that definitely won’t make it into the final draft but will help me grasp the tension between the two better.

No, I haven’t yet, but I’ve seen it. It’s good. That should make for utmost extra embarrassment come morning time. I do enjoy mortifying characters. God knows I blush way too much in my own life to not make everyone in my fictional world do the same. If I’ve learned anything from a life of people watching is that interaction with one another is an art form that each of us takes different brushes to paint with. No two interactions are ever the same, even if you interact with the same person over and over again. The interaction is always evolving and that’s how I look at writing my H/H relationship. They have to evolve to move the story. I have to evolve as the writer to keep up.

What inspires your scenes between your characters other than the natural flow of the story? Do you get passing thoughts? See scenes play out in front of you as if you’re watching a movie? Hear a song on the radio and think “AHA!”? Eavesdrop on a conversation as you’re passing by and get inspired to take it in a different direction?

We have to have some fun today. I had a great blog all outlined out. Then I got distracted by a little writing this weekend. Then I went back to work on Monday and now I’m suffering from a migraine which makes any sort of creative output I might have next to nil.

So if you’re looking for some wit or insight, you will have to wait until tomorrow.

Jules is my e-mail faerie. And not just any e-mail faerie, she is the mother of all e-mail faeries. This woman dominates my inbox. (Stop smirking.) But it’s never of the written variety of e-mail. She’s high tech. She whips out her handy dandy headset and voice recorder to send me evil messages from e-mail faerie land. I download these little jaunts into Jules’ world onto my phone and spend half my time snorting and the other laughing. She’s a fountain of ideas for blogs (though she refuses to GUEST with me) and a few weeks ago, Jules came up with a new nickname for me through an idea she had for a blog.

Jules is one of those sleepers. She gets all these sweet little results but has the draw of an inner sex kitten. Have you heard her laugh? I swear. She’s got the market on the evil laugh. It’s spectacular. I want once ounce of that evil ability. Right now, I’ve just got the market on ice picking and the Undead Monkey.

Today we are going to find out our sexy level. Then we’re going to hijack our heroine’s and find their sexy level. In a little quiz I’m going to call: Bringing Sexy Back

There is a difference between vamp and sexy. Vamp is all about the “oomphf” factor. Vamp isn’t subtle at all; it’s all about the show. Vamp is in your face, I want you to think I’m sexy and I’m going to get what I want out of you. The difference is sexy is about the little things that brings characters together for the uniqueness that makes a relationship different. Yeah, the vamp is going to dominate your thoughts for the first hour or so, but you’re going to be thinking about the sexy long into the night.

Our heroine’s possess a certain amount of “sexy” to draw the hero into the heroine’s world. We get to pick the traits our hero finds sexy about our heroine. We can make her clumsiness and awkwardness be endearing to him. Bring out the protector and watch him be secretly amused at her inability to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time. We can make our heroine the sex kitten who everyone notices as soon as they walk in the door. She’s standing in the middle of the room, blood red dress draped over her flawless curves. The heroine knows she’s capable of anything she puts her mind to and he finds that extremely sexy.

So today, I want to talk about the traits we put into our characters to make them attract. What traits and characteristics do you find sexy in characters? And I want you to take the quiz and post your results into the comments. And if you have better quizzes (or find it extremely hilarious to see a bunch of writers take quizzes) post the links to the quiz in the comments for us all to try.

(Not the other “C” word, which coinwinkadinkaly (or maybe not so much) is the first letter of my first name.)

***

By no means am I an expert on writerly conferences. I’ve been to one several years ago (Spring Fling, Chicago, 2008) and found it to be one of the best writing experiences I’ve ever had. The kinship you have with someone as a writer, even if you don’t know them well, is incredible. The knowledge passed between groups, the camaraderie, the friendship- I honestly think writerly conferences are a good way to build back up some self-esteem (no matter if you pitch or not) and rekindle the fire you have for writing. You come home recharged and ready to go full steam ahead on your current (or new) manuscript. You keep in mind all the contacts you made, cross your T’s and dot your I’s and work super hard to produce. And sometimes at the end of the road, you’re rewarded with what you’ve worked so hard to do in the first place.

Work conferences are like that as well.

Right now I’m at a work conference. Not quite as fun as a writerly conference (and from what I’ve heard, not even a TENTH of fun as the RWA National conference.) but most of the time just as educational. Once a year I mingle with the state speaking to others who do what I do and work supportively to what I do. It’s a chance to trade secrets, learn new techniques and pawn off evil doings on others. (-That I’m kidding about. Slightly.) I’ve been at this conference every year for 7 years. Every year is a learning experience because the medical world is always changing, just like the writer’s world. As a writer we have to keep up with trends, remember who we’ve met, who we’d like to meet, what publishers want what and what agent want what. In the medical field, we have to keep up with ICD-9 (soon to be ICD-10) codes and HIPAA,  Red Flags and lien laws (Just to name a few). In the writer world we fight so hard to keep our new stories private so that no one has the chance to flag our unique ideas and rewrite them. In the medical world, we have to fight to keep your personal information private and keep you safe from identity theft. In all professions the opportunity to learn more, progress into a smarter version than the person we were. Conferences are a way to branch out and discover new ways to reinvent ourselves (or our office.)

So, as you’ve probably guessed, I’m not going to be on the blog today but the RWR pirates have promised to keep everything afloat while I’m out teaching the world how to ice pick properly and trying not to fall asleep in the back of the class. Let’s talk about our writing in a practical sense. Have you been to a conference? Taken a class (in person or online)? Belong to your local RWA chapter? What have you benefited from getting out there and improving yourself and your writing?

Music of the week: “Outta your mind” Lil Jon (Crunk Rock, 2010)
(I bet you guys didn’t see that coming. I’m in a mood. Chance get the bar ready. I want to dance.)

***

You can’t deny that technology is all around us. Even as readers we’re beginning to feel the effects of the technology boom. EReaders are all the rage right now. The Nook, The Kindle, the Sony Reader, even the iPad… They are here to make the readers life easier to read in style. I’m resistant to the idea of holding an electronic device to house my usual paperback novel. I like the smell of the paper and ink. I like the way the paper crinkles between my fingers as I turn the page. (One thing I don’t like is when Mina decides to make my book her new snack.) But an eReader would’ve come in handy the last time I made a trip and wanted to pack along 10 books with me. Instead of packing along 10 books, I could’ve downloaded them all into an eReader and tucked the eReader into my bag.

I can say without a doubt I’m not the person to call if you ever needed your ancient VCR programmed. Or if you need a surround system hooked up to your HiDef flat screen TV, TiVo (or whatever the hell it is that records TV now), your cable box, Blue-Ray scanner, DiVX player, XBox 360 and Wii all into one TV.

Not going to happen in this lifetime.

Now, with that being said, I like gadgets and I love gadget research. This whole eReader thing has me curious. I’ve been completely against eReaders since the Kindle came out. Did you know the battery life is supposed to last for 2 whole weeks?! And holds 1500 books?! The little reader girl in me squealed in delight when I came upon that. Fifteen hundred books? Are you kidding me? And they’ve lowered the prices on eReaders. Which has me doing furious research on eReaders for my upcoming birthday and Christmas present. Oooooooh, Undead Monkey… I’ve found what I wanted!

(Besides my very own island. A new Z28 (Nevermind they don’t come out until 2012… we’re professionals ’round here.) and that S&W .40 I’ve been wanting but no one will dare buy me. Wonder why.)

I got sidetracked from my own blog. Tangents within tangents.

I love to read about new advances in current technology that “makes” our lives a little easier from day to day. But how do we decide what technology to include in our manuscripts?

Hellie brought up a good point the other day. In advances in series that are several books in (as well as SEVERAL years in the making) how do you gauge what fits and what doesn’t? Her point was Janet Evanovich has written a series where the heroine never ages- yet the series started in the mid-90’s when stretch pants in neon colors, big hair, Walkmans and the word “rad” were all the rage. How do you integrate iPods and Harry Potter references into that? The series produces a book a year. Obviously to appeal to younger audiences you have to reference gadgets and pop culture people recognize.

I’m sure all of us would understand record player, 8-Track and cassette tape references but kids now have lived in a world where they have only known CD’s and MP3’s, iTunes and legalized Napster. (Anybody remember the days before legalized Napster? Aimster anyone? Kazaa?) I referenced a quote the other day to a teenager, “Better eat your Wheaties.” And she just looked at me with a blank stare. She had NO idea what I was talking about. I thought that was a quote that transcended generations. Apparently not.

We all know I write tech inspired fiction. I grew up with a love for computers. My first computer was a Mac Apple IIe. My parents still have it in their basement. Anyone remember the computers of old days where you had actual floppy disks? Where you had to command the computer to do functions that we take for granted now? I own several computers now (no Apple which I plan to fix in the next year). Laptops, wireless servers, encrypted emails; sophisticated programming inspired me to write about criminally conscious women who use their skills to help others in their time of need. Research on this technology is one of those things you can’t stay ahead of the curve unless you’re at the forefront.

So let’s talk about what types of technology you feel comfortable mentioning in  your manuscripts. What do you wish you knew more about? Any opinions about technology in fiction?

Side note: I finished reading the Millennium trilogy (AKA Steig Larsson’s novels about the “hacker” Lisbeth Salander). While it wasn’t detailed, might I say that every time computer technology gets mentioned in a novel, even slightly, I go gaga. The only thing that saved the first novel for me was Lisbeth’s equal love for computer technology and the beauty of computer specs. All and all, the second book was my fav.

Since I’ve taken up writing, I’ve discovered a part of my imagination I never knew I had. I was a decent paper writer in school. I never lacked for something to say (It’s been said that’s because I’m opinionated- I say it’s because I’m right. Always.) and that was no different when it came to writing out history and English papers. But I always excelled at the creative writing part. I thought that was because I always read during class and could easily recall something I read to tweak it into my imagination and make something else.

In fact, one of my favorite creative writing projects was my senior year and I wrote about a girl who died in a car accident and haunted her still living boyfriend in his dreams. The story grew to 30 pages- accident of course- and I stayed up all night writing it. My fingers had pencil stains on them for weeks.

I spent the majority of my high school career (when I was required to write creatively) hating it. I loathed creative writing during the year. First of all, you’re TOLD what to write about. We all know I hate to be told what to do. My brain doesn’t work by being told WHAT to write about. My brain just wants to form an idea and go with it. Second of all, it has to be CLEAN writing. Anyone who has ever gotten their hands on something I’ve written knows that my favorite words are four letters and sex and murder are my favorite ways to fill up a page. And third (and just as important) really the teacher doesn’t appreciate a good effort of imagination. I didn’t exactly have the best grasp on grammar and punctuation when I was in high school. I preferred to read, but eventually you get tired of seeing all the red marks on the page with comments of “I couldn’t follow the story because there are too many characters” or “You started out in third person and switched to first. THIRD PERSON only was the assignment”. No “wonderful usage of history in your story” or “way to use your imagination on this futuristic take on our planet”.

Honestly, I struggled because third person is a foreign language to me while writing. I just couldn’t figure out the mechanics. I’m an ADHD writer. I can’t have the ability to head hop or I will opt for it and often. And I always see the story from one POV. While I know how it ends, I don’t always see what everyone else is doing around me. So I didn’t pursue it. I was under the impression that first person POV wasn’t done (and I hadn’t read any books done in first person). And since I can’t grasp third person, I told myself reading was enough.

Obviously, reading is never going to be enough. I need my characters. I need my life through fiction. I need the ability to express myself through words just as much as I need spontaneity and routine. It’s the balance that keeps me going. And finding the right way to express my imagination has done wonders for my writing ability.

So, is a particular POV easier for you than another? When reading, do you prefer to read third person or first? What do you think you miss while reading either POV?

Today is a special day on the ship. I asked if some of the pirates of the RWR would be willing to share stories of real daddies who have made us the pirates we are today. You could talk about celeb daddies who have inspired you, or your own father or dear husband.

*No hotties dripping in sweat, minus their clothes and a blatant look in their eye as they look upon you. Sorry. We’ll be back to that next Sunday.*

*blinking* Oooh. I dunno HOW that got here.

hehehehehe Hello hotties, I think all five of you will do for my new harem.

Santa: “Celebrity Dad: Hugh  Jackman. I think there’s a pic of him at the beach with his daughter. Adorable. Abs on him aren’t too bad either!”

“My Dad: My father was a bear of a man who was gruff on the outside but with a teddy bear soul. He’s gone almost fifteen years now but I still can feel the palm of his hand as he would cup my check and call me his ‘Sandarella’.  He considered himself a guide for the young guys just starting out who delivered product to us. He never turned down a kid starting out in the business who he thought should be given a shot. They don’t make him like that anymore.”

“My Darling Husband is a marvelous father to our kids. He had a marvelous model in his own father who was a kind, giving giant of a man. My kids’ father greets his daughters with a ‘Hello, beautiful.’ every morning and a resounding ‘What’s up, buddy?’ to our son. My eldest is at an age where hugs are not given as freely as they once were but I tell him to hold steady. It’ll be cool to be hugged and kissed by your dad….just in time for our youngest to scoot away.”

J Perry Stone: “Celeb:  Will Smith.  He shows his children the fabulous example of putting his marriage first.  This makes great up and coming husbands as well as up and coming wives who learn not to settle for anything less from their men.”

“My dad:  At nearly 70, my dad is still 16.  There isn’t anything he won’t try.  Today he tried to master one of those sand-skimmer boards that glides along shallow surf.  At 6’2″ the board doesn’t really skim when he jumps on it.  He came limping back to the chairs with sand in his beard and blood on his knee.   And laughing.  What’s more, my dad is a renaissance man.  He can conduct a full orchestra and choir (which he did for 30 years), build houses and cars, and laugh at fart jokes while wearing a full tux with tails.”

“My husband:  He listens, he never repeats mistakes, he puts the kids to bed every night (checking teeth and reading stories), he always keeps his promises, he makes elaborate breakfasts for the kids on the weekends, he keeps kids away from their mama when she’s about to go nutball with their bickering, and he puts Will Smith to shame.”

Hellion: “I love my Daddy because he’s smart, handsome, capable, and witty as hell. When I was little, he would take me for rides on his motorcycle and we’d go tearing up and down the pasture, having a grand old time; he also took me fishing and he taught me to swim. He could make anything he needed–and was able to make things I’d need for projects as well; and he could also cook and clean up after himself. I get my sarcastic wit from him–and one of my favorite witticisms was him explaining to my aunt what the bead necklaces hanging off my rearview mirror meant. He claimed they were my speedometer for my car. If they were trailing toward the backseat, I was driving too fast. If they were hitting the windshield, I was braking too fast. And if they were spinning in a circle, she better be seat belted because I clearly didn’t know where I was going. (This was a response off the fly, when he was 85 or 86…He’s only gotten more smart-alecky as time passes.)”

Sin:

“Dear daddy,

I get my ninja skills from you. We both know I could best you in a match of ultimate awesomeness. Even the flight attendant on the plane agreed. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He saw potential in my ninjaness. Well, among other things.

While you have lost the ninja debate, you’re a great man who I look up to and defer to your magic skills of remodel and fix-it abilities. While you spent most of my childhood working to make sure we had a roof over our head and food to eat, you took time out of relaxing in front of the TV to teach me how to pitch a softball. How to shoot the hook shot and the three and dribble like a guard in the pros. You encouraged my love of sports even though I was (and still am) clumsy, awkward and so far from graceful there should be a youtube channel of my antics. You drove me to challenge myself and continue working on my game, all the while you were teaching me the real lesson in life. You don’t have to be born with the talent to shine, hard work, determination and stubbornness can get you there too. You just have to fight for what you want and don’t get discouraged when you fall short. Pick yourself up and try again.

And I’ve fallen off ponies. And fallen off the roof in my attempt to fly. And fallen down as I tried to jump on the merry-go-round. Fallen out of trees. Been down, discouraged and ready to give up. Broken bones and skinned knees and burned the skin from my flesh (not to mention the misfortunate of sharp objects operating near me) and all the scars I have are to show that you taught me never give up. I’ll never give up.

So, in honor of all you’ve give me, I picked up something real nice for you daddy. A special, “That’s about enough of that.” for Father’s day. *grin* I knew you’d like it.

Happy Father’s day, daddy. I love you (I know you just grimaced- get over it.)

Your Monkey, Toots.

Chance: “Dad was a handsome man and sent several of my girlfriends into a bit of a swoon. He also was the master of the colloquialism. ”Stand on my head and spit nickels” was a favorite of his and he actually did it while teasing my niece one day. She never forgot it! Another was “Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick” … ”We’re off like a herd of turtles!” And of course, “I danced with a girl like that once.”

“He’s gone now, three years on the Fourth of July. One of the last things he said to my mom involved their meeting and how it changed his life. “Made all the difference.” Not a bad memory to leave my Mom. I sure miss him.”

Marnee: My dad – My dad passed away five years ago, a month after my wedding.  Lung cancer, an unapologetic smoker all his life.  My mom said when she cleaned out his truck, she found massive amounts of pain meds–Tylenol, ibuprofen, prescription stuff that she isn’t sure how he got his hands on it.  We’re pretty sure he knew what was coming and was trying his damnedest to stay out of the hospital as long as he could.

I remember the month before my wedding, asking him if he had a preference for a father/daughter dance song.  I fully expected him to let me choose as that was kind of his way.  But he said he’d get back to me and a week later, called me across the state to say he’d chosen “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride.  I thought it was sweet, but only later did I realize he might have been saying something to me.  I miss him.

“In my daughter’s eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she’ll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I’m gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I’ll be there
In my daughter’s eyes.”

My hubby – I haven’t got enough words to say how impressed I am with the kind of father my husband has become.  Just tonight he fetched water for a preschooler trying to drag out bedtime, helped burb an infant whose mom’s feet were tiring out, and watered plants with a boy who’s desperately trying to feel important in a house overrun with a new baby, even though it would have been much faster to water them alone.  He loves us all every day and he humbles me.

So tell us pirates of the RWR all about a special man in your life or you can just talk about what hottie you’d like to see next week. I’m all about some naked hottieness.

Promise Me by Kill Hannah (Wake Up the Sleepers, 2009)

When I was a little girl, I liked to build things. Now mathematics are not my forte so building things for a living probably wouldn’t suit me (unless you want to live in a house with odd dimensions or drive on a bridge that is lopsided) but I’m still fascinated with building things in my head. It’s seeing it form from the ground up. Watching it grow and prosper under your watchful eye until it takes the shape you’ve obsessed over since day one.

Writing is building. You build the foundation upon what you want your writing to be. You build your characters, the world they live in. Everything fictional in your mind is built by you. I find one of the most challenging building projects while writing is the relationships your characters have. Relationships are messy, complicated and never easy. Therefore, writing a relationship is a messy, complicated and never easy process.

When writing in your story, you can fix the relationship however you want it. Friends, family, lovers, their relationship ARCs are based how you want them to read. A relationship with someone tells your reader a lot more than just how the character interacts with that one person. It can tell them how that person perceives the world around them, the world they grew up in, and the way they live their life now. Relationships can take different turns depending on how the relationship was built. You can build a relationship through work. Common interests. Mutual respect. Love. Trust. Commitment. Duty. The list is longer than I truly want to blog. But what got me started writing was a relationship. The reason I keep writing is, well, lost to me now. Emotional ties to something intangible. Relationships with my characters who are fictional and run rampant in my head. My brain is a jumble of voices just waiting to break loose on a blank screen.

In the case of my characters, particularly my hero and heroine, they’ve deemed their relationship inhabitable. It makes for difficult writing. It also makes for frustration. Bouts of periodic pissiness on the part of the writer. And incredible mood swings.  I knew writing wasn’t easy. In fact, writing might be the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to accomplish. But characters who loathe the sight of one another (my heroine practically hisses every time he comes within a 100 yard radius of her) is giving me more fits than I care to talk about. I didn’t realize they were married. I didn’t realize she was still madly in love with him, and madder than a rattled hornets nest for him leaving her alone. Then I wrote him sitting by her bedside in the dark and realized he loved her too. It took this realization for me to be able to connect to him. He knows he’s fcked up but he can’t fix it and she wouldn’t let him if he tried.

So what does he try to do?

If you said fix their relationship… *sigh* That would be easier. But that is not the case.

So tell me what is your favorite part of writing? Doesn’t necessarily need to be your strongest point, but the part of writing you enjoy so much it keeps you going. And have you ever been surprised by a relationship in your writing you had no idea about? (Readers: Surprised by a relationship in a novel you’ve read you didn’t see coming?)

Just a little hate mail between my two main characters. They have a little pent up frustration between them.

~*~

To: hero @ W S S LLC. com
From: heroine @ M C S LLC. com
Subject: Being a hero doesn’t suit you.

Dear Hero,

Your pathetic excuse of a spy doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. A tip from one boss to another, employ people who have their tongues cut out, lips sewn shut, loyal to a fault or- this might be the best advice of all- do your own dirty work.

Just a suggestion, dear.

It is high time I set you straight. I’ve spent the past five years pretending you (and what you’ve done) don’t exist. I now realize I can keep on denying your existence in the world (trust me, I’m tempted) or we can just talk like civilized people and find a reasonable solution to this little problem. Though, I’ve been advised that a reasonable solution is not blowing out the tires on your Mustang at 100 mph and watch you careen over the edge of a bluff.

Pity.

The world is a two way street of good and evil, Hero. I am a thief. I steal because I want to, because I’m good at it. Just like you kill people to keep others safe from harm, to keep the balance of power between you and the bad guys. I know what you’re doing. Your attempts at blackmailing me into getting what you want aren’t lost on me. And in my grayscale world, there is no room for you constantly watching and waiting in the wings for me to screw up. It’s not in my nature to screw up and I can’t afford it in my line of work. And frankly, the thought of it pisses me off.

I know you’ve kept tabs on me for the past five years. On my business and the people I associate with. I can’t begin to understand why you do this. As far as I know, what I do in my own life is none of your concern. So maybe you could remember that the next time you send two inconspicuous giants to tail me in an expensive black SUV with heavily tinted windows. I’m not sorry about that. You can forward me the medical bills and I’ll have my accountant take care of them. But next time, I can’t be held accountable for what happens.  They are big boys. They can take care of themselves, I’m sure.

What I’m trying to say, Hero, is five years may not be eternity in the grand scheme of things; I’m a different person now. These eyes have seen the world, memorized every little detail and burned it into my memory. You changed me in ways I can’t comprehend, can’t control, and can’t fathom. And I have no desire to more thought into it. As for your favor, your asking price is too high and I can’t go back and be who you want me to be. There is too much history between us to forgive and forget. So give me what I want and do what you’re good at, Hero.

Walk away before this gets ugly.

Your Heroine

My heroine and “hero” are at odds in my RS. (Light on the R- unless you count love affairs of guns, mayhem and violence, then it’s definitely filled with R.) What is your favorite way to get the “hero” and “heroine” at odds with each other? Anyone want to write a passive aggressive note to one of your characters from another?

I had a good time writing mine.

Obviously.

Tear the World Down- We Are the Fallen (Tear the World Down, 2010)

Once again, it’s time to step away from the box.

What does this have to do with writing? Has anyone else started to notice a trend lately with their favorite series? Anita Blake is now a Comic. (Kim Harrison) The Hollows are going Graphic (Not to mention the Twilight series has gone there already). And my favorite old school Manga (Sailor Moon) was turned into a cartoon series (1990s) and even spawned into some movies. The art of picture novel is looking for a broader audience, starting with you. Yes, you my little novel reader.  Why? Why not. In the world of Internet, Podcasts and the Kindle, there are fewer and fewer people picking up the written word. And in the world of the writer, change is on the horizon and you’ve got to find ways to make yourself marketable to the masses. Marketing yourself to the masses means widening your written horizons.  And to widen those horizons and stay true to your abilities, you’ve got to think on different creative levels to gain those would be readers.

Now, you might be wondering what the difference is between comics and graphic novels (I hear it’s a topic that comes up a lot). Or even wondering WTF manga is or if it’s a new term for the Alan Alda. (I promise manga is NOT.) And because I heart the Wiki, the Wiki is what I’ll use to explain these to you (or not. You’ve probably stopped reading by now. If that’s true then boo on you.)

Comics are pretty self-explanatory, I would think. Most of us grew up with Spiderman, Superman, Iron Man, The Hulk, Wonder Woman, Batman as comic book heroes (and heroines). I couldn’t wait to read the comic strips (ie: Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts) in  the newspaper on Sunday morning. (Do they still do that?) Recently, Hollywood has gone Comic book mad and made a bunch of comic books into movies. (Kick-Ass was pretty kick ass. The Losers, meh, I wasn’t sold on it. I thought it was lackluster at best.) Comics are a series told over a span of editions and volumes. Usually comics are targeted over the broader audience range, aiming for kids and adults alike. While there may be violence and the occasional “encounter” with a member of the opposite sex, it’s usually pretty mild. Comics have been around for a while and lots of people are collectors and enjoy the simplicity of comics as an art form. But when you flip to the last page in your comic, it’s not the end of the story. Just the end of the comic until the next edition comes out.

Graphic novels takes a comic book to the next level by making the comic book an actual illustrated version of a novel. There is a beginning, a middle and an end to every book. I think the actual work is more detailed, vivid, the novel themes seem to be darker. A great example of GN to movie is Watchmen. The GN isn’t geared toward younger audiences, tending to go for more adult themes.

Experts and readers alike argue over the terms of comic book or graphic novel. Some people are not keen on the “graphic novel” label. I’m a fan of the definition to separate the two.

Now, Manga.  Manga being Japanese comics/graphic novels (interchangeable). (See, I told you not the Alan Alda.)

I’m a fan of the visuals Manga inspired comic bring to the page. The art form of Manga is beautiful all on its own. Japan, with the original art form of Manga, haas everyone beat on the beauty the artist can bring to the page with the story. One of my favorites is Sailor Moon. The story of a clumsy girl who happens to turn out to be the leader of a ragtag mix of girls destined to save the universe from evil doers who would harness the good in everyone to destroy everything.

Amerimanga is often referred to when speaking of Manga inspired American comic/graphic novel illustrators and writers. The American art form of Manga is a different style than the tradition Japanese Manga. I believe mostly based off the differences in culture and popularity of the illustration design.

When thinking of all three forms, I think of the difference in illustration as visual form of difference. And if thinking about visual differences in outlets, I can’t stop this blog without writing about the recent trend to bring book series to life on the TV and Silver Screen.

In the move to get more readers excited about reading, Hollywood has come calling to several authors for big time movie contracts and TV deals. One of my favorite series of all time, Stephanie Plum (Author: Janet Evanovich) is finally *crossing fingers* going to make it to the big screen. Ms. Evanovich sold her rights to the first book, One for the Money, more than a decade ago. Several scripts were written. A TV movie made and shelved quickly and more scripts and production companies later, the book is finally coming to life. Nicholas Sparks *eye roll* has plenty of books turned movies (I will concede The Notebook broke my heart, but I did not cry.) Not to mention the interest the movie builds for movie goers who don’t typically read fiction. The Time Traveler’s Wife, My Sister’s Keeper and The Lovely Bones generated more interest in the fiction novel that inspired the movie. (I’d like to see the numbers on book sales after the movie made it to the big screen and numbers on library loans.)

But movies aren’t the only way to go. Many book series’ have been turned into TV series’. I bet you know of True Blood on HBO. (Fangbanger, anyone?) Charlaine Harris started the Sookie Stackhouse series (AKA: Southern Vampire series) in 2001 (I’m pretty sure, correct me if I’m off.) and the series and it’s popularity has grown into a massive following of readers and TV Series lovers alike.

The series Blood Ties on Lifetime hooked me into a world of a vampire, Henry (none other than Henry, dead son of Henry the VIII) partnered to a former police officer turned private investigator, Vicki Nelson, to solve crimes of the paranormal kind. The Blood books were written in the 90’s (early 90’s) and just adapted into a TV series in the mid 2000’s. This was one paranormal series I had not enjoyed before the series made it to TV. I’m sad that Tanya Huff stopped at 6 books but it was about the closure she gave her readers without dragging it out and killing the love of the characters.

Okay, I can talk about this all day, so I’m just going to get to the question. With the growing trend of the written word into visual form, could you imagine branching your novel out into a visual representation of your story? And what form would you want it to take?

A rant of sorts.

Bittersweet Causality (song)- Cold Driven (band)- Set in Stone (album)  — My new Kiki and Dex theme song.

“We made a killer out of you and a hostage out of me. I’m just a bittersweet causality. We brought the devil out of you and the sinner out of me. It’s not fair; but love is war. I can’t live this way. I’m living like a hostage.  Don’t leave me. I’m too scared to say anything. But I can’t live this way.”

I read a lot of books where characters don’t actually work. You know, that thing that me and you do on a regular basis. Usually these characters are already wealthy from some endeavor before you’ve even cracked open the brand new spine of the first book. It’s usually a man- who owns half the town. Has more frienemies than actual family or friends. A new age tycoon of sorts. He’s gorgeous (of course) with a killer body, an ability to handle himself in a fight and has mass respect on the street. I don’t find anything wrong with this. In fact, if this man was real (ie: If Ranger (Evanovich- Plum series) was real and not a fictional character I’d like to tie to the bed and have my wicked way with) I would hunt him down and have to meet this real life stereotypical fictional hero. He finds heroine interesting because she’s a bumbling fumbling incompetent woman, or because she’s so sarcastic and cynical he finds it a challenge to be in her presence, and therefore decides he must have her.

I find it’s not often you run across a heroine in a novel who can handle herself and has money to run her life the way she wants to run it without man regularly around. The heroine who only invites a man into her life because she finds his friendship to be advantageous when she’s in the need of it. The heroine who devotes her life to being single and living a life outside of the box. Heroes have this life in almost every book I pick up. It’s always the hero who is closed off, who is unable to take the risk and have a relationship other than friends with benefits (FWB). And the heroine is always unwilling to take that step because they are dreaming about the life they want to have in the future and not living for the moment where they could have what they want.

Time for heroines to have the same advantages, if you ask me, we’re more equipped to deal with it. We’ve just been hardwired wrong from the beginning. We’re brainwashed by this stereotype. Women are way too detailed oriented for this to be going on. We’re organized. We’re cut throat and we’re straight to the point. I refuse to read another book about a weak heroine who needs a man to take care of her or the woman is constantly thinking about her chances of getting married with a white picket fence in her future.

No offense mama, but if you were tut-tuting me like Stephanie Plum’s mother does about her getting married and having babies, I’d blow you up in the next vehicle that came my way. Or the way Rachel (Harrison’s Hollows series) reminds herself that she’d like to settle down with a nice witch and have a famil y someday. It’s a nice dream, sure, but I don’t need reminders in novels. You don’t have to have that to have a full and rich life. It’s about the people your characters surround themselves with and who you surround yourself with in your life. That’s the richest part of the story. Life and all the great things that happen along the way. You have to take the heartache with the happiness. Growth is the essential element in all life, fictional and real.

Live for the moment and not for what will happen in the future. Here is where my “happy for now” (HFN) comes into play. I’m not a fan of the “happily ever after” (HEA) shit. I’m tired of reading it. Nothing rarely works out for the happily ever after. Marriage is work. Life is work. And it’s hard. It’s not one of those things where you slip a glass slipper on some bitches foot at the end and it all works out like magic. I’m pretty sure if Prince Charming knew Ms. Sleeping Beauty had a sleeping pill addiction and hid her pills under her feather mattress, not all would be happy in the “Charming” household. Or Snow White and her seven dwarves. I highly doubt any testosterone charged man would really just forget his wife spent time with seven dwarves. Sounds like he might find a nice little “surprise” on some pay by the second website featuring his wife as the star.

Fiction is fiction and enjoy it for what it is- yeah sure. I like fiction with challenge of life. If your character does something to disrupt the Karma flow, well I want to see the cause and effect. Kiki steals shit. Kiki gets caught, her ass kicked, blackmailed and ditched. If you keep doing the dance with Karma, I totally expect the next effect of Karma to be showing you exactly what happens when you disrespect the cosmic flow of life. And Kiki gets hers. Just like any other character in a fictional novel.

For once I want to see a strong heroine kick some ass on her own. I’m not even managing it in my own series. Dex is just getting in the way. Just like any other asshole male on the face of the planet. He’s not capable to realizing she can handle this on her own.  If I didn’t have designs for him in future novels, I’d take his ass out via acid pit, or exploding vehicle, sniper fire, flame thrower, fitted for concrete shoes and pitched into the Missouri River. I mean, I can come up with all sorts of ways I’d enjoy getting rid of him *clearing throat* I mean, all the ways Kiki would enjoy getting rid of Dex. But I can’t. I’m caught in my own web of stereotypical writing behavior.

So I want to hear what you think is stereotypical behavior in heroines and heroes. What do you read about most often and what just really irks you about the novels you read? And what stereotypical behaviors do you enjoy in novels but never see?