IWSG & Nightmares & Built Of Strength

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

September 7 question - What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?

Horror would be the worst for me.

I had debilitating nightmares as a child. Bad enough that they would scare my mother when I told her about them. I still remember quite a few of them (some recurred a lot) and they're still terrifying. My folks were worried enough to take me to doctors who all declared I simply had a vivid imagination.

Very helpful.

It took me years of practice to learn to "push away" the nightmares so that I could step out of those worlds and into the real one. It's a push with my brain to the left and it works. No idea why.

Fictional worlds have always been real to me (even though I know they're fictional...). Whatever horrific thing that happens to the MC in movies, TV, & books feels as if it's happening to me. And happens again and again in my dreams.

Writing horror would mean living in that world for the time I needed to write the book. Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

So, no horror for me, thanks!!

How about you? Any genres off-limits for you and your brain?

PS: Built of Secrets releases next week!

When life was tearing them down, they shared a scorching—and anonymous—one-night stand.

Five years later, they come face to blushing face at Midnight Lake. Aisling has committed to renovating the old lodge for her friend. Graham is part-owner of a security business operating out of the same property. And they both want to claim the shop space. Let the awkwardness commence. 

But the mutual attraction? Still scorching hot. 

When Aisling is attacked, Graham realizes he wants more than one night. Now, he has to make sure she not only survives, but that she feels the same.

Preorder now!

IWSG & Favourite Genres

 The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!  

March 3 question - Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

Great question!

I'm a romantic suspense author and I read a lot of romantic suspense. But I've always been a wide reader and still am. My current favourite genres are:

• romantic suspense (Chrys Fey, Yolanda Renee, Carol Kilgore, Kait Nolan, Diane Burton...)
• contemporary romance (Jean Oram, MJ Fifield, Heather M. Gardner, Deniz Bevan...)
• fantasy (Elle Cardy, Patricia Josephine, Tara Tyler, Shannon Lawrence,...)
• sci-fi & other spec fiction (Alex J Cavanaugh, Tyrean Martinson, Susan Kelley, ...)
• cozy mystery (Elizabeth Spann Craig, Ellen Jacobnson, Victoria Gilbert,...)
• rom coms ( Ellen Jacobson, Jackie Lau, Kelly Siskind,...)
• mystery/crime (Tick Tock anthology, Damyanti Biswas,...) 
• YA & MG (C Lee McKenzie, Sherry Ellis, Cathrina Constantine, SA Larsen...)
• and so many more!!

My reading choices are driven by a few things, mostly interest. But friendship is also important to me. Including the authors above, I've read books from over 100 authors I've met online - books I would never have known about or read if I hadn't become friends with the author or met them somehow online.

I love an entertaining story with intriguing characters and I want a happy ending - or at least one that isn't going to rip my heart to shreds. 

So, if the book fits within that rather loose definition, I'm probably in!

How about you? Are you a wide reader?

Apologies if I missed you on the list but my hands/brain got tired!

If you're looking to try romantic suspense, the first Bloo Moose romance (Reaching For Normal) is free!

IWSG & EEK!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

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October 2 question - It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

EEK!
I can't imagine trying to write a story without being a reader.
Reading has taught me so much - and not only about Story, but we'll stick with that for this post! 😀

From reading, I've learned how Story flows.
I've learned how Tropes work and how they are different from Cliches.
I've learned what the Beats of a Story are and how they flow.
I've learned how Characters interact and how Emotions trump all (at least for me!).
I've learned that Fantasy & SciFi & Romance & Adventure & MG & SciFi & YA & Mystery all have their own personalities, expectations, and styles.

I've learned a lot of these things by osmosis.
From the Bobbsey Twins to the Hardy Boys to Anne of Green Gables to the Hobbit to Agatha Christie to Anne McCaffrey to JD Robb and beyond, I've learned a lot. Those lessons have become a part of me and therefore part of my writing.

If writers haven't immersed themselves in those worlds, how can they create a story that fits seamlessly into that world they're writing?

Maybe some people can, but I sure can't.

What about you? Do you think Writers should be Readers as well?

Genre Help Please!

For the last couple of years, our lives have been dominated by dementia. Two of our loved ones were diagnosed over a year ago, although the condition was consuming us all long before the diagnosis.

As part of a way to deal with it all, I've been compiling the stories into a book (because that's what we do, right?).

I don't plan on using real names. I'm not out to embarrass anyone (some of the stories are snort-laughing funny, others are heartbreaking).

It's not a memoir. It's not a self-help book. It's not strictly nonfiction as I've changed names and have avoided some details to avoid identifying anyone.

It reads like a story. It is a story. A story of our family, our struggles, our victories, our pain, and our love.

This isn't a medical book. I have no medical knowledge, just experience. While it could be considered a guide for people caring for those with dementia or Alzheimer's, it's not exactly that. It's a journey. Our journey. One that might help a lot of people in similar positions.

The tone of the book will be light-hearted despite the pain and sorrow, because that's the best way we know how to survive.

My question of you, is:

What the heck am I writing? How do I classify it? Any ideas?

Why Romance?

I was asked the other day (by another writer) why I bother to write Romance.

Bother?

I usually ignore dismissive attitudes. Life is short and precious, and I don't like to waste any of it on ugly feelings.

This time, however, it was a direct question and merited a response.

Life can be very, very hard. To prove it, spend about ten minutes on local or national news broadcasts. The world can be full of pain, hatred, cruelty, and prejudice. As a teacher, I see the up close and personal results of some of these and I can't always make it better. That's hard.

Personally, I need something else in my fiction. We all have different ways of coping, and reading & writing help me cope with the ugliness that exists. I read a lot of genres (always have), but I've settled on writing Romance.

For me, Romance is about a lot of things.

• Happiness
• Self-awareness and self-belief
• Striving for positive change
• Trust
• Love
• Family
• Honesty
• Learning how to cope with setbacks
• Risk-taking

And a whole lot more. But, most of all (for me), Romance is about Hope.

Hope can change a day around, change an attitude, change a future, and, yes, it can change the world. Hope is sometimes all a person has.

Romance offers that Hope. It reminds us that, with some hard work, we can achieve a Happy Ending.

So, no, I won't apologize for bothering to write Romance, or for reading it.

I won't apologize for enjoying reading and writing all kinds of other genres either. Every book I read (and every story I write) offers something different. Each one changes me a little bit, hopefully for the better.

I hope all writers and readers love the best parts of their genres the way I love the Hope that Romance brings to me.

How about you? What's the best part of your favourite genre? 

Shelley Sly - MG vs Romance

Please welcome Shelley Sly to the blog today!

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Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Jemi!

So, I love middle grade. There’s something thrilling about writing for kids, and the conversations I’ve had with young readers have been the best part of my job as a writer. But I didn’t start out writing MG.

I started out writing romance.

I’ve written short stories of all different genres, but when I decided to get serious about being a

writer, I was set on writing romance novels with college-aged protagonists. (I guess today it would be classified as New Adult Romance, but back when I wrote my first few novels, it didn’t have such a clear genre.)

Here’s what I loved about romance:

• The moment when the hero and heroine meet. I love introducing two important characters and seeing how they react to each other!
• Showing the sweet side of the hero. My favorite heroes are the ones who are just so loving and thoughtful… even if they try to be a tough guy on the outside!
• The ups and downs of the relationship. I enjoyed putting my hero and heroine through some challenging, heartbreaking times, as long as it ended in a happily ever after!

I didn’t even plan on switching gears and writing for children. But working in an elementary school and being around kids every day inspired me to write for them. It’s not the same as writing romance, but there are things I love about middle grade, too:

• Even though there’s no romantic love, I still have fun introducing two important characters, such as two soon-to-be best friends, or two long-lost relatives.
• There might not be a swoon-worthy hero, but I like showing the depth of young characters, too. Maybe the carefree class clown has a very sensitive side, or the rough and tough tomboy secretly loves pretending to be a princess.
• Other relationships, such as family or friendships, can have ups and downs just like a romance. I enjoy making my characters argue and stop speaking to each other, only to be good friends again later.

Two totally different genres, and yet, they’re more similar than you’d think! I’m pretty attached to MG right now, but I do look forward to returning to romance sometime in the future.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about writing in multiple genres!

Shelley Sly lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with her husband and their chocolate lab mix. She writes middle grade novels about friendship, family, and figuring out where you fit in. Shelley is the author of WISHING FOR WASHINGTON, and her brand new release, ONE HUNDRED THIRTY STARS. You can find her online at www.shelleysly.com.

***

Thanks Shelley! I adored Wishing for Washington and can't wait to read One Hundred Thirty Stars!

I love reading in so many genres (obviously MG is on that list) & I've dabbled in writing multiple genres too. I can totally see me branching out into other genres & age categories once I've got myself some more time!

How about you? Do you write in multiple genres? Want to?

Elliot's Tough Questions

The charming Elliot Grace over at So Close, But... has tagged me with the Liebster Award! The rules are simple, offer 11 fun facts about yourself, answer 11 questions provided by Elliot, pass the award on to 11 blogger pals, answering 11 new questions from yours truly. 

On to Elliot's (really hard!) questions...

1) What is your favorite genre to read?
I love so many genres! Currently my fave is definitely contemporary romance, but I also love fantasy, sf, mystery, YA & MG (I know those last 2 aren't genres--humour me) and more!
 

2) Pizza or pasta?

This is another hard one! We live in a town with a TON of fantastic Italian restaurants. I've been to bigger cities with more famous places and tried a variety of popular chain restaurants, but there is nothing that beats our local pizza & pasta. Nothing! My heart is a little torn with this question, but I think I'll go with pasta!

 

3) If you were to be stranded on an island and could choose one book to take with you, which would you choose?

AHHH! Can I have an easy question please??? Okay. I'd bring Lord of the Rings. I never tire of Tolkien's characters!

 

4) If you could choose to have dinner with one writer, in order to pick his/her brain, who would you choose?

Nora Roberts! She is such a prolific author. She's written a mind-boggling number of best-selling romances and each character is unique and intriguing. Her In Death series has an incredible cast of repeat characters and each book keeps getting stronger!!

 

5) Who is your choice of musician for inspiration while writing?

I never listen to one musician at a time. I always set my iTunes to shuffle. My tastes are pretty eclectic with music too - I've got everything from classic rock to easy listening to jazz to blues to country to Motown to pop... So it would depend on the scene I think!

 

6) The Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad?

Sadly, neither. I've stopped adding new TV series to my schedule. There's just not enough time to watch and do everything else I want to do so I haven't seen either of these.

 

7) If you could choose an actor to play the part of lead role in your book, who would it be?

Another tough one! I actually think Chris Pine would make a pretty good Jaz in the book I'm hoping to pub later this year.

 

8) Do you prefer writing in the a.m or p.m?

Both! I am a morning person, but for most of the year, the job gets in the way. During the school year I tend to write after 9 p.m. once family life has slowed down. In the summer I have more freedom and write whenever I can.

 

9) What is your best antidote for writer's block?

Try something else. I currently have 4 stories in various stages of editing and another one I'm drafting. For a person who thought she was a one draft at a time writer, it's a bit of a shock, but it works!

 

10) When going on vacation...drive or fly?

I'd love to fly to more places but the wallet usually says we drive. My hubby likes to drive so that leaves me free to read too!

 

11) Name the city that tops your bucket list to visit.

So many! Probably Hong Kong. Or New York. Or Rome. Or Cairo...

 

And 11 fun facts about me...

1. I hate/despise/detest/loathe housecleaning
2. My dad and I used to always shop for bonus 'as is' presents for people for Christmas on Christmas Eve when the stores were nuts and the crowds desperate. We got some really strange items and had a ton of fun!
3. I used to walk along the tops of swing sets as a kid
4. I've never owned a pet even though I love animals
5. Although I'm Canadian, I'm a rotten skater. Actually I can skate pretty well, it's the whole stopping thing I never mastered
6. I make an awesome lasagna!
7. I want to go on an African photo safari one day
8. Although I don't watch too many TV series, I'm kind of a sports nut and often have sports on in the background when I'm writing
9. I LOVE teaching Math!
10. When I'm baking/cooking I rarely measure anything - that would take the mystery out!

I won't tag anyone specifically, but if you'd like to play along, please do!

Tell me one fun fact I don't know about you!

With a Splash of Romance

My mom has always called romance novels trash. She loves to read, but doesn't enjoy stories with much romance at all. She loves mysteries - she introduced me to Agatha Christie in grade 6 or 7. She just doesn't understand why anyone would want to read about private lives in books.

Needless to say, I haven't told her I'm writing trash yet! :)

One of these days I'll have to ask her what it is that bothers her about the romance aspect. Her feelings aren't uncommon.

From the responses to my question the other day, most of you don't want the romance to be the central plot to the book, but you enjoy watching relationships develop as a side aspect to the story. A big shout out to the guys btw - not only did you NOT run from the post, but your responses were awesome. Not that I'd expect anything less!

I think most romance books are like that - at least the ones I read. Obviously I don't read them all. For my part, I like a mystery or a suspenseful plot to be added into the mix.

Some people who do this really well in my opinion are Terry O'Dell, Nora Roberts/JD Robb, Julie Garwood, Suzanne Brockmann, Carla Neggers... There are a lot out there. Some of their books sell as romance, others as romantic suspense. Terry's catch phrase on her blog is Romance with a Twist of Mystery. I love that!

The reason I'm thinking about this lately is I'm trying to decide how to classify my ms in a query. It's definitely got a romance & a HEA. There's one sex scene. There's a mystery. There's some violence. There's suspense in the last third. It's set on a ranch.

My options. Romance. Romantic Suspense. Romantic Mystery. Mystery with romantic elements. Western Romance. Contemporary Romance...

But, trash?  I think not! :)

So sorry, mom, but I'm not writing trash. I'm writing about two people who have some tough stuff going on in their lives and who find they are stronger and better together.

Do you have any troubles classifying your genres?

Don't Run!

Okay, don't run away. I'm going to talk about Romance today.

Still here? Good.

It's funny how the word Romance can send people scurrying. It happens all the time. For some reason people become very uncomfortable discussing romance. Why?

As humans, I believe we have a need for relationships of all kinds - familial, friendly and romantic. Once people hit puberty, we spend a fair amount of time thinking about romance. It's natural and normal. We want to find that special connection - that relationship that makes us more than who we are on our own.

It's certainly not just about sex - although as we move farther into puberty that plays a part in it. Again - natural and normal.

So why is there such a stigma around the Romance genre? Most romances are about people searching for and finding that connection. Natural and normal. Romances give us what we'd like in the real world - a happy ending.

I want to explore different aspects of the Romance genre over the next while, and I'd love to hear your input.

Do you like books that include a romantic relationship? Do you read romance? Is it hard to admit it? Have you avoided reading romance because of the stigma?

Straddling Genres

I'm over at From the Write Angle today talking about what to do if your story straddles more than one genre. How do you address that in your query letter? I hope you'll pop on over and join in the discussion.

I've turned off the comments here in the hope you'll hop on over there :) Thanks!

Writing What you Read

"I don’t believe for one moment you can write well what you wouldn’t read for pleasure"
-- Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is an amazing author. She's sold a bazillion books and is probably the first author who comes to mind when you think of romance.

This Nora Roberts quote applies to me. I read a lot, and always have. I enjoy many genres: mystery, romantic suspense, romance, fantasy, and sci-fi being the most common. I write mysteries with a romantic edge - a natural fit for me. I can see me (way far in the future) branching out into the fantasy and sci-fi realms, but not for a while. I really, really like the genre I'm writing now and just can't see it changing for a very long time!

How about you? Does the genre you write match your favourite reading genre? Or do you like to mix it up a little more?